Ren Kuroda flipped through Akemi Miyano's written report — her "reflection essay," as he jokingly called it.
To his surprise, she'd really done her homework. She hadn't just listed the crime films she'd watched; she'd analyzed exactly why each movie's villain got caught.
Some were betrayed by their own men.Some argued over how to split the loot.Some left fingerprints at the scene.Some got drunk and bragged too much.Others drew police attention by spending too lavishly.
"Not bad," Ren said, nodding with approval. "Learn from their mistakes, and you won't end up getting caught yourself."
He wasn't stingy with praise — and he meant it. Akemi clearly had a natural talent for crime; after all, even in the anime's world, her very first bank heist had succeeded.What she lacked was experience. That was how her partner had run off with the money afterward.
Luckily, Conan had been clever enough to find the thief; otherwise, all her effort would've gone to waste.
"I'll remember that," Akemi said seriously.
After watching those films, she'd reflected on her past jobs — and realized just how sloppy she'd been. Her operations were full of holes.Just remembering the time she'd thrown up at the Mihua docks made her break into a cold sweat.
Thank goodness the police hadn't noticed that little detail, or she'd have been hauled in for questioning already.
"How's your intel work going lately?" Ren asked, returning the essay. It wasn't something he needed to keep.
"Not great," Akemi admitted, frowning. "The Dōzan-kai guys have been tearing each other apart with internal fights. I'll barely get my hands on some info, and before I can act on it, they've already started shooting each other."
Ren had heard the same rumors. The Dōzan-kai had been busy with infighting for weeks now.
Akemi hesitated, then said, "When I exchanged the gold coins, Gin gave me a lead… He told me to check out a place called Tsukikage Island."
"Tsukikage Island?" Ren's brow rose. The name instantly reminded him of The Moonlight Murder Case.
"Yes. They said there's a drug-smuggling syndicate operating there — been in business for more than twenty years."
She pulled a folder from her bag and passed it to him, clearly nervous.
"Let's see." Ren took the folder and began reading.
The deeper he read, the more he realized that Tsukikage Island was nothing like the innocent seaside town portrayed in the anime.
Through the perspective of Asai Narumi and Conan's team, the Moonlight Murder Case had looked like simple revenge.But zooming out… the place was basically Mihua's own version of Tazai Village — a fortress built on corruption.
The former village head, Kameshima Isao.The current head, Kuroiwa Tatsuji.The secretary, Hirata Kazuaki.And the island's richest man, Kawashima Hideo — all deeply involved in drug smuggling.
And they hadn't just started recently. The documents detailed operations stretching back more than a decade.A decade of business meant a massive empire — and half the island's residents were probably in on it.
Given Tsukikage Island's geography — isolated, perfect for hiding ships and warehouses — it was basically a smuggler's paradise.To put it bluntly, the island was a drug-running stronghold disguised as a sleepy fishing village.
Reading all that, Ren couldn't help admiring Asai Narumi a little.Taking down multiple ringleaders alone?That woman had been terrifyingly capable — and she'd done it without shedding a single drop of innocent blood.
A pity she'd ended her life afterward.
Beside him, Akemi waited anxiously for his answer, hands clasped tightly in her lap.
She wanted to do this job — badly. It was her chance to hit it big, gather enough money to reach ten billion yen, and finally get her sister out of the organization.But she also feared that Ren, cautious as he was, might refuse out of concern for the danger.
They hadn't known each other long, but their past jobs together had taught her plenty about him.For all his seemingly reckless actions, Ren Kuroda was anything but careless. Every move he made was calculated.
The news painted him as "arrogant," "lawless," and "ruthless," but those labels came from people who had no idea what really happened.Ren's so-called "violent" methods were simply his way of ending fights fast — overwhelming firepower, clean execution, quick retreat.
Every operation was finished within thirteen minutes, tops. No dragging things out, no loose ends, no mistakes.
That was exactly why Akemi worried.An island-wide operation like this couldn't possibly be over in thirteen minutes.
When Ren stayed silent, lost in thought, Akemi finally couldn't stand it anymore. "Well? What do you think, Mr. Kuroda…? Do you think we can pull this off?"
Ren looked up, smiled faintly, and said, "Risky? Sure. But high risk means high reward. As they say — fortune favors the bold. Let's do it."
Akemi's eyes lit up with joy. "Really?! That's great!"
But her excitement dimmed a little as she voiced her concern. "Still… they're obviously using us. We're just pawns to them."
Ren chuckled. "Doesn't matter. I'm interested. A group that's been smuggling drugs for twenty years has to be sitting on a mountain of cash, right?"
If they pulled this job off, he'd complete the System's ten-billion-yen mission in one go.And for Akemi, it meant finally earning enough to escape with her sister.
She clenched her fists, trying to hold back her excitement. "Then I'll head to Tsukikage Island first and scout the area."
Ren nodded thoughtfully. "I've got a few things to take care of, and I'll need to prep some weapons. I'll come over this weekend."
"Understood. Once you arrive, contact me," Akemi said.
Ren, however, had no intention of showing up alone.That would draw far too much attention.
He planned to wait at the Mouri Detective Agency until the weekend — just in case Asai Narumi's letter arrived, like in the original Moonlight Murder Case.If it didn't… well, he'd simply forge one himself and slip it into their mailbox.
That way, he'd have the perfect reason to visit Tsukikage Island — and some convenient cover in the form of Mouri Kogoro and his crew.
By Thursday, though, there was still no sign of any letter.So Ren decided to act.
Pulling out his neatly forged copy, he headed up to the second floor of the agency.As for whether he'd ever get caught? He wasn't the least bit worried.
He had no direct connection to Asai Narumi. Even if Sherlock Holmes himself came back from the dead, there'd be no trail leading to him.
"Mouri-san," Ren said casually as he stepped inside, holding out the thick envelope."You've got a letter."