The JOJOLands - Chapter 12
Summary
The island of Hawaii is introduced with having an average rainfall of 30 millimeters in August. It has the tallest mountain on Earth, Mauna Kea, alongside two other volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Hualalai. Although Hualalai has been quiet ever since it erupted in 1801, it is considered to be an active volcano and there are no rivers on its land.
A flashback shows Jodio's foe with his younger brother, Mauka, racing on bicycles on a valley at Hualalai. The elder brother taunts Mauka for being too slow, causing Mauka to wonder why he's so excited and if he is planning on doing an ironman triathlon. As his brother claims that they'll be racing each other in a 2-mile swim as well once they get to the beach, a fallen tree is in their path. The elder brother evades it with bunny hops and warns Mauka about another fallen tree ahead, but then realizes Mauka is no longer on his bicycle. He gets off his bike and panickingly looks around. He eventually finds water welled up on the ground, despite there being no water source on Hualalai. Mauka weakly calls out for his brother from within a lava tube before seemingly being pulled inside.
In the present, Dragona and Usagi are at Kona Airport, shopping for souvenirs to bring to Barbara. Dragona hopes for something around $30. Usagi suggests macadamia nuts or Kona coffee, but Dragona reveals that Barbara is allergic to nuts. Meanwhile, Jodio is relaxing on seats at the airport with the man he was just drowning earlier. They have a casual conversation, as Jodio asks what music he's been listening to lately and the man responds with Sia, H.E.R., and SZA. While Jodio laughs at him, Paco more importantly asks for the man's name. He reveals that it's "Charming Man", and he is 21 years old. Charming Man divulges that he was born on the island of Hawaii. The Lava Rock fragments flowed out of a big cave opening called a lava tube. He coincidentally saw Rohan pick them up and was interested in them.
A watch seller greets Dragona and Usagi, showing off various valuable watches he has with him in his jacket. He claims that they normally cost $80,000, but he's putting them on sale for $800 just for them. Dragona and Usagi are shocked to see him have the same watch from Diamotch that was attracted to the Lava Rock. The seller claims that the watches are legit, but Usagi notes that the hands on the watch they want aren't moving. Thus, the seller decides to let it go for $80 instead. Dragona then points out that it smells like fish, so they think it fell into the ocean. The seller is surprised as to how perceptive they are and gives it to them for $30 instead.
While the gang goes through screening at the airport, Charming Man asks if they want him to go with them to Oahu. Paco confirms that he has to if he also wants the Lava Rock, warning him not to bring any weapons onto the plane. Nonetheless, Charming Man doesn't believe that they will be able to make themselves rich using the Lava Rock, thinking they'll understand once each of them starts dropping out.
When Mauka fell into the lava tube, Charming Man immediately alerted the police for a rescue. However, the officers were about to depart without conducting a thorough search. Charming Man urgently pleaded for them to save his brother, but one officer brushed off his worries, jokingly suggesting that Mauka was likely in the city, enjoying pizza with a girl. Despite Charming Man's insistence that his brother had slid into the tube, the officer countered, noting the absence of water nearby. Instead, he referenced an argument between Charming Man and Mauka at his farm from a day prior, asking whether the two of them fight often since Mauka is a minor. Charming Man argues that it was a normal brotherly quarrel. Furthermore, the officer highlighted Charming Man's past arrest for injuring a policeman on Highway 180. Charming Man admitted he committed a traffic violation back then, but the police officer injured himself while grabbing Charming Man's rough skin, which is a disposition that Charming Man was born with. The officer insinuated Charming Man's guilt, suggesting a bribe for the search and cautioning him about the consequences of trespassing on private property.
As time passed, Charming Man continued searching for his brother at the volcano but to no avail. He witnessed Rohan constantly scattering and collecting dollar bills around. Rohan then picked up Lava Rocks from underneath the bills. These rocks were from an uphill lava tube—the very place Mauka had fallen into, leading Charming Man to ponder if there was a connection between the Lava Rocks and his brother's vanishing.
The gang heads to Iko Iko to give Meryl Mei Qi the diamond and everything they stole. She congratulates them for managing to steal the real thing. Despite her explicit instructions to avoid any additional thefts, the group had also gotten Rohan's drawing, a bottle of high-class wine, and a broken watch, though Meryl doesn't disapprove.
As she distributes the promised shares of the loot among her team, Usagi is particularly moved by earning money for the first time. Meryl puts the diamond away in her safe and then discloses her network of influential acquaintances across various sectors, including hotels, media, customs, and even the police. She notes the absence of any alerts regarding the robbery or security breaches on the island of Hawaii, which she finds peculiar given that it took them over six hours to steal the diamond.
Meryl confronts the group, suspecting they're withholding critical details about their escapade. The gang awkwardly hesitates to explain, but Dragona suggests it's a long story. Firstly, Dragona points out to Meryl that the diamond she put into the safe is now back in her hands. Second, they have a new friend named Charming Man waiting outside. Meryl pauses to consider the implications, her interest piqued by the unexpected turn of events.
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Ultra Jump March 2024
