After yakuza boss Kurata dissolves his own criminal empire, a rival kingpin offers a position to Kurata's top operative, Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo. When the fiercely loyal Tetsu declines, Otsuka taps unstoppable Tatsuzo the "Viper", a ruthless gun-for-hire, to assassinate him. As the Viper trails his target through the countryside, the agile Phoenix Tetsu grows concerned that one of his former associates has betrayed him.

The film focuses on the romantic life of Tetsu (Watari), the drifter, and the girls he loves but can never quite bring himself to settle down with. To make matters even more atmospheric, our story is set in a picturesque harbor town. Yoshida is Tetsu's double-crossing rival who pays in the end with his life. Fairly superficial, but the tone isn't particularly light; in fact, it is downright melancholic, which is the picture's salvation. The emphasis on Tetsu never being able to escape his criminal life despite his tender side, the downbeat undercurrent of cynical gang activity amidst the sunset-dappled waves, actually makes this an entertaining sequel. However, Suzuki's irreverent surrealism is replaced by Morinaga's Monet-like impressionism.