Chapter 25: [Judgement]
Just as Shirou Emiya and the others were discussing how to continue their journey to Egypt and how to deal with DIO's Stand users if they encountered them on the high seas, a small incident was unfolding in the restaurant Joseph had rented out with his "money power."
The chefs were in the kitchen, preparing the dishes that were about to be served. No—it wasn't just the chefs. Even the waiters of this establishment had been summoned to the back kitchen by the owner.
The owner's opening statement was a bombshell: he was replacing every single one of them.
"Boss, do you not trust our cooking?" the head chef asked indignantly. He was practically squaring up against the owner.
In 1990s Hong Kong, a chef—especially one who had reached the rank of head chef—was a hot commodity, likely headhunted by other restaurants many times over. Against this backdrop, he lived by the creed of working wherever the pay was highest. The "Boss"? It wasn't even certain who the real authority in this restaurant was. His confidence stemmed entirely from his culinary skills. As long as his reputation remained intact, he never worried about finding work.
But what was the owner trying to do now? He was essentially saying the head chef's skills weren't up to par and was inviting someone "better" to take over his shift to cook for big spenders like Shirou and the group. If this actually happened, how could he show his face in the culinary world again? The owner was trying to smash his rice bowl!
"That's right. And I'm not negotiating with you; I'm informing you," the owner said. Facing the aggressive head chef and the large crew behind him, the owner didn't compromise an inch. "I'll tell you straight: either you all take a voluntary leave of absence today, or I fire the lot of you and vacate these spots regardless."
"...You!!" The head chef pointed a finger at the owner.
"What, not satisfied?" the owner continued his verbal assault. "And you lot, too!" After shutting down the chef, he turned to the waiters.
"Do you know who we are hosting today? Do you know who booked this entire place?! That is the founder of Joestar Real Estate from America! He is a close associate of the SPW Foundation—a mega-conglomerate that isn't just limited to America but has profound influence in every country! You could even say Joseph Joestar is the hidden boss of the SPW Foundation!
Our restaurant is honored to host such a distinguished guest, but what are you doing? You aren't taking it seriously at all! Just because there's only one table of guests, I see a bunch of you slacking off in the corner!?"
The owner's words were heavy. Even the waiters and chefs, who had been annoyed by his seemingly baseless interrogation, were stunned into silence by the information regarding Joseph's background. Was that ordinary-looking old man really such a powerful figure? You couldn't tell at all.
In reality, it wasn't just them. Even the original owner of this building didn't know Joseph's true identity. Joseph's personality was such that he usually flew economy class and didn't even realize he could fly first class or just buy a private jet. Without a certain level of status, how could anyone know that an entire organization like the SPW Foundation provided him with unconditional support?
The owner of this restaurant certainly didn't have the status to know such secrets.
...Unless he wasn't actually the owner of this restaurant.
"Therefore, I have decided that the service and kitchen work from here on will be handled by Mr. Cameo and his team!"
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"[Judgement], that is my Stand. Representing the Judgement Tarot card, my ability is to project the desires within a human heart into soil, thereby creating that wish.
Joestar, did you think that by picking a random restaurant and booking the whole place to keep others away, you could prevent us from infiltrating? Too naive! Lord DIO's power is beyond your imagination!"
When Shirou and the others first entered this restaurant, Cameo had been following them, intending to enter as well. Upon hearing from a waiter that the place was fully booked, he realized that Shirou's group hadn't just chosen a place at random.
Or rather, before arriving at the restaurant, they had instructed the SPW Foundation to pick a venue and book it out.
Only after randomly selecting one from the many restaurants in Hong Kong would they be told the location. This way, DIO's Stand users, who only had their eyes on the targets themselves, couldn't know the location in advance. Even Joseph only knew the specific restaurant once the SPW Foundation sent the coordinates. They arrived here before Cameo could even react.
Anyone else might have given up and waited for the next ambush opportunity. But who was Cameo? He was the user of [Judgement]. How could a mere waiter keep him outside?
"Lord DIO foresaw such things happening and chose me to handle you!"
Of course, direct violence was out of the question. Shirou and the group were already inside. Unless Cameo could instantly kill every pedestrian on the street, the scream of a dying waiter would alert those inside.
Therefore, Cameo's method was simple:
"—Hail 2 U (As you wish)!!"
He hadn't come alone. He had his companion make a wish to his Stand. By referencing the introductory materials displayed in the restaurant lobby, he used his Stand ability to fabricate a clay doll of the restaurant owner!
"You dare to kick me out? Now, I want to see which one of us is going to kick the other out!?"
Carrying the owner-puppet, a petty and arrogant Cameo stepped back into the restaurant.