If a country has the world's most powerful corporations and conglomerates, the highest GDP, and the most prosperous paper economy, that country must be strong and its citizens must be wealthy, right? There should be no reason for them to flee to poorer lands.
That's what many people in this world misunderstand about the Japanese.
In truth, the Arasaka Corporation is one of the richest and most powerful megacorporations in the world. Rather than Japan being represented by Arasaka, it's more accurate to say Arasaka just happens to be from Japan.
The Japanese government didn't become prosperous because of Arasaka. On the contrary, as a government, it completely lost its ability to mediate internal conflicts.
In the early 21st century, Arasaka conducted secret research in Chiba Prefecture, testing nanorobotics and nanosurgery on dense urban populations.
The experiments poisoned the water and soil across Chiba. Anyone infected by the unknown plague died within days.
Mass death led to chaos. The Japanese government poured endless funds into fixing the problem, but it couldn't be fixed.
Teams of waste handlers were sent into Chiba, followed by waves of police and even JSDF troops. Yet in the end… There was no recovery.
The entire region remained half-dead, like a land under a curse. The government was trapped, forced to dump money into a bottomless pit year after year, growing weaker with each attempt.
Most people were certain Arasaka was behind the Chiba Plague. But Japan's government had no power to fight them—let alone punish them.
That disaster was only one of Arasaka's more infamous crimes within Japan. Their poison seeped into the nation long before that—ever since World War II, or even before.
After that war, the Arasaka family had a "brilliant idea," reinventing themselves as pioneers of liberalism—the "international corporate freedom" banner of Arasaka.
So yes, in a sense, a Japan with Arasaka is "strong."
But the Japanese people and their government were simply sacrificed to that strength.
The rest of the world hated Arasaka for their wars and military tech. And by extension, they hated Japan.
And by further extension, they hated Japanese immigrants.
So…
"In a way, all our 'enemies' come from Arasaka—from the streets, from the people who curse corpo dogs and rob corpo dogs.
You choose to work for Arasaka—how are you any different from the bastards who turned Chiba into hell?
You've got the nerve to talk to me about the old Tyger Claws? You're not your father, or your grandfather—and neither of them ever bent over for a corp."
Leo didn't hold back as he tore into Maekawa.
"These poor bastards came to Night City chasing a dream of stability after Arasaka ruined their lives.
And now you—you'd sacrifice people like yourself, just to lick Arasaka's boot, and you've got the gall to talk about your so-called ideals?"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Leo's cybernetic tentacle arms slammed against the luxury plexiglass desk in front of Maekawa.
Between the glass layers was a carved tiger emblem with four golden characters embroidered around it: 天下无双 — 'Peerless Under Heaven.'
Cracks spread across the thick surface, nearly obscuring the design underneath.
"And then what? You tell your people these are 'necessary sacrifices'? Call it 'the tragedy of the times'? Say, 'Give me a few days, I'll deal with it'? You serious? You not sickened by that?"
"Disgusting." Brick spat to the side. "Too damn disgusting. Maelstrom's never done that kind of crap. No wonder your boys ditched you."
"Agreed." Joestar nodded. "Good thing we didn't run with you. Pathetic, Maekawa, really pathetic."
Watching the two buffoons, V almost burst out laughing—but then she noticed Jackie quietly recording everything at the door, and she fell silent, thinking.
Maekawa didn't share that luxury. One leg jittered like a motor, making the floor creak.
After a moment, he stopped, lowered his hand from his face, and the tough Yakuza boss façade crumbled. He just looked tired.
"...Everyone's a whore. We just sell different things."
He stopped talking and stared at the cracked desk—at those four golden characters:
Peerless Under Heaven.
The more someone lacks something, the louder they shout it. Without Arasaka, Tyger Claw was never truly "peerless."
Saying the line to these three lunatics again, he suddenly felt his confidence slip.
He'd repeated those words countless times to convince himself.
But deep down, he wanted to be peerless—for real.
Leo sensed the timing was right and gave Brick a look. Brick nodded to Joestar, who hauled several crates onto the desk.
Inside were pristine first-generation cyberware, electronics, guns, and a data chip listing new production lines for exoskeletons, second-gen augments, plasma weapons, and armored vehicles.
"Cyberware. Weapons. I can provide them."
"I don't have money."
"No problem. I'll take payment in kind—or power."
Leo opened one of the crates. Inside were rows of graphene batteries, the current standard across his production network.
Without realizing it, Leo's operation had grown into something mature and self-sustaining—enough to fully supply an entire gang.
Most major gangs were broke now. Ironically, the smaller ones rising from the ashes were the ones swimming in wealth.
"Power?" Maekawa picked up a battery. Its specs flashed into his neural display. "Nice. But… not easy to transport.
Sixth Street's been doing something similar lately—a 'community benefit' plan or something.
Now there's power theft every day in Santo Domingo. NCPD and Night Corp are baffled—small hits, huge area, can't track it all, can't stop it all."
"That's me," Leo said calmly. "So? You in or out?
If you'd rather crawl back to Arasaka, I won't stop you—but once you walk out that door, next time we meet, I can't promise how it'll end."
"Heh." Maekawa chuckled, set the battery down, and looked over at Jackie. "I want the same grade as him. You got that?"
Leo looked genuinely surprised.
"Of course. Full-body conversion—your call. Go crazy, I'm not responsible if you lose your mind. You wanna try it?"
"Cyberpsychosis, huh…" Maekawa mused, eyes wandering to the four golden words on the wall again.
"But if a psycho's chasing me down, I can't exactly call myself peerless under heaven, can I? I'll take it, Burger King-san."
"Good. I'll have the stock prepped. As for the conversion…"
Leo turned to a confused Brick. "Maelstrom will handle distribution. Talk to him."
"Uh… buddy, I appreciate the help, but we don't have full-body conversion tech!"
After Maekawa left the office, Brick leaned over and whispered to Leo.
"You serious? We got that?"
Leo's mechanical arm clapped him on the shoulder.
"Of course we do. What do you think your body is?"
"…Me?"
Brick looked down at himself—his body still running mostly on first-gen cyberware.
To call it a full-body conversion wasn't exactly wrong.
At that time, Leo had literally yanked his head out, and when he put it back, it was basically like installing a brain into a full-body cybernetic frame.
Although it was still attached to his skull, you could round it up and call it a full-body cybernetic conversion.
However, the gear Leo provided was mostly first-generation cyberware—those precise implants were all cobbled together from old spare parts.
Where the hell would you even find a proper full-body conversion setup like that?
Leo spoke slowly, answering Brick's confusion: "Here's the thing. Remember that software upgrade I gave you guys earlier?"
Brick nodded.
Their jumbled cybernetics had all been integrated and recalibrated under Leo's supervision; every component of their bodies had been reflashed from the ground up.
DumDum had been watching the process the whole time—he was completely dumbfounded.
"Actually, you guys are test subjects. Now that the data's complete, you can move on to the second-generation cyberware.
You'll be getting a new shipment of equipment soon—take it, use it, and don't say I made you work for free.
Once you learn how to install it, you'll start doing the upgrades for customers."
Brick's head buzzed—suddenly a flood of data poured straight into his brain!
All of it was fresh, second-generation cybernetic components, along with complete full-body conversion blueprints.
These were brand-new products straight out of the Marvel world's labs—never before tested on living subjects!
On paper, their performance easily surpassed even Alpha-grade gear!
"Boss…" Joestar looked at Leo walking ahead while his own boss froze in place, then leaned in quietly. "I think he just said we're the lab rats…"
Smack!
Brick gave Joestar a solid slap across the head. "You scared?"
"No, I just…"
"Then shut it! If you've got time to whine, use it to figure out how to fit yourself with a new metal shell! These implants are too damn neat—I'm not used to it."
Brick glanced at Joestar, then turned his attention back to admiring the cyberware, muttering under his breath, "Free cyberware, free tech… who'd turn that down? Lab rat or not, there are people out there lining up for this gig."
Then he looked back at Joestar. "Use your head for once!"
"Oh…" Joestar scratched the back of his neck. "Boss, I was just thinking—since we're already here, maybe I could go see my mom? The one who… you know, works the streets?"
"Do whatever you want." Brick waved him off. "Don't bother me with crap like that. Just make sure when there's a job, you don't disappear.
And don't forget to take a gun—hell, take mine. Don't let anyone screw you over."
"Got it."