The comments under the latest post were still buzzing with excitement, while news outlets worldwide continued to report on the event.
Shōda Kazuo had challenged Kaitō Kid again and again, only to see his fantasies shattered. Kaitō Kid had stolen the Sunrise Ruby and ground it into powder to light up the night sky as fireworks.
[Looks like the Island Nation really took a loss this time. From the Imperial Palace to the Sakura Shrine, and finally the Yamaguchi-gumi, they've embarrassed themselves from top to bottom!]
[Oh my god! Kaitō Kid single-handedly played the entire Island Nation like a fiddle. Truly impressive!]
[Too bad I couldn't witness the live performance. It'd be a dream come true just to see Kaitō Kid in person once!]
[Looks like the Island Nation will finally quiet down after this. No more chest-thumping for a while!]
[They sure are milking Kaitō Kid's fame for all it's worth. The whole world's covering it, probably the first time they've ever been this popular!]
This time, Zhang Yang traveled to Eagle Nation quietly without announcing anything publicly.
The hype was just too high right now. If he made a high-profile announcement about heading to Eagle Nation, the arrival gates would probably be packed, maybe even crawling with FBI agents hidden in the crowd. Zhang Yang didn't want the extra trouble while trying to keep a low profile.
Without Harrison, his old nemesis, Zhang Yang actually started to feel a little nostalgic.
In the early hours of the morning, Zhang Yang landed at Eagle Nation's airport, officially setting foot in Eagle Nation!
Even though it was already late, with the lingering hype from the Island Nation and Shōda Kazuo, people from all over the world rushed to comment the moment they saw the update.
[Eagle Nation? Kaitō Kid left the Island Nation already?]
[Oh my god! He's finally back in Eagle Nation! I'm not missing a single move this time!]
[Uh-oh, looks like it's Eagle Nation's turn to suffer!]
[What the hell? Should I be excited or worried?]
[Everyone knows Kaitō Kid never leaves empty-handed. Eagle Nation's about to lose another world-class treasure!]
Zhang Yang found a hotel nearby to stay for the night. The real action would have to wait until tomorrow.
"Private collector Landon, hope he's not too far from here," Zhang Yang muttered.
Right now, Zhang Yang didn't even know who Landon was, where he lived, or any other details. He hadn't started investigating yet.
After checking in at the hotel, Zhang Yang casually tidied up and lay down to sleep.
But online, the excitement hadn't died down at all, especially among Eagle Nation's netizens, who were particularly active.
[What do you think Kaitō Kid is here to steal this time? Has any world-class treasure popped up in Eagle Nation recently?]
[Nope! Haven't heard of anything like that!]
[Damn it! It's all the Island Nation's fault for hogging the headlines. You can't even see other news anymore!]
[Well, whatever Kaitō Kid's after, you know it's gonna be something big!]
[Eagle Nation has so many treasures. Who knows which one he's eyeing!]
But the ones more nervous than netizens around the world were the relevant authorities in Eagle Nation itself.
Multiple agencies had already received orders to increase security starting tomorrow, with workloads expected to double, if not more.
By morning, Sente and his team of four had arrived from the Island Nation.
Back at FBI headquarters, they had been officially assigned to capture Kaitō Kid. Every department had been ordered to fully cooperate with them.
Eagle Nation wasn't taking any chances. Kaitō Kid never targeted anything ordinary, and with the Island Nation still being the laughingstock of the world, Eagle Nation didn't want to follow in their footsteps.
Sente and his four teammates sat in the conference room, planning their next move.
They had already seen Kaitō Kid's tricks back in the Island Nation and had gained some insight into his methods.
Ivan was the first to speak, his confidence showing.
"It's not hard to tell from Kaitō Kid's actions in the Island Nation that his skills might surpass every one of us," Ivan said confidently.
"Plus, he's a master of creating chaos, using all kinds of smoke bombs. So if we're going to deal with Kaitō Kid, I suggest we strike fast. We can't give him any room to maneuver."
Sente nodded repeatedly in agreement.
"Exactly. Kaitō Kid is way too slippery. If we give him a chance to turn the tables, we'll end up just like the Island Nation."
It wasn't a coincidence that the Island Nation had failed three times in a row.
And considering the heavy security at the Imperial Palace and Sakura Shrine, which had far exceeded Sente's expectations, Kaitō Kid had still managed to slip inside.
This proved that even deploying large numbers of guards for continuous surveillance barely made a difference.
"Sente, the Island Nation's tactic of opening fire the moment they spotted Kaitō Kid… I think we should keep that approach," one of the team suggested.
"Ivan's right. We can't give Kaitō Kid any breathing room, or he'll definitely turn the situation in his favor again."
If they didn't want to give Kaitō Kid any chance to turn things around, the Island Nation's shoot-on-sight method seemed like the best option.
But Sente shook his head and firmly rejected the idea.
"No! We can't do that. The Island Nation didn't care about catching him alive, but the orders from above are clear. We have to capture Kaitō Kid alive and recover what was stolen."
Ivan and the others exchanged awkward glances.
The reason the Island Nation dared to shoot on sight was because they had already given up on recovering their stolen artifacts.
What they wanted was to kill Kaitō Kid and reclaim their pride by bringing him down on their turf.
Since arriving at FBI headquarters, Sente and his team had been stuck debating this issue all night.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yang was comfortably sleeping in his hotel until noon—far more relaxed than the team who had been working through the night.
"Three volumes of the original Yongle Encyclopedia… Let's see what kind of collector this Landon guy really is."
Zhang Yang put on Kaitō Kid's monocle and started studying the target.
Back at FBI headquarters, Sente and his team still hadn't come up with a solid plan by noon. They knew absolutely nothing about Kaitō Kid's true identity.
Unlike the Island Nation, Eagle Nation wanted him captured alive. They still had their eyes on the treasures Kaitō Kid had previously stolen.
The higher-ups knew that without solid evidence, there was no way Dragon Nation would admit anything.
But if they could catch Kaitō Kid alive and make him personally confess that he had handed those items over to Dragon Nation, then Eagle Nation would have every reason to open diplomatic negotiations.
Meanwhile, the comment sections were still buzzing, even as the sun rose.
[Seriously? Eagle Nation hasn't made a move yet?]
[Shit! What kind of reaction do you expect?]
[It's almost noon and Kaitō Kid hasn't posted a single update!]
[A professional like him is definitely planning carefully. Look at what he pulled off in the Island Nation!]
[Damn those Tengu players, building a fortress right at our base during the end of the season and going straight for the main!]
At that very moment, in a secret chamber inside the Imperial Palace, the Island Nation's Emperor put down the phone and looked sternly at Nakajima Misaki.
"I've already negotiated with Eagle Nation. You'll take four agents and carry out the capture mission."
"Nakajima Misaki, this is the last time I'm putting my trust in you. If you fail to catch Kaitō Kid again, you'd better be ready to spend the rest of your life as a palace guard."
"I hope you don't let me down again."