The Aphrodite Cruise Ship cut smoothly across the dark ocean.
Music filled the upper decks.
Guests laughed.
Glasses clinked.
But beneath the luxurious atmosphere…
Two detectives were already hunting a bomb.
Observation Deck
The wind from the sea brushed across the railing as Conan Edogawa leaned slightly closer to Haruki.
"You said the ship might sink."
Haruki looked out toward the horizon.
"Possibly."
Conan frowned.
"You didn't say that randomly."
Haruki remained silent for a moment.
Then he spoke calmly.
"If you were planning a bombing on a ship…"
"What would you target?"
Conan thought instantly.
"Fuel storage…"
"Or the engine room."
Haruki nodded slightly.
Conan crossed his arms.
"So we check the lower decks."
Haruki looked down at him.
"You trust me?"
Conan smirked.
"I trust logic."
That was the closest thing to trust Conan would offer.
Haruki accepted it.
For now.
System Analysis
As they walked toward the interior stairwell—
Haruki activated the system.
[ STRATEGIC FORESIGHT ACTIVATED ]
Possible Bomb Locations:
• Engine Room — 36%
• Cargo Storage — 24%
• Maintenance Corridor — 19%
• Passenger Deck — 11%
• Unknown Location — 10%
Engine room remained the highest probability.
But there was a problem.
Most access points were restricted.
Conan looked up at Haruki.
"You thinking the same thing?"
Haruki replied simply.
"Engine room."
Conan grinned slightly.
"Good."
Lower Maintenance Corridor
The deeper levels of the ship were completely different from the luxurious upper decks.
Narrow metal hallways.
Pipes along the ceiling.
Dim emergency lighting.
The constant vibration of the ship's engines.
Haruki walked slowly.
Observation Boost activated.
Then—
He stopped.
A faint ticking sound.
Very quiet.
But unmistakable.
Conan heard it too.
He whispered.
"There."
Behind a ventilation panel.
Haruki removed the screws quickly.
Inside—
A metal explosive device.
Digital timer glowing red.
04:02:11
Conan's eyes widened.
"So it's real."
Haruki examined the device carefully.
Wires.
Timer.
Pressure switch.
But something felt wrong.
Too simple.
Too obvious.
Conan noticed as well.
"This looks… amateur."
Haruki nodded.
"It's bait."
Just as he finished speaking—
DING
[ SYSTEM ALERT ]
Secondary devices detected.
Probability: Multiple bombs — 78%
Conan looked up sharply.
"What?"
Haruki replied calmly.
"This isn't the main bomb."
Conan clenched his fists.
"Damn."
Which meant—
The real explosive was somewhere else.
And this one was just a distraction.
Meanwhile — On the Upper Deck
Passengers continued enjoying the evening party.
Among them—
A tall man in a black suit watched the ocean silently.
His eyes scanned the crowd.
Then he spoke quietly into an earpiece.
"Have they found the decoy yet?"
A voice answered.
"Yes."
The man smiled faintly.
"Excellent."
His gaze moved toward the stairwell entrance.
"Now the real game begins."
Back in the Corridor
Conan studied the bomb again.
"If this explodes…"
"It'll cause panic."
Haruki finished the thought.
"Exactly."
Conan frowned.
"So the criminal wants chaos first."
Then—
Haruki noticed something new.
A thin wireless receiver inside the device.
He pulled a small tool from his pocket.
The Signal Interference Chip.
He attached it to the receiver.
The bomb's signal light immediately shut off.
Conan blinked.
"You just blocked the transmitter?"
Haruki nodded.
"For now."
Then he cut two wires carefully.
The timer froze.
04:01:32
The bomb was disarmed.
But the real problem remained.
Conan stood up.
"So there are more."
Haruki looked down the corridor.
"Yes."
And the real one would be much larger.
System Update
Haruki checked the system again.
[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ]
Mission Update
Bombs Located: 1 / Unknown
Estimated Remaining Devices: 2 – 4
Time Until Major Detonation:
Unknown
Haruki activated Crime Scene Reconstruction.
His mind began visualizing possible movements across the ship.
Passengers.
Crew members.
Restricted areas.
The mastermind had likely planted the real bomb somewhere difficult to access.
Then—
The system generated new probabilities.
Primary Bomb Location Prediction:
• Cargo Hold — 41%
• Engine Core — 28%
• Fuel Storage — 19%
• Hidden Passenger Area — 12%
Haruki spoke quietly.
"Cargo hold."
Conan nodded instantly.
"Same conclusion."
Two detectives.
Same deduction again.
Above Them
The mysterious man in the black suit continued watching from the upper deck.
He checked his watch.
Then smiled slightly.
"They're faster than expected."
He pressed a button on a remote control.
Deep inside the ship—
Another timer activated.
02:59:59
The real bomb had begun counting down.
Cargo Elevator
Haruki and Conan reached the heavy cargo elevator.
Large steel doors blocked the path.
Conan looked at the control panel.
"Locked."
Haruki examined it quickly.
Then used the Evidence Scanner Lens.
Hidden fingerprints glowed faintly.
Someone had accessed it recently.
Then Haruki noticed a keycard slot.
Conan reached into his pocket.
"Good thing I came prepared."
He pulled out a small electronic bypass tool from Professor Agasa.
Haruki raised an eyebrow.
Conan smirked.
"You aren't the only one with gadgets."
The door unlocked.
The elevator descended slowly.
Metal creaked as they moved toward the cargo hold.
Neither spoke.
Both were thinking the same thing.
If their deduction was correct—
The real bomb was waiting below.
Cargo Hold
The elevator doors opened.
Darkness filled the massive cargo area.
Rows of shipping containers.
Heavy machinery.
Silent shadows.
Then—
Haruki's Danger Prediction triggered violently.
[ SYSTEM ALERT ]
Extreme threat detected.
Explosive device within 15 meters.
Conan whispered.
"Do you see it?"
Haruki stepped forward slowly.
Observation Boost active.
Scanning.
Searching.
Then—
He saw it.
A large industrial crate.
Wires leading inside.
A red digital timer glowing faintly through the metal.
02:41:12
Conan inhaled sharply.
"That's the real one."
And this bomb…
Was much larger than the first.
Somewhere Else on the Ship
The mysterious mastermind watched the surveillance feed.
Haruki and Conan standing before the real bomb.
He leaned back in his chair.
Then smiled.
"Let's see which genius breaks first."
End of Chapter 17