El réquiem de los Desalmados Part 1, also called Chapter 117, is the one hundred eighteenth chapter of the Black Lagoon manga. It was originally released on May 17, 2024.
Plot[]
At Bougainvillea Trade Company, Rock greets Feodora, who greets him in turn and informs him that Balalaika is inside her office. Also greeting her, Revy compliments her English and suggests that she stay around to come with the pirates to lunch at a seafood place on Rachada Street after their meeting. Sitting at her desk, Balalaika listens to Rock summarizing the Lagoon Company's most recent shipment to her, which will arrive in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia on schedule. Thanking him for his work, the Russian leader admits that she appreciates good business, to which the ex-salaryman responds that it nonetheless also keeps him busy. When Rock notices something unusual on one of Balalaika's documents, she tells him that it is a plan to supposedly refine water into oil. She adds that she is investing in it through a shell corporation since using Bougainvillea Trade Company's name is too risky.
Expressing skepticism, Rock claims that the plan appears to be a scam, but the unconcerned Balalaika explains that she does not care because she is waiting for the opportunity to sternly ask the planners if they are swindling her. Whereas Rock is nervously speechless at the idea, Revy finds it amusing. Balalaika elaborates that such a threat would force any liars to come up with genuine revenue. She says that due to being part of Hotel Moscow's foreign affairs division, she is expected to keep her mafia financially self-sufficient even when she has no affairs of her own. Smoking a cigar, Balalaika jokes that her business partners can be reasonable when an AK-74 is shoved into their faces. Opening the office door, Boris informs her that it is almost time for her next meeting, so Balalaika declares her leave and apologizes to the two pirates for not being able to treat them to tea. Answering that there is no worry, Rock likewise declares his leave. Smiling, she states that she may introduce him to the scam artists if they become intimidated to fulfill their deal.
Soon, Balalaika sits down with two associates as Feodora stands by. Hearing her assess that her boss Slevinin has given them another large order to execute, Varenkov and Krivchenko apologize because it was also unexpected news to them. Thinking about their topic, she reminds him that she sent Maskaev's team on the operation in Cananea and was told that it was a success. Despite that, she clarifies that it was not, recalling that Miguel Navarro's death was the catalyst of the situation. Additionally recalling that Hotel Moscow was supporting Navarro's Guadalajara Cartel until he died, she notes that Mexico's territory is up for grabs. Having an idea, she proposes coming to an agreement with the new jefe of the upcoming Nuevo Laredo Cartel, to which her men respond that the result of that was the Cananea–California conflict, saying that her Vysotniki did good work but their opponents still outnumbered them.
Varenkov also mentions that though Maskaev's team achieved localized victories, the situation changed after their withdrawal, resulting in Navarro's successors and the Guadalajara Cartel being wiped out. According to him, the Nuevo Laredo Cartel recently allied with the emerging group known as Los Soldados (also known as Los Eses) because they led the way in the changing tide in Mexico. In addition, he repeats that Maskaev's team hit the other side hard but his men also took a hit concerning their forces, concluding that Nuevo Laredo wants to settle the score due to Hotel Moscow's amount of damage to them. Sighing, Varenkov admits that he has held frequent meetings to resolve things with the Hispanic gangsters but the latter are bent on getting revenge since they view the ordeal as a matter of honor. Krivchenko tells Balalaika that the gangsters suggested having him killed as a condition for a truce, prompting him to flee to Roanapur.
Assessing the situation, Balalaika remarks that she should have gone there to settle the matter personally. Krivchenko replies that they cannot always be shedding blood because the world of crime has entered an era of reconciliation and coexistence. Disagreeing, Balalaika asserts that Hotel Moscow is not taken seriously because they have avoided using more violence to destroy and conquer as they did before 1993. She reminds them that the Colombian Cartel is losing their seat on the Council at the next meeting, specifying that Fernando Lobos of the Nuevo Laredo Cartel will replace them. Finishing the meeting, the three Russians agree to prepare for the arrival of a representative of Los Eses who is traveling to Roanapur to attend the Council meeting with Lobos to resolve the feud. Balalaika relays to them that Slevinin ordered her to cooperate with Nuevo Laredo, proclaiming that a decision on their dispute will be made at the subsequent Council meeting the next week.
Later, at the Lagoon Company office, Dutch answers the phone and tells Mister Chang that he is doing fine. While Revy cleans her pistol, Dutch gives the phone to Rock since the Triad boss wishes to converse with him. In his office, Chang briefs Rock on the upcoming decision to appoint the Nuevo Laredo Cartel to a seat on the Council, asking the latter how he feels about attending the meeting as an observer. Politely advising against it, Rock claims that he would merely be a silent ornament since he is not a member of any huge organization. Smiling, Chang reminds him that he has poked his nose into a lot of Roanapur's affairs and stirred things up, assessing that Rock has earned the right to a position where he can view everything as well as Roanapur's future. Professing that he has not forgotten about Rock's words at Balalaika's casino, the Triad boss states that a special matter at the next Council meeting is resolving the beef between Hotel Moscow and the Nuevo Laredo Cartel, admitting that Rock can be relied on to properly observe the situation and pretend to be a person of influence.
On the night of the Council meeting, Lobos arrives at The Golden Swingin Night Club and agrees to give his coat and sidearm to an employee. Beginning the meeting, Chang asserts that the Colombian Cartel has officially pulled out of Roanapur. Lobos responds that he is honored to be given a seat among them, and Chang summarizes that their Council meetings are for preventing the trouble that the mafias had back in 1993. Commenting that being a Council member requires a certain minimum of responsibility, he then asks Lobos where his other representative is. Assuring him that he will arrive, the Hispanic boss answers that he heard the man recently arrived at the airport. At that point, one of Chang's subordinates introduces Gris el Tigres, the head of Los Soldados, to the Council.
Sitting down, Gris jokes that he is disappointed because he heard Roanapur was like Dante's Inferno. When he rhetorically asks if the Russian woman is "Miss Balalaika," Ronnie the Jaws sneers and sternly asks him who else at the meeting could be Balalaika. Gris asserts that despite his rivalry with Hotel Moscow, he came to Roanapur to tell her something in person. He explains that his men are like her men insofar as being ex-military men whose backs were turned on by their country. Hearing that, she responds that he heard otherwise concerning his problem with Hotel Moscow. While Balalaika and Varenkov remain silent, Gris confesses that he began Los Soldados after learning about her similar story. He analyzes that it is indeed ridiculous to swear loyalty to a country and gain expertise but not be permitted to use it to its full potential. Claiming that Balalaika indirectly taught him that, Gris thanks her for helping him realize that, clarifying that was the only thing he wanted to say because he gives respect out loud. Glaring at him, she asks why he crossed swords with Hotel Moscow if he truly understands the Russian mafia so well. Glaring back at her, he explicates that he is not holding back against her forces precisely because he is dealing with Hotel Moscow, asserting that he will do everything to crush her group.
Feeling nervous, Lobos warns Gris to watch his mouth because the former has the real authority in Roanapur. Stating that he wished things did not become heated up, Chang reminds them that they must focus on their original agenda item: the approval of the Nuevo Laredo Cartel to the Council. The Triad boss repeats that their goal is to vote on the matter, especially because Hotel Moscow and the Nuevo Laredo Cartel are still feuding. Assuring them that he wants no trouble back home, Lobos professes that his boss, Jefe Guerrera, told him that the matter can be settled with the destruction of the Guadalajara Cartel. Though Chang is satisfied with the idea, Gris vehemently disagrees, exclaiming that as long as they are allying with the Nuevo Laredo Cartel, they cannot expose their backs to their enemy.
Notes[]
- When this chapter was first released, the chapter title in the Japanese version had a typo where the Spanish word "réquiem" was misspelled as "réguiem."
- In the English version of this chapter, the Russian term "щёголь" (dandy) is misspelled as "Sogor."