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Chapter 98. NICE~~!!
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Unlike Wamuu, who specializes in combat and respects and enjoys the thrill of battle like a warrior, Esidisi's fighting style is remarkably similar to Joseph's.
Both use strategy and intelligence as the foundation for their victory. However, Esidisi, with his far superior physical capabilities compared to Joseph, doesn't use his strategic and intellectual combat style to target strong enemies—he simply uses it to end the fight quickly. Yet, the underlying principles are the same.
Esidisi, who has a particular fondness for strategy, is also aware of "The Art of War" and other knowledge of human strategies.
He likely learned these because he unintentionally overheard them while passing through an Eastern country. It's similar to how Santana remembers Stroheim's name—not out of respect for the man, but because he automatically memorized it while learning German.
However, unlike Santana, Esidisi didn't just memorize these concepts; he was interested enough to study them. Naturally, when Joseph set a trap to injure him using the strategy of "the victorious army first wins and then seeks battle," Esidisi countered with the principles of "war is deception" and "all's fair in war."
As Esidisi exposed Joseph's subsequent plans, he turned Joseph's confidence, which was poised for a decisive victory, into hesitation, and even a creeping fear. After all, the super brain of the Pillar Men gave them a significant advantage over ordinary humans in this regard.
It's akin to a Go player facing off against AlphaGo—experiencing only despair as the AI quickly absorbs and improves upon even the most brilliant, unprecedented moves, leaving the human with a greater sense of helplessness.
Esidisi quickly deduced hundreds of steps ahead of Joseph's strategies and systematically dismantled them before his eyes, turning them into deep-seated fear.
If nothing unexpected happened, it would seem that Joseph was the one destined to lose.
But, the Pillar Men looked down on human knowledge. Even Esidisi only understood what he accidentally overheard; he wouldn't actively seek out human knowledge.
So, despite all his calculations, Esidisi, whose knowledge remained stuck two thousand years in the past and who refused to update it, was defeated by Joseph using knowledge Esidisi didn't know. Or rather, it was precisely because Esidisi was unaware that he fell victim to a deadly trap set by Joseph, using magic tricks and sleight of hand techniques that became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries.
In other words, when Esidisi believed he had cut and dismantled Joseph's wool trap, he didn't realize that with a special sleight of hand, the two severed ropes could be reconnected.
Failing to notice this, and losing even the most basic vigilance due to his assured victory, Esidisi's body was swiftly surrounded and sliced into countless pieces by the Hamon-infused wool, leading to his destruction, so complete that he couldn't even turn to stone.
This was the scene old Joseph proudly showed to Jotaro.
After all, it was also a metaphor. Although old Joseph's Stand template seemed to be the weakest among them, "weakest" could also mean it was the easiest to control.
"Jotaro, when did you start thinking that I was slacking off because I hadn't mastered my Stand yet?"
—"Hermit Purple"!!
Purple thorny vines shot from old Joseph's hand, and with a smile, he tightly bound Jotaro's virtual image.
Even though they were not in a full-dive shooting state, like students returning to school after summer break and finding it a bit hard to write again, they soon regain their previous speed and stamina.
Similarly, even if they weren't in a full-dive shooting state, once they got used to using their Stands, their subconscious would quickly master them once they entered full-dive. That's why, after donning the full-dive helmet, old Joseph could use "Hermit Purple".
"Old man..."
"So, do you want to call me that now, Jotaro?"
Because he was a virtual image in the full-dive world, Jotaro could easily break free from "Hermit Purple" even without a Stand. But still... it felt great!
Finally finding a chance to assert his seniority, old Joseph was as excited as when he found out that Jolyne was going to air "Battle Tendency". He was ecstatic!
"If you say, 'Dear Grandpa, please teach me,' I might just give you a little hint."
"Of course..."
Maintaining "Hermit Purple" with one hand and wagging a finger at Jotaro with the other, old Joseph said confidently, "Because of your earlier lack of trust, you've hurt your grandpa's heart too much. So now, you'll need to say it five times before I'll consider agreeing to your request. And by the way, the more you say it, the more likely I am to help you!"
"..."
Unsurprisingly, after a moment of deep silence, Jotaro, his eyes hidden under the shadow of his hat, began to say to old Joseph, "Is this what you mean by calling out?"
"...?!"
…
"Even though Esidisi's report was urgent, Lisa Lisa is currently taking a bath, so she told me to wait thirty minutes..."
The plot of "Battle Tendency" continued to play out before Jotaro and the others.