Bathroom Training

Basurumu no tokkun (バスルームの特訓) is the 169th chapter of the manga and the fifth chapter of the Martial Arts Dining Arc.

Synopsis
Ranma begins training for the Parlay du Foie Gras by setting up buckets of cold water and kettles of hot water in the bathroom. By striking only the buckets he increases his speed and precision without changing back into a boy (which would be very painful due to the iron corset). Picolet tells Ranma that their wedding is only a week away, and Ranma begins training harder than ever.

Plot Overview
After having a nightmare wherein she and Picolet had married, Ranma awakes to find herself in the dark crevasse of Picolet's engorged lips surrounding her. Unsurprisingly Picolet is quickly sent flying skyward by the irate Ranma.

A little while later, after apologizing for his earlier behaviour, Picolet takes Ranma to the room where he wedding dress is being stored. Having now seen the dress, Madame St. Paul informs Ranma that there is only one week until the wedding, so proceeds to speed up the training by forcing a whole watermelon into Ranma's mouth; in the hope this will stretch out her mouth like Picolet's.

Upon returning to her room, Ranma, Akane, Soun and Genma prepare some of the large pile of watermelons Ranma has been given. Just before they eat, Ranma begins explaining to Akane that Martial Arts Dining is not much more than eating fast; with elements of fighting over food; stealing someone else's and keeping your own food from your opponent. Akane, however, points out that it's all pointless if you can't eat quickly, to which Ranma retorts that for someone with a small mouth the "Parlay du Foie Gras" is the only hope.

Some time later and Akane finds herself stood outside the chateau baths, with strict instructions from Ranma not enter no matter what. Inside, meanwhile, Ranma has set up a series of pots containing hot water along with buckets with cold water. Ranma then instructs Genma to pull a rope which results in the pots and buckets flying towards Ranma, with her focussing all her attention on only hitting the buckets of cold water.

Despite doing excellently in hitting only the buckets, Genma uses the opening to throw hot water over his son, causing him to scream in pain from the Iron Corset. Hearing Ranma's screams of agony, Akane rushes in, but is left speechless at the sight of the male-Ranma wearing a corset. Soun then proceeds to cover his daughter's eyes before declaring that he too is ashamed to see his future son-in-law wearing such a thing; although Ranma is equally unimpressed by his future father-in-law saying this whilst still wearing a maid outfit.

Three days pass and Ranma finishes her lunch with Picolet, although Madame St. Paul is shocked that despite this she (Ranma) leaves food on her plate. Ranma feints that she's too excited about the wedding to eat, much to Picolet's enjoyment.

Once she's alone, Madame St. Paul thinks to herself that over the past few days Ranma's eating has not only not gotten quicker, it's slowing down. This leads to the revelation that she must've been practicing the Parlay du Foie Gras!

Although she admits she doesn't know what the idea behind the training's meant to be, Akane does notice that Ranma is looking weaker every day. With this in mind, Akane returns home to ask Happosai if he knows where the missing pages from the book are. Happosai doesn't answer Akane's questions, but she does what appears to be french writing on the paper the old lecher's burning for his potato. Akane immediately fishes it out, much to the irritation of Happosai.

That evening in the chateau baths, Ranma continues her training, with Soun and Genma impressed at the speed Ranma is now moving at. Back at the Tendo Dojo, Akane gets Kasumi to translate the pages, but unfortunately the important part explaining the secret of the technique was already burnt off. However, Akane then reads of the dangerous nature of the technique… as everyone who has ever mastered it has met with a tragic end.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Picolet Chardin II
 * Ranma Saotome (female)
 * Madame St. Paul
 * Akane Tendo
 * Soun Tendo
 * Genma Saotome (panda)
 * Genma Saotome (human)
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Happosai
 * Kasumi Tendo
 * Nabiki Tendo

Quotes

 * (Genma) "To master a fighting technique… pots of hot water and buckets of cold, hung overhead?…"
 * (Genma) "He's finally lost it."
 * (Soun) "Akane, please consider Ranma's feelings!"
 * (Soun) "I know it's only for training… but when I see him in that corset I cry… "You call yourself my future son?!""
 * (Ranma) "So yells my "dad"… the little french maid!"
 * (Akane) "Is that… French?!"
 * (Akane) "It is…"
 * (Happosai) "Hey! Get your own kindling…!"

Trivia
To be added