Cornered by fishing boats ahead and Grays ashore, Toranaga orders attack stations while Yabu secretly weighs betraying him. Toranaga asks John Blackthorne for a breakout plan; Blackthorne answers “with cannon.” Toranaga resolves to obtain the Portuguese frigate’s guns—by loan or by capture—and instructs Mariko to place loyalty above her Christianity, befriend Blackthorne, and report on the priests.

Under Toranaga’s flag the galley approaches the frigate. Blackthorne warns the Portuguese may favor Ishido and urges closing astern as the smallest target. He admits a storm might break the trap but not soon. The frigate lies armed and ready offshore; the galley maneuvers within hailing distance.

Aboard the Santa Theresa, Captain-General Ferriera prepares to kill Toranaga and Blackthorne, but Father-Visitor dell’Aqua forbids the ambush, declaring, “Thou shalt not kill!” Rodrigues, the pilot, keeps sea room and readiness while both ships realize the fishing-boat cordon. To save face, Alvito stages a false-colors misunderstanding and launches a longboat to parley.

Toranaga agrees to board with five guards to seek escort, leaving Yabu in command and a contingency to seize the frigate if refused. Alvito invites Blackthorne; he initially refuses, then yields to the lure of real food. Rodrigues has him fed and clothed privately below to avoid disgrace, while Ferriera hints at trading escort for possession of the “heretic.”

Negotiations move below decks as Rodrigues remains on watch, ordering his cabin cleaned and guarding against treachery. Toranaga recognizes the mastery of both pilots and the strategic necessity of European ships to secure Japan’s seas.