Aslan Jade Callenreese, also known as Ash Lynx, was a runaway who was rescued from the streets of New York City and fostered by Dino Golzine, the mafia's infamous godfather. Ash, now 17 and the leader of his own gang, starts looking into the mystery "Banana Fish"—the same two words his older brother, Griffin, has been muttering since his return from the Iraq War. His investigations are hampered, however, when Dino sends his men after Ash in an underground pub where he hides. At the pub, Ash's friend Skip introduces him to Japanese photographers Shunichi Ibe and his assistant, Eiji Okumura, who are covering American street gangs. Shorter Wong, one of Ash's supporters, phones to warn him, interrupting their talk.