Black Whale

The Black Whale ( Ｂ・Ｗ (ブラックホエール), Burakku Hoēru) is a large transport ship built for Kakin's Dark Continent expedition. As its name suggests, it resembles a whale, able to carry 200,000 people. Currently, only the Black Whale No.1 appears to exist.

Background
King Nasubi has declared his country will build 20 of these ships in a year. He also promised to send 100 million people to the New Continent within 5 years.

Description
The interior of these ships is simple as it was specialized for transport, but that meant it was built at low cost and in less time. The top of the ship can be reached by airships. While on the water, ferries are put to use for the general public to embark the ship.

Black Whale 1


The commemorative first ship is scheduled to carry Beyond as well as the King and 14 Princes. Civilians will be picked by lottery, and the odds of landing a seat on the first ship is 1 in 1300.

The official voyage to the Dark Continent or the pretend New Continent will last about two months. In three weeks the ship will exit humanity's normal navigation and fishing waters called the Territorial Waters. There the vessel will be refueled and a final check will be performed before venturing for five weeks in Uncharted Waters. Severe storms, waterspouts, fluctuations in the weather and the presence of flying creatures fighting over territories and struggling for survival will necessitate closing the top dome of the ship during these five weeks.



The Black Whale is layered into five tiers. Each hosts different classes of people. The throughways between tiers are guarded by the royal army since the whole ship will be under martial law. The second and third tiers are separated by a thick bulkhead which can be only opened in emergencies from the second tier side. Meaning only the Tiers 1 and 2 are considered "hunting grounds" for the succession battle among the Kakin princes.

Of the 200,000 passengers in the ship, 2,000 are guards and royal army soldiers. Ideally, there will be a 100 civilians per guard. But in reality, Tiers 1 and 2 have 800 (40%) and 600 (30%) guards respectively. Meaning that 70% of the total guards are allocated to the rich. Tiers 3 and 4 rely on the mafia (Xi-Yu and Cha-R families) to maintain the public order. As a result, there are over 300 civilians per guard on Tiers 3 through 5. During the fourth day of the voyage, Mizaistom proposes to reorganize the royal army and send 800 soldiers from Tiers 1 and 2 to the lower tiers, in order to stop the murders and remove the passengers' source of anxiety.

The number of clinics is a fifth of what was planned. Only one out of fifteen of the planned doctors came, leading Cheadle to hire more people and reorganize the medical staff.

Tier 1


Tier 1 (1層, Is-sō) is a ship situated directly above Tier 2. It's structured to host the Kakin royal family, V5 politicians and industry dignitaries, as well as the bosses of Kakin's three biggest Mafia families and their staff: Xi-Yu, Heil-Ly, and Cha-R. There are 800 guards and royal army soldiers roaming the halls of Tier 1, 150 of which are Provisional Hunters with secret missions. The tier serves as the main "hunting ground" for the succession battle among the Kakin Princes. Once the Black Whale reaches the uncharted waters, the top dome of the ship will be closed to ensure safety against the rough weather and the predatory flying creatures.

King's Living Quarters
The King's living quarters (王居住区, Ō kyojū-ku) is where King Nasubi resides. It's located next to the reception hall, being separated from the princes' living quarters.

Princes' Living Quarters
The princes' living quarters (王子居住区, Ōji kyojū-ku) can only be accessed via an entrance opposing the banquet hall, which is guarded by soldiers from the royal army. The living quarters are combined and enclosed by a rectangle wall with seven doors on its two longer sides. The fourteen doors lead to the residential areas of the princes which are jammed together in an array of two rows, with seven chambers in each row. The rooms are identical and fairly big. They're numbered from 1001 to 1014, with the last two digits representing its respective prince. Each prince's residential area consists of a living room, a master bedroom, a dining room, a kitchen, a bathroom and living quarters for the servants.

On the right side of the princes living quarters, the VVIP private recreational facilities (ブイビップ王子専用娯楽施設, Buibippu Ōji sen'yō goraku shisetsu) are made available for the princes, since they can only be accessed from the same entrance.

VVIP Living Quarters
The VVIP living quarters (ブイビップ居住区, Buibippu kyojū-ku) is located on the other side of the princes living quarters, being separated from the banquet hall. One way to gain access there is from the corridor bordering the princes quarters' wall. It's a home for the VIP outside the royal family who resides in Tier 1 (V5 politicians, industry dignitaries, as well as the bosses of Kakin's three Mafia families and their staff.)

Princes Benjamin and Camilla are currently confined to this area after the Supreme Court had adjourned their trial.

Soldiers/Associates' Living Quarters
The soldiers/associates' living quarters (兵士・準会員生活区, heishi/junkaiin seikatsu-ku) are designated for the Kakin soldiers and about 150 Provisional Hunters who passed the 289th Hunter Exam with limited licenses only for the voyage. They can be reached from the left side of the princes' living quarters which is heavily guarded by soldiers. Following these quarters there's a passageway that leads to the lower tiers.

Ceremony Hall
The ceremony hall (セレモニー会場, seremonī kaijō) is a big venue furnished with many dining tables. The departure ceremony celebrations were held here at the beginning of the voyage.

Reception Hall
The reception hall (迎賓館, geihinkan) is located between the King's and princes' living quarters.

It's unclear if this is the same place as the ceremony hall.

Banquet Hall
The banquet hall (宴会ホール, enkai hōru) is located between the King's and princes' living quarters. Every Sunday all princes will attend dinner parties to which dignitaries are also invited. However, they will enter and leave the banquet hall at prescribed times and no prince will pass another in transit.

It's unclear if this is the same place as the ceremony hall.

Jail
Beyond holding cell (べヨンド拘束室, Beyondo kōsoku-shitsu) is used to seize Beyond Netero during the whole voyage in accordance to his contract with V5 which states that he should be staying in a room under 24-hour watch, with chaperones accompanying him in outings, and that his whereabouts will be monitored via an anklet with a tracking device, with any future communications being managed and monitored. The holding cell is very small, only able to include a urinal and a bed for Beyond whose right arm is restrained by a manacle that is bolted into the cell's wall.

A first-class cell was used to detain Prince Camilla after she assaulted the First Prince, and killed one of his guards. Other criminals and suspects are taken into custody in regular cells before facing a court-martial.

Supreme Court
The Supreme Court (最高裁判官室, Saikō Saibankan-shitsu) is where Supreme Magistrate Cleapatro resides.

Princes' Burial Chamber
The princes' burial chamber is a big room containing 14 capsules used to bury the deceased bodies of the princes who participated in the succession battle. A canister-looking container is placed in the center of the room, with the 14 capsules laid out in its outer circle perimeter, and another 14 slots in between each capsule and the central container. Two pots lie near the container's edge, opposing each other. The floor and walls bear a strong resemblance to the inscription found in Greed Island entrance.

It's unknown if this chamber lies inside the King's living quarters.

Tier 2


Tier 2 (2層, Ni-sō) is at the highest level of the Black Whale vessel itself. It's lying directly under the separate ship that acts as the first tier of the overall Black Whale. Tier 2 is structured to host celebrities and the rich, and is separated from the third tier by a thick bulkhead which can be only opened in emergencies from the second tier side. The fatal downside is that causes Tier 2 to also become a part of the "hunting grounds" for the upcoming succession battle among the Kakin princes. There are 600 guards and royal army soldiers roaming the halls of this tier.

Theater Venue
The theatre venue (シアター会場, shiatā kaijō) is a small auditorium room with a big projection screen and a side-way balcony. After the departure of the Black Whale 1, a presenter explains there to the audience the details of the two-month voyage.

Tier 3
Tier 3 (3層, San-sō) is in the middle portion of the vessel. It's structured to host the general passengers and is separated from the second tier by a thick bulkhead which can be only opened in emergencies from the second tier side. Crimes involving ticket fraud, theft, racial conflicts, drunken brawls, identity theft, assault and false reports are higher than anticipated. The tier is one of the least secured as it neither has the numbers of guards and soldiers of the upper tiers, or the mafia's word to maintain order, seeing that Morena, the Heil-Ly family's boss, ordered her underlings to wreak havoc and kill everyone on the ship. On the other hand, Tier 3 contains the medical and political wards, as well as the highest number of clinics on the lower tiers, with a total of 3 clinics.

First-Class Cabins
First-class cabins (1等客室, Ittō kyakushitsu) are available in the highest tier meant for general passengers.

Political Ward
The political ward (政治特区, Seiji tokku) is a special zone in one of the middle floors of Tier 3 that contains the different political and legal enforcement agencies (政治・法律の施行機関, Seiji/hōritsu no shikō kikan), the police station (中央警察, Chūō keisatsu) and the royal army office (国王軍支部, Kokuō-gun shibu).

One of the law enforcement agencies, the central courthouse (中央裁判所, Chūō saibansho) maintains order on the Black Whale. It's headed by Botobai Gigante, a member of the Zodiacs Defense Team, who's acting as the court's judge. The room is filled with soldiers from the Kakin royal army that keep order and guide the defendants to the courtroom, a clerk to keep the records, and what appears to be lay judges.

Medical Ward
The medical ward (医科学特区, Ikaga tokku) is a special zone in one of the middle floors of Tier 3 that contains the central hospital (中央病院, Chūō byōin) and the research institute (総合研究所, Sōgōkenkyūjo).

The central hospital accommodates at least one of the 3 clinics inside Tier 3, the central medical clinic (中央医療室, Chūō iryō-shitsu) which is supervised by the Hunter Association Chairman, Cheadle Yorkshire, who's also a member of the Zodiacs Science Team.

General Passenger Area
The general passenger area (一般乗客エリア, Ippan jōkyaku eria) is an assembly point for the general passengers in Tier 3, and is connected to the single cabins.

Single Cabins
A single cabin in the upper floor of Tier 3 consists of a bed, cupboards, shelves and a bathroom. The cabins are aligned in a corridor that connects to the general passenger area.

Heil-Ly Family Office
The Heil-Ly family office (エイ=イ一家事務所, Ei i ikka jimusho) is located in the second-to-last floor of Tier 3, and acts as a hideout for the family members.

Tier 4
Tier 4 (4層, Yon-sō) is structured to host the general passengers. Crimes involving ticket fraud, theft, racial conflicts, drunken brawls, identity theft, assault and false reports are higher than anticipated. Even though it's the largest tier, it only has one clinic. Tier 4 relies on Xi-Yu family to maintain the public order as the number of civilians per royal army solider/guard exceeds 300.

Kakin Royal Army Conference Room
The Kakin royal army conference room (カキン国王軍会議室, Kakin kokuō-gun kaigijitsu) is responsible for ensuring security on the Black Whale. It's the meeting point for people affiliated with the royal army and is currently headed by Mizaistom Nana who is also a part of the Zodiacs Intelligence Team.

Xi-Yu Family Office
The Xi-Yu family office (シュウ=ウ一家事務所, Shu u ikka jimusho) is located in the front portion of the ship, along the "teeth" of the Black Whale vessel. It acts as a hideout for the family members.

Tier 5
Tier 5 (5層, Go-sō) is located at the very bottom of the vessel; next to the propeller. It's also the smallest of the lower tiers constructed to host the general passengers. There is only one clinic in Tier 5 with no dedicated doctors. Tier 5 relies on Cha-R family to maintain the public order as the number of civilians per royal army solider/guard exceeds 300.

Hall 37564
Hall 37564 is where Chrollo Lucilfer was first seen on the ship.

Central Dining Hall
The central dining hall (中央食堂, Chūō daishokudō) is the only cafeteria in Tier 5. It can be accessed from only one passageway that is run by three thugs from the Buor family after they'd bribed the soldiers in charge. A passenger can pay them 5,000 Jenny, borrow loyalty cards or follow a payment schedule to gain access there.

After the three thugs were defeated by members of the Phantom Troupe, it's yet to be known if they still have authority over that passageway.

Warehouse
The warehouse (倉庫, Sōko) is regulated by the Cha-R family. It stores various goods; some of which were smuggled in by the black market. Previously, four guards had been positioned to watch over the warehouse before they were killed by Luini.

The security cameras connected to the Cha-R family office are installed on the warehouse entrance.

Cha-R Family Office
The Cha-R family office (シャ=ア一家事務所, Sha a ikka jimusho) is located somewhere in the middle floors of the fifth tier, next to the propeller. It acts as a hideout for the family members. A steel door with a smart lock and two security cameras guard the outside. The flat consists of an office, a bedroom, a monitor room that records surveillance over all the key areas of Tier 5, and a secret area that's further reinforced by a second steel door.

Trivia

 * The division of classes in the Black Whale resembles that of the RMS Titanic, a British passenger ship notorious for its sinking in 1912. The classes were separated similarly, with the richer passengers being closer to the top while the poorer were nearer to the bottom.
 * 37564 is a Japanese wordplay, which can be read "mi-na-go-ro-shi" (みなごろし), meaning "massacre" or "kill them all".