Ran, please don't let anything happen to you. Conan, face covered in dust and dirt, stumbled his way out of the half-collapsed tunnel. He had chosen the right path, but the whole passage had been crushed and twisted by the quake. The once square space had been squeezed into a slanted parallelogram.
Conan used the flashlight on his watch to light the way, charging forward without hesitation. Along the way, he spotted fainted treasure hunters, and his heart skipped a beat. Did something happen to Ran? The thought of danger made him push even faster.
When he reached the chamber piled high with skeletons, Conan's chest tightened. If Ran saw this, she must have been terrified. Ran, you must stay strong, you must wait for me. Ran—
But in truth, Ran and Sonoko were doing fine. They were touring the ship.
Meanwhile, Kid was busy from top to bottom, working hard to get the vessel out of here. It wasn't an easy task. Luckily, he had brought enough gear. First, he reinforced the hull, then fixed inflatable bags all around it, so the ship could rise to the surface. After all, this was a ship, not a submarine. If water flooded the cabins, it would sink completely and become just another wreck at the bottom of the sea.
The ship wasn't far from the surface—about 50 meters. Not too far, but not close either. And underwater, 50 meters of pressure wasn't a joke. That force could crush a century-old ship into splinters.
At the same time, Kid checked a sensor he had placed on the sea surface. He needed to know the weather, and whether the "audience" had started gathering.
"There's nothing here…" Sonoko pouted in disappointment. She had thought it would be like the movies, with crates of gold and piles of jewels. But the ship was empty.
"That's because this ship is the only thing they left behind. After the two pirate women were caught, they were separated for good. Only their friendship was preserved. Maybe they knew what it meant to fight the British navy. So they hid the ship here, hoping that one day, when they got out, they could ride the waves again together. Sadly, that day never came."
Kid's words made both Ran and Sonoko a little sad.
"I didn't think their story would end like this," Ran said softly.
Sonoko, however, turned to her. "Ran, our friendship will be just as strong as theirs."
"Sonoko…" Ran nodded, touched.
Sometimes Kid thought, Ran and Sonoko together wasn't bad at all. A beautiful lily blooming… maybe that was the best ending. Forget Kudo Shinichi.
"Now let me explain what's going to happen next. You need to be ready." Raising the ship carried real risks.
Finally, Conan arrived. He crouched by the gate, peeking quietly inside. Torches were burning, and in the southeast corner, a lone candle stood flickering.
It looked like Kaitou Kid had confused treasure hunting with tomb-raiding—he was even playing the whole "light the candle, drive away the ghosts" routine. The cave echoed with the fluttering of doves' wings. Conan frowned. Why were there so many pigeons inside a cave?
Then at last, Conan spotted Ran. He saw her safe with Sonoko, and relief washed over him.
But then his eyes locked on Kaitou Kid, standing right before them. From this angle, it was perfect. He could use his power-boosted shoes to launch an attack. Yes, this was the moment. If Kaitou Kid was here, best to capture him now.
With his skill, Conan could easily bend the shot—a banana kick that would curl past the girls and strike Kid clean.
That settled it. Conan drew back and blasted the ball with all his strength. Kaitou Kid, you're finished!
But there was no fooling Kid's ears. The roar of the ball cutting through the air couldn't be hidden. Even with the two girls blocking the line of sight, Kid could read the wind and pin down its path.
The banana kick curved in from the right, but Liu A'dou, like a goalkeeper, raised his hands and caught the ball. "Looks like someone came looking for you."
"Conan?"
"That brat?"
Damn it. Conan clenched his fists, stunned that his shot had been caught so easily. No, he couldn't give up yet. He still had the tranquilizer darts. He still had another chance.
"Ran-neechan, Sonoko-neechan, are you two okay?"
"We're fine. This gentleman thief saved us." Ran was polite, as always.
Conan let out a breath of relief. As long as they were safe, it was fine. But then his eyes hardened as he looked at Kaitou Kid. "Kid, you have no way to escape now. The police are waiting outside."
"It's not good to lie, kid. There's still a typhoon outside." Kid tapped his sensor. "And sensors don't lie. This is our second meeting. Tell me, do you know how I stole Mount Fuji last time?"
"You used hydrogen balloons, attaching them to lift the equipment." Conan answered firmly.
Kid nodded. "That's correct. Then do you know how I made Mount Fuji disappear?"
The torchlight flickered across Conan's glasses, throwing his eyes into shadow. Conan was about to give his most far-fetched deduction ever. It wasn't scientific, it had no real evidence, but it was the only possible explanation for moving a mountain.
He lifted his head, his eyes sharp with resolve. Even if it sounded impossible, it was his reasoning. "Kaitou Kid, you shrank Mount Fuji!" His voice rang out, powerful and shocking, unbelievable yet firm.
Sonoko and Ran exchanged baffled looks. Shrinking a mountain? That was absurd. But hearing it from a kid's mouth, it almost sounded natural—innocent, whimsical, childlike nonsense.
Conan stared hard at Kaitou Kid after speaking. He was waiting, waiting for Kid's reply, waiting for proof that his deduction was correct.
As expected of Detective Conan, body shrunken but brain still sharp as ever. Kid smiled. "I must say, for a little detective, your imagination hasn't frozen up yet. Much livelier than the stiff thinking of adults."
"So Mount Fuji really was shrunk by you?" Conan thought to himself, relieved. Luckily, he too had been shrunk—otherwise he might never have thought of this.
"Of course."
Kid admitted it. He admitted it. Conan's heart raced with excitement. "Then… is it possible to make something bigger?"
Kid immediately understood what Conan was thinking. "There's only a shrinking beam and a restoring beam. No beam to enlarge things beyond their original size. If something was originally small, like you, kid, then it can't be made big."
"Then if something was originally big, and later got shrunk, could you restore it?"
"You mean like turning old into young? Impossible. It's like inflating a baby. You can make the baby physically larger, but it'll still just be a giant infant. It won't accelerate growth into adulthood." Kid shook his head.
"What the heck are you talking about? Prince of Thieves, did you really shrink Mount Fuji?" Sonoko still couldn't believe it.
"It's true," Kid said calmly. "It's a super high-tech invention, something only I can use in the whole world. Now then—the storm outside has stopped. It's time for me to put on a show. Are you ready?"
Conan felt disappointment hit him like a weight. He couldn't restore himself. But when he saw Kid gathering his pigeons and firing cards at the ceiling, his heart sank further.
"Wait—are you planning to…? There are still two men in the corridor!" Conan had already guessed Kid's intention. He wanted to blow open the ceiling, let the seawater rush in, and float the ship to the surface. But two people were still trapped in the tunnel. Criminals, yes—but still human lives.
"You get on the ship first. I'll bring them aboard."