Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The colossal rocket launchpad, like the skeleton of an ancient giant, stood silently between the sea and sky, reflected in Jotaro's eyes.
This was humanity's starting point to break free from gravity and fly to the stars, but now it had become Kujo Jotaro's destination in his search for inner answers.
The salty sea breeze fiercely whipped his wide white trench coat, making it flap loudly. Jotaro pulled down the brim of his hat, his gaze beneath it deeper than the night, staring at the distant sea that had swallowed countless secrets and adventures.
After arriving here, the eerie voice disappeared, but Jotaro had gradually begun to understand.
The SPW Foundation's private jet rested quietly on the nearby tarmac. Okuyasu and Koichi were resting inside the cabin, while Higashikata Josuke stood silently a few steps behind his nephew.
He had recovered somewhat, finally appearing to be in a normal state, but his spirit was still extremely sorrowful. He just watched Jotaro's back in silence.
Jotaro also remained silent. He was recalling the sacrifice of Joseph Joestar, Kira Yoshikage's ability, Kishibe Rohan's madness in controlling the country, and the mysterious voice that had guided him here... All of this entanglement him like heavy chains. Star Platinum's power seemed to have reached a bottleneck. This power, once considered invincible, was now increasingly insufficient.
Facing increasingly bizarre enemies and a complex situation, he felt an unprecedented stagnation.
The tides ebbed and flowed, unchanging through the ages. The waves tirelessly crashed against the reefs, shattering, receding, and regrouping, in an endless cycle. They would always return, everything was destined, just like so-called fate.
Jotaro's gaze followed the rise and fall of each wave, his consciousness seemingly sinking into the deep blue. He had already realized what that voice was.
The fate he had scoffed at. He had never believed in so-called fate in the past. He only believed in his own strength, in the power of man. Man could break fate with his beliefs, just as he had defeated Dio.
His thoughts drifted back to the past: the final battle with Dio, the countless Stand Users fighting, the various mysteries encountered while pursuing Dio's remnants... Every crisis, every breakthrough.
There was a deeper truth hidden within. He still didn't believe in fate, but that didn't mean he couldn't make use of it.
"Yare yare daze..." he murmured, his voice lost in the sound of the waves.
Time stopping was not a violent interruption of space-time, but more like an... extreme "stillness" and "certainty." With the power of fate, perhaps he could go a step further.
Amidst the sound of the waves, he seemed to hear another voice. His Stand, named "Star," what was the true essence of its power? Was it merely speed, precision, lethality, and time stop?
No.
"I understand. Is this the direction of human evolution mentioned in Dio's notes?"
Hearing Jotaro's murmur,
Jotaro slowly closed his eyes, immersing all his senses in resonance with the world. He "heard" the strings of gravity vibrating, "saw" the moon's pull behind the tides, and felt the faint shift caused by the planet's rotation.
Power... kinship... companions... will... dream.
Words flashed, collided, and combined in his mind.
Jotaro suddenly opened his eyes. In those sharp eyes, stars seemed to be born and annihilated. He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from somewhere and began to write.
"I understand. My 14 secret phrases are:
Spinning Labyrinth, White Dolphin, Path of Destiny, Cactus Tower, White Dolphin, Star's Journey, White Dolphin, Blood Relation, Resolve, Inheritance, Hydrangea, White Dolphin, Point of Justice, Golden Spirit!"
(From reader: Keigo Kurusu, thank you)
The sea breeze seemed to pause for a moment. The 14 words he wrote down seemed to possess a certain magic.
Higashikata Josuke, standing behind him, suddenly looked up. Although he couldn't fully comprehend the meaning of the secret phrases, he could clearly feel an ineffable, vast, and calm power emanating from Jotaro.
It wasn't killing intent, nor was it pressure, but a deeper, ocean-like majesty and inclusiveness, yet also imbued with the undeniable absoluteness of planetary motion.
It was filled with a sense of forging ahead, and at the same time, a righteous will.
Jotaro slowly turned to face Josuke, his eyes no longer bewildered, but filled with a clear certainty.
"Josuke."
"Yes! Mr. Jotaro!" Josuke instinctively straightened his body.
"How much of what I just said do you remember?" Jotaro asked.
Josuke tried hard to recall, but in the end could only say a few words. Jotaro then handed him the paper.
Jotaro nodded, his eyes fixed on him. "Good. These are not incantations of power, but coordinates of a 'path'."
He raised his hand and pointed to the sea: "My Stand, 'Star,' its power goes far beyond stopping time. Stopping is merely the superficial aspect.
This is the power to lock onto the unique, the direction of human progress."
"These fourteen secret phrases are the signposts I found to a deeper power. They correspond to different 'certainties,' different 'definitions,' but this path, I alone may not be able to complete."
Jotaro's gaze became incredibly serious. He placed both hands on Josuke's shoulders. "I need someone to help me walk this path. Josuke, you are my relative, and my friend. I trust you. Do you want revenge?"
Josuke listened, stunned. Jotaro's words rang like a great bell in his heart.
He remembered his mother's tragic death, Joseph Joestar's sacrifice, and the humiliation of being forced to flee. A surge of hot blood rushed to his head, and he clenched his fists tightly.
"I understand, Mr. Jotaro!" Josuke's eyes became incredibly resolute. "Although I don't quite understand those profound things, but... I will do my best to feel it!
To avenge everyone, to end all of this! Please, let me help you!"
Jotaro looked at the burning flame in his young uncle's eyes and nodded slightly. He turned back to the sea, his gaze filled with intense heat.
"If that is the case, then let us begin. Only by breaking destiny can one truly walk the correct path. After completing the challenge of fate, this path will truly be clear.
Josuke, walk this path with me. After we complete it, we will return to Japan and end this feud."
Jotaro once again looked into the distance. The souls of 36 sinners were meant to be wings to escort Dio to heaven, but for him, what was needed was different.
What he needed was to completely perfect his Golden Spirit, to grow spiritually while eradicating evil, transforming into something new, and finally completing the final step surrounded by friends and family.
"Mr. Jotaro, should I go call the other two now?"
Josuke also began to feel a renewed surge of passion, but this time his eyes held a hint of longing for power, a yearning for revenge. His Stand appeared behind him, but unlike before, the diamond had begun to turn black.
"Mm, go. This will be our journey to complete destiny."
Jotaro softly hummed in affirmation. Now he would lead others to eliminate Dio's remnants and truly complete the Golden Spirit amidst life's challenges.
Severing the century-long feud between Dio and the Joestar family.