Florida is a well known vacation destination in the United States. Either you go to Florida for one of two reasons. Either you are going to retire or party and yet for the young man coming into the country. He feels that this place is where he needs to be. Something in his blood both begged and stirred from him to be right here. Since becoming the leader of Passione, he's become more conserivative with the battles he fought. Yet, here he is going anyway. The private plane lands in the Miami International Airport. Cars quickly surround the plane. The pilot gives the signal for the stewardess to alert the passengers as the owner of the plane gave direct orders for the pilot to just fly.
"I just got word from the pilot that we have arrived safely." The stewardess said to her two passengers. "I hope you enjoy your stay in Miami. Your car is outside."
"Did you enjoy the ride, Mista?" One passenger said to the other.
"It was alright, boss." Mista said.
"I told you we've come too far together to use rank with me, it's just Giorno." Giorno said. "My new position hasn't gone to my head. Let's head out."
The two exit the plane and men in suits from the gang Passione open the car door for them. Giorno and Mista enter the car with Mista facing Giorno.
"Straight to the hotel, no stops." Giorno told the driver.
"You in a rush, Giorno?" Mista asked.
"I have a feeling trouble is close by." Giorno said. "I don't know where it is, but it's definitely nearby. I'd like to avoid it and actually enjoy my stay in the United States."
Giorno's blood ached for him to go see what was going on, but he wanted to go to the hotel. After everything he went through to get here, the friends he made that he lost for him to accomplish his dream. It tugged at his heart to potentially go into another adventure only to lose more companions and send him over the edge.
"If you say so." Mista said before he turned to the driver. "You heard the man, drive and get to the hotel on the double."
The driver nodded and started the car. Giorno and Mista were taken to their hotel that overlooked the beautiful Miami beach. They had two escort vehicles in front and behind them. Giorno kept his eye out the window, looking at the view of Miami.
"Giorno, you listening to me?" Mista asked as Giorno looked from the window. "I see you weren't. Anyways, Trish's band is in town. I just sent her a text, she'll come by to visit later. How long has it been since you saw Trish?"
"How long ago was Bucciarati's funeral?" Giorno asked.
"Ten years ago, your first act as boss was putting Bucciarati's body to rest in a proper Capo funeral." Mista said as he puts together Giorno's actual meaning. "That long huh, why's that?"
While Mista and Trish maintained a solid relationship over the years after a rocky start, Bucciarati's death caused a rift between Giorno and Trish. Only Giorno and Polnareff are the only two who knew at the time that Diavollo killed Bucciarati and Giorno kept him alive with Golden Wind. But after his soul ascended, Girono dealt with Diavollo but didn't tell Mista or Trish. Mista, knowing of Bucciarati's relationship with Giorno and trusting Giorno enough to know he had his reasons, understood why he didn't say anything. But Trish, she didn't understand. Their relationship only soured as Giorno who grieved in his own way didn't tell Trish why and after Capo's funeral, Trish left to form a band. Trish's band grew over the years and now she's a worldwide celebrity on a world tour.
"You know why." Giorno asked as he looked back at the view from his window. "What are the odds she'd be in Miami when we are?"
"Do you want me to answer that?" Mista asked before just not following up.
Giorno just let the beautiful sites of Miami pass him by until they made it to the hotel. Passione rented the entire hotel for Giorno's stay there. Giorno had the penthouse all to himself and Mista had his pick of any room he liked. The cars all pulled up and mob members opened the door for Giorno to exit along with Mista.
"No visitors." Giorno said to one of the mob members.
"But what about Trish?" Mista asked.
"Oh, let her pass when she arrives." Giorno ordered as he entered the hotel. "If she even comes to see us, that is. After everything, I'm sure she'll come up with a decent enough excuse to not show. I heard she did that for a few interviews for less than popular radio stations."
"And hear I thought you cut all ties with Trish." Mista commented.
Giorno let the sly comment slide as he knew Mista would catch the slight jab at Trish Giorno took.
"I'm going to take a nap, Mista." Giorno said. "So I'd like to be alone. My cell phone will be off, but my bed is by the room phone so call if anything that absolutely cannot wait needs my attention. The number to my room will be on the note underneath your room phone. Other than that, enjoy your vacation."
"Sure thing." Mista said. "It's not like you to take naps. Was it the long drive and jet lag?"
"Something like that." Giorno said.
Giorno took the elevator to the penthouse where he could finally be alone with his thoughts. It's been a decade since Bucciarati's passing and Giorno still keeps the arrow his best friend entrusted to him. His heart is pushing him to act on this bad feeling that someone is in trouble. That someone needs to be either killed or protected. Someone like him. Giorno keeps trying to empty his mind, but now there are no sights to get lost in. Mista isn't' around to distract him. He thought that now that he's here it would go it's not. Giorno just wants to be left alone. Just let the noise stop. So he gets in bed and waits for the noise to stop. To let the darkness envelop him.
Giorno is woken up to his phone ringing. He checks the time and it's only 6:00pm eastern time.
"Mista, what's the situation?" Giorno answered.
"Trish called, she's on her way." Mista said. "I gave her the directions and she said she'll be here within the hour. Any special requests?"
"Order room service for the three of us then." Giorno said. "The penthouse has a nice patio. We can all eat here and catch up. Sounds good?"
"Perfect." Mista said.
Giorno hung up the phone and hopped in the restroom for a quick shower. Changing into a pink outfit with his classic ladybug design, he awaited for Mista and Trish to arrive. Going to his patio, he sat down at a table and looked at the sun setting. The visual of the ocean swallowing the sun whole was quite relaxing. The sound of the elevator turned Giorno's attention to it and Mista entered with Trish. Giorno took a moment to take Trish in. Her bright pink hair styled back and her love of lavish clothing has not changed. With a pink bomber jacket as the final piece of a black with brown trim top as well as bottom outfit.
"Been a long time, Giorno." Trish said as she sat down in a seat across from Giorno as Mista took a seat next to Giorno.
"Yes it has, Trish." Giorno said with a smile that he hoped would dispel some of the obvious tension. "Tell me, how is the music business going for you? I read your last album went multi-platinum."
"Hmm, well informed." Trish said with a slight groan. "And yet, as usual you seem to have an idea on my life yet I don't know much about what you've been doing over the years."
"I assure you nothing of note, or anything worth hearing about, I'm interested in your life."Giorno said. "Is there a grammy potentially in your future? That would be something."
"Who are you to say what's interesting and what's not?" Trish asked as she was clearly agitated by Giorno's evasive comments about his life. "I know you've followed my career very closely, and you only text to say congratulations for public awards, but never to talk. You haven't changed."
"Hey Trish, the food should be here any second now." Mista said as he tried to dispel the tension. "We'll have pasta, chicken, with an array of juices, tea, and coffee. Have a nice family dinner like the old days. Bucciarati would want us to continue these traditions."
"I'm not sure Giorno cares much for tradition, or anything Bucciarati wanted to do." Trish said.
Her words stabbed Giorno like a knife between the ribs. Trish always said what she felt and always meant every word. So Giorno knew Trish truly thought little of him and the woman who placed absolute faith in him was gone. The woman before him was determined, strong, stood on her own two feet with her own opinions and wanted answers. Though Giorno remained undeterred despite warning glances from Mista.
"What do you want from me, Trish?" Giorno asked.
"The truth, Giorno." Trish said. "No more lies, or partial truths. What's happened to Bucciarati? What have you been doing all this time? Besides keeping tabs on me."
"Nothing you don't already know." Giorno answered.
"We're going to keep doing this, Giorno? Trish asked. "I just want to understand. I admit I may have been a bit insensitive to what you were going through when he died. I found some of his old letters and I understand you two were closer than I thought. He believed in your dream. So help me understand and see what he saw in you."
"Trish, you slapped me when I spoke at Bucciarati's funeral." Giorno said. "I tried to explain what happened. You didn't want to listen then. I didn't want to bring it up when you have a career you should be focused on."
"I see." Trish said as the food arrived. "Pack mine to go, I won't be staying."
Trish got up and Giorno nodded at the help to pack up Trish's food. Trish took her food and left the hotel. Giorno looked at Mista who gave him a disapproving look as Girono ate his dinner in silence. Mista finished first and placed a hand on Giorno's shoulder before he went back to his room. Giorno looked out to the beach and the sun was almost completely gone. The noise was back and now bigger than ever. Giorno needed to get away and he knew where he had to go. Giorno left the hotel.
"I'm heading out for a while, don't follow me." Giorno said.
Giorno went down the boardwalk and then into the inner city. Giorno kept his head down and just walked. As he did, he bumped into a young woman. As they bumped into each other, he took her wallet as she got up and kept going. The police were after her. Giorno looked inside the wallet which only had five US dollars.
"Hmm, this isn't enough for a pizza." Giorno said out loud as he put the wallet in his pocket.
Giorno found a bench to sit at. It wasn't sitting down for very long before the girl from earlier caught up to him. She looked tired and out of a breath. She gestured for a moment to take in some air before she pointed at him.
"You took my wallet." She said before she started to crack her knuckles. "Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Now I usually don't hit people like you, but I'm not having the best day and I have this feeling it will make me feel better."
"Here, I don't want any trouble." Giorno said as he handed her the wallet.
As their hands touched, he felt a strange familiarity to her. As if they knew each other. Giorno examined her closely, her hair was dyed green and blue. But he figured he was a natural brunette. A stylized but shredded muscle shirt hidden under a jacket with buttons on the shoulders. Long baggy pants that didn't fit her that showed off her underneath. Sneakers with no socks. She was running from the police, but it didn't look like some kid who committed her first crime. She did realize she was pickpocketed quicker than most. But the thing that bugged him the most, she looked at him like she felt whatever strange feeling he did too.
"Just who are you?" She asked.
"Giorno Giovanna, who are you?" Giorno responded.
"Jolyne Cujoh." She answered.
"Jojo." Giorno just blurted out.
"Jojo?" Jolyne asked. "My mom used to call me that. But that was a long time ago."
But before the conversation could continue further, two people interrupted them. Two guys, but from Giorno's perspective, he couldn't be too sure.
"I think we lost them, Jolyne." One said. "But we gotta move now."
"Freeze, nobody moves." A cop said with a pistol pointed at them.
"Shit, they got us." Jolyne said as she put her hands up with her two companions.
"Excuse me, officer." Giorno said as he got in front of them. "There seems to be some misunderstanding here. I'm on vacation and I asked for some local tour guides. These are my tour guides. Whoever you're looking for, it's not them."
"We got word of escaped convicts in the area, they match the description." The cop said.
"They may very well may, but they have been with me all day." Giorno said. "Check the lady's front pocket of her jacket. You'll find a diamond necklace with a ladybug emblem in there. It was my gift to her for giving me such a wonderful evening."
The cop searched her pocket and found the necklace. Jolyne gave a slight smirk at the sight of Giorno's stand slipping it in her pocket as Giorno talked.
"Forgive me, enjoy your night." The cop said as he hostered his pistol and left.
The three put their hands down as one mumbled about what Giorno did and the possibility that he groped Joylene.
"Convicts huh?" Giorno said. "You must be very sloppy."
"You don't look like a goody two shoes yourself, Giorno." Jolyne responded. "As a matter of fact, I know…"
"Let's keep whatever that was between us." Giorno quickly cut her off. "Tell me everything that's going on when we get to my hotel. I want to help."
"Look guys, we don't know you and while we appreciate the help, we don't need someone like you just butting in like you're going to run the place." One guy said. "We're not going to your hotel."
"I wasn't asking." Giorno Said as he clapped his hands and they were quickly surrounded then a car came around. "Coming?"
The car door opened with Mista ready with his revolver.
"Any of you even touch the boss and you'll eat lead." Mista said.
Giorno and Jolyne caught each other up in each other's situations. Girno talks about his time in Italy and his rise through the mafia ranks to him becoming the boss. Jolyne about being in prison and the corrupt pastor Enrico Pucci. Mista showed around Jolyne's companions Ermes and Anasui who also informed them about their missing friend Weather.
"Sorry to ruin your vacation, Giorno." Jolyne said with a bit of sadness.
"No, I want to help." Giorno said. "To be completely honest, I feel like this place is where I need to be and with you is where I should be. You can count on me to help."
"Appreciate it." Jolyne said, extending her hand to him.
Giorno shook it and they both felt the same feeling as before. A warm comfort and yet, unease. Jolyne wanted to punch him and hug him. Giorno felt a subtle fear of her and yet a reassurance since they were on the same side. The two didn't know what to make of their connection, but they knew they were bonded in some way.
"Mista calls Trish, we may need her help." Giorno said.
"Got it." Mista said.
"So, ready to kick some ass?" Jolyne asked Giorno.
"Always." Giorno said.
Somewhere in Florida at a church, a pastor is praying to a unique painting.
"My prayers have been answered." He said. "It's been so long since Egypt, and yet here you are granting me another gift. Oh DIO, your son is here. I'll protect him with my life and show him your dream. Together we will reach heaven and allow your soul to rest as we take vengeance on Jotaro as well as his brat."
The figure in the painting look vampiric and the candles lit around the pastor were quickly snuffed out with a wind shift.
"In the name of the father, son, and holy ghost." The pastor said. "I will knock on heaven's door."
Author's Note: This is a one shot and I will not be continuing this story. Just wanted to get back in the flow and write some Jojo pieces. This is the best of the bunch in my opinion. I don't own these characters and hopefully Stone Ocean will get an anime adaptation