Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 59

One is a First-Year genius of boxing, the other a masked mohawked Third-Year who can split stone with his bare hands! But with the two of them facing each other high in the sky, can J or Manjimaru take a crucial advantage in their fight?

Chp. 59: Red Rain

46.-47.
Top:
HEAD OF THE FIRST-YEARS: TSURUGI MOMOTAROU
HEAD OF THE THIRD-YEARS: DAIGOUIN JAKI

Left:
GEKKOU
HIEN
RAIDEN
DATE OMITO
J
TORAMARU RYUUJI
TOGASHI GENJI

Right:
BARON DINO
DOKUGANTETSU
HENSHOUKI
EIKEI
MANJIMARU
RASETSU
SENKUU

48.
Toramaru: Wahhahaha, I know you could, J!!
Togashi: A Mach Punch One-Two that his eyes weren’t expecting!! Manjimaru’s Koudou Defense, which could bounce even bullets, was blown to little pieces.
Date: But Manjimaru broke J’s knuckles with his bare hands…
Momotarou: That was the rumored Retsubu Kousatsushi!!

49.
(Manjimaru “posing in attack”, nothing to say)

50.
Togashi: Huh……!!
Toramaru: His bare hand broke through the pillar---!!

51.
(And there goes a pillar)

52.
Toramaru: Uo---!!
Toramaru: Wh…what is he?
Togashi: He sliced through that stone pillar like it was a daikon radish.
Wan Taaren: Mouryouken Retsubu Kousatsushi! His fingers are as if they’re dangerous weapons.
Commentary:
Retsubu Kousatsushi…The ultimate secret of Mouryou Kenpou, feared for its dark existence through the history of Chinese Kenpou. Those who have studied and mastered it fill a stone bath, created of granite with a thickness of 30cm at the bottom, with “Ryuushousan”, which will become concentrated by 1% every month and split the stone at the bottom. Repeat thrusting in it several ten-thousand times every day; over the ten years of the study, it is said that they can split the bottom stone from the beginning as the speed of the fist entering can enduring the Ryuushousan as its concentration reaches 100%. Many people smash their fingers partway through and it is said that not even one in ten-thousand will split the bottom stone.
-From “Hidden History of Chinese Kenpo”, General Surveyor Nakatsugawa, Jigenshutsu Publishing
(TN: “Ryuushousan” = “Imperial Nitric Acid”)

53.
Date: But J is as we expected too. While interval of dodging the fierce speed of his fist gradually shortens, he’s aiming for his one counter.
Togashi: He used a great sidestep, moving behind.
Toramaru: There, he’ll explode with a Mach Punch One-Two attack---!!

54.
J: !!
Manjimaru: Fufu, do you think you can use your same hand on me again?

55.
J: UH!!
Toramaru: Aah, he’s defeated J’s Mach Punch One-Two attack---!!

56.
Manjimaru: I’ve broken the bones in your left hand, you can’t use it anymore. And yet you still take that fighting pose…………!?
J: Don’t mock me…I’ll be fine with one fist.
Manjimaru: The fog is thickening suitably. I can show you the true meaning of Mouryouken.
Manjimaru: Fufufu………
J: ……………………

57.
Toramaru: Wh…what? I can’t see anything with that fog above.
Togashi: With that, they shouldn’t be able to carelessly use their fists if they can’t see each other.
Wan Taaren: That’s not it: Mouryouken: feared as the greatest darkness fist in the history of Chinese kenpou……can demonstrate it’s true worth when it gets dark. This fog will have that Manjimaru finally take the match, just like a fish to water.
Date: Wh…what………!!

58.
J: WHAT’S GOING ON? IT’S AS IF I CAN’T FEEL MANJIMARU AT ALL. BUT HE CAN PERFECTLY GRASP MY MOVEMENTS.
J: !!

59.
J: NUU!!
J: ………………!!

60.
Manjimaru: You’ve done well dodging my attacks now. Your ability as a genius boxer has helped you. However, it won’t do so next time.
“Raiden”: J………Don’t worry about the badness of your foothold…………think of being in a square ring…………a square ring…………
J: Of course, Raiden…your last words……I finally understand it’s meaning now.

61.
Manjimaru: Fuffufu, what are you thinking? That’s the end of the Hyakuchuurin………there’s nowhere to run behind you.
J: Come. This will be your grave.

62.
(Just a transition from the color to B&W pages…great perspective)

63.
Manjimaru: Right: from there, you won’t take an attack from behind. Hold on to the rope in boxing is for attack and defense…just the same as “rope-a-dope”.
(TN: “Rope-a-dope” is a notable strategy pioneered by Muhammad Ali in his “Rumble in the Jungle” against George Foreman, where he places a protective form against the ropes, allowing for the opponent to attack from only a certain position, therefore allowing for them to make potential mistakes and allowing for the fighter against the ropes to take advantage of any mistakes the attacker makes to go for the win. In general, it allows for a fighter in a disadvantage to gain a notable potential for an advantage for victory)
Manjimaru: Fuffufu, however, are you skilled enough to go to that…it’s a dangerous sink-or-swim bet. Don’t forget that there’s nothing behind you.

64.
J: ……………………………………………………………………..!!
Toramaru: D…damn, what exactly is going on above us?
Togashi: I can’t see a thing with that thick fog.
Momotarou: Don’t you hear it…………!?
Toramaru: N--? I can’t hear it, what exactly is it…………..!?
Momotarou: J now is giving farewell words to us. He’s in a final battle where he’s betting his life……!!

65.
Toramaru: WH…WHAT--!!
J: The right……
J: The left……
J: The front……!?

66.
J: ABOVE--!!
Manjimaru: RETSUBU KOUSATSUSHI!!
J: MACH PUNCH!!

67.
Toramaru: Wh…what? It’s suddenly raining.
Togashi: N…no, this isn’t rain.
Togashi: Th…this is b…blood---!!

TN: Somehow J's fights are always the most intense and the easiest to translate, considering how little J usually says. And considering that most of the chapter involved J learning bit by bit both how to face the Retsubu Kousatsushi and figuring how to use the pillar field to his advantage (even if he has to use rope-a-dope), there really isn't too much more to talk about aside from how Miyashita depicted this intensity. Though...I still think I really screwed up the "Retsubu Kousatsushi" entry, but those things always screw with me.