Dr. Stone — Chapter 1

ON THAT DAY...

EVERY HUMAN ON EARTH...

...TURNED TO STONE!!

Z=1 Stone World

THERE'S NO STOPPING ME! IT'S GOTTA BE TODAY!!

LISTEN UP, SENKU !!

AFTER FIVE LONG YEARS OF HAVING FEELINGS FOR YUZURIHA

...I'M FINALLY GONNA CONFESS MY LOVE!!

I'LL BE CHEERING FOR YOU SO HARD FROM HERE IN THE SCIENCE LAB THAT MY VOCAL CORDS'LL SNAP.

HM ... INTER- ESTING... VERRRY INTER- ESTING.

WAIT, SO WHICH IS IT?! A FOOL WHO TAKES FIVE WHOLE YEARS TO SAY ANYTHING IS THE EPITOME OF ABSURDITY. SILENCE. I WON'T CHEER EVEN ONE MILLIMETER FOR YOU, YOU BIG OAF.

OH YEAH? THANKS, SENKU!

ALLOW ME TO PROVIDE A METHOD SO RATIONAL IT'LL KILL YOU.

YOUR SUCCESS IS TEN BILLION PERCENT ASSURED IF YOU DRINK THIS!

THIS WILL SEND YOUR PHEROMONE PRODUCTION INTO OVERDRIVE.

BASICALLY, IT'S A LOVE POTION.

THANKS, SENKU, BUT...

...NO THANKS!

I CAN'T GO AND CHEAT MY WAY INTO HER HEART.

THAT'S RIGHT. LIKE THE HONEST AND UPRIGHT DUDE I AM...

...I TOLD YUZURIHA TO MEET ME UNDER THE CAMPHOR TREE.

THAT'S WHERE I'LL CONFESS!!

JUST THINK ABOUT THE ATOMIC STRUCTURE OF POLY- ETHYLENE, YOU FOOLS!

HUH? I DUN GEDDIT. IT'S MERELY LONG GASOLINE MOLECULES CHOPPED UP BY A FEW HYDROCARBONS. SIMPLE ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND. SO TAIJU WOULD'VE DIED IF HE DRANK IT?

WAS THAT REALLY A LOVE POTION, SENKU...?

OF COURSE NOT. IT'S JUST ORDINARY GASOLINE. I PRODUCED IT FROM PLASTIC BOTTLE CAPS.

HEH HEH... I WAS TEN BILLION PERCENT SURE HE WOULDN'T DRINK IT.

HE'S AN HONEST FOOL.

SO WHAT IS IT, TAIJU?

YOU WANTED TO TALK, RIGHT?

IT'S ONE OF THOSE LOVE CONFESSION THINGS!!

OHHH!! I KNOW!!

!

TEN THOUSAND YEN SAYS SHE'LL ACCEPT HIM, CONTRARY TO EXPECTA- TIONS.

FIVE HUNDRED SAYS SHE'LL REJECT HIM.

I BET YOU 100 YEN THAT HE'LL GET TOTALLY REJECTED.

REALLY ?!

PUT ME DOWN FOR A HUNDRED.

THIS WHOLE TIME, I'VE BEEN TERRIFIED OF LOSING YUZURIHA AS A FRIEND!

BUT TODAY'S THE DAY!

LISTEN TO ME, YUZURIHA!

DESPITE THE POWERFUL NAME MY DEARLY DEPARTED PARENTS GAVE ME-TAIJU OKI- I'VE BEEN COWARDLY AND UNABLE TO FACE HER!

THESE PAST FIVE YEARS, IVE...

*TAIJU OKI MEANS "BIG-TREE BIG-TREE."

HUH?!

WHAT'S THAT LIGHT...?

I HAVE NO IDEA...

BUT...

YUZU- RIHA!

HOLD ON TO THAT TREE!

ALL OF A SUDDEN ...

WHAT?! EVERY- THING'S GONE DARK.

...I CAN'T MOVE...

<AM I HAVING A STROKE?>

CAN'T SPEAK.

HELP!

SOMEONE

JAAL

<OH NO!>

<TERRORISTS? NO...>

<SLIPPING AWAY...>

<CONSCIOUS- NESS...>

<I CAN'T DIE YET. THERE'S STILL SO MUCH TO...>

PLEASE, SOMEONE.

HELP!

GAH! IS THIS SLEEP PARALYSIS?

GET AN AMBU- LANCE ...

IS THIS...

HELP!!

MOM! DAD ...

DON'T WANNA DIE, DON'T WANNA DIE, DON'T WANNA...

SLEEPY.

CAN'T STAY...

DEATH?

YOKO... TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN.

ARGH! NO FREAKING WAY!!

I AIN'T DEAD YET !!

I CAN'T MOVE. IT'S LIKE I'M SOME SORTA STONE STATUE.

UGH! WAKE UP, ME!

IF I GET CARELESS FOR EVEN A SECOND, I'LL FADE AWAY.

STONE STATUE?

IN THE MORNING ...

DOES IT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT?

THE BUSINESS WITH THAT BIRD STATUE...

A STONE... BIRD?

SOMETHING FELL OVER HERE.

WHOEVER MADE THIS IS CRAZY GOOD. LOOK HOW THIN THOSE WINGS ARE!

SO BIG!

YOU SURE IT AIN'T THE REAL THING? LOOKS JUST LIKE THE REAL THING.

IT'S LIKE...THE SKIN AND FEATHERS GOT ALL HARD.

I'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE! A FRIEND OF MINE UPLOADED A PIC.

MIGHT JUST BE THAT THIS POOR LITTLE BIRD IS SICK!

HAHH

HAHH

eterinary Clinic Clinic Hours: 10:00 10:30 ... Clinic Hours: 10:00~ 10:30~

OBVIOUSLY THE VET'S NOT GONNA BE OPEN BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS!

DO YOU EVER STOP TO THINK?

YUZU- RIHA!

...TO THE VET? THAT BIRD IS CLEARLY JUST A SCULPTURE, BUT YOU STILL CAME...

YOU'RE SO DUMB IT'S EMBAR- RASSING!

JUST MY LUCK THAT WHEN I'M ACTING THE FOOL... ...WHO SHOULD HAPPEN ALONG BUT YUZURIHA...

WAIT, WHY ARE YOU HERE TOO...?

YUP! YOU'RE TOTALLY RIGHT!

HM? COINCI- DENCE?

I'M A DUMMY...

ANOTHER DUMMY WHO DOESN'T STOP TO THINK!

BECAUSE, WELL, HERE'S ANOTHER ONE!

WHAT? STOP LAUGHING! WE'RE IN THE SAME BOAT, HERE! WA HA HA HA!

NOW WE'RE BOTH GOING TO BE LATE FOR SCHOOL! YOU AIN'T WRONG ABOUT THAT! WA HA HA HA HA HA!

WOOF! WOOF!

WHIM- PER...

WHINE ...

HOW MANY DAYS HAS IT BEEN...

...SINCE...?

I CAN'T LET IT ALL END WITH ME AS A BIG FAT COWARD. STILL GOTTA TELL YUZURIHA HOW I FEEL!

A GOOD GIRL LIKE HER CAN'T DIE. NO WAY.

I WON'T DIE EITHER!

YUZURIHA'LL BE FINE.

I'M SURE SHE'S SAFE AND SOUND.

I'LL SURVIVE THIS THROUGH SHEER WILL ALONE.

FOR WEEKS!

EVEN MONTHS!

I'LL TELL HER...

...WON'T DIE.

WON'T LET...

NEVER.

...MY MIND FADE.

HOW MANY YEARS HAS IT BEEN?

SINCE THAT DAY...

HOW MANY DECADES?

NO! NO MATTER HOW LONG... I WON'T LOSE THIS FIGHT!

HOW MANY CENTURIES?

HOW MANY MILLENNIA?

I'LL TELL YUZURIHA.

I'LL DIE AND COME BACK TO LIFE TO DO IT...!!

IT'S BEEN SEVERAL THOUSAND YEARS...

...SINCE HUMANITY VANISHED FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH.

AHHHHHHHH!

I'M OUT!!

I'M FINALLY OUT!!

STONE

...FRAG- MENTS...?

OHH... LOOKIT ALL THESE PEOPLE!

SO THIS IS HOW THINGS ARE NOW!

SORRY! I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE OR WHERE YOU'RE FROM...

BUT THIS IS...

...ALL I CAN DO FOR YOU!

I'M NOT SURE IF HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF YEARS HAVE PASSED... ...BUT AS LONG AS THE ACTUAL TERRAIN HASN'T CHANGED TOO MUCH...

...I SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND HER IF I FOLLOW THIS RIVER... ...BACK TO THAT TREE!

OKAY

TIME TO LOOK AROUND !!

I'VE SEEN HIM ONCE ON TV!

THAT WAS TSUKASA SHISHIO, "THE STRONGEST PRIMATE HIGH SCHOOLER." EVEN A DUDE LIKE HIM...!

YUZURIHA.

THERE'S NO MISTAKE...

YOU SURVIVED.

EVER SINCE THAT DAY.

THIS WHOLE TIME...!

EVEN AFTER ALL THESE MILLENNIA...

GOOD JOB HANGING IN THERE! AND WELL DONE, TREE!

THIS TREE BE THOU- SANDS OF YEARS OLD!!

YUZU- RIHA! HOLD ON TO THAT TREE!

YOU KEPT YUZURIHA FROM FLOATING DOWNSTREAM AND BREAKING UP.

EVER SINCE THAT DAY...

YOU PRO- TECTED HER FOR ME!

I'M SORRY I COULDN'T PROTECT YOU MYSELF!

...THE WHOLE TIME... I MANAGED TO SURVIVE...

ALONE, IN THAT DARKNESS AND DESPAIR ...

FOR HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS...

WELL, IT'S ACTUALLY THE OTHER WAY AROUND! YOU WERE PROTECTING ME, YUZURIHA.

...BECAUSE YOU WERE OUT THERE.

THE WHOLE TIME...

LISTEN, YUZURIHA. WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY...

OKAY !! NOW I CAN FINALLY SAY IT!

...ON THAT DAY LONG AGO...

WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS...

I'VE LOVED YOU.

FOR HUNDREDS ...

...AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS!

YUZU- RIHA!

AND I'M GONNA SAVE YOU!

NOT SURE YET! BUT I'LL FIGURE IT OUT...

AS FOR HOW...

UH...

THIS...

Hahh

S-SENKU!

SO YOU FINALLY WOKE UP, YOU BIG OAF!

OHHHH!

DON'T YOU DARE HUG ME ALL NAKED LIKE THAT! I'LL KILL YOU!

I'M...! I'M SO... YOU SURVIVED, SENKU!!

HOW DO YOU KNOW...

TODAY IS OCTOBER 5, 5738.

YOU REALLY OVERSLEPT, YOU BIG JERK.

I'VE BEEN UP AND WORKING FOR OVER HALF A YEAR NOW.

...THE EXACT DATE?

HUH?

HUH?

HOW ELSE WOULD I KNOW?

I COUNTED, OF COURSE.

116,427, 065,520 SECONDS.

IT SEEMS TO PEAK EVERY 800,000 SECONDS. HEH HEH... IT SEEMS TO BE AS REGULAR AS MY BOWEL MOVEMENTS USED TO BE.

CRAP! I FELT MYSELF FADING OUT AGAIN.

116,427, 065,530 SECONDS.

SINCE BECOMING PETRIFIED, IT'S BEEN...

...3,689 YEARS AND 158 DAYS.

I'LL HAVE TO KEEP THINKING WHILE COUNTING...

...MAKING MY BRAIN RUN BOTH PROCESSES SIMUL- TANEOUSLY.

...EMERGING IN WINTER BARE NAKED AND WITHOUT FOOD WOULD MEAN AN INSTANT GAME OVER.

I KNEW THAT IF I COULD, AT SOME POINT, WILL MYSELF TO AWAKEN...

IN THE DARKNESS?

SURVIVAL DEPENDED ON MAKING MY START IN SPRING.

THIS WHOLE TIME? FOR REAL?

THAT'S WHY KEEPING AN ACCURATE CALENDAR WAS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY.

LOOK. WE'RE HERE.

SENKU... YOU...

YOU DID ALL THIS YOURSELF?!

ENOUGH CHATTER. TIME TO GET TO WORK.

I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU FOR A LONG TIME.

I'VE BEEN LACKING IN MANPOWER!

YES, TAIJU. YOU!

WHAT I CAN PRODUCE ON MY OWN KEEPS ME ALIVE, BUT NOTHING MORE.

IF I'M TO RESTART CIVILIZATION ...

BECAUSE I WAS TEN BILLION PERCENT SURE YOU WERE STILL ALIVE!

...I'LL NEED A CERTAIN MUSCLEHEAD TO LEND ME HIS STRENGTH.

A MAN DETERMINED TO CONFESS HIS LOVE TO YUZURIHA... ...WHO GOT INTERRUPTED HALFWAY...

...WOULDN'T LET A FEW MEASLY MILLENNIA STAND IN HIS WAY.

YOU'RE MADE OF STRONGER STUFF THAN THAT!

DARN RIGHT!

SO JUST LEAVE THE HEAVY LIFTING...

THINKING AND BRAINPOWER...

...TO ME!

...IS YOUR DEPARTMENT, SENKU!

TRANSITIONING FROM THE STONE AGE TO MODERN CIVILIZATION TOOK HUMANITY... ...ABOUT TWO MILLION YEARS.

WE'RE TAKING BACK THIS WORLD, YOU AND I!

WE'RE GONNA JUMP- START THAT PROCESS.

WE'LL ALSO USE THE POWER OF SCIENCE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAUSED THE PETRIFICATION AND OUR SUBSEQUENT REVIVAL.

AND THEN...

...WE'LL SAVE YUZURIHA!!

WE MIGHT JUST BE A PAIR OF HIGH SCHOOL KIDS... ...BUT WE'RE GONNA CREATE CIVILIZATION FROM SCRATCH.

GET EXCITED!

WE'LL BE THE ADAM AND EVE...

...OF THIS STONE WORLD.

Not possible. Senku! How can two dudes be Adam and Eve?

It's called a metaphor!