El réquiem de los Desalmados Part 2, also called Chapter 118, is the one hundred nineteenth chapter of the Black Lagoon manga. It was originally released on August 19, 2024.
Plot[]
Continuing from the previous chapter, Gris el Tigres exclaims to the Council that as long as Los Eses is allying with the Nuevo Laredo Cartel, they cannot expose their backs to their enemy, Hotel Moscow. Irked, Ronnie the Jaws rhetorically asks him to repeat what he just said. Restating that Hotel Moscow's willingness to talk is not enough to settle their feud, Gris claims that back in Mexico, those who attempt to negotiate with their enemy get deceived and consequently murdered. Fernando Lobos is shocked at his words, including Gris emphasizing that he will not budge on forgiving what Hotel Moscow and the Guadalajara Cartel did to his syndicate in Cananea. Addressing Balalaika, Gris states that appropriate actions must be taken to end a conflict, elaborating that his men do not want Vasily Krivchenko, who ran Hotel Moscow's operations in California and Cananea, remaining alive. Warning her not to play dumb, he affirms that he came to Roanapur to kill Krivchenko to satisfy the men of Los Eses.
Unfazed, she asks what he will do if she refuses his request, to which Gris answers that it will be war between them. Surprised, Ronnie retorts that he has some nerve to pick a fight with them, joking that not even God could help him. This causes Gris to insult him as a "dago," but Ronnie responds that he is not bothered by such an insult, calling him a "spic" in response. Speaking up, Mister Chang asks Gris what the point is in starting another conflict given that Hotel Moscow suffered more losses during the conflicts in the Mexico–U.S. border region. Annoyed, Gris says that it is Hotel Moscow who needs to think about the point since Los Eses would normally have hit the Russians in Mexico so hard that they would never recover. Laughing, Balalaika remarks that he has quite the gall and accepts his challenge. Grinning, she mentions that her men are also not satisfied with the conclusion in California either, adding that she is not the type of person to tolerate disrespect.
Raising his hand, Rock asks Chang for permission to propose an idea, which the latter allows. Assuring Gris that he is merely an observer and long-time resident of Roanapur, the ex-salaryman adds that he belongs to no organization. Chang vouches for Rock's wisdom, and Rock begins by pointing out that peace is what all organizations in Roanapur strive for, including Lobos. Recalling that the Colombian Cartel's territory was split up evenly between the four Council members after their permanent departure from Roanapur, he posits that the Nuevo Laredo Cartel could take some of Hotel Moscow's territory in return for sparing Krivchenko. Knowing that Balalaika wants something in return, Rock explains that a treaty of amity with Nuevo Laredo would be best because Hotel Moscow would have time to assess the final deal without unnecessary bloodshed. Whereas Ronnie and Chang are content with the proposal, Balalaika rhetorically asks if they think the Russians would agree to being less powerful than Nuevo Laredo. Politely urging her to agree to the terms, Rock reasons that starting a war goes against the spirit of the Council.
Though Lobos accepts the initial plan of not taking any shares of territory, Gris sternly disagrees and claims that Rock cannot understand that they want Krivchenko to die, not profit or peace. Lobos shouts at him in shock, but he jokes that the former seems to have forgotten that Mexico is a very unforgiving land supposedly in contrast to Roanapur. Feeling tense, the other three Council heads warn Gris that he cannot do as he pleases in Roanapur, but he professes that their statuses mean nothing to him. He also chastises Balalaika for thinking that she is able to take on his forces, stating one last time that he only wants Krivchenko's head. Smirking, she warns him that he has sealed his fate, to which Gris replies that he is willing to take on anyone who gets in his way, surprising Ronnie, Lobos and Rock. Joking that the city's crime syndicates are probably rusty from not fighting as often as they did in the past, Gris proclaims that war will commence as soon as he exits the nightclub. Rock pleads with him to reconsider, but the crime boss ignores him and jokes that he will enjoy the fighting.
After the meeting, Chang orders a subordinate to find any hiding place that Los Eses are using while Ronnie orders his men at Visconti Foods to tighten up security. Heading to her car, Balalaika asks Varenkov what they should do. He decides that he will head back to Russia to seek Slevinin's counsel and suggests that she prioritize protecting Krivchenko. She admits that her headquarters is not currently prepared for a siege, and Varenkov guesses that Gris is likely true to his word, therefore Krivchenko should be guarded until Slevinin judges whether or not he will be sent home. Agreeing to set up plans, Balalaika informs Boris that they will set up a strategy meeting as soon as they return to base.
Sometime later at a market, Le Majeur and Revy gamble with each other, and the former wins three times in a row. Eating some food, Rock advises Revy to stop gambling since she will just lose again. Brushing it off, she admits that she is surprised he did not succeed at calming the tension at the Council meeting. Saying that it is not his fault, Revy recommends that they let the syndicates fight each other since it does not matter. She recalls that the fighting was ongoing when she first came to Roanapur, confessing that the days of peace under Chang's watch may finally end. Majeur assesses that whoever stands there ground will win, simplifying the feud to Hotel Moscow's defense versus the others' offense. Revy likewise notes that the syndicates are working harder than usual to round up hired guns due to being unable to predict the next move of Los Eses. The pirate recommends that they get in on the action and claims that Bren's soldiers are in high demand.
Politely declining, Majeur reminds her that her loyalty is to Hotel Moscow by force, wondering if Revy could get help from the nuns at the Rip-Off Church. Rock deduces that the fighting will be the most intense they have ever seen because Gris and Los Eses are willing to take on the entire Council. Hearing him say that they need to do something before Roanapur is destroyed, Revy replies that chaotic factors are something he cannot simply prevent as was the case for "the maid." Smiling, Rock jokes that he never thought of her as a fatalist, but Revy clarifies that one can only play one card at a time. Teasing her for her mindset, Majeur jokes that she can just flip the table over if she does not like the cards in her hand. Smiling back, Revy concedes that there are many ways to do things. Agreeing with her sentiment as well, Rock believes it is not over yet and he still has time to figure something out. Meanwhile, in another part of town, a young woman arrives at a building.
Notes[]
- As with the previous chapter, 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, Varenkov's name is changed to Renkov.