The silent flight felt somewhat strange. In the gray-blue, star-studded night sky, a helicopter flew silently, like a prop etched against a black velvet curtain.
Squalo gestured to the pilot.
"Keep this distance, Mizaro."
Tiziano frowned, silent for a moment. "Johnson Joffrey has discovered us."
"Mizaro can mask the sound, but he still found us. Why?" Tiziano whispered.
"He can't keep up with Clash's speed," Squalo said, raising his eyebrows. "Clash isn't about speed, it's about spatial transformation. Even if they had enough speed to catch Clash, Clash could disappear instantly."
Clash — a Stand that can teleport in water.
"No, that Johnson Joffrey has already seen through it. Your attack has been seen through."
"What?" Squalo frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"I feel like he's seen through it," Tiziano analyzed, unwilling to accept it. "Johnson Joffrey looked directly up at us just now. He definitely knows we're here. How can he be so calm? In this situation, his speaking pace is still so slow, so composed."
"Maybe he doesn't speak italian; he only arrived in Italy yesterday morning."
"How is that possible?! Squalo, you're underestimating him too much! You absolutely can't let him touch you!"
·
Centered on the boat, a three-meter radius had been frozen into ice. The boat was no longer on the sea surface, but inside a floating block of ice. Clash encircled the ice-boat, and Pesci had fishing lines wrapped around the boat, preventing the fish named Clash from approaching.
Clash still circled the small boat. It showed a fin, like a shark, circling at high speed. One had to keep an eye on it, otherwise, it would suddenly attack.
"It's about time. Release the slow effect on Babyface," Meg suddenly said from the harbor over a hundred meters away.
Melone's Babyface Main unit, far out on the sea, suddenly lit up its screen. Melone looked at Babyface's screen in surprise.
[Effect released.]
Melone was somewhat excited and quickly tapped the screen: [Report their Stand effects.]
The Babyface on the other side didn't answer for a long time. Suddenly, a line of text appeared on the screen:
[Why should I listen to you?]
Melone: "!"
"What's going on?" Melone whispered to himself.
"What's wrong?! Melone!!" Ghiaccio asked loudly, seeing Melone's expression change drastically.
Babyface had been personally raised by him; its worldview and outlook on life were basically established by Melone. Melone was essentially like his teacher and father.
[I want to kill someone...]
"!" Melone.
After that, Babyface began to utter strange remarks such as 'I can't control myself,' 'Why am I alive,' and 'I'm just a Stand meant to die pointlessly.'
Risotto looked down at Babyface's computer. "He's completely changed into another person. It's that Meg's Stand Ability."
"Is Babyface being controlled? A mental attack?" Prosciutto guessed.
Risotto pondered for a moment, then said, "Babyface isn't being controlled. He's being controlled by his own violent side. Meg's Stand Ability should be to awaken a person's dark personality."
"Don't let Meg's Stand's blade touch you," Risotto said in a low voice.
Melone frowned, still wanting to try and talk to Babyface, but Babyface kept spouting bloody, negative, and depraved words, especially complaining that Melone only saw him as a tool.
"Stop talking to him, Melone!" Ghiaccio yelled.
"You shut up, Ghiaccio!" Melone gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "If I don't talk to him, he'll attack us."
Let's take care of Clash first. Melone probably can't reason with Babyface anymore. Johnson Joffrey thought to himself, "Pesci, retract your ability. Everyone, get closer to me."
"Retract it? He'll..."
"I've already seen through his attack," Johnson Joffrey said calmly. Reversed Hierophant silently emerged behind him, floating there.
Reversed Hierophant's appearance was closer to Giorno's Gold Experience, with red armor-like plating on its waist, shoulders, and chest.
Beach Boy made a 'swish swish' sound as it retracted its fishing line.
The shark named Clash did not easily approach the fishing boat but continued to circle it, not acting rashly.
After a while, it sank into the sea instead.
"What's going on? Is it not attacking us anymore?" Ghiaccio asked.
— "Bang!!"
A huge sound of breaking water erupted. As everyone was too surprised to turn around and look at the source of the sound behind them, an ugly shark suddenly burst out of the freshwater barrel behind Melone, lunging at his nape.
So fast!
Reversed Hierophant suddenly vanished, leaving a golden afterimage. Just as everyone turned their heads, Melone suddenly appeared beside Reversed Hierophant. Their positions had been completely switched. The shark continued forward due to inertia. Reversed Hierophant quickly raised its hand, and Clash was poised to fall steadily into Reversed Hierophant's hand.
"!"
Before anyone could even see if it landed, the fish instantly vanished, reappearing outside Beach Boy's range.
·
"That was close!" Squalo whispered, large drops of cold sweat appearing on his forehead. "That guy is so fast."
"He had already placed a line on Melone beforehand, which is why he could transfer Melone so quickly," Tiziano suddenly realized, saying loudly, "Damn it, he knew you could teleport in the water!"
"It's alright, Tiziano!" Squalo adjusted his breathing, then said, "I've successfully transferred into the sea. He won't be able to touch me next time."
"..."
"Tiziano?"
"...He's already touched you."
·
Reversed Hierophant raised its right hand, its left hand on its hip, and tilted its head slightly. Its crimson vertical pupils reflected the dark moonlight. A Reversed Hierophant line connected to the tip of its index finger. Following this line, it connected to the distant water surface on the other end.
"Got it!" Ghiaccio said excitedly.
Johnson Joffrey smiled, as if speaking to some unknown entity (close-up on face): "When I encounter you, that will be your death."
"Think carefully, do you really think your perceived speed is fast?"
"Pesci!"
"I understand!"
Pesci activated Beach Boy again, and the silver-white fishing line flashed with killing intent, instantly thrown into the air. At the same time, Reversed Hierophant pulled its line, and Clash burst out!
"Got you!"
The fishing line and Reversed Hierophant intertwined, the fishing line piercing through Clash's solid surface as if alive, hooking its internal organs, and the fishing rod quickly reeled in... — tearing the shark in half in mid-air!