The Town at Rock Bottom

どん底の街
(Donzoko no Machi)

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Chapter 2: Bloody Reunion	Chapter 4: The Dragon of Yokohama

The Town at Rock Bottom (どん底の街, Donzoko no Machi) is the third chapter of Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

Plot[]

Kasuga wakes up from a pile of trash and missing his shirt. Suddenly, a man appears and tells him that he'll survive from the bullet wound and that he should go home. The man tells Kasuga that he is currently in Isezaki Ijincho in Yokohama, and had found him three days ago. The man who stitched Kasuga's wound using a fishing line tells him he tended to him because he did not want media or police around in the event he died.

Reluctantly, the man lets Kasuga stay because he still needs to rest for a few days and introduces himself as Nanba. Nanba tells Kasuga that he will have to start earning and that he will need permission of the Chief in order to stay at this settlement. Nanba then shows Kasuga a technique to make money which unlocks the Treasure Hunt ability.

After checking the vending machines, Kasuga reports back to the camp where he meets the Chief for the first time. With the Chief's permission, he is finally allowed to stay in the camp. The Chief gives him permission to stay or leave once he is healed. Nanba suggests that the next morning at 5:30 AM they go and collect cans, Kasuga agrees to see this out.

The following morning Kasuga wakes up and goes with Nanba on a can collecting mission. They meet up with Kan, starting the substory A Can-Do Attitude. Afterwards, Kasuga returns to camp where Nanba compassionately decides to share his food with Kasuga. After enjoying a bread roll, Kasuga is surprised to see that a debt collector named Zheng is coming around to collect fees from the homeless in this area. Nanba tries to hide Kasuga in a box as to not make him pay the fee, but Zheng and his underling find him.

Nanba and Kasuga team up to take on Zheng, and after defeating him, he tries to intimidate them as a member of Yokohama Liumang, but Kasuga is aware that his threats are empty from his knowledge of gang operations and hierarchies. However, the Chief disproves of their actions and threatens to throw the both of them out of the encampment. Nanba then explains to Kasuga that the city is split up by the Ijin Three; the Yokohama Liumang, the Seiryu Clan, and the Geomijul. The Seiryu Clan is independent from the Omi Alliance, and Ijincho is the only place that the Omi cannot breach due to the Ijin Three's "Great Wall of Muscle," but there is a cold war between the three.

Though he is safe from the Omi there, Kasuga does not want to remain at the camp. Nanba presses Kasuga's chest wound to show he is in no shape to be moving around, causing controversy when the others see Kasuga find a 10,000 yen bill in his chest pocket. They see it is not real money, avoiding a riot at the camp, but Nanba sees the watermark and notes it is a counterfeit bill. Fearing that Kasuga will cause trouble, one of the homeless wants him out, but Nanba points out that the bill does not have a bullet hole through it, meaning it was placed in Kasuga's pocket be someone else after he was shot.

Kasuga considers his options for pay, and realizes he may find a job at Hello Work. He tries to rally the homeless to accompany him in getting a job, but Nanba admonishes him and explains that many people did not make the choice to live here. While Hello Work could be a solution to some, Nanba explains the various reasons why this isn't a solution to everyone. He does that there is he is felon who is inspired by Kasuga's speech, and decides to join his party. Party Chats become available.

At Hello Work, Kasuga gets an interview that he finds difficult because he cannot provide any addresses, and Ririka states she cannot give them work. Nanba has the same issue, and they are approached by a man in the office. This man tells them there is a potential job for them at The Harbor Light for ¥5,000, though he in unsure what the job entails. Ririka approaches the man, Director Shuichi Kanbe, and tells him that he is not following protocol, but he mentions that he is just trying to help.

Kasuga needs to go to the bar to see what is going on. Upon arriving at the bar, Hamako says that she is looking for a few men to serve as guards. She tells Kasuga that for years they have been getting their electricity stolen by the Geomijul. Nanba goes on to explain that the Geomijul are extremely dangerous and that there is no way to easily recognize them in public. Hamako explains that she cut the cord and that as a result the Geomijl threw a brick through their window requesting them to return the power tonight. Kasuga says that he is willing to help out the mama of this bar and will serve as a guard, much to Nanba's dismay.

While waiting in the bar, Kasuga thinks he sees someone on the outside, but Nanba thinks he is overreacting. However, Matsuo walks in with a sledgehammer and attempts to break things. Kasuga chases down Matsuo who says he was paid one million yet to try to destroy the bar. After defeating Matsuo, Kasuga tries to get more information from him, and says he should ask "the bitch" if he wants to know more and is interrupted by a volley of arrows being fired at them.

As Matsuo escapes, Kasuga and Nanba realize that the man was a member of the Geomijul. Across the street, Nanba realizes that there is a sniper trying to attack them. Kasuga and Nanba decide that they have to make some kind of stand. Kasuga takes this upon himself to expose himself and challenges the Geomijl loudly and openly, telling them to stop stealing electricity forom the bar as it is close to closing down. The sniper takes a shot at Kasuga that grazes his cheek as the scene then de-escalates. Nanaba is impressed by Kasuga's actions.

The two then return back to the bar where both the Mama and Hamako are extremely delighted by the work of their guards. They reveal that they have received a call from Matsuo who says to not worry about restoring the cable and that the issue seems settled. They are then rewarded with ¥5,000. While Nanba is frustrated, Hamako guarantees to give the duo some more work in the future if they come by her place, and tells Kasuga to wear the name "Ichiban" with pride. Afterwards, the duo returns to the camp for some rest.

The following morning, Kasuga and Nanba decide to head over to Hamako's restaurant which is located on Sunrise Street. As the two start to clean Hamako's place, outside there is a protest led by Sota Kume, the president of Yokohama's chapter of Bleach Japan, an NPO founded by Tokyo governor Ryo Aoki 14–15 years prior. They are protesting against prostitution existing in Yokohama. Hamako confronts the protestors on their assumptions that they are making about the workers that she employs. During the confrontation, Kume asks if there could be any child who was comfortable being raised by a whore and Kasuga interjects that this was something that he did not mind, and feigns throwing soiled tissues at them to make them leave.

Hamako states Bleach Japan had started protesting in Ijincho 2–3 years ago, and now they are marching almost weekly, which resulted in many gray-zone establishments being shut down. She states she is protecting her workers, who are descendants of illegal immigrants and thus do not have Japanese citizenships. Kume returns with a group of hooligans whom he claims are looking to eat at the restaurant, but are really just there to intimidate Hamako and start a fight.

After defeating the hooligans, Hamako offers to give Nanba and Kasuga a room to stay at her place. She promises them a right of residence which would also benefit her since she leases the building, which she cannot do with her illegal immigrant workers. This allows her to benefit if Bleach Japan tries to get her evicted. After the two move in and are celebrated, Nanba reveals that while he was a nurse he started smuggling drugs out of his hospital to sell to people, including overseas. The two continue having a heartfelt conversation for the rest of the night, with Kasuga stating he wanted to be a video game hero when he grew up, then they get pumped up about the future and creating a new age of heroes.

In another area, Matsuo is apparently being interrogated by a Geomijul member with a crossbow. Matsuo is begging for his life, but he is quickly disposed of.