Chapter 16: Proof of Love – The Mad Dog of Shimano
Chapter 16: Proof of Love is the emotional peak of Goro Majima’s story in Yakuza 0, marking his shift from protector to the ‘Mad Dog of Shimano’. It centers on the fight for the ‘Empty Lot’ and Makoto Makimura gaining agency over her fate.
The story opens with Makoto regaining her eyesight after Tetsu Tachibana’s death. She asserts herself, asking Majima to avenge Tachibana by killing the Dojima leaders for one billion yen. Majima refuses, believing revenge is futile, but he cannot protect Makoto when she disappears during a short break at Children’s Park.
The action shifts to a tough ‘Long Battle’ at the Sebastian Building in Roppongi. Majima fights through Dojima Family members to the rooftop, where the main twist unfolds. Makoto offers the land deed to Patriarch Sohei Dojima for the deaths of the three lieutenants, calling it her ‘Proof of Love.’ Dojima reveals his family can take the land if Makoto is killed, due to political corruption.
The chapter ends with a dramatic cliffhanger: a sniper, on Dojima’s orders, shoots Makoto in the chest. This event pushes Majima over the edge, and witnessing his failure and Dojima’s cruelty unleashes his new wild identity.
