Chapter 51: Trading Moves

Today on the Queen of Risabeth, the dinner party celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Suzuki Financial Group was being held. The slightly chubby chairman, Suzuki Shirō, stood at the front of the venue, holding up a wine glass and giving a speech with a smile.

Kazawa, holding a glass of orange juice, stood between Amuro Tōru and Conan, quietly observing the cheerful and eloquent "Suzuki Shirō."

If he remembered correctly, the real Suzuki Shirō hadn't even boarded the ship yet. The one standing in front of them now was already Kaito Kid in disguise.

Glancing at the unaware Conan from the corner of his eye, Kazawa didn't plan to expose him immediately.

Might as well let Kid's plan run its course—let Conan be the "young hero who stops Kid's theft." The Joker would surely appreciate that.

Soon, Sonoko's mother, Suzuki Tomoko, arrived as expected. Holding a small, delicate jewelry box, she announced that she had made a replica of the "Black Star" and asked every guest to wear one on their chest to challenge Kaito Kid.

Kazawa opened his own, casually pinned it on his chest. Today, he was wearing a cream-colored suit sponsored by Amuro Tōru, and the shiny imitation black pearl actually matched pretty well.

"Aren't you worried you might have gotten the real one?" Amuro Tōru looked surprised at Kazawa's casual move.

"How could it be real? Pearls aren't like gemstones. No matter how well-maintained, a 60-year-old pearl wouldn't be this shiny and smooth. The nacre of pearls wears out easily," Kazawa flicked the pearl brooch with his finger. "Still, it's quite pretty."

Amuro narrowed his eyes at him and suddenly reached out and tugged Kazawa's cheek.

"Wha—! What was that for?!" Kazawa covered his face, thinking that force wasn't just for checking a disguise—it definitely carried a bit of personal grudge.

"Seeing you talking about jewels like that, you seemed more like a fake than the gem," Amuro said with satisfaction, pulling his hand back. "Kaito Kid's probably already mixed in with the guests. If you wander off and he catches and replaces you, you might just get tossed into the ocean."

Scaring kids with Kid now, huh? Kazawa scoffed and turned his head toward "Mōri Ran," who was walking in from the hallway.

The news that the real Chairman Suzuki was still at home had already reached the police who were monitoring the situation. Amidst the chaos, clothes and masks used for disguises were found in the restroom. Inspector Chaki from the Second Investigation Division took the mic and went on stage to announce that Kaito Kid had already snuck onto the ship.

After the magician who was invited put on a dramatic "shooting" act with Suzuki Tomoko, Kazawa glanced at "Mōri Ran," who looked eager to join the card magic show, and said to Amuro Tōru, "Getting kinda boring. I'm going to the restroom for some fresh air. Want to come, Amuro-san?"

"No need. The hallways outside are filled with police. You won't be attacked by Kid," Amuro replied, glancing at the officers from the Second Investigation Division, also eyeing the guests with some curiosity.

Knowing that the international thief was among the crowd, everyone was whispering cautiously. The tense atmosphere made Amuro curious too.

Kazawa walked out alone. As he passed by "Mōri Ran," his hand brushed lightly by hers, just near the glove.

Through the special vision of his "Third Eye," Kazawa saw a playing-card-sized slip of paper inside her glove glowing red. Without even needing to look directly, he quickly finished his move.

The "Third Eye" was a skill given to Kazawa by the tarot-user Leon. It also appeared in the original P5, a kind of eagle vision—traps, footprints, key clues, and other RPG-style puzzle items would be highlighted.

It caused no pain, no side effects—just made the eyes glow red while in use, so one had to be careful not to get noticed.

Kazawa, using his cheat-like ability to crush Kid, didn't feel the least bit guilty. Fighting a cheat requires cheats—that's what you call a real battle of legends.

Conan, flipping through the guest list and running his deduction engine at high speed, didn't even notice Kazawa slipping out. His eyes were fixed on Suzuki Tomoko, confirming that the real "Black Star" was pinned to her chest. As long as he kept his eyes on her pearl, Kid wouldn't be able to escape.

Over by the stage, magician Sanada Kazumi's card magic was reaching its climax. Sonoko and "Mōri Ran," who had been called up to draw cards, eagerly reached out and picked one from the deck.

Flipping it over, instead of a suit, the card had a message.

"Just like Caesar who bowed to Cleopatra's charms, I have arrived by your side. Kaito Kid." Sonoko read out the words, exclaiming, "Kid! It's Kaito Kid!"

"Mōri Ran," also acting shocked, handed the card to the running Inspector Nakamori Ginzo.

With a heavy expression, Inspector Nakamori took the card and held it up to examine.

When he lifted the card, the back became visible to everyone.

"Ah! The back, there's something on the back too!" Sonoko covered her mouth in surprise.

Caught off guard, "Mōri Ran" was momentarily stunned. When he saw the back, a chill ran down his spine.

Inspector Nakamori flipped the card over. On the red patterned back was another slip of paper with three elegant lines written in cursive:

"Round 2, ready.

Joker."

"Mōri Ran" felt a trickle of cold sweat down his back and clenched his silk gloves.

When had that message been written?

No one knew better than the magician himself—he'd had that card hidden since entering the venue. Just like how he'd stealthily sabotaged Sanada Kazumi's act and swapped the card unnoticed, now someone had pulled the same trick on him—leaving a message on his own prepared card.

"Those two really are both here," thought Inspector Nakamori, who had once seen the two phantom thieves face off before. Again, he felt the frustration of being completely ignored.

"Mōri Ran" subtly looked around, unable to spot anyone suspicious, frowning hard.

He'd originally planned to wait until the ship neared Tokyo Bay before taking the next step. That way, with the ship closer to shore, it'd be easier to cause confusion and easier for Grandpa Terai to assist. But now, with an unknown opponent lurking in the shadows—maybe someone who knew him or his father—he had to move faster. The longer he waited, the more dangerous it became.

After thinking it over, he decisively fiddled with his brooch, quietly removing the pearl and tossing out a prepared pearl-shaped smoke bomb.

A soft rolling sound caught Conan's attention as he watched Suzuki Tomoko, snapping him out of his thoughts. Seeing the pearl roll away gave him a bad feeling.

"Ran, your chest pearl is gone!" Sonoko pointed out.

"Huh? When did that happen?" The pretending "Mōri Ran" looked around in confusion.

The pearl stopped rolling. Conan stepped forward to pick it up, only for it to suddenly burst open, releasing a cloud of white smoke that made him cough hard.

Before the guests could react, more smoke bombs shaped like the "Black Star" fell to the floor. A thick fog rose one after another, and the crowd began screaming and fleeing toward the deck.

"Bombs!"

"The pearls exploded!"

Suzuki Tomoko was knocked over in the chaos, and with Sonoko and "Mōri Ran" supporting her, she managed to sit back up.

She looked down—and saw her chest was empty where the brooch had been.

"Ah! The Black Star was stolen by Kaito Kid!"

The plan had worked. Every step was perfectly executed. It all went smoothly, except for that taunting message on the card from the Joker.

But "Mōri Ran," helping Suzuki Tomoko up, couldn't feel relieved at all. The eerie sensation of being watched made him more vigilant than ever.

Someone had been watching him—and from more than one direction. Where were they?

Inspector Nakamori locked his eyes on the fleeing guests and shouted, "Don't let him get away! Stop anyone trying to leave! Kid is among them!"

"Mōri Ran" gripped the "Black Star" tightly, unease growing. Then, through the thick fog, he saw a flash of crimson cloth.

Kid: "!" That Joker!

But before he could react, the little kid with glasses who had been quiet all this time suddenly smiled brightly, grabbed his hand, and said—

"Let's go too, Ran-niichan!" Conan grinned adorably. "Let's help catch Kaito Kid!"