After the battle at Yashima, the Heike clan has fled further to the west. Thinking that the next battle would take place at sea, Yoshitsune suggests at a tactics meeting that they should make more local navies the Genji’s ally. However, he is criticized by Kagetoki for making the proposal without any means to realize it. Benkei, hoping to help Yoshitsune, volunteers to go to Kumano to persuade Tanzo, the leader of Kumano’s strong fleet. Although the other retainers of Yoshitsune disagree because Benkei is poor at negotiation, Yoshitsune lets him go to Kumano alone. At Kumano, Benkei manages to see Tanzo but the leader rejects to side the Genji family, feeling indebted to Kiyomori. Even risking his neck, Benkei asks Tanzo to accommodate the request if he wins a cockfight bet.
平家との船戦を覚悟した義経（滝沢秀明）に、弁慶（松平健）は、水軍を持つ熊野湛増（原田芳雄）を味方につけるため、自ら直談判しに行くことを申し出る。熊野へ到着した弁慶は、力づくで湛増に面会して必死に説き伏せるが、湛増は応じない。それでも恩ある漁師の娘・千鳥（中島知子）の婿が弁慶だと知り、湛増は迷い始める。弁慶は自らの命をかけ、湛増に、闘鶏の勝敗で味方につくかどうかを決めることを提案する。
