One Outs 7

One Outs, Volume 1, Chapter 7 (pp. 165~187)


<165>
Chapter 7: Rematch

A week has passed since Kojima-san's disappearance

=I got it Kinozaki-san!
=I know where Kojima-san went!!
=Huh!?

=I contacted a local newspaper that said they'd seen Kojima-san
=And...

=Where is he?


<166>
Chapter 7: Rematch


<167>
=...Kojima-san

=You were in these mountains...
=For a week?
ZWUUSH


<168>
=While you were gone
=I tried to find out more about Toua

=The more I know...//The less I understand

=His fastball never goes beyond 70mph.
=In fact
=That's the only pitch he can throw


<169>
=But still
=He never loses

=Entirely...
=Due to his abilities developed through lengthy experience as a gambler

=A godly ability
=To read the human psyche


<170>
CLUNK

=I've realized
=That already...


<171>
=Only those who've faced him would understand
=That feeling

=Of being gradually cornered
=That stifling pressure

=Feeling like he's probing into your mind
=Fear

=The same thing that woman was saying!!

=If I want to defeat him
=There's only one way to do it...


<172>
=Nothingness!!
CLUNK


<173>
=By reducing your mind to nothing

=Eliminating all idle thoughts, and concentrating purely on the ball

So that's why...//Kojima-san
Has secluded himself up in these mountains...

And has absorbed himself in breaking firewood...//All this


<174>
To surpass Toua in spirit...

=...I want to win
=I want to play him...//Again...


<175>
=This is the first time... I've ever felt this way...
=In my 21-year career, I've never wanted to win this much

=AAAAH!


<176>
GLUCK


<177>
In the end
I wasn't able to bring Kojima-san back

He remained up in those mountains

And he only contacted us
After another week had passed


<178>
=Yeaah—!
=Toua won again—!
OHHHHHH

=Dang!! How did he see through my exquisite bluff//With just a pair of threes!?
=Pea-brain

=You're no match for him
CLACK

=He can see everything you're thinking
=Huh...?


<179>
=...It's Kojima
=Hiromichi Kojima...
ZWUSH


<180>
=What

=Did you come to beg for a rematch?
OHH—
HAHAHA

=That's right

STOPS...

=I was a pathetic loser that day
=That match... I lost, without doubt
=I'm not here to bitch about that


<181>
=With all that in mind
=I'm asking you to play me again

[x?]RABBLE

=I know you won't accept just any old rematch
=And I know it's disrespectful to you as a gambler to ask for such a thing

=So
=This won't be any ordinary bet


<182>
=In the next match I'm betting my professional career

=If I lose, I retire immediately
=I'll never swing a bat again


<183>
ZWUSH

=Retirement...?
=For real?
RABBLE

=...And
=If I lose?

=I'm betting my retirement
=So if you lose


<184>
=You'll never gamble on baseball again

=Baseball is a sacred sport
=I won't stand to have you smear it like this any longer


<185>
=I get where you're coming from

=But I can say I'll never play the game again
=And there's no guarantee that I'll keep my word

=In the end I'll probably just keep playing One Outs when you aren't watching

=No, I won't let you


<186>
=I'll take this right arm
=To make sure you'll never play the game again
GRIP

=...Th-This guy...
=He's planning on breaking Toua's arm if he wins!

=That's some grudge!!

=Hmm...
=My right arm... Huh


<187>
=It's on
=In 10 days
=The usual place