Steel Ball Run - Chapter 12
1st Stage: Disqualified from Victory (
Summary
Gyro finishes the first stage in the first place. To celebrate the end of the first stage, Steven invites his VIP to a small cocktail party; his assistant then informs him that upon research, Gyro came to America in a boat owned by European royalty, to Steven's astonishment. Suddenly the announcers declare publicly that Gyro endangered one of the competitors, Sandman, when he threw a ball toward him. He is subsequently relegated to 21st place and receives no points. The final ranking includes:
- Sandman at 1st place, receiving 100 points, 10,000$, and a one-hour bonus.
- Diego Brando at 2nd place, receiving 50 points.
- Pocoloco at 3rd place, receiving 40 points.
- Mountain Tim at 4th place, receiving 35 points.
- Johnny Joestar at 5th place, receiving 30 points.
- Gyro Zeppeli at 21st place, 0 points.
Enraged, Gyro crashes the party by ruining the champagne with the Spin. Johnny catches one of the flying corks. Meeting the ex-jockey, who reaffirms his determination at following him, Gyro teaches him the 2nd Spin lesson: "to work on those muscles". The Italian teaches that the weapon itself is the rotation, the Steel Ball being merely vectors for the Spin. He also explains that the Spin will dull the skin's sense and tell him to open his hand. Johnny sees the cork still spinning in his hand without him having noticed. Johnny uses the cork on Slow Dancer's leg, stimulating it and managing to get off his horse using the leg as a platform. Gyro then proposes to accompany Johnny during the second stage, which is a desert crossing with a distance of 1,200 km.
Later, Steven and his wife Lucy are brought to a crime scene where three competitors have been violently eviscerated. The sheriff tells Steven that this was a murder and that the culprit, hidden among the competitors, will try to murder his way to the $50,000,000 prize.