Chapter 155: The Pirate King Who Identifies the Culprit
"In that case, Conan should find that small Mirror soon and guess that something happened to us," Hattori Heiji asked again, "But can you really dodge bullets? Aren't you taking too much of a risk? Just shout out..."
"If you guys don't run, I'll be dead." Chi Feichei replied naturally.
Hattori Heiji: "..."
Well, that was true...
In that situation, self-preservation is key. It's not about completely dodging, but if you can aim at the muzzle and time it right to avoid the vital point, things shouldn't get too bad.
...
On the ship, Conan looked at the railing, his face solemn.
He realized that Chi Feichei and Hattori Heiji had been gone for a long time. When he asked a crew member, the crew member said they had heard a Sound of Falling into Water earlier, and he felt uneasy.
The Small Mirror stuck to the railing was easy to find. Bringing out a Flashlight, he shone the Light and saw a small Light.
However, finding this here weighed even heavier on his heart.
Chi Feichei had been leaning against this railing before, and the Mirror must have been placed there by Chi Feichei. Aiming the Flashlight's Light directly at the Mirror, he could see the reflected Beam of Light illuminating a Corner by the Cabin.
Someone had been there then, most likely the Culprit. Chi Feichei had discovered them and placed the Small Mirror to observe.
This was his first Deduction.
Chi Feichei hadn't moved, hadn't run, and hadn't directly gone to subdue the Culprit, indicating that the other person had a Pistol capable of harming Chi Feichei from a distance, and was already aiming.
This was his second Deduction.
No Blood Stain was found, making it unlikely Chi Feichei had been shot. However, the tiny Scratch Mark on the top of the railing and Chi Feichei's disappearance suggested he had fallen into the Sea, and his chances of survival were slim!
As for Hattori Heiji...
He couldn't pinpoint Hattori Heiji's Location of incident. It might be somewhere else, or he might have come looking for Chi Feichei and been attacked by the Culprit together... He couldn't say for sure yet, but his odds weren't good either.
Thinking of this, Conan's heart sank even further.
They had been Reasoning together just a short while ago, and had agreed to compete. Yet in the blink of an eye, both Little Friend were in Uncertainty of Life or Death...
"Conan," Mouri Ran walked over, saw the intertwined Light of the Mirror's reflection and the Flashlight on the railing, and looked at the Corner illuminated by the Beam of Light. She also had some guesses, "That... did Brother Chi leave that behind?"
Conan nodded and turned off the Flashlight.
"Let's search for them on the ship. Maybe they went somewhere to search for the Culprit," Mouri Ran comforted him, but sighed herself, pulling Conan up and walking inside, "Father and Group Leader Samezaki are also looking. Miss Isogai seems to be missing too. Father said that if we still can't find them, he'll ask the captain to turn back and search..."
Conan's heart was heavy.
Even if the ship turned back, even if Chi Feichei and Hattori Heiji were still alive, the waves on the Sea were so big. Searching back along the way, the two of them would probably have been swept far away, making it very difficult to find them again...
If they couldn't be found for too long, the two of them would really be in danger...
Moreover, Miss Isogai had also disappeared. Just how many people had the Culprit harmed...?
However, he needed to stay calm. Chi Feichei had left him many Clue.
Chi Feichei had been attacked by the Culprit with a Gun. They hadn't heard a Gunshot, indicating that the Culprit had a Silencer. Then the Gunshot they had heard on the Deck earlier might indeed have been a Trap set by the Culprit to lure them over, or it could be... some kind of Trap!
...
The trio who had fallen into water drifted in the Sea for more than an Hour before finally encountering a Fishing Boat.
Soaking in the icy Sea water for more than an Hour was definitely unpleasant. Fortunately, there were Blankets and Hot Water on the Fishing Boat, which could help the three of them relieve the coldness in their hands and feet.
Hattori Heiji, wrapped in a Blanket, took the Cold Medicine handed to him by Chi Feichei and swallowed it with Hot Water, "Good thing Brother Chi brought Cold Medicine. Hopefully, I won't catch a Cold..."
"I think I already have a Cold," Isobe Nagisa said, taking the Medicine and making a joke. After all, they had been rescued, and she was in a good Mood.
In the middle of the Night, there was still a Fishing Boat running this far out to fish, and it just happened to pass by near them in the vast Sea. It was simply Heavens helping them.
"But Brother Chi, your previous Reasoning was that Mr. Irai was the Culprit, right?" Not needing to conserve stamina, Hattori Heiji went straight to the Reasoning, "I only realized my and Conan's Reasoning was wrong when I saw Mr. Kanie tied up outside the ship. How did you figure it out? When we heard the Gunshot, Mr. Irai was with us the whole time, wasn't he?"
"Firecracker and Cigarette," Chi Feichei said simply.
He believed that as long as Hattori Heiji figured out this point, it wouldn't be difficult for him to Reason out the Culprit's Method.
"I see," Hattori Heiji immediately understood, "He fixed the Firecracker and Cigarette in place, lit the Cigarette, and returned to the Dining Room to stay with everyone else. When the Cigarette burned to a certain point, it would ignite the Fuse of the Firecracker and set off the Firecracker, making us think it was a Gunshot and run to the Deck. Conan and I didn't consider this possibility. We always thought the Culprit fired a Gun on the Deck and then ran down, so we didn't suspect Mr. Irai, who was with us the whole time. But his Acting Skill is really something. I really thought he was scared; I didn't expect his scared look to be an act too."
Isobe Nagisa, also wrapped in a Blanket, joined the circle with the two of them on the Fishing Boat, "Then the Corpse at the Stern catching fire later, that also used a Cigarette, right?"
Chi Feichei nodded. Isobe Nagisa was a smart person, so it wasn't hard for her to figure these things out.
Hattori Heiji stroked his chin, "He must have poured Gasoline into the Box, clamped the end of the Cigarette in the Crack of the Lid, and tied it with String. When the Time came, the String would burn through, and the Cigarette would fall into the Box to ignite the Gasoline. The Flag was also lit in the same way..."
The three of them were busy going over the Answer to the Reasoning, and for a moment, none of them thought to report that they were safe.
Afterwards, Hattori Heiji gossiped about Isobe Nagisa saving Chi Feichei.
"Because he looks like my Father!" Isobe Nagisa said with a laugh.
"F-Father?" Hattori Heiji was astonished.
Isobe Nagisa briefly explained the reason she had saved Chi Feichei.
Hattori Heiji looked at Chi Feichei speechlessly again, "When did you realize that Miss Isogai was Ye Caisan's Daughter?"
"A television Report a few years ago mentioned that Ye Caisan had a Daughter. This time, the Information published in the Newspaper was signed 'Guchuan Da'. Anyone who knows Ye Caisan should recognize this as his Alias and board the ship," Chi Feichei found an excuse, "Later, looking at Miss Isogai's age and Behavior, I made some guesses."
Just like Conan, blaming everything on 'having seen it on television' was the right approach.
"In other words, apart from us, everyone who boarded the ship this time is related to Ye Caisan? Then, Mr. Ebina..." Hattori Heiji thought for a moment, "Judging by his way of counting Money, he should be a bank employee, right? Could it be that he and Miss Samezaki Miumi, who was mistakenly killed back then, were colleagues? No, it's more than just colleagues..."
"Boom!"
An explosion occurred on the Sea Surface in the distance, and Flames turned a large area of the Sea red.
Silence fell on the Fishing Boat.
Hattori Heiji was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Chi Feichei, "That... could that be the ship Conan is on? It's not really going to sink, is it?"
Chi Feichei withdrew his gaze, "Wouldn't we find out if we make a Phone Call and ask?"
Isobe Nagisa looked at the Flames on the Sea, her expression a little stiff, "Um... haven't we forgotten to make a Phone Call to let them know we're safe?"
Chi Feichei: "..."
Hattori Heiji: "..."
The Fisherman Uncle smiled honestly, "Since I'm going out to Sea, I have a Mobile Phone here to make it easier to Contact Family. Your Mobile Phones must be unusable after falling into the Sea, right? If you need it, I can lend it to you."
"Then please lend us your Mobile Phone!" Isobe Nagisa turned to ask the two of them, "You should have their Contact Information, right?"
After contacting Conan, the Fishing Boat approached the ship near the Flames in the distance.
On the Deck, the cold Wind whistled. Isobe Nagisa wrapped her Blanket tighter and sneezed, "Why did we have to come up to the Deck?"
Hattori Heiji stood at the bow of the ship, one foot on the edge of the ship, his Blanket fluttering in the Wind, "Of course, it's to let the Culprit see that his scheme hasn't succeeded! We are going to Identify the Culprit... Ah... Achoo!"
Chi Feichei leaned to one side, watching Hattori Heiji's pose, "Do you also want to shout, 'I am the Man who will become the Pirate King'?"
Hattori Heiji slipped, almost falling into the Sea again, and looked back at Chi Feichei speechlessly, "What Pirate King? I'm not going to be a pirate. I should say I'm a Famous Detective who is going to Identify the Culprit. Shouting a slogan like that would be more fitting, right?"
"Brother Chi! Hattori!" Mouri Ran waved with a smile from the railing of the ship, "Miss Isogai!"
Others also peeked out from the railing.
"Of course," Hattori Heiji turned his head, grinned, and laughed, "I am the Pirate King of Identify the Culprit!"
Everyone went silent.
...
At the horizon where the Sea and sky met, a ray of Morning Sunlight burst out from the Sea Surface. The deep blue darkness of the night was slowly replaced by light purple and orange-red, magnificent and dazzling.
"Hahahaha..."
Isobe Nagisa, wrapped in a Blanket, lay on the Deck, laughing so hard she pounded the ground.
The beautiful scene was instantly ruined.
"Uh... Miss Isogai, are you really alright?" Mouri Ran asked worriedly.
"N-No... nothing... it's just a little unstoppable," Isobe Nagisa took a deep breath and started laughing wildly again, lying down and pounding the ground, "Pirate King... Hahahaha... I laughed so much my Cold is actually better... Hahahaha..."
Hattori Heiji's dark face turned completely red, "What's with that? It's all Brother Chi who led me astray!"
Chi Feichei, wrapped in a Blanket, sat to the side, reminding him, "I only said it once."
He hadn't expected that with just that one sentence, Hattori Heiji would go off on a tangent himself.
Even he had been dumbfounded at that moment, okay?
Hattori Heiji choked, feeling guilty, turned his head away and stopped looking at the wildly laughing Isobe Nagisa.
This Miss was hopeless, might as well just drag her away.
Mouri Ran looked at the three people still wrapped in Blankets and suddenly laughed, "But it's really great that you're all okay..."
Hattori Heiji was stunned for a moment, then laughed too, "Yeah, it's really great that we're okay."
Returning to the Port of Tokyo, the Police took Kujirai Sadao away.
Chatting while soaking in the Sea was fun for a while, but afterwards, they all got severe Colds.
Hattori Heiji had been playing 'blanket fluttering in the Wind' on the ship, and after getting off, he quickly became listless, snot flowing uncontrollably.
Chi Feichei's condition was a little better, but he also started to develop a Low Fever.
The two unfortunate brothers could only watch Isobe Nagisa gloat.
On the ship, after Isobe Nagisa laughed wildly, her Cold actually did get better. There was no reasoning with that.
"Alright, alright, since Little Brother Hattori insists on returning to Osaka, you guys take him to the Airport," Isobe Nagisa said with a smile, turning to look at Chi Feichei, "As for me, I'll be responsible for taking Mr. Chi back!"
"Okay!" Mouri Ran nodded with a smile, pushing the two of them away, "Then you guys go quickly!"
Conan murmured in a low voice, "Miss Isogai is seven years older than Brother Chi..."
"Yeah, I didn't expect that even so, she still sees Brother Chi as her Father!" Hattori Heiji sighed emotionally.
"Huh?" Conan turned his head to look at Hattori Heiji blankly.
What Father was he talking about?
He suspected that Hattori Heiji had soaked in Sea water for too long and damaged his brain...
(End of this chapter)