The interdimensional picnic concluded without major incident, though there was one small complication: Conan suddenly remembered his outstanding bet with Eiji, sending the tennis player into a mild panic. After all, the original wager had stipulated that if Eiji lost, Conan could demand virtually anything as payment.
Fortunately for Eiji's peace of mind, Conan hadn't yet decided what to request, giving the nervous athlete a temporary reprieve from his impending doom.
The following day, everyone packed up their camping gear and returned to the Bamboo Staff, then began dispersing back to their respective worlds. Just as Gustave was settling into his normal routine, Conan approached with an unexpected proposition.
"Gustave, would you like to visit my world?" the young detective asked with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.
"That's a surprise," Gustave replied, studying the boy's expression with curiosity. "You're usually so cautious about bringing people over, worried about Ran discovering your secret. What's prompted this change of heart?"
"Well, it's actually related to my bet with Eiji," Conan explained with a slightly embarrassed smile. "I've decided that my condition for winning will be taking him on a trip to my world."
The real motivation, Gustave suspected, was more complex. Conan had been feeling somewhat guilty about always visiting other people's dimensions without ever reciprocating the hospitality. After discussing it with Ai following the picnic, he'd decided to extend proper invitations to his friends.
"I see. That's thoughtful of you," Gustave said approvingly. "Besides Eiji, who else did you invite?"
"I asked everyone from the picnic group who might be interested," Conan replied, counting on his fingers. "From the tennis team, Eiji obviously has to come because of the bet. Sengoku loves any kind of adventure, so he was eager to join. Fuji seemed intrigued by the idea. And surprisingly, even Tezuka agreed, though I thought he'd be too focused on training to spare the time."
"What about the others?"
"Inui promised to continue teaching data tennis to Mr. Loid, so he can't leave. Kawamura needs to help his father at the sushi restaurant. Minami and Higashikata are going on family trips. Oishi had some commitment he couldn't get out of, and Coach Banji politely declined, saying he was too old for interdimensional tourism."
Conan's expression grew slightly disappointed as he continued. "Anya's family can't make it either. Mr. Loid has his data tennis lessons with Inui, and Anya is determined to keep practicing regular tennis with her father. Mrs. Yor didn't want to go without them."
"And the Kasukabe group?"
"Shin-chan was really excited about the idea, but Misae shut that down immediately," Conan sighed. "The other families all had various obligations that prevented them from traveling."
"What about Daigo and Camearra?"
"They've been away from their own world for quite a while and wanted to focus on their responsibilities there rather than taking another interdimensional trip."
"Well then," Gustave said, "should I ask around the Bamboo Staff crew to see if anyone else is available?"
"That would be great! How about we meet at the Gate of All Worlds at ten o'clock tomorrow morning?"
"Sounds like a plan."
After Gustave agreed to handle recruitment from his own crew, Conan departed with obvious relief at having successfully organized his first hosting event.
The next morning, following breakfast, Conan emerged from the Gate of All Worlds to find his invited guests assembled and ready for adventure. However, aside from the four tennis players he'd specifically requested, only one additional person had joined the group: Yang Chan, looking quietly excited about her first visit to a modern world.
"Sorry, Conan," Gustave said with an apologetic smile. "I asked around yesterday, but Chan'er was the only one with free time."
The rest of the Bamboo Staff had various commitments. Chu Zihang was maintaining his intensive training regimen, with Po serving as his primary sparring partner. Ace and Luffy, in an unusual display of dedication, had also insisted on joining the training sessions - though whether this was genuine motivation or an excuse to avoid other responsibilities remained unclear.
The Moral Lord, naturally, rarely left the ship unless something particularly significant demanded his attention.
Tom had encountered a charming wild female cat during yesterday's return journey and was completely smitten. He'd spent the morning grooming himself to perfection and preparing an elaborate courtship campaign, with Jerry reluctantly agreeing to accompany him as a voice of reason.
Even Tu Shanyan had made social plans, arranging a shopping expedition with Kazama's mother to explore local markets and fashions.
"That's... okay," Conan said, though his deflated tone suggested he felt like a social failure. Here he'd invited numerous friends, and only a handful had actually shown up.
"Hey, small fry! Stop moping around!" Eiji called out impatiently. "We're ready for adventure!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Conan replied with mock irritation, making an exaggerated fierce face at the tennis player before gesturing for everyone to follow him through the Gate.
Their destination was the Kudo family residence - Shinichi's actual home, which had been empty for months due to his transformation. The abandoned house provided perfect cover for hosting interdimensional visitors without raising suspicions among neighbors.
"Alright, little detective," Eiji announced the moment they materialized in the elegant living room, "give us the full tour! Where exactly have we landed?"
"This is my... well, technically it's Kudo Shinichi's house," Conan explained carefully. "It's been empty for a while, so we won't be disturbed here."
Yang Chan tugged gently at Gustave's sleeve, whispering with admiration, "Big Brother Eiji is so confident and outgoing!"
"Indeed," Gustave replied quietly, patting her head. "You could learn something from his approach to new experiences, Chan'er. Sometimes enthusiasm opens more doors than caution."
"Uh-huh!" she nodded eagerly, filing away this lesson for future reference.
Beyond describing his living situation, Conan also took time to brief everyone about potential dangers - particularly the need for discretion around Ran and the existence of the Black Organization.
"You know, small fry," Eiji said, ruffling Conan's hair with obvious affection, "I knew you had an interesting life, but I never realized just how much excitement you pack into every day!"
"It's like living in an action movie," Fuji agreed with his characteristic gentle smile that somehow managed to seem slightly sinister. "How thrilling!"
"I wonder if I'll get a chance to play the hero," Sengoku mused dreamily. "You know, rescue a beautiful damsel in distress, have her fall head over heels for my natural charm and good looks..."
"This is real life, not some romantic fantasy!" Conan protested, staring at his friends in disbelief. "When normal people hear about dangerous criminal organizations and life-threatening situations, shouldn't fear be the natural response? Why do you three think it sounds fun and exciting?"
"Everyone should exercise appropriate caution," Tezuka interjected with his usual authoritative tone. "While Conan's world may be fascinating, we shouldn't underestimate the potential risks."
"Got it, Captain!" all three tennis players replied in unison, snapping mock salutes.
"It's really not as dangerous as it might sound," Conan added hastily, worried about creating the wrong impression. "Most of the time, everything is perfectly safe and normal. The Black Organization isn't exactly lurking around every corner."
Right, Gustave thought with private amusement. As long as you - the walking disaster magnet - stay home and avoid going anywhere, Beika Town is probably the safest place on Earth. But the moment you step outside, all bets are off.
This observation sparked an interesting question in Gustave's mind. Did the Gate of All Worlds have some kind of luck-suppressing function? He'd noticed that except for the incident with the Crow Man - where Conan had essentially volunteered to investigate danger - nothing particularly catastrophic had occurred during the boy's visits to other dimensions. Even during the Crow Man situation, the alien invader had been the one who ended up defeated.
Maybe the Gate somehow neutralizes Conan's infamous 'death god' curse, Gustave mused. That would certainly explain why interdimensional travel seems so much safer for him than staying in his own world.
It was an intriguing theory, and one that might make this visit far more pleasant than anyone expected.