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Chapter 100. He Really... I Could Cry to Death
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One of my favorite things to do is to say "NO" to those who think they have an absolute advantage over me!
...Well, that last part was something Pucci added in his mind after hearing that familiar line.
"Cough, cough."
Understanding from the memories of the reincarnator what old Joseph was worried about, Pucci—despite being equally concerned about the chosen actor Josuke Higashikata—realized that since "Battle Tendency" wasn't fully aired yet and "Stardust Crusaders" had just begun filming, and considering "Diamond is Unbreakable" was still quite a ways off, he decided to remind old Joseph and the others with excitement in his voice.
"Even though it seems like I've come at a bad time, given how you two look right now, Jotaro-kun, since you can use a Stand now, why don't we go ahead and start filming the first episode of 'Stardust Crusaders'?"
Yes, Pucci showing up here wasn't entirely by chance. It wasn't that he noticed someone slacking off, but rather because this Stand template, being something Pucci installed in Jotaro and the others, naturally allowed him, as their nominal supervisor, to detect the changes in their Stand proficiency.
After all, while "Battle Tendency" had already advanced to the point of battling the Pillar Men and preparing to fight the Ultimate Life Form, the filming of "Stardust Crusaders" was still stuck on the script. They hadn't even started shooting yet.
Even though Jolyne, the boss and investor, hadn't said anything about the money being spent without any return, Pucci could still find an excuse. He could argue that the money being poured into perfecting the Stand template was to ensure the final product of "Stardust Crusaders" was of high quality, allowing the Green Dolphin Studio to eventually profit from selling this technology and patent, much like Cameron and Weta Digital.
But still, it costs money...
Not to mention the wear and tear on the equipment, and the fact that, aside from the actors still not being accustomed to using this special Stand template, who could guarantee this version of the Stand template wouldn't need further modification? Those things also required funding, even more so to verify, detect errors, and debug them.
That was why Pucci, upon detecting that old Joseph could finally operate the Stand template freely in a full-dive world, rushed over here. But before he could say anything, he was hit with surprise after surprise! Not only could old Joseph use his Stand, but Jotaro could too!
One could be considered a coincidence, but two? That was no accident—it was destiny!
Although Pucci didn't know how long it typically took a studio to develop a revolutionary technology, considering his previous life as Cameron, with the time between each of his film releases being several years at minimum, and now using the chosen actors' traits to fast-track this new technology from theory to practical application, this operation might give this technology some significant limitations...
But isn't that what technological advancements are all about? You start with a prototype that only a select few can use, then modify it based on the prototype until it becomes something that can be mass-produced and used by the majority. That's what Pucci was doing now. Only with successful data could he identify the imperfections in the Stand template.
And now, with two successful data points, it was enough to create a control group!
"Wait! Wait a minute!"
Stopping Pucci, who was getting more and more excited as he spoke, old Joseph, who had initially wanted to strike a deal with Jotaro, now looked at him in shock. "Jotaro can use a Stand too!?"
Does that mean my bluffing earlier was...
"Yes, he just learned how to do it."
Having arrived a little late and only witnessing the iconic scene of the keyhole peeping and seeing old Joseph and the others discussing it, but missing the prior context, Pucci exclaimed, "As expected of Mr. Joestar, you must have discovered some trick and taught it to Mr. Jotaro."
Just like in "Stardust Crusaders," when Jotaro first officially used his Stand, he did so because Avdol had summoned his Stand.
Old Joseph probably wanted to replicate this scene, using a similar method to help Jotaro find his rhythm by having his weakest Stand, [Hermit Purple], face off against the invincible [Star Platinum]!
Such overconfidence...
He really... I could cry to death!
…
"Oops, bumped into someone."
The young man whose suitcase wheel accidentally rolled over an old man's foot apologized with a troubled look on his face. "Sorry, grandpa, are you okay?"
"But this was also partly because you were staring straight ahead and not watching where you were going."
"No, it's nothing serious. Everyone makes mistakes."
Unlike those elderly people who would immediately lie on the ground and refuse to get up without extorting thousands or even tens of thousands, this old man was surprisingly easygoing.
But...
"Wait a minute, are you Japanese?"
The old man, now standing back up, scrutinized the youth's skin color, height, and accent.
"Yes, why?"
The young man, feeling relieved, casually replied while preparing to pick up his suitcase and move on.
However, what he didn't expect was that the old man, who had been so easygoing moments ago, immediately adopted a different attitude upon hearing his response.
"In that case, it's a different story!"
The old man, now free of his earlier ailments, swiftly delivered a heavy kick to the young man's knee, causing him to let out a blood-curdling scream. With a disgusted look on his face, the old man straightened his slightly wrinkled clothes, caused by his exaggerated movements, and said, "Unforgivable! You Japanese are despicable!!"
...
Outside the scripted world, watching old Joseph's performance, Pucci, completely unaware of the genuine anger coming from Joseph's heart after retelling how Jotaro's Stand abilities were entirely his doing, wasn't on the same wavelength.
He admired how Joseph was still holding a grudge over his daughter's marriage to a Japanese man, even after all this time.
But that's perfect!
After all, without this, how could they capture such a genuine performance?
So, with the staff members, who seemed to understand something, filming nervously, "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders" finally began its production.