An EX-ARM auction is organized by an individual who calls themselves "Auctioneer." Criminal groups from all across the world flock to the Megafloat hoping to get their hands on them.

The Counter Squad is asked by the government to investigate the auction undercover as the bodyguards of Jinkokusha, the leading group in the Japanese underworld. They are immediately dragged into an inter-group conflict, and Akira loses consciousness in combat. When he wakes up, he's greeted by Auctioneer.
which shattered the country's spine, 
what it needed most
الذي سحق عمود البلد الفقريّ، ما كنّا بأمّس الحاجة له
das Land bis in die Grundfesten erschütterte,
wurde jemand benötigt,
le pays qui avait perdu
son centre névralgique avait besoin
in un Paese con fondamenta in frantumi,
 erano necessarie delle figure
que quebrou a espinha do país,
foi necessária uma entidade
страна была сломлена
и сильнее всего нуждалась