Want more chapters?
There are over 20 Chapters available on my Patreon at [patreon.com/kurato6180].
And you can read an Extra 5 Chapters if you join for FREE!
---
Chapter 177. Please Forgive Me, Master Jotaro!
---
Though that's what was said.
Jotaro's provocation toward Dan still hadn't resolved the core issue.
And that issue was Joseph still being a hostage in Dan's hands.
As long as Dan controlled Joseph's life and death, even though Jotaro knew that Dan's Stand was inside Joseph and would eventually kill him, as long as Joseph was still alive, Jotaro didn't dare truly defy the insults Dan inflicted on him.
Just like now.
Facing Jotaro, who still didn't seem to understand the situation, Dan, feeling his dignity was offended, stomped heavily on Jotaro's back!
Impatiently, he said, "Did you misunderstand something?"
If earlier, Dan feared Jotaro might truly not understand the situation, like when he exposed his identity and Jotaro ignored everything he had to say and punched him almost to death.
But now, after constantly testing and insulting Jotaro, even staging a scenario where ordinary people would gang up on Jotaro just to see if he'd resist, Dan finally confirmed it!
The intelligence Lord DIO provided was indeed accurate. Kujo Jotaro... with that Joestar bloodline, they really are just a bunch of good-hearted people filled with a sense of justice!
And Dan, he loved good people!
With this thought, Dan grinned darkly, saying, "The old man Joestar only has a few seconds left to live. This is the reality!"
Beg me!
Though, even if you beg me, I won't necessarily stop.
No, I absolutely won't stop!
But by begging, you can at least make me happy!
Having figured out Jotaro's limits, Dan acted without any restraint, vowing to return all the "humiliation" Jotaro had yelled at him earlier—doubled!
However, in his moment of smugness, Dan seemed to have forgotten something.
Or perhaps, even the onlookers had forgotten something.
It seemed like everyone had focused too much attention on Jotaro...
Whether it was Dan, who wanted revenge, or the audience, angered by Jotaro's grievances, they all focused their attention solely on him. They seemed to forget that Jotaro was never alone!
"No, you don't understand us! And you definitely don't understand me or Kakyoin!" Jotaro said confidently with a smile.
That was Jotaro's goal in not hiding his thoughts and intentionally provoking Dan.
Because Jotaro believed in Kakyoin, believed in Joseph and the others.
If Kakyoin suggested that Jotaro should hold off Dan while he found a way to deal with the Stand, [Lovers], which had invaded Joseph's body, then Jotaro trusted that Kakyoin would keep his promise!
Of course, the most important thing—perhaps even something Dan hadn't noticed—was that Jotaro, with his [Star Platinum]'s incredibly high precision, had been observing him carefully.
He noticed clearly that since earlier, when Dan had walked toward him, his right leg was slightly out of sync with his left leg.
It was as if something was binding Dan's right leg?
But if something was really binding Dan, wouldn't he have noticed by now?
Which meant it could only be Dan's Stand!
The [Lovers], which had infiltrated Joseph's body, had likely been restrained by someone, and due to the Stand's characteristic of reflecting damage onto the Stand user, Dan's right leg was out of sync!
What did this mean?
Jotaro was very curious!
Realizing this, and noting that Dan might not have realized it himself, Jotaro had drawn all of Dan's attention to himself. He waited for the moment when Dan's blood would suddenly splatter in front of him...
"Well what to do… That looks like Kakyoin just hit you," Jotaro said with a grin, his tone full of certainty as he spoke to Dan, "I wonder if there will be any left for me. Any chance for payback that is."
Being punched in the stomach;
Having rocks thrown at his head;
Having his wallet stolen;
Having his watch stolen;
Being forced to lie across a gutter as a bridge, getting stepped on several times;
Being forced to scratch Dan's back;
Being forced to shine his shoes;
Getting kicked;
Getting slapped;
Being forced to steal, only to be beaten by others for it;
...
"..."
All the insults and threats Dan had thrown at Jotaro flooded back into Jotaro's memory. And they also flooded into Dan's mind.
Remembering the power of [Star Platinum], Dan began to tremble uncontrollably and back away.
If earlier, Dan had tried every possible way to get close to Jotaro to torment him, now he was just as desperate to get far away from Jotaro!
Far away from the man who would undoubtedly beat him to death!
"What's wrong? Why are you backing off? Did something happen to my grandfather?"
"..."
The more Dan's expression crumbled, the calmer Jotaro became.
If earlier he had been about 70-80% sure Joseph was out of danger, now that confidence rose to 100%.
When Dan started running away, Jotaro's confidence surged to 1000% certainty!
Firmly grabbing Dan by the hair, he yanked him back, pretending to ask, "Hey, hey, hey, what are you panicking about? Where are you trying to go? Don't tell me… You aren't trying to run away, are you? Not after all this…"
Jotaro's grip on Dan's hair was rock-solid.
With the power of [Star Platinum], Dan felt as though his skull was caught in a vice. Even when he tried to break free, all he could do was tear out his own hair, barely escaping from Jotaro's grasp.
But after escaping, could he really get away?
When he couldn't escape before, how could he now?
Especially after tearing his hair out and crashing to the ground, could he really escape?
No!
Absolutely not!
"Please forgive me, Master Jotaro!"