"Kaito Kid is over there! He ran to the upper-level terrace!"
"Block all passages to the terrace!"
Inspector Nakamori and Superintendent Chaki's roars echoed through the cruise ship via megaphones.
Large numbers of police officers surged towards the upper deck like a tide.
Thanks to the speed of his glider, Kaito Kid reached the highest, open-air terrace in just a few ups and downs.
White tables and chairs for guests to rest, along with sun umbrellas, were placed there, but it was currently empty.
However, before he could catch his breath, urgent footsteps and shouts came from the only entrance staircase.
"He's up there! Surround him!"
Inspector Nakamori led a group of officers charging up first, with Superintendent Chaki close behind, directing other officers to block the escape routes.
Upon seeing Kaito Kid standing in the center of the terrace, Inspector Nakamori was breathless, but an excited expression appeared on his face.
He raised the tranquilizer gun in his hand and said, "Kaito Kid! You have nowhere to run! Surrender now!"
Kaito Kid looked around and decisively ran into the luxurious restaurant next to the terrace.
The high-end restaurants on the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship were divided into a main dining room and a buffet, along with many VIP private rooms, making the environment extremely complex.
Kaito Kid took several turns and hid in a narrow storage room where cleaning tools were piled, temporarily shaking off his pursuers.
Just as he leaned against the door, panting heavily.
A steady, imposing set of footsteps came from the stairwell.
Kaito Kid peered through the crack in the door and saw Lycaon twitching his high-bridged nose, approaching his direction step by step.
Oh no! He can't possibly smell me, can he?!
Kaito Kid's heart sank.
"No choice… I can only use this."
He pulled out another bottle of potion Koizumi Akako had given him from his pocket—the Transformation Potion.
This potion could turn him into a small cat and last for three hours.
However, the appearance of this potion wasn't very appealing, the liquid inside was dark green and slightly bubbling.
Listening to Lycaon's footsteps drawing closer, Kaito Kid gritted his teeth, pulled out the stopper, and drank the potion in one gulp.
Instantly, an agonizing pain, as if all his bones were dissolving and reshaping, swept over him.
Kaito Kid groaned and curled up on the ground.
A few seconds later, the intense pain disappeared.
He looked down at himself, his white tuxedo and gloves were gone, replaced by a coat of soft, shiny black fur.
He had transformed into a small, jet-black kitten with sapphire blue eyes.
Success!
Kaito Kid's heart filled with joy, and he tried to move around.
He used his cat paw to widen the crack in the door.
Lycaon had already arrived in front of the storage room.
After pushing open the door, he looked at the messy cleaning tools in the storage room and the small black cat curled up behind a bucket, frowning, a hint of confusion flashing in his red pupils.
Seeing Lycaon staring at him, Kaito Kid pretended to be a passing kitten, gazing at the other party with his wet, blue eyes, letting out a pitiful "Meow~"
Lycaon stared at the small black cat for a few seconds, his heart softened, and he turned to go to the buffet to get some food for the kitten.
Taking advantage of this time, Kaito Kid darted off on all fours, running like the wind.
Soon, he reached the area near the terrace swimming pool.
However, joy turned to sorrow.
Just as he passed through a pile of lifebuoys, a familiar figure appeared in front of him.
Ellen, dressed in a swimsuit, was sitting by the pool, gently slapping the water with her tail.
Out of the wolf's den, into the fish's mouth!
"Meow-ow—!!!"
Kaito Kid's ichthyophobia flared up again, he let out a piercing cat cry, his black fur instantly bristling, like a black furball, instinctively turning and running, completely losing his sense of direction.
In his panic, he ran straight into someone's ankle.
"Oh dear?"
Rin, also in a swimsuit, was leisurely walking with a glass of juice when she suddenly felt something furry bump her ankle.
She looked down and saw a small black cat with eyes as beautiful as sapphires, scurrying around her feet in a panic, seemingly trying to hide but finding nowhere to go.
"Oh, what a beautiful kitten!"
Rin's eyes lit up, she bent down and, with quick hands, pinched the scruff of the small black cat's neck, easily lifting it up. "Little one, why are you in such a hurry? You bumped into someone!"
"Meow! (Let me go!)"
Kaito Kid's four paws dangled in the air, he struggled in vain, his heart filled with despair.
"Rin, what did you catch?" Mouri Ran, Sonoko, and Ellen also gathered around, drawn by the commotion.
"Wow! What a cute little black cat!" Sonoko was immediately captivated. "Its fur is so pure! And its eyes are so pretty!"
"It looks so small, is it lost?" Ran also showed an expression of fondness.
Ellen curiously leaned closer, instinctively reaching out to touch its smooth fur. "It looks… a bit like Little Black from Sixth Street?"
"Meow-ow-ow-ow—!!!"
Seeing Ellen's face and approaching hand, as well as the terrifying shark tail behind her, Kaito Kid let out a series of terrified cat cries, twisting and struggling desperately in Rin's hand, his small body erupting with surprising strength, trying to break free.
He seized the moment when Rin slightly relaxed due to Ellen's proximity, and with a sudden kick of his hind legs, he broke free from the restraint on his scruff.
But he didn't run away; instead, as if seeking shelter, he tumbled and scrambled behind Rin's calf, pressing tightly against it, his small body trembling, staring intently at Ellen's outstretched hand.
"Eh?" Ellen's hand paused in mid-air, a little confused. "It seems to be particularly afraid of me?"
She completely didn't understand why this kitten had such a strong reaction to her.
After all, she was usually very popular with cats.
"Maybe it's starving?" Ran guessed, looking at the cat's frightened, bristling fur. "Look how much it's trembling, maybe it has low blood sugar?"
"Hungry? Easy!" Sonoko immediately pulled out her phone. "I'll have someone send food over right away. For a kitten… fresh small fish should be its favorite!" She gave instructions over the phone.
Not long after, a waiter hurried over, carrying an exquisite silver platter.
The platter was filled with dozens of still-lively, shimmering small sardines.
"Come, come, come, you poor little thing, you must be starving, right? Eat, eat quickly!"
Sonoko enthusiastically picked up a wiggling, struggling small sardine and pushed it towards Kaito Kid's mouth.
Ran also picked one up and said gently, "Don't be scared, eat."
Ellen hesitated for a moment, then also picked up a small fish and offered it.
Kaito Kid looked at the constantly wiggling live fish in front of him, emitting a strong fishy smell, his stomach churned, his fur stood on end, and he desperately turned his head away, keeping his mouth tightly shut, letting out resistant "mewling" sounds.
"Huh? Why isn't it eating?" Sonoko wondered.
Rin guessed, "Maybe it thinks the fish are too small to be enough, how about you ask them to send more, Sonoko?"
"Meow! Meow-ow! (No! Take it away!)" Kaito Kid cried even louder, even wanting to turn and jump into the sea.
Rin misunderstood his meaning and laughed, "See, as soon as it hears it can have bigger fish, how happy this kitten is! It's even shedding tears of joy."