It's the match to decide who will be the Final One to compete in Megalonia!
We're partway through the second round.
Don't just stand there! Use your feet to move around him!
Shirato has been steadily making progress throughout the fight
with "Gearless" Joe on the defensive!
He's not putting on a good showing so far today.
Let me guess... "It wasn't supposed to be like this."
He's down!
One...
Two...
Three...
Four...
Pops!
Five...
Yeah. It's reading him, even though he's not using Gear.
Six...
No doubt about it...
His Gear's different than it was before!
Seven...
Eight...
Nine...
A new model, one without the previous weaknesses...
One designed to fight Yuri.
There you go. He doesn't know that pattern yet.
That thing might be able to read you,
but if it doesn't have any data to work with...
Ace is a fast learner.
He's down!
Did you seriously think you stood a chance?
You people and your pathetic little bag of tricks...
What?!
That's a slip!
Get it together, Joe!
This isn't some brawl between thugs!
Damned stray.
And the second round is now complete!
Joe is really looking rough out there.
Joe!
The conclusion here is foregone.
It's not over yet.
You wanted to see who was the genuine article.
Isn't that why you had them meet in the ring?
I feel better now.
It's reading your every move.
It can use the patterns it learns, too.
The longer the match goes on, the stronger his Gear gets!
Make sure the data capture is working fully.
If those combinations aren't gonna work...
We're out of options.
Pops, you're the one who said it. Gear doesn't decide who wins a fight.
Remember?
Sachio, cool the other side off, too.
What's synchronization at?
Rising steadily.
It looks like it'll hit peak performance in the next round,
so you can—
I didn't ask for estimates!
Tell me the numbers.
Uh, yes, sir.
It's currently at 73%.
How long are you going to take?
Third-rate idiots.
He really hasn't changed.
Synchronization with the artificial intelligence
is a burden, physically and mentally.
I'd think the cost is higher than ever, with this new model of Ace.
That's a limitation of his Gear.
A Gear that no human can make use of has no future.
Being unable to see that is why he can't be entrusted with Shirato.
I'm going to prove it here in the ring...
Who was really most fit to inherit the Shirato business.
Raise automatic control to 50%.
Synchronization at 38%... 49%... 55%.
Higher!
79%... 85%... 98%.
Give me more!
Output is maximized.
Synchronization dropping..
60%. 54%. 32%. No longer stable.
We're working our way back up from 60.
It's the third round, but not a thing has changed in the ring.
What's so damn funny?!
You're not fighting in there! Don't laugh!
Joe! Show these guys they're wrong about you!
Go! Big Joe!
Get him! Get him, Big Joe!
Do you understand, now?
All you are is a fraud who's bluffed his way this far.
Is that all?
You wanna be the real deal with punches like these?
A devastating uppercut!
Joe is knocked out of the ring!
Big Joe...
You don't have the right to talk about who's the real deal,
Junk Dog the fraud.
Joe!
Don't touch him!
If his corner helps him up, he loses by disqualification.
Don't worry, Sachio.
Joe.
You're right, kid. It's not the Gear that decides who wins.
It's the fighter.
Show him that with that big shot of yours.
What exactly are you?
Why?
Why abandon Ace and choose that disgusting, freak Gear?
Are you more loyal to Yukiko?
I did it to win. That's all.
In that case...
Why don't we prove which is the better Gear, right now?!
Only winners have the right to fight me.
You think you're the only one with real skill?
You're just a wild animal that's cozied up to Shirato!
What exactly do you want to prove?
What?
It's not about Gear.
Real Megalo Boxers have control over their own fists
when they choose to stand in the ring.
Are you the one who put your guard up?
Or was it Ace?
Ace...
is me!
I'll never accept that you're the real deal!
What the...?
Synchronization's at 90%!
And rising!
More! Give me more!
You little—
It's Joe.
My name is Joe!
Joe!
You hear me, Joe?!
Joe!
You dirty piece of crap!
Due to persistent holding by Joe, and wrestling by Shirato,
a foul is issued to both fighters.
The next foul will result in disqualification.
Screw you! What were you looking at?!
Pops! He's gonna kill Joe!
What is this?
What're you doing, Joe?!
Get your guard up! Block, you gotta block!
What the hell are you?!
What's going on here?
An odd turn of events!
"Gearless" Joe has dropped his guard, but Shirato isn't going in for the kill!
Just beat him already!
How long are you gonna screw around?!
And that's it for the third round!
What do you think of this turn of events?
Let's see... Shirato seems to have the clear advantage, but...
Just who are you?
Why didn't he finish it?
He was stopped.
By another part of himself.
Sit down already. You need to rest as much as you can for the next round.
I'm not getting up if I sit down.
More importantly, Sachio...
His Gear can learn attack patterns, even if I've only used them once, right?
Yeah. So nothing will work a second time.
What're you getting at?
You saw, didn't you?
He was going for a straight, but pulled back.
I get it!
The Gear changed its plan, because it thought you were up to something!
That's why he didn't go after you!
Then the reason you dropped your guard...
I was bluffing.
Well, that's a hell of a thing to do at a time like this.
So now you're counting on when he sees through that, and comes in to finish you?
You're gonna hit him with a counter.
Yeah.
I'll put him down with one shot.
If I had disabled automatic control, I could've beat him.
Did Ace make the wrong decision?
Am I doubting myself?
Synchronization is at 80% and steady.
The numbers have stabilized, but "Gearless" Joe is on his last legs.
You should be fine even if you disable Ace's automatic—
What the hell do you people know?
Ace's decisions are mine!
Do you have a problem with that?!
N-No, sir.
It doesn't matter what he's planning to do.
It ends here.
"Gearless" Joe seems to be helpless against the ultimate Gear!
He still hasn't brought his guard up!
Is he too exhausted to go on?
Will this be the round that decides it all?
I can't see a damn thing out of this eye anymore.
You make the call on what he'll use for his last shot.
You're betting on me? You must really be desperate.
Still, I feel like betting on you.
Right or left...
We've been through this before.
Back then...
We were betting on him, injuries and all, and his lack of Gear.
If Mikio's got the ultimate Gear...
Then we've got the ultimate Gearless.
His finishing blow is gonna be...
The same as before: a right straight!
Intercept with a left!
Is this what Ace wants?
Or is it me?!
He saw it coming!
Too late.
He's down!
Yes!
Five... Six...
Seven... Eight... Nine...
Ten.
With a K.O. 2:16 into the fourth round,
the winner is "Gearless" Joe!
He won! He won!
Unbelievable!
"Gearless" Joe makes an epic comeback!
A single blow thrown from the badly hurt Joe
was enough to sink Shirato into the canvass!
We have witnessed a miracle!
The man from the bottom of the ranking has risen all the way to become the Final One!
Joe! Joe! Joe!
The last competitor in Megalonia
is going to be "Gearless" Joe!
Joe! Joe! Joe!
Hey.
That's your name they're chanting.
How?
How'd you know what my last punch was going to be?
It's not like I thought about it.
My body just reacted.
Yours did the same, didn't it?
You win.
What would've happened if I had declined the position of successor?
That's a conceited line of thought.
He chose to follow his own path, in spite of the isolation it brought him.
He fought to the very end, did it his way,
and proved his worth.
Are you having regrets?
About arranging this match?
There's only one ultimate Gear. You'll be the one to prove that.
No matter who else enters the ring at Megalonia, that won't change.
Hey, champion.
Here I am, as promised, in your ring.
I don't brawl with stray dogs...
You know that, don't you, Joe?
A wild animal that won't let go once it sinks its teeth into you.
And the loser leaves with nothing, huh?
I was really touched by today's fight, man!
I thought today was going to just be the same shit, different day.
But you guys... you're our pride!
You said that already.
Come on, how about marrying my daughter?
Marry? Me?
I'm talking about Joe, of course!
Granted, the bun's still in the oven... Guess she's shy, am I right?
She's not even born yet, man.
Damn.
Everybody wants to get in on the party while the getting's good...
You're eating too much, Bonjiri!
Hey, Sachio!
That goes for you guys, too. The party isn't gonna last forever!
Aw, pipe down!
I remember how you guessed wrong about that last punch.
I wouldn't gamble again if I were you!
Yeah, tell him!
Whatever! Let's toast to getting into Megalonia!
Damn... are they gonna let me sleep or not?
Ow!
Damn, that hurts...
You running now, Pops?!
Just taking a piss.
Sorry about that.
I haven't told Joe and the boy yet...
Can I ask you to leave for today, Mr. Fujimaki?
You aren't the only one...
Scorpions who wanna close their eyes to their true nature,
poisoned by the venom of dreams.
Sorry, Mr. Nanbu,
but the ride stops here.
Round 9 "A Dead Flower Shall Never Bloom" This flower's buds smell rotten, its seeds returning to the earth.