The reason I pick Kars to be the best candidate for the JoJo villain in Amphibia is because...well, try to imagine what would happen if his stone body crash landed in Amphibia years prior. As for Funny Valentine, keep in mind he's not the same as the one from Steel Ball Run. His personality is the same, but his goal is not. I still have second thoughts on keeping him, though. And DIO? He's dead and not coming back.

The frog being carried by the dragonflies whizzed by. "Yep, it's been three months. Still up here!"

In the Sundews' house, Johan looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, taking note of the state of his bare body, completely bare of any scars and blemishes, save for the star-shaped birthmark just above the left shoulder and the small scar on his lip. In all honesty, he should look like his old clothes right now, full of holes like Swiss cheese. But thanks to Anne's Ripple, he was perfectly fine. Physically, anyway.

His eyes shut tight as he recalled the events back in Toad Tower. Sasha kidnapping all the frogs, her trying to get Hop Pop executed for something that wasn't his fault, the duel with Sasha, her activating her...power if you could call it, her almost killing him, Anne activating her own power, the tower's collapse, Sasha letting go of Anne...

The sound of the door knocking snapped him out of his thoughts and he realized he was gripping the edge of the sink tightly. "Hey, JoJo!" shouted Ivy's voice. "Hurry up in there! Sprig and Anne want to meet up with us!"

"C-Coming!" Johan said as he dried himself off and put on a forest green tunic with a red sash tied around the waist, white trousers and brown sandals.

Johan and Ivy met up with Anne and Sprig at the Plantar's farm house. "Hey," Johan called out to Anne, who was sitting on the roof next to Sprig.

"Hey, JoJo."

"Hey, Sprig," called out Ivy.

"Hey, Ivy," he called back. "So, whatcha up to?"

"Oh, you know, helping JoJo recover. You?"

"Same with Anne," Sprig said before he inhaled and exhaled. "Spring is finally here."

"All right, Sprig. New season, new possibilities," said Anne with a smile. "I'm ready to blossom into my best self."

"So, are you and JoJo feeling better about the whole Sasha incident?" Sprig asked her.

Ivy gasped and said, "Ixnay, ixnay!" as she looked at Johan who stared into space along with Anne. After a few seconds, Anne said, "Yep. Totally fine."

"Hey, Anne," Johan said hesitantly. "I know we swore not to talk about...what happened with Sasha, but did you find out how to go into super blue mode yet?"

Sprig gave him a weird look. "Super blue mode? Is that what we're calling her power?"

"Well, I was gonna call it Super Saiyan Blue, but it's already been taken."

"I don't know what you're talking about. What about you, Ivy?"

Ivy shrugged her shoulders. "Dunno."

Anne looked at her hands. "I tried, but nothing happens."

"Well, can you try again?"

"Alright." She stood up, strained her face and grunted loudly. Finally, she stopped and let out an exhale. "Nothing."

Johan grimaced. "Don't do that again, Anne. It makes you look constipated."

"Oh, look," said Ivy. "It's your grandpa and Polly, Sprig!"

"Yoo-hoo!" Hop Pop called out as he rode on Bessie. The snail was pulling a wagon that looked like a miniature version of the Plantar farmhouse. Upon seeing this, Sprig hopped off the roof. Anne tried to do the same, only to slip and land on her butt. She got up and rubbed her sore bottom as she joined Sprig. "Whoa, Hop Pop. What is this thing?" he asked.

"Impressive, huh? This here's an all-terrain, custom-modeled family wagon. Calling it the fwagon."

"We're not calling it that," said Johan.

"Hey! I bought it, I'll call it whatever I want!"

Ivy sniffed a little. "Why does it smell strange?"

"That's why we got it so cheap," said Hop Pop.

"The previous owners died in it!" said Polly with sadistic glee.

"So, why did you buy this coffin on wheels?" asked Johan.

"Well, with the snow melted and the mountain pass open, we can finally travel outside the valley to Newtopia!"

Sprig and Ivy let out excited gasps. "Oh, my frog! We're going to Newtopia?" the former asked.

"What's in Newtopia?" asked Anne.

Hop Pop led the group inside the fwagon, unfolded a map of Amphibia and pointed to the exact center of the lily pad-shaped island. "It's the beating heart of Amphibia. A bustling metropolis full of ancient knowledge, run by the wisest of newts. If anyone can help you two get home, it's them!"

"So mystical," said Sprig with awe.

Johan and Anne hoped that meant what they thought Hop Pop meant. "So, does that mean these nerdy newts might actually be Anne and I's ticket home?"

"Not only that, but maybe out on the road we'll find Marcy." said Anne.

"You betcha," said Hop Pop. "Pack your things, kids. We leave tonight."

The three frog kids cheered and danced around in a circle. "We're going to Newtopia!"

"Ooh," said Hop Pop as he scratched the back of his head. "This is awkward."

"Why is it awkward?" asked Sprig. "Me, my sisters, my girlfriend, JoJo and my Hop Pop are going to Newtopia together!"

"Sisters?" asked Anne.

"Well, yeah, don't you think you qualify as a family member after all that's happened?" Anne blushed when Sprig said that.

"I have an older sister!" cheered Polly.

"Ah, see, the thing is..." said Hop Pop. "There's not enough room for all of us."

There was a moment's silence, then Sprig said, "Well, you heard him, JoJo. Off the fwagon."

"WHAT?!"

"Sprig," said Ivy. "You know how much this trip means for him. Besides, someone has to help Mom around at the tea shoppe."

"But..." said Sprig sadly.

"Hey." Ivy held his hand. "How about this? You get me a souvenir after you return from Newtopia. The best one you can find. Will that make you feel better?"

"I guess..."

"Great!" She gave him a hug and he started blushing.

"Alright, break it up, love frogs," said Hop Pop. "Say, Anne, since you don't have a lot to pack, could you give Chuck the spare key when he swings by?" he asked as he held up the key.

"Who's Chuck?" she asked.

"He's that farmer who shouts 'I grow tulips!' all the time," said Johan. "To be honest, I've never heard him say anything else."

Anne tried to recall, then said, "Nope, not ringing a bell. Why does he need a key?"

"Because I hired him to protect the house from all the things waiting to destroy it," said Hop Pop.

"Wait! What?"

"An empty house is vulnerable, Anne. Needs protectin'. Not to mention our crops, the very soul of a farm. Left alone to face wildfires, locusts, tornadoes, flaming locust tornadoes. Anyway, here you go," he said as he handed Anne the key.

"Didn't realize you guys are risking so much to help me," she said as she looked at it.

"Don't you think you're exaggerating, Hopediah?" asked Johan. A tornado composed of flaming locusts zipped by in the background, destroying a windmill and making the windmill keeper scream in agony. "Never mind."

"All right, kids. Time to get packing," said Hop Pop as he and his grandkids went in the house.

"Hmm," said Johan thoughtfully. "Now that I think about it, I'm going to need someone to watch over Passione while I'm gone." Ivy held up her hand. "Someone who's not Ivy."

"Aw, frog! Why do you have to be like that, JoJo?" she complained as the two walked off.

Johan gathered the innermost members of Passione at the tea shoppe. "As you all know, I'm going to be gone for probably a long time with Anne and the Plantars. I need you to take care of things while I'm gone. Ram Bamboo?"

"Sì?"

"I need you in charge of the gang's security. If what Sasha said was true and gangs are starting to rise all over Frog Valley after BOC's defeat, Wartwood will be in danger. I need you and Sheriff Leatherleaf at the top of your game and keep the town safe. And maybe knock these gangs down a peg or two if they get too close for comfort."

"You got it, boss."

"Felicia, I need you and Sylvia in charge of the absinthe product. With the rise in popularity, competitors are going to do everything they can to make it look bad. For example, back on Earth, people started spreading false rumors that absinthe causes hallucinations and madness because of thujone, a neurotoxin found in wormwood, one of the key ingredients of absinthe. This caused absinthe to be banned in several countries for a hundred years. We can't let the same happen to Amphibia absinthe. We have to make sure no one starts spreading false rumors or make their own cheap absinthe that could poison people."

Felicia nodded.

"And why am I here?" asked Mayor Toadstool. "I don't want any part of this."

Johan exhaled. "As much as I hate to say it and I REALLY do...you're in charge of the gang's finances." The mayor flinched. "You got a problem with that?"

"Yeah, I got a problem. Why would you put me in charge of the gang's money?"

"My thoughts exactly," said Ram Bamboo. "He'll hoard the money all to himself if left in charge."

"But he knows his way around money more than anyone else here," said Johan. "And he'll keep in tabs with the mayors of the other towns of Frog Valley to get the news on the gang situations. Also," he said with a smile. "Because if he even thinks of backing out, he won't be allowed to have access to the elixir to dispatch the stomach parasite I hid in his food."

The mayor spat out his drink and exclaimed, "WHAT?! Oh, typical JoJo! Contaminating people's food to get what he wants."

"And I'm putting Ivy in charge of you. In case you ever try to skim a few coppers off for your own personal gain," Johan said with a smirk before he held up a bat. "She and the rest of the children of Wartwood will get to use you as a piñata."

Toadstool looked down at Ivy, who was giving him an evil grin. "I hate you," he said to Johan.

"And as for me, I'm gonna pack my essentials for the trip to Newtopia. Starting with getting an entrenching tool."

"What's wrong with the kaiser blade?" asked Ivy, confused.

"Well, I didn't want to lose an antique of Hopediah's while we're on our trip, so I decided get a new weapon. Luckily I still got these," Johan said as he patted the harpe and pistol.

Ivy leapt up and gave Johan a hug. "We're gonna miss you, JoJo," she said. "Please come back soon."

Johan smiled and returned the hug. "Non preoccuparti. Tornerò."

After finding an entrenching tool that fit him, Johan returned to the Plantars' farmhouse to begin loading the fwagon, only to stop when he saw what it had become. The fences were wrapped in barbed wire, giant mouse traps lay all across the path, there was a pit full of weapons and the house was covered in spikes. "Cosa diavolo?"

"Hey, JoJo!" Anne called out.

Johan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ovviamente. Anne, what have you done to the house? And where's Chuck?"

"Oh, Chuck wasn't working out," Anne said as she rolled a barrel full of a green glowing substance toward the garden. "So I decided to take over! I just need to put this fertilizer," she said with a pat on the barrel. "And the crops won't wither and die while we're away!"

Johan gave Anne a worried look. "Anne, you don't have to go the extra mile to protect the Plantars. For God's sake, just rehire Chuck, he'll take care of everything!"

"No! Chuck is a wimpy tulip farmer! He can't take care of the house all by himself! Now if you excuse me," Anne said as she dumped the barrel all over the crops. They let out an evil hissing sound and glowed green for a brief moment.

"Non può essere buono."

At that moment, the Plantar family came out with their bags and suitcases. "Whelp, let's get the fwagon loaded, shall we?" said Hop Pop.

Anne noticed Sprig looking VERY tired. "Whoa, Sprig, are you okay?"

Sprig stared out into space and muttered, "Yes, great. How are you?"

Johan said, "What happened to him?"

Polly giggled and said, "This is what happen when he tries to pick out the perfect sling shot."

Johan raised an eyebrow. "You broke him, didn't you?"

"Yep!"

Hop Pop looked around at all the improvements Anne did. "Wow. Chuck really outdid himself. Ain't nothing happening to this place while we're gone."

Anne nudged Johan's shoulder. "And you thought something bad was gonna happen."

Suddenly, the ground began to shake, startling everyone. Then the crops popped out of the ground and turned into monsters. The turnip grew legs and a mouth, the pumpkin grew a mouth and an eyestalk, another turnip grew a cartoony body and a face, the potato's eyes became real eyes and the eggplant transformed into Ridley Scott's Alien.

"Veggie monsters," screamed Hop Pop as he, Anne, Johan, Sprig and Polly backed into the house's front door.

"I've had this nightmare before," said Polly.

"Oh, wow. How could this have happened?" asked Anne, pretending to be innocent.

"Anne," shouted Johan. "What was in that fertilizer?! Toxic waste?!"

"Fertilizer?" exclaimed Hop Pop. "What are you talking about, JoJo?"

"Don't worry, fam. I got this." Sprig said as he pulled out a sling shot. "Fly true, Silver..." And then it broke and slapped him in the face. Polly laughed loudly until the turnip grabbed her in its vines.

"Oh, no, you don't!" shouted Johan as he fired his gun at the turnip, freeing Polly.

"All right, everyone, action time!" shouted Anne as she pulled out her sword and tennis racket.

Everyone yelled as they attacked.

Anne sliced off the eggplant alien's head off with her sword.

Hop Pop pulled out a giant cheese grater and began slicing the potato. "Hash browns!"

Sprig grabbed Polly and held her close. "I'm sorry for messing with ya," she said. "Now sling me!" Sprig took out his old sling shot, placed Polly in it and launched her up in the air. The little tadpole inhaled, activated her Ripple and shouted "TORNADO OVERDRIVE!" She dove down in a spiral formation and drilled straight through the pumpkin.

Johan took out the harpe and used it to slice down an army of carrots. "MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA!"

The family continued to destroy the vegetables until they all became mush.

The cartoon turnip man looked around, then fell flat on its face in surrender.

"We did it! And the house is undamaged!" cheered Anne.

Spoke too soon, Anne. The vegetables came together and began to merge, transforming into a giant, horned vegetable monster. "Oh diavolo no!" shouted Johan.

"Cool!" exclaimed Polly before the veggie monster punched her and the Plantars away.

"Guys!" shouted Anne.

"That's it!" shouted Johan as he summoned DARE. The monster stomped toward him only to let out a shriek of pain as it stepped on one of the many mouse traps Anne laid out. Johan blinked a few times before he dismissed his Stand. "Huh. Who would have thought vegetables feel pain? Wait, where is it going?"

The monster stumbled around, lost its balance and began to fall over...right on top of the Plantars' farmhouse. Hop Pop and Polly screamed in horror while Sprig screamed, "OUR HOME!"

"Oh, dear." was all Johan could think to say.

Seeing this, Anne's eyes began to twitch in anger. "The house." Her fists holding the sword and racket tightened. "Everything I worked so hard to protect." Her eyes and hair started to turn blue along with the blade of her sword.

Johan noticed this and began to back off. "Anne...?"

The monster kicked off the mouse trap and tried to stomp on her, but she easily dodged it. She glared at the vegetable monster with blue fire in her eyes. "Oh, you just made a big mistake, buddy." She flew up into the sky then dive bombed into the veggie monster's mouth. For a few seconds, the monster blinked then let out a scream as it exploded in a ball of blue light. Pieces of vegetables rained down from the sky as Anne slowly floated down. Her hair and eyes returned to normal as she fainted and fell only to be caught by Johan. She opened her eyes and said wearily, "Eat your vegetables."

"She's fine, guys," Johan called out as she got back onto her feet. A sound made him look back at the mess and saw that somehow, the turnip man survived. Johan made a "Shoo, shoo!" gesture and the turnip man quickly obliged.

"Anne! That was amazing," said Sprig as he gave her a hug.

"You saved our tails," said Polly.

"Yeah, but the house," said Anne sadly.

"The important thing is we're all okay," said Hop Pop. "It's not your fault a mysterious green energy turned the crops evil."

Anne looked to the side to see Johan giving her a knowing glare. Feeling even more guilty, Anne confessed, "Actually, it is."

"Say what?" exclaimed Hop Pop.

"But why?" asked Sprig as Anne set him down. "How?"

"So, uh, it's kind of a funny story. I got rid of Chuck, then I fortified the house and maybe fed the crops some evil curse magic Loggle made."

Johan blinked a few times before saying, "You know what, Anne? I'm gonna have a little talk with Loggle about all this."

"I just wanted the house to be safe while you guys were taking this big trip for me and JoJo."

The Plantars looked at each other, then gave her a sympathetic smile. Hop Pop was the first to speak. "Anne, we're not taking this trip for the two of you. We're taking it with you."

"We got your back no matter what," said Sprig.

"He's right. Even reliable people need someone to rely upon," said Johan. "That's why I'm asking certain members of Passione to take care of things while I'm gone. Trying to do everything all by yourself will make things worse. You need someone to watch your back and, from the looks of things, you got it."

Anne smiled and wiped away a tear. "Thanks, fam. That... That means a lot to me. We can hold off on Newtopia. I'll fix the house first."

"No need," said Hop Pop. He took out a tulip-shaped horn and blew it.

All at once a blur came running down the road toward the Plantars' farmhouse. Before Anne and Johan could even blink, the house and garden was completely restored to its original self. Chuck stood in front of the house with a tool box and said proudly, "I grow tulips."

Johan had to pinch himself with DARE to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Anne slapped herself in the forehead and let out a flabbergasted, "Hoopa da boopa!"

Hop Pop chuckled and said, "Why do you think I hired Chuck in the first place?"

Johan leaned in and asked him, "Is he a Stand user?"

"Nope! He did that all by himself."

"Sorry, I doubted you, dude!" called out Anne.

"I grow tulips!"

"Yes, he does," said Hop Pop. Then he rushed to the fwagon and opened the door. "All right, kids. It's a two-week journey to Newtopia so we better get going." The kids cheered and ran inside.

Before she and Johan went in, Anne asked Hop Pop, "Hey, Hop Pop. I was thinking... wouldn't it be a good idea to bring the music box with us on the trip?"

Hop Pop started to stammer. "Oh, uh..." His eyes lingered on the tree behind the house, where the music box was buried next to. "No, no, no. Uh, it'll be safe with my contacts for the time being."

Johan raised an eyebrow. "Why were you looking at that tree over there?"

"Oh...uh...just making sure it's in place after the veggie monster destroyed the farm."

"Come on, JoJo," said Anne. "I trust Hop Pop's judgement, why can't you?"

Johan then said, "You're right, Anne. Sorry. I guess I'm just being paranoid." He was about to step in the fwagon with Anne when suddenly he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Hmm?"

"What is it?" asked Hop Pop.

"I don't know why, but I can't help but feel like we're being watched. Like someone took a picture of this exact moment."

The old frog chuckled. "You're right! You ARE paranoid!"

Johan shook his head. "Yeah. Probably..." he said as he stepped into the fwagon.

Hop Pop had a brief look of guilt as he glanced back at the tree again. Then he hopped onto the fwagon's driver's seat and took Bessie's reigns. "Well, let's get this fwagon on the road. No turnin' back now."

This was it, Anne, Johan and the Plantars took their first step out of Wartwood and towards Newtopia. But then Anne asked a very important question, "Did we give the key to Chuck?"

"We're turning back now."

To be continued ➟