Ke Xue: I picked up a bottle of sherry at the beginning.

Previously, I had only been focused on the food, wine, entertainment and accommodations in the brochure and hadn't paid much attention to the cultural aspects. Dr. Agasa asked curiously, "But the underwater palace is..."

Yan Yongcheng looked toward the sea on his left. "Look, isn't there an uninhabited island over there? That's Laiqin Island. Two hundred meters east of the island, there's a stone building resembling a palace sunk to the bottom of the sea. About ten years ago, rumors spread that there were ancient ruins sunken to the seabed off Shenhai Island. Although many scholars have come to investigate, there's still no conclusion as to whether they were man-made structures or a work of nature. I heard that Laiqin Island used to have a large area exposed above water, and it became what it is today because of an earthquake 300 years ago..."

"Is it because of the earthquake that it sank? Is it because of an underwater landslide?" Conan asked.

"Yeah," Yan Yongcheng'er narrowed his eyes behind his glasses and looked at Conan. The kid had just discovered that the treasure hunter was quite clever, and he was trying to get him into the treasure hunt. "I heard there's a methane hydrate layer on the seabed in that area. The theory that it suddenly split due to the earthquake's vibrations, causing the submarine landslide, is the most convincing."

"Hey, Conan," Genta asked in a low voice, "What is that 'fake diving compound'?"

"It's methane hydrate..."

Conan had no idea that he was being targeted, and started talking about science.

Bai Quanyi rolled down the car window a little, letting the sea breeze with a slightly salty smell blow into the car.

Haibara Ai's face was brushed by the blowing hair. She turned her head to look at Shiraizumi Yi who was opening the car window next to her. Suddenly, she thought it would be better to ask the "expert" directly. She pulled the corner of Shiraizumi Yi's clothes, moved closer, and hinted that she wanted to say something in private.

Bai Quanyi was used to it, so he turned sideways and lowered his head.

"Brother Shiraizumi, based on just that, Edogawa concluded that those three people were treasure hunters. I always feel like something is missing. Or perhaps it's incomplete. At least there's more to it than what he said..."

"What he didn't say was probably 'aura'," Bai Quanyi replied softly, "Some people of the same kind will emit a similar aura."

Haibara Ai:"……"

This is probably science.

Brown-skinned beauty Kimiko

The passenger van was parked in a house's yard.

"This is the house. The owner is Mr. Mima Kazuo. His wife passed away, and he lives here alone. So he turned it into a guesthouse, named 'Shenhaizhuang', and he usually welcomes tourists." Iwanaga Cheng'er got out of the car and led a group of people to the house. He opened the door and greeted them. "Mr. Mima, excuse me, I'm Iwanaga! Mr. Mima, are you there?"

In front of the house, Dr. Agasa looked around the Japanese-style house and the empty yard. "Although it's still clean, it's still far behind the restaurant we were in just now."

Suzuki Sonoko also felt that compared with the luxurious hotel just now, this place seemed not grand enough, but she didn't care.

"Yeah, but it's also nice to stay in a B&B. It has local characteristics and there are plenty of rooms, enough for so many of us."

At the door, Yan Yongchenger called for a while, but got no response. He turned around and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, everyone, he doesn't seem to be at home. Although I called in advance..."

"What's going on? It's so noisy!"

A man walked over from the other side of the yard. He was wearing a light yellow short-sleeved T-shirt and had gray hair, but he still looked tall and strong. He had a stern face and after glancing at Yan Yongcheng'er, he looked at the group of strangers.

Bai Quanyi took a look and looked away.

He remembered that the plot mentioned that Mima and Nan were once treasure hunters, but seeing yellow clothes under the sun was really dazzling.

"Ah, Mr. Mei Ma!" Yan Yongcheng hurriedly stepped forward to introduce, "This is the Mr. Bai and his group I mentioned on the phone."

Mima and the man went straight back to the house without any enthusiasm to welcome the guests. "One night's stay plus two meals is 6 yen in total. If you don't want to, go somewhere else."

Yan Yongcheng'er broke out in a sweat and hurriedly followed, "Wait, wait a minute! Mr. Mei Ma..."

He grumbled in a low voice, "This guy's attitude is really bad!"

“The price is not expensive…”

Bai Quanyi had no other choice but to live here.

Yan Yongcheng turned around and explained helplessly, "That's not the case. Mr. Mei Ma has always been like this. But apart from being a little paranoid, he's actually a pretty good person."

Yanyong Cheng'er said a few good words on Mima Kazuo's behalf, then raised his right hand with a smile, "So, who wants to join the treasure hunt?"

"us!"

The three children pulled Conan and raised their hands high.

Iwanaga Cheng'er looked at Shiraizumi Masu, Maoli Ran, and Suzuki Sonoko standing nearby and confirmed, "As for this gentleman and two ladies, they are planning to go diving, right? If you're going right away, I can take you to the diving equipment store in my car."

"Thank you," Mao Lilan said with a smile, looked at Huiyuan Ai, and asked, "Does the diving store here have children's diving equipment? There is a child who will go with us."

"Taking children diving..." Yan Yongcheng scratched his head. "I'm not sure if the diving store has equipment for children. After I take you there, you can ask the people there."

Huiyuan Ai said: "I won't dive, I'll just watch from the side."

Haibara Ai is like the dried shrimp girl, she is not interested in many things.

On the side, Yan Yongcheng looked at Dr. Agasa again: "Dr. Agasa, what about you? Do you want to participate in the treasure hunt?"

"No," Dr. Agasa smiled and waved his hand, "I'll just rest in the hotel. Don't bother me."

Yan Yongcheng'er was stunned for a moment, but then he thought that as long as the children came into contact with the secret code and couldn't decipher it, they would naturally ask for help. He immediately smiled and told the location of a store, took a group of people into the house and stayed in the rooms, took the time to call the diving shop owner to make an appointment, and drove Bai Quanyi and others to the diving equipment store.

There are no tall buildings on the island, but the houses are not old, the exterior walls are very clean, the roads are wide and quiet, and there are many open spaces, which makes it leisurely and peaceful.

The car arrived in front of a diving equipment store called "Guluot". After Yan Yongcheng handed the person over to the owner, Ma Yuan Chinatsu, he drove away again to pick up a group of children who were participating in the treasure hunt. He was very busy.

Chinatsu Mabuchi, dressed in a white business dress, had fine lines creeping up around her eyes. She greeted the group competently yet gently, handing out forms for them to fill out and confirming their reservations. "Mr. Shiraizumi Masu, Ms. Maori Ran, Ms. Suzuki Sonoko, Ms. Haibara Ai... two complete sets of diving equipment for women, plus tanks and weights for a child and an adult, right?"

·· ·······Request flowers····· ·····

"That's right." Mao Lilan nodded with a smile.

"Okay, after Section Chief Iwanaga called, we've already found the diving suits for the two ladies, and the air tanks and other things have been put in the car. After you change into the diving suits, diving instructor Ms. Yamaguchi Kimiko and I will drive you to the dock and then board the yacht..." Mabuchi Chinatsu explained the itinerary and turned to shout into a room, "Kimiko!"

0 ....... .......

"coming!"

The door opened, and a girl dressed in a sporty style came out. She had short burgundy hair that reached her shoulders, and her skin was tanned to a light brown. She wore an orange sports vest and shorts that revealed a bit of her waist. She was holding two diving suits in her hands, and she smiled brightly. "Ladies, how about these two diving suits I have? As for the size, I think size M will be fine."

Mao Lilan smiled and nodded, "This will do!"

When Haibara Ai turned around, she found Shiraizumi Masu staring at Yamaguchi Kimiko, and she was stunned.

what's the situation?

Although Bai Quanyi's expression and gaze were the same as usual, when he wasn't talking to her, he was staring at the girl so straight...something was not right!

Miss Kimiko, you must be being targeted by Shiraizumi Masaru!

Kimiko Yamaguchi put the diving suit on the table. "That's great. We don't have many types of diving suits in our store..."

Suzuki Sonoko stood up and walked over: "No! This diving suit will be fine."

"This diving suit is very beautiful." Mao Lilan also followed with a smile.

Ai Huihara observed quietly and confirmed that Shiraizumi Masu was peeking at Yamaguchi Kimiko, while Mao Lilan and Suzuki Sonoko were so focused on diving that they didn't notice Shiraizumi Masu was peeking at other girls. Otherwise, they would have been furious.

Diving with Xiaolan and Sonoko

"excuse me!"

The three treasure hunters I had seen before came out of the backyard carrying gas cylinders and walked towards the door with sullen faces.

Kimiko Yamaguchi put her hands on her hips and frowned somewhat dissatisfiedly. "I told you to clean up after use. Have you cleaned up the backyard?"

The man in the blue T-shirt turned around and smiled playfully, "We'll come back tomorrow!"

Kimiko Yamaguchi snorted coldly with increasing dissatisfaction.

Seeing the three people leave, Mao Lilan asked hesitantly, "Those people just now were treasure hunters, right? Do you want to dive with them?"

Yamaguchi Kimiko's expression softened. "No, the store just lent them the air compressor."

Ma Yuan Chinatsu walked forward and said with a helpless smile, "There have been more and more people like this lately, and it's quite troubling us."

"Is it because of the discovery of silver cutlery?" asked Mao Lilan.

"Yes," Mabuchi Chinatsu said with a smile, "and there are rumors that An hid the treasure on this island after escaping from prison."

"An?" Suzuki Sonoko looked puzzled. "Who is he?"

Kimiko Yamaguchi smiled, turned around and pointed at the poster on the wall, "This is it!"

The poster depicts two female pirates, who appear to be foreign women with long hair, and the English letters "Ann Bernie" and "Mary Read" are also painted on them.

Huiyuan Ai didn't join in the conversation. She reached out and tugged at the corner of Baiquanyi's clothes. When Baiquanyi leaned over, she whispered, "It's useless to look. You have to be more proactive. Ask her if she has a boyfriend, or interact more with her while diving. After the dive, ask for her contact information..."

"She?" Baiquan Yi was not sure who Haibara Ai was talking about.

Huiyuan Ai's eyes were half-mooned. "Ms. Yamaguchi, aren't you staring at me all the time?"

"She has a tenacious and vigorous vitality, and she's free and unrestrained. I think she's rare, so I took a second look," Bai Quanyi said truthfully. "I already have so many girlfriends, so I'd better not ruin her."

"Are you... a prodigal son who has returned?" Xiao Ai was a little bit unconvinced that the scumbag brother had actually stopped. Xiao Ai didn't believe it. The scumbag brother couldn't possibly stop. He had already gone too far.

The group went to the changing room to change into diving suits, and went to the beach together with Kimiko Yamaguchi driving and Chinatsu Mabuchi accompanying them.

On the way, Chinatsu Mabuchi told the story of 'An'.

"270 years ago, during the Edo-Kyoho era, it was said that an underwater palace there emerged from the sea. This claim is based on the discovery of a scimitar called a 'cartas' and a short spear in the underwater palace. The letters engraved on the scimitar and spear indicate that they were weapons used by female pirates Ann Bonny and Mary Read, who were active at sea around 1730."

"Huh?" Suzuki Sonoko asked in surprise, "Are they female pirates?"

"That's right," Kimiko Yamaguchi said with a smile. "Ann Bonny and Mary Read were accomplices of the great pirate Jack Rackham! When attacked by the British army, all the other men hid in the cabin, but these two bravely fought back to back... Leaving the enemy behind them to their companions while they focused on dealing with the enemy in front of them, that wouldn't have been possible without mutual trust."

Suzuki Sonoko turned around, looked at Mao Lilan seriously, and said in a loud voice, "Xiaolan, I have to rely on you for my back. I have made up my mind!"

Mao Lilan was touched, "Sonoko..."

"Unfortunately, Ann and Mary were captured and sent to two different prisons," Mabuchi Chinatsu continued, telling the story of the two female pirates. "Afterwards, Ann successfully escaped from the prison in the Bahamas and moved her base to the Pacific. It's said that she built that palace while active as a pirate while waiting for Mary."

Kimiko Yamaguchi smiled and continued, "That's the underwater palace I'll take you to see during this dive."

"Did An finally wait for Mary?" asked Mao Lilan with concern.

"I'm not sure about that," Chinatsu Mabuchi said with a smile. "There are rumors that after they waited for Mary, they gave up being pirates and found a place to live an ordinary life. There are also rumors that Ann never waited for Mary and lived alone on the sea until he disappeared."

"I really hope she waits for Mary." Mao Lilan hoped sincerely.

"So what about the others?" Suzuki Sonoko asked, "They had other pirate companions, right? Are they all dead?"

"Well..." Ma Yuan Chinatsu recalled, "It is said that there was an internal conflict within their team. Some people also said that they were swallowed up by other pirates. After Ann and Mary were captured, their captain seemed to disappear..."

Shiraizumi recalled the pirate legends circulating in this world: "Is Jack's ship called the 'Black Pearl'?"

"That's true," Yamaguchi Kimiko asked curiously, "Does Mr. Bai also like these kinds of legends?"

"It's said that the Black Pearl was originally a trading ship owned by a British trading company in the 17th century," Bai Quanyi said. "Many British companies would use Jack for publicity, so I know a little about that."

"Although it sounds like a fabricated story for publicity, if the story isn't just circulating in Japan but also in England, then it's very likely true," Haibara Ai analyzed carefully. "The 17th century also fits the timeline, which means Anne and Mary's treasure might really exist. It's just that we can't be sure if the rumors are exaggerated, and to what extent."

"No matter how exaggerated the legend is, there can't be a sea sirens or something like that, right?" Suzuki Sonoko laughed. "I think most of it is true."

"Rumors do exist about underwater female demons, mermaids, and the curse of immortality," Shiraizumi said, expressing his deep interest in the topic. "Even the recent and famous ghost ship legend is related to this system of legends."

"Are there really banshees? That's a bit exaggerated, isn't it?" Suzuki Sonoko stroked her chin and chuckled. "But these legends do have a connection. For example, the captains in the legend all like to be called 'Jack'!"

Ran Mouri and Kimiko Yamaguchi chuckled softly, and the atmosphere in the car was happy and relaxed.

The car drove to the dock and stopped, and a group of people got off.

A group of people loaded the diving equipment onto the small yacht, and Chinatsu Mabuchi drove the boat away from the dock.

Yamaguchi Kimiko reminded, "We are almost there, let's prepare for diving first!"

Arriving near the underwater palace, a group of people prepared for diving, with Kimiko Yamaguchi taking the lead.

Falling in love at first sight with a female killer whale

Only Haibara Ai did not go into the water, but sat on the deck of the yacht and watched.

Ran Mao Li, Sonoko Suzuki, and Masushi Shiraizumi went diving under the guidance of Kimiko Yamaguchi.

At noon when the weather is clear, there is sufficient light on the seabed and the vision is clear.

At the beginning, there were schools of fish swimming by from time to time, but as the group of people dived, they could not even see the shadow of the fish.

Kimiko Yamaguchi guessed that because there were so many of them and the noise was too loud, she didn't take it seriously. After seeing the underwater palace below, she stopped temporarily and gestured to the group of people to look over there.

The light below was dimmer. A stone palace stood quietly in the sea. Under the stone wall on one side of the palace was a deep water area, like a pitch-black abyss.

Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki's eyes lit up and they nodded to Kimiko Yamaguchi.

Kimiko Yamaguchi gestured again, asking Shiraizumi Yoshi if he felt unwell. After Shiraizumi Yoshi responded with an "ok" gesture, she continued to dive with a group of people.

Just as the four of them arrived near the underwater palace, the direction of the nearby water flow suddenly became abnormal, and strange sounds were heard from the deep seabed on one side.

Kimiko Yamaguchi was shocked to see Shiraizumi Masu quickly climbing the 27 stone steps in front. She immediately signaled to Mori Ran and Suzuki Sonoko to follow her.

Just as the four of them hid in front of the palace wall next to the stone steps, a shark jumped out from the deep sea below, scaring Suzuki Sonoko and Mao Li Ran.

Bai Quanyi looked up and saw that there were not only the sharks that had just passed by them, but in less than a minute, three large sharks had gathered nearby.

Kimiko Yamaguchi stood in front of Ran Mori and Sonoko Suzuki, gesturing to them to "calm down and follow me". She turned around and saw Shiraizumi Masu following them, leading the way to the depression in the stone wall of the palace.