Baccano! Manga Chapter 003

Title: Determination

Date: December 29, 2015

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Synopsis
The chapters starts off with a flashback (probably dating to 1925). Certain Gandor executives (including Nicola Cassetti) are discussing the future of the Gandor Family and territory now that the Gandor don has died. They are pessimistic, assuming that "this outfit" is done for, and one of them says they're already in negotiations with another group about selling the territory to them. Their dialogue voices over the visuals on the first page, which depict a group of men sitting around a table, and Keith Gandor (from behind) loading and cocking his revolver at them.

Back at the Gandor hideout, Nicola murmurs that they shouldn't drag Keith and his brothers into 'this,' even though they were the late don's sons. One of the executives suggests that they find a substitute boss, only for Luck Gandor (accompanied by Berga) to show up and assure him that is unnecessary. Luck says that their father tried to protect their territory to the very end, and as such, it was the job of his sons to inherit his pride. The door opens and the executives gasp as Keith, blood staining his left cheek and left side of his shirt, arrives, dragging one man behind him with his left hand and dropping another man to the ground on his right. Luck states that the three of them will take over the family as Keith wipes the blood off his face.

The manga then cuts back to 1927. Nicola hangs up the phone at the Gandor headquarters and tells Luck that 'they' haven't seen Keith at either the gambling den or the bookie's. Luck covers his face with his hand as Berga slams his desk, roaring out "dammit, what the hell is going on?" Luck doesn't understand -- they weren't having any trouble with the nearby outfits, and he asks the absent Keith if this is some sort of joke, looking at the recovered items from the scene of his vanishing: a broken lollipop, and Keith's bloodied jacket. Berga swears and announces he's going to go back out looking for his brother, only for Luck cry out in a fit of emotion that he can't. With a trembling, clenched fist, Luck goes on to say that they have no leads whatsoever, and if they panic there could be trouble with their neighboring outfits. He tells Nicola that he should look into other places Keith might be, but to not to let his subordinates know. Berga protests, and Luck tells him to be patient, telling him that he'll ask Claire Stanfield to search in a 'professional capacity.'

Outside the Coraggioso, Ronnie observes the Gandor men outside the building and muses that things might get 'a bit rough.' He walks away, fairly certain that the Martillos won't have to become involved in the chaos, though it won't hurt to be careful.

The manga cuts to Firo in the alleyway, having discovered a man strung up between two parallel walls and pierced by multiple stakes. He wonders if this is a warning from someone, and then takes off down the streets to report the body to the Martillos, not wanting to be spotted by the police.

Meanwhile at the Alveare, the primo voto of the Martillo family Yaguruma Kanshichirou is addressing a group of Martillo men (the rest having already gone to the festival). Ronnie asks him to take care of things at the Alveare, and Yaguruma turns to tell the men not to look so tense. After all, they're not at war, although the men might not get to enjoy the festival. At that moment, Firo bursts in, and Yaguruma informs the group that "a Gandor boss" got himself kidnapped. The other men start muttering amongst themselves at the news while Yaguruma continues on, explaining that they have no leads, and reminding them they ought to be careful: whomever the kidnapper was gave them no warning, no room for negotiations, and insolently went straight for the boss of all people. He compares the Martillo family to the Gandors -- both small and in similar situations, but this time it was the Gandors who were targeted. He concludes his speech by asking that they stay on their guard.

Firo approaches Yaguruma and asks him if he'd allow Firo to help the Gandors out. Yaguruma refuses, and Firo reaches out to him. Yaguruma roughly flips him onto the ground and reminds him where his loyalties out to lie, and Firo gets to his knees, his fists against the ground. He begs Yaguruma to let him see if his 'brother' is safe, as Firo Prochainezo - for if he does not, he'll regret it so much that it will kill him.

Yaguruma whips out a knife and holds it to his throat, asking him if he'd rather die on the spot. Firo pulls out his own knife and stabs it into the nearby table, stating that he'll leave it behind. If Yaguruma chooses to use it against Firo when he returns, he won't fight back. Yaguruma calls him a blasted idiot, and turns away. Firo thanks him, his head turned to the side.

A little while later, Firo is dashing through the streets of Little Italy, stopping when Claire calls out to him and says he's been looking for him. The two turn down a side street, and Claire asks him if he's seen Keith around -- Luck had called Claire up and informed him they'd found Keith's bloody jacket and a smashed lollipop in a nearby alley. Firo questioningly pulls out the lollipop Donatello had given him yesterday, back when he was with Keith. Claire grumbles that it won't be easing finding a specific priest during the San Gennaro festival, and decides he will look for the man from the rooftops, using the protruding balconies from the nearby building to vault himself upwards to the roof. He advises Firo from above that he shouldn't push himself, especially considering his own position. Firo silently admits that although he cannot do anything special like Claire, he'll still do what he can -- otherwise, what was the point in risking his life back at the Alveare?

Firo asks a truck driver and his passenger if they have seen any priests while driving around the area, to which they reply negatively. Firo thanks them and leaves. A passing police officer/guard asks the drivers who the 'kid' was, and they tell him Firo had been looking for a priest, at which the officer expresses alarm. The driver nonchalantly says that even if Firo is looking for the priest that they know (which he is; the drivers are transporting experimental immortality elixir for Szilard Quates) it isn't their problem. The priest's job is to not get caught. Someone (perhaps the 'officer') answers "that's right. And your job is to transport this liquor." One of them compares the liquor to the miracle of Holy San Gennaro's return from a blazing furnace.

The manga cuts back to Firo, who can't help but notice that there are more cops than normal on the streets. He wonders if they've discovered the body, and then ponders the problem of the priest he met the day before. He takes off running once more, recalling that the corpse was 'quite a ways' from Little Italy, where the festival was being held. Was the priest keeping his activities away from the festival on purpose? He comes to a halt when he spots kids in a side street sucking on lollipops, and he asks them who gave them the candy.

The manga jumps to Donatello, who is walking down a street with a bag in his hand. He overhears two people discussing a recent murder--they have chalked it up to the mafia's doing, and Donatello hides a smile behind his hand. Firo catches up to him, and (standing a little ways behind him) notes out loud that the other priests seem pretty busy, implying that there is something unusual about Donatello handing out candy to poor children in an area far removed from the main festival. Donatello smiles and says that he can't resists giving the good little children good things to brighten their day. Firo holds out the lollipop Donatello had given him, and tells Donatello he'd had a wrong impression from Firo--who is not a good person. He drops the lollipop and steps on it, introducing himself as part of the Camorra.

Firo asks Donatello what he did with Keith and Donatello puts his hand to his face, calling the city sinful. Since Firo has turned out to be 'mafia', there's no helping it, and a few lines later a stake falls from his sleeve and he raises it, preparing to do Firo bodily harm.

Quotes
"...I don't plan to help the Gandors. But I grew up with the Gandor brothers. They're like family to me...! Please, let me make sure my brother's safe, as Firo Prochainezo!  If I don't go now, I'll always...I'll regret it so much it'll kill me!" -- Firo, to Yaguruma.