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Chapter 165. Cujoh Jolyne: I Think I Just Heard the Sound of Betrayal...
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"Hehehe, I've finally caught you~~"
The [Hanged Man] was still laughing.
Like a limited character's UP rate announcement in a mobile game's gacha, where even though players know the chance increase is so slim, only one in a million can draw it. Yet, every time this kind of gacha pool shows up, players keep throwing money at the game operators, hoping they'll be that lucky one in a million.
[Hanged Man] wanted to push Polnareff into that kind of mindset.
To stir up his will to survive.
And then lure out the rage for revenge deep within him.
Turning him into a killing machine consumed by revenge and nothing else!
"You can't escape, unless you gouge out that kid's eyes! Hehehe!"
Of course, even if Polnareff didn't fall for it, that wouldn't matter.
The [Hanged Man], extending a dagger from its hand, didn't care.
To it, there wasn't much difference.
Whether Polnareff lost control and killed Kakyoin, or if [Hanged Man] killed Polnareff.
Either outcome would be fine.
Besides, would Polnareff really not take the bait?
Forget about J. Geil, even the audience, who should've trusted Polnareff the most, couldn't believe, after seeing his previous actions, that he wouldn't fall for it.
It wasn't something shameful.
After all, if your family had been brutally murdered by someone else…
And your best friend had also been sneak-attacked to death…
How could you remain unmoved? Would you even still be human?
This was a total deadlock.
Even if Polnareff had made a promise to Kakyoin.
Even though he had been pushed to the edge twice by J. Geil and his crew, forcing him to admit that, for the sake of revenge, working with Kakyoin might be his only way to get it.
And when he saw Avdol's lifeless body lying on the ground in the rearview mirror while fleeing Hol Horse, Polnareff clearly understood why they had to leave Avdol behind.
But did that knowledge really matter?
Facing the temptation of revenge and the threat of death…
Could he really resist taking action?
"What a despicable trick... I'll never forgive you!"
Even Kakyoin couldn't say anything else at this point.
He could only direct his anger toward [Hanged Man] and the mastermind J. Geil, instead of telling Polnareff not to act.
Because telling Polnareff not to act would basically be asking him to die...
…
"So, Polnareff, what were you really thinking back then?"
Even though Kakyoin had already briefly described it before.
But as they were watching the scene unfold from a full-dive perspective, Old Joseph couldn't help but ask Polnareff, who was sitting beside them as an actor: "Are you saying that Kakyoin was really that charming?"
They had clearly seen Polnareff's hesitation earlier.
It was something not even Pucci, the famous director who could train even the worst actors into legendary superstars, could handle.
Yet, when it came time to film...
After getting beaten up by the Kakyoin in the script...
Polnareff suddenly seemed enlightened?
Could it be that Polnareff was actually a masochist?
Did he need to be beaten to listen?
Suddenly recalling that Polnareff hadn't had any romantic scandals at the SPW Foundation, Old Joseph, not at all resembling the romantic Frenchman he expected, took a small step back.
These young people nowadays...
"Old man, why do you have such a vivid imagination?!"
Even though he didn't say it out loud, with how well he knew his grandfather's terrible personality, Kujo Jotaro could definitely say with 150% certainty that Old Joseph was getting the wrong idea again.
So Jotaro directly and irritably said, "Polnareff came out of the shadows simply because he found a better way to take revenge."
The one who ties the knot must untie it.
Since Polnareff's hesitation came from the script setup in "Stardust Crusaders" and from J. Geil, the villain responsible for it all.
Then, once J. Geil was killed and Polnareff achieved his revenge...
The hesitation would naturally disappear as well.
As for J. Geil's trap designed to provoke him...
"It's all thanks to you, Kakyoin, for waking me up in the script, and to Director Pucci for what he told me earlier... Oh, and Jolyne-chan too!"
Polnareff smiled and said, "If Director Pucci hadn't told me that Jolyne trusted me so much, and that I didn't have to worry about failure and could film however I wanted, I probably wouldn't have thought of this method!"
Just like students rushing to finish their homework on the last day of summer vacation.
Even though they seemed to write as if guided by a higher power, their minds were fully occupied with the stress of the looming deadline, so they wouldn't think about anything unrelated to finishing homework.
In "Stardust Crusaders", the reason [Hanged Man] was putting death pressure on Polnareff was the same.
Only when his mind wasn't thinking about anything else would Polnareff obediently follow [Hanged Man]'s words and fall into darkness, becoming someone who would kill anyone just to get his revenge.
Unfortunately, before entering the script's world...
As an actor, Polnareff's subconscious had already relaxed due to Director Pucci and Jolyne's words, reassuring him that budget wasn't an issue.
So at that moment, he could calmly find the flaws in [Hanged Man]'s words.
And from there, find a way to win!
"Anyway, that's how it was!"
Polnareff, not noticing Jotaro's strange silence after he mentioned Jolyne's name, continued enthusiastically: "Now, get ready to witness my shining moment!"
…
"Hey, Kakyoin!"
In "Stardust Crusaders", Polnareff, threatened by [Hanged Man], suddenly shouted excitedly: "Now isn't the time to say something like that!"
"Listen! In moments like this, when your great revenge is at hand, you should say—"
"My name is Jean-Pierre Polnareff! To restore my sister's honor, to bring peace to my friend Avdol's soul! I will drag you into the depths of despair, J. Geil!!"
— [Silver Chariot]!!
"Sorry, kid! I'll buy you some candy later!"
Of course, Polnareff didn't mean to follow J. Geil's orders.
He wasn't going to gouge out the kid's eyes as instructed.
After all, making someone close their eyes didn't have to mean gouging them out!
If sand blows into your eyes, you'll naturally close them.
And once they're closed, with no mirrors around for [Hanged Man] to hide in, it would naturally...
"There you are!!"
Splat——!!!