Chapter 208. Even a Stray Dog Has a Noble Soul
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"Lord DIO said — human resolve holds an unfathomable power, but you're nothing more than a lowly puppy!"
"Resolve? A noble soul? ... You don't deserve any of it! You filthy dog!!"
Vanilla Ice screamed frantically.
At the same time, Pucci was discussing film production matters with Kujo Jotaro and the others.
In "Stardust Crusaders", Polnareff and the others' battle against Vanilla Ice progressed at a rapid pace.
It happened so quickly that the audience could barely keep up!
If you used the Nine Glory Gods' stand users as a reference point, then Vanilla Ice, with his stand ability [Cream], stood out as something beyond the norm.
Once Polnareff and his group discovered [Cream]'s weakness, Vanilla Ice would inevitably turn from a fearsome predator into a vulnerable prey.
After all, "Stardust Crusaders" had never shown a stand with both invincible powers and an invincible spirit.
Let's put aside other matters for now.
From a realistic perspective, if a stand's ability was truly invincible, there would be no reason for its user to experience failure and grow stronger through overcoming frustration.
Take the [Thoth] stand, for example. Why were Oingo and Boingo so useless?
It was because the [Thoth] stand was too powerful. As long as they followed the fate it dictated, they would naturally obtain whatever they wanted, blindly entrusting everything to [Thoth]'s guidance.
There was a stark divide between the strength of a stand's ability and the strength of its user's spirit.
This is exactly why, when the audience saw Polnareff discover [Cream]'s weakness, they thought victory was at hand.
Based on previous stand battles, this should have been enough to declare their win!
But [Cream] wasn't named after the Nine Glory Gods.
Moreover, the weakness Polnareff found wasn't complete…
In an instant!
Polnareff, who had been focused on his surroundings and overlooked that [Cream] could also attack from the ground — since solid floors were just as ineffective at stopping [Cream]'s destruction as walls — was caught off guard.
Even though Polnareff tried to dodge upon realizing the danger, he couldn't avoid [Cream] from devouring half of his foot, losing his ability to move.
The situation, which had been in Polnareff's favor, quickly swung back toward Vanilla Ice.
This was the first sudden reversal.
However, if they gave up just because of this…
Polnareff and the others wouldn't have made it this far!
Despite the pain and anger toward Vanilla Ice's resurgence, Polnareff remained calm. Using Vanilla Ice's fear of [Silver Chariot], he pretended to attack wildly, forcing Vanilla Ice back into [Cream]'s dark space.
This bought them time — time during which neither side could see each other — allowing them to set up a new trap!
Just like how Iggy could sculpt [The Fool]'s body out of sand and even color it.
By destroying the environment with [Silver Chariot]'s wild attacks, Polnareff and his group could hide in the newly created craters while using Iggy's sand for cover!
More importantly, if [The Fool] could create other objects with sand, then could it not also sculpt DIO's figure? And if they controlled this DIO figure like a stand, could they use it to attack Vanilla Ice?
Yes! Absolutely!
This was Polnareff and his group's backup plan!
The second twist.
Though they weren't sure of Vanilla Ice's loyalty to DIO, throughout their journey to Egypt, they had fought countless assassins sent by DIO. Whether cowardly or resolute, these stand users were all fiercely loyal to DIO, never revealing any information about him.
Some feared the consequences of betrayal, while others were willing to sacrifice their lives for DIO.
Regardless of where Vanilla Ice stood, upon seeing this "DIO," he would never abandon his master and retreat into the dark space!
And that, was their chance!
Their chance to finally kill Vanilla Ice!
However, during the execution of their plan, something unexpected happened…
Vanilla Ice was, indeed, loyal to DIO. So loyal that, if DIO wanted to take his life, Vanilla Ice wouldn't hesitate — he would even commit suicide before DIO's eyes without question!
And here was the problem.
Vanilla Ice's loyalty was too absolute.
Just like a die-hard fan collecting every possible piece of information about their beloved idol, Vanilla Ice, who viewed DIO as his idol, knew all of DIO's likes and dislikes — down to every detail!
In this sunlit room, DIO, a vampire afraid of sunlight, would never dare come here!
Moreover, DIO had already entrusted him with the task of eliminating Polnareff and the others.
The shame of feeling like he had been denied by DIO, combined with the fury of having to destroy a "DIO" figure himself, sent Vanilla Ice into a crazed rage, lashing out wildly at Iggy!
That's right!
Vanilla Ice didn't use his stand.
Because [Cream] would instantly devour its victims in an instant.
But beating Iggy with his undead strength, dragging out the pain and terror of approaching death, gave Vanilla Ice a greater sense of revenge!
And this… this was the third twist.
Not only had the audience never expected this, but even Iggy, who had always been nonchalant and had avoided serious confrontations with DIO's stand users, never yielded this time.
Despite facing Vanilla Ice's wrath, Iggy didn't beg for mercy.
He didn't even consider surrendering, and instead gave Vanilla Ice a mocking, defiant glance!
Was this really the Iggy they knew?
Was this the same Iggy who had begged for his life so many times in the past and only fought back when pushed to the brink by Pet Shop?
Even Pucci, who filmed the scene, couldn't believe it when he watched the footage again with Jotaro and the others through the full-dive helmet.
The courage to face death calmly…
It sounded simple enough.
Especially in "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure", the Zeppeli family, known for their loyalty and sacrifice, needs no further mention, and the Joestar family is the same!
But this time, the one who faced death without fear wasn't a Zeppeli, nor a Joestar, or even a human—it was Iggy, the one who had previously considered surrendering!
Pucci, who simply wrote down Araki-sensei's story from memory of his past life, couldn't truly understand.
Why did Iggy end up like this?
"A stray dog can also possess a noble soul..." This was Araki-sensei's answer to that question.
But it wasn't the answer Pucci found.
However, when Pucci re-watched this story, not alone but together with Kujo Jotaro and the others, seeing their expressions slowly change as they watched, he seemed to understand something.
A stray dog can have a noble soul?
Yes, perhaps that is true.
But more than that, it was Iggy's refusal to submit to others, his pride as a stray dog!
Just like how, when he was young, he considered all the humans around him to be idiots, gave up the luxurious life of a rich family, and ran away to become the king of the stray dogs.
He followed Joseph and the others here.
Not just because of the generous treatment from the Speedwagon Foundation.
It was also because, when the Foundation was capturing him, it was Avdol and Joseph who fought him and forced him to submit, making him begrudgingly follow Joseph's orders.
As for Vanilla...
A guy who could be fooled by such a cheap trick and couldn't handle it—he was even more of an idiot than the rich people Iggy had encountered in his youth!
How could such a fool make Iggy submit?!
"I told you to stop, Vanilla Ice!!"
With that mocking expression, and as Vanilla Ice's beatings grew fiercer, Polnareff shouted out in rage, venting towards Vanilla.
And with [Silver Chariot]'s speed, he pushed Vanilla back into the dark space of [Cream], forcing Vanilla's stinking foot off Iggy's body!
Even though doing so caused Polnareff to lose yet another opportunity to ambush Vanilla, he didn't care!
Besides, who said that just because Vanilla hid in the dark space, Polnareff couldn't do anything about it?
Earlier, that might have been true.
But now...
"Iggy! Even though your plan to impersonate DIO with your sand failed, your sand reminded me!"
"I've figured out a way to predict his movements!"
Polnareff said to the barely alive Iggy.
It was as if he was trying to wake Iggy up, urging him not to "sleep" anymore, to open his eyes and witness their moment of revenge together!
[Cream] was indeed an invincible Stand.
Anything it encountered would be swallowed by the dark space in its mouth, even light was no exception.
But precisely because of this...
Nothing could stop [Cream] from moving, which clearly revealed its position and movement trajectory!
Surrounded by the sand scattered by Iggy's [The Fool].
And in the sandstorm stirred up by [Silver Chariot]'s rapier, the silhouette of [Cream] was perfectly imprinted!
"Keep devouring! Keep moving while swallowing the sand, you bastard!"
"When you show that stinking mouth of yours, that'll be the perfect time for me to strike!"
This is it, the moment!
Polnareff, who had been watching the changes in the sand, suddenly saw his chance and, without hesitation, in that crucial moment when Vanilla Ice emerged from the dark space to confirm his position again—
He sent [Silver Chariot] right in front of Vanilla Ice and stabbed his rapier through Vanilla's brain!
—[Silver Chariot]!!
The rapier twisted.
Having successfully delivered a fatal strike into Vanilla's wide-open mouth, shocked because he didn't expect to run right into [Silver Chariot], Polnareff didn't show any mercy!
Nor did he feel any compassion for Vanilla Ice!
He would be as ruthless as possible!
Such a wound—forget Vanilla Ice being a mere zombie created by a vampire— even vampires wearing the Stone Mask wouldn't be able to control their bodies until their brain tissue was repaired!
Unless, of course, the opponent was a fanatical madman whose brain was already damaged...
Unfortunately, Vanilla Ice was precisely such a fanatic...
Losing his brain didn't kill him, nor did it throw his body out of control.
On the contrary, it seemed as if some restraint had been lifted, as he grabbed [Silver Chariot] tightly, breaking both Polnareff's leg and arm in one move!
And that was only because Polnareff had pulled out the rapier and quickly retreated, distancing [Silver Chariot] from the now-crazed Vanilla, allowing him to barely survive.
But as a result...
Without the rapier to hinder him, Vanilla instantly healed the wound on his head and managed to retreat into the dark space before Polnareff could attack again.
This time, Vanilla wouldn't give Polnareff any more chances.
Because during the previous attack, Polnareff's legs had been severely injured.
Now, he could no longer dodge or escape!
Even if Vanilla didn't peek out again to aim.
As long as he used [Cream] to destroy the entire room.
Like a mosquito coil burning from the outside inwards, moving in circles.
Then [Cream] wouldn't miss a single spot, and it would inevitably swallow Polnareff into the dark space!
Fully aware of this cruel reality...
Polnareff, with the last of his strength, managed to have [Silver Chariot] save Iggy, but he could no longer move his injured legs.
He accepted his fate of death calmly.
After all, he wasn't leaving empty-handed—he had saved Iggy.
As long as Iggy could reunite with Jotaro and the others, not only could Iggy's injuries be treated, but Jotaro and the others would also obtain crucial information about [Cream]!
This was a huge victory!
So...
Abandoning resistance, Polnareff smiled at Iggy, the stray dog who always bit his hair and farted in his face, and said, "Goodbye, Iggy..."