Denkurō Tōgō

Denkurō Tōgō (東郷 田九郎) is one of the original immortals from the Advena Avis. Though he was first mentioned in the first volume and later in the fifth volume, his actual appearance and introduction was not until the eleventh volume during the 1700s timeline. He was the only Asian aboard the Advena Avis, and is one of the ten surviving immortals in the 2002 timeline. He is an alchemist from Japan, who studied along with his good friends (and fellow immortals) Zank Rowan and Nile under the tutelage of Majeedah Batutah.

Personality
Denkurō speaks in a very formal manner, calling everyone "Master" or "Mistress" and referring to himself in the third person. Although he is not an outright pacifist -- he is willing to fight when it is required of him -- Denkurō seems to take the path of least violence wherever possible. He resolves his fights without causing serious harm to his opponents when he can and often steps between others to stop needless conflicts. In contrast to Nile's reckless abandon for combat, Denkurō approaches it with care, as a peacemaker rather than an aggravator.

He generally has a calm exterior, taking the events that befall him in stride and accepting coincidences for what they are. He is willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of others; in 1711 he is resigned to the fact that he may lose his life fighting to let the Advena Avis set sail, and in 2002 he states he would surrender himself for the safety of the innocent passengers if he were on his own.

Denkurō is shown to be an observant individual, voicing suspicions about Fermet's true nature as early as 1711 and immediately noting Luchino's attention to himself and the other immortals in 2002.

1705: The Ironic Light Orchestra
Denkurō  and Zank Rowan enter the city of Lotto Valentino in hopes to stopping the circulation of a certain drug in the city, and after shortly entering they are met by Spanish aristocrats - the Rotten Eggs - who were beating up Elmer C. Albatross and Niki. Inadvertently getting involved because of their odd appearance, they easily dispatch them, while Elmer and Niki escape.

Later they encounter Huey Laforet who agrees to bring them to Dalton. Their they discuss their encounter with The Rotten Eggs, and Aile (whom Dalton doesn't know), while Elmer and Huey eavesdrop on them.

2001: The Children of Bottle
In 2001, Elmer explains what happened to Denkurō  since the 1700s. Desiring to return home, while avoiding Szilard, Denkurō  opted to take a trek through the North Pole, where he was frozen for 250 years until he was discovered by a soviet submarine and defrosted in the 1960s. He escaped the KGB, getting as far as East Germany before being gunned down while attempting to climb the Berlin Wall. He hid in an East German's house until the wall fell in 1989, then continued his journey back to Japan. Since his house was destroyed many years earlier, he spent some time wandering the country. By the time Elmer met him in 1991, he was working as a 'ninja' performer in the theme park Nikko Edo Village, and as a result, Elmer nicknames him 'nin-nin'.

2002: (B Side) Blood Sabbath
Sometime in 2002, Denkurō finally reunites with the other immortals in Japan. Not long after, the group receives boarding passes for the luxury cruise liner the Exit, which is to travel from Japan to the U.S.A, signed from Huey Laforet. Despite their concerns, they accept the invitation and take the cruise.

Denkurō is calm as they board the ship, if somewhat flustered by Sylvie, on whom he seems to have developed a crush. When asked by Nile whether he is worried about their journey, he responds with bemusement -- he does not recall having been seasick on the Advena Avis. Nile clarifies that he thought his being trapped in ice for 250 years would have caused him to become averse to the ocean, but Denkurō denies this shortly, as he had been on foot at the time, and the subject is dropped.

That evening, Denkurō, Sylvie, and Elmer have dinner in one of the restaurants on the ship and discuss Huey's possible plans. Elmer brings up that there is a show being performed by a magician from Lotto Valentino later on, and Denkurō muses that he would be curious to visit again after so many years -- provided he does not bring Nile with him, given his hatred for the city. Driven by nostalgia, the three decide to watch the show.

During the performance, Denkurō notices and alerts the others to the fact that the magician, the Rookie Warlock appears to be observing their table in particular. When his concern is dismissed by Elmer, he apologizes for disrupting the performance and returns to watching the show in silence.

Denkurō spends the beginning of the following day in his cabin with Elmer and Nile. When Nile complaints about his boredom, he suggests that he joins him in watching a film -- Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" -- but Nile declines, saying that Denkurō should watch it in his native tongue rather than in English for his sake. The three return to the topic of Huey and the question of why he sent them on this trip. When Elmer refutes Nile's claim that Huey had been the evilest person aboard the Advena Avis, suggesting that Fermet was more suited to this title, Denkurō makes a vague assent. Pressed to elaborate, he politely refuses to say anymore, not wishing to speak ill of the dead.

Not long after Nile leaves the room to follow the sound of fighting, Denkurō hears gunfire. Expressing his fear for Sylvie's safety and his concern for Nile's behavior, he deliberates on whether he should go out and look for them. Elmer suggests that while he searches for Nile, Denkurō should go find Sylvie and "show off his cool side" to her. He is flustered and begins to protest, only to be cut off by Bride's PA announcement.

Denkurō asks Elmer whether the announcement could be Huey's doing, but Elmer denies this possibility. The two come to the conclusion that if they remain holed up in their cabin they will be captured. After ensuring that the hallway is clear, Denkurō declares with striking confidence and focus that their first goal is to find Sylvie. As they leave, he questions Elmer about the Mask Makers referred to on the PA and learns about his history with the organization.

At some point, Denkurō is separated from Elmer due to an attack by SAMPLE's followers. Alone in the ship's shopping mall, he is confronted by a group of ordinary passengers, driven to capture the immortals in order to appease the hijackers. He attempts to reason with them calmly, explaining that if he were traveling alone he would surrender in an instant to protect them, but that he cannot because he is the only person who can calm Nile's rage. When the man in question bursts onto the scene, covered in blood and wielding a meat cleaver, the passengers scatter and return to hiding.

Denkurō and Nile discuss the zombie-like quality of the people in red and black and agree that it is remarkably similar to the effect of the drug that had been traded in Lotto Valentino during the 1700s. They are interrupted by the appearance of a woman in a red and black wedding dress. Nile subdues her immediately, assuming her to be an enemy, but Denkurō notes that she does not have the same empty expression as the others and prevents him from causing her any harm. This woman is Silis, and before losing consciousness she warns them that SAMPLE is going after Sylvie. Denkurō hoists her up and resolves to return to their cabin immediately, hoping that Sylvie is already there.

While Elmer volunteers to join the Mask Makers in order to save Sylvie and Nile violently incapacitates the SAMPLE believers in the communications office, Denkurō deals with the believers in the engine control room. In contrast to his fellow immortal, he takes care not to cause harm to any of his enemies, rendering them unconscious and tying them up with rope instead.

Several days later in an FBI facility in the U.S, Denkurō, Sylvie, and Nile are questioned on the events that unfolded on the ship by Victor. In spite of his almost three-hundred-year absence, Denkurō is greeted by Victor as an old friend and is spoken to far less harshly than Nile.

When his troubles at the North Pole are brought up once again, Denkurō finally concedes the full story, not wishing to risk any further humiliation from the misconception that he had fallen into the Arctic Ocean of his own accord. In reality, he had been trapped in a box in his sleep and tossed into the sea against his will in a plot orchestrated by Fermet.

Episode 07
Denkurō assists Maiza Avaro in summoning the demon.

Elmer C. Albatross
Elmer nicknamed Denkurō "ninja".

Sylvie Lumiere
Denkuro appears to have some sort of a crush on Sylvie, and is very taken with her extraordinary beauty. Ever formal, he tries to dismiss such thoughts from his head when they make themselves known.

Lebreau Fermet Viralesque
Fermet trapped Denkurō in ice when the latter attempted to return to Japan

Trivia

 * Judging from certain novels, it seems like Narita originally planned for Zank to be Denkuro's brother, since he is referred to as Zankuro (in 1934: Prison Episode Alice in Jails) and as Denkuro's brother in another. This idea was retconned.