SBR Chapter 8
Crossing the Forest is the eighth chapter of Steel Ball Run.
Summary
This chapter begins with Pocoloco thinking "I really have that one out of 50 hundred million good luck uh-ohh it's true if it wasn't I would have fallen off the horse I won't get hit by branches even if i close my eyes nothing will kick me off this horse!" The announcer exclaims "The 3,600 horses have split up into two groups the group following the gambler Gyro Zeppeli take a short cut the rest will use a safer route even though it's 1,000 meters further no one will know which route is faster until the very end!" as the announcer finishes his exclamation Johnny moves through the forest thinking "Shit where...where's Gyro I can't see him I can't let him gain more distance from me!" As Johnny continues to follow Pocoloco in the forest he thinks to himself "This guy even though his eyes are closed he's accelerating while his eyes are closed did he think it was safer to close his eyes and let his horse move on it's own rather than controlling the horse himself certainly a rider's weaknesses and fear of obstacles could transfer to their horse but some sweet thinking like that can win this race even Gyro is racing near his strength's limit!" Johnny passes by Pocoloco as he hits his head against a tree branch and nearly falls off his horse while Johnny turns his head back and thinks "Just as I thought some thin and boring freak." Gyro meanwhile is going through the forest when he comes to a stop saying "My mind's playing tricks on me I could have sworn someone was coming no a runaway horse the rider's fallen off" As Gyro finishes his sentence he sees Pocoloco being dragged by his horse while Johnny follows saying "Shit this guy he went straight through the space between the branches I can't catch up he's getting ahead of me. This guy by falling off the horse he could go freely through a space that only a horse could pass through.It's Gyro he's breezing through the trees but that guy is closing in on Gyro!" Pocoloco still being dragged by his horse says "Yo Yo fast fast i was really lucky I can't believe how lucky i was falling of the horse!" Johnny still following Pocoloco says "If this keeps up he might catch up to Gyro in the forest is this merely by chance or is it did he calculate what would happen from the very beginning!?" Gyro noticing that Pocoloco's horse is catching up to him says "What the hell damn i guess it's time to avoid more then just trees." Gyro continues to go through forest taking out his steel balls and throws them into two trees causing them to close as he reaches the end of the forest while Pocoloco hits a few as he is a few feet behind Gyro. The announcer exclaims "Ooooooh one came out of the forest they're coming out they're coming out one horse has made it through the forest. It's Gyro as expected Gyro Zeppeli came out single-handedly it's a success the shortcut was a success there's a difference of at least 800 meters from the people who ran through the normal route what there's one more one more horse came out of the forest it's catching up closing in on Gyro and only 5 horse-lengths away number 3. What is going on what the who the heck is that even though Gyro Zeppeli was so far ahead coming out of the forest someone has already caught up to him!" Pocoloco remarks "It's true I really am a lucky guy uh-oh I got hit by a tree branch and was knocked back on the saddle." Gyro seeing Pocoloco says "I don't understand who is he it must be some kind of ability or else this couldn't have happened!" This chapter ends with the announcer saying "There's a sign that says 4,000 left after the downhill and the farm, there's 2,000 meters of straight road to the goal."
