Payback's a Saint

Koyoi mo ongaeshi (今宵も恩返し) is the 351st chapter of the manga it is also the second and last chapter of the Jizo Statue Arc.

Ranma attempts to stop Mousse from going out with the Jizo statue to protect his life. Shampoo is unwilling to help, but Akane may be able to do something about it.

Continuing from Previous Chapter
Jizo arrives at Cat Café in Shampoo form to pick up Mousse for a date. Mousse struggles to escape his small cage and is too delirious to listen to Ranma and Akane telling him that it's not the real Shampoo. Suddenly Ranma and Akane turn to hear a drum being played by Jizo statue. In a display of circus magic, Mousse escapes the cage and bikes away with the statue.

Cologne and Ranma chase after them, figuring that if they can retrieve the scarf the ordeal will be over. When Ranma lunges forward and grabs the scarf, however, Jizo headbutts Ranma. The stony head is enough to knock Ranma out, leaving Cologne to chase after them. Meanwhile, Akane goes to Shampoo, yelling into her ear with a megaphone telling her to help out. Shampoo is uninterested, and plugs her ears with her fingers and returns to playing video games, even when Akane warns her of the potential dangers Jizo might pose to Mousse.

Akane comes up with a plan to trick Shampoo into helping Mousse. She disguises her voice by pinching her nose and calls in an order of ramen to be delivered to where the date is likely taking place. Shampoo thinks it strange that someone is ordering so late, but thinks nothing of it. She prepares the meal and heads out.

Mousse's Date
Mousse's delusion now leads him to believe that he is on a romantic date with Shampoo in a fancy restaurant with a city backdrop, all while drinking cold well water in a cemetery. Watching from afar, Ranma likens it to a ghost story of some sorts. He prepares a fishing rod and casts it to catch the scarf. But when the scarf is hooked, Jizo statue takes notice and leaps into the air and bodyslams the ground. Ranma narrowly avoids it, but receives a kick to the face by Mousse who is angry for disturbing their date. He then mistakes Cologne for Shampoo and stands right where the real Shampoo chimes in with the ramen delivery, knocking him out with her bike in the process. Shampoo as usual hugs Ranma with delight but they are quickly separated when Akane slaps Ranma with a. They then take notice of the Jizo statue who took the ramen Shampoo brought. After eating, it claims that it has warmed up, but remains unwilling to part with the scarf. The statue then turns to Shampoo and offers to repay her for warming it up. They all brace for the worst, but are rather disappointed when the Jizo transforms into an unconvincing copy of Ranma to repay Shampoo. Mousse, however, is unable to tell the Jizo Ranma and the real Ranma apart despite wearing glasses.

Debt Repaid
Ranma had enough of Jizo's charade and challenges Mousse to a fight. If Ranma wins, Mousse is to come with them without resistance and if Mousse wins, Ranma is to stop bothering him and Shampoo. With that, Mousse throws his first throw, which was powerful enough to break the bell that Ranma was in front of. Cologne theorizes that it must be because he had been hauling the heavy Jizo statue around this entire time, making him stronger without others realizing it. Jizo (again in Shampoo form) comes in briefly to confirm Cologne's theory. Ranma has no choice but to keep running away dodging Mousse's powerful punches. Soon, Mousse's fatigue gets the better of him and falls to the ground. Ranma asks for a truce and for them to go back together, but Mousse doesn't give up and attacks again. Shampoo is finally fed up and decides she must help out. She opens the Cat Café delivery box and takes out the scarf she had been knitting. She wraps the unfinished scarf around Mousse's neck. He stays awake just long enough to see what she had done, then collapses. The Jizo sees this and deems the debt to be repaid. It returns to the shrine, where it never bothered anyone again. Back home, Akane and Ranma wonder what will happen to Mousse. Cologne realizes that all the dates he went on with the heavy statue, along with the deliveries he had to make during the day must have simply tired Mousse out, instead of anything malicious being done by Jizo. Meanwhile, Mousse just noticed that the scarf Shampoo gave him was originally intended for Ranma.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Jizo
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Cologne
 * Mousse (human)
 * Akane Tendo
 * Shampoo (human)

Trivia

 * Even in Japanese, Shampoo's scarf has Ranma's name in English.
 * Throughout this arc Mousse was unable to distinguish between Jizo's disguise and the real person. This indicates that he has a vision problem worse than merely requiring glasses.