SO Episode 38

What a Wonderful World (ホワット・ア・ワンダフル・ワールド) is the thirty-eighth and final episode of Stone Ocean, as well as the one-hundred-ninetieth episode of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime. The episode covers the rest of Chapter 156 to Chapter 158 of the original manga.

The unstoppable acceleration of time brings the universe full circle. Emporio awakes in Green Dolphin Street Prison, and humanity enters a new world.

Summary
Emporio finds himself in Green Dolphin Street Prison again. Inside the visitation room, he hears Jolyne and Jotaro's voices. When he peeks inside, they are revealed to be pale imitations of the real Joestars. Emporio sees a bloodied Pucci mutter that they are back in November 30, 2011, and enters the room to beat the lookalikes. He explains that time did not rewind but accelerated so fast that they went beyond the end of the universe. Essentially, the end of the previous universe brought about this new one where the original souls of Jolyne, Jotaro, Anasui, and Ermes did not exist. However, Emporio managed to survive. This irks Pucci and he unveils Made in Heaven to attack him.

Because of the commotion, the Joestar lookalikes flee the room and Emporio notes that the same thing happened as before, just not without the originals. Pucci is also aware of this, and knows that he will be hiding back at the ghost room. With everyone's fates seemingly predetermined, Emporio runs away and waits for two guards to trip as before. To his surprise, one of them seem to be aware that they will trip again. The priest reappears and pushes the two away, reminding the boy of his destiny. Emporio remembers that the moment a universe is born, it infinitely expands until it hits a point of singularity where it contracts on itself. Everyone merely went through Earth's history at a fast speed that they are simply back in 2011, just without those who had died during the acceleration. Alone again, he is forced to run away while Pucci follows behind, explaining that future events are already predicted. This is the power of Made in Heaven.

Without his ghost gun and with Pucci knowing the ghost room, Emporio runs to the opposite direction in an attempt to override his previous actions but accidentally steps on a mop which hits his face, sending him to fall in front of the ghost room. Pucci contemplates on sparing him, but fate dictates that he will successfully break out with or without Jolyne. Because they remain in prison, he has the power to change this opposing force. He then slowed time beforehand just to eliminate him once and for all.

Remembering Jolyne and her words, Emporio gains a new resolve through teary eyes. When Made in Heaven aims to punch him, they are sucked into the ghost room where he suddenly reveals that he had stored Weather Report's Stand DISC all along, and that he used Pucci to insert the DISC into his head. He further explains that before Weather Report died, his stored Stand DISC was given to Jolyne which she gave to him before her death. Because only Pucci can change fates, Emporio has successfully escaped his predetermined actions from the original universe by taking advantage of the former's attack.

Despite this, Pucci says that Weather was an expert of his Stand whilst Emporio cannot easily master it by just inserting it in his head. He aims his hand towards the boy when the veins on his hand appear to bulge, and he is thrown on top of a piano. Emporio begins to bleed through his eyes. He explains to Pucci that he used Weather Report's Stand to saturate the oxygen in the room over forty percent, which is highly toxic to organisms in its pure form. However, it was not all of his doing, but the Stand's too — this Weather Report was the original one that Pucci had sealed away, whose power was awakened through Heavy Weather. The Stand crushes Pucci's face down with its fist and he pleads for Emporio to stop it. He negotiates that because they haven't reached Cape Canaveral yet, then Made in Heaven is still incomplete. If he dies, his accomplishments will be reversed. No one will be able to read and prepare for the future.

Emporio tells him that his babble about fate is exactly what caused his downfall. He was already defeated by fate through Jolyne, F.F., Weather Report, Anasui, Ermes, and even Jotaro. Without knowing or preparing for the future, their resolve still led to Emporio in the new universe. Walking the path of justice is fate itself — despite all of Pucci's plans, he was the unprepared one after all. Weather Report finally finishes the priest, and everything appears to be sucked into their direction.

Afterwards, Emporio appears at a gas station where he overhears a woman's voice. He is surprised to see that the woman who exits a bus is a lookalike of Ermes, and she is asking if he had spare change to exchange for her fifty dollars. Behind her, the driver throws out her belongings, and she blames Emporio for taking up her time. Sighing, she assumes that the bus driver must have mistaken her for a Green Dolphin inmate. Nearby, a man calls out for them. He appears to be a lookalike of Anasui. He offers to take them anywhere as long as they give him money for gas, but the Ermes lookalike says that her sister advises her not to go with strangers. However, the sky begins to rain, signaling an incoming storm.

The window of the Anasui lookalike's car lowers to reveal what looked like Jolyne. She invites him to hop in and introduces herself as Irene and her boyfriend as Anakiss. Apparently, they were driving to see her father and ask for his permission to give them the blessing to marry. The Ermes lookalike, Eldis, accepts the offer but says that she will give no more than ten dollars, and that she must be dropped off at Cape Canaveral. Irene removes her jacket and wraps it around Emporio, asking for his name. He sees the Joestar birthmark over her shoulder. Clutching her jacket, he begins to tear up as he is reminded of Jolyne and finally introduces himself: "My name is Emporio."

Before they leave, they spot a hitchhiker. Although Anakiss says two is enough, Irene convinces him to pick him up because of the storm. Emporio recognizes the figure as Weather Report. As the car drives away into the distance, the clouds reveal the original Jolyne, Jotaro, Ermes, F.F., Anasui, and Weather Report.

Trivia

 * For unknown reasons, this episode is out of sync in the German dub.
 * At minute 17:06, the sound effect of the Ripple is heard during Emporio's speech.