Johnny Joestar ★ Histoire
Une biographie détaillée de Johnny Joestar.
Passé
Jonathan Joestar, dit "Johnny Joestar" et aussi surnommé "Joe Kid" our "JoJo" par moments, est né en 1873 à Danville, Kentucky. Il vient d'une famille d'anciens aristocrates. Il avait aussi un grand frère nommé Nicholas. Son père George Joestar II était un éleveur de chevaux riches qui possédait plusieurs haras, élevant des chevaux de courses d'élites qui étaient fameux. George avait aussi un passif de jockey, ayant gagné le Triple Crown sept fois de suite. George Joestar II était riche, assez riche pour que la famille puisse déménager en Angleterre quelques années et vivre comfortablement là pendant plusieurs années.[1]
Johnny est monté à cheval pour la première fois alors qu'il avait cinq ans. Lorsque son père le vit à cheval, il aurait dit que son fils était un "jockey de génie", un talent qu'il confirmera maintes fois.[2] Cependant, on sait aussi que M. Joestar était très strict avec son fils Johnny, et en plus favorisait son grand frère Nicholas.
Johnny se remémore quelques souvenirs bénins de sa jeunesse. Un jour, il aurait jeté ses livres d'écoles sur le chemin de l'école car il ne voulait plus les lire, un ami les ayant utilisés récemment étant tombé malade ; il aurait aussi jeté son équerre d'une falaise après avoir prêté l'équerre à cet ami, le tenant au bout d'un bâton. Une autre fois, une fille lui a offert un trèfle à quatre feuilles, mais ils se sont séparés dans la vie et ne se sont plus revus.[3]
Un jour, en Angleterre, Johnny trouva et adopta une souris, la nommant Danny. Cependant, George refusa catégoriquement que Johnny l'emmène à table. Un soir, Johnny désobéit à son père et amena Danny à table, mais George le surprit. Il ordonna à Johnny d'aller noyer la souris pour le punir. Attristé, Johnny ne pouvait se résoudre à tuer Danny et Nicholas vint à son aide. Nicholas suggéra à Johnny d'aller relâcher Danny dans la forêt. A la place, ils montreraient une souris empaillée de l'école à George pour le tromper. Johnny s'exécuta. Plus tard, Johnny se retrouva à admirer son frère alors qu'il chevauchait des chevaux. Par ailleurs, un jeune Diego Brando travaillait là en tant que garçon d'étable. Soudain, alors que Nicholas chevauchait un nouveau cheval farouche, celui-ci tomba accidentellement et mourut. Dnas la confusion, Johnny entendit Diego accuser une souris qui avait effrayé le cheval et qui s'était enfuie dans la forêt. Johnny fut convaincu intimement que cette souris était Danny et se sentit responsable de la terrible mort de son frère.[1]
Sept ans plus tard, Johnny avait grandi et était devenu un jeune jockey fameux dont on célébrait le potentiel. Il était adulé de tous, des hommes riches, des politiciens et mêmes des membres de familles royales lui rendant visite. Son statut lui permettait aussi de coucher avec des filles notamment. La grand ombre à la gloire de Johnny était que son père George, le coeur brisé par la mort de Nicholas, se refusait à complimenter son fils, notamment parce que Johnny n'avait jamais réussi à battre Diego à la course. Durant l'une de ces courses entre Johnny et Diego, Johnny finit à la seconde place derrière Diego et détruisit son trophée par frustration.[3]
Un jour, alors que Johnny devait se préparer à une course, il remarqua que la semelle de ses bottes était détaché, alors il revint chez lui pour prendre les bottes de Nicholas. C'est alors que George confronta Johnny, refusant qu'il prenne les bottes. Johnny voulut s'expliquer mais George blâma Johnny pour son irresponsabilité, voulant préserver la mémoire de Nicholas. Johnny lui fit part de sa frustration que George s'accrochait tellement au souvenir de Nicholas au détriment de lui. Durant leur lutte, George trébucha dans une armoire et se coupa sur du verre. Johnny entendit son père dire que "Dieu avait pris le mauvais fils", puis il fut renvoyé de la maison. Johnny en eu le coeur brisé. Ceci n'empêcha cependant pas Johnny de remporter le derby du Kentucky à l'âge de 16 ans, ce qu'il considère comme son "meilleur" jour.[4] Johnny confesse qu'il était cependant rongé par la tristesse et s'enfonçait dans la vie de star pour oublier son tourment intérieur.
Un jour, alors que Johnny voulut faire la queue pour voir une pièce nommée "Wild Horse" avec une certaine Dorothy Parker, il fut d'abord découragé par la longueur de la file et suggéra de revenir demain. Sa petite amie lui dit alors de couper dans la file d'attente car il était une star et Johnny l'écouta. Il passa devant un fan qui avait attendu depuis des heures et se disputa avec lui, puis voulu payer les gardes du théâtre pour qu'ils renvoient le jeune homme. Le fan tira alors sur Johnny, atteignant sa colonne vertébrale. Johnny se réveilla soudain dans un hôpital. Alors qu'un infirmier lui volait du sang, Johnny était impuissant, ne pouvant plus bouger. Sa carrière était finie et personne ne vint le voir pour le réconforter, lui montrant à quel point il était seul.[5] Johnny vécut comme celà pendant deux ans, se déplaçant alors sur un fauteuil roulant.
Steel Ball Run (1890)
Rencontre avec Jayro Zeppeli
Vers la fin de septembre 1890, Johnny est attiré à San Diego Beach en Californie, là où la course à cheval Steel Ball Run va commencer, pour une raison qu'il ne comprend pas lui-même. Johnny apparait dans l'histoire pour la première fois dans une foule qui regarde une confrontation entre Jayro Zeppeli et un pickpocket qui lui volé de l'argent. Jayro neutralise l'homme avec une étrange Boule de Fer qu'il fait tournoyer. Alors que Jayro récupère sa boule et la remet dans un holster spécial, Johnny, curieux, va toucher la boule alors qu'elle tournoie encore. C'est alors que Johnny se lève soudainement, ses jambes se tendant toute seules. Abasourdi, Johnny part après Jayro mais ce dernier ne veut pas avoir affaire à lui et essaie de le faire partir. Jayro touche Johnny et cause un autre mouvement réflexe qui fait que Johnny s'accroche à une poutre d'un bâtiment à côté. Jayro le complimente sur la force de son haut du corps mais nie le fait que ses Boules puissent lui rendre l'usage de ses jambes mais Johnny est déterminé à percer le secret de ces boules. Johnny s'inscrit alors à la Steel Ball Run avec l'intention de suivre Jayro jusqu'au bout. Johnny achète "Slow Dancer", un cheval appaloosa vieillissant.
Johnny essaie de monter Slow Dancer dans un coral sans succès. Sans l'usage de ses jambes, Johnny est incapable de monter sur la selle de Slow Dancer et celui-ci le traîne au sol alors qu'il s'accroche à l'arçon, et il se fait aussi piétiner toute la journée alors qu'il essaie de dresser Slow Dancer. Durant sa lutte, une pièce de bois va même se ficher dans sa jambe. Certains spectateurs veulent l'aider mais Johnny menace de s'immoler et de se tuer si on le force hors du corral et donc on le laisse tranquille à souffrir. Jayro le remarque et dit que Johnny n'a aucune chance de monter, mais que si jamais il parvenait à monter à cheval, alors il aurait dépassé le commun des hommes.
Toujours sans succès, Johnny parvient tout de même à aller sur la ligne de départ le jour du début de la Steel Ball Run. Se mettant à côté de Jayro, Johnny répète qu'il est déterminé à percer le secret des Boules de Métal de Jayro. Impressionné, Jayro lui donne alors un indice, et Johnny comprend que le secret des boules de fer réside dans leur Rotation. Johnny dresse Slow Dancer, lequel vient à l'apprécier et lui lèche le visage. Johnny, utilisant l'indide de Jayro, fait baisser la tête de Slow Dancer et il fait une roulade arrière sur le cou du cheval pour pouvoir le monter, juste au moment où la Steel Ball Run commence.[6]
La Première Etape : San Diego Beach
Durant la première étape de la Steel Ball Run, Johnny est déterminé à impressionner Jayro et finir parmi les premiers. Jayro lui caracole en tête alors que Johnny fait partie du peloton de tête. Il observe Jayro affronter et vaincre plusieurs cavaliers dont les favoris Urm Abdul le chevaucheur de dromadaire et Diego Brando, le jockey anglais. A un moment, Jayro décide de traverser une forêt dense pour prendre un raccourci et Johnny le suit, guidant Slow Dancer entre les arbres. Il voit le compétiteur Pocoloco le suivre les yeux fermés. Il croit alors que Pocoloco laisse son cheval naviguer mais c'est en fait l'arrogance de Pocoloco quant à sa chance qui lui fait fermer les yeux. Johnny le dépasse facilement en faisant sauter Slow Dancer au-dessus de certaines branches. Cependant, la chance de Pocoloco fait que ce dernier finit derrière Jayro.
Durant le dernier sprint sur 1000 mètres jusqu'à la ligne d'arrivée de la première étape, Johnny reste dans le peloton de tête et personne ne vient le défier jusqu'à ce que Diego arrive. Johnny voit que Diego utilise les autres cavaliers comme boucliers contre le vent pour préserver les forces de son cheval, et dès que Diego s'approche, Johnny accélère tout en faisant en sorte que Slow Dancer envoie des cailloux à la face de Diego pour le laisser derrière. Johnny finira à la cinquième place de la première étape.
Johnny a tout de même impressionné Jayro le Napolitain, et ce dernier lui donne une deuxième leçon sur la Rotation. Jayro révèle que le secret de son pouvoir réside dans la rotation de ses boules, et lui montre que la rotation peut notamment immobiliser les muscles, faisant en sorte qu'on ne ressente rien. Jayro donne à Johnny un bouchon à faire tournoyer. Les deux forment alors un duo et prévoient de chevaucher et de finir la course ensemble en tant que gagnants de la Steel Ball Run.[7]
La Deuxième Etape : Le Désert d'Arizona
Mrs. Robinson
Alors que la deuxième étape va commencer et que les compétiteurs s'alignent sur la ligne de départ, Johnny regarde une carte du désert d'Arizona et prévient Jayro qu'il vont devoir traverser une terre vraiment hostile et qu'ils risquent de mourir de soif s'il ne suivent pas soigneusement le parcours délimité par les quelques points d'eau dans le désert, parcours aussi conseillé pour sa sécurité. Il recommande d'aller au premier point d'eau à 50 km du départ. Cependant, dès que l'étape commence, Jayro fonce dans le désert pour rejoindre un point d'eau à 150 km de là pour prendre un raccourci. Johnny n'a pas d'autre choix que de le suivre. D'ailleurs, le duo est suivi à son tour par un certain Mrs. Robinson.
Alors qu'ils ont chevauché pendant six heures, Johnny et Jayro s'arrêtent momentanément pour vérifier qu'ils sont encore sur le bon chemin. Johnny a ses doutes quant aux qualités de pisteur de Jayro quand celui-ci l'assure hâtivement qu'ils sont bien sur le chemin. Alors qu'ils naviguent avec précaution à travers le désert, Johnny et Jayro notent la présence de Mrs Robinson au lui et gardent un oeil sur lui. Soudainement, quelque chose file juste à côté d'eux et troue l'oreille de Jayro. Bientôt, Johnny et Jayro se retrouvent assaillis par des projectiles, qu'ils découvrent être des épines du cholla, un cactus qui explose et qui pousse dans le désert. Cependant, ils ne savent par qui déclenche ces explosions qui semblent les viser délibérément. Lorsqu'une série d'épine détruisent ses rênes et lui piquent le visage, il n'y a plus de doute quant à la responsabilité de Mrs Robinson. Johnny tombe de cheval et dit à Jayro de partir sans lui mais Jayro va confronter Robinson seul. Robinson révèle qu'il veut les éliminer et qu'il utilise un essaim de mouche qu'il élève dans l'orbite de son oeil pour faire exploser les chollas. Cependant, Jayro utilise les vibrations générées par la Rotation de sa Boule de Fer pour faire exploser des chollas et percer Robinson de toutes parts, le vainquant ainsi pour de bon. Les deux héros peuvent continuer leur course tranquille.
La nuit tombe dans le désert ; Johnny et Jayro s'installent alors pour camper. Johnny s'exerce à la rotation et parvient notamment à créer une rotation convaincante avec le bouchon de bouteille. Par contre, Jayro ne l'a pas vu et Johnny se rend compte avec horreur que le bouchon s'est coincé dans les fesses d'un cheval avant de retomber dans sa veste. C'est alors que Jayro remarque un autre cavalier au loin et se demande comment ils vont se défendre. Johnny dit qu'il a apporté un revolver au cas où, et va apercevoir accidentellement un journal dans le sac de Jayro, découvrant une partie de son passé. Jayro, agacé, le surprend et refuse d'en parler.
La Famille Boomboom
Bientôt, le duo se fait approcher par André Boomboom, un autre participant à la Steel Ball Run qui dit qu'il s'est fait mordre par un Monstre de Gila, un saurien vénéneux. En panique, André demande du feu pour qu'il puisse chauffer son couteau et se couper afin d'extraire le venin. Jayro lui jette une branche en feu d'un cou de pied et André se coupe la peau affecté tout en s'étouffant avec une ceinture en guise d'"anesthésie". Il semble perdre conscience et mourir, et Jayro donne un coup de pied nonchalant au couteau d'André. C'est alors que Jayro remarque que sa botte a été déchiquetée pour une raison inconnue. En même temps, Johnny jette un oeil à la liste des participants et remarque qu'André fait partie d'une famille de trois membres qui participent tous à la course. De fait, le reste de la Famille Boomboom approche au galop : le père Benjamin Boomboom et le cadet L.A. Boomboom. Ils commencent à tourner autour des héros et des pics de metal sortent du pied de Jayro : le duo réalise qu'ils ont affaire à une famille possédant un pouvoir spécial, et que les Boomboom veulent aussi les éliminer. Johnny dégaine son pistolet mais le pouvoir des Boomboom est magnétique et le pistolet est réduit en morceaux qui se collent et s'enfoncent dans la jambe de Jayro. Jayro lance une Boule de Fer vers Benjamin mais celle-ci se désintègre. Jayro garde cependant son calme et lance sa deuxième boule sur un rocher, le détruisant et faisant en sorte qu'un bout perce André au flanc. Johnny et Jayro parviennent à s'enfuir à cheval mais Benjamin parvient à asperger un peu du sang d'André sur Johnny pour qu'il soit affecté par le magnétisme plus tard. Puis les Boomboom dupent le cow-boy Mountain Tim et lui font croire que Johnny est le tueur qu'il pourchasse. Tim se me à galoper sur les tracers de Johnny.
Johnny et Jayro chevauche à travers une zone montagneuse, suivis de loin par Mountain Tim. Bientôt, ils ressentent le pouvoir du magnétisme et s'attirent les uns à l'autre. Johnny et Jayro comprennent qu'ils risquent d'imploser si Tim s'approche trop, et donc Jayro lance une boule sur un caillou pour le moudre en cailloux qui volent à la face de Tim. Mountain Tim utilise alors son pouvoir Oh! Lonesome Me pour s'attacher à des rocs et ils s'expliquent alors sur la situation. Mountain Tim présente son pouvoir et ce qu'est un Stand. La famille Boomboom revient et ils immobilisent tout le monde en les recouvrant de sable ferreur. Mountain Tim essaie de tirer sur L.A. Boomboom mais Benjamin dévie les balles avec son Stand Tomb of the Boom.Les héros sont immobilisés et seul Johnny a les mains libres pour les libérer. Il s'empare d'une balle de Tim et essaie de la faire tournoyer. Alors que les héros se rentrent dedans, Johnny parvient enfin à générer une Rotation... mais Benjamin Boomboom lui écrase le poignet et stoppe l'effet. Johnny est désespéré mais réalise que la rotation est toujours présente. Il réalise que ses ongles tournoient alors. Johnny va instinctivement pointer du doigt et tirer ses ongles, découpant alors Benjamin en deux et coupant le pied de L.A. alors que Johnny va d'une manière étrange bondir au-dessus de lui. La famille Boomboom est vaincue. Johnny apprend de Mountain Tim qu'ils sont sûrement dans une Paume du Diable, une zone mystique dans le désert qui donne des pouvoir à ceux qui survivent un passage là. En colère, L.A. promet aux héros qu'ils mourront bientot, car l'un des compatriotes de Jayro a mis sa tête à prix.[8][9] Impliqué dans ce combat, Johnny persuade Jayro d'en révéler plus sur lui et il apprend alors le passé de Jayro en tant que bourreau pour le Royaume de Néapolis. Jayro veut essayer de gagner la course pour gagner une amnistie pour un garçon innocent mais les ennemis du royaume veulent entraver sa mission.
Oyecomova
Johnny, Jayro et Mountain Tim atteignent un village qui sert de point de rendez-vous pour les participants pour enregistrer leur progrès et reposer leurs montures. Là, Jayro reçoit une lettre de son royaume lui informant qu'on lui a livré un "Cheval Zombie" pour son usage personnel, le "Cheval Zombie" étant un outil pour se soigner. Cependnat, le terroriste napolitain Oyecomovoa arrive en ville. Oyecomova est capable de mettre des bombes à retardement sur tout ce qu'il touche grâce à son pouvoir Boku no Rhythm wo Kiitekure, et il fait exploser l'hôtel dans lequel Mountain Tim le surprend. Johnny et Jayro étaient dans une étable non loin et ne sont pas blessés, mais voient Mountain Tim qui est gravement blessé. Le cow-boy leur prévient de la présence de l'ennemi mais Oyecomova parvient à discrètement s'approcher de Jayro et à lui toucher la main, y collant des bombes dessus. Jayro doit sacrifier une jambe pour résister au choc de l'explosion qui s'ensuit et préserver ses mains mais il parvient à toucher Oyecomova avec une Boule de Fer. Oyecomova s'enfuit pour voler le cheval zombie, et Johnny et Jayro partent à sa poursuite.
Ils atteignent une zone montagneuse et doivent galoper dans une rivière. Là, Oyecomova les harcèle en mettant des bombes dans l'eau, sur des guêpes, et même dans la fumée d'une cigarette. Malgré leurs efforts pour le rattraper, Oyecomova parvient à rester juste en dehors de la portée effective des boules de métal de Jayro. Cependant, Johnny et Jayro combinent leurs pouvoirs. Avec ses ongles tournoyants, Johnny attrape une toile d'araignée pour la faire tourner en l'air. Oyecomova est dupé et tire sur la toile en croyant attraper des guêpes sur lesquelles il avait collé des bombes, mais en fait il rapproche les ongles tournoyant. Jayro se sert alors des ongles comme plateformes pour rallonger sa portée d'attaque et conserver la Rotation de ses boules, et frappe Oyecomova en pleine face avec. Le duo est victorieux et continue son chemin.
Dans les montagnes, Johnny et Jayro atteignent le fameux cheval zombie, une sorte de fil inséré dans la paroi d'une falaise. Jayro la retire et s'en sert pour se recoudre la jambe, pouvant soigner sa grave blessure avec ce fil magique.
Un Corps Saint
Johnny et Jayro continuent la course. C'est alors qu'ils sont attaqués par un autre compétiteur nommé Fritz von Stroheim. Jayro se débarrasse facilement du cyborg allemand, mais Johnny commence à s'interroger, se disant que même la récompense exorbitante de la Steel Ball Run ne justifie pas toutes ces tentatives pour les tuer. Soudainement, Johnny aperçoit un bras momifié fusionné à son propre bras, mais le bras momifié disparait rapidement dans son corps. Abasourdi, Johnny réalise que ceci doit avoir une signification et être lié à son pouvoir Stand ainsi qu'à la Paume du Diable.
Pork Pie Hat Kid
Le duo est désormais près de Monument Valley, la fin de la deuxième étape. Alors qu'ils chevauchent à travers un terrain découvert, Jayro disparait soudainement alors que Johnny regardait une volée d'oiseau. Puis, le cheval de Jayro, Valkyrie, disparait aussi. Johnny sent alors quelque chose l'entrainer vers le haut mais se coupe la capuche, ce qui le sauve. Johnny comprend qu'on l'attaque d'en haut via une méthode inconnue. Soudainement, Slow Dancer disparait aussi sous son nez et il tombe à terre. C'est alors qu'il voit une paire de crochets au bout de câbles sortant du bas de quelques plumes flottant dans l'air. Johnny est incapable de couper les câbles avec ses ongles tournoyant et doit se couper la joue lorsqu'il se fait accrocher. Pourchassé par les crochets, Johnny tire au sol et génère un nuage de poussière avec ses ongles, puis les utilise comme roues de fortune pour aller se cacher sous un rocher. Il profite du répit pour observer l'ennemi, et réalise que l'ennemi semble rechercher quelque chose dans ses affaires, et que l'ennemi doit être en train de chercher le bras momifié qu'il avait vu plus tôt. De fait, l'ennemi est le Pork Pie Hat Kid, un manieur de Stand travaillant pour Funny Valentine, le Président des Etats-Unis. Pork Pie Hat Kid est bien en train de fouiller les affaires des héros.
Sous le rocher, Johnny donne un léger coup du doigt à un scarabée mais un autre crochet surgit d'en dessous de l'insecte. Johnny se fait accrocher par deux crochets et même s'il s'accroche à une pierre, la force des crochet va lui faire lacher prise. Soudainement, une étrange créature émerge de son bras et grave les mots "movere crus" sur son bras. Puis la créature va aux pieds de Johnny et fait tournoyer ses ongles de pied. Les pieds tirent leurs ongles à travers le scarabée jusqu'au Pork Pie Hat Kid, interrompant l'attaque de ce dernier. Johnny réalise que le pouvoir de ce morceau de cadavre peut faire bouger ses jambes et il commence à réaliser que le véritable but de la Steel Ball Run est de trouver les morceaux d'un cadavre aux pouvoirs miraculeux. Johnny remarque une Boule de Fer qui a créé une rainure au sol et comprend que Jayro lui a indiqué la direction de l'ennemi. Déterminé à sauver Jayro et à s'emparer du Corps, Johnny se décide à combattre l'ennemi. Il commence par se recouvrir de terre et à ramper discrètement en direction de l'ennemi. Pour le retrouver, Pork Pie Hat Kid relâche Slow Dancer dans la vallée pour que le cheval retourne à son maître, puis arrose la zone avec de l'huile et y met le feu. Johnny grave une statue de lui dans un tronc d'arbre pour duper Pork Pie Hat Kid, lequel attaque le faux Johnny en bois. Johnny en profite alors pour tirer ses ongles à travers les plumes. Ayant apparemment vaincu son ennemi, Johnny nomme son Stand "Tusk". Il finit par atteindre le camp de Pork Pie Hat Kid mais ce dernier le piège au moment où Johnny atteint Jayro. Johnny est immobilisé et ne peut par attaquer. Il doit alors abandonner à contrecoeur le Bras Gauche et son pouvoir Stand par la même occasion quand Pork Pie Hat Kid menace de tuer les deux héros. Johnny est dévasté par cette perte mais Jayro révèle qu'il a fait tournoyer les ongles du Bras Gauche, lesquels s'activent et sont propulsés droit vers la face de Pork Pie Hat Kid, qui est vaincu pour de bon.
Jayro prend le bras, sous le regard de Johnny qui est anxieux. Cependant, le Napolitain ne court pas après le Corps, seulement la victoire dans la course, et redonne le Bras Gauche à Johnny. Johnny et Jayro discutent alors de la véritable nature de la course. Jayro théorise que le corps dont tout le monde court après doit appartenir à un Saint, expliquant que les reliques de Saints peuvent bénir des pays entier pendant des centaines d'années avec de la bonne fortune. Ceci dit, Johnny et Jayro recommencent leurs courses. Johnny lui devient déterminé à s'emparer de ce Corps Saint qui peut guérir ses jambes.[10]
Johnny et Jayro rejoignent un peloton avec d'autres compétiteurs d'élites qui se battent pour finir l'étape en premier, dont Diego Brando ou même Sandman l'indien qui sprintent pour arriver en premier. Johnny trouve par hasard un bout de journal volant et voie la photo d'une chaine de montagne dont les sommets forment les mots "movere crus", les même que ceux que Tusk a gravé sur son bras. Il le dit à Jayro qui est distrait, et qui finit à la quatrième place derrière Sandman le troisième, Johnny en seconde place et Diego à la première place. Cependant, la course ne finit pas cette fois et les compétiteurs doivent continuer à galoper pour la troisième étape : the "Rocky Mountain Breakdown", une traversée des Rocheuses jusqu'à la ville de Cannon City.
La Troisième Etape : Les Rocheuses
Scary Monsters
Dans les Rocheuses, Johnny et Jayro rencontre Diego Brando, qui est apparemment tombé de cheval et s'est blessé. Jayro lui demande s'il va bien mais Johnny préfère l'ignorer, ne sachant pas s'il s'agit d'un piège. Le fier Diego leur dit de déguerpir. Peu après, Diego les rattrape cependant à cheval, se sentant étrangement euphorique et dynamique, ce qui interpelle Johnny et Jayro car il était visiblement mal en point il y a peu. Comme les montagnes abritent des pumas, les cavaliers décident de s'arrêter et de passer la nuit dans un village. Alors qu'il prépare le dîner et que Jayro est parti chercher du bois, Johnny remarque que Diego se comporte vraiment étrangement. Bientôt, Diego se transforme en un dinosaure féroce qui s'attaque à Johnny alors que Jayro revient. Un combat s'ensuit et le dinosaure a l'avantage grâce à sa vision cinétique qui lui permet de réagir instantanément aux mouvements rapides et d'éviter les projectiles. Jayro parvient cependant à assommer le dinosaure momentanément en caché une boule de fer dans une boîte de conserve. Le duo s'échappe de la maison, toujours poursuivi par Diego. Ils remarquent alors les montagnes "movere crus" au loin. Diego revient à leur poursuite, suivant une boule de fer, mais Jayro l'évite. Ils décident d'aller vers les montagnes pour récupérer la prochaine partie du Corps Saint.
Johnny et Jayro s'étaient caché au cadavre d'un ours que Diego avait tué, mais l'ours se transforme en un autre dinosaure. Les héros sont forcés de se cacher dans un égout où ils sont assaillis par une horde de petits rats-dinosaures. Les dinosaures sont rapidement tués mais marquent les héros de leurs odeurs. L'égout mène à une falaise mais même là un groupe de raptors les attends et grimpe la falaise, suivant l'odeur. Pure, Johnny et Jayro se sont fait griffer par les dinosaures et entament une lente transformation en dinosaure. Ils notent que Johnny se transforme plus lentement et comprennent que les parties du Corps Saint combattent l'effet, et donc ils prévoient de chercher le prochain bout de corps pour préserver Jayro.
Johnny et Jayro sautent à travers un ravin et Jayro utilise sa boule de fer sur un arbre pour se créer une corde. Ils atteignent le sommet et la cachette du prochain morceau mais Diego les rattrape et les immobilise. Les héros sont immobilisés alors qu'ils se font encercler par les dinosaures et que Diego récupère une paire d'Yeux. Jayro s'est aussi transformé suffisamment pour rejoindre le camp de Diego. C'est alors que le véritable ennemi apparait : Dr. Ferdinand, un des Subordonnés de Valentine, vient juché sur un raptor. Ferdinand en profite pour critiquer Johnny pour son objectif minable d'utiliser le Corps Saint pour son usage personnel et révèle que le corps est extrêmement important de par son identité. Pour renverser la situation, Johnny décide d'abandonner temporairement le Bras Gauche. Il se transforme rapidement en dinosaure, mais conserve son esprit, et il utilise sa nouvelle queue pour se propulser sur Dr. Ferdinand et projeter les Yeux vers Jayro. Jayro obtient un des yeux et est soigné ; utilisant aussi un nouveau pouvoir, Jayro est capable de vaincre le Dr. Ferdinand qui se fait dévorer par des pumas qu'il avait transformé en dinosaures. Cependant, Diego s'est emparé de l'autre oeil et a conservé le pouvoir Scary Monsters de dinosaure, et le jockey britannique s'enfuit dans la nuit.[11]
Fin de la Troisième Etape
Johnny et Jayro chevauchent alors sans heurt jusqu'à la fin de la troisième étape où encore les favoris se retrouvent pour finir l'étape en premier. Jayro et Diego s'accrochent alors, tentant tous deux de traverser un lac au lieu de le contourner. Johnny déclare à Jayro qu'il va perdre ce combat car il dit que Jayro n'a pas cette fin de gagner que Diego possède après avoir vécu une vie de lutte. Jayro est d'abord en colère contre Johnny et le critique, mais Diego finit tout de même pas gagner dans leur duel de course. Johnny parvient aussi à doubler Diego. Cependant, Johnny n'est pas le gagnant de cette étape. C'est le compétiteur Hot Pants qui a passé la ligne d'arrivée en premier bien avant tout le monde.
Fourth Stage
Encounter With Ringo Roadagain
The fourth stage begins for Johnny and Gyro: 1250 km through the Great Plains to Kansas City. They ride peacefully for about 600 km.
In a forest, Johnny and Gyro find a fresh cow's corpse and take some meat from it. They then meet Hot Pants, the competitor who won the previous stage. Hot Pants attacks them both with his Stand Cream Starter, believing they killed a cow he specially had placed on his route. Cream Starters sprays flesh, which blinds and chokes Gyro and Johnny. Fortunately, Johnny defuses the fight by shooting a nail into the ground, proving that neither of them has the weapon that killed the cow. Hot Pants calls off his attack but doesn't apologize as the two still took meat from the cow. The three go on their separate ways and Gyro mentions that he discerned the word "turbo" during the fight. However, the most important elements are the lines and circles engraved on the letters, from which Gyro guesses a set of coordinates near Kansas City. Suddenly, they notice that they are in sight of the cow carcass again. Likewise, Hot Pants has been going in circles. Johnny, Gyro and Hot Pants are still on bad terms but decide to cooperate to limit their time loss. They see a nearby house and decide to go ask the residents for direction.
However, the three also meet Gaucho, another competitor who is also lost but also expresses anger against the resident of the house, who said that they would have to kill him to ever go out of theses woods. Gaucho shouts and challenges the inhabitant to a gun duel and the gunslinger named Ringo Roadagain appears. After a quick duel, Ringo kills Gaucho and salutes him. Shocked, the three leave and try to go out of the woods again without success. Despite trying to mark their way out, Johnny has somehow managed to carve contradictory directions. Resigned to fight, the trio prepares their fight and Hot Pants throws his Cream Starters onto the house's roof beforehand. They confront Ringo, who asks Johnny to be the first duelist. Hot Pants then attacks and melts Ringo's gun hand, but Ringo uses his power Mandom to rewind time to 6 seconds ago. He avoids the ambush. Johnny attacks but is shot in the head while Hot Pants is shot in the chest and taken out. The near unconscious Johnny manages to signal to Gyro that he's still alive. Lying near Ringo, he witnesses the gunslinger scribing a message and give it to a messenger pigeon. Gyro comes challenging Ringo to a gunfight, and prevails. Then healed by Cream Starter, Johnny warns Gyro about Ringo's message, which contained the coordinates of the next Corpse Part. Checking on Hot Pants, Johnny sees that Hot Pants is secretly a woman. Deeming her gender irrelevant, Johnny chooses not to disclose this to his partner.[12]
Continued Rivalry With Diego Brando
Near Kansas City, Johnny and Gyro meet Sandman who warns them of an incoming tempest. Yet, when Sandman informs them of Diego's route, they decide to run after him. In the storm, Johnny and Gyro finally catch up to Diego. Diego lets them approach once but suddenly turns into a dinosaur and leap above them. He warns the two to stay behind or be killed before he leaves. Johnny sees that Diego is systemically using the optimal route and proposes to wait for a mistake, but Gyro takes the initiative and challenges Diego. From behind, Johnny guesses that Diego is attacking somehow and intervenes, aiming at Diego with his nails. Diego attacks Johnny but Gyro manages to throw a Steel Ball at Diego's face. Diego is unhorsed and his horse Silver Bullet is injured, putting him temporarily out of the race. Gyro yells at Johnny for robbing him of a square victory and apologizes afterwards.[13]
Encounter With Blackmore
Suddenly, they see Lucy Steel approach. The duo is wary but she shows them the Spine, explains how she discovered Valentine's schemes and begs them to help her husband Steven. However, Johnny hears a change in the sound of the rain and the agent Blackmore appears. Johnny is immobilized by rain blades and tries to shoot Blackmore, but the agent sends his hand push Johnny into the blades. Thankfully, Gyro defeats Blackmore, who then dies from the bullet wounds Lucy inflicted earlier. The Spin then suddenly enters Johnny's body. Nauseous, Johnny falls from his horse but the ground then draws a map of the Great Lakes indicating where the next Corpse Parts are. Lucy then reveals what she knows about the President's plot and explains that Valentine has the Heart, making him a Stand User. Thus, Gyro shoves Lucy on Johnny's horse as he doesn't accept any woman on his saddle: it would make the goddess of victory jealous. He also lets loose Lucy's horse to erase any trace of her presence. Gyro enlists her in a plan to steal the Heart from the President and though Lucy wanted to ask for their protection, Gyro tells her that she wouldn't want to live her whole life in fear of reprisal. To protect her husband, Lucy will have to go out to steal the Corpse Part. To help her, Gyro gives her the Right Eye since he still has his Spin mastery. Lucy reluctantly agrees.[14]
On the way to Kansas City, Lucy seems to have explained her backstory and then falls asleep. Gyro doesn't believe that Steven Steel wouldn't have touched her.[15] Johnny also asks why he didn't want Lucy on his horse and Gyro explains that the goddess of victory would be jealous and he'd lose sight of victory.[16]
Johnny and Gyro finish the fourth stage in Kansas City in third and fourth place because of their detour. They then see Diego crossing the line, sure that he will get back at them eventually.
Fifth Stage
Battle Against Sandman
En route for Chicago, the next finish line, Johnny and Gyro ride peacefully for around 300 km.
Near the Mississippi, Johnny and Gyro decide to rest near a barn as other top competitors pass by to think about the way to cross the Mississippi. Gyro thinks of a song, the "Cheese Song", which Johnny seems to appreciate. As they set up camp, the duo discusses a letter the Vatican sent to them. After Gyro asked them if there was any saint who died in America, the letter suspiciously denies it.
Suddenly, Johnny burns himself on the coffee pot and notices that the towel he was holding between the handle and his palm has been mysteriously shredded. Hearing strange noises, the duo notice the presence of an enemy. When Johnny tries to break the barn's door to check inside with an axe, the axeblade is destroyed and Johnny warns Gyro in time about the trapped barn. The barn crumbles but its pieces are still dangerous. While Johnny scares away the horses, Gyro sees Dot Han coming out of the corn field. However, Dot Han is revealed to only be used by the real enemy when they see his body is also getting destroyed. Gyro loses a first Steel Ball against Dot Han. The barn crumbles on Johnny who tries without success to deflect the planks with his nails and Gyro loses his second ball when he tries to deflect the planks too, and the Ball is destroyed. Johnny tries to dig a hole on the ground but it is too shallow and he laments how useless his nails are. Johnny decides to let himself die but the pieces of the destroyed Steel Ball dig a hole for Johnny to hide in. Johnny is alive, but Gyro is out of weapon. As they see dinosaurs with sound effects written on them, the duo now knows that there are dealing with Diego, teamed up with another enemy. For his part, Johnny's confidence is in shambles.
As he hangs onto Gyro's horse, Johnny remembers his sad past and despair takes him. He shoots one of the small dinosaurs into pieces, but its companion then throws the pieces at Valkyrie and Gyro and Johnny are cut. Witnessing this, Johnny understands the ability has something to do with sounds. The duo approaches the Mississippi and they are forced to jump down toward the river bank. The dinosaurs surround the duo, but Gyro has had enough of Johnny's despair and teaches him the next step in the Spin. The Neapolitan thus presents the Golden Rectangle, from which a perfect infinite spiral can be made. If Johnny can spin his nails in this ratio then he will be able to harness the power of infinity, but Johnny exclaims that he cannot do it. As the sounds begin to set their bodies on fire, Gyro declares that if Johnny says he cannot do it three more times then he will give him his specially designed belt buckle as a reference. Spinning a rock, Gyro shakes the dinosaurs off them for Johnny to shoot, but the latter sees that his power hasn't increased at all. They both plunge into the river.
Johnny says he cannot use the Golden Rectangle and asks for the buckle, but Gyro still refuses. A new group of creatures has appeared on the river bank and they begin to spread their sound into the water. Gyro tells Johnny to look for a place where there aren't any sound, where the enemy should be able to produce the sounds they want. As Johnny asks for the buckle again and Gyro refuses, Johnny shoots towards a specific piece of the field, uncovering Norisuke Higashikata. To buy more time, Gyro rotates the water to ward off the sound but some of it still passes through and Gyro is dismembered. Despairing, Johnny sees Sandman nearby and calls for help, but Sandman suddenly leaps at Norisuke and stabs him, revealing himself as the true enemy. Johnny reaches his nadir.
However, Johnny realizes that Gyro's ancestors found the Golden Rectangle from deep observation of the nature surrounding them. With this new insight, Johnny is now able to discern the omnipresence of the Golden Rectangle in all things. Tusk evolves. Johnny's nails now rotate around his fingers like an axis, granting them much more power at the cost of a slow nail regeneration. Johnny shoots Sandman who nonetheless deflects the nails. Johnny despairs again but soon sees that the holes the nails make persist, and even move around to pursue and destroy the enemy. Johnny has four shots when Sandman decides to confront him in close quarters. He shoots three nails but Sandman is able to protect himself with his sound. Johnny then shoots his last nail, purposefully missing Sandman and hitting a butterfly behind the Indian so that it lands on him. Nonetheless, Sandman sacrifices his hand to save his heart. Believing Johnny out of ammunition, Sandman approaches Johnny, who reveals that he has created a small Steel Ball out of Gyro's belt buckle. Johnny thus shoots Sandman in the throat, killing him.
Rest of the Fifth Stage
Johnny is victorious but Hot Pants appears. She takes Johnny's Corpse Parts, only leaving a vertebrae, and knocks him out. When he wakes up, Johnny finds that Hot Pants has nonetheless made them cross the Mississippi and healed their wounds.[17]
The duo eventually reaches Chicago and finish the 5th stage of the Steel Ball Run at the 4th place for Gyro and 5th place for Johnny.
Sixth Stage
Sugar Mountain's Trials
At the beginning of the sixth stage, Johnny and Gyro thus travel North, through the cold and snowy parts of the United States. During their travel, Johnny experiments with his nails, finding new uses for them and learning that he can drink herbal tea or chew herbs to make his nails grow faster. Since Hot Pants has revealed herself as an agent from the Kingdom of Naples, the duo suspect that the identity of the Saint must be exceptional.
Later, Gyro detects Eleven Men that are trailing them. Gyro loses a Steel Ball in a shallow puddle, only to see a nearby young girl having it. The girl runs away, leading them to a massive tree in the forest. Johnny realizes that the Corpse Parts are near and accidentally makes mushroom fall in another puddle. Nonetheless, the duo investigate the tree where they see that the girl has turned a hole into her home. The blind girl, named Sugar Mountain, soon gives them propositions between items they have lost in the puddles and much more precious versions of said items. Gyro answers truthfully at first because he wants his Steel Ball back, but soon understands that she is handing them both if they answer truthfully. Exploiting this, the duo amasses a small fortune in precious gems, matsutake mushrooms, bank notes and other goods. Eventually, they get the trick and acquire the Ears and the Right Arm. However, Sugar Mountain then warns them that they have to spend everything in a fair trade before sunset or they will be absorbed into the tree itself.
Battle Against the Eleven Men
Johnny and Gyro then head to Milwaukee, having to spend their fortune and still pursued by the Eleven Men. When they meet a farmer and try to buy a piece of land, the farmer refuses out of suspicion, showing that the task is not as easy at it seems. Worse, Gyro begins to turn into a tree when he tries to give some money to smooth things out and thus they cannot even give away their wealth. Thankfully, the duo manage to trade the mushrooms for a hill nearby. In Milwaukee, Johnny and Gyro try their best to spend everything but their wealth keeps increasing despite everything while their spending is not enough. Worse, their pursuers are catching up. Johnny and Gyro decide to go to an underground casino to gamble their money away, but as soon as the croupier decides to cheat, Johnny and Gyro begin to turn into trees. They are immobilized and cannot either take their money back as the ball rolls and the Eleven Men suddenly barge in.
Johnny must use Tusk ACT2 to cheat and win the round, freeing the duo. One of the men approach, and Johnny shoots him twice. However, the rest of the group has suddenly disappeared. Unbeknownst to them, the Eleven Men are using their collective power, Tattoo You!, to merge together, and they take Gyro by surprise by emerging out of the first dead man. Gyro is shot in the arm and loses one Steel Ball. The shootout continues but while they eliminate some enemies, the duo quickly runs out of ammunition. They are forced to hide behind a column and there are still eight enemies. Johnny kills one, but he only has one nail bullet now, and Gyro is bleeding to death. Gyro tries to negotiate with the gangsters besides them but they prefer to stand aside. Seeing a pistol nearby, Johnny aims to take it but is prevented from reaching it by the enemies. By dragging the corpses, the men surround Johnny and Gyro. Thankfully, Gyro concludes a trade with the gangsters in the casino. For all of their wealth, the gangster accept to give Gyro and Johnny a roll of string and shoot down the Eleven Men, all of whom die but a last one who flees.[18]
To Accept Loss
As the sun sets, Gyro suddenly transforms into a tree, to Johnny's surprise. He realizes with horror that he must trade the Corpse Parts, but as Gyro transforms and begs Johnny to trade them away, Johnny clings to the Corpse Parts who means the potential use of his legs. Still, at the last moment, Johnny trades the Ears and the Right Arm with the last of the Eleven Men, crying as he asks for a half empty bottle of wine in exchange for the Corpse Parts. Having saved Gyro, Johnny share the bottle with him and has a toast to the next Corpse Part and the goal. Incidentally, the Ears and Right Arm create a map to the next Corpse Part as they get exchanged.
Battle Against Wekapipo and Magent Magent
Eventually, Johnny and Gyro attempt to cross the Michigan Lake via a frozen strait. However, they deem the ice too thin for the moment to safely cross. More problems arise, as the other top competitors appear to cross the straits, a wild wolf cub has been following them since Johnny gave it scraps of food, and Johnny senses that the Legs are nearby. Gyro mentions the natives' route, a hidden path in the ice that the natives might have built by reinforcing the ice with logs.
Nonetheless, their thoughts are interrupted when they notice two other agents of the government approaching to attack: Wekapipo and Magent Magent. Wekapipo suddenly throws a Steel Ball which shoots the small beads embedded on it at the duo. Indeed, Wekapipo is a former guard of the Kingdom of Naples who also masters a style of Spin. While Magent Magent goes to their left on his sled, the pair realizes that they cannot see the left side of things anymore. Johnny is forced to turn to spot Magent Magent and shoots, but the agent also unveils his Stand 20th Century Boy, which makes him invulnerable as long as he's sitting or kneeling. Meanwhile, Gyro's left hand is wounded and Wekapipo throws two Balls. Gyro's Ball are surprisingly pushed aside by Wekapipo's Steel Balls and Johnny has to shoot down the satellites coming at them. This allows Magent to shoot the wolf. Sadly, Gyro's second hand is also wounded. The pair realizes that they are deprived of references for the Golden Rectangle, which depowers Gyro's Spin considerably. The left side ataxia kicks in. Gyro protects Johnny from two bullets, but then takes a third bullet in the guts. Nonetheless, Gyro is able to take out Magent with one of his own bullets.
However, Wekapipo is still more powerful than them. Johnny's nail thankfully have grown back. During the next throw, Johnny shoots every nail to cover Gyro as the Neapolitan runs towards the wolf and Johnny takes a satellite in the guts, taking him out of the fight. From there, Johnny witnesses Gyro's win against Wekapipo thanks to a lucky start of snowing that allows Gyro to use the snowflakes as references. Johnny then pieces together how the agents could have found the wolf after they observed the map created in Milwaukee. Wekapipo is defeated but Gyro explains that Wekapipo's sister is in the care of the Zeppeli Family, thus he accepts to help them find Lucy Steel. Luckily, they also find the natives' path and Johnny finally understands that the wolf is the host for the Legs. The duo thus acquires these Corpse Parts.[19]
Being in a victorious stroke, Johnny and Gyro cooperate to cross a treacherous ravine hidden by the snow, this way, they manage to overtake Pocoloco and finish at the 1st and second place of the 6th stage.
Seventh Stage
Battle Against Axl RO
Johnny and Gyro ride undisturbed for 12 days, until they are 145 km for Philadelphia, near Gettysburg.
After setting up camp, Johnny and Gyro spot Hot Pants, who hurriedly rides to Gettysburg. Hastily abandoning their camp, the duo pursues her into the town. They reach a strange garbage dump and enter inside from two sides, only to see a nun. Unaware of Hot Pants' true sex, he investigates further inside the building. Meanwhile, Johnny interrogates Hot Pants but instead is warned of an enemy ability as she gets covered in a strange film. He cannot throw away things and must purify himself with water. Suddenly, a knife Johnny had left at the camp reappears and merges with his body. Overwhelmed by the amounts of stuff he's discarded over the years, Gyro is easily defeated by the enemy Stand, Civil War.[20]
Warned, Johnny tries to go outside to his water canteen, but is pursued by Danny, his old pet mouse. Johnny tries to shoot Danny who hides in a boot. Johnny shoots it and sees blood but when Johnny grabs it, he sees visions of Nicholas blaming him for his death and covering him in film. Johnny reaches Slow Dancer but is attacked again by Danny, who avoids all of his shots and merges with him. Thankfully, Johnny aimed one of his nails at his canteen; he pierces it and manages to douse himself in water. The mouse then comes out of Johnny's body and escapes the water. Seeing a well nearby, Johnny shoots the ground and manages to find more water. Suddenly, Johnny as a a vision of Jesus, telling him not to to shoot if his heart is wavering. Confused, Johnny sees his legs twitch. Danny comes back, but Johnny wards him off.
Johnny then crawls back inside the garbage dump, where he too starts to see random objects he's discarded over the years. He's attacked by Danny and in the struggle, some of his stuff merges with him. Johnny finally shoots Danny down at it scurry inside of a cabinet, but it summons the specter his father George Joestar. George prevents Johnny from using his canteen and repeats how he wished Johnny had died instead of Nicholas. Shaken, Johnny witnesses Jesus again, repeating what he said earlier. George attacks and Johnny is forced to stop him by shooting George's ear. Gyro has been listening to the ground and tells Johnny the location of Valentine's Subordinate, Axl RO. Johnny shoots Axl in the throat, which kills him. However, the power of Civil War brings him back and transfers the specters of Axl's own victims to Johnny. Swarmed by specters that tear him apart, Johnny sees Jesus again telling him not to shoot if his heart is wavering, and Johnny takes the hint. He shoots himself and unlocks Tusk ACT3.
He is now able to go inside of the holes made by his nails, and displace himself. Thanks to the increased mobility, Johnny escapes the horde of specters and retaliates against Axl RO. With his newfound ability, he can move his hand into unusual places, allowing him to shoot from unexpected angles too. Nonetheless, Axl is protected in the dump because of Civil War. The ghosts take Johnny's part of the Spine, and Axl is able to assemble the Saint's Corpse minus the Skull and leaves the dump, leaving Johnny at the mercy of the ghosts. Using Tusk ACT3, Johnny manages to catch up and with his hand, drags the Corpse towards the hole. Axl is shocked because the hole destroys everything save Johnny and it could endanger the Corpse. Axl foolishly stabs Johnny in the throat, killing him. Thus, all of Johnny' sins are transferred to him. Axl RO is cornered. However, someone then shoots Axl from outside. It is Funny Valentine, who has come to collect the pieces of the Saint's Corpse, and leaves. Johnny has lost all the pieces.[21]
Defeated, Johnny and Gyro finish the seventh stage at the sixth and seventh place in Philadelphia.
Eighth Stage
Shot By Someone
In Philadelphia, Johnny and Gyro have no Corpse Parts anymore. After dispatching other agents of Valentine on the way, the duo decides to steal the Right Eye from Diego. They follow him his trail and stop near a park. The duo discusses the situation and how to corner him. However, Johnny also sees unknown horse traces, meaning another person is involved and soon enough they also witness Wekapipo following Diego. Johnny want to clarify first that they will have to use lethal force, especially if Diego defends himself. This statement appalled Gyro, who yells at Johnny that they will simply beat him up and take the Eye. Gyro then goes to scout the area. However, Johnny then sees D-I-S-C-O and Funny Valentine surround him from both sides of the street corner.
However, Valentine's Stand Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, activates its power. Johnny is shot from behind, in three different coexisting universes: by Diego, Wekapipo and Valentine respectively. However he manages to escape in the sewers. From there, Johnny observes the rest of the battle but doesn't intervene. Johnny is present when Diego is dragged into an alternate universe but returns, making Wekapipo and his counterpart collide to kill them and free himself from the portal. Johnny then slips back into the sewers. Gyro finds Johnny near the docks, and Johnny explains how Valentine's abilities work to Gyro.[22]
Despite Gyro's reluctance at continuing a seemingly lost fight, Johnny briefly stands up, showing that he's this close to regaining the use of his legs. Johnny then dramatically rants about his goal to retrieve the Corpse Parts which will allow him to get back to normal. Thus Gyro accepts to follow Johnny, mentioning another level of Spin which could defeat Valentine. Gyro explains that the stirrups were invented to absorb the power of the horse and that there is a way to further power up their Spin. With that information in mind, pursuing the President is still impossible but they decide to go find Lucy Steel.
Chasing Funny Valentine
Johnny and Gyro spot Diego and Hot Pants who have allied themselves. Knowing they have a the President's trail, they also follow the pair to find Valentine. With a pair of binoculars, they observe the fight happening in the cars and Johnny sees Diego dying. Just before engaging Valentine, Johnny and Gyro reveal each others' secret. Johnny learns that Gyro's name is "Julius Caesar Zeppeli" and he reveals that he's excited by bug bites on girls. That said, they now ride towards the President's train and aim for the engineer at the locomotive. However, Johnny notices that a panel keeps coming towards them from behind. Even more strangely, the duo has already reached New Jersey. Suspicious, Johnny shoots down the "warning bear" panel. Suddenly, a school of fish jumps out of a hidden pond and attacks them. Johnny is unharmed but Gyro's finger is bitten. As they approach the train, the duo still see the broken panel pursuing them. They realize that the land itself is converging towards the train. When they reach the locomotive, they notice that the train engineer is only one of Valentine's victim, stuck halfway inside of a mirror and forced to hold the lever. Valentine finally notices Johnny.
Johnny attacks and shoots several nails in the train. While Valentine cannot get rid of the bullet hole with D4C and is wounded, he puts his hand in the light emitted by Lucy and the damage is transferred to peasants nearby. The President realizes the true nature of the blessing he's been granted. Astonishingly, when Valentine jumps out of the train, he is secure inside of the light. Johnny's nails reveal themselves to be ineffective as the bad is directed elsewhere and the President suffers no damage. Johnny thus realizes the nature of the power too. Trapped, Johnny cannot escape the President but Gyro manages to interrupt D4C by throwing a Steel Ball at its hand before it can chop Johnny. Nonetheless, Valentine remains impervious to Johnny's Tusk and a small cut he inflicts on Gyro moves towards Gyro's internal organs. Johnny manages to stop the train by shooting at the coupling and detach the locomotive.
Observing the train from afar, Johnny despairs at the President's power. However, Gyro shows the Ball he's thrown: some of Valentine's hair has stuck itself to the Ball, meaning that it is possible to attack through the light. Gyro tells Johnny to let their horses gallop at their most natural pace, will create a natural Golden Rectangle from which the duo can create the Super Spin.
Reaching the Super Spin
The duo now charges at the President with the intent of using the Golden Spin. Valentine dashes between them but using the pocket dimension, can freely flatten himself and stick to the ground beneath the rails. Valentine forces Johnny to separates from Gyro. Johnny hastily shoots a bullet but it is imperfect and thus deflected. Although he momentarily manages to reach the Super Spin, Johnny hits a tree branch, giving Valentine the occasion of cutting off his hand. Johnny is unhorsed and pinned down by D4C. However, a combination of Gyro throwing one of his Steel Balls and Steven Steel entrusting Lucy with the Neapolitan distracts Valentine away from Johnny. Valentine is forced to pursue Gyro towards the coast.
Meanwhile, Johnny manages to destroy the huge cut that converges on his heart with Tusk ACT3. Picking up Gyro's Steel Ball, he notices that Valentine's ear has stuck to it without the President realizing it. Johnny makes haste to join Gyro and seeing Valentine touching his face, sees that the latter also has noticed the existence of the Super Spin. Johnny tries to warn Gyro about Valentine and tells him to shoot the one with the missing ear, but Gyro understands that he must attack D4C. Still, Gyro fails to create a Super Spin and thus is mortally wounded. As Johnny tries to join the fight, Gyro shouts to Johnny his last lesson: "The shortest route was a detour; it was the detour that was our shortest path". Gyro then dies by Valentine's hands.
A Roundabout Path
To hammer in Gyro's head, Valentine empties a revolver on Gyro's corpse. Heartbroken and enraged, Johnny hastily attacks Valentine without the Super Spin and thus wastes his nails on ineffective attacks. The President manages to slit Slow Dancer's throat and unhorse Johnny. As Valentine approaches him to deal the last blow, Johnny understands Gyro's message, and uses the Steel Ball on Slow Dancer's hind leg. Kicked into the air, Johnny absorbs the Golden Scale into himself and unlocks Tusk ACT 4. Johnny shoots his last nail toward Valentine. Valentine is hit, and witnesses Tusk ACT4 breach through the wall of light and pummel D4C. Pummeled into the ground, Valentine disappears in another universe.
The Final Shootout
Johnny waits for the President's eventual return, growing back the nails of his only hand. When Valentine does come back, he surprisingly yields and proposes a deal. If Johnny releases him from the infinite rotation caused by Tusk then he promises to bring back Gyro and leave them be. Johnny is at first suspicious and argues that it isn't the same Gyro that he lived with. Valentine dismisses the argument, stating that the essential is that Gyro will be there in this world. He also makes an elaborate speech about his goals, his duties as a President, and how he misses his father. As a last reassurance of his goodwill, he takes out an alternate Cream Starter from his pocket and gives it to Johnny as a gesture of good will so that he can heal himself and everyone. Almost convinced, Johnny nonetheless tosses Valentine's old revolver his double discarded earlier, exposing Valentine as treacherous.
A small duel ensues. Valentine sends out D4C and aims at Johnny with his revolver but Johnny hits Valentine in the throat. During the last exchange of shots, Johnny sees Gyro's spirit giving him a last goodbye. Johnny then shoots Funny Valentine in the head and kills him for good. Devastated, Johnny cries for his lost friends. He subsequently heals Lucy and regains the use of his legs.
A New Enemy
After Johnny finally kills Valentine, Johnny contemplates the situation. Uninterested by the Steel Ball Run, Johnny decides to travel to the Kingdom of Naples and return Gyro to the Zeppeli Family. Suddenly, Johnny sees that the Saint's Corpse has gone missing again. Another sudden enemy has stolen the Corpse and the horse prints suppose that one of the competitors of the race is the culprit. Determined not to let anyone else get it, Johnny pursues the thief, only to discover it is none other than Diego Brando (or rather, a Diego from an alternate world). Johnny is at first surprised by the appearance of Diego's new stand THE WORLD. A flurry of knives appears out of thin air and stabs him while Diego and his horse suddenly teleport.[23] However, Johnny quickly works out the nature of its power thanks to his experience with Ringo Roadagain. Diego too has the advantage of already knowing Tusk's powers and the Golden Spin technique.[24]
Johnny arrives at the fifth place in Union Beach and quickly boards a boat to New York.
Ninth Stage
Battle Against Alternate Diego Brando
Complaining about the slowness of his boat, Johnny has no choice but to rest and consider the best route through the streets of New York. When he lands, Johnny sees his father George waving at him and presenting him Nicholas's boots, as a form of reconciliation. Crying, Johnny resumes his race. Johnny eventually finds Diego in the alleys of Manhattan. Diego stops time again and sets up wires on whom Johnny nearly crashes.[24] He shoots the wall and uses the debris to shield himself and shoots a nail in the direction of Diego, who discovers that he best not even touch Tusk ACT4.[25] Later, Diego splashes Johnny with oil and lights him on fire, forcing Johnny to open the pavement and go into the sewers. Diego loses sight of Johnny but predicts Johnny's actions and using his own fangirls as human shields.
Finally, the competitors reach Brooklyn Bridge. On there, Johnny catches up and prepares to fire.[26] Meanwhile, Diego uses his "5 seconds" to create a pincer move: he fires a gun from the front while THE WORLD attacks Johnny's back. Johnny is badly hurt again and falls from his horse. Johnny seemingly misses his shot when his nail hits the bridge itself. However, he had accumulated enough spin to make one final attack, sending Tusk Act 4 climbing up THE WORLD's leg. Nonetheless, Diego already planned for this and has THE WORLD cut off its own leg off and throw it at Johnny, Diego manages to beat the Spin User with his own technique. He then remounts his horse and leaves Johnny to die.[27]
End of the Race
Steel Ball Run Race Statistics | ||
Stage | Placement | Points |
---|---|---|
First | 5th | 30 |
Second | 2nd | 50 |
Third | 2nd | 50 |
Fourth | 4th | 35 |
Fifth | 5th | 30 |
Sixth | 2nd | 50 |
Seventh | 7th | 20 |
Eighth | 5th | 30 |
Having lost the race and the Corpse, and now dying as a result of his own attack, Johnny nearly sinks into despair. However, before his life can come to an end, Steven Steel appears. With Steven's help, Johnny performs Tusk Act 4's infinite Spin power on himself to reverse its effects. Johnny is never seen completing the ninth and final stage of the race and ends with a total of 295 points.
At Journey's End
After the race, Johnny prepares to leave New York in order to return Gyro's corpse to his family, intending to honor him one last time. In there, he is stopped by the former staff of the Steel Ball Run who refuses to have a corpse onboard. Tusk ACT4 prevents them from doing anything. On the ship, he meets Norisuke Higashikata and his daughter Rina, and begins a romantic relationship with her. Looking at Gyro's Steel Ball and reminiscing his adventure, Johnny warmly smiles.[28]
Post Steel Ball Run
According to family tree left in the 1987 edition of Norisuke Higashikata's record of the Steel Ball Run race, Johnny had married Norisuke's daughter, Rina Higashikata, in 1892 and had a son and daughter with her.[29] Their family lived on a farm, though Johnny would travel to Japan by request of the Japanese government to teach horsemanship, and also contributed to the importation of foreign fruits.[30] According to the old man on Shakedown Road, about nine years after the marriage, Rina was stricken with an incurable disease that gave her on-and-off amnesia and origami-like folded skin. Johnny thus brought Rina back to Morioh, so that she could live in her native town.
After agonizing over his wife's condition, Johnny turned to stealing the Corpse from the vault and brought it back to Morioh to cure her. The American government as well as Lucy Steel reacted from having the Corpse stolen and pursued the perpetrator, but by taking advantage of a certain privilege and sneaking aboard a ship crossing the Atlantic and Indian oceans, Johnny narrowly evaded them into the Pacific.
With the government pursuers still following, Johnny took the Corpse and hid it at the roots of the Meditation Pine by the coast of Morioh and then fetched Rina and their infant son, George, by carriage. Using the Holy Corpse's power to cure disease (more accurately described as a power to remove), the curse was removed from Rina, but was unfortunately forced upon George instead.
Having promised not to use the Corpse anymore, but willing to use it again to cure his son, Johnny mounted his horse and placed his child atop the case containing the Corpse. After gaining a certain amount of velocity, Johnny activated the Golden Spin and shot his son using Tusk Act 4. He took the curse upon himself and was shot in the head. After falling to the ground, the Stand, Les Feuilles, reveals itself, at which point a large boulder lands on Johnny's head, crushing his skull. Thus, Johnny Joestar's life ends at the age of 29, on the evening of November 11, 1901. However, these details remain vague, as they are mentioned as a legend which is stated to have many variations.[31]His body is discovered the next morning by Rina, Lucy, and the other American government officials, lying next to George and the case containing the Corpse. Lucy and the others retrieve the corpse in a suitcase belonging to the Speedwagon Oil Company and take it back with them to America. Due to the lack of witnesses, everyone believed Johnny had been murdered and the prime suspect was his wife, Rina Higashikata, who was released later when the incident was classified as an accident. Six months later, a Jizou statue was erected in memory of Johnny Joestar and he was buried in Morioh.
JORGE JOESTAR
In the light novel JORGE JOESTAR, an incarnation of Johnny appears in the 37th universe. According to Funny Valentine ?, Johnny played a major role in the Steel Ball Run race of this universe. However, instead of gathering the Saint's Corpse parts, they were gathering nine Holy Grails. Like his original universe counterpart, Johnny 37 was forced to drop out along the way.
Jorge Joestar does not know much about him but Johnny seems to be an ancestor of his adoptive family.[32]
Références
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Steel Ball Run Chapter 42: Silent Way, Part 3
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 3: Johnny Joestar, p. 2
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Steel Ball Run Chapter 58: Civil War, Part 3, p.17-18
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 3: Johnny Joestar, p. 4
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 3: Johnny Joestar p. 5-17
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 4: September 25, 1890 - 3 Hours to Start
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 11: The Final Stretch: 1,000 Meters Left
- ↑ San Diego Beach story arc
- ↑ 1st Stage story arc
- ↑ The Devil's Palm story arc
- ↑ Gyro Zeppeli's Mission story arc
- ↑ The Terrorist from a Faraway Country story arc
- ↑ Tusk story arc
- ↑ Scary Monsters story arc
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 61: Both Sides Now, Part 2, p.10-11
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 84: Ball Breaker, Part 2, p.39-40
- ↑ The World of Man story arc
- ↑ The Green Tomb story arc
- ↑ Silent Way story arc
- ↑ The Promised Land: Sugar Mountain story arc
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 59: A Dream of Gettysburg
- ↑ Civil War story arc
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 90: High Voltage, Part 1
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Steel Ball Run Chapter 91: High Voltage, Part 2
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 92: High Voltage, Part 3
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 93: High Voltage, Part 4
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 94: The World of Stars and Stripes
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 95: The World of Stars and Stripes - Outro, p.41
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 11: Family Tree, p.22-23; 26
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 21: "Shakedown Road", Part 4
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 22: Morioh 1901
- ↑ JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 16: Beyond II