Chase for ring-ding ships, also called Chapter 1 and alternatively called Ring-Ding Ship Chase in the English version, is the second chapter of the Black Lagoon manga. It was originally released in Japan on April 19, 2002.
Plot[]
In the seas of Southeast Asia, Rock, standing on the stern of Black Lagoon, politely warns the crew of St. Jones to stop their vessel and surrender. Preparing her RPG-7, Revy giddily prepares to fire a rocket at the ship if they do not halt. Receiving a communication from the ship, Benny relays to Dutch that St. Jones will force their way through if they do not move. Expecting that response, Dutch permits Revy to fire a rocket at the ship, terrifying the sailors. Taking the megaphone from Rock, she yells that her rockets are faster than their SOS calls. Smoking a cigarette, Dutch orders Benny to contact their client, Can Wei Bang, that the ship is seized and that they can take whatever goods they want until law enforcement shows up. The pirates head back to Roanapur, where Revy is eager to buy the popular China bowl at Kao Han.
Later, at the Lagoon Company office, Rock asks Revy where Dutch left to, but she responds that it is none of their business. In town, Dutch talks to a friend on a payphone when Chen, a local Chinese gangster, interrupts him and asks him to stop working for Balalaika, complaining that she has pushed him of several profitable businesses including prostitution, racketeering, and the heroin trade. Dutch refuses to do so, reminding him that the crime boss pulled out of their previous deal when his shipment for the New People's Army turned out to be junk. Annoyed, Chen asks him not to bring up past problems, but Dutch asserts that he will only accept his jobs if he pays him at his rate. Later, Revy angrily wakes up a napping Rock, telling him that they have a job to do. Heading to the port in Benny's car, the other pirates learn from Dutch that they have a small job from Donnie Yen to pick up some goods from the Vietnamese military at Phú Quốc Island. Complaining about how they have to do small errands, Revy then chastises Rock for not wearing the Hawaiian shirt which she bought for him. Seeing their car pass by, a few Chinese men watch them as one of them calls their boss.
At a Chinese restaurant, Chen receives the call about the Lagoon Company taking the job, pleasing him. Calling Luak, he declares that it is up to him as to whether or not he wants to see the job through. Recalling that Luak is down on his luck recently and was even chased by a Malaysian Navy battleship, Chen adds that he will get a cut of everything going to Kalimantan if he completes the job. Out at sea, Rock attempts but fails to tie a knot. Frustrated with his lack of skill, Revy takes the rope and offers to do it herself, with Rock explaining that he never did anything like that at his old job. Curious, she nonchalantly asks him what he did for a living before joining them. He states that in the materials procurement department, he would go on business trips, make reports and phone calls, and get his behind kicked by his bosses, including one instance of a superior beating him up in a state of drunkenness. This story baffles Revy, causing her to ask Rock if he is a masochist. He reasons that it was part of the job, claiming that no one wants to end up on the street.
In turn, Rock asks her what she did before becoming a pirate. With a cold look, Revy admits that her life work is the same as it was before, clarifying that she stole, killed and did other horrible things. Suddenly, Benny detects some vessels coming from behind, alerting Dutch that the boats are small but fast. On deck, Revy smilingly tells Dutch that she recognizes the smell of blood and gunpowder from their pursuers. Radioing Dutch, Luak proclaims that he will destroy his PT boat, but Dutch calmly jokes that he is incredibly foolish for thinking that working for Chen and taking him on is a good idea. As two boats prepare to fire on him from starboard and port, Dutch quickly decelerates Black Lagoon, causing the two boats to accidentally kill each other via friendly fire. Angered, Luak declares that he will shred his boat apart. Not worried, Dutch orders Revy to give the men a taste of Two Hands.
Armed with a grenade launcher and a submachine gun, Revy single-handedly leaps from boat to boat, fighting all of the men. Watching the battle, Rock is amazed at her strength and combat abilities. With Luak's boat left for last, Revy returns to Black Lagoon. Furious but terrified, Luak attempts to flee on his sixth and last boat, but Revy blows up his boat by firing a grenade, killing him. Back in Roanapur, Chen packs up a suitcase full of money, cursing Luak for getting himself killed. To his shock, Balalaika and her men of Hotel Moscow enter his hotel room. Chen nervously says that there is a nasty rumor in town about him, but Balalaika kicks him in the face and threatens to teach him a lesson. At the office, Dutch gets a phone call from Balalaika and learns that Hotel Moscow had interrogated Chen and beaten him up because they heard him boasting around town about killing the Lagoon Company. Using an innuendo, Balalaika signals to Dutch that she will let him hear some cool music, which is actually the sound of Chen being blown up in his own hotel room. After Balalaika mentions she will have a job for him soon and hangs up, Dutch asks his crew if they are busy, informing them that he will treat them to drinks at the Yellow Flag to compensate for the dead-end job, exciting the crew.