Nobita's Time Heist

The Spacetime Management Institute was the true founder of the Spacetime Police Department, and to this day, their development framework is still within the blueprint planned by the first Dean.

The man before them, with eyes as sharp as a hawk's, was undoubtedly at the very top of this system.

"Um..." Under such intense scrutiny, Captain Isayama had no choice but to reveal his weakness, stammering, "Hello, Chief Commander, I...we just reported that the Second Investigation Division has completed the mission assigned from above and apprehended five suspects. They are currently on the ship. Is there anything we can do...?"

"Do you know my name?" Akio suddenly asked.

"Uh, this..." Isayama didn't understand why he said such a thing. After thinking it over, he decided not to go against his leader's wishes. "Of course I know, Nobi... Akao, Dean?"

He laughed, a laugh like a primary school student who had been called on by the teacher and answered a question correctly.

Nobi Akao also smiled.

"So, you haven't looked at the suspects' files? At least, you haven't looked at anything other than the cover, have you?"

Akio's voice was soft and not harsh, yet it struck him like a heavy hammer blow to the heart. The first mate turned pale with fright, hurriedly opened the suspect's electronic file, turned to the second page, and almost fainted.

“If you had just taken a single glance, not much, just one glance… to investigate what the people you arrested had done, you wouldn’t have had to take such action.” Akao asked casually, “Perhaps I should thank you, Captain Isayama.”

“I haven’t seen my grandfather in a long time.”

Chapter 5: The Collapsing Dominoes

"Nobita, wait a minute!"

Everything was ready, and they were about to use the passageway to open the gate when a boy suddenly appeared in the corridor and called out to them.

At first, Nobita was somewhat surprised—his stone hat, which he thought was foolproof, could actually be seen through, and the person even called out his name. But, upon stopping and taking a closer look, his surprise turned to delight. He took off the stone hat and called out his name as well.

"Flock?" (This character is from the 2018 theatrical film "Nobita's Treasure Island")

The boy in front of me was still wearing the green mechanical suit that looked like an engineer's uniform, but he was much taller than I remembered. His blond hair was starting to resemble his father's, hanging down on his forehead like seaweed, giving him a somewhat gloomy and handsome look, which didn't quite match his warm and outgoing nature.

Noticing the dove-shaped medal pinned to his chest, my heart, which had been at ease, began to pound again.

"Floch, are you here too... to arrest us?"

“How could that be?” Floch shook his head with a smile and said frankly, “I’m from the Time and Space Management Department, and I’m not in charge of these specific operations. Besides, I don’t think you would be time criminals. This must be a misunderstanding, and the Department will handle the rest.”

He didn't mention what would happen to the captain in the end, and Da Xiong didn't ask either.

Compared to what's truly important, these things are not important for now.

“This is really not the place to talk,” Flock said quietly, subtly shifting the topic. “If it’s convenient, gentlemen… please come to my office to discuss this.”

Even in the event of the apocalypse, none of the essential elements can be omitted.

Flock owns his own private airship, shaped like a teardrop capable of freely traversing the sky. Compared to it, even the most luxurious cars pale in comparison, seemingly relegated to a lower dimension. Looking down at the densely packed city rushing past, everyone couldn't help but feel a sense of awe, like a country bumpkin visiting a grand palace for the first time.

Besides Dekisugi, this guy gripped the glass with both hands, his eyes wide open, as if he wanted to memorize every detail of the future world.

At least for now, the sky is still blue, and the city with its towering buildings is still bustling and orderly, showing no signs of impending doom.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"This place is truly magnificent..." Xiaofu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration at the building surrounded by high-rises, resembling an ancient Greek temple. The grand and expansive style, along with the upright and sturdy white marble columns, was a sight to behold, seemingly a complete departure from the typical Japanese aesthetic of "small and exquisite."

Floch's private office wasn't very large, but it was decorated in his own style, with shelves filled with all sorts of mechanical models. At first glance, you'd think it was the room of a DIY master. The walls were also made of a special material, with a cold, steel-like texture, and on the central wall, several beams of light intertwined and shifted, projecting a photograph.

Flock, Nobita, and his friends pose for a photo together under a giant pirate ship.

It was a sweltering August day, and their smiles were absolutely dazzling.

Upon seeing the familiar blue figure in the photo, Nobita instinctively breathed a sigh of relief.

“We haven’t seen each other for a long time since then.” Shizuka also noticed the photo and casually continued the conversation, “How is Sera? Is she alright?”

“I don’t know if it counts as good or not.” When he mentioned his sister, Flock still smiled unconsciously, just like when he was a teenager. “She still can’t let go of our mother’s last wish… She’s still researching the unfinished Eco-City, which can accommodate twice as many people as before. Even in extreme environments such as high temperature, high radiation, and extreme cold, it can still provide for the daily survival of 37 million people.”

"Thirty-seven million?" Dekisugi was immediately taken aback. In his view, this was a number that was absolutely impossible to bear with the technology of that era. "Are you sure?"

“Yes, that’s equivalent to the entire population of Tokyo. This is a result that has been repeatedly confirmed.” Flock’s tone was very proud. He and Gian were both top-tier siscon (sister complex) types, so they should have a lot to talk about in this regard. “Her next goal is to recreate the ‘ideal country’ blueprint left by her mother… I think it’s still a bit too early for her.”

"What situation would require such a large shelter? War?" Fat Tiger continued the conversation, but just that one sentence instantly changed the expression on Floch's face from sunny to cloudy.

Seeing this, Nobita and Suneo sat up straight at the same time, and from this moment on, they finally got to the heart of the conversation.

"Yes, if things continue like this, I reckon... we'll need it soon."

The mature-looking boy crossed his arms, rested his chin on them, and struck a thoughtful pose like Commander Ikari.

"Nobita, we are already at war. Right now, everyone's 'future' has been hijacked by them."

……

The Spacetime Management Institute was some distance from the main city, and with dusk approaching, the surroundings were utterly silent. A few distant horn blasts echoed, sounding even more chilling in the dim sunset.

"So..." Although he was prepared for this answer, Nobita still felt a throbbing pain in his temple when he actually heard it. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Who is the enemy?"

“That’s the scary part. We’ve launched a chain search across all timelines, but so far, the only clue…” Flock’s gaze swept over the group, and with an apologetic and teasing shrug, “it seems to be just you guys.”

"Impossible." Da Xiong frowned slightly. "An entire country simply vanished from history. Such a huge commotion, and you didn't find anything out?"

“That’s what makes it so terrifying.” Floch shook his head, his emerald eyes flickering uncertainly. “The Time-Space Management Institute has always been at the forefront of research into hyperspace technology worldwide. To be able to evade our search, they must be no ordinary time criminal. All the deductions point to one conclusion…”

"Our enemy comes from the more distant future."

After a moment of silence, as if to give Nobita and the others time to think, he asked, "Have you ever heard of someone called 'Giant King'?" (From "Nobita and the Birth of Japan," a 23rd-century time criminal who traveled back to ancient times and was eventually arrested by the Time Police under the guidance of a beacon sent by Nobita.)

Da Xiong nodded. "I know this person exists, but I'm not very familiar with him."

"You even know about him? This is a top-secret file... As expected, Nobita, your relationship with the Time Police is quite unusual."

Flock was somewhat surprised. He patted him on the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "That's right, it's him. A few days ago, we received news that he escaped from the heavily guarded O'Hara prison using some unknown method, and his whereabouts are unknown."

"?!" Nobita's expression changed instantly.

“Of course, I don’t believe a mere time-traveling criminal could orchestrate something this big, but…” Flock sighed, “It’s undeniable that America’s disappearance has had a massive, unbearable impact. Even with the [Time-Traveling Anchor] activated, it can only stabilize things temporarily. The first domino has already fallen, and when it collapses to this generation, it will create an unstoppable ‘time-traveling tsunami,’ affecting everything I know and everything that has happened in the past…”

He looked up and glanced at the photo hanging in the office. "They will all cease to exist."

Nobita asked urgently, voicing the question that concerned him most, "Does that include Doraemon?"

Floch shook his head with a wry smile. "To be honest, if things continue like this, will we even be able to smoothly enter the 22nd century...?"

"It's all questionable."

Chapter Six: Doraemon??

With a deafening roar, as if struck by lightning, Da Xiong froze.

Yes, technological regression... hasn't it already happened?

Without the Black Ships incident, Japan might have remained in its closed-off era, greatly hindering technological development. The pivotal moment of 22, which should have arrived, would never have happened. There would be no Doraemon, no wondrous and diverse futuristic gadgets, and this time, the memory disk would be useless, as it too is part of the futuristic gadgets.

……

"After saying all that, Floch," Shizuka said, feeling sorry for him seeing his dejected expression, "you didn't just call us here to catch up, did you?"

"..."

Floch's smile changed slightly, and a hint of sharpness appeared in his gentle eyes.

“Sera often talks about you to me. She speaks of you in very, very, very high terms, Miss Shizuka.” His tone changed subtly, and he leaned forward slightly. “I’ve already introduced myself. I’m now a member of the Time and Space Administration Institute, assigned to the time period of 2050. In other words, I’m a representative of the organization.”

“Of course, personally, I am still a friend you can trust. I know that after the misunderstanding just now, it is not easy for you to trust a representative of the Time Police Department, but…” Floch pulled a sealed file bag from inside his mechanical suit, gently placed it on the table, glanced at Shizuka, and stared directly into Nobita’s eyes, “Trust me, Nobita.”

"It would be better if you handled this matter."

With a mixture of disbelief and skepticism, Nobita opened the envelope and pulled out a stack of documents that weren't too thick. The handwriting was still quite fresh, not like something that had been sealed away for a long time. It seemed that even in 2050, paper was still the best medium for storing top-secret documents.

The first thing that catches the eye is a photograph; for the capture technology of this era, high definition is considered blurry.

On what appears to be the deck of a ship, a round, blue, cat-like robot suddenly turns around. Its dark red pupils inadvertently sweep across the camera, creating a fierce contrast that seems incongruous with its chubby physique. The moonlight is dim, and its gaze seems to pierce through Nobita's heart.

My heart, which I thought was fully prepared, started pounding wildly again.

"Do...Do..."

He swallowed hard, then managed to squeeze out the few syllables, "Doraemon?"

"What the hell?!" Gian was the second to explode. He snatched the file from Nobita's hands, examining it closely. His pupils trembled with shock. "Hey, Floch, what does this mean? Are you saying Doraemon is the mastermind behind this? That's impossible! I'm telling you, impossible! Even if the heavens and the earth turned upside down, it wouldn't be possible!"

"Gonda-kun, calm down..." Dekisugi tried to persuade him gently, "Nobi-kun, don't jump to conclusions yet, it's not necessarily true yet, is it?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Taken on September 19, 1492, in the Atlantic Ocean, the starting point of this spacetime turbulence."

Suneo took the file from Gian, glanced through it briefly, and then read it aloud, analyzing, "This at most proves that a cat-shaped robot appeared at this time and place, but it doesn't necessarily mean Doraemon, right?"

“We’ve joined forces with the Robot Arbitration Association to conduct a memory check on all the cat-type robots that were urgently recalled. However, this is a huge undertaking. The Matsushita factory alone has produced millions of cat-type nursing robots, sold worldwide.” Floch’s expression changed slightly. “But, as for the cat-type nursing robots with peeling gold paint and no ears, I’m afraid…”

……

Shizuka glanced at Nobita from the side, letting out a barely perceptible sigh. Intuitively, the girl sensed that the entanglement behind this was far more complex than she had heard, but it seemed she had no other choice. Years ago on Treasure Island, Nobita had already proven this to her: if Doraemon were in danger, even if there were mountains of knives or seas of fire ahead, he would jump in without hesitation.

That leap, so powerful it seemed to shake mountains and rivers, was like a thunderclap in summer. To this day, his silhouette remains deeply etched in the girl's mind, profoundly moving her soul.

"September 19, 1492, on the Atlantic Ocean, go find a ship..." After a moment of silence, Nobita composed himself and asked, "Floch, this time, no one will come to cause me trouble again, right?"

“Of course!” At this point, Floch naturally wouldn’t hold back and made a direct guarantee, “The entire spacetime police force will become your backup, and if necessary, we will provide you with cross-spacetime fire support.”

Based on his past impressions of the Time Police, Nobita didn't think it was a very reliable guarantee, but given the current situation, it seemed he didn't have many other options.

He took a deep breath, put the file in his pocket, and looked at his companions with a slightly questioning look in his eyes.

Especially at times like these, Gian's first statement always puts him at ease.

"Even after all this, why are you still pretending to look at us?" He waved his hand impatiently, seemingly dissatisfied with Nobita's indecisiveness. "Doraemon isn't just your friend. I need to use my own eyes to confirm that it's not him before this matter is settled! Right, Suneo?!"

"Ah...this..."

His bold words left Xiaofu, who was usually a coward, speechless. "Of course, I'm not saying we can't go. What I mean is, it's best to prepare in advance. For example, enough food, water, and a boat... The Atlantic Ocean is much bigger than you can imagine! The ocean currents are constantly moving. Finding a boat in a sea area is like finding a needle in a haystack."

"What if, I mean what if, in the end, we don't find it..."

“No, Honekawa-kun, I don’t think the scope is that large.” Dekisugi explained to everyone, counting on his fingers one by one, as if he had just solved a math problem. “September 1492, the Atlantic Ocean, the time and place are very significant. Combined with the history of America, it’s easy to deduce that group’s target.”

"Columbus's fleet, which was about to discover the New World."

"In other words, if we roughly estimate Columbus's route and take into account factors such as ocean currents, we can easily catch up with his fleet."

"Thank you... Koshino, thank you." With theoretical support, Nobita finally breathed a sigh of relief. At least he wouldn't have to wander aimlessly around the sea like a headless fly anymore.

“Everyone knows how important Doraemon is to you,” Shizuka said softly, looking at him with concern. “But Takeshi is right, he’s not just your friend. He also holds a very precious and special place in our hearts. Now that our friend is in danger, we all followed our hearts and decided to go with you.”

"so……"

"Don't put so much pressure on yourself. Just treat it like any other adventure, okay?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Time has passed, but the hope of saving the world still rests on the shoulders of this legendary five.

Clearly, Nobita, who is most familiar with the secret gadgets, is about to play the role that Doraemon once played. This also means that he will be responsible for the safety of every member of the team, and the pressure will be immense. Shizuka's timely words of comfort have somewhat helped him to ease his burden.

"Yeah, it's such a rare adventure, why are you making such a long face?" Fat Tiger, with his beast-like intuition, sensed the pressure emanating from the atmosphere and patted Nobita on the shoulder, laughing, "It's not like we've never been to sea before. We've even been to the South China Sea. What are you afraid of?"

"Don't worry, my singing will be there to support you the whole time, ensuring you're always in high spirits and full of energy!"

"Uh...this..." Xiaofu seemed to have choked on a ball of yarn, both laughing and crying. "Leaving aside morale, you'll definitely scare away any unclean things."

"That's right!" Fat Tiger flicked his nose with his thumb and snorted. "The artistic value of my singing is extremely high. No matter what kind of demons or monsters come, they will all be moved to tears."

"How tall is it?"

"It's as tall as three or four stories..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The tense atmosphere seemed to dissipate in just a few words.

Seeing their banter, Nobita's tightly pursed lips finally relaxed.

"Thanks……"

After saying those words to himself, he finally smiled from the bottom of his heart.

Chapter 7: Could this guy have escaped from a Soulslike game?

In 1492, on the Atlantic Ocean, dark clouds gathered, waves rose, and muffled thunder rumbled faintly in the dark sky.

A large ship, out of place with the somber atmosphere, was sailing steadily on this turbulent sea.

With its red and green hull and two white sails, this thing looked like a moving skyscraper compared to other sailing ships of the time.

In fact, it was only designed to resemble a sailboat, emphasizing a romantic and free-spirited pirate mentality. Its interior still features cutting-edge 22nd-century technology, and its maneuverability at sea is far superior to that of old-fashioned artifacts.