Episode 4

**Fire the Smoke Signal** (狼煙をあげろ, *Noroshi o Agero*) is the fourth episode of the *Dr. Stone* anime.

## Summary

Senku, Taiju, and Yuzuriha arrive at Mt. Hakone in search of weapons of science. In order to fight against Tsukasa, they use sulfur to create gunpowder. The group accidentally causes an explosion, creating a smoke signal. This signal is returned, indicating nearby humans.

Tsukasa arrives, having seen the signal, and takes Yuzuriha hostage. Senku provides Tsukasa the Revival Fluid to set her free, but refuses to revoke science when demanded, recalling his life as a child learning about science. Tsukasa decides to kill Senku, perceiving him as a threat to his goals.

## Plot Details

Sitting in the hot springs separated by a fence, Yuzuriha asks Taiju what he was going to say on that day 3,700 years ago. Taiju replies that he couldn't live with himself if he revealed it now in the Stone World. He asks Yuzuriha to wait until they have rebuilt civilization and she agrees that they will save humanity.

    The next day, Senku gathers the three materials needed to make gunpowder and now all they need to mix it. Ingredient one is sulfur, which is plentiful at the hot spring. The second ingredient is charcoal, which can easily be made by burning wood. The last and most difficult ingredient is potassium nitrate but Senku made some ahead of time. Taiju recognizes nitrate from the miracle fluid they make. To make viable gunpowder, they need to mix the ingredients with a pinch of sugar.

Taiju prepares to pound the mixture with a large rock to finish the process, but Yuzuriha is concerned it may cause an explosion. Senku reassures her that stone on stone won't cause an explosion, but flint and stone will, only to remind himself of the iron present in the pyrite boulder Taiju is using. Everyone moves in time to avoid the detonation and Senku calls this test a resounding success.

    Yuzuriha asks if they plan on using gunpowder to fight Tsukasa, but Senku replies that he plans to bargain with him. Senku plans on killing Tsukasa if negotiations fall through and Tsukasa plans on killing the former if he's already made gunpowder. Senku laments over having likely revealed their location due to the smoke from the explosion. However, Yuzuriha points out a responding smoke signal in the distance, which has undoubtedly been lit by other humans.

Senku is faced with the choice of putting out the fire to conceal their location or lighting it to reveal themselves to potential allies. The young scientist goes with his gut and chooses the future by relighting the smoke signal.

Tsukasa rushes through the forest chasing after Senku's trail. He knows Senku withheld the fourth usage for seashell powder as a safety precaution. He eventually stumbles upon the smoke signal and finds Yuzuriha soon after. Tsukasa takes the girl hostage and confronts Senku, demanding he stops tainting the world by reviving weapons of science.

    Senku taunts him for being so gracious about this death sentence, but Tsukasa says he needs to know the recipe for the miracle fluid first. Senku tries to bluff as if he doesn't care for the girl, but Tsukasa abruptly cuts her hair and tells him to stop stalling. Tsukasa called his bluff because he knows the most logical thing would've been to bury Yuzuriha while she was petrified. He claims victory because Senku has people he holds dear, while Tsukasa thinks no human precious.

Yuzuriha suddenly points Tsukasa's blade to herself and begs Senku not to reveal the recipe. Rather than allowing the girl to come to harm, Senku reluctantly reveals the recipe for the miracle fluid. Tsukasa no longer has a reason to keep Senku alive, but promises to spare him if he sacrifices science for the rest of his life.

     Senku recalls learning about science and how it connected him to his best friends from childhood, Taiju and Yuzuriha. With those memories weighing on his heart, Senku replies that giving up science is the one thing he could never do. Disappointed, Tsukasa promises to give Senku a merciful death and even says they could've been friends if not for the circumstances. Taiju returns to the scene too late and sees his best friend slain.

## Characters

MAIN:

* Senku Ishigami
* Yuzuriha Ogawa
* Taiju Oki

ANTAGONISTS:

* Tsukasa Shishio

DEBUT:

* Mecha Senku

CAMEO:

* Byakuya Ishigami
* Kohaku

## Anime to Manga Differences

* There's no recap on what happened so far in the anime.
* There's an additional scene in the anime where Taiju becomes a cameraman.
* A panel of showing bombed Tsukasa in Yuzuriha's imagination is omitted in the anime.
* The further explanation of the Senku-Tsukasa deal is omitted in the anime.
* The side story included in Chapter 9 is omitted in the anime.