Gamble Fish 25

Chapter 25

07

Title: Fight 25 What Time is It?

08

Natsumi: This game has finally entered its fifth set!
Natsumi: The game is tied with both of them having a set count of 2!!

Natsumi: If Shirasagi manages to run out in this set, he'll have come from behind for the win!
Natsumi: Even if she's the world champ, Asahina must be worried!!

Natsumi: But Shirasagi can not miss even once.
Natsumi: If he doesn't get all the balls in one by one, he won't have successfully run out!!

09

Gokijima: "Runnin' Out" means to get the balls in from 1 to 9 without missin'...
Gokijima: It's a pretty much impossible feat for an amateur without my "Gokijima Custom"...

Gokijima: But that kid managed to get a little bit of skill from trainin' without sleep or rest.
Gokijima: We'll just have to bet on our last resort!!

Gokijima: Let's go, kid!!
Gokijima: We'll use my "What Time is It?" System!!!

10

Asahina: Eh? He's hitting from below on the break shot?

Mizuhara: Gokijima!! Didn't you say that you should hit the cue ball in the center for the break shot?
Gokijima: Shut up!! Keep out of this, amateur!!

Gokijima: Don't put too much strength in... If this goes well, you'll get the 5-ball in...
Gokijima: And the cue ball should come back to this side...

11

Crowd: Th-that was weak!! Did he mess up!?
Crowd: What happened to his super break!?

12

Natsumi: Wh-what's going on!?
Natsumi: If none of the balls go in from his break, Asahina gets a shot!!

Mika: They're not going in!! At this rate...

Mizuhara: Ahh!!

Natsumi: Th-the 5-ball went in!!
Natsumi: He just barely got a ball in, but that's all he needed!!

13

Mika: Heh heh...It's too bad he got one in...
Mika: but because he screwed up, he still has 8 balls left!!

Asahina: No...I wouldn't call that screwing up.
Asahina: He has a nice course to get the 1-ball without any trouble.
Mika: Eh!?
Asahina: It's called a "Control Break". It's a high-level technique where you hold back your power in order to put the balls in a favorable arrangement.

Asahina: I don't know why he would do that instead of that power break of his...
Asahina: but Shirasagi's ability is real...We miscalculated!!

Gokijima: Eight balls left...
SFX: *turn* *turn*
Gokijima: If he still had the "Gokijima Custom" he could have gotten 6 or 7 in with the break shot...

Gokijima: How far can you get...
Gokijima: using the "What Time is It?" System!?

14

Gokijima: The 3 requirements for victory are "Break Nine", "Runnin' Out", and "Winning 3 Sets".
Gokijima: The hardest of these to train for is "Runnin' Out".

Tomu: Not only is it very difficult to do, but it's impossible to set up tricks on all the balls...
Tomu: That's why Asahina and Mika made it one of the requirements.

Gokijima: Right...but they made a miscalculation!!
Gokijima: You have my cue, the "Gokijima Custom".
Gokijima: If you use that, you should be able to get 6 or 7 in with your break shot.

15

Gokijima: So for you to "Run Out", you really only have to get, at most, 3 balls in!!

Natsumi: Will even that turn out well? Tomu-senpai's an amateur. Won't it be hard for him to get in 3 in a row?
Mizuhara: That's right... If they all are in good locations, maybe, but...

Gokijima: I'll make sure they're in good positions.

Gokijima: Hit this in.
Gokijima: But make sure the cue ball ends up in front of the 8-ball.

Tomu: That's tough... I can get this in easily enough, but...

16

Gokijima: Wait!!
Gokijima: Aim for the bottom-left of the cue ball!!

Gokijima: Don't just move the tip of the cue. Move the bridge and your stance from center..
Gokijima: Now hit it head on with a nice amount of power!!

17

Natsumi: Wah!! The cue ball's right in front of the 8-ball!!

Gokijima: Nee heh heh... That's called a "Position Play".
Text left of Gokijima: Eheh...

18

Gokijima: Pros don't just hit it in the center, they hit from the top, bottom, left, right, and other areas.
Gokijima: That way they can put spin on the cue ball so it'll end end up in a nice spot to hit in the next ball.

Mizuhara: I see...But what about the real thing?
Mizuhara: He can't ask you where to hit it then.

Gokijima: I'll use this to tell him.

Gokijima: The minute hand corresponds to to where he should hit it.
Gokijima: Five minutes means top-left. 40 minutes means bottom-left.
Gokijima: The hour hand tells him how much power to use!! One to ten will indicate 10 different levels of power.

19

Gokijima: So what would this be?

Tomu: 2:25...
Tomu: Hit it on the bottom-right with a power level of 2....

Tomu: Like this!!?

Gokijima: Perfect!! Now teach your body what puttin' spin on it feels like!!
Gokijima: This is my genius "What Time is It?" System!!

20

Natsumi: Shirasagi is carefully reading what course he should take!!
Natsumi: He hasn't taken his stance yet!! He's being very careful!!

Mizuhara: What are you waiting for, Gokijima!!
Gokijima: Don't rush things!! "Runnin' Out" is like a complicated chess problem. And with so many balls, the first move is very important!!

Gokijima: The 1-ball's right in front of the pocket, so he can get it in with just a light hit...
Gokijima: To get to the 2-ball, he'll have to go around the 4- and 8-balls and come back.
Gokijima: I guess I'll go with that...

21

Tomu: ...7:23.

Tomu: First I'll aim at the 1-ball like normal.
Tomu: I'll aim for getting it in the corner pocket with a light hit.

Tomu: Then I'll move my aim from the center.
Tomu: 23 minutes means...the bottom-right.

Tomu: And a power level of 7!!

22

Mizuhara: All right!! It went in!!
Gokijima: But...will it come back far enough!?

23

Asahina: It's gonna scratch!!
Asahina: Did he screw up on stopping it!?

Gokijima: No!!
Gokijima: The cue ball's gonna go in...

Tomu: Kh...

SFX in last panel: *stop*

24

Natsumi: It stopped!! I was scared there for a second...
Asahina: Kh...
Mika: C'mon!! Why couldn't it have just gone in!!
Natsumi: The cue ball stopped in a nice position pretty much right in front of the 2-ball!!

Gokijima: Whoo!!! That was better than I expected!!
Gokijima: Is luck finally on that damn kid's side!!?

Gokijima: With the 2 million I got up front and the 2 million when he wins, I'll have 4 million yen...
Gokijima: Uhah uhah. An extended course of debauchery is no longer just a dream!!!

25

Gokijima: No...Stopping there would be a waste!! I can threaten those kids with revealin' that they cheated and have them do my biddin'!!
Gokijima: Havin' those elite rich kids work for me should be fun for a while!!!

Gokijima: Nee heh heh!! At this rate, he's really gonna run out!!
Gokijima: Let's see. Next is getting from the 2-ball to the 3-ball.

Kimura: Gokijima.
Gokijima: Quit it.

Kimura: Gokijima.
Gokijima: Shut up!!! Don't get in my way!! I've got another 2 million riding on this!!

26

Kimura: So it's about money after all!!
Gokijima: Eee!!!?

Natsumi: U-Uncle Tatsuhiko!!!?
Tomu: ...Kimura the Pro!!