Chapter 25

Summary

• Blackthorne takes ten minutes to regain enough strength to stand after a battle.
• Ronin-samurai clean the ship and dispose of bodies, preparing for departure.
• Toranaga's men create a defensive position against approaching Grays from a frigate.
• Additional samurai meet Toranaga at the gangway, who now appears in armor.
• Signal fires are lit at the city, indicating Toranaga's escape is known.
• Blackthorne, still weakened but in control, directs the ship to cast off.
• Buntaro, entangled in combat onshore, manages to reach the ship with help from Blackthorne.
• Toranaga boards the ship and it begins to move away from the jetty as battle continues onshore.
• Blackthorne tries to rescue Buntaro through various means, ultimately using an oar to extend help.
• Sono, a girl embroiled in the battle, tries to reach the ship with the oar's help but drowns.
• Buntaro prepares to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) instead of attempting to swim to the ship.
• Mariko, wounded but alive, reveals that Buntaro intends to die with honor rather than risking capture or shameful death.
• Toranaga perceives Buntaro's dishonored past but commands him to try to escape instead of dying.
• Buntaro reluctantly obeys Toranaga and escapes on horseback, avoiding death.
• On the ship, there's a mixture of laughter at Buntaro's escape and shock at the sight of carnage left ashore.
• The ship continues to navigate, potentially trapped by enemy vessels crowding the harbor entrance.