Is that so?
You have a theme to work on now?
He knows what to work on now?
Baki Hanma...
Whether you've got the theme or not.
Whether you're asleep or awake.
It doesn't change the fact you're a giant monster to me!
Well, then.
Guess it's time to get to it.
Time to slay the monster.
I say, "slay the monster,"
but this ain't martial arts I'm doing.
I'm making it look like I'll throw an uppercut,
and in reality, I'm actually throwing an uppercut.
For a super-top-class master martial artist like Baki,
I bet this fight is so boring that it would make him yawn.
Sorry, Baki.
But ya know...
But ya know, Baki, I hope you understand.
This here fight of ours,
is different from fights between master martial artists like you.
It's not about beating or being beaten.
The fight between us
will only end when one of us admits defeat.
There are times,
even when you're standing over your fallen opponent,
when you can still lose.
That's what it means to settle our fight.
Baki, don't say a thing and--
Chiharu, thank you. I'm honored to learn from you.
Stretching before a fight is so unlike you.
I'll show you the Chiharu Shiba.
Me?
Is that okay?
I want to fight like Chiharu Shiba.
Now, now, now.
Don't go pulling my leg.
If I were you,
I'd fight like Baki Hanma.
I'd like to do that too.
That would be easiest for me.
But...
But that wouldn't settle this, no matter how many times I defeat you.
Until you're killed... no, even after you're dead, you'd still put up a fight.
You think you can...
You punk,
you fuckin' think you can fight like me?!
Yeah, I can.
You bastard...
I can, Chiharu.
You bet I can.
Why, you ask?
Chiharu, you see...
I admire you.
Baki...
See?
Bet you didn't expect me to be so good at it.
It's the "Chiharu way."
Don't hold back on the onset.
Don't wait until the arm is fully stretched out.
At the max point of impact,
make contact with absolute precision.
That's the so-called, "Chiharu way."
A constitution that's ordinary, but a psyche like steel.
But Chiharu's "steel" was starting to crack.
An average black belt doesn't even compare to you.
Through sheer fighting spirit...
Just on feeling alone, you can climb to great heights, to a new state of mind.
As if you're lifting yourself up all on your own.
Still, the sacrifice was worth it.
In exchange for the damage to my face, I've taken your right hand and left leg.
Chiharu, why don't we stop this?
There's no need to destroy your remaining left hand.
Baki.
You said you were gonna show me the Chiharu Shiba.
You want to show me the Chiharu way, isn't that right?
Your final answer...
Show me.
Taking hits with one's weakest point is the Chiharu way.
You know where I'm aiming for, don't you?
Try and take it!
The both of them had the other...
on the ropes.
Don't miss, Chiharu.
This ain't my first rodeo.
It isn't exposing one's weakness.
In fact, it's the Chiharu Shiba way to use that weakness as a weapon.
Your face, where soft nose, lips and cheeks coexist,
is being attacked by a hard, tough fist.
Then give them what they want.
Meet the strong point with your weak point.
Then crush their confidence.
Your injured right arm
is targeted by a kick trained to be hard as steel.
Then welcome it.
Let them smash into it until they are satisfied.
Transforming weak points into weapons is the Chiharu Shiba way.
That Chiharu way now had Chiharu Shiba himself on the ropes.
You lie.
Chiharu Shiba has never once poked someone's eyes out.
Aiming for vital spots is the martial arts way.
Therefore, the Chiharu way is the exact opposite.
Your way isn't a martial art.
There's no way you could do that.
Poking your fingers into the eyeballs, the ultimate vital spot.
That's something that must never occur in Chiharu Shiba's life.
Chiharu, poke good and straight.
Eye-poking is a high-level skill.
Your opponent moves at will,
yet your target is a mere two or three centimeters in size.
It's as difficult as simultaneously catching two flies buzzing in the air.
There's no way you could ever do it.
I'll poke my eyes into your two fingers.
All you gotta do is thrust your arm out straight.
I'll twist your fingers with my eyeballs.
There's no takin' it back.
The shame you've caused...
All the big talk...
We have no choice but to move forward.
Our only path now is to do this.
Later, Chiharu Shiba recounted what happened.
He said he never had any intention of crushing Baki's eyes.
He was going to make a fist just before he struck.
But in reality, was there even enough time for that?
Ultimate move: unleashed.
Shall we call this the "Cockroach Dash"?
So, what will you do?
Since you're still inexperienced, this will surely happen to you.
When you're struck and your brain is shaken,
it cannot be stopped with half measures.
If you just wait, then it can take five or even ten minutes to recover.
You are at the mercy of your opponent.
So, what will you do?
It goes without saying,
if you cannot wait, then you go and meet it.
Do you understand, Retsu?
To stop something from shaking, you must shake with it.
You meet it yourself.
Open your ears.
Listen to your brain.
Pay attention to its shaking.
What is the right timing to meet you?
If you screw this up,
you'll never stand up again.
Meet the damage!
I welcome you, damage.
He stood up? Fine.
That's fine. That's fine too.
It doesn't change anything.
Isn't this where you give me advice?
I only know about boxing.
I can't advise you on something that's not boxing.
This is pathetic, but I don't even know what the heck's going on in the ring.
I have no idea how you're able to fight, how you're dodging,
or even how you got back up.
They're the same.
No matter what kind of moves I use,
I am still only using my two fists.
That is the Western kung fu you know so well, boxing.
It's ridiculous that a second is getting advice from his boxer.
Please give me advice!
Huh?
Give it everything you've...
Watch out!
That is enough.
Use everything that I've got.
That is accurate advice.
I will follow it. Accept it with gratitude.
Only the lazy think they've already used everything they've got.
Once more.
In fact, now's the time
to use everything I have
as if it's the first time!
That is...
how to repay my coach!
At last.
This is starting to look more like boxing.
Whoa! Joe is down!
Cruiser's been knocked down!
Seriously?!
My own boxer brought Joe to his knees!
Now that Joe has gotten back up,
that's when...
Fight!
...boxing goes beyond the realm of sports.
You can't call it a game anymore.
There it is! He's covering his eyes!
You certainly are sweating a lot.
How come?
The genius fighter Retsu, you can't even land a single punch.
Why can't you defeat me, an old man who's only using jumping techniques?
I haven't lost!
But you can't win either.
Do you understand?
When someone attacks from above,
all you can do is defend against them.
He's coming from overhead! And he's spinning!
Watch out for a wounded Joe.
Boxing is a fight to the death.
Okay, Joe?
Okay.
Fight!
From here on, it's a fight to the death.
The energy that Joe has left is on the verge of flickering out.
Now's my chance!
That hit home.
That too. That too.
The end... it's close.
Look!
Joe's not dead yet!
Danger!
Into the air!
He hit him in the air!
What incredible perseverance.
His body must have taken serious damage!
So this... this is Smoking Joe!
That's right.
This guy, he's Smoking Joe, dammit!
It's Smoking Joe.
I have no choice.
The secret attack I intended to hold back for a more difficult fight,
I must now
release it!
Go forward.
Even just a little bit.
The philtrum.
When struck directly by a fist,
it is a tender area, as it serves as a junction of facial nerves.
A surefire vital spot.
A spot that can leave the victim comatose or even dead.
It can paralyze all four limbs and cease all movement.
Seriously?!
You won! Yes!
How mysterious...
Awesome! You're so damn awesome!
You defeated a real heavyweight!
I saw my dead dad for the first time in a long time.
We were enjoying our long chat, and the match had ended.
It's thanks to you that I was able to have a long talk with him.
Smoking Joe, you're wrong.
You're not the loser.
That move that I used, it's...
It's the champ!
It's Bolt!
Champ!
The champ is congratulating Retsu!
This man is number one in the boxing world.
At the top of this world.
Thanks for what you did, Chiharu.
Naw.
Not only did I not win, I couldn't even fight back.
It was a cycle of getting beaten then challenging him again.
We fought a total of four times.
I didn't have a chance in a million of winning.
You couldn't even touch him?
No, he let me have quite a few punches.
Especially the third time, I got in some good ones.
Then you did fight back.
Naw, that was, y'know, special.
It was just luck.
It counts even if he was caught off guard.
You think so?
So, how did you lose?
ICE PACK
Eyes? His eyes?
Yes, his eyes.
I had my two fingers out like this,
and he rammed into them with his eyeballs.
Maybe it wasn't his eyes?
No, it was his eyes.
Chiharu, could you do the same thing?
No, I couldn't.
Why?
What? My eyes would get crushed!
You're afraid of losing your sight?
To be honest, it'd be rough. I couldn't blind myself willingly.
So, something that Chiharu Shiba can't do,
Baki Hanma managed to.
So, I'm not saying this 'cause I'm sore about losing.
But it seems to me that when he did that,
he knew that his eyes wouldn't be crushed.
At least, I think so.
Fingers jamming into the eyes wouldn't crush them?
I mean, what if you went at a totally superfast speed
and totally rammed your eyes right into somebody's fingers?
If it was just fingers, then, y'know...
I think it just might work.
And what kind of speed was it?
As fast as a bullet train, maybe?
A bullet train?
I can't believe he believes me.