Team Nowhere
It was to be a collision to decide who would obtain the final ticket to Megalonia!
But Shirato Mikio VS "Gearless" Joe ended in a way no one could've expected!
As a result, tomorrow night's Megalonia Dome commemoration ceremony
is expected to officially announce Mikio as the Final One in the tournament.
At the moment, no one knows why Joe forfeited the match.
Could—
I'm real disappointed here, Mr. Nanbu.
You were a step away from getting into Megalonia,
and then you run away with your tail between your legs.
That's not right.
Shirato Mikio set us up!
Well, that's your problem.
You realize this isn't some kids' game we're playing here, right?
All I want to know is if your little gamble is over now.
It's not.
This isn't over!
It's not over? What do you mean?
You heard what he said, right, Pops?
Those jerks at Shirato were never gonna let us into Megalonia.
It wouldn't be over...
if you hadn't stopped me!
Did you forget what we're trying to do?!
I'm thinking you're the one who forgot, Joe.
If you had slugged Mikio back there because you were hot under the collar,
that would've been exactly what they wanted.
Then we'd really be screwed.
He knew about your counterfeit ID,
along with the matches that we used to throw.
Think about it.
If Shirato wanted to get rid of us,
he could've just told the public what he knew.
It would've been easy.
But he didn't...
Instead, he went to the trouble of trying to scare us off.
All by himself, too.
You mean...
Shirato Mikio has a reason he wants to get rid of Joe,
one that he hasn't shared with anybody.
I get it! So if we can find out why...
Yeah.
It's not over yet!
There's hardly any time until the ceremony!
Please, Mr. Fujimaki!
If we can figure out what Shirato Mikio's up to,
then we can drag him back into the ring!
So, you haven't given up, then?
Hell no, we haven't!
We promised each other that we're going all the way in Megalonia!
This was about two weeks ago...
Someone showed up in the underground, sniffing around for info about Joe.
They looked into that ID,
and naturally they saw signs that it had been tampered with.
Shit!
But that's as far as it went.
See, we're professionals when it comes to dealing with this sort of thing.
Someone poking around in the database isn't gonna undermine our business.
They'd have to examine the ID itself to know for sure.
You mean...
This stuff about him knowing about Joe's past...
There's plenty of people in the underground
mad about what the two of you have pulled off.
I figure some lowlifes who saw a chance to make some quick cash
started spouting a bunch of half-truths.
Shirato Mikio doesn't have any evidence.
You fell for his bluff, in other words.
Son of a bitch!
He actually managed to scam me, Nanbu Gansaku!
I'll provide the info you need, but this is your last chance.
You screw up again,
and that boy there's gonna be paying for it, too.
I'm not some boy!
I'm Sachio with Team Nowhere!
And if this intel is just some bullshit, then there's gonna be hell to pay!
Wh-Whoa there...
I've got the perfect lead.
His name's Mizuhara Koichi.
He was a freelance engineer,
and he did Gear development for Shirato until about two years ago...
But they apparently found out he was stealing and selling parts for cash on the side,
meaning he's now washed up and frequents the underground fights.
He fell so hard, he's one of our regulars.
With a little bit of incentive, you might get some good info.
Wh-What is this?
Dragging me to this place, out of the blue...
Look, I don't have anything you'd want to know.
That's for us to decide. Just tell us everything you know.
Your reward will depend on what you provide.
Wh-What do you wanna know?
Everything you know about Shirato.
Sh-Shirato?!
Yeah. Why don't you humor us?
Then there are no objections to Shirato Mikio being selected as the Final One?
None.
Then, it's unanimous.
Very well.
Tonight at the ceremony, we'll announce his entry.
Looks like I'll finally be fighting you, Yuri.
Aren't you forgetting something?
You mean Burroughs?
With a champion like you, even the king of beasts fails to compare.
That's all you have to say about that animal?
I know a thing or two about handling animals.
Do you know the real difference between men and animals?
Animals lack self-awareness.
That's why I'll be teaching him...
That the human he's facing isn't someone he can overcome.
Much like I did with the coward who ran from the ring.
I wouldn't underestimate them, Mikio.
If an animal does sink its teeth into you, it won't let go.
Especially when it comes to stray dogs...
And which are you, Yuri?
Absolutely No Press Allowed!! -Big Joe Fan Club
That took a while.
So, how'd it go, Sachio?
Well, we know everything now.
About what Mikio is after, and why he did it.
Shirato hired us to work on next-gen Gear development.
That being said, we were more like lab assistants,
and all the serious development was handled by internal Shirato people.
They'd make a prototype, and then improve on it...
For a few months, they repeated that process.
But one day, the project was ended.
What happened?
Well, it wasn't necessary anymore.
The next-gen Gear they wanted was completed.
And that's Yuri's integrated model?
Yeah, in the end, at least.
See, there was actually another candidate for the next-gen model.
It's supposed to be the ultimate evolution of mounted models.
That's the version that was loaded with artificial intelligence.
But it wasn't long before its development was canceled,
and the integrated model was officially chosen.
The story was that there were too many defects in the manufacturing process,
but the thing is, the integrated model was put together
by the president's specially selected team...
So a lot of people figured it was a race to see who could finish first,
or a power struggle inside the company..
And Shirato Mikio is the guy who developed the AI-equipped model, right?
Yeah.
There's a rumor I heard.
The owner doesn't want Shirato Mikio getting into Megalonia.
I won't let anyone get in my way.
Not some stray dog... or that woman.
I get it.
So Shirato's not a united front...
The artificial intelligence program he personally created, Ace.
Shirato Mikio wants to get into Megalonia
and beat Yuri to prove something.
That his Gear is the superior one...
He'll do whatever it takes.
But it can't be just that.
There's gotta be more to why he didn't want us to fight...
Shirato Mikio's Gear?
Gimme a break, man...
I've told you everything I know.
What more do you wanna know?
The ceremony is tonight!
There's no time!
If we can drag him down and force him into the ring,
I know Joe can win!
I dunno about that.
L-Look, all I'm trying to say...
is his AI doesn't have any weaknesses!
You guys know about it, right?
The sensors detect movement in the opponent's Gear,
and automatically picks perfect counter-measures!
How could anyone beat such a monstrosity?
What'd you just say?
Look, I'm sorry.
I'm sure you guys can take him...
Not that! You said the sensors were monitoring...
Th-The Gear.
The sensors pick up even the faintest electrical signals from his opponent's Gear.
That'd mean...
The sensors are only detecting the other guy's Gear.
In other words...
Mikio's Ace can't predict a fighter without Gear.
He was afraid of you, Joe.
He didn't want a fight with Gearless Joe!
I would've never guessed, but now... we can do this!
Pops said that the ceremony was gonna be called off tonight.
We can go to the top!
So, what'll you do now?
We're not the only ones who want to take Shirato Mikio down.
The enemy of an enemy is a friend, y'know?
Mr. Nanbu.
People can't change their true nature.
You can leave the underground, make new friends,
but you'll still be a scorpion.
You realize that there's a limit to how far you can go, right?
I don't think so.
What?!
D-Did you not listen to me?!
I did.
I thought you might be here to explain why you abandoned the fight...
But making an appeal for a rematch?
D-Don't you get it?!
Joe is this guy's weakness!
If you make this match happen, we'll be taking your enemy out for you!
I've heard enough from the people who ran from the ring.
Hang on! That was because of Mikio's trap!
We didn't have any choice back there!
That whole match was a setup!
The same goes for you!
You were using Joe and Suger to keep him from getting into Megalonia!
You dragged us into this feud of yours!
Let's say that your accusations about my brother are true...
Why simply accede to his demands?
If there's a reason that you refuse to explain,
I can hardly trust you about anything.
And did you honestly think I would place my hopes on a gearless boxer?
I have Yuri. Please leave.
It'll be fine! I'm sure Pops can take care of—
He wasn't afraid.
Back then, Mikio thought I wasn't worth fighting...
I was never even in the picture for him.
That's the kind of look he gave me.
I've seen it before.
I'm just saying it's not gonna be easy.
If you'll excuse me, I have a ceremony to prepare for.
I get it.
And I already knew what you thought of us...
I was prepared for this kind of response.
But I'm telling you, we've come too far to back down now!
He brought up things in our past that we can't let see the light of day.
That's what Mikio threatened us with. He wanted us to act like we'd lost.
This is the proof.
You can believe it or not,
but that match was set up by Mikio from start to finish...
It was a genuine, 100% fixed fight!
And if you don't wanna set up the rematch, then I can go public with that fact.
If word gets out that the Final One was chosen thanks to cheating,
it's gonna be way worse than just some bad press.
If we're going down, I'll drag all of you with us!
That means Megalonia and you!
And you expect me to trust you after this?
Not me. You just need to trust Joe.
The fights he's won have all been real!
He's the genuine article, and that's a fact!
All I'm asking for is a single chance!
A chance to show everybody that Joe is the real deal!
To survive in the ring, you have to be the genuine article.
This is our last chance!
Cancel the ceremony!
And make this rematch between Joe and Mikio happen!
I understand.
I understand that I can never accept how the two of you operate, that is.
The ceremony will continue, as scheduled.
In the meantime, you'll have to stay in here.
Say what? Hey! Wait—
After four years, the Megalonia Dome is finally complete,
with a seating capacity of 100,000!
This is the world's largest Megalo Box arena!
And one week from now, at long last,
the event of the century, to determine who stands at the top of Megalo Boxing...
Megalonia will be begin!
Damn it all!
What the hell, Sachio? Isn't it supposed to be canceled?
It's almost started!
What're you doing, Pops?!
Pops!
Sachio... sorry...
Joe... Sachio...
What's going on?
Hey... Pops? ...can't hear...
We're screwed! I messed up!
You did?
Sachio! Big Joe just—
Joe...?
And tonight, the final entrant into Megalonia...
The Final One will be announced!
Yuri!
Pepe Iglesias!
Glen Burroughs!
And joining them...
With Team Shirato, Shirato Mikio!
With his prodigious intellect and exceptional athleticism,
it's easy to say that the heavens have blessed this fighter!
The fighting engineer, Shirato Mikio!
With Ace, the AI-equipped Gear of his own creation,
he will now be within striking distance of the top spot in Megalo Boxing!
S-Stop!
What the...?!
What's going on?
Pops... Pops!
It's Joe!
Connected
Pops!
Sachio!
Not yet!
Joe?!
This isn't over yet!
Me and him...
Let us settle this in the ring, please!
But it is over. What are you talking about, you coward?
I already told you, "Gearless" Joe.
This isn't a place for stray dogs.
You have to be the genuine article to stand in the ring of Megalonia.
Genuine...
Take him away.
You really want this?!
Is he your idea of the real deal?!
A moment, please.
I'm sure we're all surprised.
But this kind of bold surprise is very much what we've come to expect from Joe.
Regarding the results of last night's match,
I'm fully aware that there has been a lot of speculation as to the cause...
However, whatever the truth is, one thing is certain:
It's just as Shirato said.
The only people fit to fight in the ring at Megalonia are the genuine articles,
fighters that everyone approves of.
Not boxers who have won by default.
That's what I like to hear.
This doesn't mean I trust you.
Fine by me.
I finally understand why I was chosen as Grandfather's successor.
It's because I make the rules.
This is your last chance, Brother.
This feels like the first time you've ever shown your true colors...
And from here on out,
I'll be putting everything I have into destroying you.
I would like to announce that the Final One for Megalonia
will be the winner of the rematch between Shirato Mikio and Gearless Joe!
Yes! He did it, Pops!
Yeah. He did.
He pulled it off!
Round 8 "Deadline of the Dream" No one else tells you when it's time to give up on your dream.