Unshakable Suspicion
The Colosseum of Rome.
This ancient building stands silently in the night.
The circular outer wall, weathered by time, takes on a classic and elegant appearance under the lights.
Everything was so peaceful, just like every peaceful night in the countless years that had passed.
But at this very moment, inside the Colosseum, which had already been closed and cleared out, in a place where the lights couldn't reach.
A silver-haired man in a wheelchair is listening intently to all the sounds around him.
His gaze was extremely resolute, sharp, and full of vigilance, and he possessed an indescribable air of determination, like a Roman gladiator who had once fought bloody battles in this arena.
Despite losing both legs and being trapped alone, he, from France, did not choose to surrender to reality.
He never gave up the fight, never gave up hope.
This is Jane Pierre Polunarev.
He kept that power to fight evil hidden and safe, waiting for a rebel who dared to fight Diavolo head-on to inherit this hope.
And now, after so many years of waiting, Polnareff is finally about to see the dawn of victory.
"Li Qing, Giorno, Bucciarati"
He gripped the arrow with the beetle pattern tightly, his eyes filled with solemnity.
"Are you the ones I've been waiting for?"
Polnareff muttered to himself.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the dimly lit, silent, and deserted Colosseum of Rome.
"They're here."
Polnareff looked in the direction of the footsteps.
Two boys, one blond and one black, appeared in Polnareff's line of sight with serious expressions.
Diavolo's heart pounded in front of the Colosseum of Rome.
Now the Americans have their eyes on him, the SPW Foundation has its eyes on him, Jotaro Kujo has its eyes on him, Polnareff, who was "killed," has suddenly "resurrected," and Li Qing and his team have once again swept through the organization, taking control of half of its territory.
There is no doubt that Diavolo has been driven into a corner.
In this situation, his main task has unknowingly shifted from killing Li Qing and eliminating the traitor to seizing the Bug Arrow and obtaining the so-called "power to change the world" that Polnareff spoke of.
There was no other way; even if he killed Li Qing, there was still Jotaro Kujo. The enemy he was facing now was too strong for him to resist.
Only by gaining overwhelming power can Diavolo change this terrible situation.
At this moment, that arrow is his only hope.
"Polnareff, are you in here right now?"
That's really surprising.
"The rats that I hadn't gotten rid of before have reappeared in front of me with such a 'gift'."
Diavolo gazed at the Colosseum of Rome standing in the darkness before him, his eyes filled with anticipation.
He slowly took a step forward, preparing to rekindle his relationship with Polnareff before anyone else.
And just then...
A car sped towards us on the road in the distance, then abruptly swerved and braked violently, coming to a stop on the side of the road.
Giorno and Mista got out of the car side by side and ran quickly toward the Colosseum.
"Have they arrived yet?"
"It's all those stupid, meddlesome police officers' fault; they wasted so much of my time."
Diavolo's expression froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered.
In fact, because the remaining fighting force of the Royal Guard was pitifully small, he never expected that those defeated soldiers could stop Li Qing and the others from the beginning.
Even if one or two slipped through the net, it wouldn't have a significant impact on his actions.
Moreover, upon closer examination, the appearance of Giorno and Mista might actually be a good thing for him:
"Polnareff said on the phone that he was no longer capable of fighting."
"In other words, all I'm facing now are two greenhorns and a cripple I've already 'killed' once."
"The pressure of combat isn't that great, but the most important thing is..."
"I might be able to use these two brats to get the usage of that arrow out of Polnareff."
Diavolo made a quick decision in his mind.
Driven to the brink of despair, he desperately needed to gain greater power, which is why he somewhat irrationally grasped at the suddenly appearing arrow as his lifeline.
The arrow is currently in the Colosseum, but Diavolo doesn't know how to use it.
After getting the arrow, should you stab yourself, poke a substitute, or draw a magic circle on the ground and perform a sacrificial ritual?
He really wasn't sure.
After all, that arrow was a supernatural creation beyond the scope of human understanding; who knows what kind of trouble it might cause?
If you don't know how to use it, and the arrow's usage happens to be very complicated, then getting the arrow is pointless.
But Polnareff is a tough guy, and it's clear he would never tell Diavolo the answer willingly.
"Since that's the case..."
"Then let me listen carefully from the sidelines, and let you tell me the answer yourselves."
Diavolo abandoned his idea of directly killing and robbing.
He silently slipped into the darkness, hiding among the ruins of the Colosseum of Rome without Giorno or Mista noticing.
Giorno and Mista hurriedly entered the Colosseum of Rome.
Unlike their unfortunate companions who were targeted as soon as they got off the plane, the two of them were very lucky and did not encounter any enemies.
The two quickly reunited after parachuting, borrowed a car from a passerby, and arrived at their destination safely and without any obstacles.
Polnareff peeked out from behind a stone pillar on the second floor, his face etched with caution.
He carefully examined Giorno and Mista's faces, comparing them with the personal photos he had exchanged beforehand, and tentatively confirmed their identities:
"Giorno, Mista."
His gaze lingered between the two of them.
Neither of them showed any unusual expression, and their appearance matched the intelligence.
Although Giorno's youthful and innocent face inexplicably reminded Polnareff of an unsettling figure, he ultimately ignored this slight unease and revealed himself:
"You've finally arrived."
He pushed his wheelchair forward a step, looking down at Giorno and Mista.
"It's you?"
Giorno cautiously observed the strange man who had suddenly appeared from the shadows:
"Are you the mysterious person who contacted us to meet here?"
"Yes, it's me."
Polnareff nodded, then asked warily:
"Where are the others?"
"Your team should have 7 people, why did only 2 come?"
"We were attacked in Rome."
Giorno said with a serious expression:
"Diavolo knew about our itinerary in advance and shot down our helicopter halfway through the journey."
"Attack?"
Polnareff gripped the Bug Arrow in his hand even tighter:
How did Diavolo know?
"According to your previous statements, didn't you already take control of Passion Organization's intelligence agency?"
He had previously confidently claimed to have control of the technology team, but now he suddenly says that the itinerary has been exposed in advance. Such a contradictory situation cannot help but raise suspicions.
Perhaps the other party is actually Diavolo's man.
They were simply using lies to create tension and trick themselves into quickly handing over the huge secret they held.
Polnareff couldn't help but think this cautiously.
It's not that he has some kind of persecution complex—if he hadn't been so careful, he would have died long ago under the pervasive surveillance of the Passion Organization.
"Would I lie to you?"
Before Giorno could even speak in response to Polnareff's questioning, Mista couldn't help but let out a low growl.
Compared to Giorno, who remained calm throughout, Mista's expression was more anxious, yet also more realistic:
"Our five companions are still trapped in this city, their fate unknown."
"We abandoned our companions and risked our lives to get here, just to protect you, a stranger who refused to reveal your name from beginning to end."
"You suspect we have something to do with us, but we also suspect your identity!"
Mista said without backing down:
"Tell me, who exactly are you?"
"Is your claim of having the power to 'definitely defeat Diavolo's true or false?"
"We have no time to waste now, so please say everything you need to say as soon as possible!"
"."
Polnareff fell silent for a moment.
He saw a glimmer of light in Mista's anxious eyes, a light that only someone who truly cares about their companions would have.
If the other person isn't some movie star, then he's probably not lying.
"All right."
"I am Polnareff, a man who once fought Diavolo."
Polnareff finally revealed his name:
"Of course, who I am is not important right now."
"The important thing is this arrow, the arrow that will help you gain overwhelming power and completely defeat Diavolo."
As he spoke, he slowly raised the Bug Arrow in his hand, letting Giorno and Mista witness his sincerity.
"Very good."
In the shadows, Diavolo clenched his Riot Games tightly in excitement.
He didn't rush to kill and steal the arrow; instead, he hid in a corner like a rat, keeping quiet, all for this moment.
Under Diavolo's anxious and expectant gaze, Mista asked the question he most wanted to ask:
How do I use this arrow?
"How exactly is that so-called overwhelming power obtained?"
This issue is undoubtedly the most crucial one.
For Polnareff, who risked emerging from hiding and exposing himself to the outside world, this secret was also his last bargaining chip.
"This."
Polnareff gripped the Bug Arrow, remaining silent for a long time.
Ultimately, the power that the Bug Arrow can bring is truly terrifying.
If this power falls into the wrong hands, it could even lead to the destruction of the entire world.
Now, he has to admit that he cannot fully trust the two young men in front of him.
"Before I reveal this secret, I'd like to hear your explanation carefully."
Under Diavolo's utterly disappointed gaze, Polnareff abruptly steered the conversation to something completely different:
Why haven't you been able to contact Jotaro?
Explain the process clearly and carefully, and I will make a decision after listening.
This is the biggest point of doubt, the hurdle he can never get over.
Li Qing claimed that he had taken control of the technology group and that everyone could freely share secrets online without having to meet in person.
Polnareff cautiously chose to refuse at the time, and subsequent events proved his caution to be necessary:
Almost a whole day has passed, and Li Qing and the others haven't even been able to make a simple long-distance call.
In this way.
What Li Qing said earlier seemed like a lie, meant to trick him into revealing the secret quickly.
The reason the call didn't go through could very well be that they simply didn't dare to call, afraid that Jotaro would notice something was amiss.
"Hey, hey."
What are you doing?!
Mista shouted impatiently.
With his missing companions still missing and their fate unknown, he had no desire to endure a stranger's inexplicable interrogation.
"How many times do we have to say it before you listen?"
"I just can't get through on the phone, I've been trying from morning till night—"
"Maybe their phone service has been suspended due to unpaid bills? Maybe they've changed their number? Can you blame us if we can't get through?"
"Impossible."
Polnareff was not swayed by Mista's words at all:
It's an absolute joke that the grandson of a real estate tycoon's phone would be disconnected due to unpaid bills.
The cell phone is an important medium for him and Jotaro to communicate regularly about the arrow-finding work, Jotaro would never easily change his cell phone number.
"Damn it! Why don't you believe me?!"
Mista was choked by the words.
Polnareff's excessive caution became unbearable for him.
"Don't waste your time. You don't believe me, do you?"
"Good--"
Mista impatiently pulled out his phone from his pocket and deftly dialed Jotaro Kujo's number:
"Let me make a phone call right in front of you, and see if I can get through?"
"Beep beep. Beep beep beep beep"
"Hello?"
The call went through.
"It's working!" Mista and Giorno were slightly taken aback.
"It's working?" Polnareff looked surprised.
"It's connected!" Diavolo's expression suddenly changed as he hid in the shadows.
Amid Diavolo's deathly pale face, which looked as if he'd eaten two pounds of fermented organic fertilizer, Jotaro Kujo's steady and powerful voice came through the phone's speaker. "Hello, who is this?"
"Is Jotaro?!"
Although it had been many years since they last met, Polnareff recognized the incredibly familiar voice immediately.
During the many years he was trapped in a foreign land, he had longed to hear that voice.
But under the pervasive surveillance of the Passion Organization, Polnareff never dared to risk making that call; and now, Mista's impulsive act unexpectedly helped him realize his wish.
"Polnareff?"
Jotaro also recognized the voice of his old comrade-in-arms.
But before he could say anything, Polnareff had already suppressed his excitement and said with utmost caution:
"Wait. The sound alone isn't enough to convince me."
"If you want me to believe that this is the real Jotaro, and if you want me to reveal the secret of the arrow, then you have to make him prove his identity!"
Years of life on the run instilled in Polnareff an extreme level of caution.
Even the voice of his old comrade-in-arms couldn't break through his defenses:
"Jotaro, if you really are Jotaro..."
"Then tell us something that only we know!"
Polnareff shouted into the phone.
"This"
Jotaro's voice was filled with doubt.
After landing at Rome airport, he discovered that the situation was completely different from what he had imagined.
The unexpected phone call from Polnareff via an unknown number made him even more concerned.
But upon hearing Polnareff's urgent shout, Jotaro didn't have time to think further.
After a brief moment of preparation, he answered his old comrade's question crisply and clearly:
"Something only we know?"
"Hmm, if that's the case."
"I remember when you fought Enya the Hag in Pakistan, Polnareff, you licked the toilet."
"Cough cough!"
Polnareff coughed violently.
A blush, like that of a young boy, suddenly appeared on that resolute and serious face:
"No, don't say any more."
"I've confirmed it, you're definitely the real deal."
One update today. I suddenly caught a fever and a cold, and had no energy to write. This 4,000-word chapter was pieced together from a chapter and a half of saved-up text that I had painstakingly saved up. It's still a way of keeping the updates going _(:з"∠)_