Yakitate!! Japan, Vol. 18

Are you ready for the Iron Chef of bread?! Manga shall not live by bread alone.

England. France. Germany. What common thread binds these three nations together? Answer: each is famous for producing unique, distinctive, delicious bread. But what about Japan, home to rice and delicacies of the sea? Is there not a doughy, gastronomic delight they can claim as their own? The answer is no…until now! Kazuma Azuma, a 16-year-old-boy blessed with otherworldly baking powers, has taken it upon himself to create Ja-pan, the national bread of the land of the rising sun!

Sibling rivalry takes over the competition kitchen as yakuza heir apparent Kanmuri clashes with his half-brother Tsutsumi in a jam-packed battle of the bakeries. The loser will inherit their father’s organized crime circle–and with Azuma out sick, team Pantasia is spread thin! Later, Azuma goes up against a seaweed scion in an attempt to incorporate the briny ingredient into his bread. Despite Azuma’s best efforts to make his signature Ja-pan sea(weed) worthy, it looks like Pantasia bakery may be headed for a watery grave!