Searching for Polnareff

After leaving the low-lying town, the group headed towards the center of Rome.

Giorno was driving the stolen, ownerless vehicle, focusing intently on the road.

Dawn sat in the passenger seat, his mind returning to his body, and couldn't help but feel a sliver of worry for Abbacchio's situation.

"I hope Abbacchio is alright."

Dawn murmured softly, his words carried away by the wind outside the window.

The rest of Bucciarati's team hid in the turtle's shell-shaped secret room, the atmosphere extremely oppressive.

Narancia's eyes were red and swollen from crying, yet he was still sobbing loudly.

"Bucciarati, you really didn't find Abbacchio underground?"

Mista asked again, unwilling to accept it, even though he already knew the answer in his heart.

"I followed that Stand user until the very end, until I defeated him.

Abbacchio died right before my eyes, about five meters away from me."

Bucciarati lowered his head, his fists clenched, his killing intent towards the Boss, Diavolo, almost overflowing.

Narancia rolled on the ground, and Mista stepped forward to try and stop him. Finally, unable to take it anymore, he punched Narancia in the face.

Dong~ Dong~ Dong~

A series of bell chimes rang out, freezing everyone in place, confusion flickering in their eyes.

Only Dawn was still admiring the scenery on the road, calm and undisturbed, unaffected in the slightest.

"Did it succeed? Abbacchio."

Dawn's lips curved upwards. Through the feedback from his Stand, Beyond Imagination's Scales of Awakening, he understood everything.

Abbacchio had escaped death.

In an Italian town on the other side of the sea, a familiar yet unfamiliar police officer blended in.

This police officer possessed extremely high case-solving skills, extraordinary insight, and the perseverance to pursue the truth.

His name was—Abbacchio.

The turtle's shell-shaped secret room.

Narancia got up from the ground and lunged at Mista, flailing his arms.

"Mista! Why did you hit me!"

Mista looked at his fist, equally confused.

Narancia wouldn't go easy on Mista, and the two immediately started brawling, tearing at each other's hair and leaving bite marks on their bodies.

Bucciarati, on the sofa, stared with wide eyes.

Why did he feel such intense hatred in his heart?

Beyond hatred, there seemed to be deeper regret and guilt.

As this complex emotion gradually faded, Bucciarati's ferocious expression slowly disappeared, returning to his usual peaceful and friendly demeanor.

"That's strange, to have felt those emotions..."

Bucciarati muttered to himself, then shook his head to clear his mind.

He lay on the sofa, curling his legs with his arms as a pillow, and entered a light sleep to recover his depleted mental energy.

He was too tired.

Outside, Giorno spoke to Dawn while driving.

"Mr. Dawn, have you noticed anything unusual?"

Dawn opened a can of beer, took a sip, and smiled, "What's unusual?"

Giorno shook his head, saying only, "I just feel like I've forgotten something. Oh well, since I've forgotten, it probably wasn't anything important."

Giorno focused on driving again.

Dawn remained noncommittal. Abbacchio had made his own choice, and he wouldn't interfere too much.

The vehicle drove towards the center of Rome. As it was getting dark, there weren't many pedestrians on the street, with only a few taxis soliciting passengers.

Dawn looked out the window and suddenly, a young man with red hair entered his vision.

"Diavolo... no, it's Tobio."

A fierce glint flashed in Dawn's eyes before disappearing. If he killed Tobio here, Diavolo, with his one body and two souls, would also die.

However, Dawn quickly shook his head.

Changing Abbacchio's fate of death was a very important experiment.

Rudely altering the plot could easily provoke the displeasure of fate, leading to a predetermined ending of death.

A clever change, and the impact it caused was minimal.

For example, the Scales of Awakening resurrected Abbacchio and erased everyone's memories of him, giving Abbacchio a new life.

The gentle approach was very effective, and fate's reaction was not too severe; it even tacitly approved of this action.

"Pull over for a sec, I need a light."

Dawn waved to stop Tobio, one arm resting outside the car window as he offered a cigarette.

"Kid, got a light?"

Tobio froze, and a strange sound suddenly came from his mouth.

"Doo-loo-loo-loo~"

"Doo-loo-loo-loo~"

Giorno looked at Tobio in surprise, instinctively wanting to step on the gas.

This guy must have some kind of mental illness, acting so strangely.

Tobio took the cigarette Dawn offered, looking annoyed. He took a few steps back, covering his mouth, and complained in a low voice, "Calling at a time like this is so inconvenient!"

"Aren't you afraid of being exposed?!"

Diavolo said with a hint of panic, lowering his voice and instructing, "Tobio, be careful of Dawn. If possible, you should follow them and don't reveal yourself."

Tobio felt a bit speechless. He quickly ended the call, put the cigarette in his mouth, and patted his pocket.

"Sorry, I forgot mine too."

Tobio forced himself to stay calm and bluffed, "There's a 24-hour convenience store up ahead. I was going to buy some. If you need anything, I can get it for you, but there'll be a tip."

Dawn smiled, saying nothing more. He rolled up the car window and signaled Giorno to keep driving.

The group quickly departed.

Tobio's eyeballs darted around, and Diavolo's voice rang out.

"Where are they going? Their target is so clear. No, I have to follow them."

Diavolo looked left and right, then casually hopped onto a motorcycle parked by the roadside and chased after them.

The motorcycle's owner, after finishing his business against a lamppost while drunk, looked back and shouted in a panic.

"Hey, thief, stop! Stealing from locals now!"

They traveled all the way to the city center. After discussion, Bucciarati's team decided to split up to search for the mysterious person.

Of course, they weren't going alone.

They formed pairs: Mista and Narancia, Trish and Giorno. As for Bucciarati, he was paired with Dawn.

This was also Dawn's intention. He couldn't stop the plot from unfolding, so the birth of Silver Chariot Requiem was almost inevitable.

Moreover, Polnareff's condition was deteriorating. If he were to switch bodies with the turtle, as in the original story, it might not be a bad thing.

At the very least, he could live for a few more decades.

A thousand-year-old king crab, a ten-thousand-year-old turtle – it wasn't just a saying.

With their minds made up, they discussed their communication methods and immediately split up to search.

Bucciarati and Dawn chose to head across the road. A car sped past, nearly hitting Bucciarati.

Dawn reacted quickly, grabbing Bucciarati by the back of his collar and saving him from being sent flying.

"Bucciarati, your eyes are not right."

Dawn stared at Bucciarati's ashen pupils and reminded him, "Your body is gradually dying. You must have noticed, right?"

Bucciarati was not surprised by this and accepted it calmly.

"I've noticed. My eyes can't see objects, and my ears can barely hear. These symptoms are worsening. My time is running out."

"We have to find that person quickly, Dawn."

"I understand."

Dawn glanced at the dark alley behind them and turned to help Bucciarati cross the road.

Inside the dark alley.

Tobio leaned his back against the wall, his chest heaving as he gasped for air.

"That was close... I almost got discovered."