The last rays of sunset streamed through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the entire dining room in warm gold.
The buffet was laden with all kinds of delicious food, its aromas filling the air.
Tired from playing, Anya, Himawari, and Klee sat around a small table with the food they had chosen, chattering about their afternoon adventures.
Kabuto Yakushi and Mirai Sarutobi sat at separate tables nearby. Each had ordered some food and appeared relaxed, but both remained alert.
Kabuto's gaze often swept fondly over Anya, while he kept track of everyone coming and going in the dining room.
Mirai was even more focused. Her eyes rarely left Himawari and Klee, ensuring they stayed within her reach.
Their eyes occasionally met, and they exchanged slight nods, sharing an unspoken understanding.
Meanwhile, Conan, who had slipped away from Ran Mouri by saying he wanted to "explore the ship's structure," wandered through the spacious dining room as though he had no destination in mind.
Behind his glasses, however, his eyes scanned every corner like precision radar, missing no suspicious detail.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted someone in a captain's uniform.
The First Officer looked a little nervous. After glancing around, he hurried to the glass door leading to the outer deck and slipped outside.
Something's wrong. Very wrong. Shouldn't the First Officer be commanding from the Bridge right now? Why is he sneaking around?
Conan's detective instincts kicked in at once. His small stature gave him perfect cover as he used the shadows of tables and decorative pillars to approach the glass door without a sound, then hid behind the heavy curtain.
The sea breeze carried snatches of conversation inside.
The First Officer spoke in a low voice, with a hint of fear he could not quite