"Where's the helicopter?!"

"There wasn't one assigned for this operation—but I think there are water patrol boats on the Tsukishima River!"

"No good! There's a net blocking the way—they can't get around it!"

"Kaito Kid escaped again!"

Chaos erupted among the officers outside the museum.

Once more, they had allowed Kaito Kid to escape with flair. They could already imagine tomorrow's headlines mocking their incompetence.

Meanwhile, on the Tsukishima River, the so-called Kaito Kid leaned casually on the railing of a yacht, enjoying the night breeze. His white cape and hair danced in the wind as he gazed peacefully at the full moon above the river.

But a sudden shout from behind, accompanied by splashing water, made him freeze.

"Stop right there, Kid!"

He turned his head to see a boy riding a skateboard, speeding across the water like a missile.

"Tch…"

With a sharp flick, he tossed away his cloak and darted into the helm of the yacht, slamming the throttle.

Conan, rapidly closing in, saw the white cape flutter toward him like a curtain and quickly veered right to dodge. The next instant, the yacht's bow lifted violently as it roared away at full power.

"You're not getting away!"

Conan pursued without hesitation.

Thanks to Professor Agasa's modifications, his electric skateboard could now surf on water—and its power was more than enough to chase down a yacht.

But what he hadn't expected were the lanterns hanging from the yacht, which suddenly detached and floated down toward him.

The boy's eyes narrowed as the lanterns abruptly exploded in a burst of sparks, clouding his vision.

Damn it! These dirty tricks again!

Conan weaved through the flaring debris, swerving left and right with difficulty. He was determined not to lose sight of the boat.

What he didn't know was that the "Kaito Kid" had already switched the yacht to full-speed auto-pilot and vanished into the cabin—where he started the engine of an antique car he had stashed aboard.

Vroom! Vroom!

Foot on the pedal, he warmed up the engine.

"Just running won't get rid of that brat."

He couldn't see the kid from inside, but he knew Conan was clinging close.

But the chase would end here.

With a sharp pull on the gearshift, the yacht suddenly rammed into another boat moored along the dock, sending its bow flying into the air. At the same moment, the antique car blasted out from the hull.

Under the full moon, the vintage car soared from the yacht's belly.

Conan's eyes widened in disbelief as the vehicle crashed onto the road with a heavy thud—then sped off, engine roaring.

"See ya~"

Grinning at Conan's shocked and frustrated expression, the white thief stepped on the gas and vanished into the night.

But his gloating was short-lived.

Suddenly, the vintage car jolted violently on the street. He blinked in confusion as both front tires deflated completely.

"What the hell?"

He brought the car to a stop and jumped out.

Crouching down to inspect the tires, he muttered, "Nails...?"

A handful of sharp nails had punctured the wheels.

"Who the hell litters the road with this crap?"

Grumbling, he started plucking them out—only for a shadow to silently approach from behind.

Zzzzt! Zzzzt!

A taser crackled with electric arcs as it slammed into the car's hood, missing the thief's neck by mere inches.

"Whoa! Isn't attacking from behind a little low?!"

The thief turned with a sly grin—only to see Hayashi Yoshiki standing behind him.

The taser's blue glow lit up Yoshiki's unnaturally flawless face, calm and smiling.

"Just saying hello."

"Who greets people with a taser?!"

"You were crouched there on purpose, weren't you? Hoping someone would say hello?"

Adjusting the taser's output casually, Hayashi Yoshiki smiled gently.

The thief—still grinning—tilted his head slightly.

Yoshiki now glanced at the antique car.

"A Mercedes SSK. Released in 1928, one of the earliest sports cars from Mercedes.

No high school kid could get their hands on something like this… let alone drive it recklessly through the streets."

"Geez, if you knew it was that rare, why'd you sabotage it?"

"This thing's one of only thirty-five ever made!"

Still smiling, the white thief lifted his hand to remove his hat—

—but his face shifted, transforming into a goofy monkey grin.

Lupin III.

The internationally infamous master thief had returned to Japan… Ever since the Vespania incident, he'd stayed under the radar—until now.

Hayashi Yoshiki gave him the same warm smile.

Lupin responded with his usual carefree charm.

"No worries. Even if I wreck this old thing, I doubt the insurance company will chase me down."

"You'll be cursed by antique car lovers around the world, you know."

"Ah, my bad. But hey—how about we head over to Tokyo Metropolitan Police together?"

"Doubt there are any pretty women there at this hour. I'll pass. Maybe next time."

Yoshiki chuckled.

He casually tossed the taser behind him. The device flipped through the air and hit the ground with a dull thud.

Lupin's brow twitched.

He leaned backward instinctively—

—as Hayashi Yoshiki's foot sliced through the air, missing Lupin's nose by inches.

Spinning midair, Yoshiki's second kick came in fast, but Lupin blocked it with a raised arm.

"Oho~ You've got some strength there, kid."

Despite the pressure on his forearm, Lupin still had the nerve to whistle.

"You really are scary fast, huh"

Yoshiki smiled.

Lowering his foot slowly, he wasted no time—

Before Lupin could even blink, Hayashi Yoshiki lunged forward again.