Goat, Jihad, Rock'N Roll Part 4, also called Chapter 19, is the twentieth chapter of the Black Lagoon manga. It was originally released in December 2003.
Plot[]
Immediately after Rock is knocked unconscious and put into Takenaka's car by a soldier, Revy is pushed back by other soldiers as Takenaka drives away. Frustrated at Rock and cornered by the firing soldiers, Revy continues shooting at her attackers. Behind her, Shenhua appears on Leigharch's car roof and orders Revy to duck. Pulling out several throwing knives, Shenhua throws them and successfully hits several of the soldiers, saving Revy as she quickly gets into the fleeing getaway car. As they speed off, Leigharch says that he heard the Lagoon Company was made of four sailors, asking Revy where her other partners are at. Revy recalls that her group had to split into two groups and her partner Rock got abducted. Smiling, Leigharch states that he wants to get the job done as soon as possible and return to the military base.
Lighting a cigarette, Revy asks where the enemy base is, and Shenhua notes that the place is a few miles away deep in the jungle, and Revy advises that they need to go to the enemy base, making Shenhua and Leigharch laugh. The two tell the gunslinger that she can go back on her own time, but Revy replies that her partner has the documents, insulting Shenhua's broken English in the process. In response, Shenhua puts her knife to Revy's neck, making Leigharch stop the car and telling the women to take their animosity outside the car. Shenhua clarifies that her English is not good is because she is a benshengren, threatening to decapitate Revy. Not fazed, Revy reminds them that the boss will not pay any of them if they arrive at the military base without documents.
At the Abu Sayyaf base, Rock is held at gunpoint by several soldiers, and Takenaka and Ibraha look at him as the former informs Rock that they found no documents on the Hezbollah plan in his briefcase. Rock calmly states that he does not know about it and cannot tell them anything anyway, making the smiling Takenaka reply that he will ask Rock slowly, and the soldiers force Rock to walk. Meanwhile in the jungle, Revy negotiates to pay Shenhua and Leigharch extra money, and they agree to a 15% cut from the Lagoon Company's pay. Leigharch complains that his accomplices are actually going to find the enemy base, starting the car and telling the women that they are essentially going on a suicide mission.
Inside a small makeshift house, Rock and Takenaka sit across from each other on folding chairs, Rock notices that Takenaka is also Japanese, and the old man jokes that they need to be friendly with each other. Ibraha demands that they interrogate him, but Takenaka recommends his own way and introduces his name to Rock. Smoking a cigarette, Takenaka then asks Rock about the current state of Japan and if certain businesses are still around, recalling his own protesting in his youth. Curious, Rock asks Takenaka if he misses Japan, and Takenaka in turn asks why Rock is on his particular path given Japanese citizens' economic comfort and bounty. Rejecting Takenaka's framing, Rock answers that he is not like Takenaka, who was forced to flee Japan due to the Japanese Red Army's terrorist actions.
Speaking seriously, Takenaka tells Rock that he put his life on the line for people's revolution worldwide and left Japan for it, adding that he still has a drive and purpose. In contrast, he claims that Rock has no purpose and says that that is the only difference between them. Angrily interrupting them, Ibraha yells at them and says that they are just conversing. Putting his pistol to Rock's head, Ibraha again orders Rock to tell him where the documents are. Back in the jungle, Leigharch stops the car since Revy and Shenhua decide that they will travel on foot from there. Narrowing his eyes, Takenaka tells Rock about a story of a man who continued to fight for what he believed in despite many of his friends quitting the fight due to burnout. He then says that a child asked the man why he still continued to fight despite no one heeding his words, and the man responded that his entire life would be a lie if he quit his passion to risk his life for what he believed in.
Getting up from his chair, Takenaka apologizes to Rock for steering the conversation elsewhere, telling Ibraha that there is no use in interrogating Rock since he is not a soldier, adding that they can shoot Rock if he does not talk by morning. Angered, Ibraha sternly reminds Takenaka that their plan is hanging by a thread based on the status of the documents, but Takenaka tells him to calm down since Rock's friend will probably come back to save him and possibly reveal the documents' whereabouts. Just outside the enemy camp, Revy and Shenhua observe the obstacles and soldiers to determine the proper attack, and they agree to attack once the sun sets. As they leave together, Shenhua jokes that she will cut off part of the foul-mouthed Revy's buttocks when they are done.
Notes[]
- In the North American (English) version of this chapter, Shenhua tells Revy that she is a [Chinese] mainlander. In the original Japanese version, Shenhua specifically describes herself using the term honshoujin (Chinese: 本省人 benshengren), which refers to Taiwanese people whose ancestors migrated from mainland China and settled on the island of Taiwan prior to or during Japanese colonization of the island.