Chapter 223. The True and False [The World]
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←—To Be Continued
That iconic closing line.
Along with the leisurely tune that plays alongside it.
Under normal circumstances…
Even if it's not the first time, the audience still can't help but grumble.
This isn't just because every episode of "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" ends at the most critical moment.
It's also because it's like finding a video with an intriguing title, only to download it and realize it's actually an episode of "Calabash Brothers". Who could understand that disappointment?
But now, few in the audience actually care about that feeling.
Even though the current "Stardust Crusaders" storyline places Jotaro and his allies in extreme danger:
The sun has set.
DIO, who has been confined within his mansion due to his fear of sunlight, is finally free to roam, like a cat toying with a mouse, hunting down Jotaro and his friends.
Then there's the secret hidden behind [The World]'s Stand ability.
And the impending showdown, where Kakyoin and his allies, pursued by DIO, are left with no choice but to make a desperate last stand under the overwhelming power of [The World].
Especially in the final moments of this episode—
Kakyoin, fully aware of DIO's power, realizes that his [Hierophant Green] is a long-range Stand, whereas [The World] is a close-range power type.
For his own safety, he keeps [Hierophant Green] from getting too close to DIO.
Otherwise, it wouldn't just be a matter of being wounded alongside his Stand.
He would die!
Absolutely die!
This is the same conclusion both he and Polnareff reached after a brief confrontation with DIO.
Even the long-forgotten fear of DIO, buried ever since Jotaro removed the flesh bud from his body using [Star Platinum], resurfaces.
And this time, it's not because of the flesh bud but rather through [The World]…
At this point, Kakyoin clearly understands: they must uncover the true nature of [The World]'s Stand ability!
To conquer the fear in his heart.
And to gain a chance at defeating DIO!
…One could say that DIO, as a "veteran" actor who's already starred in one series, does not disappoint.
Similarly, Kakyoin and the others truly live up to being destined actors.
Their portrayal of fear and courage shines with such vividness that only they could pull off such intensity.
The audience, fully engrossed, can't wait to see what happens next.
To see what method Kakyoin, having rekindled his courage, will use to test [The World]'s Stand ability.
However, as stated at the beginning…
This would be the reaction of viewers under normal circumstances.
But now, things are anything but normal~~
…
[ ]: "Why is DIO's Stand this golden humanoid—[The World]—instead of [Hermit Purple]!?"
As he gradually regains his composure from the shock due to the passage of time, Sora's first thought upon seeing the "←—To Be Continued" isn't about wanting to know what happens next.
Instead, he immediately voices this question in the already bustling comment section.
Kirito: "It's not strange that DIO's Stand isn't [Hermit Purple], right? Didn't [White Snake] mention this before, saying that DIO's true Stand is hidden in the second OP of Stardust Crusaders."
Sweet Joy: "So, was [White Snake] right again?"
[ ]: "Then if that's the case, how do we explain the vine-like Stand that previously appeared in DIO's hands, resembling [Hermit Purple], and how DIO always seems to know Jotaro and his friends' location?"
Of course, Sora had seen [White Snake]'s OP analysis.
Not knowing that [White Snake] is Pucci's alias, he always regarded the analysis with some skepticism.
After all, if he admitted it…
Wouldn't that mean they'd lost to [White Snake] in the game of picking out plot holes?
That just wouldn't do!
Also, Pucci believed that being right every single time would definitely raise suspicion.
So, most of the time, when Pucci used his [White Snake] account to release OP analyses, he would only start with a brief opening and leave the rest to the wildly imaginative online fans to fill in the gaps with their theories.
Without the influence of the original story's preconceptions, the fans' theories blossomed wildly; some ideas were so convincing that, if Pucci hadn't read the original and written the script himself, he'd almost believe those bizarre theories were the actual storyline.
Naturally, Pucci's latest OP analysis of "JoJo Sono Chi no Kioku" stirred up considerable debate.
In it, he suggests that the golden figure mirrored with [Star Platinum] in the OP is DIO's Stand.
But DIO's Stand had already been revealed in "Stardust Crusaders"!
When Joseph psycho-graphed DIO, the purple vines that interfered with Joseph's ability were clearly DIO's Stand!
How could DIO suddenly have a new Stand?
This has made the true identity of DIO's Stand—[Hermit Purple] or [The World]—one of the hottest topics of debate among "Stardust Crusaders" fans.
They eagerly awaited DIO's appearance, partly for this reason.
And now…
With the appearance of the golden figure [The World], matching the fan-restored design exactly, the answer is clear.
Yet Sora finds it hard to accept!
After all, if [Hermit Purple] emerged from within DIO once, why should that memory be so easily discarded just because it happened early on?
Little Tong Tong: "Huh? That does seem to make sense, doesn't it?"
[ ]: "Exactly! So by the logic of first come, first served, and with the principle that one person has only one Stand, [Hermit Purple] should logically be DIO's true Stand!"
Genius Little Plane: "But DIO doesn't count as a person, right?"
[ ]: "…"