The Answer That Never Came

When he was young, Polnareff was forced to lick a shameful place.

It's somewhat sad to say, but after that series of brutal battles in Egypt, only Joseph and Jotaro remained in the world who knew about it.

They're not Kog'Maw, so of course they wouldn't go around telling everyone about their old comrades' embarrassing moments.

The fact that the man on the other end of the phone could tell this so quickly meant that he was Polnareff's long-lost friend, the reliable and powerful warrior, Jotaro Kujo.

"Jotaro"

Polnareff's voice trembled slightly.

During the years he was Italy, he fantasized countless times about reconnecting with his best friend.

Now, Jotaro's voice was truly right beside him, yet his heart was filled with a myriad of emotions, and he was overwhelmed with unspeakable feelings.

"Polnareff".

Jotaro realized from his close friend's complex and profound voice that the situation was not good.

Contrary to his outward image of a resolute and tough man, in his impression, Polnareff was actually an optimistic, cheerful, and humorous guy.

Such men can always keep smiling.

Even on a sinking submarine, he could still joke with his companions about "seeing underwear" without batting an eye.

If even Polnareff can't laugh anymore, it means he must be in a very dangerous situation.

In fact, about half an hour earlier, when Jotaro landed at Rome's international airport, he had already realized that Polnareff's situation was not good.

Because he couldn't get through to Thomas on the phone in the morning, Li Qing had Thomas leave a message in his voicemail with the good intention of trying and getting a free thug.

In the message, Li Qing told Jotaro that "his old friend is in trouble and urgently needs his help in Rome."

Fortunately, Jotaro himself had already arrived at the airport on the outskirts of Rome when he heard the message.

Unfortunately, Thomas was used to making phone calls via the tech group's network instead of the mobile phone that ordinary people usually use.

When Jotaro received the message and tried to call back to inquire, the technology team's network had already been paralyzed due to Diavolo's attack.

The phone call couldn't be returned immediately, making the voicemail message an extremely dangerous and unanswerable signal.

While Jotaro was trying to contact Polnareff "himself" directly, Diavolo was busy playing this life-or-death race – a final gamble that would determine whether he lived or died. He didn't have his phone with him and wasn't going to continue playing role-playing in front of Jotaro.

That's all.

Polnareff suddenly disappeared from Jotaro's world.

Jotaro had no other choice but to rush from the airport to Rome as quickly as possible while trying to mobilize resources to urgently search for Polnareff's whereabouts.

Finally, after entering the center of Rome, he received this unexpected phone call.

Hearing his best friend's complex and unspoken words, Jotaro's already furrowed brows deepened even further.

"Polnareff, how is the situation?"

A brief silence.

Then came a long sigh, "It's a long story."

Polnareff knew that now was probably not the time for him to catch up with his old friends.

In his mind, Jotaro should still be on the other side of the world—even if he could answer the phone, he couldn't help him for the time being.

The confirmation of Jotaro's identity directly verifies the reliability of Giorno and Mista's statements:

Diavolo knew their whereabouts perfectly well.

This terrifying man could appear nearby at any moment, bringing them unbearable despair.

"Jotaro."

Polnareff sighed deeply.

He glanced gratefully at Giorno and Mista, the two unfamiliar young men.

Then, in order to make his last words as clear as possible to his best friend, Polnareff leaned over the second-floor railing and shouted into Mista's phone on the first floor:

"If I die today, please Italy to avenge me!"

"The person who killed me was Diavolo; his Stand ability is Time Erasure!"

"."

This time, it was Jotaro's turn to remain silent.

Then, in the utterly silent air, his voice slowly drifted out.

The voice was so calm, as if Polnareff's "last words" had not affected him at all.

But somehow, everyone present could clearly hear that beneath that calm surface lay a chillingly intense anger:

"I am in Rome now, and I'm already in the city center."

"Polnareff, tell me where you are now?"

"Forehead?"

This answer was clearly quite unexpected.

Polnareff was like a poor, mediocre scholar who, in his twilight years, suddenly had a stroke of luck and passed the imperial examination; first, he was stunned into silence, then suddenly plunged into ecstasy.

"You... you're actually in Rome?"

"That's great! Jotaro, I'm at the Colosseum of Rome in the city center right now!"

"The Colosseum, huh. I understand."

Jotaro's answer was concise and direct:

"Please hold on a little longer, I'll be there soon."

With that, he hung up the phone.

Jotaro didn't offer any useless words of comfort, but his calm and steady voice was the best reassurance.

Polnareff's suicidal thoughts finally found peace.

Giorno and Mista also realized that the scales of victory were subtly tipping in their favor.

Meanwhile, Diavolo, hidden in the shadows, had a face so sharp and angular that it was paler than even the most heavily made-up East Asian male stars.

"What the hell? He's already in the city center!"

"Soon? We'll arrive right away?"

"One minute? Three minutes? Five minutes?"

"Damn it, this guy has no sense of time! How long exactly is 'soon'?! Give me an exact number!"

Diavolo's forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Although he knew Jotaro was coming, he never devised a plan to deal with Jotaro from the beginning—his plan was simply to seize the Bug Arrow before Jotaro arrived, nothing more.

Because Diavolo knew in his heart that he probably couldn't beat this guy.

Jotaro's name was already well-known throughout the underworld.

Most people think it's just a vague legend, and some narrow-minded people even have a strange contempt for the so-called "invincible person".

But Diavolo, with his higher vantage point and broader perspective, was able to obtain more detailed intelligence and gain a deeper understanding of Jotaro:

Based on the information that can be gathered, Jotaro's Stand, Star Platinum, possesses monstrous abilities that surpass King Crimson in terms of strength, speed, and other basic capabilities.

The ability to stop time seems to be even more powerful than the time-removal ability of the King Crimson.

"If that man gets to the scene, it will be difficult for me to steal the arrow again."

"Hateful."

Diavolo clenched his teeth, like a mad dog cornered in a dead end.

His eyes, bloodshot, stared intently at Polnareff, who was hiding behind a stone pillar on the second floor, his gaze filled with madness and bloodlust.

"Hurry up! Get it done faster!"

Diavolo has been holding back until now in order to eavesdrop on how to use the Bug Arrow.

But Polnareff pulled a series of stunts, keeping him in suspense, yet he still hadn't revealed the most important information.

This is indeed a very distressing matter.

At this time...

Just as Diavolo was eagerly awaiting what would happen next, Mista asked the question on Diavolo's behalf:

"Hey, uncle with the broom-head hair?"

Mista looked up at Polnareff with some impatience and rudely gave him a nickname:

"Now that the call has gone through, you should finally believe us, right?"

"My companions are still scattered outside, Diavolo could appear at any moment, so don't waste any more time!"

"Um"

Polnareff nodded.

He had completely dispelled his suspicions about the two young men, and there was even a hint of gratitude in his eyes:

"I apologize, please forgive my excessive caution."

"Giorno, Mista, what you say is indeed credible."

"Since that's the case..."

As he spoke, Polnareff raised the Bug Arrow in his hand.

The lights inside the Colosseum were extremely dim at night, greatly obstructing visibility.

Even so, those present could still vaguely see the straight, upright wooden shaft of the Bug Arrow and the ornate arrowhead carved with a three-dimensional golden beetle.

Under the dim light, the Bug Arrow, which was said to contain mysterious power, appeared even more enigmatic.

Diavolo's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets:

This was his last hope, the spiritual anchor that gave him the confidence to continue fighting in dire straits.

How to use this Bug Arrow

Polnareff's voice drifted over.

Diavolo held his breath nervously and expectantly, straining to listen carefully.

Then

Polnareff suddenly gripped the arrow even tighter:

"I won't tell you yet."

"Ha?"

Are you kidding me?

Mista's expression fell, and even Giorno, whose expression was usually calm, showed a slight change in demeanor.

"Cough cough."

A hint of guilt flickered across Polnareff's weathered face:

"It's indeed embarrassing to say, but..."

"Since Jotaro is nearby, we won't need this arrow this time."

Breaking a promise is already somewhat unethical, but Polnareff hasn't actually said the more blunt and awkward thing yet:

To put it bluntly, Li Qing and the others were just backup options he turned to when he couldn't contact Jotaro and had nowhere else to turn.

After all, he only knew Li Qing and the others online, and they only came together because they shared the same enemy.

Between an online friend you've known for only half a day and a brother you've been through thick and thin with, do you even need to think about who to choose?

Not to mention, the Bug Arrow itself possesses the power to change the world.

If he had no other choice, why would he entrust such a terrifying power to a group of complete strangers?

Now Jotaro has arrived, and he won't be long before he reaches the battlefield.

To put it bluntly...

The main character has arrived, and Giorno and the others who were just backup options are no longer needed.

If we give the Bug Arrow to Jotaro and create a Star Platinum Requiem, Diavolo will surely be defeated.

In other words...

"We risked our lives, abandoning our companions to run here, only to come here to make a phone call for you?"

After realizing the situation, Mista's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

"Uh-huh."

Polnareff muttered something, his face flushed.

Faced with the resentful gazes of the two boys downstairs, he had no choice but to brazenly say:

"Don't worry, Jotaro will definitely be able to do it."

"As long as he shows up, our safety will be guaranteed."

"So, how to use this arrow... cough cough, just to be on the safe side, I'd better not say."

"You bastard—"

A thunderous roar erupted from the flat ground.

After waiting for so long, the final result was "nothing below".

Diavolo is like a frustrated reader who's just turned the page on a great passage, only to find the author has suddenly abandoned the story.

Driven by endless resentment, he charged out in a rage:

"King Crimson!"