Dankichi, how's Nekota?!
Just look at him. He's in top form!
He brought that massive lummox down to the mat!
Nekota's punches are sharper than a well-honed razor blade.
If he nailed a vital point,
he could knock out even a giant in one shot.
But...
What round is it?!
Third.
Too early for fatigue. He should still be holding his focus.
Nekota-san...
I can take or leave Kamogawa,
but now that Yuki-san's here,
I'm stronger than a hundred men!
Iron Fist
A... A Jap looking down on an American?!
The losing side should just drop their heads and fall in line.
You'll never beat America!
What a left!
But they're all missing!
Nekota's intuition is on a higher level than ever!
My mind's crystal clear.
Your punches look like they're frozen in time!
Damn Jap, damn Jap, damn Jap!
Solid punches and a violent step-in.
So this is a bantamweight at top speed?
Amazing! He's dodging them all!
It's like watching the incredible aerial agility of a Zero in battle,
a work of art in the skies!
Could you do that, Kamogawa?
The opponent's vital spots are always out of reach.
But he slips past all those lefts,
nails him in the gut, and doubles him over.
Then, the vital point's right in front of him.
It's nothing less than "lightning speed"!
And it's not like the American is slow, by any means.
Nekota's just better.
You or I could never copy that.
Nekota's talent is all that makes it possible!
It pains me to say it, but he's right.
His style is a work of art!
Looks like the bell saved you.
You finally made it!
I've been dragging out the fight waiting for you.
K-Keep it up.
You betcha.
I'll finish him off in the next round.
Quit yakking and catch your breath!
You're breathing way too hard.
I see you brought along the whiner.
Don't get cocky! You know how hard he hits!
Take one and you're done!
I know, I know.
Tell me when the next round's about to start.
R-Right.
Was I overthinking things?
A man who's punch drunk could never fight at that level.
Sergeant, are you all right?
Don't lose your head!
Victory will be ours at any cost.
I will not tarnish the stars and stripes!
The USA does not know the meaning of the word "defeat"!
The Japanese's speed is clearly superior to the Sergeant's.
At this rate, even if he avoids a KO, he's guaranteed to lose by judgment.
But the Sergeant mistakenly thinks he's representing America.
His pride won't permit him to lose.
That means he'll do whatever it takes to win.
Tread carefully, my brave Japanese fellow.
Nekota.
Hey, Nekota! The bell's about to ring!
Bell?
Oh... right. Bell's gonna ring, huh?
Nekota's got me worried sick. He was fast asleep.
His movements are flawless,
but sudden sleepiness is
one of the clearest symptoms of punch-drunkenness!
Here he goes!
I don't have much time left.
I'm a candle that's about to burn out!
Gotta win this fight...
while I'm still on fire!
Don't be hasty! Wear him down!
Why's he trying to rush the fight?
My time's running out!
Is he going down?!
Not on your life.
I refuse to lose to a Japanese, no matter what I have to do!
You're mine!
No matter what!
You're swinging too big!
No matter what!
You...
dirty...
A rabbit punch?
Huh? Rabbit?
A blow to the back of the head that directly damages the spinal cord.
The punch most likely to cause brain damage.
It's the lowest foul in the sport!
He definitely did it on purpose.
The Sergeant's abandoned his pride as a boxer.
Well, he's fighting a Jap.
We can't lose to them, no matter what.
He did that for the pride of America.
Foul!
This could be bad.
Blows to the back of the head are the most likely to cause brain damage.
If he was already damaged to begin with,
he could...
Nekota, are you okay?!
It's me! Can you hear me, Nekota?!
You fought a great fight, but that's enough. It's time to quit!
What'd you say?
Quit?
Don't be stupid.
Don't get up! That's enough!
I'm gonna wrap this fight up and go back to the mountains.
Stop...
As soon... as possible.
If I don't... Kamogawa will find out...
that my symptoms started...
that day.
It happened during a fair fight.
I don't want it to be a burden on you.
Nothing ever happened.
I'll vanish quietly into the mountains.
And you, Kamogawa...
Walk straight ahead down a fighter's path!
Yuki-san...
Yuki-san.
My beloved Yuki-san.
I wonder if she'll move back to the country with me.
It's kinda boring out there.
I know... we'll get a dog.
A big, white dog... and Yuki-san... and me.
We'll have great times.
Nekota!
Nekota-san!
Ref, stop this! Stop the fight!
But he's still standing!
Someone stop him!
Stop! Please, stop!
Get out of my way, Japanese!
Nekota?
Nekota!
Nekota...
Even Nekota couldn't win...
Then no one can. No one can beat America.
Do you get it now, Japanese?!
No matter how many times you try, you will never beat America!
You will bow your heads before us!
Walk with your eyes on the ground!
Son of a bitch.
I'll give you time.
Rest up until the injuries Nekota gave you are healed.
Kamogawa-san...
What's this?
There are still fists in Japan that are ready to punch you!
My fists are still here!
Hospital
He's in critical condition.
There's no telling when, or if, he'll come out of the coma.
Even if he does wake up,
you should expect some degree of permanent brain damage.
Damn it... And this started before the fight?
Why would he get in the ring without telling us about it?!
I wouldn't have, either.
My pride as a fighter couldn't handle people pitying me.
Especially if it was
my best friend who'd messed me up in the first place.
I'd never breathe a word.
It started then, didn't it?
It was your silence that told me the truth.
You've been battling it on your own ever since.
You're an incredible fighter.
I respect you from the bottom of my heart.
I guess I'll never get the chance to fight you again.
That makes me sad...
Rest up.
Sleep as long as you need.
When you do wake up, there'll be nothing left for you to regret.
I will avenge you!
Stop this senseless practice regime!
Nekota's punches made him wince.
His body's soft.
You'll shatter your bones.
You can't fight with broken fists!
If my fists break, it means they weren't up to the task to begin with.
I don't have Nekota's instincts or reflexes.
If I try to trade punches with a giant like him, I'll go down first.
My only hope
is one good shot!
I've gotta turn my fists into lethal weapons that can kill in one shot!
Talk about reckless...
But Kamogawa's best weapon is his strength of will.
This prize fighter, Kamogawa Genji,
is held up by a will of iron!
Training?
I haven't seen that in a while.
Nekota's body blows took a toll.
He saw it. He'll be aiming for my gut, too.
The sweat he's worked up proves he's taking this seriously.
Before the war, he was the fifth-ranked welterweight in the world.
He was a fantastic, promising boxer.
Had we not joined the war, he might even be champion now.
In that sense, he's another casualty of the war.
He's trying to get his old self back.
He's showing respect for the Japanese's bravery,
and in doing so, has robbed him of any hope of victory!
Fight Day
Impossible...
He did this without a mallet?
He only used his fist?!
Kamogawa's fists must be like two iron hammers.
His iron will has given birth
to iron fists!
Hospital
I'm heading over.
I'm sorry, but I'm staying with Nekota-san.
He said he wanted to give me strength,
and he fought a bout that lived up to his promise.
At least, until he wakes up, I...
Okay.
Kamogawa-san, I...
I...
Stay by his side.
Forever.
Every time I've climbed into the ring,
I've felt my temperature rise.
Especially when I was facing Nekota.
But today, it's a cold sweat.
I'm not excited in the least.
You ready?
Is it because I'm scared?
You idiot.
Imagine how scared Nekota must've been, dealing with
punch drunk symptoms at the same time.
Compared to that, this is child's play!
Dankichi!
Smack me! I need some spirit!
Spirit?
Just do it!
Fine!
Grit your teeth!
That did it!
Hell, yeah!
I'm gonna pound him!
Kamogawa! We've been waiting!
Get revenge for Nekota!
Japanese spirit!
Remember, observe him carefully at the outset.
He's just another Japanese.
Sergeant.
All right.
You're my second today, so I'll follow your advice.
His abs look like they were carved out of stone.
Rocks can be smashed.
Good. He's not nervous.
All that's left is to trust those fists!
Those iron fists!
What's this?
He's not going to try to confuse me
with speed, like other smaller boxers?
Does he actually want to go toe-to-toe and trade punches?
That's an insult that merits the death penalty!
I hate to admit it, but he's superior in every way.
A long fight favors him.
I spent hours punching that log so I could end this instantly!
Your ribs, your organs...
I'll gouge them all out with one punch!
Did he connect?
I was right to heed Miguel's warning.
That was terrifying.
The pain penetrated right to the marrow.
It didn't even feel like a glove.
It felt like being smashed with something far harder than a fist.
I've never experienced a punch like that.
That punch was packing unbelievable power.
That's what Kamogawa's fists can do.
I'll punch as many times as it takes.
Until these fists drill through your stomach!
What are you doing?! Stay in bed!
K-Kamogawa... is...
fighting...
He heard us?
He can't win...
like this...
Take me...
Take me to him!
Kamogawa!
Now, let's go.
I see right through your moves.
It's hopeless.
Now that his second is running the show, we can't even touch him.
His power and dash speed caught me off guard,
but that's all he's got.
He doesn't have Nekota's mobility or fearsome step-in.
All he's doing is charging straight for the body.
Sergeant, sidestep! Your lefts are enough!
He's an incredible fusion of science and skill.
Willpower alone can't stand against this.
Is this the difference between prizefighting and boxing?!
Damn you!
None of my punches reach...
You're walking straight into my counter punches.
I know I can't combat him the way Nekota did.
Kamogawa.
I only know how to fight my own way.
Go straight for the kill!
How...
How many times did I go down?
I lost track.
Forget it. Let's throw in the towel.
You're just getting destroyed. You're gonna end up like Nekota.
There's no point in trying anymore!
A man that size is way out of your league.
This isn't a fair fight.
You won't gain anything if you keep going because of a grudge!
Gain?
It's not about that.
Not about that? Then what the hell
are you fighting for?!
That was the bell. Get out.
Wait!
"What are you fighting for?"
"What are you fighting for," he says.
He's down again!
He's gonna get killed!
Throw in the towel!
He's getting up again?!
A kamikaze?
There's nothing scarier than a Japanese with faith in his convictions.
The only way to minimize the amount of damage he can do is
to hit him with an overwhelming assault!
Like America did to end the war by force!
Which round are we on?
I've been doing the same thing for so long, I've lost track.
The next round is the seventh.
I can't believe you've withstood such a beating for 18 minutes straight.
You must have incredible willpower,
to say nothing of your physical strength.
The Japanese fighting spirit certainly demands respect,
but I have to do what's best for him!
Listen, sir.
The opponent is short.
When you see an opening, hit him with a downward-angled right.
A chopping right? Not a bad idea.
Go out and win it.
Why... am I still...
Can you hear me? Round seven's about to start.
Only four left, huh?
I...
can't win...
unless I knock him out.
Knock him...
A Vow