The JOJOLands - Chapter 5
"Rise Up" (『上って行け』, "Agatte Ike"), originally titled November Rain (
Summary
Rohan Kishibe has just disabled Paco Laburantes and Usagi Alohaoe, and bound them with the zip ties they've brought. Meanwhile, Dragona Joestar is still frozen in the hallway, shocked at their inability to catch the diamond.
Rohan proceeds to call the police and inform them of the robbery. The police tells him to stay on the line until their arrival. Showing his phone to prove that he's in contact with the police, Rohan expects a patrol car to arrive in ten minutes. He thus advances towards Dragona to tie them up. Beginning to panic, Dragona tries to quickly snatch the diamond and puts it in a pouch and then starts to run away, but then something clinks inside of a cup on the table. The diamond somehow made its way to the cup, and Dragona is shocked to have lost it. Moreover, Rohan's money spills from Paco's pockets and the manga artist calmly picks up the bills, mentioning that it all came back. Overcome with terror, Dragona asks who Rohan even is. Rohan retorts that he should be asking the same question to his robbers. He approaches Dragona who is paralyzed by fear and almost ties them up. However, it suddenly rains in the living room.
When Rohan turns his head, the rain stops, leaving the entire living room soaked. Suspicious, Rohan returns there to inspect the room more closely. The manga artist thinks about the lookout, surprised that he hasn't fled yet. He then analyzes the situation, trying to figure out the exact power of the rain and wonders why his adversary made it rain inside. When Rohan steps onto a carpet, he notes that the rain has seeped into it. He kneels to touch the carpet but the floor suddenly gives in, making him fall into a hole on the ground. Caught off guard, Rohan is then taken by surprise when Jodio suddenly appears behind him, binding his neck to a decorative fence and also tying up his hands.
Immobilized, Rohan realizes how the rain managed to destroy the concrete floor beneath the carpet it seeped into, creating a makeshift trap. Jodio unties Paco and Usagi, who both threaten to beat Rohan up in anger. However, Jodio prevents them from doing so, stating that he respects Rohan and he wants this day to remain a great day. Dragona tells Jodio that Rohan knows their names and even their faces, which makes it impossible to use the airport without being caught. Moreover, they point to the diamond which they can't steal. This news confuses the gang, and Rohan even adds that they would have been safer if they let him capture them. He states that the group is now in more danger as they're being pursued.
Nonetheless, Jodio remains confident. He picks up Rohan's phone and orders him to call the police again so he could tell them that he was mistaken about the burglary. Rohan refuses, and adds that it would be pointless because a patrol car will come anyway to check the situation. This only makes Jodio smile and absent-mindedly tap the phone on his head. The teenager then starts to tell Rohan what he was doing by the pool and how he loves Rohan's work, such as his 'four circles' short story. His admiration for Rohan's work pushed him to take a look at Rohan's iPad. Following everyone's confusion, Jodio explains that he's seen the photos of cooled lava that Rohan has been taking and then saw the lava samples that Rohan has been keeping in his safe. Taking out the small tray with the two Lava Rocks from his pocket, Jodio states that he knows that the rocks are valuable to Rohan and that Rohan went to Hawaii for this, which shocks the manga artist. Finally, Jodio explicitly threatens to destroy the rocks and throw them into the ocean if anything impedes the gang's return to Oahu, and thus demands that Rohan complies. To make his point, Jodio crushes one of the samples into pieces, making Rohan panic. The rest of the group asks how valuable the Lava Rocks are, but Jodio doesn't know the answer, only knowing that it can be used as leverage against Rohan. Jodio finally puts a pair of scissors and the cellphone near Rohan as he asks one last time for his cooperation. Meanwhile, Dragona tells Paco to take the diamond, feeling unable to do it themself. Paco casually snatches the diamond and the group leaves. However, Rohan tells Jodio to come speak with him alone.
Firstly, Rohan feels humiliated that he was beaten by a group of kids but acknowledges Jodio as an interesting adversary. Secondly, Rohan tells the teenager to hold onto this last Lava Rock, stating that it is certainly the only one left. Rohan reveals to Jodio that if he handles the Lava Rock with care, then he will be able to become extremely rich as a "mechanism" resides inside of the rock. Rohan encourages Jodio to embrace his ambition. Intrigued but suspicious, Jodio asks what the Lava Rock is but Rohan prefers to keep the mystery. Expecting to meet Jodio again, Rohan agrees to rescind his police report. He wishes Jodio a safe flight back and gives him a final advice: to keep the secrets of the Lava Rock to himself as he doesn't find Jodio's friends trustworthy. Having heard all that, Jodio wordlessly leaves the house.
Jodio joins his allies and tells them that the police is taken care of. He then tells them to go back to the car through the jungle and head home. Usagi suddenly takes out a piece of paper from his backpack and shows an original Pink Dark Boy drawing by Rohan which he stole earlier. He asks Jodio to appraise its value since he never read the manga, but Jodio is jealous of Usagi's prize, as the latter teases him by saying he won't let Jodio have it. Meanwhile, Paco flaunts the diamond to Dragona's face, having not seen its strange properties and being able to carry it. Unbeknownst to the group, a cat quietly observes them from the roof of Rohan's villa. As the protagonists take their leave, the cat and two other similar cats proceed to follow them.
Appearances
Author's Comment
Author's CommentGallery
Ultra Jump July 2023 Issue
TJL Volume 2, Monochrome Tailpiece
TJL Volume 2, Colored Tailpiece
