Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 138

Otokojuku has completed the first phase of their operation, surviving to the true fight of the Tenchou Gorin Daibukai! But making it this far is just the beginning, as they soon find out the truth of what they may face next...

Chp. 138: Wonderful Meiou Island!!

109.
Narrator: The Demon of Showa, The Wire-Puller of Japan, The Last Don: The names given to him by those of one class who know of his existence are many…
Narrator: His fortune and assets rivals even the national budget of Japan
Narrator: His power is said to reshuffle even the head of the Prime Minister of the time.

110.
(And he can slice bulls too)

111.
Businessman: Your Excellency, all of the Preliminary Leagues for the Tenchou Gorin Daibukai have ended; from here we’re transferring them to their fighting place on the finals battleground.
Toudou: Are they………

112.
Businessman: The new Prime Minister has been anticipating thanks for his new post since some time ago, but how should we do this?
(TN: This is in slight reference to the election of Noboru Takeshita, who became Japan’s Prime Minister as of November, 1987, several months prior to this chapter)
Toudou: Throw it away. In this country, since anyone who sits in the chair of Prime Minister is the same, how could I do that for him?
Toudou: While we’re at it, it seems that new participant team Otokojuku has won their way into the Finals League.
Businessman: Yes, as you will.
Toudou: Fuohhohho: the fight this year will be interesting. Now please me as best as possible.
Narrator: Former Lieutenant Commander of the Japanese Navy and Deputy Commander of Saman Island Isa Takemitsu; his present name is Toudou Hyoue. The Demon of Showa, The Wire-Puller of Japan, The Last Don: The names given to him by those of one class who know of his existence are many…

113.
(Title Page…at least we finally have Otokojuku for once after that Toudou-influenced intro)

114.
Edajima: Ki…Kijima---!! Hold on---!

115.
Kijima: Fi…First-Lieutenant Edajima-dono, It’s…it’s already to…too late for me. So…so then…………
Kijima: L…Live and…escape this island……The…the lives of we 2,800 brothers of the Japanese army were sold to the enemy and driven to our deaths……………
Kijima: I…Isa Takemitsu………you…must certainly take that man……………
Edajima: Ki…Kijima---!!
Edajima: Nuuoo---!!

116.
Edajima: Guwa!!
Toudou: Uwahhaha---!! Ha—haha----!!

117.
Edajima: UOO---!!
Edajima: ……………!!
Edajima: This is our only chance to take the life of that man who never shows his face in public……only when we take the championship of this Daibukai and he gives a commendation by his own hands………………
Edajima: Be careful and go……!! The matches will be do-or-die from here on. Toudou Hyoue: the ones who will lower the iron hammer of justice on him are only them.

118.
Toramaru: Hey, where is this helicopter planning to fly us to?
Togashi: Five or six hours have already passed since we’ve left behind the battleground of the Preliminary League.
Togashi: Really, even if you look out the window, all I see are just clouds.

119.
Toramaru: That reminds me: the pilot of the helicopter said earlier they were sending three from Otokojuku so we could replenish our numbers. Who are these three? Well, Momo?
Momotarou: Fu, I certainly know one of them. But I don’t know the last two either.
Toramaru: ………?
Pilot: Information to the passengers!!
Toramaru: !!
Pilot: We’re approaching the skies the Tenchou Gorin Daubikai Finals grounds!! Will all of you prepare for our landing!
Toramaru: Ooh!! We’re arriving at last?
Toramaru: Wh…what is th…that……………!?

120.-121.
Pilot: THIS IS THE BATTLEGROUND OF THE FINALS: MEIOU ISLAND!!
(TN: Just because it looked interesting: “Meiou” of “Meiou Island” = “Dark Phoenix”, with the “Ou” kanji in reference to a female phoenix…suddenly I have Jean Grey in my head though)
Toramaru: Lo…look: the face of a huge old man is carved into the mountain at the center of the island.
Togashi: E…even so, what does that mean…………!? I…couldn’t see it well when it was concealed by the clouds, but the road continues on like a tournament bracket on the entire island……!!

122.
Pilot: Of course: this entire island has become a tournament bracket!! Just like all of you, the 16 teams who have won their way through each Preliminary League will be separated into two blocks of east and west and will be fighting at each meeting point.
(TN: I know “meeting” isn’t there as part of the translation but the meeting points on the “brackets” are essentially the fighting zones so I clarified that)
Pilot: And the two teams who win their way through will be fighting at the Championship Decision Point at the center of the island.

123.
Togashi: Ho…however, they’ve created this large-scale set-up on this huge island floating on top of the ocean…………….
Toramaru: That’s truly of that Toudou Hyoue guy, the chairman of this tournament………!!
Date: Meiou Island……Meiou is an evil god of legend, who was said to have once revived from the fires of Hell and scorched everything in this world.
Toramaru: Hey, there are helicopters gathering from here and there.
Pilot: So then, all 16 teams have gathered at the island. So from here, we will land!!

124.
Toramaru: Wh…what is this island?
Togashi: It’s…as if there’s an atmosphere that even dinosaurs could appear.

125.
Togashi: I get it: if we go by advancing on this road, we’ll be colliding with the enemy team at each battleground.
Toramaru: I’m startled that this road has been made as a tournament bracket.
Momotarou: Let’s go.
Date: Be careful: both edges of the road are precipitous cliffs: if you lose your footing, it’s the depths of Hades for you.
Togashi: So then, if we turn here, we’ll reach the first battleground.
Toramaru: Osshaa!! Now it’s my turn----!!
Togashi: Wh…what are you saying---!! N…now it’s my turn---!

126.
Toramaru: Ooh!! Th…that’s~~~!
Date: Here is the first battleground…………!!
Momotarou: The opponent team hasn’t come yet.
Toramaru: W…wait, look: someone is here.
Togashi: The…there’s someone already that’s on the battleground……………!!

127.
Toramaru: Th…that’s……..!! So…so then, that’s one of the three reservists that were sent from Otokojuku………………!!
Momotarou: Fu, the principal has sent us a terrible man.
Akashi: You’re late……………I would have been short on the verge of the match!!
(TN: Don’t get me started on this: the full expression after the ellipses Akashi uses is "Kono shoubu, hana wa ore ga kirashite morau ze!!" first of all, "hana" as stated here is "edge" or "end", but the kanji reading makes it "start". Second, he uses the verb "kirasu", which uses the kanji for "cut" [something Akashi is known to do well] but with this verb translates into "to run out of" or "to be short of". I tried to make it work but somehow I know I screwed it up somewhere.)
Toramaru: HEAD OF THE OTOKOJUKU SECOND-YEARS: AKASHI GOUJI----!!

TN: About time Akashi fights again! I've been waiting a while for a real fight since his first one against Momo in the Koro-seum (yeah, there was J...but that was more a short skirmish), but it's been forever (well since he became one of the good guys) that he did something truly meaningful aside from helping Momo here or there. Though at the same time, that last line he stated nearly killed me...it nearly seemed to have no meaning at all!

Aside from Akashi being the first secret weapon and the revelation of some of the tournament's format at this phase, the highlight of the chapter was seeing the contrasting perspectives at this point between Toudou and Edajima, the eternal rivals whom are the crux of the entire tournament. Toudou is still his arrogant self, manipulating things while having fun at the expense of lives. While at the same time, this chapter seems to show much more deepness than usual towards Edajima through the flashback to the Saman Island incident where everything he fought for was betrayed by the coward who turned against his country on the road to becoming the ultimate puppet-master of Japan. It is an obvious mission beyond his typical bizarre nature and thus why he is so obsessed in making sure failure is not an option for any of the students. Though...with the first secret weapon, I doubt there will be too much failure in the future.