Chapter 9

The Stone Mask (2), originally The Live Subject Test of the Mask in the WSJ release, is the ninth chapter of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga. It is also the ninth chapter of Part I: Phantom Blood.

Summary
Jonathan drops the knife of his first assailant to the ground as the last of three men rushes towards him. The brim of the man's bowler hat falls off to reveal three blades; and it begins to spin at high speed to form deadly weapon. Jonathan is forced to move into a defensive stance as the man prepares to launch his hat. Thinking quickly, Jonathan kicks the knife he had dropped earlier and sends it flying towards his opponent. The man deflects the knife at the expense of his throw being off its mark; though it was intended to hit Jonathan's head it misses but managed to cut deeply into his crossed arms. After taking the blow Jonathan does not flinch, and the man is completely caught off guard, taking a heavy kick to the face.

Having defeated all three men, Jonathan is suddenly surrounded by a mob of thugs, who are ready to attack him. The man Jonathan just defeated tells the mob to not harm him. He introduces himself as Speedwagon, and asks Jonathan why he did not put all his power into the kick that sent him flying. Jonathan claims that he is simply looking for a way to help his father, and he figured Speedwagon must also have a family that cares for him. Amused by Jonathan's naivety and nobility, Speedwagon offers to take Jonathan to the Oriental shop where can find the dealer and antidote he's looking for.

Back at the Port Town, on the outskirts of the Joestar Estate, Dio is distressed by suspicions about Jonathan. He is unsure of Jonathan's fate on Ogre Street, and worries that he may have, after all, found an antidote to the poison. Because of this, Dio has taken up drinking, and he curses himself for doing the same thing his father did.

He eventually bumps into a couple of hardy men on the street, and they taunt him for being out so late at night. Dio drinks from his bottle of alcohol and smashes it into one man's face. The other man retaliates and pulls out a knife to attack. Dio decides to take the opportunity and test out his plan for killing Jonathan; he brings out the Stone Mask and places it on the man with the knife. He grabs the man's hand and forces him to stab his partner in the neck using the blood to trigger the mask's talons. The mask activates and emits a strange, bright, light.