Episode 20 The Unvanquished

## Chronology

**The Unvanquished** is the twentieth episode of the *Banana Fish* anime.

## Synopsis

Eiji, Sing, and Cain rescue Ash, though multiple members of their gangs are captured and held hostage in the ensuing escape. Ash retreats to the American Museum of Natural History, where he kidnaps Yut-Lung and exchanges him for the hostages.

## Summary

Yut and Blanca are present at Golzine’s party that includes high up politicians. Golzine himself enters to applause in the room with a wheelchair bound Ash. Yut approaches along with Blanca to congratulate Golzine for being cleared of tax evasion before having the drink he offers Ash knocked out his hand. Golzine puts this down to him being a wild beast who cannot see on account of the drugging Ash has had inflicted upon him.

Eiji is with Bones preparing for their rescue attempt as he finalises his disguise. Eiji poses as a waiter having successfully infiltrated the party where he see’s Yut.

Outside, Cain and Sing are with gang accomplices as they make their way to the party. With everything ready, Eiji resolves to set Ash free and he draws a gun as Sing and his gang break into the room firing rounds of bullets. Eiji is close by and holds Golzine at gun point. Yut who is covered by Blanca amongst the chaos orders him to kill Eiji seeing that he has Golzine at his mercy.

In response, Golzine puts a knife to Ash’s throat and Eiji is paralysed with indecisiveness. Sing shoots a thug aiming at Eiji, and Ash recognising Eiji’s voice takes this chance to elbow Golzine in the face. Sing then commands Eiji to shoot to which Yut identifies a face covered Sing by his voice. Eiji indeed takes the shot hitting Golzine in the shoulder. He then helps Ash get away to Cain who has the way out whilst Sing gives the order to shoot the place up. The combined forces successfully rescue and retreat with Ash.

In the aftermath Yut apologises to Golzine since some of the assailants were his men. Golzine assures them he does not doubt there friendship, amongst shattered glasses and other materials destroyed in the gunfire.

Alone, Yut rounds on Blanca feeling he let him hire him just so that Blanca could in fact protect Ash under the pretence of defending Yut. Despite such thoughts their contract remains to help capture Ash with a new clause of exterminating the backstabbers.

Outside, Golzine’s men pursue cars though in reality Ash, Eiji, Sing ad other members have escaped via a manhole to the sewers. Eiji watches over Ash on a run down train carriage with Sing, Cain and Lao present as well. When Ash regains consciousness, though told by Sing that the place is secure, Ash and Eiji leave together.

With Sing, Lao is still under the impression that Ash killed Shorter to get his hands on downtown territory and Sing, impatient explains they support Ash because he’s the only one who can keep downtown together, that without him there would be another Arthur with more senseless killings.

Together Ash and Eiji rest by a fire in an abandoned underground subway. Eiji prepares him canned soup which Ash tells him food hasn’t tasted this good in a long time. Ash thanks Eiji for saving him and though they discuss how the rescue was a success, Ash feels staying here is dangerous. Nevertheless Ash trusts Eiji’s thoughts and together they discuss matters.

Golzine, Yut, and Blanca continue searching for the assailants. Golzine muses it’s too bad they lost Arthur as he was a great help at times like these. As they all wonder where Ash could have escaped to, Blanca asks what the marks are on the map they are surveying. Upon hearing that they are entrances to the sewer system and that the main sewerage runs underneath them, Blanca smiles to himself contently.

Kong and Alex arrive at Sing’s hideout to enquire about Ash though he arrives back in person to berate them for all gathering in one place. Aware they are all essentially trapped underground, Ash orders them all to arm themselves and they have to get out now.

Though they manage to equip guns they are all immediately set upon by the sudden arrival of heavily armed men wearing gas masks and Ash tells them all to run for the north sewer. That too is a trap and with heavy fire on both sides and tear gas used, everyone retreats where they can. Sing takes Alex and jumps alongside Lao, whilst one of Cain’s men uncovers a manhole to a deeper part of the sewer where they manage to descend to. This is a new section of the sewer for all of them though they soon hear voices behind them. Ash decides he will lead their pursuers down another passageway so that the rest can escape. Upon hearing that, Eiji tells Cain to look after Ash for him as Eiji himself runs to be the distraction.

Ash yells for him to come back as Bones and Kong run after Eiji. Ash is knocked unconscious with Cain saying they can’t have Ash die on them, better Eiji than him. Eyes closed, Eiji fires his bullets telling Bones and Kong they need to lead the pursuers as far away as they can. Ash is weak in his current state and this is the only way to save him.

Yut and Blanca are being driven together where Blanca assures him that Yut is his master.

Ash awakens in Cain’s hideout; he is kept tied so he can rest in his weakened state. Cain is now directly involved in this war against the Corsican mafia and they need Ash in order to win, though Ash managing to free himself has other plans in mind.

Yut’s receives a call from his men saying they have found Ash Lynx, he is heading west on 159th street as they see Ash running along the streets. Yut orders them to catch Ash before Golzine does. Yut answers Blanca that he does intend to co-operate, just that he will have the upper hand over Golzine if he catches Ash alive. Blanca asks if he doesn’t intend to coexist with the monsieur Golzine, to which Yut replies of course not. There is no way they could and Yut is aware Golzine understands that well enough, too.

As Ash fires into the henchman following him in cars, Blanca listen patiently as Yut explains how he desires Ash in the fight against Golzine for his own mafia expansion purposes. Yut notes Ash as an excellent fighter that he, Blanca has trained.

Yut hears how Ash has hidden himself in the museum of natural history. Arriving, Ash ambushes Yut’s men with gun fire and Blanca is aware that Ash is trying to buy time by drawing attention to himself on purpose. Blanca explains that this plan means that Eiji must still be underground. Though Blanca advises they wait until either Ash comes out or they have captured his friends, Yut wants to storm the place anticipating that Golzine will be here soon as well.

With both knife and gun, Ash dispatches the men sent in to get him, and though Yut’s plan failed on this front, he hears that Ash’s friends have been found underground. Blanca tells Yut they have fallen into Ash’s trap to instil panic in the men sent after him and tells Yut to stay close to him.

Eiji, Kong and Bones are against the sewer wall with guns pointed at them. Sing, Lao and Alex are brought as well having been captured too. Lao head-butts one of their captors in anger and tells Sing to run kicking him into the running water below.

Yut, Blanca and the men stationed outside the museum come under sudden attack from a drive by shooting from Cain and his gang members. Ash manages to take Yut hostage and with that Cain on the other side orders the surrounded men to line up. This scenario is matched with the arrival of a truck with Alex, Bones, Kong, Lao and Eiji pushed out. With hostages on either side, Ash keeps his in Yut and tells Cain to leave for “rat’s hall.” He shouts to Blanca that he will be in the Hall of Ocean Life if he’s ready to talk.

Blanca is ready and tells Eiji he is coming with him. Under the body of a blue whale sculpture, Ash sets the terms to swap all of the hostages Blanca has for Yut. Ash makes it clear it will not end well for Yut if anything were to happen to his friends. When Ash tells Blanca is was him who taught him about torture methods, Blanca accepts the terms.

In his office, Golzine is informed that his men have found the Chinese, but not Ash.

Blanca counts down from three before Eiji, Alex, Kong and Bones run. Ash releases Yut and with hostages all released, Blanca instantly shoots Ash whilst he in turn throws the knife he was holding into Blanca’s shooting arm at which point Ash escapes as well.

Yut and Blanca are concerned for one another before they see that Golzine has arrived at the scene. He declares that Yut should leave Ash to him.

## Characters

* Blanca
* Yut-Lung
* Dino Golzine
* Ash Lynx
* Eiji Okumura
* Bones
* Sing Soo-Ling
* Cain Blood
* Lao Yen Tai
* Alex
* Kong
* Wu
* Gregory
* Frederick Arthur Mentioned by Dino Golzine

## Gallery

*Main Article: Episode 20 The Unvanquished/Image Gallery*

## Trivia

* "The Unvanquished" is a novel by William Faulkner.

## References

* Manga Vol 14
* Manga Vol 15