In Chapter 10 of Stars Are Eternal (Chapter 343 overall for Jojo New Universe) it was implied that Joker new Goro Akechi. We'll be seeing more of that in this chapter. Disclaimer: I don't own the Persona series, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, or Juni Taisen.
Heist 11: A Phantom's Rival
June 07. As Ren came into school he noticed some of the students talking about a flyer set up in one the hallways. "I heard the student council president asked this to be set up." "Could this be about the rumors of that part-time job scam that's been going around?" "Job scam?," Morgana muttered. "I think I've heard some grumblings about it while we were walking through Shibuya," Ren noted, "Even Sojiro warned me to be careful. Guess that student council president caught wind up it reaching Shujin." "This could be serious," Morgana noted, "We should bring it up with the others."
Hiruta was talking to his class. "A lot of things in this world aren't what they seem. This is especially true of many facets of biology. Certain naming conventions, for example, can throw people off. The world is full of such fake names, one of the most well-known being the Komodo dragon. For a more subtle take on this concept, observe this creature." He showed a diagram of a red king crab. "Now while this specimen is called a red king crab, it's not truly a king crab at all. Mister Amamiya, do you know what family of crab this species is most closely related to?" "Hermit crabs," Ren replied. Hiruta clapped. "Yes, that's exactly right."
He showed a picture of a typical king crab, and the differences were quite obvious. "As you'll notice, the red king crab has its legs facing backward instead of forward like a typical king crab, and unlike a king crab's five pairs of legs it merely has four pairs. Speaking of crabs in general, the tomalley of a crab isn't actually in its brain, but actually resides in the liver and pancreas. The world is full of such deceptions." "Kinda reminds me how Mitsuhide was deceiving Madarame," Morgana noted, "And also I just got a sudden craving for crab meat."
After class, Ren got another call from Mishima. 'Yuuki Mishima: Got a hot new tip that you might like. Seems there's a group of burglars that have been terrorizing Shibuya, targeting restaurants and breaking in after they close for the day. Some idiots actually think it's the Phantom Thieves.' 'Ren Amamiya: They really are stupid. The Phantom Thieves never steal from innocent people. There's no honor in such petty burglary. Do you know who this gang is?' 'YM: Not yet, I'm still gathering info. But when I know, you'll know. I'm also trying to find more information on this Dog guy. Hopefully I'll have something soon.'
The group grabbed a quick dinner at the Hilton, where Ren discussed the issue with the job scam. "Maybe this could be a lead to our next big job," Ryuji suggested. "We'd need more information first," Sumire noted, "And right now it's all going to the student council president. I think her name was… Makoto Niijima." "We'll wait on this one until we know we're needed," Ren suggested, "Besides, we haven't even had a proper celebration for defeating Mitsuhide." That evening, Ren used some more nutrients on his plant and made some coffee before going to sleep.
June 08. Ren had class with Ushimaru. "Tomorrow you have your social studies trip. I notice that we have a rather large going to a television studio this year, not that I'm surprised. Just make sure to use this opportunity to think about the future you want. But speaking of TV brings something to mind. Mister Amamiya, can you tell me what started appearing in color almost as soon as the color TV become wide-spread?" Ren thought for a second before answering, "Dreams." Ushimaru nodded. "Yes, that's exactly correct."
The got the class curious. "You see before color TV," Ushimaru explained, "Most people had their dreams in black and white. This was largely due to not having much basis in the mind for color based media unless they were real art nuts. But color broadcasts became the norm, dreams started being mostly in color. What makes this truly remarkable is that people see the world in color, regardless of TV's existence. It's possible that once 3D television becomes normal we could start having dreams where we can sense flavor, smell, and heat." "Now that would be something," Morgana admitted, "Of course, being a cat, all my dreams are black and white even with color TV. The downsides of being color-blind…"
During lunch, Makoto visited the principal's office. "I'm afraid it's worse than I thought sir. No sooner did the notice get put up then the student council's office get flooded with anonymous info, most of it from students claiming to be blackmailed for something." Kobayakawa's face turned grim. "So… It has been spreading to Shujin. First the business with Toshiro, now this. If it's getting this bad…" He looked at his cell phone, and Makoto noticed it featured the Phan-Site. "Sir, are you really sure about this?" "They've helped our school before," Kobayakawa said solemnly, "And I fear we may need their help again…"
Ren decided to finish Playing the Game at the school library. "In the end it was just a sleazy pickup book written by some playboy," he noted. "True," Morgana admitted, "But there was some advice in there that made sense. Apply the right techniques and you could come off as more charming, a must for a Phantom Thief." Ren smiled. "Well, let's head home. We have a big day at the social studies trip tomorrow." He decided to cap off the evening by making some more coffee, which was proving quite the pick-me-up during heists.
June 09. As it happened, the studio trip in Suidobashi was turning out to be a real bummer. Most of the information being told by the tour guide was stuff the group already knew. "I'm not sure if it'd be better with Yusuke here or not," Ann said with a sigh. "At least it's not a total loss," Ryuji said with a grin, "Remember that look on that cameraman's face when Sumire's dad showed up and told him off for making guests do manual labor?" The four of them got a good laugh out of that. "Seriously," Sumire said, "Even Kawakami was livid when that guy tried to rope Ryuji and Ren into moving those cables."
"Well, what do we wanna do now?," Ann asked, "We get to go straight home from here, but that seems a waste since we normally don't hang around this area much." "I know a place!," Morgana called out, "I wanna go to that huge pancake-looking place we passed on the way here! It looked delicious!" "Oh you must mean Dome Town!," Ryuji exclaimed, "That building was actually a baseball stadium, and along the outside is an amusement park." "It's got some hardcore rides too," Ann noted, "But none for cats." Morgana nodded. "I've been practicing shapeshifting into a human form, but I haven't really mastered it yet… But when I do, I'll be sure to try out these hardcore rides!"
"Looks like we're all set on Dome Town," Ren noted. "Now there's a voice I've heard before," came a young man's voice. The group turned to see the brown-haired young man approach. Ren smirked. "Goro Akechi. It's been a while." "Wait," Ryuji said, "You know this guy? He's supposed to be a famous detective." "Ren and I are previous acquaintances," Goro explained, "I'm actually here to do a TV interview in light of the recent arrest of Mitsuhide Kinmyujiamu. Anyway, I just wanted to say hello since I recognized your voice. I have a briefing to attend about tomorrow's recording. Enjoy your cake."
"What cake?," Sumire asked. Goro looked surprised. "Wasn't one of you talking about delicious pancakes?" "He heard me!?," Morgana called out. Goro blinked. "Oh… A talking cat… I take it he's a Stand user as well?" Ann looked shocked. "You're a Stand user." "Goro actually knows me and Violet because he's our rival as a Great Detective to our Phantom Thieves," Ren explained, "And the only way he's been to keep up with us is because of his own Stand." "Don't worry," Goro assured them, "I don't plan on arresting any of you, or exposing you. Unless I happen to catch you during a heist, that is. It's much more of a challenge that way. Well, see you around." He walked off.
Later the group was enjoying themselves at Dome Town, in spite of Goro's reveal. "So we've got ourselves a rival now," Ryuji noted, "Though he's likely building up a team. We do kinda outnumber him, after all. Especially if that job back in Morioh is anything to go by." "Say Ren," Ann said, "Just how did Goro figure out you and Sumire are Phantom Thieves?" Ren chuckled. "I flat out told him when we ran into each other at cram school. He was shocked, but he decided not to do anything about it, thinking no one would believe him without solid evidence." "Talk about a refuge in audacity," Morgana said.
"If he knows who we are," Ryuji said, "I think we can assume he knows about Yusuke's connection to us. Still, it's kinda exciting to have a real Great Detective trying to catch us. Adds an extra layer of challenge to it, especially since he's a Stand user as well." "Thing is though," Sumire said, "We've never really seen his Stand. We know he has one since he can see our Stands, but he's been hampered a lot by the local police." "That's not entirely true," Ren noted, "I was able to catch a glimpse of it during the Morioh job, when the two of us and Jogo Higashikata were dealing with those shard bearers trying to outdo us. Anyway, I wonder what he'll be talking about tomorrow."
June 10. Goro was speaking with the hosts of a popular talk show, the group watching in the crowd. "So Akechi," the female host said, "Is there a particular case on your mind right now?" "As a matter of fact there is," Goro replied, "It concerns the recent arrest of Kinmyujiamu." "I thought as much," the male host said, "I knew the talk of these Phantom Thieves has reached your ears." Goro chuckled. "I've actually been tracking the Phantom Thieves since before they were operating in Tokyo. And yes, as many people are starting to suspect, they have only ever stolen from criminals, such as when they stole Kinmyujiamu's prized painting, the Golden Labyrinth."
"So Akechi," the male host said, "What are your thoughts on these justice-oriented thieves?" "If I had to give them an analogy," Goro replied, "I would compare it to if I met Santa Claus. On the one hand, my duty as a detective would have me arrest Santa for breaking and entering, but the human side of me would understand that he's not doing so maliciously and is trying to offer good kids a reward for their efforts. It's the same with the Phantom Thieves. I truly believe they stand for justice, but there's no denying they have committed a number of lesser crimes."
"Is that why the police haven't been focused on them as much?," the female host asked. Goro nodded. "Yes. The criminals the Phantom Thieves steal from are guilty of far more serious crimes, so while myself or the police will try to arrest the Phantom Thieves should we catch a glimpse of them, we also make sure to arrest the criminals left behind since they are the bigger offenders." The female host stood up. "Now, let's get some opinions from the audience." The group got surprised when she chose to offer the mic to Ren. "So, what would your thoughts on the Phantom Thieves be?"
"To be honest," Ren said, "I also think they stand for justice. And while it is true that taking the law in one's own hands is illegal, and they do steal possessions from their targets, one can't deny that they have exposed some very dangerous criminals." Goro nodded. "My sentiments exactly. And I hope they continue to act in a manner that serves justice, though I will be hot on their trail should they stray from that path…" Ren smirked, and the others knew why. They were secretly challenging each other. Unseen by most, W Boiled Xtreme appeared behind Ren, while behind Goro manifested a pure white humanoid male with a feather mask and carrying a large bow. 'Break the Chain,' Ren thought, 'Goro's Stand.'
That evening, Ren explained what he knew of Goro's Stand while Kawakami was cleaning the hideout. "Goro's power involves being able to rend spatial reality," he explained, "It manifests in the form of arrows that can either slice through reality, or just flat out cause damage." "Would it be able to damage you in your intangible form?," Ryuji asked. "That's a good question," Ren noted, "Considering me and Sumire have always managed to stay one step ahead of Goro at all times, we've never had to actually face off against him or Break the Chain. It'd be interesting to find out, though."
June 11. The talk show was quite the buzz with the school, even Usami was talking about it. "All this talk of thieves and such puts in mind the idea of gold. The value of gold has been high since ancient times, and there has never been a more stable resource. In fact… Mister Amamiya, can you imagine how much gold has been excavated by humanity over the course of history?" Ren really had to think about this one, but he finally hit on an answer. "Three Olympic-sized pools." "Correct," Usami said, "Not as much as some of you thought, right? It's because gold is so rare that its value is so high."
The class was murmuring about how some of them thought it was more, and some thought it was less. "Incidentally," Usami continued, "They say around sixteen percent of all the world's gold can be found right here in Japan. But believe it or not, it's not because of Tokugawa Clan's buried gold. Rather, all that gold can be found in discarded home electronics. Think about it… An entire junkyard could be worth more than a single gold bar in America's Fort Knox." "It's too bad we can't get our hands on a gold bar to test that theory," Morgana muttered.
During lunch, the quartet got together. "I heard Makoto has been taking in numerous requests from the student body," Ryuji said, "And there was a request on the Phan-Site asking for help against that rumored job scam. From the wording, I'm betting it was Principal Kobayakawa." "Why would he want the Phantoms help?," Ann asked. "We helped out the school when Toshiro was terrorizing it, right?," Morgana noted, "The principal probably felt overwhelmed hearing how many students were ensnared. This could lead us to another member of the organization. We'll have to keep on eye on this request." Ren nodded.
After school, the group met up with Yusuke. "In spite of Goro making it plain that he intends to arrest us given the chance," he noted, "His glowing praise regarding our actions towards justice have generated quite the positive buzz on the Phan-Site. But there's little information about this job scam. Plenty of rumors, but nothing concrete. A name would certainly be helpful." "We can let information roll in a little," Morgana said, "For right now we need to have our celebration after our recent victory." "Let's make it a little more laid-back," Ren suggested, "The attic at the cafe where I live has a portable stove, perfect for hotpot. And with the money we made selling off the Golden Labyrinth, we can have quite the selection of ingredients."
That evening, Makoto and her sister Sae were having dinner together. On the TV was the talk show featuring Goro. "You're working with him, yeah Sis?," Makoto asked. Sae nodded. "Yes. He's a good partner to work with. He's actually a Stand user like we are." "And probably like Dad was…," Makoto muttered. She looked as Sae. "Hey… Do you think Dad would have worked with the Phantom Thieves?" "If it meant capturing a more dangerous criminal?," Sae replied, "Yes. He absolutely would have. Of course, the Phantoms would have had to earn his trust first." That got Makoto thinking.
The group finished off their hot pot. As they did, Ren explained a bit about how he and Sumire got involved with each other as Phantom Thieves. "I just happened to overhear some individuals bragging about a jewel they had stolen from the Joestar estate," Ren explained, "I couldn't let them get away with it. So I created the first calling card I ever used and told them I'd be coming for it. I focused on using my Stand to create a disguise in case they saw me, and with W Boiled Xtreme's help I snagged the jewel and mailed it to the Joestar manor anonymously."
"He met up with me by accident during another heist," Sumire said, "By that time Joseph Joestar had gotten wind of who was retrieving his family's treasures and was hiring him regularly. By reflex, I helped Ren escape a dangerous opponent and we became partners. We sorta fell in love on the job." "That sounds so romantic," Ann said, "Two mysterious thieves joining forces on a whirlwind tour." "Did you ever have to leave Japan to find some of these treasures?," Yusuke asked. "All the time ," Ren admitted, "And I've tangled with plenty of notorious thieves as I did so. Even the infamous Lupin the Third." Ryuji gave a whistle of appreciation. "That's top tier right there."
"Come to think about it," Sumire said, "The last piece of the collection we stole was found in that casino. And given how it disappeared after we left…" "You think it might an overlay-based Stand?," Ren asked, "Like the ones used by Toshiro and Mitsuhide?" "Perhaps the same organization we are tracking stole the Joestar Collection," Yusuke suggested, "As to the motive, it was likely a display of power. The Joestars are legendary among Stand users after all." "Yeah," Ryuji said, "We got Jotaro Kujo who can stop time, his daughter Jolyne who can disassemble herself into strings, George Joestar III who uses his fingernails as ammo… Even Old Man Joseph has that spirit photography trick."
That night as he slept, Ren found himself back in the Velvet Room. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," Igor admitted, "And from what I've been seeing, I believe you may be onto something. I can be no coincidence that the last piece of the collection you had been hunting was found in the possession of a member of the organization that threatens Tokyo." "And Akira masterminded the whole thing," Ren noted. "Hmm, I wonder about that," Igor said, "We're not even entirely sure if he is really in charge, or if he simply another piece of the puzzle, with someone else behind him. But perhaps we'll find out in time. Until then, you should continue to look into this job scam that's been talked about."
June 12. Makoto was at cram school and wound up running into Goro. "Oh," Goro said, "You're Sae's sister, correct?" "Oh yeah," Makoto said, "I saw you on TV. Tell me something… Why pursue the Phantom Thieves while still believing in their justice?" "Justice is a rather subjective concept," Goro admitted, "It's never black and white, and it's far from synonymous with law. Especially here in Japan, you can't expect justice to be commonplace in the current court system. That's why I believe in the Phantom Thieves and their justice, because they can do what police are forbidden to do in pursuit of true evils. That said, I look forward to the day when I can finally catch them."
Makoto smirked. "You're enjoying this far too much." "That's because I happen to be good friends with the leader of the Phantom Thieves, known as Joker," Goro admitted, "In fact, our relationship with each other is similar to that of Koichi Zenigata and Arsene Lupin III. The next generation, if you will. To be honest, Makoto, you strike me as the sort of person who could fit very neatly on both sides, either a Great Detective or a Phantom Thief." He walked off. "Funny he should mention that…," Makoto muttered, "Because I have been considering…"
Later that day, Ann got an invite from Mika to take part in a photo shoot at Asakusa. However, Mika was in for a surprise when Ann and her friends showed up. "You're refusing the shoot?" "I'm still trying to figure out what being a model really is," Ann pointed out, "Let's face it, you originally looked up to me as a senior, but I think we both know I only got as far as I did coasting on connections and natural looks. But after hearing from some of the others how hard you've been working, I've decided amateur hour is over." She started to walk off. "We'll be facing off before long, but only when I'm really ready. And, word of advice. Removing people from the job just because they don't live up to your standard is no way to get ahead in this business."
Mika blinked, then smirked. "I underestimated her…" The group headed back to Shibuya. "What made you think Mika was responsible for the false rescheduling?," Morgana asked. "Mika's been way too popular lately," Ann pointed out, "She's been in way more photo shoots than she really should. It was really only a hunch, so I had Mishima look into it. Turns out she didn't hide her tracks well, even using her own phone to send the messages, though she did disguise the emails as coming from the agency. However, sooner or later the agency will get wise to her tricks, which will hopefully remind her that this business is all about hard work under any circumstance."
That evening the group was again helping Yoshida. Most of the crowd wasn't listening, thinking his speech was just copied from a popular Diet member. "So now you're stealing other people's speeches 'No-Good Tora'!," called out the heckler from a few weeks ago. "You're being annoying to the audience," Ren called out calmly, "Now just shut up and listen to what Yoshida has to say." Yoshida looked at Ren, and become emboldened, straightening up. "It is true that I am No-Good Tora, and have committed several dishonorable acts in the past."
The group saw a certain glow coming from his throat. "But that has nothing to do with my words right now! All that I speak of, I learned from twenty long years of hardship trying to rise above the mistakes of my past, learn from them, and become a better man as a result!" That got the crowd's attention. After the speech was over, even the former heckler was apologizing for being too narrow-minded. Yoshida chuckled warmly. "It looks like my Stand is coming back in full force. I actually felt it grow stronger with that speech." "Nice to finally see it in action," Ryuji said, "Hopefully you can put it to good use in the future." Yoshida nodded. "We'll see. I have a very good feeling about my odds now."
I had to make some minor changes in light of the ending to "A Gentleman, A Thief, A King, and A Hero", plus the recent chapter of Stars Are Eternal. Originally I said Ren had never encountered Goro's Stand and that all the pieces of the Joestar Collection had been in Japan. But Chapter 10 of Stars Are Eternal made it clear Ren had to have at least seen what Goro's Stand can do, and the last chapter of GTKH had Ren taking a piece of the Joestar collection from a museum in Great Britain. So I changed things around a little to make the timeline consistent. Read and review.
