Chapter 164 - Death God Renji: I Can't Lie Low Anymore, Aizen This Schemer Came Looking for Me!
"That guy wanted to fool me like I was an idiot!"
If he had agreed to those terms, it would not have been much different from being a fool.
The money he received was a commission fee, not a guarantee to complete anything at all.
"So, since we are partners, shouldn't there be more sincerity?"
Vermouth hinted meaningfully.
"Secrets make a man more attractive."
Hearing Renji's words, Vermouth was momentarily stunned.
Him!?
It seemed he understood her very well.
"So then, what organization are you from?"
For him to contact the Organization directly and even know so much about her, Vermouth now felt a trace of caution. She wondered which group Renji truly belonged to.
But something was off. Others who tried to join or gather intelligence on the Organization always concealed themselves, terrified of being exposed.
Renji was different. After saying what he did, claiming he knew nothing would be impossible. Anyone would think he approached them with some special purpose.
"The Phantom Thieves of Hearts."
…
Was that really what she wanted to hear?
Vermouth stared hard at Renji, clearly trying to read something from him.
"Don't bother. What can you see through this mask?"
Renji spoke helplessly. With the mask covering him, how could she possibly see through?
"A gentleman never disappoints a lady."
"Your words are laced with poison."
Though beautiful, she was indeed a venomous serpent.
"Looks like you know me well."
Someone who knew this much about the Organization… keeping him alive might be dangerous.
Wait!?
This wasn't her problem to solve. That headache belonged to Gin.
Vermouth no longer held the same loyalty to the Organization as before. Ever since meeting her angel, she longed more for redemption.
Still, Renji was undeniably dangerous.
He knew too much about the Organization. From Gin's earlier words, it was Renji who had approached them first. That was what concerned Gin the most.
For a long time Gin could not figure out where the leaks in their intelligence came from.
Originally, the plan had been to kill Renji. But Gin chose to cooperate first, hoping to uncover the truth.
After their first collaboration, Gin realized Renji truly had some skill. That made him consider further cooperation.
After all, spies inside the Organization were countless. Someone like Renji, if recruited, could be made to do much work. But even if kept as a collaborator only, it was not much of a loss.
"Since you're my partner, it's only natural to understand you."
"But we know nothing about you."
Too much knowledge—Vermouth sneered inwardly.
"Then why don't we find a hotel and get to know each other better?"
Bang!
A shot rang out. The bullet grazed Renji's cheek but vanished in midair.
"If you say another word like that, my next shot will be to your forehead."
Vermouth smiled, eyes narrowed. She had more than one gun hidden on her.
"Well, I rather look forward to it."
Renji shrugged. When Vermouth fired, he had not moved at all. She had not aimed to kill.
As expected—teasing a young girl only earned a scolding. Teasing a mature woman like her, one wrong word and she would draw her gun.
"Tomorrow night at Black Star. Kid has already sent his notice. Our Organization will pay for it. For the details, discuss with Gin later."
She waved her hand, signaling Renji to return the gun.
"Here. And don't fire at people so casually—especially before you're sure of the difference in strength."
Renji tossed the pistol back to her. Along with it, a single bullet.
Vermouth stared at the bullet in shock.
Impossible!
The bullet she had fired—Renji had caught it!?
She was about to ask when Renji leapt from the clock tower. With the chime striking the hour, he vanished before her eyes.
"How was it?"
When Vermouth returned to the bar where the Organization held contact, Gin lifted his head. Their first meeting concerned him greatly.
"That man is a monster."
Vermouth spoke coolly.
She would not forget the tension of that exchange.
But she chose not to reveal that Renji had caught her bullet.
"A monster?"
He had sent her only to gauge him, not to fight.
Gin's mind jumped to one possibility, but dismissed it as unlikely.
"Do you think he belongs to another organization?"
"He called himself one of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."
Before coming, Vermouth had investigated, but found nothing about such a group.
Still, with power enough to catch bullets, Renji was no ordinary infiltrator. Whatever technique he used, he had done it.
"Never heard of it."
Vodka shook his head.
"Maybe he's simply a pure thief."
Vermouth leaned more toward that conclusion.
"Better that way. I've no desire to work with those other groups."
A cold sneer crossed Gin's face. For him, it was preferable Renji be a thief. If he were one of "those people," Gin would have to act personally.
"Boss, he already sent out a notice. The Suzuki family has declared they'll stop him!"
Now two phantom thieves had targeted the same treasure. Suzuki Tomoko declared publicly that she would ensure both went home empty-handed.
"Vermouth, you'll keep a close watch then."
"I'm not your subordinate."
Vermouth sneered, then mocked him. "Do you really have time for this? Letting Sherry escape right under your nose—seems you're slipping, Gin."
Just yesterday, Sherry escaped. Guards had noticed quickly, but she was already gone.
"Heh, I'll find her. She won't get away."
Gin still could not understand how Miyano Shiho escaped.
The ventilation ducts?
But logically, she could not have fit through them. Even if she had, the handcuffs should have held her back.
It was too strange.
He suspected the ducts were only a diversion Sherry set up. As for her real escape method, he had no clue. Then the lab caught fire, destroying everything inside.
Sherry had escaped, and the lab was lost. But Gin swore to pursue her relentlessly.
"Sister, that man is planning a theft!"
In a café.
Kisugi Ai rushed in with a newspaper to Kisugi Rui and Kisugi Hitomi.
"This gem wasn't part of Father's collection."
Kisugi Hitomi shook her head. It had nothing to do with him.
The Cat's Eye sisters never sought treasures for themselves. They disliked stealing, but sometimes had no choice.
"We could go take a look."
Kisugi Rui thought differently.
Their last failure still gnawed at her. How had he managed to steal a treasure so easily under their watch?
"Sis, you mean to observe his methods?"
"Then we'll need invitations."
Kisugi Hitomi and Kisugi Ai exchanged a glance. It did sound reasonable.
"I can get the invitations."
"Then let's go!"
They decided to treat it as a chance to relax.
At police headquarters.
Upon hearing the news, Sato Miwako moved immediately.
Tomorrow, she swore she would bring the thief to justice!
"Renji-kun, we haven't received any action orders."
"Sorry, this time I'll go alone. Don't come yet. Later, we'll move under the name of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."
Renji would never let Kasumigaoka Utaha and the others get involved.
Before awakening their Personas, he would not allow them into such danger.
They knew nothing yet, and would later need his training.
"Fine. We thought we could finally move."
They sounded disappointed, though it was understandable.
Afterward, Kato Megumi and Eriri also called. Upon hearing Renji would act alone, they too felt regret.
The next evening.
Suzuki Tomoko checked the passenger list for boarding, handing each person a small gift.
"Sonoko!"
"Ran, you're here."
The Mouri family and Conan.
Onboard, Sonoko greeted Ran warmly. Among the crowd, disguised Vermouth was surprised—she had not expected to see Ran here.
Her gaze lingered on Ran for a moment, then shifted to scan the passengers.
The ship had left the harbor. If Renji had not boarded by now, it was uncertain whether he could still get on at all.
"Stay sharp, we absolutely cannot let that man steal the gem again!"
Sato Miwako's eyes swept over the crowd with unwavering focus. At this moment, she felt as though everyone was a suspect.
Just like in the anime, Suzuki Tomoko asked everyone to open the small gift boxes they had received earlier. Inside each one lay a Black Star.
This was Suzuki Tomoko's method to counter the two phantom thieves.
With so many people holding the Black Star, could the real one still be identified?
"A little trick."
Vermouth sneered faintly. Ordinary people might be impressed, but she saw through it at once. The real Black Star had to be on Suzuki Tomoko herself.
Such a valuable treasure—how could she entrust it to anyone else? This kind of cover-up was no better than deceiving oneself.
"Sis, it should be on her, right?"
Kisugi Ai slipped on the fake Black Star and then gestured slightly toward the gem hanging on Suzuki Tomoko's chest.
"Of course. But I'm more curious about how he'll take it."
Kisugi Rui nodded, her sharp eyes also scanning the crowd.
She wanted to see clearly how Renji would steal this gem.
Anyone approaching Suzuki Tomoko would draw suspicion. Since they could tell, surely the other phantom thieves could as well. All they needed to do now was watch.
"Will he repeat Kid's old tricks?"
Renji frowned slightly. Directly snatching it didn't fit his elegant phantom thief persona.
But perhaps a direct move would be more shocking. After all, he had his Transformation Technique.
Even stealing it in front of everyone might not be a problem.
Once he thought it through, Renji cast aside all hesitation and walked directly toward Suzuki Tomoko. His action drew the attention of all present.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't tell me that guy is just going to—"
Kaito Kid, disguised as Ran, froze as he watched the man walk straight up to Suzuki Tomoko without concealment. Was he really going to be that reckless?
Yet thinking back, that was exactly how Renji had acted before. Perhaps this was normal for him.
Still, to not even bother with disguise—wasn't that too arrogant? Or did he also have the ability to change his face?
While he was still thinking, Renji had already reached Suzuki Tomoko, and in one swift motion, snatched the Black Star from her.
"The Black Star is mine now!"
"Damn it!!"
Kid nearly lost his composure.
So in the end, the most straightforward method for a thief was simply to grab it!
But how was he planning to escape?
Not only him—even the Kisugi sisters and Vermouth were stunned.
What was this man thinking?
"Seize him!"
Excitement flashed across Sato Miwako's face. She had expected a difficult battle, but here he was, right before her!
"Aren't you too arrogant?"
Suzuki Tomoko's face twitched as she stared at the man in front of her. She truly couldn't understand his thinking.
"You're wrong. It's just that your performance has grown too dull, and I don't feel like playing along anymore."
Renji leapt gracefully, dodging Sato Miwako and several officers' attempts to capture him.
On stage, he flung out his arm. His outfit of black with red clouds and his mask appeared before the crowd once more.
"By the way, everyone, from now on we'll appear under a new identity—the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Soon, we'll be stealing the heart treasure of a certain person at Shujin Academy."
After bowing in a showman's salute, Sato Miwako rushed at him, shouting, "Stop right there!"
Bang!
A cloud of smoke filled the area. When it cleared, Renji had already vanished from the ship.
"He's still on board, search!"
"He must be among us!"
"How could that be?"
"This makes no sense. How did he disappear?"
The Kisugi sisters exchanged glances. The scene was just like last time.
Even seeing it again, they still couldn't unravel his ability.
"The Phantom Thieves of Hearts…"
Kisugi Rui whispered the name, committing it to memory.
"Failed again?"
Kaito Kid felt frustrated. Since his debut, he had never suffered defeat—yet against Renji, he had lost twice.
This vanishing act was like magic.
He knew Renji was no longer on board. He had escaped in the same inexplicable way as before.
"Secrets make a man more attractive, huh?"
Vermouth's lips curved into a smile. He truly was a man full of secrets.
At the same time, the media quickly reported the incident. They even printed "Shujin Academy" in their headlines, declaring that the Phantom Thieves of Hearts would next strike there to steal a heart treasure.
"This is impossible, completely impossible!"
Conan stood where Renji had disappeared, one hand on his chin, lost in thought.
There were no hidden mechanisms here at all. So how had he escaped?
The thought stirred a sense of challenge in Conan's heart. He vowed to bring this phantom thief to justice.
"Why is it like this? I had everything prepared!"
Sato Miwako was already imagining the newspapers tomorrow.
Most likely, they would mock the police for being toyed with once again. Worse, Renji had appeared openly, taken the gem before everyone's eyes, and still escaped.
The police would undoubtedly be branded incompetent.
Her resolve hardened. No matter where he ran, she swore she would capture him.
"Gin, don't forget the weapons you promised me. And the money—this time, add more."
…
On the other end, Gin was speechless.
Was this man only concerned about money?
"I'll get you what I can, but these things take time."
After a pause, Gin added, "Hand everything over to Vermouth first. I won't go back on my word."
He had already decided to continue cooperating with Renji.
But before that, he needed Renji to hand everything over to Vermouth.
"Fine." After hanging up, Renji glanced at Vermouth and tossed her the gem. "Here."
"So how did you disappear?"
Holding the Black Star, Vermouth's eyes gleamed with curiosity. Everyone wanted to know.
"A secret."
…
That bullet of hers—she almost felt it had struck her right between the eyes.
The thought irritated her, yet she had no way to deal with him.
The next day.
Newspapers across the country covered the heist.
The Suzuki conglomerate erupted with fury. Led by Suzuki Jirokichi and Suzuki Tomoko, they openly declared war on Renji, vowing to capture him next time.
The police, under pressure, also approved Sato Miwako's proposal to form a special task force dedicated to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
More reinforcements would be dispatched to apprehend the thief.
"Lupin, you need to step up. Look at him!"
"Hey, hey, what's that supposed to mean?"
Hearing Fujiko Mine's words, Arsène Lupin III grew irritated.
What attitude was that? He wasn't her slave or her boyfriend—why should she compare him?
"A phantom thief…"
Koizumi Akako's eyes glimmered as she watched Renji vanish in smoke. Was that magic?
Elsewhere, inside an elementary school.
A girl smiled brightly at the cute child before her. "Sakura, why don't we create a phantom thief act of our own? I can design you special costumes!"
"No way."
Kinomoto Sakura shook her head quickly. She felt as if Tomoyo had awakened some dangerous new obsession.
"Oh come on, isn't it great? The Phantom Thieves of Hearts are all the rage right now!"
"Renji-kun said the same thing—it did feel different there."
"Then Megumi, let's send out the calling card. After that, I'll give you all proper training!"
"Alright!"
The Phantom Thieves of Hearts' first true mission.
Kato Megumi was filled with anticipation.
Renji, elsewhere, could only sigh. Who knew when that would actually happen?
After all, this was the Conan world.
Daily Renji Chat:
[One Piece Renji]: @Pirate Renji, the weapons are ready. I'm sending over some armed helicopters first!
[Pirate Renji]: OK, I need them now. Soon it'll be the era of the three legendary pirates. Should I make a move?
The three legendary pirates—Roger, Shiki, and Whitebeard.
Missing such an event would be unacceptable.
[Naruto Renji]: Don't you want to become Pirate King?
[Pirate Renji]: Honestly, I'm torn. It feels like just an empty title.
[Bleach Renji]: True. A hollow name means nothing.
[Yokai Renji]: Damn, you finally showed up! I thought Aizen had killed you off already.
It was true—the Bleach world's Renji hadn't appeared in a long time. He was almost forgotten.
[Bleach Renji]: It's not that extreme. I still have strength, but I must stay low-key.
Laying low—this had been his way of survival for years in the Bleach world. Even with power now, he clung to that belief.
[Naruto Renji]: Strong but overly cautious, huh?
[Bleach Renji]: I just feel like I'll be facing Aizen soon. He probably can't hold back any longer.
Though he tried to avoid it, Renji knew well—very soon, Aizen would come looking for him.
(End of Chapter)
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