An Office Man's Tactics

An Office Man's Tactics
Episode 26, OVA 2
Title	An Office Man's Tactics
Release Date	September 30, 2010
Manga Chapters	El Baile de la muerte Part 8 El Baile de la muerte Part 9 El Baile de la muerte Part 10 El Baile de la muerte Part 11 El Baile de la muerte Part 12 El Baile de la muerte Part 13
Episode guide
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An Office Man's Tactics is the twenty-sixth episode of the Black Lagoon anime and the second episode of the Roberta's Blood Trail OVA. It was originally released on September 30, 2010.

Summary

Rock attempts to track down Roberta as she gathers the weapons that she needs to begin her personal war. Meanwhile, Roanapur's crime lords organize a meeting to discuss the delicate situation.

Plot

In Garcia Lovelace's room at Sankan Palace Hotel, Dutch turns down his request to have the Lagoon Company help them look for Roberta in Roanapur. Revy chimes in by reasoning that their maid is going to take on the United States, a battle which they want no part of. Crying, Garcia responds that it is all the more reason to go after her before she stirs up further trouble. Unconcerned, Revy tells him that his tears will not work on her, prompting Fabiola Iglesias to chastise her. Assuring Fabiola that it is okay, Garcia wipes away his tears and accepts their answer, asserting that he and her will look for Roberta on their own. With a solemn expression, Rock remarks that Garcia has truly changed since he last saw him, to which the boy elaborates that he had to grow up after his father died and Roberta disappeared. Hearing Rock's silence, Mister Chang rhetorically asks him if that is all he has to say, reminding him that leaving two children alone in Roanapur is not good. He adds that he would rather have the children leave the situation to the adults while they return to their mansion in Venezuela.

Dutch states that does not sound like the Chang he knows, causing the latter to specify that the presence of Roberta and the U.S. Army would not bode well for Roanapur. The Chinese boss comments that the children made a good pick with Rock because he is part of a neutral party, encouraging him to help them. Contemplating the idea, Rock admits that he could help at least stop Roberta before she clashes with the U.S. Army, but he asks for a bit more time to truly think about it. Preparing to depart, Chang orders the children to leave town by morning if the ex-salaryman does not agree to their mission. Also leaving the hotel, while sitting in Benny's car as he drives, Dutch rhetorically asks Rock if he thinks that he would let him take the job. Reminding him that he is the boss, he orders him to drop out of the job if Roberta starts clashing with the U.S. Army. At the same time, Biu drives Chang and asks if Rock will really take the job. Confident that he will, Chang answers that it is how he thinks.

Walking through town at night, Rock thinks about the city's crime syndicates: the Hong Kong Triad, Hotel Moscow, Cosa Nostra, the Colombian Cartel, and numerous others. He recalls that Roanapur was once a port used during World War II to accommodate the Imperial Japanese Navy, but has since transformed into a center of drug smuggling. At his living place, Rock pulls out a beer can and a map of mainland Southeast Asia. Looking at the map, he throws a dart at the Golden Triangle's center and throws another dart at Roanapur's location in eastern Thailand. Frustrated, Rock wonders where can he intervene to stop the clash, and he begins to rule out factions involved by knowing that the Italians will not get involved. Remembering what Gustavo said about bringing soldiers to Thailand from Colombia, he pulls out another map and deduces that FARC will pursue the maid, framing it as a three-way struggle between Roberta, the U.S. Army, and FARC. Thinking about the military forces, Rock decides to call Dutch while the latter reads some philosophy, particularly Mao Zedong's Little Red Book. He asks Dutch about the circumstances leading to Balalaika being greatly indebted to him. Hearing Rock claim that the story is likely relevant to the search for Roberta, Dutch grabs his bottle of Ardbeg Provenance and agrees to start from the beginning.

Later that night, Rock finishes his call with Dutch as he writes more details on his wall map. Elsewhere, inside the Rip-Off Church chapel, Eda plays poker with Revy and gets a full house, beating the pirate and earning $230. As she takes the money, the nun wonders what she and Rock have been up to. Replying that their new job is rather dangerous, Revy mutters that the problem is the people who the maid is after. Hearing that Revy specifies the target as "Uncle Sam," Eda hides her surprise and asks if she means the U.S. Army. Learning that Roberta wants revenge on the U.S. soldiers for killing her employer, she wonders what the military would possibly be doing in Roanapur, but Revy denies knowing anything. In the early morning, having stayed up all night and smoked and drank heavily, Rock believes that he has thought out every angle of possibility, and he receives a call. Soon, after sunrise, Garcia once again asks Fabiola if she received any calls from Rock. Denying it, Fabiola decides that she will go through town for any other clues on his behalf. As she opens the room door, she sees a happy Rock greeting her. As Benny drives for them, Rock asks why she is looking at him weird, to which the young maid confesses that she thought he would not come.

At the ruins of the Yellow Flag, Bao retorts to Rock that he already told him what he knew when they spoke on the phone. As the other three stand with awkward expressions due to the prostitutes surrounding Bao, Rock asks what happened, to which the bartender points out that Fabiola did damage to the brothel upstairs as well. As she assures Garcia that she tried to engage in peaceful means, the ex-salaryman asks Bao what the maid talked about with him. Refusing to answer, the bartender asserts that he cannot say anything, but he changes his mind upon seeing Rock's expression. Agreeing to his condition to never acknowledge that they conversed, Rock listens to Bao recollect Roberta requesting that she be guided to a store to give her everything necessary for a war. Although he at first turned her down, she broke her tequila bottle and sternly affirmed that she was not joking. Bao then explained that Roberta was chewing down some pills as if they were candy while he attempted to connect her to several suppliers, including Praiyachat, Tou Chi, and Doctor Hartland. Having written down the information in his notes, Rock thanks him and promises to return the favor. At that point, Bao realizes that Revy is not with him and asks where she is, noting that they are always together.

That day, Benny drives the three around town, but they are unable to meet with anyone because the recommended businesses were closed. At sunset, the four go to a market to eat, and Fabiola angrily demands an explanation from Rock concerning all of the businesses being closed. Benny advises her not to get angry because businesses in the city are reasonably skeptical of getting involved in the search for the notorious maid and would not talk to a maid uniform-clad girl and a rich boy. As Garcia politely rejects Fabiola's offer to do more searching the next day, Rock points out that she seems to be unfazed by Roanapur. Eating her food, the girl responds that she grew up in a similar place full of hooligans, and Garcia explicates that she is from the barrios of Caracas. Fabiola claims that the barrios there are slums where people lack addresses and steal their electricity from the electric companies. Not feeling discriminate about her background, Garcia tells her that she is like family now. Thinking about her own family, Fabiola states that there are eleven people in her real family, including herself, and she feels like she must not be a burden by apprenticing for the Lovelace family.

When Rock asks her if she learned her "leg skills" in the barrios, she kicks him as the confused Garcia asks what he means by that. Sighing, Fabiola tells him that her leg movements are capoeira, which she learned by imitating the movements of guys who trained in her neighborhood. Impressed, Garcia asks her to show him some moves sometime, to which she elaborates that she learned it for self-defense in the barrios and wanted to avoid using guns that kill people. To her delight, Garcia agrees and compliments her reasoning. In contrast, Benny responds that such a mindset will not work in Roanapur. Giving them advice, he bluntly tells the children that it is best to shoot without hesitancy and must shoot to kill, causing Garcia to reply that it is a temptation which could lead Fabiola onto the same path as Roberta. Deciding to leave, Benny informs them that the children will be staying at Chang's yacht house since it is a hideout with security guards and a pool. Following him, Rock asks the children to finish their meals first before they come back to the car. Walking with him, he remarks that he never expected Benny to say such things, to which he claims that he does not want to see the children die. Concluding that it is tough to cope with the deaths around oneself, Benny admits that it is why he does not get involved and asks Rock if he can endure it.

Elsewhere, at the Rip-Off Church drawing room, Sister Yolanda learns from Eda about the fighting between the NSA and the CIA. The latter nun states that she may need to utilize the church's intelligence network depending on the U.S. Army's moves. Eda explains that the situation began because of Plan 117, the NSA's intervention in Venezuelan political activity which was carried out without CIA involvement. She also guesses that the NSA intends on broadening their control over espionage missions to take advantage of the CIA's shift to a focus on economic information warfare. Smoking a cigarette, Yolanda jokes that maintaining a big family like the U.S. government is difficult, agreeing to keep track of the Americans in town. Appreciating her help, Eda responds that her boss should get back to her regarding payment and other details. Yolanda then finishes by informing her that Chang of the Triad is leading a Council meeting that night at The Golden Swingin Night Club. At night, Benny drives home and remarks that Fabiola was quite excited about the pool at Chang's yacht house, though he notices that Rock feels gloomy. To the side of them, several cars pass them, with Benny noting that they are mafia cars. Rock rejects the idea that the mafia meeting will determine Roberta's fate, thinking that it will happen far later.

Outside the nightclub, Boris opens the car door for Balalaika, who voluntarily gives up her weapon and heads inside. In the meeting room, Ronnie the Jaws of Cosa Nostra teases her, to which she insults him for his jokes. Though Tommaso is angry with her, Ronnie tells him to calm down, joking that Balalaika is a "country bumpkin" who lacks socialization. Interrupting them, Abrego says that he wants to commence the meeting, with Chang agreeing. Meanwhile, Benny drops off Rock outside the Lagoon Company office, and the ex-salaryman deduces the crime lords' thoughts and moves. In the meeting, Chang relays to the bosses the situation between Roberta and the U.S. Army. Not taking the situation seriously, Ronnie proposes hosting a party for the soldiers, an idea which Balalaika scoffs at. When the infuriated Tommaso orders her to watch her mouth, Chang slams his foot onto the table to nonverbally warn them to stop fighting. The Triad boss informs them that the U.S. Army soldiers are the specific enemy of Roberta, and Abrego tells him that he was ordered to kill the maid to keep his cartel's relations with FARC intact.

Laughing at his eagerness to fight Roberta, Balalaika retorts that the true enemy is the U.S. soldiers, proclaiming that the soldiers want to crush their profitable drug trade and therefore need a swift strike against them. Speaking about Roanapur, Chang recalls that their city became the capital of vice thirty-five years ago, claiming that the only reason that the town has not ended up in international news is because all of the bosses share the same goal of preventing outsider interference. Putting out his cigarette, he reminds them that the city will not stand if they attack each other or attack the foreigners as well, positing that they should wait to make a move until they can figure out if the U.S. soldiers' mission involves interfering in their city. Back at his place, Rock tells himself that the bosses still lack the knowledge of Roberta's whereabouts even though they realize the impending crisis. He becomes stressed out because he himself cannot pinpoint her location either.

In a small room, Roberta prays to God for the strength to endure her future challenges. Sitting on the bed nearby, an apparition warns her that she is already overdosing by ingesting many pills, rhetorically asking her if she is going to return to the Lovelace estate. Hearing him remind her that Garcia is awaiting her return, Roberta ignores him and continues praying for taking responsibility for her own sin rather than punishment being put onto Diego or Garcia. The apparition claims that she cannot compensate for her past no matter how much she repents. Irritated, Roberta tells him to shut up as she ingests more pills. As she points the gun in the apparition's direction, she points the gun at the door upon hearing it open. Terrified, Leroy frantically assures her that it is only him. Wondering what is up with her, he states that he got her clothes ready and arranged everything else, reminding her that he still needs payment. Baffled, he also wonders who she was talking to.

Later, at Revy's place, Rock sits on her bed as she works out and requests that she help him with the search. He denies that he is trying to make up for not being able to save Yukio Washimine, to which Revy assumes that something desperate must have emerged from inside him after he initially sucked up to Balalaika in Japan. Reminding him that he claimed it was his hobby, she heads into the shower and asks why she should help him with his gamble. Thanking her for supporting him in his moments of grave danger, Rock answers that she once said she was his gun. He explains that in turn, he is a bullet but is only a piece of lead without her. Comparing his analogy to the song "Light My Fire," Revy tells him that it is by The Doors as she exits the shower. As she gets water from her fridge, she assesses that Rock is a silver bullet, i.e., he has enough power to obliterate an invincible monster. Nonetheless, she states that if the bullet misses, then the monster will devour its enemy. At that point, she asks Rock to go downstairs and get more water for her from the vending machine. Once he gets the water, Revy comes down and exits the building, but not before tossing a bullet to him and telling him that they need to finish the search by evening.

That morning, at Chang's yacht house, Garcia sleeps on the couch, so Fabiola discreetly goes to the pool and swims in the water. When she opens her eyes while floating, she sees Revy standing over her and grinning. Accompanying Revy and Rock, she clarifies that she was excited because she never swam in a pool before, but Garcia responds that she did not need to sneak out. Leaning back, Revy tells the boy that Fabiola is devoted to him because he had asserted that he wants to find Roberta. Insulted by her use of profanity in front of Garcia, the young maid plugs her nose and tells her to stop it. At Praiyachat's shop, Revy greets the old man, who asks her about the state of her Sword Cutlass pistols. As they step inside, Praiyachat notices Fabiola and asks if he needs to fit her with weapons too, making them realize that Roberta visited him. Remembering that Bao recommended the maid to him, he tells them that she asked him to refurbish an antique flintlock rifle from Spain, which Garcia recognizes as the one back in the Lovelace mansion's banquet hall. As he examines Revy's guns, Praiyachat notes that she still needed to buy gunpowder for her weapon to function. Noticing the crooked grip, he criticizes Revy for banging the gun against her opponents due to the damage.

Afterward, Revy and Fabiola visit Tou Chi at his apartment. Hallucinating while on drugs, he points his revolver at them and exclaims that he will deal with the "aliens" himself. In response, Revy orders the girl to play along, joking that Fabiola is one of the good aliens. The drug user calms down and agrees to speak with them, saying that a man, not a woman, visited him. As he prepares to use heroin, Tou Chi tries to remember the name of the information broker who spoke to him, but Revy kicks the spoon from his hand and demands an answer. In the late afternoon, Chang visits the Rip-Off Church chapel and enters the confessional booth, where he sees a cell phone on the seat. The phone rings a second later, so he picks it up to hear a disguised voice, which is actually Eda. Getting to business, the CIA agent informs the Triad boss that the soldiers in the city are part of a unit formed by the National Security Agency to carry out advanced political missions. Hearing that the group is called the Grey Fox Commando Group, Chang jokes that the foxes are being chased by a hound.

Continuing her briefing, Eda tells him that Grey Fox's current mission is to capture General Shue Yan, the most powerful warlord under Khun Sa in the Golden Triangle, and call him to the U.S. Supreme Court. She reminds him that the capture of Shue Yan would be bad for the Triad, who is able to produce heroin thanks to the general's opium fields. Chang asks for the date, so Eda relays to him that it takes place at the end of the month, with the assault team consisting of eighteen men disguised as backpackers hiding in motels. Stating that the three teams' motels are Tokaina Hotel, Blue Moon Motel, and Ramsap Inn, Eda says that Team Alpha is led by Major Shane Caxton. When Chang decides to end the call, she tells him that they are not done talking because she needs to know his next move. Annoyed, Chang replies that they do not have enough trust in each other and claims that the CIA cannot boss him around. Smugly laughing at the response, Eda sternly declares that he is mistaken, she says that although the Triad can bring individuals and businesses to their knees, the United States government and its many hydra heads can take down entire countries. Finishing the call, she warns him not to underestimate her. Angered, Chang slams the phone down and leaves the chapel. At the same time, Revy learns from Tou Chi that Leroy was the person whom he met, so Rock hurries to the broker's place using Benny's car.

Characters and cast

• Rock — Daisuke Namikawa (Japanese), Brad Swaile (English)
• Revy — Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese), Maryke Hendrikse (English)
• Dutch — Tsutomu Isobe (Japanese), Dean Redman (English)
• Benny — Hiroaki Hirata (Japanese), Brian Drummond (English)
• Roberta — Michie Tomizawa (Japanese), Tabitha St. Germain (English)
• Garcia Lovelace — Kazue Ikura (Japanese), Cathy Weseluck (English)
• Fabiola Iglesias — Satsuki Yukino (Japanese), Shannon Chan-Kent (English)
• Mister Chang — Toshiyuki Morikawa (Japanese), Trevor Devall (English)
• Balalaika — Mami Koyama (Japanese), Patricia Drake (English)
• Abrego — Hisao Egawa (Japanese), Eli Gabay (English)
• Ronnie the Jaws — Tetsuya Kakihara (Japanese), Paul Dobson (English)
• Biu — Chikara Ōsaka (Japanese), Michael Adamthwaite (English)
• Tommaso — Uncredited (Japanese), Michael Adamthwaite (English)
• Gustavo — Non-speaking
• Boris — Non-speaking
• Bao — Shirō Saitō (Japanese), Alec Willows (English)
• Eda — Jun Karasawa (Japanese), Lisa Ann Beley (English)
• Sister Yolanda — Akiko Takeguchi (Japanese), Shirley Milliner (English)
• Richie Leroy — Chikara Ōsaka (Japanese), Scott McNeil (English)
• Praiyachat — Motoi Koyanagi (Japanese), Scott McNeil (English)
• Tou Chi — Hisao Egawa (Japanese), Samuel Vincent (English)
• Hironobu Satou — Ryūsuke Ōbayashi (Japanese), Hiro Kanagawa (English)

Songs used

• Opening Theme — Red Fraction (IO Drive Mix) (by Kazuya Takase)
• Rock pulls out map, figures out job & asks Dutch about a favor — Dizzy Maniac
• Rock agrees to work with Garcia and Fabiola — Tear Drops to Earth
• Bao recalls Roberta's request — Deadly Weapon
• Rock walks around town and asks people — Don't Let Me Join Now
• Mafia bosses go to meeting and talk — Chinese Room
• Roberta prays — Deadly Weapon
• Ending Theme — When Johnny Comes Marching Home

Differences from the manga

• In the manga, Benny tells Chang that they need time to think about the job, whereas in the anime Rock is the one to request that.
• Rock imagining Chang pinning him down and pointing a gun in his face is only in the anime.
• Rock explaining Roanapur's history and then looking at a map while thinking and writing about an elaborate plan with various forces involved (with Rock spending hours on it while smoking and drinking) is only in the anime. Additionally, Rock calling Dutch while the latter was reading to ask about his history with Balalaika is anime-exclusive.
• The scene of Revy and Eda talking in the chapel occurs at different times. In the anime, they hang out at nighttime, whereas in the manga they were hanging out during the day while Rock was helping Garcia and Fabiola. Furthermore, the part where Eda encourages the tired Revy to help Rock on his search is only in the manga.
• Madam Flora does not make an appearance in the anime when Rock, Fabiola and Garcia visit Bao.
• The brief scene of Rock going to the businesses to find them all closed is exclusive to the anime.
• Garcia specifying that one of the Lovelace family's farmers is a distant relative of Fabiola is manga-exclusive.
• Boris informing Balalaika in her office about the meeting at Chang's night club is only in the manga.
• Yolanda asking Eda if Ravencroft is still her superior at the CIA and stating that she wanted to work with him is exclusive to the manga.
• Benny's recollection in Chapter 53 of Rock trying to help Fabiola into the pool only to get wet and the young maid accusing him of being a pervert is manga-only.
• Rock thinking about the various crime syndicates' history while the crime lord meeting took place is anime-exclusive.
• Abrego and Gustavo speaking to each other in Spanish at the meeting is only in the manga. Additionally, the discussion between the crime lords, particularly Abrego's details about FARC's history with cartel alliances, the arguing between Ronnie and Balalaika concerning possible responses to the U.S. military presence, and Chang's plan for the Triad to wait on making a move, is much longer in the manga.
• The conversation between Rock and Revy while the latter works out and takes a shower is noticeably longer in the manga.
• Revy teasing Fabiola at the pool about buying a bathing suit, pool float and beach sandals is only in the manga. In the anime, Revy finds Fabiola at the pool but then the scene cuts to the subsequent car drive.
• Revy explaining Tou Chi's history and pointing out the shotgun trap outside his door is manga-exclusive. In addition, Fabiola citing the Cylon Empire, Richie Leroy telling Roberta that the hitmen are ready, and the group briefly talking to Doctor Hartland are all scenes only in the manga.
• Rico pointing Chang to the confessional is exclusive to the manga.