Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens

As they had planned, Martinez and Ricardo hid on the boat and watched the scene unfold as the hitman duo cleaned up the Noma Group members. Their plan was to capture them just before they got on the ship, antic.i.p.ating the Los Eses members would try to flea via the sea. But they did not expect two of the Los Eses members to be left behind as bait and Uno was the only one to try and escape with the merchandise.
“Don"t be in such a rush, Uno. You"re wasting the cruise away. You should take your time and enjoy the night scenery more.”
“...You b.a.s.t.a.r.d.” Uno asked questioningly, glaring at Martinez. “When did you get on my ship?”
“I had been hiding away in the toilet while you were putting the marijuana on board. I knew you would try and escape by using the ship.”
That was a lie. The truth was Martinez could not hold his bladder while they were waiting, and Ricardo scolded him when he tried to go in the ocean, so he had went to the portpotty on the fishing ship the Los Eses had. But since the real reason was uncool, he went with something else.
It was a miscalculation on his part that Ricardo would let Uno escape while he was in the restroom, but it was a fortune in disguise that he was on the ship. Now with the circ.u.mstances as they were, he had to capture this man right here and now.
“Who knew you"d leave those two behind as bait and only you would make a run for it. Is the d.a.m.n plant more important than your friends" lives?”
Uno frowned. “You should know more than anyone, right? In our world, the value of drugs is more important than people"s lives.”
“I don"t care how things are run in your world.” Martinez retorted in a solemn voice. “Get the h.e.l.l out of my city.”
He swung the metal pipe, aiming for the other"s head, but Uno took the opportunity to sharply turn the wheel right.
“Whoa!?”
The ship terribly shook, causing Martinez to stumble. He lost his balance, and his back collided against the side of the boat. The metal pipe fell out of his grip and rolled across the deck.
Martinez tutted and glared at the other man. “s.h.i.t, you serious?”
Uno stopped the ship. He then pulled out a gun and pointed it at Martinez.
“Alright, I get it. I give in.” Martinez shrugged and raised both of his hands.
However, Uno did not stop.
“I never imagined this scenario even in my dreams. That there would be a day I could kill you, the traitor, with my own hands.”
He placed his finger on the trigger and went to take a shot.
“Die, Alex.”
Martinez thought he was going to die. Uno despised him. He truly intended to kill him. Martinez braced himself.
Immediately after, a gunshot went off.
However, Uno did not make it. Martinez was not shot.
Someone else had fired before Uno did. The bullet struck Uno in the center of his right hand, blowing the gun out of his hand.
“Hold up your hands.”
A voice ordered. When they turned around, they saw Ricardo.
Martinez"s eyes were wide. When did he get on this ship?
“You again!?”
Uno shouted and went to pick up his gun. However, they could not let him. Martinez swiftly grabbed the metal pipe and struck it against Uno"s head.
“Urgh.” Uno groaned before collapsing onto the deck.
“...He"s not dead, is he?”
Ricardo looked down on his body that was splayed out like a corpse, eyebrows furrowed.
“I held back.”
He pressed his fingers against his pulse point. Uno was alive. He was just unconscious.
“d.a.m.n, what the h.e.l.l were you doing…?” Ricardo"s breathing was ragged. “Who"d go up against someone with a gun with just a metal pipe. ...Do you not value your own life? You d.a.m.n idiot.”
Ricardo was exhausted. Martinez pieced together the reason why quickly. He pointed towards the ocean. “Did you come all the way here on that?”
The paddle boat was left right beside the fishing boat. Ricardo had gotten on it and pursued after the ship with it. The distance from Sunset Park to the ship was roughly three to four meters. Martinez broke into a smile, imagining Ricardo paddling the boat in haste.
As Martinez tried to suppress himself from smirking, Ricardo cuffed Uno and stated. “That"s one down. There"re just two left.”
The other Los Eses members were up against Banba and Lin. “We can leave it up to those two.” Martinez replied cheerfully.

“What the h.e.l.l is this? G.o.ddammit!”
Ocho swore as he ran down the promenade, guitar case in hand. He could hear footsteps approaching him from a few meters behind. The male of the duo who showed up out of the blue went after Ocho. Ocho kept running, turning back multiple times to fire sporadically. He tossed the gun away when he eventually ran out of bullets.
A red steel tower could be seen ahead - it was the Hakata Port Tower. A futsal was located in front of it.
An idea pa.s.sed Ocho"s mind. He had his beloved rifle, an AK-47, inside this guitar case. If he could lure the enemy into the s.p.a.cious futsal, then he would be unable to run or take cover. Ocho thought that would be his best chance.
He stepped inside the unpopulated futsal. He opened up the metal latchings of his guitar case in the center of the court. His eyes widened when he opened the lid. His rifle was not inside; there were knives. Numerous kinds of blades were packed inside from small survival knives and kukri knives to machete knives.
I got the wrong one.
“s.h.i.t!” Ocho swore.
These were Treinta"s weapons. He was a knife maniac and hardly used guns. He always fought barehanded or with knives. They were in a rush, so Ocho had accidentally grabbed Treinta"s gear. Ocho cursed under his breath once more.
The man arrived at the entrance of the futsal while he had his dilemma. Ocho was blocked in, surrounded by a fence on all sides. He had nowhere to run to. Although he had planned to lure his opponent in here, he ended up being chased into a corner instead.
Now that it"s come to this, I have no other choice.
Ocho took out the largest blade from the pile. He gripped the machete with a thirty centimeter blade and held it up.
“I"ll cut off your head and kick it around as a ball.”
Ocho pointed the tip of the blade towards his enemy and grinned.
The man held a j.a.panese sword. He unsheathed it as he slowly drew closer.
Ocho made the first mov. “Yah!” He shouted and lunged at his enemy. He swung the machete, aiming to slice at the man"s body.
The man blocked Ocho"s atack with his j.a.panese sword, taking a step back while pressing against the machete"s blade. Metallic clangs echoed throughout the silent court in succession.
I got this. Ocho was holding the man back. He could overcome him.
He swung wooden handle around, forcing the man back until he was pressed against the fence. Their blades exchanged blows, blocking each other"s attacks.
In that moment, Ocho applied more strength and pressed into him. The man had no place to run to. The man"s head was pressed between the fence and the machete. And the j.a.panese blade was mere inches from cutting into his own throat.
The man also added more strength behind his j.a.panese sword to push back Ocho"s blade.
“Hey, tell me.” Ocho spoke to the man while they were in a stalemate. “Are you a friend of Alex?”
The man tilted his head at his question. “...Alex?”
The man could be going by an alias now. “The Dominican.” Ocho clarified, and the man seemed to recognize who he was referring to.
“I"ll warn you. That guy is a cowardly traitor.”
Ocho drew close to the man"s face and smirked. There was no meaning in warning him; this man was going to die.
“I bet he"ll betray you too in a matter of time! After all, Alex is just a f.a.g with no b.a.l.l.s-”
He was unable to finish what he was going to say.
Abruptly, there was a pain on his face. In the same moment, Ocho was roughly pushed back and he collapsed onto the court with a yelp.
Heat blossomed in his cheek. He had been punched.
“Y-you b.a.s.t.a.r.d! How dare you!”
Ocho quickly stood back up and swung the machete, furious.
He had underestimated him. He had been so focused on the j.a.panese sword that he did not expect the man to punch him.
The man blocked the machete with his j.a.panese sword and quickly shifted to his left side. This caused Ocho to lose his balance and fall forward. His opponent used the opportunity to hit the weapon out of his hand, causing the machete to tumble onto the ground.
The man threw more punches at the unarmed Ocho. He punched Ocho in the face, the side, and the stomach. Ocho fell against the fence, shaking.
“...Tryin" to be all talk ain"t good.”
The man muttered. He reached out with his right hand and gripped Ocho by his collar. The man"s eyes were livid.
“Ah, gah.”
Ocho was unable to speak from being choked.
“I"ll give ya a warnin" as well.”
The man strengthened his hold on Ocho"s throat and stated in a low voice.
“Next time you badmouth my friend...I"ll kill ya.”
Ocho shook upon hearing the man"s voice dripping in killing intent and seeing his expression which gave him gooseb.u.mps.
With pressure on his carotid arteries, his vision began to blur.
In the end, I never got to have j.a.panese food.
The thought pa.s.sed through his dimming mind.

Two unknown men had attacked them during their deal with the Noma Group. The drugs were of more importance than people"s lives. They had to buy enough time for Uno to move the marijuana onto the ship.
Treinta ran off in the opposite direction as Ocho before he stopped at the end of the promenade. Behind him were open freight storages filled with containers and the night scenery of the factories located on the opposite side of the sh.o.r.e. Treinta decided to face his enemy in this place, surrounded by the port-like scenery.
There was the click of heels, indicating the enemy was drawing near. It was the woman who had followed him. They had a small build and long hair as typical of any ordinary woman, aside from the knife they held in their right hand.
However, whether the person was a man or a woman did not matter; it did not change that they were an enemy. What Treinta had to do was the same. He had no intention of holding back or being merciful. They would inevitably battle soon enough.
“You"re a member of the Los Eses, right?”
The woman spoke, but unfortunately Treinta did not understand j.a.panese. He was only able to make out Los Eses. He observed the person"s movements in silence.
The other hummed to themselves in thought when Treinta showed no signs of recognition.
“If you"re from Mexico, then you speak Spanish, right? I learned it back when I was in the establishment, but I haven"t had any opportunities to use it and don"t remember much of it.”
They then held up their left hand and began to speak in broken Spanish.
“h.e.l.lo...That"s not it. Umm, hola? ¿Como estas?”
“Muy bien. Gracias.”
The other nodded, pleased, when Treinta answered him. They must be happy to have conversed with him.
They then added.
“Soy, Lin. Encantado. Te, mato, ahora.”
Treinta frowned when the other gave an absurd greeting to him and stiffened.
He held up his fists, taking a fighting stance.
“Seems you understood.”
The enemy smirked.
It was the other who made the first move. They attacked him, the tip of the blade fixated on him. They were small, but they were nimble. They were extremely swift on their feet. They slipped right up to Treinta and thrust their knife forward, aiming at his stomach.
Treinta did not move an inch, taking the attack head on. He grabbed the arm holding the knife and pulled them forward, using the momentum to easily make them fall. At the same time, he bent the arm back, making the tip of the knife face their body. Adding pressure and pushing further, he thrusted the blade into their side.
“Ow-”
The enemy"s face contorted in pain. The knife only went in by about a centimeter or two. It was not life threatening. The other must have realized their intention as they pulled back. Treinta was surprised they were able to dodge the knife from the difficult position they were in. They were accustomed to fighting and were pliable. They were not just any ordinary person.
But Treinta did not miscalculate. He a.s.sumed they could escape, so he made a fist with his open hand and struck them in the temple. He then hit them in vital areas including the throat, solar plexus, and ribs. The enemy groaned and sputtered.
Just as Treinta swung his right fist to deliver another blow to their face, a sharp pain shot through his arm. When he examined it, he saw a cut had been made on his forearm and blood was seeping from it.
The enemy had removed the knife from his side while Treinta was beating him and kept it concealed, waiting for the opportunity to strike back. His life was spared thanks to the moment he noticed the pain.
Treinta took out his hidden weapon. It was a folded carving knife. It was not lethal, but the slim blade was sharp and he could do a lot of damage depending on how well he wielded it. The other was unsteady on their feet, disoriented from the blow to the head.
Treinta made another maneuver. The enemy flicked the knife around, making several slashes at the him and closing the distance between them. Treinta warded off the enemy"s knife by slapping the hand holding the weapon with their right hand. The moment the attacks ceased, he grabbed the other"s wrist with his open hand. He held onto them so they could not move and stabbed them with the needle-thin tip of the carving knife.
“Urgh, agh…”
The other gave a voiceless scream.
There was a large nerve that ran from a person"s shoulder to their arm. If he hit them in the central point, the elbow, they would suffer unbearable pain. It was one vital on the human body, which was used often in torture.
The enemy"s hand loosened, letting the knife fall from their grasp. Treinta grabbed the enemy"s other arm as he seethed in pain and mercilessly stabbed him with a knife in that elbow as well.
“Ah, gah...Ahh, s.h.i.t.”
They collapsed against the ground and turned limp, falling unconscious. He could no longer hold the knife.
Treinta struck his enemy in the face, torso and arms in succession. They would lose their fighting spirit after this much pain. Their body and mind would not do as they liked.
“Ya no podrás moverte con ese dolor.” (You can"t move anymore with this much pain).
Treinta looked down on the small body, curled up and the ground and trembling, with cold eyes. There was not a single person who dealt this much damage and fought back. This was the end for them.
“Ahora te haré sentir mejor.” (I"ll put you out of your misery).
Treinta reached for the other"s neck to strangle them when the man"s face, which was contorted in pain, softened. And then the edges of his lips curled upward.
Treinta"s eyes widened, stunned to see his expression.
This guy is smiling?
Bottom of the Ninth Inning He was resistant to pain. He was trained to be so. However, the pain he received was of another caliber.
s.h.i.t, I can"t move.
Lin grimaced.
All the man"s attacks landed on him. Lin"s pain stricken body would not listen to him. His head was swimming from the blow to the temple. Just breathing caused his ribs to throb. A few of them might have gotten damaged.
And he also could not move his arms. He got hit in the nerve. Because of the pain, he could not find any strength. He could not grip the knife. He could not fight or run away. The enemy was slowly approaching him.
s.h.i.t, Lin clicked his tongue. I"m going to be in deeper s.h.i.t at this rate.
He had to break out of this situation. Lin"s attention was caught by something at the end of his vision - it was a small bottle.
He recognized it. Now thinking about it, he recalled receiving it from the Chinese group to stop the pain. He had put it in his pocket, but it must have fallen out during combat.
They said the contents of the bottle were a new type of morphine. Morphine had the effects to disseminate the pain by restricting pain signals from reaching the brain. However, a side effect was also decreasing mobility. If he used it, he would not be able to fight long. But as circ.u.mstances stood now, he would just be killed without being able to put up a fight. He had to settle this with one attack.
Lin grit his teeth and grabbed the bottle, opening the lid with his front teeth. He swallowed the drug, curling in on himself so the other could not see what he was doing.
His head started to clear right away. The pain in his body began to lessen. The effects were immediate.
“Ahora te haré sentir mejor.”
He heard a voice nearby. The man was closing in on him.
Lin moved just as his hand reached out to grab him. He took the knife in hand and stabbed at the man"s body. But he missed his target. Lin swore under his breath. The man was bleeding from the thigh. Lin intended to stab him in the stomach, but the man evaded the attack.
The man yelped in pain. He stepped back, stumbling over his feet.
As if I"d let you get away, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d.
Lin was instructed to bring them in alive, but he could care less. He was a hitman. Besides, if he does not kill the man, he would be killed instead. Lin pulled the trigger on his knife-pistol, aiming for a vital spot.
The moment the gunshot went off, there was a groan and the man collapsed in a heap. Lin had aimed for his heart, but his vision was blurry from the drugs, making him miss once more. Blood gushed out of the man"s stomach.
Lin stood up unsteadily.
“Ahh, d.a.m.n...A hangover is a better alternative to this…”
As expected of an opium drug. Lin almost felt like he was drunk. He walked over to the man with uncertain steps. The enemy was heavily breathing. Lin had missed his vitals, so the man would not die. Lin struck the but of the knife against the man"s skull, knocking him on unconscious.
It was a tough fight, but it was over. All that was left to do was to bring this man to Martinez and Ricardo.
Lin grabbed the man"s legs and tried to drag him.
“...d.a.m.n, he"s heavy.”
He could not do it. In his current state, he could not carry one person. He had to call for help. He turned on his heel, considering to ask Martinez.
Lin left the man behind and returned to Sunset Park. The unconscious yakuza men and the dead Chinese men were still there, laying on the ground.
Lin looked around the area for Martinez.
“Lin!”
Just then, he heard someone shouting his name - it was Banba"s voice.

“...Jeez.”
Banba sighed, looking down at the Mexican sprawled out on the ground.
“I might"ve went too far.”
He could not sit still when the man spoke ill of his friend, calling him a ‘coward" and a ‘f.a.g." He could not stop himself he was so outraged. Banba contemplated on how he had beaten down this man without restraint a little.
He picked up the man"s limp body and exited the futsal field. He walked down the promenade alongside the sea. After walking for a few minutes, the white monument of Sunset Park came into view. Someone was standing nearby it. It was a tall man. From his backside, he did not look like Lin, Martinez or Ricardo. He was likely a member of the Noma Group. It was the man Banba took down. Banba had meant to knock him out, but he had woke up at some point.
When Banba examined him closer, he saw the man was holding a gun. The man"s gaze was focused on Lin.
Banba"s breath catches in his throat, and he dropped the man he had been carrying.
“Lin!”
Banba shouted.
Lin turned around, responding to his voice.
The man from the Noma Group shouted. “Die!”
Noticing the man about to pull the trigger on him, Lin"s eyes widened in shock.

By the time he turned around in response to Banba"s shout, it was already too late. A man who should have been unconscious had stood up and pointed a gun at him.
Normally, Lin would be able to react accordingly. He would be able to dodge his enemy"s attack and counterattack as well. But Lin could not move due to the drug. The side effect of the the pain killer he took lessened the pain but also dulled his perception. He could do nothing but watch the scene fold out in a daze.
Banba took action in place of the immobile Lin. Banba, behind the man by several meters, swung his right arm. He seemed to have thrown something. A white object came flying and struck the man in the back of the head. The man collapsed from the impact, falling unconscious once again.
What Banba threw was the hard baseball. It bounced off the man"s head and plopped into the ocean.
“Ah!”
Lin shouted, turning towards the sea.
“H-hey! Just now that was your ball!”
Lin rushed over to Banba who replied calmly, “yeah, it sure was.”
Lin was dumbfounded. What ‘yeah, it sure was!?" What was he doing!?
“Wasn"t that important to you!?”
Lin pressured him. Banba smiled wryly in response, “well, yeah. That was a homerun ball.”
“...A homerun ball?”
“Yeah,” he nodded before adding. “When a player makes a homerun in a baseball game, the audience catches it, right?”
“...Oh, that?” Now that he mentioned it, Lin had seen it on live baseball matches often. He recalled the audience members scrambling over it.
“When I was a youngin" , I went with my family to a baseball game. In that game, the fourth batter - a foreigner - had hit a homerun. And it was a game-endin" home run. The ball came flyin" over to us, and my dad caught it.” Banba glanced over to the sea. “That was the ball. My dad gave it to me.”
Banba had a gentle smile, lost in nostalgia.
Lin was got the gist of it from his expression. It was likely his father was no longer in this world. And that dirty ball was Banba"s most treasured relic of his father.
Lin did not know. He did not expect it held that much importance. The area was dark so it was difficult to find where the ball had fallen, but it had just landed in the water. It should still be floating in the ocean. Lin might still be able to find it. He had to find it before it sunk beneath the surface.
Lin leaned over the fence and gazed at the ocean. He squinted, searching for the ball.
“It"s fine.”
Banba lightly patted Lin"s shoulder and shook his head. Just as he had expressed, there was no lingering affection dedicated in his voice towards it and he had a cheerful expression.
“I can just go get another homerun ball.”
Lin could not relent since Banba had told him that so indifferently. Lin treasured his memories of his family. Even now, he kept the photo of his mother and sister on his person. As such, he knew how painfully important that practice ball was to Banba.
“...I"m sorry.”
The words naturally fell from his lips.
If Lin had not thrown out the ball back then, Banba would not have lost the relic. If he had noticed the enemy"s attack earlier and reacted in time, the ball would still be in Banba"s pocket.
It"s my fault, Lin lamented.
“Dontcha fret about it, Lin-chan.”
Banba gave Lin, whose face was clouded over in horror and shoulders slumped, a smile.
“But it was a precious memory to you, right?”
“Objects ain"t memories.”
Banba gently smiled, reminiscing the past.
‘He"s got a lot of things on his plate. And he remains silent ‘bout them lots of things so you don"t get wound up in them."
Lin recalled what Genzo told him back then and more or less understood. Banba was afraid to to turn to his friends about his past. So he never talked about himself. If he did, then they would be get dragged into it.
But what was wrong with that? I have nothing to do with whatever happened. It doesn"t matter to me. Everyone else must feel the same.
If he intends to draw a line for his friend"s sake, then I won"t hold back. I"m going to go in all the way.
“Hey.”
Lin looked up at Banba.
“Tell me stories about your father some time.”
Banba"s face momentarily turned to shock. Lin gazed at his face determinedly.
After a few moments pa.s.sed, Banba made a small smile and nodded, “sure.” Lin was unsure if he got his feelings crossed. However, he got acknowledgement. He would settle with that for today.
Banba then looked over to the sea and pointed at something.
“Ah, they"re back.”
They could see a fishing ship. Martinez and Ricardo were on it. They steered the ship, heading to Sunset Park.
“...That reminds me.” Lin exclaimed. “I left the man over there. Help me carry him.”

They managed to successfully operate the ship and returned to Sunset Park. The Noma Group"s men and the Chinese men were spread out on the ground around the park. Ocho was among them as well. But Banba and Lin were nowhere to be found. Ricardo c.o.c.ked his head. “Where did those two go?”
“They should be back soon.”
They took all the men and brought them onto the ship, tying them up with rope. They hold Uno and Ocho handcuffed and tied their legs together with rope. They should be unable to move with these restraints.
After Ricardo fastened Ocho to the bit, he reported to the DEA HQ. All that was left to do was wait for reinforcements to arrive and take the men away. When Ricardo put PGS devices on Uno and Ocho for extra measure. Martinez took notice of it. “Hey. Didn"t you say you ran out of spares?”
“Yeah,” Ricardo recalled telling him that. “I lied.”
Martinez smirked at him.
Ricardo cleared his throat and turned his focus back to Uno.
“Why didn"t you kill Uno?” He asked Martinez. “You could have if you wanted to.”
“I told you. I"m not a hitman anymore.”
“If you let him live, Don Ramiro will know of you. He could send a.s.sa.s.sins after you.”
“You don"t have to worry about him.”
It was not Martinez who answered - it was his friend, Lin.
Ricardo and Martinez both turned around towards the sound of the voice. Lin and Banba stood there. Banba had Treinta hung over his shoulder.
“He"s right.” Banba nodded in agreement. “We"re around, so he"ll be fine. We got no intention of losin" our slugger.”
“If someone comes after him, we"ll take them down. Just like this.” Lin pointed to Treinta. He had lost the fight, senseless and b.l.o.o.d.y.
“Oh, good work you guys.” Martinez addressed the pair. “And hold on, Lin! You"re injured too. Are you alright?”
“This isn"t that serious.” Lin snorted.
“No, it is.” Ricardo pointed at Lin"s body apprehensively. “You"re bleeding from your elbow.”
“He hit your ulna nerve, didn"t he? Go to the hospital.”
Martinez prompted him.
“Alright. I"ll drop by Saeki"s place.”
Lin relented in earnest.
Ricardo handcuffed Treinta and tied him up the same way he did for Uno and Ocho.
“Thank you for your help. You saved us.”
Martinez expressed his grat.i.tude to the duo.
“No problem.”
“Treat me next time.”
Banba and Lin replied with a smile.
“Ah, of course.”
The two turned to leave, having finished their part, and began to converse between themselves.
“I"m pretty hungry. After gettin" you seen by Saeki-sensei, how ‘bout we go have some ramen and head home.”
“I"m not in the mood for it. I"m so out of it from the drug.”
“...Drug?” Banba"s tone changed. “Lin-chan, when did ya get into such ill-bred pleasures!?”
“You"re overreacting. It"s just a painkiller!”
As they watched the two leave, Martinez stated proudly. “Our infielders are a lot of fun.”
Translation Notes: For Spanish readers, you may notice the Spanish can be a little unnatural at times. For one line, I"d say the Spanish was incorrect. The phrase "to put someone out of their misery/suffering" in j.a.panese literally translates to something like "to make someone feel better" and the Spanish is based off the literal meaning of the expression. I discussed this with two Spanish speakers, and both seemed to feel it"s off but felt it could be understood in context. One suggested, "te libaré de tu sufrimiento" would be a better adaptation of the phrase. At the very least, I base the Spanish translations off of the Spanish to a certain extent but ultimately use the j.a.panese translations of the Spanish for instances like this.
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Translation: Kaede726
Reposts are prohibited and should be exclusive to Kaede726 on blogger.
Editor: Voissane
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