Episode 5

Episode 5
Episode	5
Manga chapters	Chapter 11-Chapter 14
Original air date	May 8, 2012
Story arc	Vein Arc Sea Route Arc
Episode Navigation
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Vein (静脈, Jōmyaku^?) is the fifth episode of the anime and adapts the Vein Arc and the Sea Route Arc.

While en route to South Africa Koko Hekmatyar is briefly reunited with her brother Kasper, who is to transfer some VL MICA missiles to her three months after he recruited Jonah to be her bodyguard. How this came to be is revealed.

Summary

At sea on a cargo ship, Lutz is trying out an XM8, which R asks to try next. Jonah reflects that he still hates weapons and feels like he is being played for a fool when talking to Koko Hekmatyar. She is then informed that a freighter is approaching which is carrying additional cargo that they had left behind before receiving an unexpected call that her brother Kasper is on that same freighter. She has Wiley hide Jonah to keep him out of sight and he tries to tell Jonah that although they may be in trouble, they are fine since they will not need their guns.

The freighter comes to alongside and Kasper arrives with a delivery of VL MICA missiles. He reveals that he knows that Scarecrow tried to capture Koko, referring to the CIA agent’s nickname as one who scares crows from fields of gold and mentioning that he will be relentless in his pursuit of her. In the cabin, Wiley agrees with what Jonah told him about Koko being a contradiction. He then begins to tell Jonah a Chinese fable about the pike and shield while tutoring him in English.

Chiquita stops Jonah from attacking Kasper.

Kasper tells Koko that she will run into the Chinese in Africa in the form of the Taishinhai Company. Wiley notes that Jonah seems to like languages but dislikes math, as he tends to ditch his lessons, which the latter confirms. He then excuses himself to go to the bathroom, claiming that he is not trying to escape. Outside, Kasper arrives to also use the bathroom and Wiley remembers that he is why Jonah is being hidden. Kasper enters and begins to use the urinal right next to Jonah, who just after he flushes draws a knife to stop him, but is stopped by Kasper’s bodyguard, Chiquita. Kasper greets Jonah when he begins to wash up, calling him by his real name, Jonathan. Chiquita tells him to drop his knife, bending its blade to prove its uselessness. Kasper tells Jonah that he considers this a greeting from when they met three months ago.

In a certain West Asian country three months before, Jonah was serving as a child soldier at a military base while one of Kasper’s subordinates, Yusuf Gasud, met with the deputy commander. Jonah realised that Yusuf was not a journalist while trying to feed a handful of orphans at the base. They tried to hide the food when the deputy commanderr arrived, but were punished anyway and two of the children were taken away, with Jonah being beaten for trying to go along. When he saw Yusuf's eyes he noticed how cold and hard they were, unlike those of a normal man. That night he mourned the loss of one of his friends, Malka, who he knew was forced to probe a minefield and thus met her death. He told Maurice, one of the children, to gather the rest of them and take them to their secret base before launching a one-man uprising.

Kasper and Jonah's first meeting.

Jonah was able to confuse the soldiers as to how many attackers there were and who it really was. He killed most of the soldiers and the deputy commander, enabling him to confront Yusuf, who confessed that he was an arms dealer. Yusuf tried to bribe him, but was shot anyway. He was about to leave when he sensed a murderous intent and realized he was surrounded. His new opponents used a smoke grenade to blind him and Chiquita was able to subdue him from behind, allowing her companions to enter the warehouse they were in. Kasper then arrived in a helicopter and met with him, deducing what had transpired. He also revealed something of his and Koko’s background, stating that Jonah’s betrayal of his former comrades even shocked him a little. He also dismissed Yusuf's death and admitted that he was attempting to destroy the base by selling the deputy commander weapons, but Jonah has now done the job for him for free. A road enabling the transport of troops, oil, and weapons can now run through where the base is currently located. Kasper then told Jonah that he owes him for killing his men and Chiquita releases his bonds to trap him inside a shipping container as Jonah worries about the orphans, not knowing if Kasper will spare them or not. He is locked in for days with just water.

Kasper bids Jonah goodbye.

Back in the present, Koko is angered at Kasper and Chiquita’s treatment of Jonah and kicks him off the ship. Chiquita greets Lehm, who notes that her manners are as bad as ever. Jonah vows to Kasper that he will kill him, but the latter just says goodbye before he can finish. As Kasper’s freighter sails away, Jonah talks to Koko about his situation. She apologises for Kasper’s actions and is unable to reply when he asks her if she still loves the world, instead giving him a small hug. Jonah steps out before Mao arrives to instruct him. Ugo is surprised when Koko shows him the team’s new car, as their previous one was totaled during the fight with Orchestra. Lehm meets with Valmet and advises her not to be so tense as they will be spending some time in Africa, although she had some bad experiences there. She cheers up when she decides that talking to Koko will comfort her and runs off.

Jonah agrees to Kasper's deal.

Jonah climbs to the crow's nest and enjoys the view. He recalls when Kasper returned to let him out of the crate, learning that he was the one who sold weapons to the enemies of his village. Kasper admitted being indirectly responsible for his parents’ death, provoking Jonah into trying to attack him by biting his leg, but he was too weak and grief stricken to do anything serious. Kasper then realised that the boy had decided to either use him or turn him into an enemy. When Jonah asked about the three orphans, Kasper revealed that they were safe and promised to relocate them in Japan. He then asked what Jonah could offer him in return, and as he had nothing, offered to take his combat skills and labour as a bodyguard. Jonah had no choice but to accept and Kasper told him that he will work for his sister. The scene then fast forwards to a certain Eastern European country, where Koko and Jonah met face to face on a busy street. Koko told him that she will melt his face of ice.

Anime and manga differences

Chapter 11

• Koko wears dark pants instead of a white skirt.
• R is not shown firing the XM8.
• When both freighters anchor they are facing in opposite directions.
• The loading of the VL MICA shipping crates is shorter.
• Koko takes her hat off when meeting with Kasper.
• "The Pike and the Shield" is depicted differently.
• Kasper's bodyguards are shown test firing the XM8 with Ugo then firing it one-handed in response to their cockiness. This was changed to showing R firing it one-handed.
• Kasper asking to go to the restroom is shown from a different angle.
• Wiley is seated next to Jonah when he observes that he seems to like languages.
• Jonah hangs onto the knife after Chiquita bends the blade.
• Kasper talks to Jonah face to face.

Chapter 12

• Jonah grips his head in anger when Kasper recalls that they met three months ago.
• The base is shown in less detail but more specifics on the location of a certain West Asian country are given.
• The commander does not appear in the episode, changing the storyline in several ways:
  • He is not mentioned by the deputy commander as having taken in the orphans.
  • The deputy commander assumes a more antagonistic role than Yusuf.
  • Yusuf's arms shipment is implied to be near the minefield but is not shown.
  • The deputy commander and Yusuf are not injured while retrieving the arms shiment.
  • Malka's death is implied to have been caused by stepping on a mine, not being used as a shield by Yusuf.
• Yusuf is called by his men, which was when they were being attacked by the commander.
• The scene of Jonah feeding the orphans is changed.
• Jonah's beating is less explicit.
• The deputy commander and Yusuf are arguing when Jonah launches his rebellion.
• The money in Yusuf's briefcase is shown in less detail.
• Yusuf's death is more explicit.

Chapter 13

• Kasper unlocking the shipping container and making his deal with Jonah as well as Jonah and Koko's first meeting occur at the end of this chapter, which the episode reorders.
• Chiquita and one of the other bodyguards enter the warehouse and how she subdues Jonah is different.
• The orientation of Kasper meeting Jonah is flipped.
• Kasper's bodyguard holding the briefcase full of money has his mask on.
• Kasper telling Jonah that he must pay for killing Yusuf and wondering how he will handle fear is different.
• Jonah is shown on the floor of the container weak from starvation.
• Kasper's departure from the Atlas and Chiquita and Lehm's meeting is different.
• Kasper's freighter sails away while there is still a lot of light left in the day.
• Kasper is shown opening the shipping container and checking Jonah's pulse. Jonah breaks down after trying to bite Kasper with his face to the side of the container floor and he remains in this position when they negotiate. Chiquita has her balaclava on with her goggles pushed up. Kasper is shown carrying Jonah out of the container.
• Less of the background is shown during Koko and Jonah's first meeting.
• There is a scene of Koko finding the XM8 left on deck, which affects the events of the following chapter.

Chapter 14

• The following elements were omitted from the episode:
  • The delivery of the VL MICA missiles.
  • R and Lutz cleaning the pilothouse as punishment for leaving the XM8 on the deck.
  • Koko's discussion of the XM8 with R and Lutz.
  • Jonah joining the others in the lounge and Koko's suggestion that they take a bath together.
• Jonah cleans the FNC on deck while R and Lutz are doing their cleaning.
• The scene with Koko showing Ugo the Touareg is longer and it is named.

Debut appearances

• Alan (not named)
• Chiquita
• Deputy commander
• Edgar (not named)
• Eline (not named)
• Yusuf Gasud
• Kasper Hekmatyar
• Janot (not named)
• Malka
• Maurice
• Poe (not named)

Trivia

• Chiquita and Kasper are featured in the shell cartridge during the ending credits.