DIO's World (story arc)

DIO's World (の世界) is the twenty-eighth and final story arc in Stardust Crusaders. It narrates the climactic battle in the streets of Cairo between the Joestar Group and DIO, whose Stand The World can stop time.

Summary
Nukesaku, a vampire, comments on the supposed worthlessness of Vanilla Ice, Kenny G. and Telence T. D’Arby after all three suffered defeat at the hands of the Joestar group. He laughs in their failure, exclaiming they got what they deserved after disrespecting and looking down on him while declaring that he will be the one to kill Jotaro. As Jotaro, Joseph and Kakyoin climb up the stairs, Kakyoin notices something up ahead and warns the others to stop. Out from the door, a woman appears, screaming and begging for mercy. Joseph attempts to calm her down and tells her that they are on her side. Jotaro confirms they are allies then proceeds to punch the girl in the face with Star Platinum. He finishes his sentence by stating they are allies of justice as it is revealed the girl was only Nukesaku in disguise. The vampire is shocked that they uncovered his trap so quickly but Joseph points out an obvious flaw as his body didn’t match with his flipped head.

Jotaro calls Nukesaku an idiot (the meaning of his name) and asks where DIO is. He becomes angered at being disrespected once again and lunges at Jotaro while screaming that he is immortal. Jotaro intercepts him with Star Platinum's arm which Nukesaku then bites. He takes note of Nukesaku's claim, realizing him to be a vampire like DIO and wishes to test the bounds of his immortality. Star Platinum blitzes Nukesaku with an array of punches, knocking him far away. Jotaro walks over, picks him up and confirms his immortality but threatens him further unless he takes them to DIO. Nukesaku agrees but asks Jotaro how he knew his name without telling him to which Jotaro can only respond with his catchphrase, stunned by the stupidity of his name. Meanwhile, Polnareff sits on the staircase leading to the third floor, tying up his wounds with a piece of torn curtain. As he gets up and prepares to climb further, he is met with a man standing atop on the third floor: DIO. The two men greet each other after which DIO applauds Polnareff for his achievements and how far he’s come. DIO then offers Polnareff a chance to join him again by walking two steps down but Polnareff stoically declares that after all his experiences on the long journey with his friends, he no longer fears DIO.

Consequently, DIO beckons Polnareff to climb up the stairs to which he does; however, DIO then says that Polnareff decided to go down the stairs and join him. Polnareff, in shock and confusion, runs back up the stairs again, only to end up lower than where he originally started again. DIO continues to taunt Polnareff who is sure he climbed up the stairs then tries once more to no avail. He begins to suspect this has something to do with the ability of DIO’s Stand: The World.

DIO then sits in a chair and asks Polnareff if he knows what drives humans. In DIO’s analysis he states that everything humans strive to achieve is for their own peace of mind and that through working beneath him, DIO can provide Polnareff with said peace of mind. Polnareff calls on the strength of Avdol and Iggy and proudly denounces DIO whilst summoning Silver Chariot. DIO, displeased, brings forth his Stand, The World, and prepares to kill him. Suddenly, the wall behind the Frenchman busts open revealing Jotaro, Joseph and Kakyoin. DIO flees deep into the mansion as a result of the sunlight whilst Polnareff is happy to be reunited with his friends.

Joseph sees DIO leaving and they begin to chase after him; however, Polnareff stops the others to warn them that he experienced his Stand’s ability. After Polnareff explains what happened, Jotaro asks him where Avdol and Iggy are. Distraught, Polnareff tells them that they sacrificed themselves to save him. The others become stunned in disbelief, faced with the harsh reality presented to them. Kakyoin states they must hurry as the sun is close to setting. He then throws a bag down containing Nukesaku and asks him what lies atop the stairs. After telling them what he knows, Nukesaku is commanded to lead them to DIO’s room. Upon entering the room, a coffin is seen lying in the center and Star Platinum immediately breaks a window to let sunlight in. The group remain cautious as they can’t be certain that DIO is currently in the coffin. As they approach it, Joseph thinks to himself about the fate of the Joestar family and how he and Jotaro were always destined to face DIO. Additionally, Kakyoin and Polnareff take time to reflect and prepare themselves for what is to come. Joseph tells everyone to take their positions and orders Nukesaku to open the coffin who, while doing so, tells DIO he did not betray him and is confident he can kill the four men. Suddenly, as the lid is pulled off, a heavily wounded Nukesaku is revealed to have somehow entered the coffin. Everyone becomes shocked at this turn of events and are completely clueless as to how Nukesaku appeared in the coffin despite watching the whole time. Jotaro then senses a malicious aura and Joseph yells for everyone to run. The group jump out of the window and Joseph tells Jotaro that he sensed it too while Kakyoin comments that they’ve never faced such a powerful Stand. They use their Stands to cling onto the side of the mansion and land safely but soon notice that the sun is almost fully down. Polnareff tells Joseph that he does not wish to run away despite nightfall and Kakyoin agrees. Although feeling the same, Joseph states they’d be at a terrible disadvantage since they still don’t know The World’s ability and it would be better to wait for DIO to come to them. Polnareff refuses to take a passive approach on the matter, feeling responsible for the deaths of Avdol and Iggy and takes off on his own. Jotaro says it’s fine to let him go since it provides two directions of attack which may prove beneficial.

Night has fallen on Cairo. Joseph and Kakyoin buy a truck from a local while DIO watches them from afar and begins his pursuit. Polnareff notices DIO on the move from the bushes and mentions his disappointment in his friends for not joining him on the offensive. No sooner than saying this, Jotaro appears behind Polnareff and tells him that Joseph and Kakyoin thought it would be a good idea for him to go with him. Polnareff is ecstatic to have his friend by his side and Jotaro smiles in return as the two set off after DIO. DIO, now in the streets of Cairo, approaches a car, marveling its capabilities. A man appears behind him and tells him to stop touching it but DIO pays him no mind and breaks his arm before entering the vehicle. Inside, he meets Senator Wilson Phillips and pulls out his two front teeth before commanding him to drive the car. Phillips, squealing in pain, thinks about all he has accomplished in life and the entitlement he believes he deserves. He gathers his senses and threatens DIO who quickly grabs him by the nose and throws him into the front seat, simply telling him to drive once more.

Phillips realizes the danger he’s in and attempts to escape; however, upon fleeing the car he somehow ends up back inside it. This cycle repeats until Phillips is driven insane and succumbs to DIO’s control. He begins driving at high speed through the streets. As Joseph and Kakyoin drive, Joseph becomes certain that DIO is following them and getting closer. Meanwhile, Jotaro and Polnareff see DIO get in his car and decide to follow. Polnareff attempts to hotwire a motorcycle to no avail but Jotaro kicks the engine which starts it and they leave.

DIO and Phillips are stuck in traffic but DIO tells him to use the sidewalk instead. Phillips mentions the large amount of people walking; however, DIO does not care in the slightest and tells him to go. The Senator follows his orders and plows through a multitude of civilians. He then asks if DIO will spare him to which he replies no. Phillips begins to laugh, having completely lost his sanity at this point and certain he is dreaming. They finally catch up to Joseph and Kakyoin’s car but DIO tells him to get even closer so he can use The World. As soon as he finishes speaking, DIO notices Hierophant Green outside his window who fires an Emerald Splash. With the flick of a finger he deflects the Emerald Splash and avoids getting hit. Kakyoin tries again but DIO knocks it away effortlessly and contests Hierophant Green up close with The World. Kakyoin is unable to believe how quickly DIO’s Stand appeared in front of his own and then suffers a punch from it. DIO comments that Hierophant Green was just outside The World’s effective range thus avoiding any catastrophic injury.

Back in their car, Kakyoin thinks about how DIO manipulated him before and refuses to lose this fight. Joseph notices him bleeding from his face and worriedly asks if he’s ok and if he saw The World. Kakyoin responds yes to Joseph’s questions and delves into some information he’s learned about the Stand. He explains that The World is similar to Jotaro’s Star Platinum and that it has poor range and uses its fists in combat.

Suddenly, Joseph sees that DIO’s car has stopped behind them and when Kakyoin turns to look he notices something coming their way. Senator Phillips’ body is thrown through their back window, smashes into the windshield and causes them to crash into a building. DIO walks slowly to confront them but finds they are no longer in the car. As he looks upwards, Joseph and Kakyoin are seen using Hermit Purple and Hierophant Green to pull themselves to the rooftops. Kakyoin then says he has an idea to uncover the secret behind DIO’s Stand.

As Kakyoin and Joseph swing around buildings with their Stands in the night sky, Kakyoin begins to reminisce about his past. His elementary school teacher once told his parents that he didn’t care about making friends and not even his own mother could understand him. From Kakyoin’s viewpoint he could never truly trust or be friends with anyone because no one could see Hierophant Green. If no one could see Hierophant Green, no one would be able to understand him. He felt alone until he met Jotaro, Joseph, Polnareff, Avdol and Iggy and they were his first true friends who he trusted with all his heart. With this strong determination, Kakyoin seeks to make Hierophant Green invisible like what it used to be to others in order to uncover The World’s ability.

Jotaro and Polnareff arrive on the scene of the car crash and Jotaro realizes that they must be on the rooftops. Soon after, DIO finally notes that the group split up and knows that Jotaro and Polnareff must be on their way. As DIO sets foot on a rooftop he steps on a part of Hierophant Green’s sensory web which sets off a trap that triggers an Emerald Splash. After knocking it away, DIO jumps upwards and accidentally hits another part of the sensory web thus being met with another Emerald Splash. He deflects it, resulting in a tower taking the bulk of the damage; however, DIO suffers a shot to his arm as well. He soon realizes he is completely surrounded by a massive web spanning 20 meters, created due to Hierophant Green being completely unwound. Kakyoin explains that it senses all of DIO’s movements and attacks him instantly when contact is made. He then shouts at DIO to take his all out attack: the 20 Meter Radius Emerald Splash. DIO welcomes the attack and deems it time for Kakyoin to understand the full extent of The World’s power. After shouting his Stand’s name, all comes to a standstill and it is revealed that The World’s ability is to stop time.

DIO makes his way over to Kakyoin, tearing apart Hierophant Green’s web in the process until he gets close and has The World punch Kakyoin through the chest. DIO tells Kakyoin in time stop that he doesn’t even know he’s dead and won’t know what happened to him. Time resumes and Kakyoin flies across the sky to Joseph’s utter shock, only able to scream out his friend's name. He smashes into a water tower unable to process what happened or even move, accepting that his injuries must be fatal. He briefly thinks about his parents at home in Japan before turning his attention back to DIO. Kakyoin states that he should have been able to feel any disturbance in Hierophant Green’s web yet somehow DIO was able to destroy all of it simultaneously and instantly to reach him. This leads him to one conclusion: that The World can stop time. Kakyoin knows he must do something to warn Joseph of this ability. DIO approaches Joseph now and tells him that Joestar blood should help him attain a complete synthesis with Jonathan’s body. Just as DIO begins to charge at Joseph, the clock tower is struck by Kakyoin’s final Emerald Splash. Joseph and DIO turn their attention towards Kakyoin with DIO claiming it to be a pointless last attack. Joseph, knowing Kakyoin would never do something pointless in such a dire situation, begins to think about what he was really trying to do. Kakyoin hopes he is able to get his message across to Joseph and help them succeed in defeating DIO as he finally dies, much to Joseph’s sorrow.

Joseph immediately springs into action, summoning Hermit Purple and wrapping it around DIO. He attempts to attack him with the Ripple but DIO quickly breaks free of his Stand, requiring Joseph to retreat. Jotaro and Polnareff finally catch up and see DIO chasing Joseph. As Joseph flees he thinks back to Kakyoin and questions why he broke the clock tower, ultimately determining that he must have found the secret to DIO’s Stand. At this moment, Joseph finally understands what his fallen friend meant. By stopping the clock, he meant that The World possesses the ability to stop time itself. Shaken by the gravity of the situation and the seemingly impossible ability to overcome, Joseph declares to Kakyoin that he received his final message and knows that his friend’s death was not in vain.

Joseph continues to swing around Cairo, attempting to remain calm and figure out a way to defeat DIO. He suddenly loses sight of the vampire and lands on a rooftop. Out of nowhere, DIO appears behind him with The World and prepares to kill him but stops at the last second. Joseph taunts him and asks why DIO won’t drink his blood like he said. The vampire replies that Joseph has wrapped his body with Hermit Purple and is charging the Ripple through it, giving him a brief moment of praise. Joseph then responds saying that he knows The World can stop time but also bets it’s only for a few seconds given that DIO failed to kill everyone back at the mansion. DIO states he’s impressed that Joseph figured out the ability to which Joseph snaps back crediting Kakyoin for the discovery. DIO taunts Joseph once more who then extends Hermit Purple towards him charged with the Ripple. The World then punches a chimney and the rubble strikes Joseph so hard that he falls off the roof, landing below. Joseph gets off the ground and notices Jotaro at the end of the street. He tells his grandson not to come near and warns him that The World can stop time. DIO activates The World and mentions that the more the wound on his neck has healed, the longer he’s been able to stop time. He also says his current maximum duration is five seconds.

After causing chaos for civilians caught in his time stop, DIO approaches Joseph commenting that the Ripple, although causing him trouble in the past, cannot match up to the power of The World. He throws a knife at Joseph’s neck and time resumes with the knife stabbing him. DIO points to Jotaro declaring him to be next as Jotaro looks at and curses him.

Joseph, bleeding greatly from his wound, uses the last of his energy to warn Jotaro to stay away from DIO and tells him that he’s no match. DIO walks towards Jotaro as the Joestar stares him down with an angered gaze. DIO tells him that Kakyoin is already dead which further angers Jotaro who curses him once more before approaching him himself. DIO takes intrigue in this, commenting that instead of running away Jotaro is coming right towards him. Jotaro responds that he can’t beat DIO unless he gets closer to which DIO welcomes him to get as close as he likes. The two bring out their Stands as they walk towards each other but The World is able to kick Star Platinum before it can land a punch. DIO taunts him, calling Star Platinum too slow before boasting that The World is the most powerful Stand and far greater than Jotaro’s in every way. Jotaro sees that both Stands are similar in their strengths and weaknesses and DIO comments that he’s always wished to see how much better The World is compared to Star Platinum. After Jotaro says The World’s kick didn’t even hurt him, a mildly irritated DIO agrees to engage in a test of skill between the two Stands.

Star Platinum is unable to land hits at first but manages to block a chop from The World and clips the right side of its head, causing minor damage to DIO. After this brief period, the two clash in a demonstration of punching speed which seems equal until The World manages to deal a heavy blow to Star Platinum’s face. DIO, now satisfied, declares he will finish Jotaro off with The World’s true ability and that he has learned his lesson to show no mercy to the Joestars after what happened in his past.

The World stops time and DIO approaches Jotaro, stating this to be the end of the Joestar bloodline and complimenting them as the only ones capable of getting in the way of his destiny. Just as he is about to kill him, DIO notices Jotaro’s finger twitch which frightens him and makes him briefly retreat. DIO begins to fear that perhaps the similarities between Star Platinum and The World are greater than previously thought and that they could truly be the same type of Stand. He also wonders if Jotaro can actually see him in stopped time or if it’s only unconscious movement. Time resumes with DIO having been unable to kill Jotaro. He asks him if he could see him during time stop to which Jotaro does not answer, angering DIO who now demands for Jotaro to tell him. Jotaro claims to not know what he's talking about and darts off, forcing him to follow.

DIO states that what truly matters is the ability to move during stopped time and thinks back to when he first stopped time six months ago while testing The World’s speed. A servant was ordered to fire bullets and when The World went to catch them, reality itself seemed to freeze and he could interact with them. Enya praised the potential of this ability and believed he would be able to grow stronger every day on his path to rule over time. DIO sees himself standing atop a pinnacle and that his power is already so far beyond all else. He wishes to see how powerful Jotaro truly is and stops time again. As DIO moves in to attack Jotaro, he notices his hand twitching. The vampire moves his arm around and realizes that whenever it’s close to Jotaro, his hand slightly moves. He laughs as he finds a magnet attached to his arm that was interacting with the button on Jotaro’s sleeve. He believes that Jotaro must have stuck it on to trick him into thinking he could move in stopped time. He applauds Jotaro for this strategy but says it only delayed the inevitable as The World moves in to kill him. However, just as The World is about to land its attack, DIO sees Jotaro’s arm freely move and his Stand suffers a punch through the abdomen by Star Platinum. DIO, stunned, understands that Jotaro really can move in stopped time and that the magnet trick was only to lure him into a false sense of security.

DIO becomes angered at the fact that a Joestar could enter his domain over time and is sent flying into a store when time resumes. Due to the impact of the crash, DIO’s left leg is ripped off causing a worker at the store to scream. He sits upright, telling the worker to bring him his leg and soon after Jotaro arrives outside. DIO drains the blood of the worker to heal himself from his wounds before engaging in another discussion with his adversary. Jotaro thinks to himself that he can only stop time for a second currently and must find a way to improve quickly. Additionally, DIO knows that he must remain cautious and refuses to get too close to Jotaro. Suddenly, DIO pulls out a plethora of knives that he took from the store and states that Jotaro will suffer a death worse than his grandfather. Jotaro, understanding the danger of the situation, attempts to escape from him by jumping upwards; however, DIO calls this checkmate before stopping time again. He throws all the knives towards Jotaro and comments that Star Platinum won’t be able to knock all of them away when time resumes. DIO laughs, enjoying the fear that Jotaro must be feeling, unable to do anything. With three seconds left, Star Platinum is able to send one punch towards an area of knives but has no way to stop all of them at once. Time resumes and Star Platinum is unable to fully protect Jotaro resulting in him receiving multiple stab wounds across his body.

Jotaro flies back as DIO sends a final knife in his direction. Star Platinum fails to deflect it correctly resulting in it dealing a seemingly fatal blow to Jotaro’s head. After landing on the ground, he is revealed to still be alive due to stuffing magazines under his clothes to protect himself in case of a ranged attack. Despite this, he didn’t calculate for the large amount of knives thrown and consequently sustained a great deal of injuries anyway.

Jotaro plans to play dead in order to lure DIO near and finish him off. The vampire is; however, two steps ahead and already considers the possibility of Jotaro setting up a trap. He rips a traffic sign out of the ground and plans to use it to ensure his foe’s death by cutting his head off. As DIO prepares to strike Jotaro, Polnareff jumps down from above, summons Silver Chariot and stabs him through the back of the head. DIO quickly stops time, removes his head from Silver Chariot’s rapier and hits Polnareff in his chest. Time resumes with Polnareff coughing up blood and being thrown back into a wall. DIO comments that Polnareff came exceptionally close to killing him as all he needed to do was move the rapier around a bit more to destroy his brain. He then heals his wound and heads towards Polnareff to finish him off. Jotaro becomes worried that Polnareff will now die and realizes he can no longer afford to wait and bait DIO to come near him.

After thinking the situation through, Jotaro taps the ground near him which DIO immediately reacts to by dropping the traffic sign, jumping away from Polnareff and diverting his attention back to the Joestar. As DIO ponders if Jotaro is still alive, he is approached by two police officers who tell him to freeze. DIO punches one, grabs the other and forces him to shoot Jotaro. Luckily, Star Platinum is able to catch the bullet thus preventing its user from incurring harm. DIO then listens for Jotaro’s breathing and says he does not hear anything so he moves on to check for a heartbeat. Jotaro uses Star Platinum to stop his own heart while DIO presses his head against the ground to listen but feels himself weakening and fading away. DIO confirms him to have no heartbeat but decides to decapitate him with the traffic sign anyway. Star Platinum restarts Jotaro’s heart and manages to grab the traffic sign to prevent it from killing him. The vampire is caught by surprise and before he can command The World to stop time, Star Platinum lands a heavy blow to his head which sends him flying. As he stands up, he soon falls over, unable to walk properly. Star Platinum’s punch was far more serious than he thought and he believes Jotaro managed to damage his brain.

Meanwhile, Jotaro walks over and splashes gasoline on his enemy, remarking that now he can smell him wherever he goes. He plans to set DIO on fire then wait for sunrise to finish the job. As Jotaro ignites his lighter, DIO starts laughing and notices a car passing by behind him. He stops time, crawls up a set of stairs and grabs hold of it. Time resumes and as DIO escapes, latched onto the vehicle, Jotaro states he can’t let him get away. He then pulls a knife out of his shoulder and has Star Platinum throw it at the car’s tire which it pops. As the car spins out, DIO is thrown off and lands near a pothole on the road. He attempts to crawl into it but is met by Jotaro already inside. DIO attempts to stop time but is once again struck in the head by Star Platinum before he is able to. Star Platinum rushes DIO with a barrage of punches causing mass bleeding and injury.

DIO is blasted far down the street while screaming that Jotaro fell for his plan and that he has finally arrived at his intended destination. He asks Jotaro if he recognizes the street they are on and after taking some time, he does. Jotaro looks over to see DIO, now fully restored and stronger than ever, standing over Joseph’s body after drinking his blood. Jotaro, angered, curses DIO who mentions how perfect Joseph’s blood is. He begins to demonstrate a flash of insanity, scratching his head repeatedly to the point of bleeding whilst laughing maniacally. DIO tells Jotaro that the Joestar family has been nothing but a plague to him his whole life but at the end of it all they were meant to be used by him as seen now. As Jotaro walks towards DIO he is shocked to see what appears to be Joseph’s spirit leaving his body. Joseph says that everything that happened was meant to be and that no matter what DIO does Jotaro must not give in to his anger. He tells his grandson that their adventure together and the last fifty days were truly fun before disappearing into the night sky. A confused Jotaro turns back towards DIO and witnesses him stabbing his hand into Joseph’s body and draining all of his blood. Jotaro, reaching a never before seen degree of anger, thinks about the words of his grandfather but states he can’t remain calm after seeing what DIO has done. DIO declares this to be the final round as the two charge towards each other and he stops time.

After four seconds pass, Star Platinum emerges and contests The World with a rush of punches. After, their right fists meet and Star Platinum is able to overpower and punch through The World’s fist. The Stand then strikes DIO before stopping again at the five second mark. As the vampire heals his hand he reveals he has now stopped time for seven seconds and counting thanks to the new power from Joseph’s blood. He continues to count the duration of his time stop, thoroughly enjoying what he calls "the greatest high". He reaches his limit at nine seconds then punches Jotaro who crashes through a sign. DIO catches up and mocks him before kicking him in the face and sending him flying towards Qasr El Nil bridge.

DIO then declares this will be his final time stop before activating The World’s ability once again. He disappears from Jotaro’s sight only to return after seven seconds with a road roller which he slams into his opponent. Jotaro is barely able to react and attempts to pummel it away with Star Platinum whilst DIO counters with The World. At nine seconds Jotaro is seemingly crushed after being unable to punch the road roller away. DIO stands atop it, basking in his victory and praising himself as the greatest in the world. Just as he comments that he can now stop time for ten seconds, he becomes unable to move. Jotaro is revealed to have survived and stands behind him, stating that he stopped time at nine seconds and asks the vampire how it feels to be in such a vulnerable position. Jotaro torments DIO for a brief period before Star Platinum kicks and breaks both his legs. He states that time will now resume as DIO falls off the road roller. Jotaro says that he has no sympathy for DIO whatsoever but demands he heal his injuries as it would leave a bad taste in his mouth to kill him in his current state. DIO thinks to himself that Jotaro is weak minded and a simple mortal for thinking the way he does and worrying about regret. He does not think the same way, only caring about winning and domination no matter his methods. DIO stands up and forcefully squirts blood out of his wounded leg which temporarily blinds his opponent. He screams for Jotaro to die as The World launches one last kick which is met with a punch from Star Platinum. Jotaro’s eyes open again as the two Stands hold their attacks against each other in the final push. Suddenly, Star Platinum’s fist appears to crack, provoking a smirk from DIO. However, in a turn of events, The World’s leg begins to crack all over and shatters with a large fissure carrying all through its body up to its head. The damage reflects on DIO resulting in his body splitting in half while screaming in denial and declaring himself to be the almighty DIO one last time. His body explodes into pieces and flies back, hitting the ground. Jotaro states that when the sun rises DIO will finally be turned to dust and asks if he knows the reason why he lost. Looking down at the remains of his family's mortal enemy, Jotaro answers that it was because he pissed him off. Finally, DIO is defeated and the long journey spanning not only fifty days, but over a century, concludes.

The Speedwagon Foundation arrive to retrieve DIO’s remains and Jotaro from the scene. The car reports to other members of the Foundation who tell them to be cautious as DIO’s body is not truly dead until exposed to sunlight. The other Foundation workers confirm Kakyoin's death and state that Polnareff is receiving medical care in another vehicle before asking why Joseph’s body is in the same car as DIO’s. Jotaro responds that it’s not over yet. He asks the doctors if a blood transfusion is possible and wants to give Joseph the blood left in DIO’s body, believing it may revive him. One of the doctors tells Jotaro that it’s impossible but he quickly snaps back saying that along their journey they encountered many impossible things and that the word means nothing to them.

Star Platinum is brought forth, sticks its arm into Joseph’s chest and begins pumping his heart. The doctors start to notice a pulse and quickly move to transfer the blood into his body. After a bit, Joseph’s body returns to its normal state and the doctors detect brain activity. Finally, his eyes open much to everyone’s surprise; however, all does not seem right. Joseph sits up laughing and declares Jotaro to be a fool for reviving him. Jotaro, in shock, believes it to be DIO and prepares to attack him but a panicked Joseph quickly reveals it to be a prank. Jotaro asks him an assortment of questions to prove he's his grandfather, all of which are answered correctly as Jotaro remarks that only Joseph would know such stupid things. A while later the sun rises, turning what’s left of DIO into dust as the Joestars finally declare that it’s over. They take a moment to reflect on what they’ve lost and think about Kakyoin, Iggy and Avdol, thanking them for all they did. Later at the airport Jotaro, Joseph and Polnareff prepare to part ways with Joseph asking if Polnareff will really return to France. He says that he will because it’s his home; however, all the Joestars need do is call him and he’ll be right by their side. The three think about their journey together and all the fun times they had before embracing and saying their tearful goodbyes, promising to meet again someday. In Japan, Holy suddenly gets up in good health, surprising Suzi Q and excitedly says that her father and son are returning home. Back in Cairo, Polnareff slings his sack over his shoulder, Joseph plugs in his Walkman and Jotaro tips his hat as the three surviving Crusaders head their respective ways.

Chapters

 * 134 (247). 
 * 135 (248). 
 * 136 (249). 
 * 137 (250). 
 * 138 (251). 
 * 139 (252). 
 * 140 (253). 
 * 141 (254). 
 * 142 (255). 
 * 143 (256). 
 * 144 (257). 
 * 145 (258). 
 * 146 (259). 
 * 147 (260). 
 * 148 (261). 
 * 149 (262). 
 * 150 (263). 
 * 151 (264). 
 * 152 (265). 

Volumes

 * 16 (27). 
 * 17 (28). 

Anime

 * 44 (70). 
 * 45 (71). 
 * 46 (72). 
 * 47 (73). 
 * 48 (74). 

OVA

 * 11. 
 * 12. 
 * 13.