Chapter Text
This letter belongs to my family to read about who I am. I might be dead now, but I hope my heirs are reading this to understand. Thieves are criminals who would steal almost anything valuable, being known as outlaws. Police are forces of justice to protect the innocent from criminals. Police are the good guys, thieves are the bad guys. That’s how it is. But sometimes it’s not always like that or even seems like it. How? To be honest, it depends on the person in the outfit. I am a thief with a heart of justice. Despite the fact that what I do is to help others and I think I am good, I am still a criminal and I always avoid getting caught by a certain cop in France. This cop is different from any cops, his heart is in the right place too. But I refuse to be caught by him and I always focus on doing things on my own. Before this, I wasn’t alone. I had worked with another thief and he was quite a gentleman. His name was Arsène Lupin.
"...Arsène Lupin? That’s the name of a fictional thief." A voice of a young woman said while holding a letter. She then puts the letter away after hearing a signal beep tone of a plane.
Arsène Lupin is a gentleman thief from France, well actually being known to be a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise to the world. However, it seems that long ago, Arsène Lupin was real and had assembled a vast collection of dangerous items known as the ‘Lupin Collection’. However, this collection was stolen by interspace invaders known as the Gangler, a crime syndicate from another dimension. That was years ago though and nothing seems to happen, or so we thought…
In the present time (Well, in 2018), it seems two sentai teams set out to retrieve the collection. One side are Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger, thieves who desire to live up to Lupin's name, and aim at stealing back the collection from the Gangler. While on the other side are Keisatsu Sentai Patranger, a group of police officers who hopes to uphold justice, aims to retrieve the collection and take down the Gangler. Both are Sentai rangers yet they’re rivals, thieves and cops. With two rival teams confronting each other for the same goal, just who will emerge victoriously?
Unknown to either side, one person is arriving into Japan from another country and she happens to be connected to both sides. In Japan, as afternoon arrived, an airplane had just landed at the airport of Japan, having passengers on it from another country, France in fact. One passenger happens to be unique as she steps off the airplane and walks through the airport...
A light tan skin 19 years old freckled girl with brown medium dark brown tips hair in a black jacket with pale lilac hoodie, wearing a white and black bow, wearing white sleeve shirt, short black jeans, and white ankle boots with gray socks while carrying her grayish traveling luggage. Her name is Rina Blanc, the granddaughter of the chief of police in France. Rina soon headed downstairs to get to the front entrances of the airport which only took a few minutes. She stood outside in front of the airport, looking around as if she's looking for someone.
She checks the time on her cellphone, “...It’s around that time. Where is he??” She starts texting ‘Oncle, I’m here! Where are you? Are you on your way to the airport?’ then sent it to… Oncle Samuel Hilltop.
((A/N: I think Oncle is Uncle in French?))
That’s right, this young woman is the niece of Commander Hilltop and was sent by her grandfather to be taught by Hilltop in order to become a detective. However, he doesn’t seem to be at the airport at this moment.
Her phone then buzzes, getting a message from her uncle. She soon checks it to see the text message saying ‘Rina, I am so sorry! I forgot it was today! I thought I had time! There is so much happening now… Think you can wait a bit longer?’
Rina thought about it. “I have been here before.” She quietly muttered. Rina texts back, ‘It’s okay. It’s not that far from the airport, right? I can walk there.’ then send it.
About a minute later, a text from Samuel replied, ‘Walk?! That could be dangerous, I mean, it’s not that far, but with so much happening and the long flight. Are you really sure? How about a taxi?’
‘Oncle, calm down! It’s okay. I know a shortcut and I only pack one travel suitcase. If I get tired, I get a taxi.’ Rina text back.
Rina got a reply from Samuel saying, ‘I don’t know, Rina.’
‘Please Oncle? I’m 19 years old now. I want to explore for a bit! I promise I’ll be careful.’ Rina texted back, praying that her uncle will at least give an ok.
It was 2 minutes later that Rina got a response from her uncle’s text. ‘Okay. But you’ll have to promise me to be careful. If you get tired, call in a taxi.’
Rina smiled, feeling accomplished she’d got the okay. ‘Okay! I’ll see you at your job soon, oncle! Love you!’ She responded then began leaving the airport with her traveling suitcase.
Later on, Rina was walking by a building that said ‘Studio Bacho’ while doing some sightseeing. “Nothing much has changed here as well.” She said, taking a walk through the area. “I wonder if there’s a new cafe? I’m getting kinda hungry.” She chuckled.
“Yes it was! I told you! Hahaha!”
Rina halts at the corner of a building, takes a peek around it to see a pink mollusk with a green body man running out of the studio, laughing like he’d accomplished something. Rina quickly pulls her back, hiding behind the corner while looking very baffled and frightened by this guy’s appearances. “...What is that?” She whispered. Rine slowly takes another peek, seeing the mollusk is still walking into the center. Rina then caught something else on the mollusk man’s… head area, it was a silver safe. “??”
“In the end, you guys would be caught! Hahaha!” The Mollusk guy laughed, doing a small jig or something.
Rina ponders what this guy was talking about. Who did he trapped?
Suddenly, both Rina and the mollusk man heard a young female voice nearby. “Wow! It really was a trap, then!”
“What?!” The mollusk man shouted when he looked up at the brick building.
Rina secretly follows the gaze and spots three people in masks standing on the top of the building. She saw two men, one in a red suit and the other in a blue suit, and the last one, a young woman, is in a black and yellow suit. “?!” Rina’s eyes widened at the people on the roof.
“Just like Red thought.” The woman praised the man in the red suit, who is called Red, lightly patting his left shoulder.
The mollusk man exclaims, greatly baffled when he realizes something, “Then… they were just bait?!”
Rina pulls her head back, trying to figure out what is going on, what kind of monster is that mollusk man and who are these people wearing the masks. “...What in the world?” She whispered, muttering.
She then hears the people wearing the masks shout, “ Kaitou Change! ” Rina quickly takes another peek, seeing them holding what looks like guns and… three toy-like devices of aerial vehicles.
“ Red ! 0-1-0! Blue ! 2-6-0! Yellow ! 1-1-6! Masquerade ! ”
((A/N: I could be wrong since the un-official translation is different and on wiki, it is close. Correct me please!))
“ Kaitou CHANGE ! ” The masked people fired their gun-like weapon and cards were shot out which formed into their emblem badges, setting on their left chest areas as the sentai suits appeared on them with capes of their own colors. Then their helmets with their own hat symbols appear, in each color, on the front. “ Lupinranger~! ”
They all snapped their fingers then a spotlight appeared on them… “Lupin Red! Lupin Blue…! Lupin Yellow~! Kaitou Sentai… LUPINRANGER!”
"...Lupinranger?" Rina repeated, confused yet in awe by their transformation.
Lupin Red then said to the mollusk man, Namero Bacho, “Here’s your warning: We’re here for your treasure.”
Namero calls out, “Pordermen!” A group of strange creature men with mask-like faces comes in then fires their gun-like weapons at Lupinrangers.
Lupinrangers quickly avoided getting shot by jumping and flipping backwards. They did come down by swinging from their grappling hooks, firing at Pordermen as they landed on the ground and started to fight.
Rina watches on in awe, softly gasping, “...Wow… Are they the sentai rangers I had heard about?” She saw them using their speed to avoid and kept shooting at the Pondermen, managing to handle their enemies while getting the upper hand.
“This is looking bad!” Namero cried, stepping backwards then turned to face a statue of a wolf with two human babies under it. The safe on him glows in an eerie green color. “Sculpt, sculpt, sculpt sculpt sculpt…” He’d sculpt the statue into stoned spear arrows! “It’s ready! Take this!” He then quickly throws the spears at the Lupinrangers down.
Rina suddenly shouts, “LOOKOUT!!” She suddenly covers her mouth and ducks back in time. ‘Idiot!’ She thought.
“Huh?!” Lupin Yellow responded, wondering who’d shouted then looked up to see the spears heading down towards them! “Whoa! Scary!” She grabbed the Ponderman she’d been fighting and used him as a shield while Lupin Red and Lupin Blue deflected the spears in time.
Lupin Blue manages to grab one of the spears and use it to deflect the rest of the spears and send them to the rest of Pondermen. He then threw the last spear at Namero.
Namero cries out, “Whoa there!” And managed to move aside in time before the spear hit him.
Rina, almost getting caught, takes a deep breath and takes one last peek to see Lupin Red holding Namero as Lupin Blue uses some sort of device on the safe.
“ 6-3-6! ”
“W-Wait, stop! Let go!” Namero shouted, trying to break free. The safe suddenly opens!
Lupin Blue reaches in and quickly grabs a small statue idol inside, taking it out. “Your Lupin Collection is ours, now.” He slams the safe close.
“Give it back!” Namero growled, breaking free and started attacking them both.
Lupin Yellow is looking around, trying to find who’d shouted at them, warning them. “Eh...? Who was...” She then quickly notices her teammates need help and rushes in to help.
Rina watches on in silence. "..."
Namero has been taken down easily, getting knocked back by the Lupinrangers in front of the entrances of a building.
“Alright, let’s wrap this up…” Lupin Red said, adjusting his shoulders. He then takes a small aerial vehicle.
The vehicle then spoke, “Guess that means it’s my turn?”
“?!” Rina widened her eyes, in shock. ‘Did that thing just speak?!’ She thought.
“Huh? You mean…” Lupin Yellow slowly said, pointing at the talking vehicle, as she realized something. “Eww! No way! No way! No way am I fusing with anything!” She cringed with disgust then wrapped her arms around herself, “I’m going home!”
However, sadly, Lupin Red quickly grabs Lupin Yellow before she could escape, “Come on, now!” He pulls back, speaking to her, “It’s fine. Plus, it seems like fun, right?” He looks at Lupin Blue.
Lupin Blue sounded like he doesn’t care, being a bit impatient as he replies, “I don’t care. Can we get a move on?”
Rina wonders what’s happening now.
Lupin Red sets the vehicle on the gun, VS Changer, then turns the dial on it. “ Good Striker ! 3… 2… 1! ” He then turns it to active… something. “ ACTION! ”
There’s a sudden shine of bright light.
Rina covers her eyes, trying to see. The light soon dies down… revealing… 3 Lupin Reds?!
Lupin Blue and Lupin Yellow were waiting for something, look at Lupin Red to see three of them. “...?!”
The 3 Lupin Reds didn’t notice it, wondering why nothing was happening until they noticed each other. “...EEEEEHH?!” They all yelled, flabbergasted while looking at each other.
“What the?! How’d that work?!” Lupin Yellow exclaimed, greatly confused yet surprised as she went closer to the Lupin Reds. “Instead of fusing, now there’s more!” She walks around them, trying to inspect.
Even Lupin Blue is trying to figure out what just happened.
“I couldn’t tell you myself!” The vehicle, GoodStriker, spoke.
The 3 Lupin Reds sigh at the same time, “Well, since there’s more of me… Let’s finish it together!” They all smooth their helmets as Lupin Blue and Lupin Yellow got into positions.
The weapons they’re holding start to charge up. “ Seizing Strike ! ” They suddenly fire five powerful attacks at Namero, getting a direct hit.
Namero screams out in pain when he gets hit, “OH NOOO!!” There was soon an explosion of where Namero was. Once the smoke clears, all that’s left was a badly damaged safe on the ground.
Rina covers her mouth, “...!”
“There we go!” Lupin Yellow exclaimed, cheering a bit. She then looks over at the vehicle that is still attached to the main Lupin Red’s VS Changer. “Man, Goody, that was powerful!”
“We never asked Kogure about him, did we?” All 3 Lupin Reds said at the same time.
“Doki?! Did you say… Kogure?” The vehicle, Goody, responded with nervousness in his voice. He soon starts to shake.
Rina raises an eyebrow at the name Kogure.
“Is that a problem?” Lupin Blue questioned Goody.
“Goody?” Lupin Yellow said, wondering why Goody reacted that way.
Rina, moving a tad closer and still hiding behind the corner of another building, wonders why Goody is being all nervous about Kogure.
Before anyone knew, Goody immediately flew off the VS Changer and flew over them, trying to get away.
“Hey! Hey! Wait a minute!” The 3 Lupin Reds try to grab Goody, but soon reverts back into one Lupin Red.
“Where is he going?!” Lupin Blue exclaimed, seeing where Goody is flying off to.
Rina notices Goody is heading to where she is and she tries to leave. But then three new sentai rangers rush by her and step out from behind the corner, not noticing her. Rina quickly looks to witness Goody crash against the second red ranger’s head.
“Senpai!” The green ranger exclaimed with concerns, stopping by the red ranger as the pink ranger soon arrived as well.
“You okay?” The pink ranger asked.
Rina takes a good look at them, noticing the police features on them. “??”
The red police ranger soon falls on his back, groaning in agony as Goody slowly hovers downwards, feeling dizzy as well.
Then the red police ranger grabs Goody and gets up to his feet while staring at Goody, “Good Striker?”
“Oh, no!” Goody or Good Striker cried.
Rina just stood there, greatly baffled. ‘I better go before anyone notices me!’ She then quickly runs off, pulling her travel suitcase. If she stayed a few minutes longer, she would’ve witnessed another being with a golden safe on it’s back appearing.
As soon as Rina arrives on the sidewalk, she’d notice a shimmer of green light had come from where the rangers are. She looks back to see… a huge and revived Namero!
“Nice, nice! I’m so big! This time, the whole world will be resculpted by my hands!” Namero shouted and started attacking towards the rangers.
Rina cries out in shock, stepping back. “Mon Dieu! I have to get out of here, now!” She runs off yet again, heading towards the police base where her uncle works at… the Global Special Police Organization Japan Branch.
In the main office of the commander/director of the police…
“Oh man… It’s been nearly 10 minutes and no signs of her yet…” Commander Hilltop sighed, pacing in front of his desk, looking mighty worried and nervous while folding his arms.
He is Commander Samuel Hilltop, the boss and mentor of the three police rangers, also the uncle of Rina Blanc.
A white police robot, who is in front of monitors and computer, turns around to look at the commander, “Actually, it’s been 11 minutes… Ah! But I’m sure your niece is okay, commander!”
The robot is Jim Carter, the robotic assistant of Commander Hilltop and accountant of the Global Special Police Organization Japan Branch.
Commander Hilltop stops pacing, sighing, “I know, I know… It’s just after what happened to her parents…” He quietly said with sadness in his voice.
“Commander…” Jim quietly said, looking over at Samuel.
Suddenly, the doors slide open as Rina walks in with her travel suitcase, looking tired from the long run. “Whew… I-I made it…” She panted out.
“Rina!” Samuel exclaimed, face lit up as he went over to her and immediately hugged her tight. “Thank goodness you’re okay!” He sounded very relieved.
“Oof! Oncle, n-not so tight!” Rina whined, grunting out.
Samuel releases Rina, having his hands on her shoulders while chuckling, “Sorry, sorry! I just thought something happened to you… Look at you, you look a bit like your mother.”
“Oncle…” Rina quietly murmured.
“You okay, right? Got here with no problem?” He asked.
Rina glances aside as she remembers what happened moments ago then glances back at him, “Well, sort of, but I did keep going.”
Samuel raises an eyebrow at her, “...I know that look. Something happened.”
“You probably won’t believe me, but I saw a snail-like monster facing these people in suits.” Rina responded, explaining what happened before she’d arrived here. “Then these strange men appeared and then there were three red guys then these other three in suits, I think more like policemen, came in…”
“Ah, you must mean Lupinrangers and Patrangers.” Jim spoke, walking over to them.
Rina looks over at the robot, blinking. “Um… what is that?”
“This is Jim Carter, our robotic assistant of GSPO.” Samuel introduced Jim to Rina. “Jim Carter, this is my niece, Rina Blanc. She’s from France and she hopes to be a detective one day.”
“Ah! Aren’t you related to Chief Officer Gabriel Blanc?” Jim asked Rina. “The Gabriel Blanc who’d managed to crack a case of missing school bus of children?”
Rina awkwardly chuckles, “Yes, actually. He’s my grandpa and my late dad’s father.”
Jim exclaims with excitement, “That’s amazing! Not only the Commander's family are cops, but so are your father’s families as well. Now, you’re planning to be one too.”
“Well, sort of. I only want to be a detective like my dad.” Rina said, glancing aside. “But I have a lot to learn.”
“Which you will from your ‘senpais’.” Samuel told her, chuckling. “Unfortunately, they’re out doing their duty at this moment.”
Rina looks up at her uncle and asks, “Are they… nice? You know, good people and all?”
“They are. But that will be up to you to judge, Rina.” Samuel told her. “For now, I have a surprise for you.” He smiled as he went over to his desk, went behind it and grabbed something on his chair. He lifts up a small pet carrier which has… a young white ferret with a brown mask and some brown patches on its legs.
Rina widened her eyes, “Is that a ferret?”
Samuel nodded, walking over to Rina while holding the carrier with care. “Yep, I’d remember how much you wanted a pet ferret last year and I figured this one will make a good welcome to Japan gift for you.” He smiled at her, handed the pet carrier to his niece.
Rina, in shock, slowly takes the pet carrier, takes a look at the baby ferret.
The baby ferret opens its eyes, waking up as it yawns then stares at Rina, wondering who she is.
Rina slowly smiles with happiness, “Elle est adorable~! I mean, she’s adorable~! Wait…” She looks at Samuel, “Is it a she or a he?”
“A she. The pet owner said she’s a bit of a mischief, liking shiny things and possibly taking small things without you knowing it.” Samuel explained, looking at the pet carrier.
Rina looks back into the carrier, staring at the ferret, “A bit of a troublemaker? I doubt it. I bet she’s a sweetie~!” She smiled then she hugs Samuel with her free arm while holding the pet carrier in her right arm. “Merie, mon oncle! I’ll take care of her with all my care and love!”
Samuel smiles as he hugs her back, “Just make sure you’ll feed her, watch her, give her some attention and play with her, okay?”
Rina nodded, smiling.
Samuel releases her, “Now, let’s get you back to my place so your aunt-in-law can finally meet you.”
“Okay, oncle.” Rina replied, nodded.
Samuel then looks at Jim, “Jim, be sure to tell Keiichiro and the others about our newest ‘member’, okay?”
Jim nodded. “Yes sir!”
Samuel grabs his keys then helps Rina by carrying her travel suitcase. The two soon left the office while they’re having a chat.
“Thought up a name for your ferret?” Samuel asked while they’re walking through the hall.
“Um… I think I’ll call her Masque.” Rina answered, smiling while holding the pet carrier close to her heart.
Samuel chuckles, “Let me guess, it’s because of the mask, it’s like a thief?”
“Well, you know I enjoy reading about gentlemen thieves.” Rina replied. “It’s why I’d brought some books to read.”
“Just be sure your other grandpa won’t learn about this. You know how he is.” Samuel told her.
“I know, I know…” Rina muttered.
Unknown to Rina, way back at Samuel Hilltop’s home and the guest room… a box is placed on the bed, having a VS Changer inside of it. Owning or even having a VS Changer means Rina will become a sentai ranger, however… which side will she be on?