Those who ceaselessly hone their killing arts are known as "Masters."
After many generations, they have gained lethal abilities
called "Modified Bloodlines."
This is the story of one such Master, the Poison Master, Hikaru Gero,
and his attempts to get married.
Exhibition
Takeru
Shiratori
Gero, Gero.
This Week's Top Events
Meet me tomorrow afternoon at the Avocado Oceanic Art Gallery.
A gallery on a ship?
Wait, what happened to finding my charm?
Don't sweat it. Just be there.
Kinosaki's running late.
Gero!
Thanks for waiting!
I took so long deciding what to wear, I'm late.
Come on. Let's go in.
D-Don't you know it's rude to touch someone out of the blue?
What? Oh, come on.
People burn through hundreds of thousands of yen just to hold my hand.
Anyway, this is what people call a "date spot," right?
Groveling on Your Feet
Why bring me here?
Today, you're going on your first date. Or a rehearsal of it.
Gero, even if you do manage to get a woman's number and set up a date,
you'll only crash and burn the way you are now.
Don't you want to go in prepared?
S Dog
What a cute doggy!
Come on. Say something.
(5) Revised Edition
A pretty shade of blue, don't you think?
Oh, well, I mean...
Blue, uh... The sky is blue.
You're too tense. Negative 10 points.
This woman sure is gorgeous, isn't she?
Y-You think so?
Sh-She's not as beautiful as you.
No one will buy that. Negative 100 points.
What am I supposed to say?
Gero.
You don't have to try to impress me.
But...
A good date is one where you both have fun.
Easy for you to say.
That's why we're practicing now.
This is a thousand times harder than my apprenticeship.
I... I don't believe it.
Mixy-Mix
Mixy- Mix
What's up?
A 40-year-old DIY candy kit. The first ever! Mixy-Mix Zero!
It's valued at 30 million yen.
Whoa, that price tag!
That's too little. I'd pay five times that amount.
But it's just a cup and some powder.
Its value doesn't lie in the materials.
It's like a monolith, guiding humanity into—
Okay, let's keep moving.
You really do love those candy kits, don't you, Gero?
What is it this time?
I just thought it looked neat from this angle.
Seriously?
It really does.
Right?
Well, I guess I can give that 30 points.
Harsh.
It gives me hope for the future.
Listen, Kinosaki.
I appreciate the date rehearsal, but don't keep me in the dark.
What's my charm supposed to...
Gero, look.
What do you make of that guy?
Well, I mean...
Djungarian hamster.
Sorry!
The restroom was crowded.
Meerkat.
That's his wife next to him.
And that's not all.
Mr. Shiratori?!
Mr. Shiratori?
Mr. Shiratori!
Please calm down! You could hurt someone!
He's the most popular painter with young people right now:
Takeru Shiratori.
Takeru
Shiratori
Critters
Bodies
He may look and act like a weirdo, but his fans wouldn't want it any other way.
And all because he's a talented artist.
Takeru
Shiratori
Critters
Bodies
Takeru
Shiratori
Critters
Bodies
Right.
Take some other examples.
A sportsman who always comes in clutch.
Big Sis!
A doctor who saves a member of your family.
A musician who punches a hole in your boring, humdrum existence.
They're liked for their talents
in the same way looks and personality draw folks to people they know,
and those feelings are just as real.
I see.
So that's another kind of charm.
But I don't—
You do, Gero.
Kinosaki, you don't need to do anything.
Just close your eyes for 30 seconds.
You took out a whole room full of bad guys and rescued me all on your own.
How could that not be part of your charm?
So forget matchmaking parties and apps.
What'll really let you shine in your quest for a partner...
is helping people.
So rescue hostages and guard VIPs,
and get them to fall for you while you're at it.
I know you can take on any job—
S-Slow down. I'm a Poison Master. I assassinate people.
Nothing says you can't save people, too, right?
But I'd feel like I was taking advantage.
Listen. It really doesn't matter how you get to know each other.
Mr. Shiratori, will you join us for dinner?
We'd love you to!
Whether you have ulterior motives or not, it only gets you to the starting line.
The real test is...
whether you can build a happy relationship after that.
Mr. Shiratori?
Mr. Shiratori?!
Oh, Mr. Shiratori! Can I get your autograph?
Hey!
Don't tell me that's why we're here.
My Girl, She's Like the Sun, Yeah?
Sir, we think it's the work of Himekawa.
She won't get away with this.
The captain bowed, scraped, and poured blood, sweat, and tears
into collecting these works to make our visitors smile!
Don't let her get away!
Sink anything suspicious that even comes near us!
There's nothing on radar.
Then, she must still be aboard.
Get back My Girl, She's Like the Sun, Yeah?, whatever it takes!
Captain!
My Girl, She's Like the Sun, Yeah? has been stolen!
It's a small price to pay.
Thanks, Chompsky.
Let's keep business out of our next date.
Hey!
Hey, guys! Sorry I took so long!
Save girls when they're in a bind and get them to fall for you.
I call it Operation White Knight.
What's with that look?
Nothing. It's just... I'm not much of a "knight."
You can be a squire, then.
Setting the name aside...
The question is, how am I going to find jobs rescuing people?
Never mind.
I shouldn't have asked while you were eating.
The Dark Nav
Login
Register
The Dark Nav?
Yup.
Murder. Smuggling. You name it.
This site will hook you up with all kinds of shady jobs.
Finding rescue and bodyguard gigs will be a cinch on the Dark Nav.
You mean you've never used it?
I've never even heard of it. All our jobs go through a broker.
Wow. Talk about traditional. You old families sure do things differently.
May I take your order?
This one will eat for two.
Five plates of marinated skirt steak!
I'm drowning in meat juices!
I only see scam and smuggling jobs.
You could take your pick if you had an account.
Well, excuse me for being old-fashioned.
Hey, Kinosaki.
How about this one?
Our demands are the artworks you've taken temporary custody of.
All of them.
We'll tell you where to exchange them for Himekawa later.
The criminal underworld knows Kyoko Himekawa as an infamous thief.
But the truth is, malicious collectors steal art from the disadvantaged,
and she returns it all to the original owners.
Himekawa trusted us with these artworks. We can't just hand them over!
So we'd like you to infiltrate their hideout before the exchange
and rescue Himekawa for us!
I knew we didn't offer anywhere near enough money.
But what can we do? We live gig to gig.
I know! I'll sell all of my organs!
Kitami, calm down.
Calling all rescue specialists!
Client: Kenichi Kitami
Reward
yen
Client History
Job Description
Payment Details
Client Information
It makes sense no one would take a risky job that pays so little.
Job Description
Rescue our kidnapped leader.
If you're a master of armed and unarmed combat
with the athletic ability to sneak into any secret base,
wouldn't you like to put your skills to the test?
Experienced applicants welcome! Inexperienced ones, too!
But with no competition to be her knight in shining armor, this is Gero's chance.
We're doomed!
Excuse me.
He's a Master from the Gero family.
Hikaru Gero.
I'm here to rescue your boss, Kyoko Himekawa.
Gero? You mean, the Poison Masters?
Wh-What's a Master doing here?
We'd need to sell all of our organs just to cover the broker's fee!
Still, with a Master on our side, we'd rescue Himekawa, no problem!
When you want to take a castle, start with its outer defenses.
Hey, you guys. I still have an important question for you.
Wh-What is it?
He does want our organs.
I assume Himekawa...
doesn't mind men who wear glasses?
What Is "Charm," Anyway?
No Unauthorized Personnel
Beyond This Point
I've never found anyone as beautiful as I find you.
I'll guarantee you a life in the lap of luxury.
What would you say to giving up your petty thievery...
and becoming part of my collection?
No way in hell.
I steal for what I believe in.
They're crying.
All those works of art you took from their rightful owners.
The late Egg Saturnia was a master of the Suntanned Beauty School of Art.
The stolen portrait, My Girl, She’s Like the Sun, Yeah?, is of his daughter.
It has a market value in the region of two billion yen.
I heard about you from an art dealer. He and Egg went way back.
Please. It was the only painting of my wife we'd hung on to.
And for our daughter...
Sorry...
but I made that little girl a promise.
Don't worry. I'll make sure you get to see your mom again soon.
I promised to steal her back.
So don't cry.
Ushio.
Would you mind breaking her spirit for me?
Seriously, Gero.
You were taking a big risk with that question.
It threw them all for a loop.
Men who wear glasses?
Is it code for something?
Letting them in on what you're after is about as far from a knight as you can get.
Either way, I took the job, so I'll do it right.
Man, I can't believe I'm making another trip here with you.
According to the freakishly accurate GPS her assistant, Kitami, lent us,
we should be almost there.
Rats get exterminated.
That's the rule.
Kinosaki.
Which way should we go now?
Gero, I really think I should sit this one out.
I need you.
I've never met this woman, and I've got no clue how to talk to her.
Oh, all right.
Let's go over the basics.
Stop, Ushio.
Some rats have snuck aboard.
Go mash 'em up.
What? That all ya got?
Now...
Let's try something different.
Hikaru Gero.
Poison Master.
W-Would you please...
date me with the intent to marry?
Don't you dare.
If this were the real deal, you just killed your chances.
So what am I supposed to say?
Freeze!
Or you're dead!
Write this down later.
The key to finding a partner is thinking through how things make them feel.
So forget marriage for now.
Huh? You're not making se—
She doesn't care about your problems!
Stop right there!
Gero, you're the Master who came to rescue Kyoko Himekawa.
She's trapped in this place. She must feel numb with terror.
What will you say to her?
Okay, let's run through it again.
A gun? After all that buildup? Talk about a letdown.
I'm sure you think so...
when it's pointed at you.
Hey, wait!
I should've done this from the start.
You're a collector. You must know its worth.
To add you to my collection, it's a small price to pay.
You will be mine now, won't you?
I promised to bring that girl's mom back. Now I'm putting her in danger.
Fine. I'll do whatever you...
My arm!
What happened?! Who did that?! This room is supposed to be secure!
Thanks for giving me that makeover.
Keep dreaming.
I'm Hikaru Gero, Poison Master.
I'm here to save you.
You're safe now.
It's as simple as it gets, but it'll hopefully help cheer her up.
A Master? Seriously?
We don't have that kind of money.
What'd they do? Sell their organs?
Oh, right. We'd only planned out his introduction.
He jumped in before we'd finished rehearsing.
Oh, let me get those off you.
But I'm glad. We got here before the worst could happen.
Kill those rats...
Water Master Ushio.
Take a nap like your boss.
Water?
So fast.
Kinosaki!
Take Himekawa!
Gero, you need to treat girls delicately!
Sorry! You can tell me all that later!
Gero!
Forgive me for not introducing myself sooner.
Here is my card.
Poison Master Gero, I presume?
What is she, a businesswoman?
I realize this is sudden, but would you consider settling this matter privately?
A fight between Masters will result in greater losses than your fee will cover.
So allow me to offer you ten times what your client is paying you.
This is business. I know you'll set aside loyalty, compassion, and trust.
A businessman who sits down to dinner with his family every night at six
can never achieve exponential growth.
What is she talking about?
A professional should ignore unnecessary distractions...
Gero's steroid thing. And there's still some left.
and take action to ensure maximum output 24 hours a day.
I'd better grab it.
Don't touch it!
I see. That must be deadly poison.
Masters pass down Modified Bloodlines along with their calling.
Modified Bloodline
The Poison Masters' one strengthens you in response to lethal doses of poison.
You might call it a survival strategy adapted to the world we Masters live in.
Like hell it is.
This curse forces us to finish off our targets before we drop dead.
Curse?
If you're a Water Master, your weird tricks must use a Modified Bloodline, too.
Although they look like magic from here.
As you say. And with all due respect, neither poison needles nor poison gas
My company's business suit
can penetrate my company's "business suit."
Its airtight design can stand up to extreme water pressure.
DUN DUN DUUUN
Now, as for our settlement...
I see. How deeply regrettable.
SIGH
I see.
The Poison Masters' Modified Bloodline makes you faster as you near death.
That is a setback.
One hit, and I'm out.
The Gero Poison Masters are one of the Five Great Families. Industry leaders.
Wouldn't you rather engage in more meaningful value creation?
Or do you consider Himekawa a lucrative client?
Or maybe something more?
Don't tell me you're romantically involved?
Not much of a counterattack. You barely grazed me.
The hell did he smear on—
Himekawa and I...
are complete strangers.
But...
She might mean a lot to me someday.
He hit me three times in the same spot, right down to the millimeter.
I must say, I don't know what you're babbling about.
I bet not.
From your perspective, I'm a nonsensical moron.
But...
Remember sitting down to dinner with family every night at six?
That idea you dismissed as useless?
That's the stuff I want.
Even if it kills me.
Translator: Timer: Editor: Quality Control: Final Quality Control:
William Varteresian Andy Ellis SMR Salem Alabanza Michelle Tymon
I'm glad my first was Himekawa.
I'll compensate you, of course.
I love these.
Date Mission, start!
Stealing my heart ain't easy.
It's the first step toward the happy marriage I'm looking for.
I want you to have the best possible marriage.
Next time: "My First."
My First