Paco Laburantes
Paco Laburantes (パコ・ラブランテス, Pako Raburantesu) is a primary ally featured in the ninth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, The JOJOLands.
Paco is a gangster working in the same gang as Jodio and Dragona Joestar. They are assigned to the same team in order to steal a diamond belonging to Rohan Kishibe. Paco is a Stand user possessing THE Hustle, which allows him to grab objects with his muscles anywhere on his body.
Appearance
Paco is a 19-year-old teenager with an athletic build. Despite his youth, he has rugged features making him look more mature. A piece of his left ear is chewed off. Jodio notes that Paco used to be sort of chubby but lost weight and became more muscular when he was around 17.[1] He has light hair that goes down to his neck, finishing in a square cut. His hair is mostly covered by his cap, which bears a stylized plate with "P∆CO" engraved on it. Paco has distinctive dark marks and spots below his eyes that extend vertically to his chin, and also has a chain of triangles split into dark and bright halves tattooed along his arms from hands up to shoulders.
Paco does not wear a shirt but instead wears a harness comprised of two wide straps with several grommets that cross each other over his solar plexus. There is a hood attached by the two grommets over his shoulders. On the strap crossing over his right pectoral is a large brooch-like object resembling a melting ice cream cone stylized to spell out his name "PACO". He also wears plain trousers with "P∆CO" engraved on the belt buckle, as well as several straps at the waist and knee pads. Finally, he wears sneakers, wristbands and, in earlier appearances, a necklace. Later on, he is also shown wearing a codpiece.[3]
Color Schemes
Personality
Paco Laburantes is a loud, somewhat dim-witted teenager who is not afraid to speak his mind. He often comes across as rude or ill-mannered[4][5][5], and maintains an aloof demeanor. Socializing mainly with other members of Meryl's gang, Paco develops a particular fondness for Jodio[6] and Dragona. Recognized for his skills as a kleptomaniac, his thrill for theft is described by Jodio as almost "game-like"[7], leading him frequently into trouble.
Having been held back a year in high school, Paco doesn't exhibit particular intelligence, coming off as brutish. His speech is also notable for the use of child-like words, such as "ouchi" (おうち) for "home" and "otete" (お手手) for "hand".[8] This style of speech, characterized by the duplication of syllables, is often found in toddler language or 'baby talk', serving to create simplified or affectionate versions of words.
Abilities
Stand
Paco's Stand THE Hustle allows him to bulge his muscles to grab objects and attach them to his skin.
Hand-to-Hand Combat
Paco shows he is proficient at hand-to-hand combat when he fights and fends off for a moment the Lava Rock's Owner. During their fight, he skillfully blocks and evades the enemy's dagger strikes, even managing to take an advantage and grab him.[9]
History
Background
Paco lives in Honolulu, Hawaii. He suffered from domestic violence and in one incident, his dad bit off a piece of his left ear. At some point, Paco joined a gang in his neighborhood. Despite being 19, he is still in high school as he was held back for a year.[1] Barbara Ann Joestar states that according to rumors, Paco was in prison for about a year.[10]
The JOJOLands
At school while riding his electric scooter, Paco covertly tells a customer that he could find the drugs he ordered deep inside the rain gutter. Later that day, Jodio, Dragona, and Paco are summoned by their boss, Meryl Mei Qi, to the fashion boutique named Iko Iko. Paco attempts to steal from one of the customers but Dragona stops him by grabbing his ear. Meryl makes an announcement to close the shop and then orders the three gang members to turn off their phones before showing them her own phone. On the screen is a natural blue 24 carats diamond worth 6 million dollars. It's owned by a Japanese tourist who owns a villa on the Island of Hawaii and plans to stay there for around 12 more days. Their group will be getting a 2% split all together, while Meryl gets an 18% cut after they sell it on the black market. She also informs them that they will be going as a team of four. The student who Jodio and Paco sold drugs to at school in the morning arrives as their fourth member, as Meryl guarantees that he will be useful to them.[1]
During another drug deal with a supposed college student, Paco drives by and tells her that she just stepped on the drugs hidden under some leaves and drives away. After recovering the drugs, the woman pulls out her gun and declares that it was a drug bust and that they are being arrested. DEA agents tackle Paco off his scooter and Jodio is thrown to the ground. Jodio then uses November Rain's ability to destroy the evidence of the drug exchange and makes the police flee, impressing Paco. Both of them safely get away.
The Heist
After the group arrives at the Kona Airport in Hawaii, Dragona scolds Usagi for being late and not providing a car. Usagi reassures the group about the mission by stating that he knows a safe car rental that does not have tracking devices or cameras. In the end, they trust him due to the recommendation from Meryl Mei Qi and depart, with Paco driving their rental. After arriving at the villa of the Japanese tourist and getting briefed, Paco starts devising a plan on how to get the diamond. Paco decides the group will strike when the owner comes out to the pool and steal the diamond from the master bedroom in 15 minutes or less. Dragona instructs the group to put their earphones and masks on, and not to say each other's names on the radio. As they approach the estate, Usagi tells Dragona to wish to have the camera installed on the side of the house. This activates Usagi's Stand, THE MATTEKUDASAI, which copies the camera. He uses the cameras to create two distinct videos, making the recorded evidence useless. The group continues on its way in.[2]
Jodio splits up with Paco, Dragona, and Usagi, with the three infiltrating through the front door. After successfully picking the lock and entering the house, Dragona reminds them to obtain a diamond and nothing else as to not arouse unwanted attention. However, Paco tries to take several antiques and money. Dragona warns both him and Usagi to put back their stolen items and look for a safe, although he still secretly pockets some money. They continue to explore when they enter a strange room scattered with volcanic rocks around laboratory equipment. Paco assumes that Rohan Kishibe, the manga artist, purifies drugs with the flasks which he initially assumes to be beakers. Usagi corrects him with a lesson on the properties of lava, much to Paco's chagrin, and scolds him to continue looking for the safe.
They subsequently find the safe hidden behind a bookcase just as Jodio reports that Rohan is returning with a strange stray cat seemingly leading him inside the house. They yell for Dragona to immediately open it with his Stand, despite Jodio's warning, since they had already come this far in the plan. While keeping watch, Paco and Usagi spot and recognize the stray cat which stares at them for a while before walking away. Paco dismisses it to be nothing problematic as long as it doesn't make a noise. Dragona successfully opens the safe which reveals the diamond worth 6 million dollars. However, they notice the same volcanic rocks inside it as well. Just as they escape the room, a plastic string resembling a fishing line wraps and tightens around Paco's foot. Dragona runs to help before a string also wraps around his arm. Usagi manages to dodge a string that almost wraps around his foot, and it floats back into the hallway before disappearing. Usagi tells the two that the cat must be a Stand user and set up the string when it went down the hallway.[8]
Paco quickly asks for Usagi's scissors and takes it out of Usagi's hands to cut the string with them. However, the string is so tough the scissors' blade snaps. Feeling the string, Paco sees that it is made of stainless steel and is amazed at what he thinks is an unusual security system. Usagi insists the cat must be an enemy Stand user but Paco looks at it and sees the cat ignoring them and leaving. Skeptical about Usagi's theory, he even asks why would a cat attack them. The argument is interrupted when Jodio calls the group and warns them that Rohan has entered the house and has realized the situation. While Dragona slides the wire off his wrist with Smooth Operators, Paco wedges the broken scissor blade into the wire and vibrate his leg muscles at a high speed, managing to snap the wire this way.
Paco and Usagi almost get out of a window when Dragona realizes that Paco's backpack is open and that the diamond has fallen on the floor. When Dragona goes to pick the diamond up, Rohan appears and confronts the group. Rohan turns Dragona's arm into a book and reads his biography, but wants to learn more. Paco confronts Rohan who confidently approaches him despite a warning. Thus, when Rohan tries to touch Paco, Paco has no qualm attacking Rohan back. He suddenly jumps to the ceiling and grabs Rohan by the neck from behind, his muscles allowing him to cling to an air vent with his back. Rohan tries to touch Paco again but Paco deftly uses his arm muscles to grab Rohan by the wrist and orders Dragona and Usagi to use zip ties to immobilize Rohan. However, Rohan distracts Usagi by tossing the diamond at him, allowing him to turn Usagi into a book. Shocked, Paco can't avoid Rohan, who manages to graze his arm and turns him into a book as well.[11]
After tying up Paco and Usagi, Rohan promptly contacts the police to report the robbery. He's instructed to stay on the line until help arrives. Displaying his phone as evidence of his ongoing communication with the police, Rohan estimates a patrol car's arrival within ten minutes. Rohan's money, which was previously in Paco's possession, also spills onto the floor. Rohan calmly retrieves it, commenting on how everything returned to him. Rohan's focus is disrupted by rain suddenly appearing inside his living room. This distraction and a trap set by Jodio allows him to capture and bind the manga artist. 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 wants this day to remain a great day. Rohan points out that they would have been safer had he been the one to capture them, since they are being followed.
Having discerned Rohan's motive for staying in Hawaii, Jodio utilizes the two pieces of lava from Rohan's safe as leverage. He goes far as to crush one of them to emphasize his point, causing Rohan to panic. The gang speculates on the potential value of the lava, but no one understands its significance to Rohan. Regardless, it serves as effective leverage for the moment. Jodio forces Rohan to deceive the police about the burglary to secure a safe passage back to O'ahu for the gang. Feeling incapable of stealing the diamond, Dragona instructs Paco to steal it instead. Paco nonchalantly takes the diamond, and the group departs. Outside, Paco brazenly shows off the diamond to Dragona, oblivious to its peculiar properties. Unbeknownst to the gang, a group of cats begin to tail them.[12]
Jungle Warfare
Paco and the gang run across the jungle back towards their car but Paco trips on a root, forcing the group to stop. As Paco and Jodio try to remember the way to the car, Dragona sees that the diamond has fallen on the ground, which surprises Paco who is sure that he put the gem in his backpack and zipped it. Then, Jodio also sees the precious artwork Usagi had stolen earlier near him beneath some leaves. Somehow, the drawing has left Usagi's backpack. Dragona also remembers how several bank notes that Paco had stolen mysteriously fell out of his pocket earlier and realizes that this is not a matter of being careless or any trick on Rohan's part, but rather it seems that precious items are drawn towards the Lava Rock. Since Jodio was holding the lava, Dragona tells him to pick up the diamond, assuming it wouldn't fall again.
However, when Jodio approaches the diamond, he touches a wire that was hidden in the grass. It coils around his ankle and lifts him up, leaving him dangling upside down from a tree. Surprised, Jodio drops the Lava Rock. The rest of the group is just as surprised as Jodio to see the wire attack continue even after they left the house. Jodio warns his companions about an animal lurking around and Usagi suspects the stray cat he's seen at Rohan's villa. Paco calls the attack a security system but Usagi insists it's a Stand attack launched by the cat. Paco asks why a cat would attack them, and while Usagi has no answer for this, he is sure they are being hunted by the cat. Meanwhile, the wire is also digging into Jodio's leg and Jodio is unable to break free. Thus, Dragona approaches to help him but he is caught in a trap. Two other wires stealthily approach Dragona from behind, bind to each other, and then pierce his stomach. Paco rushes to Dragona's aid but when he grabs Dragona, the wires start to sew themselves into his arm, binding him and Dragona together.
Jodio sees more wires flying towards them from upwind and warns his companions. Paco finally acknowledges it as a Stand ability. Suddenly, Paco notices that Usagi has disappeared alongside the diamond, the artwork, and the Lava Rock. Seeing the car moving away, Paco angrily figures that Usagi has fled and taken all the goods, leaving them to their fate. Thus, Paco swears to hunt him down. As the wires approach Paco and Dragona, Jodio, still dangling from the tree, estimates the distances between him, the branch from which he's hanging, and the tree trunk. Satisfied, he tells Paco and Dragona to get under him and then summons November Rain. November Rain creates a rain right underneath it which pushes the floating wires onto the ground and disintegrates them while Jodio shields Paco and Dragona.[13]
As the trio struggles against the wire onslaught, Paco uses THE Hustle to climb up a tree using his back and removes the wire from Jodio's ankle. Jodio's November Rain manages to fend off one cat, but the remaining two ensnare them in a net made of wires, which is revealed to come from their fur. Just as the situation seems dire, Usagi intervenes by crashing the rental car into the tree. Relieved that Usagi didn't betray them, Paco warns him to get out of the way from the cat's attack. Usagi reveals he had fed the cats expensive caviar he stole from Rohan's villa. Usagi has Dragona ask THE MATTEKUDASAI to transform into a net and lures the cats toward him. He then drops the Lava Rock he was holding, causing the cats to fall down since they would be drawn toward the Rock due to its properties.[14]
Testing the Lava Rock
Paco and the others wind down after escaping from the jungle. They drive to a cafe, where Paco heads to Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers to buy the group drinks. While the other three sit at a table testing the Lava Rock's capabilities, a fly enters Paco's Sprite and he angrily goes back to the shop to complain. They refund him and give him a free drink. Usagi, Dragona, and Jodio are thrilled to see that the $20 banknote Usagi threw away just returned to them through Paco's refund because of the Lava Rock, though Paco doesn't understand what they were doing.
Dragona then suggests a test at a luxury watch store, Diamotch, so they can fully figure out how the Lava Rock's powers work before boarding the plane. Paco waits outside with Jodio, where he wonders whether they should park the car near the shop in case something happens inside. Jodio thinks it probably won't be necessary, so Paco goes off to buy them chicken burritos.[3]
Later, Paco comes back and apologizes to Jodio for taking so long. The shop he went to ran out of chicken burritos, so he asked them to fry up abalones for them instead. However, he sees that Jodio is with someone else who looks exactly like Paco. Jodio turns around only to see he was with a fake Paco the whole time, who is allegedly the owner of the Lava Rock. The skin of the fake Paco begins to crumble, exposing parts of another face underneath the disguise. Catching them off guard, the fake Paco cuts Jodio's neck with a knife.[10]
The Hustle
Thankfully, Paco pushes Jodio aside and uses THE Hustle on Jodio's neck so the latter only receives a glancing wound. Paco confronts the attacker. The attacker strikes at Paco, who blocks with a food tray he's grabbed with his muscles, then punches him in the face and throws a chair at him with his hip. The enemy silently stands back up and attacks again, but Paco evades his strikes several times. When the enemy tries an upward stab into Paco's face, Paco parries the blade with his hand and traps the enemy's arm against a pole. By vibrating his muscles and transferring the energy through the blade, Paco is able to wound the enemy's arm. Paco grabs his opponent by the neck and discovers that he has a coarse texture, much like sand. While he's distracted, the enemy has switched hands with his knife and tries to stab Paco, but Paco manages to punch him away. However, Paco is still astonished by the strange ability of his enemy. He tells Jodio to stand up and stay near him for protection.
Meanwhile, Dragona and Usagi exit the store while enjoying a bit of alcohol from Rohan's house. They celebrate their success and await an expensive wristwatch to return back to them. Although Paco warns them about an enemy hiding nearby, Dragona and Usagi are distracted when they see the watch they targeted in another woman's possession. Dragona sees a bird fly toward him carrying the watch, but it is actually an illusion as the foe is transformed into the bird and the sky. He steals the Lava Rock and also stabs Dragona in the neck. As Dragona collapses, the enemy disappears again. Paco tells Jodio to make it rain and prevent the enemy from escaping, and Jodio's rain manages to wound the enemy on the leg.[15]
Dragona manages to transport the wound onto a bottle with Smooth Operators. The group must now find the enemy to retrieve the Lava Rock but, as Paco points out, the enemy can merge with the environment and could be anywhere. Paco then notices a blood trail left behind when November Rain injured him. They follow the trail to the parking lot, where Paco grabs the neck of a random man getting out of his car to check if his skin feels gritty like sand. However, it was an ordinary person who runs away and threatens to report them to the police. They head to the car beside it, where drops of blood are on the hood. At the same time, the car's owner, Leo, and his girlfriend return to it. Leo asks the gang to get out of their way so he can move his car. Paco grabs Leo's neck instead, but realizes he can't tell if the man's skin is gritty or not because it's sticky from sunscreen and he also has a beard. He demands to see both of their ankles so they can check if they're injured or not. The enemy attacks Jodio from the car, and though Jodio is able to evade the ambush, the enemy disappears again and there is no blood trail left.
When the wristwatch attracted to the Lava Rock begins to slide toward the beach, Dragona realizes that they can track the enemy using the diamond like a compass to locate the general direction of the enemy. Angry, Paco mutters to himself that he will kill the enemy. They arrive at a pier, where Paco and Jodio advance together into the water to corner the enemy. Fused with a splash of water, the enemy emerges behind Paco, about to stab him. He disappears for a moment then re-emerges and slashes Paco's left ankle. Before he could pierce Paco's neck, Jodio stops his arms from behind and drags him into the water. As the battle underwater continues, Paco changes his mind and suddenly discloses that although he said he would kill their opponent before, he has a feeling that the guy might actually be a good person. He reveals that he had checked the food bag Jodio dropped earlier and rather than seeing the cat heads inside, it was only three potatoes disguised with an illusion. He tells Dragona to inform Jodio not to let the man drown, determined to make the man their ally instead.[16]
Relationships
Family
- Father: Paco has a strained relationship with his father, who bit off a piece of Paco's ear at one point.[1]
Gangmates
- Jodio Joestar: Although they work together, Jodio does not consider Paco as his friend.[1] Paco starts to appreciate Jodio after seeing his ability in action.[2]
- Dragona Joestar: Dragona and Paco seem to fight often. When Paco tries to steal from customers at Iko Iko, Dragona reprimands him and threatens to wrap his ear around his head. Paco also challenges Dragona to fight afterwards, though Dragona refuses.[1]
- Usagi Alohaoe: Paco despises Usagi, often telling him to shut up. Paco claims Usagi is a drug addict based on his energetic personality.
Enemies
- Lava Rock's Owner: Paco and the Lava Rock's Owner meet as mortal enemies, the latter especially coming at Paco using deadly force with his short sword. For his part, Paco derides the Lava Rock's Owner's seemingly amateur swordsmanship. Upon seeing that the Owner is more merciful than at face value, notably when he notes that he didn't really kill his pet cats, Paco changes his mind about the Owner and is the first to decide to make friends with him.
Chapters
Manga Appearances- The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure (1st appearance)
- The JOJOLands Chapter 2: South King Street
- The JOJOLands Chapter 3: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 1
- The JOJOLands Chapter 4: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 2
- The JOJOLands Chapter 5: "Rise Up"
- The JOJOLands Chapter 6: Hualalai - Cat Size, Part 1
- The JOJOLands Chapter 7: Hualalai - Cat Size, Part 2
- The JOJOLands Chapter 8: Hualalai - Cat Size, Part 3
- The JOJOLands Chapter 9: Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time, Part 1
- The JOJOLands Chapter 10: Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time, Part 2
- The JOJOLands Chapter 11: Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time, Part 3
Quotes
Quotes- “Dragona! There's a gym on the other side of the street! Wanna go there with me?”—Paco Laburantes, The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure
- “So what you're saying is you don't know shit, right? Well thanks for the pointless lava lesson! Now go find the damn safe!”
- “THE Hustle! Time to do your stuff!”—Paco Laburantes, The JOJOLands Chapter 4: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 2
- “Nice! Screw off! I beat your shitty trap, asshole!”—Paco Laburantes, The JOJOLands Chapter 4: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 2
- “I said don't move! You asshole! Otherwise, things are gonna have to get violent!”—Paco Laburantes, The JOJOLands Chapter 4: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 2
- “DO "the HUSTLE"”—Paco Laburantes, The JOJOLands Chapter 10: Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time, Part 2
- “So you're sayin' if we don't surrender, the only path left is violence, huh? You sure about that', asshole? That just happens ta be my area of expertise.”—Paco Laburantes, The JOJOLands Chapter 10: Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time, Part 2
Gallery
Paco's first appearance on his electric scooter
Paco's introduction
Hole in Paco's ear
Smooth Operators grabbing Paco's ear
Paco and his new allies receive their mission
Masking up after becoming aware of Rohan
Paco using THE Hustle to strangle Rohan from the vent
The gang waiting in front of Diamotch
TJL Chapter 3 Cover
TJL Chapter 6 Cover
TJL Chapter 8 Cover
TJL Chapter 10 Cover
Ultra Jump March 2023 Back Cover
Ultra Jump April 2023 Back Cover
Ultra Jump September 2023 Cover
Ultra Jump November 2023 Stickers
Trivia
- As of the first chapter of The JOJOLands, Paco was Hirohiko Araki's favorite character to draw.[17]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The JOJOLands Chapter 2: South King Street
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The JOJOLands Chapter 8: Hualalai - Cat Size, Part 3
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 2: South King Street P.27.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The JOJOLands Chapter 2: South King Street P.34.
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 2: South King Street P.22.
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure P.54.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The JOJOLands Chapter 3: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 1
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 10: Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time, Part 2
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The JOJOLands Chapter 9: Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time, Part 1
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 4: The Villa on Hawaii Island, Part 2
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 5: "Rise Up"
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 6: Hualalai - Cat Size, Part 1
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 7: Hualalai - Cat Size, Part 2
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 10: Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time, Part 2
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 11: Kailua-Kona - Flight Waiting Time, Part 3
- ↑ Author's Note - Ultra Jump March 2023
