L'homme sombre Part 2, also called Chapter 103, is the one hundred fourth chapter of the Black Lagoon manga. It was originally released on November 19, 2019.
Plot[]
At The Golden Swingin Night Club, Mister Chang hosts a Council meeting with Balalaika and Ronnie the Jaws of Hotel Moscow and Cosa Nostra respectively. Ronnie wonders where the Colombians are, to which Chang answers that they are not attending because they are busy dealing with their shrunken territory in Latin America. Sitting down, Balalaika jokes that she would like to hear some good news for a change, and the Triad boss remarks that such changes are inevitable in their world. Commencing the discussion, Chang recalls that several Black men throughout Roanapur have been murdered or gone missing, including Balalaika's broker and two men managing one of her clubs, a bouncer at one of Chang's clubs, and a promoter for Ronnie's fight club. Hearing that the people responsible were cased as five women in black suits, Ronnie accuses Chang of having involvement, but the latter reminds him that his own men were killed.
Not convinced, Ronnie remarks that it is easy to dispose of one's own men to tip the scales in one's favor, rhetorically asking Balalaika if she agrees. Smiling, she disagrees with the notion, saying that Chang would not use such a tactic and joking that his style is going right through the front door of Visconti Foods. When Chang agrees that he does not do things the way Ronnie thinks, the Italian man guesses that the culprit must be someone not present at the meeting, specifying that Gustavo may be concocting something. Rejecting the assumption, Chang repeats that the Colombians' operations have been shrinking ever since the United States escalated their war on drugs, adding that the Nuevo Laredo Cartel is rising to take the Colombians' spot in drug trafficking. He also states that the Nuevo Laredo Cartel's lackey Fernando could become a member of the Council if things continue the way they do. Ronnie again posits that Gustavo will do anything to salvage his group when backed into a corner, but the Triad boss reminds him that any organization shows signs when they plan on making a move, specifying that the Colombians have shown none.
Chang concludes that the culprits are likely hunting a particular Black man not associated with any of their crime syndicates. Ronnie responds that they cannot let the matter end without punishment, which Chang agrees with. Smoking a cigar, Balalaika rhetorically asks how they will dole out punishment if they do not know who they are dealing with. Chang proposes sending out word to the local public to wait for a move, but Ronnie suggests sending out a hit squad to finish the job quick. Advising against the idea, the Chinese boss emphasizes that they cannot scare away the tourists from the profitable red-light districts in Phuket and Pattaya with the violence. Balalaika admits that the idea is smart, prompting Ronnie to ask why she is not hotheaded. Telling Ronnie to be patient, Chang recommends that they all wait to make a move.
Later, at the Lagoon Company office, Revy relays the news from Chang to the Lagoon Company about how a crew is going around town and hunting down Black men. Dutch asks who is responsible, and Revy states that the attackers are going after large Black men. Hearing that, Benny jokes that Dutch certainly fits the description since he is of African-American descent, and Rock asks Revy what else she heard. She tells him that Balalaika's dealer Jinx somehow survived one attack, though according to her, the people who interrogated him kept fixating on the date September 18, 1989. Hiding his surprise, Dutch gets up as Revy says that Jinx will be in a wheelchair for life due to his injuries. She advises him to be careful, to which he hesitantly agrees, slightly surprising Revy.
Elsewhere, the five Frenchwomen stand near a dead Black man that L'auriculaire prematurely killed. L'annulaire comments that she needs to give the men a chance to talk, but L'auriculaire brushes off the criticism by reasoning that she was merely fulfilling her task to interrogate him. Assessing that they will only keep garnering attention, L'index asks Le Pouce what they should do next. Recalling that their informant has gone missing and they have no support, Pouce suggests continuing with their current methods because they do not know when "La Mouche" will make a move, and the Réseau wants them to handle the matter quickly. Displeased, Le Majeur asks Pouce to at least call for more backup since they cannot have another person get killed like their previous debacle in Nigeria.
Notes[]
- The VIZ version of this chapter does not specify that the gangster Fernando belongs to the Nuevo Laredo Cartel, as stated in the original Japanese version.