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The Steel Ball Run Press Conference
(スティール・ボール・ラン 記者会見 Stīru Bōru Ran Kisha Kaiken)
(スティール・ボール・ラン 記者会見 Stīru Bōru Ran Kisha Kaiken)
For keeping English literature, Sandman is forced to flee his Native American tribe. He mysteriously outpaces and escapes his pursuers on horseback thanks to a mysterious power. Promoter Steven Steel holds a press conference to announce the Steel Ball Run, a multi-stage horse race across America. Participants flock to America from all over the world: among the favorites are cowboy Mountain Tim, Mongolian horseman Dot Han, and British jockey Diego Brando. Even relative unknowns like emancipated slave Pocoloco and Sandman have signed up to join the race. Gyro Zeppeli is introduced as he registers his entry. He challenges a thief in a duel and, by throwing a Steel Ball at his shoulder, makes his opponent shoot himself in the head. Interested, a paraplegic bystander named Johnny Joestar touches the Steel Ball as it spins, causing him to momentarily stand up. Though Johnny is amazed, Gyro refuses to explain the ball's secret.
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September 25, 1890: 3 Hours Until Start
(1890年9月25日 スタート3時間前 1890-nen 9-gatsu 25-nichi Sutāto 3-jikan Mae)
(1890年9月25日 スタート3時間前 1890-nen 9-gatsu 25-nichi Sutāto 3-jikan Mae)
Johnny Joestar's past is revealed: he was once a renowned genius jockey until he was shot during a petty fight, paralyzing his body from the waist down. In the present, Johnny buys a stock horse and enters the race. As the race begins, Johnny manages to mount his horse by spinning his own body. Gyro quickly gains the lead and incapacitates Urmd Avdul with the power of his Steel Balls, setting his eyes on the time bonus awarded for finishing the stage in first place.
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1st Stage: 15,000 Meters
(1st. STAGE 15,000メートル Fāsuto Sutēji 15,000 Mētoru)
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Gyro is challenged by Pocoloco, who makes up for his late start with uncanny luck and a strange ability. Fortunate events occur to Pocoloco from all around, and Sandman even stops to help him cross a ravine. Even as he and Gyro cut through a forest shortcut, Pocoloco somehow avoids hitting a single branch even with his eyes closed.
Steven Steel's colorful past is explored: it is revealed that the Steel Ball Run race was originally Lucy's suggestion to a downtrodden and despairing Steven. After awakening from a drunken stupor, Steven was approached by a certain sponsor who expressed interest in the event and offered to finance it. Out of gratitude toward Lucy, Steven later married her. In the present, only 4,000 meters remain until the stage's goal. Despite Gyro's efforts to attack Pocoloco, he only manages to put Sandman in danger; nevertheless, the Native American overtakes both of them to become the frontrunner. After a tense battle near the finish line, Gyro turns his cape into a sail to catch the tailwind and barely takes first place.
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Crossing the Arizona Desert
(アリゾナ砂漠越え Arizona Sabaku Goe)
(アリゾナ砂漠越え Arizona Sabaku Goe)
Despite his impressive performance, Gyro receives a penalty for having endangered Sandman earlier in the race. After exacting petty revenge on Steven, Gyro agrees to teach Johnny about the Spin. As the second stage of the race begins, Steven and his wife are brought to the scene of a murder along the race's path. The local sheriff calls the famous cowboy Mountain Tim, who memorizes the horseshoe prints and briefly flirts with Lucy. Meanwhile, Gyro and Johnny are attacked by fellow racer Mrs. Robinson, who uses explosive cacti to harass them until Gyro defeats him with the same cacti. Later, after finding Mrs. Robinson's horse, Mountain Tim realizes that the murderer is still at large.
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The Outlaws Born in the Desert
(砂漠で生まれたならず者 Sabaku de Umareta Narazumono)
(砂漠で生まれたならず者 Sabaku de Umareta Narazumono)
Johnny and Gyro make camp and Johnny makes some progress in the Spin. The two are then attacked by Andre, Benjamin, and L.A. Boomboom, who wield the shared magnetic Stand Tomb of the Boom. After a brief fight, Gyro and Johnny flee but are sprayed with Andre's blood. Benjamin disguises himself as Johnny Joestar, confronting Mountain Tim and managing to frame Johnny for the murders.
Mountain Tim catches up to Johnny and Gyro, but the three of them realize that the enemy is still attacking them. Tim presents his power, Oh! Lonesome Me, which he refers to as a Stand. He reveals that he acquired this power by stepping into a Devil's Palm, a moving phenomenon granting people Stands. Benjamin Boomboom uses his Stand to immobilize the group, but Johnny awakens his own Stand, Tusk: in truth, the group had entered the Devil's Palm without realizing it. Johnny kills Benjamin and incapacitates L.A., who reveals that they were hired to kill Gyro and is promptly left to die in the desert.
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The Foreign Terrorist
(遠い国から来たテロリスト Tōi Kuni kara Kita Terorisuto)
(遠い国から来たテロリスト Tōi Kuni kara Kita Terorisuto)
At Johnny's behest, Gyro reveals his past as an executioner for the Kingdom of Naples. For his first execution, Gyro was to behead Marco, a little boy condemned to death by mere association with a treasonous lord. After meeting the boy and seeing his kind heart, Gyro objected to Marco's execution and decided to participate in the Steel Ball Run race to earn a pardon for him. Some time later, a Neapolitan terrorist named Oyecomova follows the duo to a relay village and incapacitates Mountain Tim with his exposive-planting Stand Boku no Rhythm wo Kiitekure. The terrorist pursues Gyro and Johnny toward the mountains, having heard of a healing item called the Zombie Horse from a letter Gyro left behind. After a long pursuit upriver, Johnny and Gyro incapacitate Oyecomova with a combination attack. The two reach the Zombie Horse, which Gyro uses to heal an earlier leg injury. Meanwhile, Steven converses with his sponsor, President Funny Valentine.
A flashback reveals that Joseph of Arimathea, the man who lowered Jesus Christ from his cross, later drew a map depicting an unknown land and several points of interest. Johnny and Gyro are attacked by Fritz von Stroheim, who they quickly dispose of. Johnny, confused by the frequency of the attempts on their lives, suddenly realizes that his left arm contains a mummified arm. Meanwhile, Valentine reveals Joseph of Arimathea's map to Steven, theorizing that Gyro must have picked up a piece of a certain Saint's Corpse. Later, Johnny notices that Gyro has suddenly disappeared, and narrowly avoids being dragged upward by an unknown hook-like ability. As Johnny hides under a rock, Tusk fully materializes, causes his legs to twitch, and whispers the phrase "movere crus" to him. Johnny realizes the Steel Ball Run's true purpose: the race's sponsor intends to have the participants collect the pieces of the Saint's Corpse for them throughout the race.
Johnny baits the hooks into attacking him, allowing him to wound the Stand User, Pork Pie Hat Kid. Johnny manages to reach Gyro, but Pork Pie Hat Kid uses his hostage to incapacitate Johnny. Johnny tearfully relinquishes his Corpse Part to Pork Pie Hat Kid, but Gyro reveals that he made the nails on the mummified arm spin, causing them to launch off and fatally wound the boy. Johnny, now focused on the miraculous Saint's Corpse, convinces Gyro to help him obtain it. The two see Diego pass by and prepare to give chase.