Race

Rome at night.

This ancient yet bustling city remains brightly lit.

Diavolo sat in an ordinary little bar, in a shadowy corner where the lights didn't reach, quietly waiting in front of the computer screen that glowed with a faint blue light.

He was waiting for the starting gun to fire:

Perhaps for safety reasons, Polnareff only told Li Qing to arrive in Rome as soon as possible during the phone call that morning, but did not specify the exact time and place of the meeting.

To find out the exact time and place, Li Qing needed to patiently wait in Rome for Polnareff's next instructions.

Meanwhile, Diavolo had already arrived in Rome.

Not only that, he even used that secret program to monitor Li Qing and his group's movements throughout, and then quietly sneaked up to their vicinity.

Li Qing was completely unaware that Diavolo was right next to him, and Diavolo showed no intention of attacking Li Qing and his companions at that moment.

Because Diavolo knew that this was actually a different kind of racing game.

Polnareff is the "finish line" of this race, and the arrow containing mysterious power is the championship trophy.

The finish line has not yet been determined, but Diavolo and Li Qing, the two competitors, have already silently stood at the same starting line.

Next, all that's left to wait for is Polnareff's phone call, which will be the "starting gun" for the match.

"Boss."

"It is I, Sandro."

After a long wait, Diavolo's phone rang.

The person speaking on the other end of the phone was a member of Sandro's Royal Guard, one of the few remaining confidants under Diavolo.

The fall of the technology group caused Diavolo to completely lose control of the Passion Organization. He can no longer mobilize the organization's vast resources and manpower, and he can hardly contact even the few Staff Department officers who are loyal to him—once they do, and they tell him the situation, the fact that he has been ousted from his position as boss will be completely exposed.

Therefore, Diavolo's only remaining pawns are his Royal Guard, which is almost independent of the organization and directly obeys his orders.

Following a series of battles in Naples yesterday, the already small Royal Guard has suffered heavy losses.

If they were sent to fight another tough battle, Diavolo would likely end up as a commander without any troops.

This was a very sad thing for a once glorious Dark Emperor, but with a great battle imminent and no one available, Diavolo had no choice but to send his entire tattered Royal Guard to Rome.

"The weapons are ready."

"Now we just wait for them to leave, and then we can go on stage."

Sandro, one of the last members of the Royal Guard, gave a detailed report to Diavolo over the phone.

After completing his dutiful report, Sandro couldn't help but ask:

"Boss, didn't the organization's internal network already issue a notice officially revoking the arrest warrants for Li Qing and others?"

"We thought they had been dealt with, how come they're still here unharmed?"

The arrest warrant is officially called a "kill order" within the organization, and it is generally only revoked if the wanted person is already dead.

Generally speaking, if the arrest warrant is gone, the target is probably already dead.

But now, not only are Li Qing and the others not dead, they have also made the boss stay here for a long time as if facing a formidable enemy.

Sandro was very puzzled.

Diavolo was quite embarrassed when asked such a question by his subordinates:

He certainly didn't withdraw that arrest warrant.

Because the de facto boss of the organization is now Li Qing, not him.

"Get your work done and stop talking nonsense."

"I withdrew the arrest warrant simply because I didn't want those lackeys in my way—anyone who gets in my way must be killed by my own hands!"

Diavolo spoke in a terrifying tone, which finally silenced his subordinates who were vaguely aware of the changing situation.

Sandro carefully hung up the phone and obediently continued to lie in wait in the shadows.

Diavolo's mood immediately soured:

"Damn it."

"I've actually sunk so low that I have to resort to lying to subdue my subordinates."

"Shame! This is a disgrace!"

He clenched his Riot Games tightly, and the taut muscles revealed bulging veins.

A wave of immense shame washed over Diavolo, and as he felt anger, he also grew increasingly agitated.

Polnareff

"Why hasn't he shown up yet?!"

Diavolo was getting impatient with the starting gun.

The later the time is delayed, the closer that invincible man, who flies in from the other side of the world, will be to Rome.

If Jotaro Kujo doesn't know where Polnareff will be until he lands in Rome, restarts his phone, and sees the missed call from Li Qing Sin, then everything will be over.

With two powerful enemies joining forces, he has absolutely no hope of turning the tide.

He could sink deeper and deeper into the shame of being a homeless dog, never to rise again.

"Polnareff Polnareff."

Where are you?

Diavolo kept calling out the enemy's name in his mind, appearing more anxious than Li Qing and more affectionate than Jotaro.

Finally, amidst his fervent anticipation, Polnareff appeared.

He once again used computer hacking to contact Li Qing.

Meanwhile, all of this was also heard by Diavolo and the others:

"Hey, you guys should all be in Rome by now, right?"

Polnareff asked this over the phone.

"Arrive."

Li Qing's tone was somewhat helpless:

"We arrived in Rome this afternoon and have been waiting until now."

"Whatever you've been through, you're definitely being a bit too cautious—as I said, we now have indirect control of the Passion Organization."

"Yeah?"

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded somewhat suspicious:

"If that's the case, then you should be able to contact Jotaro quite easily."

"So, is there any news from Jotaro's side?"

No, that's not true.

"That guy's phone has been switched off the whole time, and we can't get in touch with him at all."

Li Qing's voice sounded even more helpless, and somewhat embarrassed:

He had previously claimed that he had everything under control and that he had nothing to fear from being monitored.

But after most of the day had passed, they still hadn't been able to get through to one of the numbers the other party had given them—it was as if they were deliberately not contacting them, or were afraid to contact them.

While it is true that Jotaro's phone was always switched off, from the perspective of the "mysterious person" on the other end of the phone, their inconsistent words and actions are indeed very suspicious.

"All right."

Polnareff hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to try to trust Li Qing.

There was nothing he could do; he had been trapped here for far too long.

It's truly remarkable that we've managed to find someone who dared to rebel against Diavolo and made it this far.

Given any chance to escape the cage, he had no choice but to believe, even if there was a hint of doubt.

"Then come to the Colosseum of Rome to see me."

"No matter where you are in Rome right now, I will only wait at the Colosseum for 30 minutes."

"Please get here as soon as possible. I need to verify your identities and attitudes in person before I consider whether or not to entrust this secret to you."

"30 minutes, the Colosseum of Rome?"

Li Qing memorized the address and then answered without hesitation:

"No problem, we'll be there right away."

After agreeing on a meeting place, the phone call was immediately disconnected.

Diavolo could only hear a busy signal. He knew that Li Qing should have already set off.

The Colosseum of Rome?

"It's a bit far, but hehe, I'll definitely get to the finish line before Li Qing and the others."

Diavolo abruptly stood up and casually tossed the laptop aside.

He walked straight out of the bar to the roadside and got into the car he had prepared beforehand.

Meanwhile, Li Qing and his group emerged from a nearby restaurant and walked briskly toward their vehicle without anyone noticing.

Diavolo watched all of this quietly.

He watched Li Qing and the others walk away, then started the engine with the key, its roar echoing in his eyes, a fierce flame burning within them.

The starting gun has fired.

"Alright, let the game begin!"