The JOJOLands - Chapter 8
Summary
Out of the jungle, the gang waits for their flight back home. Two adult women headed for the beach start flirting with Jodio, asking him to join them in their float that fits three people. However, Dragona calls him away so that they can go drive to a cafe. A couple of police officers pass by Jodio and the gang's rental car, but don't say anything. Considering nothing happened, Paco points out that Rohan kept his promise about not reporting them.
Paco leads the gang to a food court near the airport since they have two hours left until boarding the flight. He leaves to Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers to go buy them food and drinks while the others sit at a table. Calling Dragona "Pink-chan" again, Usagi asks if they can lend him $20. Dragona tells Usagi to stop using the name "Pink-chan" since he isn't even wearing anything pink, and worries about whether the rental car is insured since Usagi dented it. However, Usagi tells Dragona not to worry about it. He claims he has no money since he used it all on the hamburgers he fed to the cats and continues to beg for the $20. Dragona asks if his family is poor, causing Usagi to divulge that his father died getting hit by a bus while doing construction work in Oahu, so his mother currently has money from the insurance. Surprised, Dragona agrees to lend him the cash.
Usagi decides to do an experiment to determine how the Lava Rock draws valuable things toward it and places the rock on top of the $20. Jodio realizes what Usagi is trying to do, which excites Usagi. He asks if they could ever become good friends since they're on the same wavelength, but Jodio refuses. Jodio thinks that since the Lava Rock was shut inside the safe with the diamond, it might work based on an object's distance with the Rock, such as if they're touching. He believes that it may also remember the object's owner. Usagi reveals that's also what he was thinking, which is why he put the Rock on top of the bill belonging to Dragona. He explains how the diamond, Rohan's drawing, and the caviar were all being drawn toward the Rock earlier, but the caviar isn't anymore since it's been digested in the cats' stomachs and they ran away into the jungle.
Three to four minutes already passed while they were talking, so he begins the test. Usagi draws his symbol on the $20 using a pen and then crumples up the money, throwing it onto the ground. Suddenly, a man quickly swipes the $20 from the ground and uses it to buy food. Shocked, Dragona strangles Usagi to give back the $20 he lost. Jodio wonders if the $20 wasn't valuable enough to return since the caviar was $400. Paco returns with soda for the gang, but a fly suddenly flies into his Sprite. Disgusted, he returns to the shop, scares the clerk, and gets a refund as well as a new drink. Jodio and Usagi both notice that the $20 he's holding is the same one Usagi drew on. Usagi, Jodio, and Dragona are happy their experiment worked, leaving Paco confused.
Since they have time, Dragona decides to do one more test, as it's essential that they learn how the Rock works before they board the plane with it. Dragona brings them to Diamotch, a luxury watch and jewelry store. Paco, Usagi, and Jodio worry that it's too unsafe because of the security guards and cameras in there, but Dragona claims they won't be doing anything illegal. Dragona puts the Lava Rock into the pocket of their chest accessory, and places the diamond inside the wallet in their bag. Paco wonders if he should bring the car nearby in case something happens inside, while Dragona heads into the store with Usagi.
Dragona gets nervous when a clerk greets them and Usagi worsens the situation by asking if there are digital "Polex" watches around instead of "Rolex", which makes the clerk suspect them. Dragona takes off a bracelet from their wrist and puts it into his wallet so that the clerk can see the diamond, tricking him into believing that they're rich. He agrees to let Dragona try on watches, bringing both of them to the back room. As Dragona tries on different fashionable watches worth over $40,000, the clerk suddenly brings over a security guard and points the camera to Dragona and Usagi. The salesman respectfully asks them to place "it" back on the table, but Dragona doesn't understand him. Usagi points out that one of the four watches on the table is missing, despite Usagi and Dragona not even touching it.
Paco's looking forward to eating the chicken he bought, since the ones from the island of Hawaii are raised up high in the mountains, making them tastier. Although Jodio thought it wasn't necessary earlier, he tells Paco that it would be better to move the car near the store after all. When Jodio is about to put his hand inside the food bag, he notices that something else is inside it and drops the bag onto the table. Scared, Jodio tries looking around but doesn't see anybody. He realizes that it was a warning to them. Someone was watching them in the jungle and was hiding near Rohan's villa the whole time before the gang even got there, who was actually the owner of the cats. Jodio thinks that they came to take back the Lava Rock. Paco then looks into the bag, only to see that it is filled with the decapitated heads of the three cats.
Appearances
Author's Comment
Author's NoteGallery
Ultra Jump October 2023
Next issue notice for November 2023 issue
Tailpiece
