The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place. She may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her twin brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands.

Jack Fletcher is battling the high seas. Ambushed by the Shogun's samurai, Jack and his friends have only one hope of escape - the Seto Sea. But with ferocious storms, man-eating sharks and ninja pirates at every turn, their chosen route is fraught with danger.

"Mariko must uncover deception in the imperial court and rescue Okami, while preparing for her nuptials"--

Jack Fletcher faces his toughest challenge yet. After a snowstorm forces him to take shelter, Jack comes across a village in need of protection from raiding mountain bandits. Torn between moving on or helping, Jack is persuaded to stay and fight the villagers' cause. But Jack is the first and only samurai to do so. Now he must enlist other warriors to the villagers' aid before the bandits return to steal their harvest. No easy task when the reward...

Jack Fletcher is running for his life. The port of Nagasaki is within reach, but the Shogun's samurai are closing in fast for the kill. So is too Jack's old school rival, Kazuki. Every road is blocked and every mountain pass guarded as Jack makes his final dash for safety. But with all of Japan hunting him, he's going to need a miracle to survive. And even if he reaches the end of the road, will there be a ship bound for home? Or will he be burned...

In 1613 Japan, English orphan Jack Fletcher's determination to keep the rutter, his father's navigational logbook, safe at all costs places his friends, daimyo Takatomi, and others in great danger.

In Japan in 1853, at the time of U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry's visit to Japan, Yoshi, a young Japanese boy who dreams of becoming a samurai one day, learns about America from Majiro and has adventures with Jack, a young cabin boy aboard one of the U.S. ships. Includes historical notes and glossary.

In 1841, rescued by an American whaler after a terrible shipwreck leaves him and his four companions castaways on a remote island, fourteen-year-old Manjiro, who dreams of becoming a samurai, learns new laws and customs as he becomes the first Japanese person to set foot in the United States.

"In this volume, a new love tempts Usagi to abandon his wandering lifestyle, the origin of the demon Jei is revealed at last, and Frank Miller, Jeff Smith, Sergio Aragones and more contribute to the landmark issue #100!"--

"Usagi attends a duel between his former teacher Katsuichi and a rival before continuing his travels, this time accompanied by his son Jotaro"--