England. France. Germany. What common thread binds these three nations together? Answer: each is famous for producing unique, distinctive, delicious bread. But what about Japan, home to rice and delicacies of the sea? Is there not a doughy, gastronomic delight they can claim as their own? The answer is no...until now! Kazuma Azuma, a 16-year-old-boy blessed with otherworldly baking powers, has taken it upon himself to create Ja-pan, the national bread of the land of the rising sun!

At long last, the final, decisive face-off of the Monaco Cup is at hand. Kazuma's intimidating opponent from the U.S., Shadow, undergoes rigorous training at the hands of Kirisaki, the very man who has sworn to crush Team Japan and wipe the Pantasia bakery chain off the face of the earth. Boasting a bread so singularly delicious it rockets whomever eats it on a never-ending journey to the stars, Shadow's baking prowess is enough to leave a lesser baker quaking in fear--but not Kazuma. Can our hero pull off a repeat performance of Japan 44, a bread so sublime it sent the judges straight to Cloud 9?!