Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 20

The Americans from the Naval Academy have prided themselves on their strength, their skill and their superiority. But what they failed to tell the Otokojuku first-years is that they have one greater than who they've met...

Chp. 20: The Man Called “J”

48.
Constructor Worker: O—K, pull it up slowly--!!
Building Sign: Kokuda Bookstore
(TN: The second kanji of the sign was rather hard to read so I doubt that’s what it’s supposed to be)
Construction Worker: Watch carefully: this is 300 kg granite. It would be terrible if it fell from this height.
Workers: !!
Construction Worker 1: Ho…hold on---!!
Construction Worker 2: St…stop that winch—the chain broke!!
Helmets: SAFETY FIRST

49.
Construction Worker: U…uwaa—it’s falling---!!
Construction Worker: W…watch out! You over there, get away--!!

50.
(TN: And there goes the granite)

51.
(TN: Nothing really to say…considering what he did)

52.
Onihige: Moving right along, we’re holding the second match of the Otokojuku Boxing Tournament!! In the Blue Corner, representing the American exchange students, Keith Jackson; in the Red Corner, representing the Otokojuku First-Years, Matsuo Taio!!
First-Years: Alright, Matsuo!! If you win, then we’ll have straight victories in this antagonist battle!! Dumbfound that American with your usual prided idiot-power---!!
Student 1: Well, don’t you think it’s strange? That Keith is the boss of the American side……………
Student 2: I thought for sure that he would face Momo in a boss fight but…we—ll if they fall in this game, then a settlement by a loss will make them sweat.

53.
Tazawa: Well then, Matsuo, you have a famed coach in me. In front of my operations of scientific intellect, you won’t know the meaning of “defeat”.
Tazawa: By using the (secret) special punch that I taught you earlier, there’s a 99.9% probability that the match will go our way. There’s nothing to be afraid of.
Matsuo: Right……
Onihige: Tazawa’s secret special punch…………!?
Student: I’ve…got some bad premonition……………
Onihige: Start--!!
Tazawa: Go, Rocky of Otokojuku! Grab the glory before your eyes with your fist---!!
Matsuo: Right!!

54.
Matsuo: Uryaa--!!
Keith: ……………………
First-Years: !?
Tazawa: Wahhahah, well!! Are you surprised? He’s running around nimbly using the recoil of the rope, throwing off the enemy’s eyes!!

55.
Tazawa: Go much faster, accelerate much further!! Your resulting movement speed will leave behind afterimages in his eyes, as if he’s seeing several bodies!! That’s “Bushin no Jutsu”, the trademark of the ninja of Japan!!
(TN: I’ve kept the technique in Japanese as I stated before, but as most fans of “ninja stories” akin to “Naruto” know, “Bushin no Jutsu” translates into “Clone Technique”)
Keith: Fufufu, how is this Bushin no Jutsu? Isn’t this just slapstick running?
Tazawa: OK, Matsuo, now--!!
Matsuo: Right!!
Matsuo: Go, Tazawa-style Jumping Shoes!!

56.
Tazawa: Wahhahaha, with his eyes used to only your side movements until now, he’s weak to a high surprise attack from the air! Now yell out the name of your special punch like in the tactics of the manga you have---!! What’s wrong, Matsuo--!!
Matsuo: I…forgot………!!
Tazawa: Huh…!!
Tazawa: You idiot, it’s the “Flying Thunder Special Flash”--!!
Matsuo: Um, this Flying Thunder……how is it Special--!!
Onihige: Wh…what are those two thinking…………!!

57.
Keith: Fufufu, aren’t you random you comedian---!!
Tazawa: Ma…Matsuo--!!

58.
Student 1: Ho…hold on Matsuo—Oh no! Even that dummy Tazawa too has blood gushing out of his head, so what were those two thinking!!
Student 2: It’s a tanka, for those two--!!
(TN: Strangely enough the entire comment the first random student makes (aside from the first “shi” prior to him saying “shikkari”) is in 5-7-5-7-7, the tanka format. I tried to make it work, even if it meant adding an extra sentence for the last “7” that sort of added an extra comment regarding Matsuo & Tazawa’s strategy)
Momotarou: That’s one win, one lost, 50/50…the next match will end this. I’m getting hungry so I’ll take you on.
Keith: Fufufu, don’t get impatient. If I kill you here now, how am I going to explain it to the boss?
Student 1: Bo…boss…!?
Student 2: What, that guy wasn’t the boss after all?
Keith: However, we can waste some time. How about a minor exhibition match?
Momotarou: Fine.

59.
Akashi: What…!? It’s noisy around the auditorium.
Edogawa: Ossu!! Currently the auditorium is in the middle of a tournament of Otokojuku’s famous Boxing right now between the overseas students from America and the first-years, by order of the principal!!
Akashi: Fufufu, ridiculous. What are they thinking thanks to that Edajima?
Voice: Hey!!

60.
Edogawa: And who are you--!! Haha—h, you’re one of the overseas students too.
Student: If he is then first he must learn the way to speak when facing his superior senpai.
(TN: Yeah, probably should have just used an English term like “elder” or “upperclassman”, but since “senpai” is so well known I kept it as is)
Student: A…Akashi-san……!!

61.
Akashi: Don’t you have an interesting item? The many accessory you have is too flasy.
“American”: This knuckle is Magnum Steel, which is harder than even the diamonds that hold the greatest hardness on Earth. There isn’t a thing in this world that can’t be crushed by my fist.
Akashi: You’ve become more and more interesting. I too have a policy similar to yours. There isn’t anything in this world that can’t be cut by my Ichimonji-ryuu Zanganken!!

62.
Akashi: Let’s determine in black-and-white which of us is bluffing?
Akashi: NUO!!

63.
(TN: Yep, “he” is that tough)

64.
Akashi: Tell me your name.
J: People call me “J”.
Edogawa: Wh…what is that guy---!! Wouldn’t it be better to ignore him, Akashi-san!!
Edogawa: Wha!!
Akashi: Even my “Ichimonji Kanemasa” sword missed him…………!! At this rate, he won’t be sent back from Japan.

65.
Keith: GOD DAMN--!!
Hidemaro: Wahhaha, what’s wrong? Can’t your blows make a scratch on him!!
Student: At this rate, even your boss won’t be enough for us---!!
Keith: Do…don’t get caught in the moment!! Our boss…if you fight like this, he’ll kill all of you.
Momotarou: Fufufu, he should be interesting. He’ll be no contest like the rest of you.

66.
Student: Hehheheh, that’s how you take it from Momo.
Hidemaro: He’s strong!
Flag: GREATEST IN JAPAN

67.
Keith: Geh!!
J: You idiots exposed you unsightliness to a Japanese opponent; which is my opponent!?
Keith: Je…J………!!

TN: It's somewhat strange: with the big show and revelation of the Americans for the last several chapters that they would hold off J until this very moment, not even sneaking him in when Keith and his cohorts appeared at the start of the arc! Personally I do like it when "a character hidden away" is sort of more powerful (moreso if he blended in with the others), but I guess I sort of wanted him to be there with Keith, Kong, Brian and such before this big revelation. (but then that would have destroyed a bit of the big surprise in this chapter regarding J's superiority over them) And as for J...well, considering what we've seen so far, definately impressed at this point, even with how he easily handled Akashi! (in the "shonen tier" way) Probably the only other fun but weird thing in this chapter to note was that this fight was probably the only one Matsuo ever got in this series...and somehow it was a bit gaggish but foreshadowed how weird many of the fighting styles would get a bit later on as the series get's more intense. Though somehow seeing the spring shoes and the potential of the manga-influenced "Flying Thunder Special Flash"...you sort of wished he (and Tazawa, coaching of course) could have gotten a lot more fights like such. (but of course, he's more a gag character compared to Momo or even Togashi...)