[254] JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Premieres! (16)

Chapter 254: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Premieres! (16)

The movie's story continues.

After Jonathan suffered severe injuries, Speedwagon was eager to help him.

However, as the night passed, he was astonished to find a blonde woman tirelessly wiping Jonathan's burned body over and over again.

Even when blisters formed on her hands, she remained oblivious to the pain.

After countless repetitions, Jonathan finally regained consciousness and recognized the blonde woman as none other than Erina, his childhood sweetheart.

The two quickly rekindled their old feelings.

Meanwhile, with the help of the poison dealer, Dio lurked in the dark corners of the city, searching for new minions.

He had survived—and now, he was ready to expand his evil plans to the entire world.

As Jonathan's injuries neared full recovery, he desperately searched through the ruins of the mansion for the Stone Mask, but no matter how hard he looked, it was nowhere to be found.

On his way back, he suddenly encountered a peculiar man. Dressed in a white suit and sporting two small mustaches, the man had an eccentric appearance.

"Jonathan Joestar, I never expected you to survive after battling the power of the Stone Mask."

With those words, the man suddenly jabbed his finger into Jonathan's abdomen, rendering him immobile.

"Empty your lungs completely—not a single drop of air left."

As soon as he finished speaking, he gently withdrew his hand. Jonathan, who had been on guard, was shocked to discover that his severely wounded right arm was gradually healing.

"What's going on? My arm...?"

"I am Baron Zeppeli. Courage alone won't be enough to defeat the Stone Mask."

Jonathan couldn't comprehend what had just happened. With a mere gesture from the strange man before him, his broken arm had completely healed—it was nothing short of a miracle.

"What did you do? Who are you?"

"One question at a time, JoJo. That wasn't me—it was your own breathing that erased the pain."

"What?"

"If you want answers, follow me. But once you learn the truth about who I am, your fate will be forever changed."

The sudden appearance of the mysterious Baron Zeppeli and his enigmatic power added a new layer of suspense to the unfolding story.

…

The audience was caught off guard by the sudden shift in the movie's direction. Shocked expressions filled the theater as viewers voiced their excitement and anticipation.

After all, knowing that Dio was still alive—and now wielding the terrifying power of a vampire—naturally made them hope that the protagonist's side would also grow stronger, at least enough to stand on equal footing against the fearsome villain.

The unexpected arrival of this mysterious man, Zeppeli, left the audience in awe, sparking wild speculation about his true identity.

…

In the movie, Zeppeli led Jonathan to the water's edge, where he introduced him to a technique called the Ripple breathing method.

To demonstrate its power, he delivered a punch to a frog sitting on a rock. Incredibly, the frog remained unharmed, while the rock beneath it shattered into pieces.

After that, Zeppeli revealed a shocking truth to Jonathan—Dio was still alive, and the Stone Mask had not been destroyed.

For decades, Zeppeli had been searching for the Stone Mask's whereabouts. His sole mission was to destroy it and defeat anyone who wielded its cursed power.

Thus, he invited Jonathan to join him in the battle against Dio.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Dio was rapidly regaining his strength by draining the blood of ordinary people. With his power restored, he resolved to gather wicked allies and conquer the world in one decisive strike.

As Jonathan trained under Zeppeli in the ways of the Ripple, he also learned of his mentor's past.

Zeppeli had first encountered the Stone Mask in his youth while excavating an ancient ruin. During his voyage home, someone had carelessly put on the mask—unleashing its horror upon the entire ship. Everyone on board was slaughtered. Zeppeli was the sole survivor.

And the one who had donned the Stone Mask… was his own father.

From that moment on, Zeppeli had devoted his life to tracking down and destroying the Stone Mask, vowing to put an end to its dark power.

Eventually, Zeppeli discovered the Ripple breathing technique and realized that it was the only way to defeat vampires who had donned the Stone Mask.

The essence of this breathing method was to stimulate the energy within one's blood—an energy nearly identical to the life force that vampires absorb from human blood. Moreover, the Ripple carried a wave-like energy similar to that of the sun itself.

Jonathan was deeply shaken upon learning this truth. Determined to master the Ripple, he vowed to defeat Dio and save the world.

Some time later, Speedwagon uncovered Dio's whereabouts in a secluded mountain town known as Wind Knight's Lot. Without hesitation, he informed Jonathan and Zeppeli, and together, they set out for the dangerous location.

Midway through their carriage journey, the horses suddenly stopped. When the group stepped outside to investigate, they were met with a chilling sight—several decapitated horses blocking the road.

Before they could process what was happening, a terrifying figure emerged from the corpses.

While both Jonathan and Speedwagon were momentarily overwhelmed by fear, Zeppeli remained unfazed. Effortlessly, he blocked the enemy's attack and took the opportunity to explain the fundamentals of battle to Jonathan.

"JoJo, do you know about fleas? These insignificant little insects constantly challenge creatures far larger than themselves. But can that really be called courage? No! A flea's actions are not courage!"

"Then what is courage? Courage is understanding fear. It is mastering fear!"

"Fear disrupts your breathing rhythm. But the moment you take control of your fear, your breathing will remain steady. The Ripple breathing technique is born from courage. The song of humanity is the song of courage! The greatness of humanity is the greatness of courage! No matter how powerful these corpses may seem, they know nothing of courage. They are nothing more than fleas!"

With those powerful words, Zeppeli swiftly overpowered the vampire before them.

However, instead of finishing off the enemy himself, he entrusted the task to Jonathan—while giving him a strict condition.

He handed Jonathan a glass of red wine and ordered him to fight without spilling a single drop.

"A warrior is forged in the cold wind, JoJo. If you dare to spill even a drop of this wine, no matter what, I will abandon you."

Faced with Zeppeli's harsh training, Jonathan did not hesitate. Clutching the wine glass tightly, he stepped forward with unwavering resolve.

Through the trials of hardship and the crushing weight of fear, Jonathan finally understood why Zeppeli had trained him this way.

"A warrior is forged in the cold wind... So that's what this means. This glass of wine is the cold wind! I can feel the Ripple flowing through it—spreading from the cup to my arm, passing through my body, and reaching the ground. I can even sense that creature's life vibrations... This wine glass is the Ripple detector that Master Zeppeli has given me!"

His heart pounded with an overwhelming intensity, burning as if it were about to be consumed by flames.

"I've found you, vampire!"

"Let the Ripple travel through the walls—Ripple Overdrive!"

With those words, Jonathan unleashed the Ripple, channeling it through the wall. In an instant, the energy surged through the structure, striking down the enemy hidden in the shadows—defeating them in a single blow!

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