Steel Ball Run - Chapter 7
Summary
Pocoloco remarks on how unlucky he is to sleep in on the day of the race, but soon changes his mind after seeing how fast his horse is moving due to the ground being trampled and beaten by the other racers' horses. As he catches up to the group, Pocoloco catches a gold coin in his mouth and is able to catch a glimpse of a woman's cleavage. Once he catches up to the rest of the racers, they arrive at a cliff, and one racer complains that they have gotten off track because they were following Sandman.
Standing on the top of the cliff, Pocoloco watches Sandman climb up the other side of the ravine, while the other racers complain. As they consult their maps or decide to go back, Pocoloco has his horse run off the cliff, trying to reach the other side. Sandman, seeing this, tells Pocoloco to use his rope to lift his horse up to top side of the cliff. After reaching the top, Sandman and Pocoloco both race ahead, while Pocoloco wonders if Sandman came all the way from the beach at that pace. He thinks to himself that although he got help, the fact that he jumped over the cliff proves his luckiness.
Pocoloco catches up with the main group of racers as they reach the last third of the first stage with Gyro in the lead. Pocoloco asks Johnny if Gyro is the leader. Johnny thinks that Gyro's horse will begin to tire soon. For Johnny, the race is not about winning or about the prize money, but about catching up to Gyro and learning the mystery of the Steel Balls. The easiest way to get Gyro's recognition is to beat him in this stage.
Meanwhile, Gyro heads off course into the brush on the right. If he makes it through, he can shave 800 to 1,000 meters off his running distance, but there are many obstacles in the forest. Eight horses follow Gyro into the forest, including Johnny and Pocoloco. Johnny notices that Pocoloco has his eyes closed with an expression of confidence, as if he is testing himself.
