Episode 1

**North Gate Smoke Tower** (北口スモークタワー, *Kitaguchi Sumōku Tawā*) is the 1st episode to the IWGP Anime.

## Summary

Drugs are being spread across the city and it's up to Makoto of the G-Boys to personally take of it.

### Plot

Involved in a high-speed car chase, Makoto of the G-Boys and his comrades try and catch a Junkie in a pincer trap, but he manages to escape into the crowd. However, it's there that he realizes that the crowd he tried to hide in was, in fact, all members of the group. Surrounded by the G-Boys, the Junkie once again tries to escape only to be confronted by King, the leader of the group. The Junkie then tries to attack King with a knife, but King immediately incapacitates him. Makoto then arrives at the scene out of breath and King praises him for a job well done. On the other hand, Makoto reproves King calling him by his formal name Takashi stating that he always steals the best part away from him.

Working at his mother's produce store, Takashi's car pulls up in front of Makoto as he cleans the fruit. From the car exits Takashi, Hiroto, an unnamed woman, and a young girl named Mion Kurashina. Apparently, the young girl has a connection with the junkie they encountered the other day. Makoto's mother, Ritsuko then appears and after wiping the dirty smugs off of Mion's face allows Makoto to do his business with Takashi. That settled with, Makoto takes Mion to a Ramen shop called Nao Ramen. After being served their food, to which, both Takashi and Makoto's meals are rather unorthodox for a ramen shop. The background of the G-Boys is explained to Mion, Makoto asks what ails her. During her response, she starts crying and Takashi details that Mion tried to set fire to the North Gate Smoke Tower. Hiroto chimes in detailing that the buildings adjacent to the gate do drug deals and recently it has caused havoc in parts around the town. Furthermore, the Junkie that was taken out the other day was high on the drug. Also, Mion's mother was hit by another junkie's car, causing her to be hospitalized. Makoto then inquires if Mion has a father, to which, she answers no and states that her mother tirelessly works to make ends meet. Going as far as to work on Sundays and Holidays. Takashi then gives Makoto an official request and that's to drive North Gate Smoke Tower out of Ikebukuro.

Separating from Takashi; Mion and Makoto eventually, meet with the Ikebukuro police chief Reiichirō Yokoyama at a fancy restaurant. It's there that Reiichirō details a new type of drug circulating the market. Because of the intricacies of banning drugs on the market, it's next to impossible to do it with that drug. There's also the dealers' way of exploiting loopholes and how dealers find clever new ways to push their drugs on the market. Left with no other alternative, Makoto decides to visit the HQ himself and see if he can find any evidence there. Though problematically, Mion decides to tag along as well, much to Makoto's annoyance and she refuses to back down.

Both Mion and Makoto enter the building and take an elevator to the floor where the drug dealers' office is. The dealers' office is disguised as a herb, spice, and essential oils shop called the Menthe. Inside of the store looks normal as do the customers, which is stated by Mion. Makoto then details that they're plenty of stores that aren't involved with drugs being spread around the city. It would have been a fatal mistake had Mion been successful in setting fire to the building as innocent lives could have been lost. An employee approaches them and Mion snaps by throwing an expensive bottle at the person. Shocked, the employee proclaims that the bottle Mion broke was an expensive bottle of herbs and the two are then chased out of the store.

Outside of the building, they manage to lose the pursuer, and are approached by an old policeman named Yoshioka. He's introduced to Mion and gives his sympathies to Mion for what happened to her mother, stating that he's wanted to do something with the shop for a while now. Although Yoshioka cannot give any information on the case to outsiders, he at least gives the name of the owner, Ohkoshi. With that, he leaves the two as Mion thanks Yoshioka for his help.

Afterward, Makoto and Mion visit a hack by the name of Zero-One who discloses information he's found on Ohkoshi. It's stated that Wednesday is the day where sales are at their lowest; supposedly it's when Ohkoshi closes shop early for an inventory check or to attend a meeting. For some time, Ohkoshi was being tailed by various members of the G-Boys, including Hiroto who divulges his findings to Makoto. One particular find is that Ohkoshi visits an apartment every other day and when he doesn't visit it, his partner does.

Eventually, Mion, Makoto, Takahashi, and Hiroto visit the apartment, but Makoto states that Mion should stay behind. Takahashi also has Hiroto stay behind while both he and Makoto investigate the apartment. Inside the said apartment, they find enough evidence to implicate Ohkoshi on drug charges. Just then, Ohkoshi's partner is spotted heading toward the apartment, notably early as stated by Hiroto. Taking action, Mion attacks Ohkoshi's Partner diverting his attention and making him chase her until he finally catches her. Calling out to Makoto, he appears and knocks out Ohkoshi's Partner.

Soon after this incident, a G-Boy member planted some drugs at the store, which lead to the arrest of Ohkoshi and his partner. Furthermore, the shop was closed and Smoke Tower disappeared from Ikebura, case closed. Mion and her mother who was released from the hospital visit Makoto and give their thanks to him. Takahashi also there, Makoto states that Ohkoshi was backed by some dangerous organizations. On the other hand, Takahashi believes they wouldn't go out of their way to get revenge on them. As Makoto details that Ohkoshi's Partner had a Kansai accent, they were being watched by an unknown person.

## Characters

* Makoto Majima
* Takashi Ando
* Mion Kurashina
* Hiroto Ikekuchi
* Ritsuko Majima
* Reiichirō Yokoyama
* Ohkoshi
* Yoshioka
* Zero-One