History Recap / YakuzaLikeADragon

Hamako comes in and tells the guys that it's half-past ten, and if they don't hurry they won't be able to get to Hello Work for new jobs. Ichiban and Nanba hurry out, with Adachi coming along since he's recently unemployed as well (and also broke- booze and women are expensive hobbies, after all). On their way they find a baseball bat stuck in the ground, which Nanba tries to pull out as they could pawn it for some cash. Unfortunately it's stuck deep in the ground, and not even Adachi can get it to budge. Ichiban, though, lets his imagination run wild and he yanks the bat out of the ground, claiming it as his holy weapon as he goes out to be the hero. A trio of thugs come over to see what the commotion is, and the heroes beat them down when Ichiban begins to see them as more than just thugs (just Ichiban- Adachi and Nanba think he's nuts but decide to humor him). Still, beating up thugs in the street isn't going to get them much money, so they continue their trek to Hello Work to find some real jobs.

Joon-gi leads them to another room, where technicians are monitoring a strange machine. The machine uses lasers and energy fields, and to the group's shock they see it carry a sheet of paper from the bottom until they print out as 10,000 yen notes at the top. Ichiban asks if this is similar to Mabuchi's operation at Yokohama Trading, but the woman from earlier returns and says no- Mabuchi's bills are basically toy money compared to these machines, which can copy a bill down to the molecular level. Joon-gi introduces her as Seong-hui, the leader of the Geomijul, a fact that shocks Adachi and Ichiban. Seong-hui says that the paper they discovered at Mabuchi's warehouse is very special, treated with a rare element shipped over from the mainland by the Liumang. Rather than steal it like Ichiban asks, the Geomijul have an arrangement to get the paper directly from the Liumang, with Zhao himself being privy to the arrangement. Ichiban then asks if Mabuchi's operation is part of the Geomijul's or the Liumang's operations, which Seong-hui says neither; one of Mabuchi's men was a former money launderer, and when he discovered the paper he went to Mabuchi with an offer to make counterfeit yuan on their own. Zhao is also well aware of that as well, but he's keeping quiet on it to avoid having all their secrets exposed (Mabuchi doesn't know about the yen-making operation).

Seong-hui goes on to say that the exact recipe to make paper for yen is a closely guarded secret, but a mole on the inside leaked that secret to the Geomijul and partners decades ago. Adachi doesn't believe it as there would be no way the police wouldn't notice something going on for that long, with Seong-hui implying it's been going on even longer than ''he's'' been alive. The point is, no one should know about these bills... and as she jabs a pistol into Ichiban's chin, Seong-hui asks how he came across one. She pulls the bloody yen out of Ichiban's pocket and identifies it as a misprint that should have been destroyed, with Joon-gi adding the Geomijul has been tracking Ichiban since he arrived in Ijincho before pulling his own weapons and asking for an explanation. Ichiban swears he has no idea where the bill came from, and after a tense moment Seong-hui lowers her pistol and walks off. She explains they figured Ichiban was clueless enough to be of no threat, and wouldn't have come here for any real reason. But she does not have the same view on Nanba, turning her pistol on him while the others stare in shock.

Nanba plays innocent and asks why he's being accused. Seong-hui shows a surveillance photo of him and explains what they know: Nanba showed up in Ijincho six months prior, but rather than integrate with the other homeless he seemed oddly focused on the Geomijul building. When Ichiban showed up with the fake bill, Nanba was very quick to join forces with him, and she would like to hear why. Ichiban says that's because the Elder Bum told Nanba to look after him, but Seong-hui doesn't buy the Nightingale story before pistol whipping Nanba. Ichiban asks Nanba what he really wants, and Nanba comes clean: he's looking for his younger brother Shoichi Akiba. Seong-hui explains that Shoichi is a freelance journalist who disappeared in Ijincho while investigating a money laundering scheme, with Nanba claiming the Geomijul made him disappear based on a note Shoichi sent him about the Koreans watching him. Nanba knew an outsider could never infiltrate the Great Wall of Muscle, so he disguised himself as a hobo to hide among the homeless and find a way into the Geomijul. He never found any warm leads into the Geomijul, though, until that day he met Ichiban.

When Nanba saw the fake bill, he thought he could follow Ichiban and learn where he got it, and maybe get one step closer to finding Shoichi. But when it became apparent that Ichiban knew even less than he did, Nanba considered cutting his losses and leaving, apologizing to the others for leading them on. He looks to Seong-hui and asks her if his brother is alive or dead, and he doesn't care what happens to him if he knows that. Rather than shoot him, Seong-hui tasers Nanba and turns him over to her guards, telling Ichiban he's in the clear while the Geomijul drag Nanba off. Before they leave, though, Ichiban calls out and asks they release Nanba, with Seong-hui asking if he can consider Nanba his friend after all the lies he told. Ichiban says "friend" doesn't even begin to describe it: if it weren't for Nanba, Ichiban would have died all those days ago, and for that he owes him his life. Nanba only wants to look for his family, and that is something Ichiban cannot fault. Joon-gi draws his guns, but Ichiban lunges forward and grapples with the Korean. Seong-hui tries to shoot Ichiban in the back, but Adachi steps forward and disarms her. Seong-hui and her guards flee to call for backup while Joon-gi steps up to fight Ichiban, Adachi, and Saeko, the four brawling while Nanba does his best to recover.

After defeating Joon-gi, Ichiban and Saeko help Nanba back to his feet and the four make a run for it, fighting against several groups of Geomijul men in their race for the outside. As the Geomijul close in, Ichiban tells Nanba to go ahead while he and the others hold the Koreans off. Nanba is hesitant to do so as he got them all mixed up in this in the first place, but Ichiban tells him to think nothing of it and that they would have tried to help him regardless. Nanba thanks Ichiban and disappears, and after they defeat the last of the Geomijul Ichiban asks Seong-hui if they can leave. Seong-hui says that depends on Joon-gi's report, with the latter getting off the phone to inform Seong that Nanba escaped the Geomijul. Seong-hui asks if Ichiban realizes what he's done- if word gets out about the Geomijul's operations, the tenuous peace in Ijincho will collapse. As such, the Geomijul are going to keep looking for Nanba and make sure he does not leave Ijincho alive. Ichiban says he'll keep fighting the Geomijul to guard his friend from them. He asks why they don't just call off the fight as Nanba isn't likely to leak all their secrets, and Seong-hui says that's not her call before asking Ichiban to meet her at the Heian Tower in Chinatown that night at 2 AM- there, he'll meet the person who really controls Nanba's fate. With that she and Joon-gi depart, with Ichiban asking his remaining friends to accompany him to the homeless camp to see if Nanba left behind anything that might clue them in to his whereabouts.

At the camp, Ichiban asks the Elder bum for permission to go through Nanba's things. The Elder Bum grants their permission, and Saeko spots an out of place box in Nanba's shack. Inside is a laptop, and a quick search of the hard drive reveals a draft of Shoichi's article. Reading through it reveals the rumors go back fifty years, all pointing to the chair of the Citizens' Liberal Party Yutaka Ogikubo, who represents Yokohama in the National Diet. Ichiban asks who Ogikubo is, with Adachi saying the man is the oldest member of the CLP with vast political power; even the Prime Minister is said to be nothing more than a yes-man to him. There's nothing in the article that directly fingers Ogikubo, though, so even if word got out it'd be nothing more than malicious slander... except the fake money exists, so there has to be some truth to the article. Ichiban has a small revelation: Nanba seeing the fake bill in Ichiban's pocket was probably his first indication that the story was true, and it might have made him jumpy as well as given him his first real sign of hope for finding Shoichi. Ichiban laments that he wished he'd spotted this sooner, with Saeko assuring him he did nothing wrong before they pack up to meet with Seong-hui. They head to Heian Tower, Adachi noticing the place seems empty when they go inside. They find Joon-gi waiting for them, the Korean telling Ichiban that everyone is waiting for him. And by everyone, he means all three heads of the Ijin Three: Seong-hui, Zhao, and Chairman Hoshino.

Seong-hui adds the Geomijul were also saved by the gray zone- back in the 80s, they were just a subset of a different organization called the Jingweon Mafia (Seong-hui digressing to state that Joon-gi is actually the body double of one of their leaders), and every time the Jingweon was crushed some of the survivors would wind up in Ijincho. As their numbmers grew so did their conflicts with the Liumang, but Ogikubo stepped in before the violence could escalate and gave them control of the printing aspect of the operation. They also took over surveillance, to ensure that no one outside of the Three learned of the counterfeiting operation. With peace in Ijincho and money in his pockets, Ogikubo rose to become the dominant figure of the Citizens' Liberal Party. Adachi doesn't buy it, saying that peace won on forgeries is no peace at all, but Hoshino counters that it's no different from the unspoken alliance between the yakuza and the police since the end of World War II. This quiets Adachi, but Ichiban is still not placated and asks why they called him and his friends here in the first place.

Zhao lays it out for Ichiban: Nanba, a man who has a stated grudge against the Ijin Three, now has evidence of their crimes and their connections to the government, and for that he must be silenced. Hoshino adds that under normal circumstances they ''all'' would be silenced, but since he has a good idea of where Ichiban got the fake bill he'll let it slide. The Chairman gives Ichiban the bill back and says that in exchange for Nanba, he'll tell Ichiban who gave him the bill. Ichiban declines, as he doesn't want to sell out a friend for a piece of information that badly. Zhao tells ichiban that if any info gets outside Ijincho, the Great Wall will come crashing down; Ichiban isn't too bothered by this at first, but Seong-hui and Zhao remind him that if the Wall does come down, the Omi Alliance will come sweeping into Ijincho and take vengeance on any of their enemies that might be hiding there, i.e. Ichiban himself. Ichiban admits they have a point but still refuses to sell out Nanba, at which point Hoshino and Zhao tell Ichiban that Liumang assassins are already hunting Nanba. Ichiban demands they call the assassins off, but Zhao says he's more than willing to sacrifice one guy for the safety of their operation, with Hoshino adding that if Ichiban does nothing Nanba will die. Saeko counters that Nanba is dead either way, but Hoshino says they'll deal with that later and they just have to focus on finding Nanba first. Joon-gi has a lead they can follow to find Nanba, which Ichiban accepts before he and his friends depart.

Outside, they find a Geomijul officer waiting for them. The officer announces he plans to kill them just as he did Matsuo, with Ichiban asking why he did that. The officer says he took initiative after Seong-hui spoke against killing the man, which is part of the reason why he left the Geomijul for greener pastures. Ichiban asks who his new employer would be, but the officer doesn't answer before attacking. Ichiban and friends defeat the officer and hurry in to Bleach Japan's headquarters. They find Kume inside talking with another man, and Ichiban asks if Nanba is there. Nanba reveals himself, and Ichiban warns him that Liumang assassins are on their way to kill him. The other man asks if Ichiban and friends came alone, and while Ichiban doesn't recognize him Saeko and Adachi both identify him as the director of Bleach Japan. The man introduces himself as Hajime Ogasawara, and he's in town to assist Bleach Japan not only in their fight against the gray zones, but in their efforts to dismantle the counterfeiting operation in Yokohama, indicating that Nanba told them everything about what he had seen. Ichiban tells the three they need to get out of Ijincho fast, as the Ijin Three will continue to hunt them because of the information. Kume assumes they're bluffing, but Ogasawara guesses they're telling the truth and says he initially guessed they were the assassins. As Kume panics about assassins, Ogasawara tells him not to worry, as his associates will step in to protect them before summoning Mabuchi and his men.

Inside, Joon-gi greets Ichiban and tells him to hurry along to the Geomijul- the Omi Alliance has just breached the outer barricade and are storming in. Along the way, Ichiban asks what Seong-hui is doing, with Joon-gi telling Ichiban that she is trying to reach Ogikubo for instructions. What happens after that remains to be seen. Ichiban thanks Joon-gi for allowing them to use the secret passage, with Joon-gi warning him that if he and his friends try to cut and run, he'll have to kill them. Inside the Geomijul, Seong-hui gets off the phone with Ogikubo and tells the party he has ordered the destruction of the counterfeiting operation. They have about two minutes to do so before the Omi break in, and Seong-hui orders Joon-gi to take point in the operation. Joon-gi replies that if they do this, they'll lose their surveillance network and their home as well, but Seong-hui says that it's worth the risk. As Joon-gi goes about his duties, Ichiban asks if it really ''is'' worth the effort to cover Ogikubo. Seong-Hui says Ogikubo gave them a place to grow in safety, and this would pay their debt to him in full. All she asks of Ichiban and his group is to hold off the Omi Alliance long enough for the Geomijul to destroy the evidence. Saeko sees that Seong-hui is being earnest in her pleas, and convinces Ichiban and Adachi to set aside their reservations and fight. Seong-hui thanks Saeko for the vote of confidence and leaves with Joon-gi to oversee the destruction while the heroes go to fight the Omi.

The Omi arrive soon after, with Ogasawara, Ishioda, and Nanba leading the group. Ishioda is surprised to see Ichiban survived the wrecking ball, and has another question to go with it: why is Ichiban even alive in the first place after Arakawa shot him. He guesses he'll just have to ask later, while Nanba tries to direct Ogasawara to the printer before the Koreans can destroy it. Nanba pleads with Ichiban to step aside, but Ichiban refuses as he promised Seong-hui he would act as a rearguard for them. The two groups fight, and Ichiban's group is able to hold of the yakuza long enough for the Geomijul to succeed in their task. The yakuza sans Ishioda flee, and he seems willing to continue before Seong-hui and the other Koreans return, Seong-hui putting Ishioda down with a kick to the crotch. Ogasawara tries to flee, but he is cut off and captured by Joon-gi.

As the Geomijul burns, Nanba mourns the loss of the evidence that might help him find his brother. He accuses Ichiban of backstabbing him, and while Ichiban is sympathetic he insists they were doing this to save Nanba. Nanba refuses to accept that, so Seong-hui decides to clear up a few things: yes, his brother did come close to finding out the truth about the operation, and yes they did want to silence him, but killing a man of that talent seemed like a waste. He's actually alive and well in the residential district, and they couldn't tell them this earlier because it could have risked a further breach in their secrecy. The only reason Nanba is learning this now is because Seong-hui was impressed by the lengths Ichiban and company went to to protect Nanba. With that Ichiban helps Nanba back to his feet, and the group flees the burning wreckage of the Geomijul.

First things first, Ichiban wants to know how Ogasawara fell in with the Omi Alliance. When Ogasawara doesn't answer right away, Joon-gi and Seong-hui chide Ichiban for being too soft and threaten far worse punishment on Ogasawara for losing their home. Ogasawara says he has no control over the Omi- that power belongs to Aoki. He does not answer Adachi when he asks if Ogasawara knew Aoki by any other name, but he reacts with shock when Ichiban brings up Masato Arakawa. When Ichiban gives his relationship to Masato, he takes Ogasawara's silence as answer enough. Ogasawara then details his history with Aoki/Masato; they met twenty years ago in school, long after Masato had already adopted his Aoki personality (Ogasawara didn't learn the truth until years later). He was not wheelchair bound either, Ogasawara guessing he had some special treatment done to cure his ailment before he went to Harvard. He certainly had the money for it, which became one of the reasons why Ogasawara was drawn to Aoki in the first place. Ogasawara didn't realize just ''how'' rich Aoki was until they got back to Japan, or how deep his connections with the underworld were as well; any other man would have killed for that kind of power and wealth, but Aoki wanted more. He wanted the power to bend those the yakuza couldn't touch to his will, and for that he needed popularity, front-facing power.

Adachi counters that while society might not care, the police certainly would- Did they really just sit around and let the Omi take Kamurocho? Ogasawara says they had a reason to do so; the power vacuum the Tojo Clan left behind allowed dozens of smaller gangs and criminals to swoop in and start causing trouble, and with their lack of central organization the police struggled to keep things under control. With the Omi stepping in, the police had a back channel to Arakawa and Aoki to help maintain order. Adachi presses on and asks Ogasawara if that means Horinouchi has been taking bribes from the Omi and Aoki, but Ogasawara maintains that he's just a puppet and Aoki doesn't tell him ''everything''. After Ichiban gets Adachi to calm down, he asks Ogasawara what Aoki's next step is and why is he pushing into Ijincho. Ogasawara says it's not Ijincho Aoki is after- it's Ogikubo. Right now, he has the people and the media on his side, and the Cabinet has not ignored such power. Ogikubo, though, is the only one who has not bowed to Aoki, with Ichiban asking if maybe he's just out of Aoki's league. Ogasawara says under normal circumstances that would be true, but Aoki recognized that Ogikubo also had underworld connections as he had risen to power in much the same way, and he figured those connections were in Ijincho. Ichiban guesses Ogasawara was sent to Ijincho for that expressed purpose, baiting Mabuchi with a promise of Omi Alliance backing if he betrayed the Ijin Three (which Seong-hui confirms). Ichiban asks if he was the one who ordered Mabuchi to kill Nonomiya, but Ogasawara says Mabuchi came up with that idea on his own and he never signed off on any murders. When Ichiban presses further, Ogasawara admits Aoki was the one who made the call- Ogasawara told the governor of the plan and prepared a backup because of the high risk, but Aoki signed off on the plan without any reservations. From there, Seong-hui says, all they needed was for someone to start chiseling away at the Great Wall; in this case it was Ichiban, but anyone could have played the role and given Mabuchi the excuse he needed to attack the Seiryu. In the ensuing chaos, Ogasawara says, they would step in and find the secret to Ogikubo's power, eventually uncovering the counterfeiting operation with the help of Nanba.

Ichiban asks Seong-hui what happens now. Seong-hui says that with the counterfeiting operation destroyed, Ogikubo has lost his primary source of power and handed Ijincho to Aoki on a platter. Ogasawara tells them that Ijincho will suffer Kamurocho's fate and come under the influence of the Omi, and with no Great Wall of Muscle to stop them it will be a swift takeover. Just then another hobo comes running in yelling that the Omi are on their way; he only spotted five, but they were making calls for backup and will be at the camp at any moment. The Omi yakuza arrive soon after, the leader tossing a beaten Elder Bum to the ground while boasting about his ability to find information. Ogasawara calls for help, with the yakuza telling him to pass along to Sawashiro that they were the ones that rescued him. Ichiban and the others fight off the yakuza, but in the confusion they grab Ogasawara and help him escape. Ichiban apologizes to the Elder Bum for causing trouble, with the Elder Bum saying next time Ichiban kidnaps someone he better take them further away.

Seong-hui gets a call from Chairman Hoshino, where she informs him that their surveillance system is down and will remain so until they can get a full assessment of the damage. She gets off the phone and tells Ichiban that the Seiryu has crushed their internal rebellion thanks to Captain Takabe, but Zhao has disappeared and the yakuza cannot reach him. Ichiban brings up that Zhao was the one who sent them to protect the Geomijul, and if the Ijin Three are to survive the Omi attack they need a guy like him on their side. Neither Adachi or Saeko are thrilled with the idea of going into a coup to rescue people, but they agree to join Ichiban as it all aligns with their own goals. Ichiban even convinces Seong-hui to lend her aid. Nanba, though, returns and says that they should just forget about Zhao and Ijincho; Ichiban keeps playing the role of nice guy hero, and those kind of guys get played by cons like Nanba all the time. Ichiban, though, doesn't see himself being played, but Nanba says that if he keeps working with the likes of the Ijin Three Ichiban will end up just like him, forever tainted by association. Ichiban counters by saying it's not just him- all of Ijincho has been caught up in Aoki and Ogikubo's power struggle, and as he still considers Aoki his brother it's become somewhat personal for him. Ichiban throws the good guy label back at Nanba, pointing out how he's trying to talk Ichiban out of something dangerous, and while Nanba protests that they are not friends Ichiban persists in the label. Ichiban goes on to say that all four of them are alike, just people wanting to cut through the lies and find out the truth. Nanba, though, decides to cut his losses and leave, but Ichiban feels they'll meet again soon and sends him on his way.

With that settled, Ichiban says they should head out to save Zhao. Joon-gi, though, steps in and asks Seong-hui to stay out of it; with the Geomijul on the backfoot, they need her leadership to help stabilize the organization. Seong-hui reluctantly agrees, though she orders Joon-gi to join Ichiban and assist him in his adventures. Seong-hui tells Ichiban that if it weren't for him, they wouldn't have been able to fulfil their orders from Ogikubo, and for that she's grateful and promises her support for Ichiban's path. With that she leaves, Joon-gi telling Ichiban that Zhao was last spotted at his restaurant before they head out as well.

Outside, Ichiban asks what will happen to the Liumang now. Zhao says Mabuchi wrecked the organization but good with his coup, and with the Great Wall of Muscle weakened there's little they can do to stop the Omi Alliance. Zhao himself is in a rough way, so he tells Ichiban he plans to step down from his leadership role for now. When Ichiban asks who he pans to give the Liumang to, Zhao says he plans to ask Seong-hui to take over. The Ijin three need to support each other however they can, and while some will probably grumble about it such a restructuring will be for the best of Ijincho. Ichiban is impressed that Zhao seems to be thinking of the Koreans along with the Liumang, and while Zhao tries to downplay it he does say the Ijin Three owe Ichiban a great debt. Ichiban is thankful and makes plans to speak with Chairman Hoshino (so he can find out how he knew of the fake bill's origins), with Zhao telling him to send the Chairman his regards.

Ichiban goes to Chairman Hoshino's office, the old yakuza inviting him in and thanking him for the great service he performed that day. Hoshino tells Ichiban that about 20-30% of his men have defected to the Omi, and most of the remainder are still angry about the revelations (which he honestly can't blame them for). Ichiban tells him about Zhao's plan to turn the Liumang over to Seong-hui, and Hoshino says that sooner or later the Seiryu will fall to the Omi; without the Great Wall, the people of the gray zones have no one else to turn to, and will likely choose the path to security over their independence. Furthermore, Aoki has already started circulating rumors that Ogikubo has lost the source of his power, and Hoshino has to compliment the governor on his manipulation skill. If word got out that Ogikubo was forging money for decades, the entire Citizens' Liberal Party would go down with him- most likely Aoki will take his place and use the threat to blackmail Ogikubo into silence, thus making himself head of the party. Ichiban asks if that's really a big position, and Hoshino says that if he's chairman Aoki would be able to nominate any candidate of his choosing to a seat in government, and with control of the majority party comes control of the entire country. When Ichiban asks what exactly the plan is, Hoshino guesses Aoki will dissolve Parliament.

In a small restaurant on Restaurant Row, Zhao prepares a meal for Ichiban, Chairman Hoshino, and Seong-hui. Once they've dug in, it's off to business: Kume has announced he is running for Parliament with Aoki's blessing, with Hoshino guessing there's any number of Bleach Japan leaders around the country doing much the same. Hoshino believes that the way things are going it won't be too long before Japan is under Aoki's thumb, with Zhao asking if he's already certain of Kume's win. Hoshino says it seems likely, given that Kume has Aoki's popularity at his back there's little to shake him now. Ijincho is the cornerstone in Aoki's plan to take over the Citizens' Liberal Party and thus Japan, and it all boils down to getting Kume to win. Ichiban is not going to take this lying down, though, and tries to rally the others to take on Aoki and prevent his takeover of Japan. Both Hoshino and Seong-hui tell Ichiban to calm down, but Zhao thinks Ichiban has a point; they all live in the gray zones, and throwing in the towel now would be a betrayal for all those people they've helped in the past.

Ichiban and Zhao manage to win over Hoshino and Seong-hui, but the question remains on what their first counter play should be. Ichiban thinks of a solution: ruin Aoki's reputation and make Kume lose the election. Hoshino asks how Ichiban is going to do that, and Ichiban admits he hadn't thought that far ahead. Seong-hui suggests just capping Kume and calling it a day, but Zhao shoots that down as Aoki could just keep putting in lackeys to replace him until someone wins the election. That gives Ichiban an idea: they'll run their own candidate in the election and beat Kume at the ballot box, and with that loss Aoki's plans will be ruined. He asks Hoshino if he knows anyone who could run against Kume and by proxy against Aoki's reputation, but the Chairman doesn't have any ideas as Ogikubo was so dominant in local politics no serious candidate ever challenged him. He shoots down Ichiban's suggestion that he run as a yakuza couldn't win even in Ijincho, but he promises he'll keep an eye out for a proper candidate. Another problem is money, as they need a three million yen deposit to even enter the race. As the Ijin Three are strapped for cash, they entrust Ichiban to gather up the money.

The next day, Saeko informs Ichiban that Kume is giving a speech at Jinnai Station. They decide to go on foot so as to not alert Kume to their presence. They arrive at the station and find Kume, and Ichiban goes over his plan: he'll get in front of the media and ask Kume to shake his hand, then he'll suggest they go into the van to make amends for the other day, and then he can get to Aoki. Adachi warns Ichiban that Kume has some friends with him, just as a gang of Omi men step out of the shadows. Nanba tries to dissuade the yakuza from attacking as it'll look bad on Kume's campaign, but the leader says that they're not Kanagawa natives nor part of the campaign, so they have complete deniability. Saeko urges them to hurry or Kume will escape again, and Ichiban's group fights and defeats the yakuza. Luckily enough, Kume did not notice the fight, so Ichiban is able to slip into the crowd when Kume comes down for a meet and greet. Ichiban takes Kume's hand and tries to escort him away from the cameras, but just then Joon-gi runs up to him with an alert; Seong-hui got information that Chairman Hoshino is being targeted for assassination, with the attack expected at any time.

Sawashiro surrenders to the police and is led away while Ichiban and his friends watch. Joon-gi gets off the phone with Seong-hui and tells Ichiban they learned who gave the anonymous tip to the Geomijul about the attack on Hoshino: Sawashiro himself. Nanba asks why he would do that, and Joon-gi guesses he probably didn't want to kill the Chairman and dropped the tip to get someone to come and stop him, and doing it publicly would be seen as a betrayal to Aoki. They still didn't make it in time, with Ichiban saying the captain always did make impossible demands of him before cursing as Sawashiro is driven off to prison.

Ichiban gets up and demands to know what Kiryu thinks he's doing. Kiryu says he was passing through, and Ichiban wants to know who he is and how he knew Arakawa. Kiryu says that's not important, and being in his position he's able to learn of information others might not- mainly, Aoki's next move, which will be taking place right here in Ijincho. Ichiban demands to know what that is, but Kiryu declines to tell him after what he just saw. Ichiban is too blinded by his rage and demands Kiryu tell him what's going to happen, but Kiryu says that in this state Ichiban wouldn't be able to make anything useful out of the information. But there's still time, and if Ichiban really wants to know he can meet Kiryu in the Geomijul. When Ichiban asks why there, Joon-gi tells Ichiban that Seong-hui has been working to get their surveillance system back online, though they don't have an estimated ETA yet. Kiryu regards Joon-gi for a moment and asks how he's not dead, with Joon-gi saying he's merely a shadow of the original and that someday a new shadow will take his place. Kiryu accepts this and reminds Ichiban he'll be waiting, walking off while Ichiban looks on.

Ichiban's party follows Kiryu into the monitor room, where Seong-hui is waiting for them with a few monitors up and running. She tells Ichiban that Kiryu had her looking for someone close to Aoki, and when Ichiban asks who exactly that is she says they're searching for an assassin coming in from outside Ijincho. Ichiban asks why they're looking for an assassin, with Kiryu saying that Aoki ordered Sawashiro to kill Hoshino, and now that's he's been captured by the police he's made himself a liability. Seong-hui implies she knows about Kiryu's sources and who he is, but Kiryu doesn't want to talk about that right now (though he's impressed by Seong-hui's resourcefulness). They pull up a picture of some yakuza walking around the Bar District around five, with Seong-hui saying Zhao might recognize the guest of honor in the center of the group. He does, calling the man "Mirror Face"; according to him and Seong-hui, Mirror Face is a master of his trade that can make any assassination look like an accident or suicide, a master of disguise that can get anywhere and everywhere to complete his work. Adachi asks how he plans to kill Sawashiro, with Kiryu and Zhao believing he'll disguise himself as a cop to get close to Sawashiro. Ichiban declares that he has to tell Aoki that Sawashiro is his real father, but Seong-hui says Aoki isn't one to get sentimental over such details. Ichiban then asks if they're sure that's Aoki's next move, and Kiryu says Ichiban doesn't look like the kind of guy who would back down even if he said he wasn't sure. Ichiban then asks if Kiryu will be helping them, but Kiryu declines; he's spent too much time out in the sun, and he has to get back to the shadows if he's going to protect those he care about. Still, he sensed greatness in Ichiban when they fought, and encourages him to keep close to his friends before he leaves. Zhao asks Seong-hui if she knows more about him, but she says that it'd be best if they just forget they ever saw him and move on from there. Ichiban agrees, but before they can say more one of the Koreans steps out and tells Seong-hui that they spotted Ishioda going into the building where Mirror Face is supposedly hiding. Reasoning that the two intend to carry out the hit that night, Ichiban and his friends hurry to the building to confront Ishioda.

When they reach the hideout, Seong-hui calls Ichiban to tell him neither Ishioda nor Mirror Face has left the building. The two are on the fourth floor, and there's about ten other yakuza in the building with them; Ichiban tells Seong-hui to keep an eye on Ishioda while he and the others go to confront him. As they prepare to head inside, they are jumped by a group of Ishioda's men; they fight off the yakuza and head inside, spreading out through the building to try and find Ishioda. They clear out a few rooms of Ishioda's grunts before they find the man himself in one of the upper rooms. Ichiban asks Ishioda if he killed Arakawa, but Ishioda denies it; according to him, Arakawa died because of the yakuza code, killed as a traitor for what he did against the Omi. Ichiban doesn't buy that excuse, but doesn't get a chance to say more before a second Adachi jumps out of the shadows and tackles the first. Zhao guesses this must be Mirror Face; the assassin is skilled enough to mimic a person down to the roots of their hair, and even a disgraced cop would stand a good chance at getting close to Sawashiro to kill him. Saeko asks how they're going to tell the real one from the fake, and Ichiban has an idea; he approaches the two Adachis and begins quizzing them on traffic laws and regulations. One Adachi sputters in confusion at what Ichiban is doing, while the other gives Ichiban perfect answers on the traffic code. Ichiban punches the latter, freeing Adachi while Mirror Face grumbles about how a moron like Adachi got to become a cop. With Mirror Face identified, Ichiban turns on Ishioda, and the two sides fight until Ichiban defeats the yakuza and the assassin.

After the funeral, Ichiban is greeted by the rest of his party, Hamako, Seong-hui, and the Elder Bum, with Zhao and Hamako asking if he intends to skip town. Ichiban asks Saeko to explain what's going on for him while he takes a break near the river, mulling over the last thing Masato said to him before he died: "Keep Living, Ichi. Starting over from Rock Bottom? I like those odds". Ichiban tells himself that the bottom doesn't have to be all gloomy and dark, and as long as he keeps looking up and moving forward he can see the light at the end. That, at least, was something Masato got absolutely right.

Ichiban goes to Otohime land, with his friends giving him one last warning before he heads inside. Ichiban goes to the side room where Nonomiya was killed, with Aoki arriving soon after and taking a seat. Aoki guesses that Ichiban wants to know why he changed his name, got into politics, destroyed the Tojo Clan, and got out of his wheelchair. Ichiban affirms this, and Aoki begins his story. To answer the last question, he got a lung transplant in the U.S., literally buying himself a place in line with his father's money. But even with money there's only so much you can do with a yakuza father, and so "Masato Arakawa" had to be discarded so Aoki could erase his entire life until that point. He notes Ichiban doesn't seem impressed and asks why he doesn't want to congratulate him on becoming governor and Citizens' Liberal Party chair, but Ichiban says he can't say what he doesn't mean and asks if Aoki is even happy with all his power. Aoki counters that politics is a good life for him, and he doesn't need to use violence like the yakuza to get what he wants (and on top of that, the people love him for it). Ichiban asks if Aoki ordered Ogasawara killed, which Aoki dismisses as "risk management" as Ogasawara had probably told Ichiban every dirty secret Bleach Japan had. Ichiban protests that Ogasawara was his friend, but Aoki dismisses such concerns as when one has power, you have to decide when to sacrifice you so called "friends", just like what Arakawa did to Ichiban twenty years ago. Ichiban swears that what he did was to protect the Arakawa Family from the fallout of Sawashiro killing Suzumori, but Aoki laughs it off and says that even if Ichiban did nothing, Sawashiro would never have been arrested.

Soon after, Watase's limo arrives, and the man is greeted to much applause when he enters the main hall. Cheer is soon replaced by confusion and anger when Watase gives his speech, apologizing for the Omi's crimes over the course of its existence and announcing the dissolution. As Ichiban and his friends join Majima, Saejima, and Arakawa in blocking the stage from the angry Omi officers, Daigo steps up and announces the Tojo Clan will disband alongside the Omi. Some officers try to storm the stage, but Saejima and Majima scare them off. Then Tendo approaches Ichiban and asks if this was the big event he was talking about and when Ichiban confirms this Tendo turns and joins Ichiban to fight against the Omi. The two sides set, a brawl ensues.

Despite the skill arranged against them, the Omi officers have the weight in numbers and keep the heroes on their toes. One officer manages to slip past Ichiban, charging at Watase with a knife. He's in no danger, though, for '''Kazuma Kiryu himself''' breaks cover and decks the Omi officer. While Majima and Saejima welcome the Dragon of Dojima back (and Watase feigns ignorance as to who he is), Kiryu looks to Ichiban and tells him he'll anchor the back while Ichiban takes care of the front. Pumped up by this newcomer that everyone seems to know and respect, Ichiban tears his shirt off and dives right back into the fray, and eventually the heroes triumph over the Omi officers. As Watase, Daigo, and their bodyguards depart (with Kiryu giving a nod of respect to Ichiban), Ichiban collapses in exhaustion and is greeted by Arakawa, who thanks Ichiban for his hard work that day.

[[HeelFaceDoorslam And then Kume comes out of nowhere and stabs him]], weeping about Masato's "betrayal" and swearing that he will carry on his ideals. As Kume stumbles away, Ichiban rushes to Masato and picks him up, Masato passing out as Ichiban charges through the crowd in search of a doctor.

As Tendo arrives in Sotenbori, Ichiban and company are handing out in the Cabaret Grand while Ichiban waits for Mitsuo's call. While the others tell Ichiban to take a load off and relax, Ichiban tells them that this was why he wanted to come alone and decides to take a short walk. Nanba chases him down and asks what his problem is, and Ichiban says he's anxious to hear from Mitsuo about Arakawa's plans; there's got to be more to this than just prepping for Watase's release, but not knowing has got him on edge. Nanba says Ichiban is just being a pain in the ass before telling him what he's been hearing; apparently tensions have been rising since Arakawa showed up, with rumors he might start a war against Watase when the man is released from prison. Just then Ichiban gets a text... from Nick, who wants to show off the selfie he took with Kamulop. Angry at the interruption Ichiban calls Nick and tells him to not call him for a day or two as he's very busy, which earns a bit of taunting from Nanba. Adachi comes over and asks Ichiban why he doesn't just go to Omi HQ now and get it over with, as that might be the best way to protect Arakawa if a war does break out. Ichiban decides that's a good idea, and they go to make preparations for the coming struggle.

Ichiban and Zhao manage to win over Hoshino and Seong-hui, but the question remains on what their first counter play should be. Ichiban thinks of a solution: ruin Aoki's reputation and make Kume lose the election. Hoshino asks how Ichiban is going to do that, and Ichiban admits he hadn't thought that far ahead. Seong-hui suggests just capping Kume and calling it a day, but Zhao shoots that down as Aoki could just keep putting in lackeys to replace him until someone wins the election. That gives Ichiban an idea: they'll run their own candidate in the election and beat Kume at the ballot box, and with that loss Aoki's plans will be ruined. He asks Hoshino if he knows anyone who could run against Kume and by proxy against Aoki's reputation, but the Chairman doesn't have any ideas as Ogikubo was so dominant in local politics no serious candidate ever challenged him. He shoots down Ichiban's suggestion that he run as a yakuza couldn't win even in Ichincho, but he promises he'll keep an eye out for a proper candidate. Another problem is money, as they need a three million yen deposit to even enter the race. As the Ijin Three are strapped for cash, they entrust Ichiban to gather up the money.

Ichiban and his friends defeat the Omi, finishing with Ichiban causing the tuna knife wielder to faint when he pretends to chop his head off with the blade. Nanba and Saeko express disgust at the guy, with Ichiban warning them the Omi most likely has far worse guys in its ranks. Just then Hamako rushes up to Ichiban: one of her girls had left something at the brothel, but when Hamako went to return it she learned the girls were gone and the workers refused to help her. She begs Ichiban for his help, but he sadly informs her that they were most likely deported and reveals the truth about the Ijincho Revitalization Shelter. Hamako breaks down sobbing while Saeko goes to comfort her, with Ichiban telling her it's not her fault this happened. Saeko takes Hamako back to her restaurant to rest while the men brood over the new development, Adachi commenting that it seems like Ijincho is falling apart at the seams. Nanba says that maybe they should heed Joon-Ji's advice and make a run for it, but Ichiban asks if any of them have a place for all of them to go. When none has an answer for that, Ichiban says then they have no choice but to stand and fight against Bleach Japan and the Omi- with their backs against the wall, they may have no chance but they have to try and pull it off. The others reaffirm their loyalty to Ichiban, even Nanba agreeing to fight alongside him, and with that they prepare for whatever is to come.

Zhao tells Ichiban there's no what the Koreans don't already know about what really happened, being the largest info brokers in the city. He wants to know the truth as well, because if he sits idle and Mabuchi ''is'' a traitor then he's stuck with a compromising civil war on his hands. He sends Ichiban on his way, but gives him a few warnings: if he leaves Ijincho Zhao will kill everyone he cares about, and the Geomijul aren't likely to play nice with them. Zhao takes Takabe as a hostage just to hedge his bets while Ichiban and friends head out.

Ichiban awakens to find himself shirtless, chained in a basement with his friends and an unhealthy number of torture weapons, with a strange man leering down at him. He asks what's going on, with Nanba and Adachi glumly informing him they'd been waiting for him to wake up. The stranger is nonother than Mabuchi, and he's quite happy to see Ichiban is awake. Ichiban demands to know what's going on, only for Mabuchi to tell him he'll be the one asking questions before ordering one of his men to start a recording. Mabuchi asks if Ichiban is part of the Seiryu, which Ichiban denies before saying he knows all about Mabuchi's forgery business at Yokohama Trading, explaining he was planning to expose it as revenge for Nonomiya's death. Mabuchi confirms that no one else knows about Ichiban's information and that he blames Mabuchi for Nonomiya's death, after which he thanks Ichiban for his cooperation and says this will be all the evidence he needs to convince the other Liumang that the Seiryu is breaking the truce. He tells his man to stop recording and pack up while Ichiban demands answers, but before he leaves Mabuchi decides to give Ichiban one answer- he ''was'' the man who killed Nonomiya. Ichiban demands more answers, but Adachi tells him to cool it- all Mabuchi was after was evidence that the Seiryu were looking for war, and now that he's got it there's not much the four of them can do.

Outside the Seiryu offices, the three discuss what happened and Adachi says it's quite a shock that Nanoha would agree to euthanizing her father. Before they leave, Takabe steps out and tells Ichiban that he asked to speak with Nanoha outside Sunlight Castle, and he would like the three of them to bee there. They arrive and Takabe greets Nanoha, telling her that Sunlight Castle is to be shut down and she will have to seek a new place for her father's care. Nanoha freaks out, as if her father doesn't get his operation he could die. Ichiban asks if that's what's Totsuka told her, and she says the man said the operation would be difficult but, if successful, her father would be fine. Takabe tells Nanoha that there was a misdiagnosis and the operation is no longer necessary, returning the two million yen as an apology. Furthermore, her father may stay at the Sunlight Castle free of charge until Nanoha has found new arrangement (which he tells Ichiban was an order from the Chairman).

They look up Sunlight Castle back at Otohime Land, with Ichiban and Nanba staring in shock at the 5 million entry fee and 500K monthly bill- no way Nanoha could afford that on a soapland hostess' salary. But that's nothing compared to the "Excellent Course" which has a 20 million yen entry fee and runs 1 million a month, the two of them asking of Nanoha really would go that far. Nanomiya says she would- her father is all she has left of her family, and she would go above and beyond to make sure he lived in comfort before passing. Ichiban takes this to mean the real reason Nanomiya hired them was because he was genuinely worried for Nanoha, and Nanomiya says that while he can protect his girls at the shop he's powerless out in the streets and would die if he knew something bad happened to them. If she's doing a side gig to help her father, then who's he to stop her? Ichiban, though, doesn't believe that's the case- Nanoha really did look sick when she met with the Sunlight Castle representative, Adachi saying she's probably drowning under the stress to meet Sunlight Castle's ridiculously high prices.

The four sit down and talk further, with Nanomiya expressing concern about why Sunlight Castle wouldn't let Nanoha visit her father even after paying two million yen (Nanba adding they probably won't let her in until she's paid her bill in full). Adachi says that's not surprising- with the ever increasing elderly population in Japan, there's bound to be shady practices working to scam them and their loved ones. Nanba poses a hypothesis of how it went down- Sunlight Castle agreed to take in Nanoha's father, promising to take payment in installments so he could stay there, then cut her off once she started so they could get her to pay up faster. The stress would cause Nanoha to cut out work, thus cutting her income and making it harder for her to pay Sunlight Castle, creating a vicious cycle of stress and debt. The worst case scenario, according to Adachi, is that they kick the old man to the curb if/when Nanoha misses a payment, pocketing the rest for themselves. Nonomiya begs them to rescue Nanoha's father, but Nanba expresses pessimism: they wouldn't let Nanoha much less them go in to see the old man, and security is too tight for a break-in. Ichiban, though, has an idea: they speak with Kanbe to get them hired as workers at Sunlight Castle, scope the place out and find a way to get Nanoha's father away.