But since it's called a "diet plan," it's destined to have little to do with delicious food.
This also gave Michael Okita quite a headache. Although he felt his body was getting stronger, his tongue was really suffering.
At first, Ichiro Katsumi tried to sneak extra food at home after training, but the next day, Fujima would usually trick him into revealing it with just a few words.
The consequence was an inhumane extra training session. After the training, he didn't even have the strength to crawl home, so he slept at the Base Camp until dawn the next day.
In short, this vice-captain is someone they really can't afford to mess with.
As for Shirasawa, the official captain, he's basically a hands-off manager. Every time he comes over, he just watches the show, acting all carefree and indifferent.
He would often pat Fujima on the shoulder and say earnestly, "Keep it up! Train until you drop dead, as long as you don't die."
5 PM.
There is one hour left before the match begins.
The good viewing spots on the sidelines were basically all taken.
But the number of people present at this moment has already exceeded one hundred.
This is just a park sports field, yet it can gather hundreds of people, making for a rather lively scene.
Several sponsors watching from the sidelines were already beaming with delight.
From this point onward, players from various basketball teams in Kanagawa began to arrive one after another.
Tomokazu Godai and Koichiro Nango, Hasegawa and the Takano and Nagano twins, Kengo Murasame leading Tetsuya Naito for the fun; they were there to carefully observe the match so they could go back and prepare, waiting to be the challengers next time.
"Look! It's Maki and Kiyota! The main characters have arrived!"
" Maki! When are you coming to participate too?!"
"Where have you decided to go to university? You won't leave Kanagawa, will you?!"
Amidst the cheers of the fans, Shinichi Maki led Nobunaga Kiyota into the stadium.
However, judging from the cheers, Kiyota was clearly not considered the main character.
Shinichi Maki simply waved to the fans who were asking him questions, refusing to answer any of them.
Then, Ichiro Katsumi came over to greet them and briefly explained the rules of the game again. Nobunaga Kiyota then began to warm up on the sidelines.
The rules here are very similar to those in a formal competition.
However, there is one difference: the standards for calling fouls.
In terms of physical confrontation, unless you directly hit someone, the referee will generally turn a blind eye.
The goal is to encourage competition, make the games more exciting, and create a more intense atmosphere between the players.
The referees mainly focus on issues that affect the flow of the game, such as balls going out of bounds, traveling, and double dribbling.
In Shirasawa's words, the arena for the 100-Point Battle was an octagonal cage.
You won't get out of here easily without suffering some hardship.
And that's exactly what Shinichi Maki likes most!
Clearly, Kaede Rukawa couldn't give him enough stimulation yet; he'd have to wait for Shirasawa.
5:30 PM.
The venue was already packed with people.
Those fans who arrived two or three hours early to secure their spots were starting to get restless.
Actually, this has nothing to do with the organizers; it's your own fault for arriving so early.
But there were always a few troublemakers in the crowd who stirred things up, causing a commotion.
This is an unavoidable unexpected factor in street activities.
The mindset for watching a game here is completely different from going to a regular stadium.
The real culprits behind all this chaos are petty thugs mingling in the crowd. Their true aim is to steal wallets and gas while the situation is in disarray.
At that very moment,
Five or six thugs swaggered onto the court.
The intention is obvious.
The group of thugs swaggered to the center of the field and started yelling, "If you don't give something in return, you can forget about having this competition today!"
One of them, with a crooked mouth, added, "Of course, you can also try calling the police."
He pointed to the dense crowd around him, then glanced at the time. "But how long will it take for the police to arrive? Can you afford to wait? We've already stirred things up for you."
Upon hearing this, the sponsors and advertisers nearby couldn't sit still. Delaying the competition would result in significant losses for them. Several people quickly gathered around Sanae, their voices urgent. "Ms. Sanae, how about... we just pay them off to avoid further trouble? Giving them some money to send them on their way is better than making a scene."
Sanae simply smiled gently, her expression remaining calm. "Don't worry," she said steadily, "The people who can handle this will be here soon. Since we dared to do it, we've naturally made preparations for this."
Before the words were even finished, a commotion arose at the stadium entrance.
A group of people were pushing their way through the crowd, all dressed in suits. But the suits looked awkward on them, especially the one in the lead, who somehow managed to make a perfectly good suit look like a thug.
"Roll."
A single, simple word, spoken softly, instantly silenced half the room.
The leader strode up to the thug who had started shouting, raised his hand, and pressed down on the man's head. The movement was casual, like bouncing a ball, but the force was clearly not light.
"Who the hell are you?! How dare you touch me?!" The thug was forced to lower his head, unable to see who it was, but he still tried to shout defiantly. However, his voice was already starting to weaken.
"Oh?" The man holding him seemed to laugh. "Then I'll see who you really are."
With that, she twisted her wrist and forcefully grabbed the thug's hair, turning his face towards her. The thug grimaced in pain, but when he saw the face in front of him, all his cries stopped abruptly.
Not only did he shut up, but his whole body froze, and even the corners of his mouth began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Iron... Brother Tetsuo..." The thug squeezed out these words, his soul seemingly ripped out, his arrogance vanishing instantly.
The person who arrived was none other than Tetsuo. The group of men in suits behind him were naturally the newly formed Tetsuo Corps.
Actually, they don't usually dress this formally. This outfit was sent over by Sanae in advance, with the intention of keeping them from drawing too much attention. But unexpectedly, once they put on the suits, they became even more conspicuous, looking like some gang had just landed a big job, their whole bodies screaming "Don't mess with us."
But the effect was just right.
The Tetsuo is here is due to his earlier agreement with Shirasawa. Ever since dealing with Ryu's old gang, Shirasawa has helped Tetsuo reorganize his team, not only bringing in Yohei Mito and a few others, but also providing them with considerable financial support. Now, Tetsuo Corps is no longer the ragtag bunch of a dozen or so motorcycles aimlessly roaming around. In Kanagawa, anyone who hangs out on the streets will feel a bit intimidated by the names Tetsuo and Yohei.
The gang leader in front of him was clearly one of them. After recognizing Tetsuo, he didn't dare to move and could only wait for his fate.
" Tetsuo." Sanae gestured with her chin towards the sidelines, her meaning clear: just get him out of here, don't cause a scene.
Tetsuo nodded knowingly, released his grip, patted the thug's cheek, and said with a hint of joking, "You guys are lucky today. Get lost. But if I run into you again next time..."
He didn't finish his sentence, he just grinned.
But those thugs weren't about to take it as a joke. Their legs went weak and they almost knelt down on the spot, bowing and scraping repeatedly. "We'll never do it again! Thank you, Brother Tetsuo! We'll disappear right now!"
After saying that, the group scrambled off the field without even looking back.
Tetsuo then waved his hand, and the group of men in suits behind him scattered and silently took up positions around the arena. After what had just happened, the audience understood—these men, at least for now, were on the side of the organizers.
Now, the order on the court is completely stable. Forget about causing trouble, I doubt anyone would even dare to pick up a wallet if it fell on the ground.
The Tetsuo Corps unexpectedly gained a wave of goodwill, making these guys who usually acted arrogantly a little embarrassed.
With all this commotion, the match time is almost up.
The moment Shirasawa and Kaede Rukawa appeared, the fans' emotions were instantly ignited. Several players from Shohoku and Ryonan also came with them.
Shohoku was just there to watch the show, while the Ryonan guys were there to genuinely support Kaede Rukawa.
Our opponent is Nobunaga Kiyota from Kainan; we absolutely cannot lose this match!
" Shirasawa! Shirasawa!"
The entire audience began chanting the same name rhythmically, and in the blink of an eye, Shirasawa became the center of attention.
Unfortunately, the current frenzy is largely due to his popularity. Many fans came specifically for him; the one-on-one match was secondary.
There are five minutes left before the match starts.
Shirasawa walked to the center of the field amidst the shouts. He had another task: to thoroughly heat up the atmosphere.
Since so many people have come for him, he should at least show some appreciation.
Ichiro Katsumi gripped the Michael, his voice nearly cracking. "The atmosphere isn't enough! Let's have a dunk show that will blow the roof off!"
How to warm up the crowd? Of course, with some heart-stopping, powerful dunks!
Shirasawa, Michael Okita, and Hanamichi Sakuragi walked to the basket.
"Look closely! They're not wearing legs on their legs, they're wearing rockets!" Ichiro Katsumi continued to yell, "The rim is going to be in big trouble today!"
The entire audience erupted in cheers; the atmosphere was electric.
Hanamichi Sakuragi was the first to step up. He didn't do anything fancy, he just grabbed the ball, charged forward, and with a thud, unleashed a gliding tomahawk dunk!
Simple, crude, and eye-twitching.
Next up is Michael Okita.
This was his first time appearing in front of so many people. He had to seize the opportunity and make sure everyone remembered him!
He took a few steps and then suddenly pulled up.
The height of that jump was simply outrageous. The person swung their arm in mid-air and "bang!" smashed into a giant windmill!
After dunking, he waved his arms wildly, cheering and encouraging the audience.
This time, he successfully etched his mixed-race face into everyone's minds.
Not only the fans, but many players on the sidelines were also stunned.
This physical ability... where did it come from? I've never heard of any team acquiring someone like this.
Many people were already thinking to themselves that they had to investigate this kid's background when they got back. If he wasn't already taken, they would definitely try to recruit him into their team.
The last one, the grand finale.
Amidst much anticipation, Shirasawa patted the ball, preparing to go on the court.