Chapter 23

**The Smooth Talker** (ペラッペラな男 (おとこ) , *Perappera na Otoko*) is the twenty-third chapter of the Dr. Stone manga.

## Summary

Jasper reports to Chief Kokuyo about his daughter Kohaku distributing the foxtail ramen made by Senku Ishigami in their village and asks if they can go eat the exotic dish as well but the chief immediately forbids it. Ruri worries about her sister and wonders just what she has gotten up to with the new outsider. Meanwhile, Senku distributes the ramen to the villagers who all look on in awe at this amazing new food, once they all try it they are overjoyed at the new taste and are left incredibly impressed at Senku. Chrome offers bowls of the ramen to Kinro and Ginro as well but despite the latter being sorely tempted, his brother pulls him back and refuses the food saying sentries have no business accepting food.

Senku overhears one of the customers saying they would love to have some cola to go with the ramen and realises with a jolt that none of the villagers would know about cola. Noticing his abrupt change in expression Kohaku asks Senku if he is friends with the customer to which he responds that he isn't. Kohaku bows to Kinro and Ginro and tells them that an enemy is present and the trio spring into action to surround the customer with their weapons pointed at him. The customer smirks at this and Kohaku asks him to identify himself and if he serves Tsukasa and the customer responds that he has been all alone ever since he broke out of the stone. Upon seeing the customer more closely, Senku recognises him as Gen Asagiri, calling him a magician who wrote a poor book on psychology. Gen is pleased to be recognised but asks Senku to call him a 'mentalist' instead.

Nonchalantly apologising for sneaking some ramen, Gen hands his bowl to Ginro and noting his demeanor Kohaku deduces that Gen is lying to them. Senku looks on attentively as Gen says he had merely been looking around for his lunch for the day when he had caught the familiar aroma of ramen and hurried over. Telling gen that he will accept this story for the time being, Senku says that no lunch comes free and tells him there is plenty of work to be done by those who enjoyed the ramen. Gen assumes this only means cleaning up the dishes but is shocked as he finds he has to help out at the new and improved version of the iron forge. Oiut of breath and struggling, Gen is asked by Senku about how Taiju and Yuzuriha are doing, but Gen quickly sidesteps the topic, saying Senku is brave to attempt to outsmart a mentalist in such a manner. Senku stares at him with unamusement. Gen smirks evilly and adds that both are doing just fine, especially Taiju with his great stamina. immediately, Kohaku readies her weapon, seeing that he is indeed working with Tsukasa.

Kohaku asks if she should kill the mentalist or not but Senku tells her to wait, and asks Gen why he let it slip that he was working with Tsukasa when he had been on to them from the beginning. Gen replies that he initially had no doubts that Tsukasa's Empire would win and he had merely been assigned to scout out the village to confirm Senku's death, but that the dynamic changed when he saw Senku was working to create iron. Saying that he could now simply lie and say he had only found a primitive settlement, Gen says it does not matter to him whether Tsukasa or Senku die and that he always picked the winning horse, no matter who he had to cut loose. Gen tells Senku he is at a loss for which side to pick, asking whether Tsukasa's Empire or Senku's Kingdom of Science would win and Senku confidently responds that it will be the Kingdom of Science, as Chrome holds up a successfully smelted rod of iron.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Kokuyo
* Jasper
* Beryl
* Ruri
* Suika
* Senku Ishigami
* Shovel
* Ganen
* Ruby
* Kohaku
* Chrome
* Ginro
* Kinro
* Gen Asagiri

## Chapter Notes

* Ramen is served to the villagers.
	+ Kokuyo prevents anyone in the chief's household from going.
* Gen appears.
* Everyone who ate ramen is forced to work the iron forge's bellows.
* Senku interrogates Gen about the state of the Tsukasa Empire.
* Gen ponders which side to join.