Within minutes, Jigen and Goemon had reached another part of the city. Their steps were quick and silent on the grimy streets of the deserted neighborhood Lupin had picked. The sun was now high in the sky, and Paris was fully awake. Most of its residents were already at work, leaving behind the unemployed, tourists, and elderly folks out for their morning bread.

When they arrived at the hideout, Jigen carefully turned the handle, opening the door to the small, shabby refuge that served as their temporary base.

Lupin was there, lounging casually on a chair, intently studying the Heart of Napoleon. As soon as he saw Jigen step in, his face lit up. But Jigen spoke first, cutting him off before he could say anything.

"Lupin, I've got good news and bad news."

Lupin tilted his head slightly, his hand tightening around the emerald.

"Bad news is, we've got a new enemy on our sights," Jigen said, his expression serious. "Zorin, leader of the Black Dawn. He wants the ruby, and he's got a nice gang of fools working for him."

Lupin raised an eyebrow. The name Zorin didn't ring a bell, but the Black Dawn sounded faintly familiar.

"And the good news is…" Jigen opened the door wider and gestured behind him. Lupin's face immediately lit up again when he saw the stoic figure of their swordsman in the doorway.

"Goemon!" he exclaimed, placing the jewel carelessly on the table. It landed with a soft clink and rolled into the corner of the desk.

The swordsman stepped inside, and Jigen closed the door behind him. He nodded at Lupin in greeting. Without a word, he placed his small bundle of belongings in an empty corner. Lupin's smile widened even further. He sprang to his feet and threw his arms around Goemon in an enthusiastic hug.

"I knew you'd join us!"

Goemon tried to peel off the overly affectionate thief with great difficulty. Lupin clung to him like a limpet, especially since it had been so long since they'd last seen their favorite samurai.

"This man… this leader," Goemon said as he managed to free one of his arms from Lupin's grip. "He won't give up. His will is as strong as steel."

Goemon struggled to maintain his composure as Lupin continued to hang onto him. Finally, exasperated, he stood up abruptly, which had the desired effect of dislodging their overly clingy boss. He found a chair, cleared it of Lupin's endless gadgets, and sat down. Drawing his sword, he began to clean it with precision and care.

"He's right, Lupin," Jigen added, taking a seat himself. "The Black Dawn is no joke. They're one of the best mercenaries dirty money can buy."

"Ohhh?" Lupin drawled, dragging his chair closer to the others.

"They've been hired by someone with deep pockets who wants the Heart. Oh, and there's this too."

Jigen pulled out the scrap of paper he hadn't had time to examine before now. Lupin took it, unfolded it, and studied it. On one side was the Black Dawn insignia Jigen had drawn. On the other were three letters, scribbled hastily and awkwardly, as though written by someone in hiding and using their non-dominant hand.

"'CDELG'?"

Goemon, who had finished wiping off the blood, was now dabbing at the blade with what looked like a dandelion puff. Curious, he couldn't help but glance in their direction. He barely had time to catch the acronym before Lupin stashed it away.

"And did he tell you where the Black Dawn's HQ is located?" Lupin asked.

"Italy," Jigen replied.

"Aha! That's perfect! That's exactly where we need to go!"

Lupin leapt to his feet, immediately beginning to pack his things.

"You want to go to the very place where the mercenaries who just attacked us are based?"

"Yep!" A T-shirt flew into a suitcase.

"And I'm guessing you want to leave right now?"

"Mm-hm!" A shoe was tossed in the general direction of where its pair had landed. "Early bird gets the worm!"

Goemon slid his sword back into its sheath. The shling of Zantetsuken sounded like a sharp interruption to their conversation.

"Lupin, these men are formidable enemies. The weapon their leader wielded was unlike anything I've ever seen," he said, leaving a deliberate pause—a pause that practically invited Jigen to chime in.

Jigen didn't particularly want to, but Lupin had already stopped rummaging through his belongings, and had started looking at him like a cat at a bird.

Jigen started explaining with a long, tired sigh. "It was some sort of mini-shield combined with a blade that he wore on his wrist. It…"

He hesitated, unsure whether to mention the strange feeling that had overtaken him when he saw the shield. He didn't even know how to describe it. It had made him feel… calm, heavy, and exhausted.

He had lowered his weapon.

For a few moments, Jigen had felt a bizarre sensation of helplessness, one he unfortunately recognized from past experiences and hated with a passion. In truth, the feeling of wrongness hadn't left him since their encounter with Zorin. He knew what it was, even if he didn't want to admit it: the mercenary leader had tried to hypnotize him.

And deep down, Jigen understood why he had been targeted. He was the closest person to Lupin but also the most approachable. Goemon would never have fallen for such a trick. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he kept it to himself. Now wasn't the time to worry Lupin or Goemon.

"Hmm…"

"Jigen, buddy? Waiting for you."

"Shut up. That weapon—it's sorta like a hypnotic shield."

The revelation seemed to thrill Lupin. He clapped his hands together like a child. "Oh! Now that's interesting." He began pacing back and forth across the small living room. "We've got a band of bloodthirsty mercenaries on our trail, led by a man with a hypnotic weapon. What a challenge!"

Jigen muttered something unintelligible.

Lupin seemed to ponder for a moment before grabbing the ruby.

"My friends, tomorrow we leave for Milan!"

.

The next day, after a short flight during which Jigen and Lupin managed to catch up on some much-needed sleep, they landed in Milan.

The plane touched down late in the morning, and the atmosphere was markedly different from Paris. They quickly dropped their belongings in a hideout just as cramped as the one in Paris—the bed was impossibly crammed into a corner of the living room—and headed back out.

Despite the post-heist mini-party and the uncomfortable overnight flight, Lupin was brimming with energy. The lively Italian streets seemed to fuel his excitement as he darted around, thrilled by the change of scenery. He performed his usual antics, grinning widely and casting flirtatious glances at every woman who crossed his path, having apparently forgotten the purpose of their mission.

Jigen and Goemon hung back. Goemon seemed intrigued by the city, absorbing every bit of information Lupin provided. Jigen, on the other hand, was far less impressed. With part of his family hailing from Italy, Milan was already familiar territory. He lingered behind, a cigarette between his lips, watching Lupin with a mix of amusement and exasperation.

When Lupin led them to the Milan Cathedral and spent over half an hour passionately describing the grandeur of its architecture, Jigen's patience finally ran out.

He approached from behind and, in a swift motion, caught Lupin in a headlock.

"That's enough, Lupin! No more sightseeing," he growled, tightening his grip slightly. Lupin squirmed like a fish out of water, so Jigen adjusted his hold. "What are we really here for?"

Lupin struggled a bit more before finally giving in with a dramatic, "Owwie! Alright, alright, Jigen, let me go!"

Jigen released him with a smirk, and Lupin rubbed his arm.

"I thought you'd appreciate spending some quality time in Italy, Mr. Grumpy-pants."

Jigen raised a threatening hand, and Lupin darted behind Goemon, who stood as impassive as ever.

"Okay, okay… Fine, I admit it! We're not here to just stroll around Milan. We're going a bit further away. There are some ruins a few kilometers from here—stop looking at me like that!"

"Ruins?" Jigen raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical.

Lupin nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, buried ruins. That's where we're headed tomorrow."

Goemon, who had been quietly listening, crossed his arms and asked in a calm voice, "And why exactly are these ruins so important to us, Lupin?"

Lupin straightened up, adopting a more serious look now that Jigen was no longer a threat. "The ruby is supposed to 'open the way,' according to my research. That's where we'll find the treasure!"

As no one interrupted him, Lupin continued elaborating on his findings in greater detail. He rambled about Napoleon, his conquest of Italy, and apparently the entire history of France. Jigen only half-listened, too busy keeping an eye out to ensure no one was following them. He caught snippets of phrases like, "…but of course, the Italians didn't just retaliate with weapons before they…" Goemon walked silently beside them, clearly not listening. He had used up all his Lupin-rambling quota for the day.

"…To turn the tide of war against Napoléon, the Italians tried something… unconventional. They created a statue in his honor. But instead of glorifying him, like one would thought, they carved it with every curse they could think of, hoping to doom his fate." Lupin nudged Jigen with his elbow, ignoring the gunman's subtle stumble that betrayed he hadn't been paying attention. "Of course, it didn't work! Napoléon kept conquering. But he eventually learned about the statue."

Lupin paused for dramatic effect, savoring the suspense he'd carefully crafted. "And guess what? He found the irony so amusing that he decided to turn it into a key. That statue became the key to the place where he stashed all the wealth he got from war. Or at least, that's what I've pieced together."

He tugged proudly at his collar with his thumbs, looking as smug as a peacock. Despite himself, Jigen found his head nodding slightly, a reluctant hint of admiration crossing his features.

Goemon interjected. "Why is this treasure still there, if the statue has existed for so long?"

"Because no one ever found the Heart!" Lupin barely opened his jacket, letting the ruby glint from his inner pocket. "It was at the Louvre because it was recently excavated. You can't get to the treasure without it."

Jigen grabbed Lupin in a loose headlock, this time playfully. "So that's it? Tomorrow, we're hunting down this so-called statue to find Napoleon's treasure?"

"Yes. But only if you can catch me first!" Lupin countered by snatching Jigen's hat—always a guaranteed way to make the gunman fumble—and darted down the street with Jigen hot on his heels.

The rest of the day was spent preparing for their expedition. By evening, they returned to their cramped little safehouse, thoroughly worn out. Lupin and Jigen fiercely wrestled over the bed for a solid two minutes before eventually collapsing onto it together, leaving the couch to Goemon. The swordsman didn't mind in the slightest—he was always grateful for an excuse to sleep far from Lupin's clingy tendencies.