Chapter 20

The Tragedy at Sea is the twentieth chapter of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga. It is also the twentieth chapter of Part I: Phantom Blood.

Summary
It has been a week since Jonathan has trained with Zeppeli in the art of the Ripple energy. Currently though Jonathan’s attention focuses on a strange paradox, he notices whenever he fights Zeppeli for his training. Jonathan knows that his arm is ten centimeters longer than Zeppeli’s arm but when he tries to strike him, Zeppeli’s arm hits Jonathan first. Even though both the times of their strikes and the speed they execute them are equal. Zeppeli tells Jonathan then that he will not be able to fight the stone mask with power and speed alone and that the Ripple energy is sensitive to mental distress and grows stronger by the user maintaining his breathing rhythm. Jonathan then reflects on the time when Zeppeli told him of his past and why he seeks to destroy the stone mask.

William Antonio Zeppeli was born to a family of scholars but he was not interested in the subject itself. He eventually joined an archeological group from his father’s university and traveled the world. On a particular voyage to an Aztec ruin, though Zeppeli accidentally discovers the stone mask. On the voyage, back however someone discovers the hidden power of the mask and kills the crew one by one. Zeppeli tries to escape by jumping into the ocean but his assailant catches up with him! As his blood is about to be drained from him however, dawn breaks and Zeppeli’s assailant disintegrates from the Sunlight and as he withers away, Zeppeli discovers that the assailant was his own father the leader of the archeology team.

Zeppeli drifts for days at sea until a fishing boat rescues him. However, he is still concerned about where the archaeological ship with the stone mask on it has gone and fears that someone will discover the secret of the mask again. Zeppeli then explains how the power of the stone mask and the Ripple are one in the same and afterward Jonathan agrees to follow Zeppeli’s teachings in the ways of the Ripple.

One week later though after night has fallen while Jonathan is meditating Wang Chan confronts him, proclaiming that Dio sent him to kill Jonathan as he is the only one who knows of the secrets of the mask to Dio's knowledge. Jonathan then goes to punch Wang and as he executes the punch, he realizes he can dislocate his joints from stretching his arm so much and using the Ripple energy, he can soften the pain. Using this newfound knowledge Jonathan uppercuts Wang Chan with the Ripple energy leaving a burn on his left cheek to remember the battle. Afterward Zeppeli congratulates Jonathan for defeating Wang Chan with the Ripple energy.