Summery
Sakamoto shoots and kills Hankai, resulting in the Kaientai ships and crew being freed of the robot's control. The ships attach themselves to the sinking Kairenmaru to keep it afloat while the freed crew rushes to the core room and try to fix the damage. While they both watch, Nobu Nobu quietly notes about the differences between him, Hankai, and Sakamoto, telling Mutsu how compared to the first two, Sakamoto's leadership is a rarity, a group comprised of a foolish leader and independent subordinates that won't abandon each other.
Mutsu compares a leader to a ship where as long as it has a crew on it, they can go where ever they all want. She states that Nobu Nobu was an empty, weak ship that decided ride alone on other "ships" and as a result, couldn't go anywhere. The Shogun asks where this "ship" was going since at this moment, it's being chased by enemy "ships." Mutsu responds that the "ship" is really a wandering "ship" that picks up those that are also lost wanderers, including Nobu Nobu, since this "ship" (Sakamoto) searches for a time where everyone with different lives can come together and laugh. Nobu Nobu gets up and leaves, thinking about how strong and encompassing Sakamoto is.
Sakamoto quietly watches the Shogun leave and looks at his right arm that held a nasty scar along the wrist and forearm, thinking on how this was the only way he can fight. In the past during the Joui Wars, an injured Sakamoto is carried on a stretcher with the worried soldiers surrounding him. Takasugi arrived and asked how he got the arm wound. Sakamoto and some of his division was carrying injured enemy soldiers off the battlefield and an explosion knocked them off their feet. Before Sakamoto could get up, he is attacked by a robed beam saber swordsman. Takasugi chastised him on helping enemy soldiers but sadly added that he will never be able to hold a sword again. Gintoki, who was listening off on the side, states that Sakamoto's time was not over and the injured man watched in shock as Gintoki and Takasugi goes off to find the swordsman in revenge. Gintoki found the swordsman first who revealed himself (as the scence switches to present in an echo of the past meeting) to be Batou.
Characters
- Sakamoto Tatsuma
- Mutsu
- Hitotsubashi Nobu Nobu
- Kaientai
- Uranus Hankai
- Takasugi Shinsuke (flashback)
- Sakata Gintoki (flashback and present)
- Pluto Batou (flashback and present)