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Akemi's Bizarre Adventure
Chapter 5: Jean Pierre Polnareff
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"You have a way with a sword, I'll grant you that..." Said Mo, a thumb and finger on his chin. "But it will take more than just an ego to kill me on a time table! Who are you?" He asked.
"Polnareff." Polnareff looked down. "Allow me to introduce myself. Jean Pierre Polnareff."
"Merci beaucoup." Responded Mo, ever respectful, even in a battle setting. "I appreciate your introduction. But..." One of Mo's folded hands pointed toward the flame clock and he destroyed it and the lower half of the table with a twitch of his hand. "Monsieur Polnareff, don't assume that my flames always burn upward or downwind as they would in nature. It is called Magician's Red because it controls flames freely."
"In the beginning, this world was engulfed in flames. I expect nothing less from Magician's Red, who controls the flames that suggest the beginning of all things. But you say I'm being conceited? You're saying that my swordsmanship is mere conceit?!" Polnareff shouted the last few words and threw a few quarters into the air. He then thrust his hand forward and Silver Chariot's sword stabbed forward into the air like a needle. Within a split second, it came back, and like a kebab, the sword held five quarters and... five little bonfires between each quarter?
"In the moment they lined up, he pierced five coins in a single strike!" Joseph observed.
"No, wait... take a closer look, Joseph." Akemi spoke up. Joseph looked at her and then followed her gaze to the flaming kebab.
"That's..." Kakyoin breathed nervously.
"I- I see there are flames between each coin." Said Mo. Polnareff's lips curled into a smirk.
"It appears you understand what this means. It is not conceit. My Stand has the power to sever even fire!" He boasted. Akemi's eyebrows lowered. This would mean her Stand would be useless against him, seeing as he could probably slice through thousands of her vines at once or even her biggest tree, no matter how resilient they are. She let Empress Gaea fade away, feeling angrily powerless. "It can slash the very air and create gaps between nothingness and nothingness. Which means your Magician's Red is powerless before my Silver Chariot."
Akemi suddenly caught sight of civilians staring at them. Their fearful and confused expressions and auras. She stepped forward.
"Polnareff, hi, nice to meet you. I'm Akemi. Um, before you try to kill us, do you think we could... I dunno, take it somewhere else? I don't know about you, but I would prefer it if innocent civilians didn't get sliced or burned up by invisible forces. And you seem like a man of honor. Don't you think it would give you more renown if you defeated Magician's Red where he has an advantage?" Akemi said in a friendly voice, despite the situation. The others all gave her a weird look.
"Hm... you're not wrong. It would be more fitting... Alright, then." Agreed Polnareff, causing a sigh of relief from Akemi. It also earned her an amused huff of laughter from Jotaro.
"All of you, outside!" Shouted Joseph.
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Quickly, they arrived at an odd-looking park. Kakyoin, Jotaro, Joseph, Akemi and Mo climbed up stone stairs, following Polnareff, looking at odd statues and magnificent plants.
Akemi figured this was a place she would be at her strongest- a literal garden.
Kakyoin must've noticed Akemi looking around, confused.
"This is Tiger Balm Garden." He said.
"What?" Asked Joseph, turning to look at him.
"Tiger Balm Garden," Repeated Kakyoin. "a garden that exists along the hillside of Hong Kong's Tai Hang road. Its unique taste and appearance make it number one among Hong Kong's bizarre zones."
"You are a walking encyclopedia, aren't you?" Akemi joked Kakyoin. He gave her a teasingly offended pout, and Akemi chuckled.
"So you weren't lying about having lived in Hong Kong at some point?" Asked Polnareff, catching everyone off guard.
"N- no. Obviously, you know the real reason we're here, but I wasn't lying about having lived here." Kakyoin gathered his bearings the fastest, providing an explanation to the strangely polite enemy.
"I see..." Polnareff murmured. They reached a pavilion, and the Stardust Crusaders stopped, as Polnareff continued walking to the outer edge of their makeshift ring. "I will make a prediction here." said Polnareff, stopping in the upper middle of a wide, conveniently arena-like area. "You will be destroyed by your own Stand's powers." He said forebodingly, summoning his Stand. Akemi's smile disappeared and she got shivers up her spine.
"Mo..." Said Akemi, readying herself.
"Aki, you need not interfere." Said Mo, surprising Akemi. "With such an open space, I can control my Stand as freely as I please." He assured, summoning his Stand. "This fight is mine."
Akemi gave him a hard stare, but backed down, knowing that the African man would take him down with ease.
They stared for a few silent beats, before Polnareff took the first strike. Silver Chariot swung his sword, narrowly missing Magician's Red's forehead. That was followed by several more quick blows, all of which were dodged.
"Come on! Come on, come on, come on!" Polnareff exclaimed impatiently. "Come on. What's wrong? You're not going to use your precious flames to your heart's content? If not, I'm going to take my turn." He was getting frustrated quickly. Silver Chariot's strikes sped up. "Come on, come on, come on!" Just then, Magician's Red ejected several fireballs from his beak. They were sliced in half before they could pass Silver Chariot, and flung toward a nearby statue of a bald eagle. Everyone turned to look as it crumbled and…
"A statue of... Magician's Red?" Akemi breathed, confused.
"That bastard. He's mocking us." Joseph growled. "He did that with repeated stabs." Polnareff tilted his head toward his shoulder, a teasing smile on his face.
"You know..." The cocky Frenchman chuckled. "you fit quite well in this garden, Magician's Red."
Well, he wasn't wrong.
Mo said nothing as his flames rose behind him. Magician's Red let out a squawk, inhaling his fire.
"Here it comes..." Polnareff muttered. "You're ready to show your true power? Sounds like fun. I'll take what you dish out." Joseph turned to the teens beside him.
"Hey, hide behind something." He told them. "Avdol is going to use it."
"It?" Echoed Akemi as the two ran to hide. It... Akemi thought, apprehension rising in her stomach. It's been a while since she's seen it.
"Crossfire Hurricane!" Mo shouted, raising his hands. Akemi's eyes opened wide and she ran, grabbing both Kakyoin and Jotaro's wrists and tugging them with her to a nearby pillar, despite their noises of protest. She let go and peeked around, keeping an eye on the fight at a safer distance.
"Is that all you've got?!" Akemi heard Polnareff shout mockingly. "I told you that my swordsmanship can create gaps between nothingness and nothingness and blow away flames!" And it seemed he'd done exactly that- he deflected Mo's flames right back at him for what seemed to be the hundredth time, at this point.
This time, he got unlucky and the fire caught on his robes. A pain-stricken yell rang out around them. Horror struck Akemi in the chest.
"Avdol!" Shouted Joseph, anguished.
"His flames are so strong that he's being burned as well..." Muttered Akemi, distressed. She watched, dread-filled, as Mo fell onto his knees and then onto his stomach.
"It's just as I predicted..." Polnareff said triumphantly. "You will die, burned by your own flames!" Stubbornly, he sent Magician's Red to leap over him and attack Polnareff.
"Mo..." Akemi lamented, seeing her own stubbornness in him. "T- the fire... It's hard to see his aura through the fire..."
"Oh, good, good grief!" Cried Polnareff, looking down at Mo as if he were a cockroach he'd just slapped with a sandal, "You're still going to come at me? How unsightly!" Silver Chariot cut up the projectile with ease. "That blow felt wrong... is this real?" He questioned. Out of nowhere, he himself went up in flames. His shirt started smoking.
"What?" He breathed, confused, looking at his hands as they burned. "Impossible! How can flames come out from the body I severed?"
"That's not the Stand..." Realized Akemi, her eyes brightening. "It's the statue!" Mo stood, mostly unscathed and aura very much present.
"You were blinded by the flames." He began explaining. "What you cut apart was the statue that Silver Chariot carved earlier. I told you that I could control my flames freely. The flames that you blew back toward it melted its joints and caused it to move. You were the one defeated by his own Stand's powers."
"That's why I couldn't see his aura..." Akemi murmured to herself.
"And now, face this again!" Mo called. "Crossfire Hurricane!" This time, it hit him full force, and they were thrown back. "I believe it's ten years too soon for you to fight me," said Mo, now adopting Polnareff's previous attitude. "a fortune teller, with predictions." Joseph was the first to emerge from behind the statue.
"Such terrifying power!" He said. "Since his Stand took that head-on, it must have melted. It's done for!" Akemi couldn't help but feel for him as she looked at his smoking body on the ground. That must've been painful.
"That's one hell of a burn." Said Jotaro from beside her. "Yeah, he's dead. If he's lucky, he'll be in serious condition. Actually, that'd be bad luck." Kakyoin turned.
"Either way, he won't be able to stand for three months. His Stand is destroyed and unable to fight." He proclaimed. Jotaro looked down and saw Akemi's expression and knew exactly what she was thinking.
"Akemi, don't even think about it." He growled. Akemi looked up at him, surprised. How did he know..?
"Why would I heal someone that would just get back up and attack us?" Akemi questioned, hiding her intentions. Jotaro narrowed eyes, disbelief shining in his aura.
"Now, Joseph. Let us hurry on our journey to Egypt." Mo said calmly, joining the gang as they stepped down the stairs.
"Indeed." Joseph agreed.
"W- wait, we can't just leave him there!" Akemi said. The boys turned to look at her, confused. Before they could talk, they heard an odd noise from behind her. Looking around, they watched Polnareff's Stand's armor pop off and explode like fireworks.
"W- what?" Joseph cried. "His Stand is breaking into pieces!" Polnareff himself was also launched into the air. Akemi was... well, bewildered to say the least.
"He flew into the air while lying down!" Kakyoin observed.
"Bravo! Oh, bravo!" Cheered Polnareff, clapping and hovering upside-down before them. Akemi gave him a shocked look.
"H- he's..." Joseph muttered.
"I don't believe it!" Breathed Mo, awestruck.
"He's perfectly fine!" Kakyoin cried.
"Akemi...?" Jotaro questioned accusingly, looking up at her. She whipped around, meeting his gaze. She showed no signs of exhaustion.
"N- no, this wasn't me, Kujo!" She exclaimed, just as shocked as him. His expression changed when he saw that she was telling the truth. How could he tell? Could he read auras like she could? That sent an uncomfortable shiver of fear up her spine.
"But why is his body floating in the air?" Jotaro questioned, his attention on Polnareff once more. Akemi whipped back around. Polnareff giggled.
"Take a good look with your inner eye." He hinted. Was his Stand..?
"That's..." Mo trailed off. Polnareff launched himself into the air, flipped, and landed on his feet with ease.
"Yes, this is it." He answered. "My Stand with his armor off. Silver Chariot. You seem shocked. It wouldn't be honorable to defeat you without explaining my powers first. You could even call it a surprise attack. Would you give me the time to explain?" He asked, a cocky smirk on his face. Akemi wanted nothing more than to knock him out and call it a day. But as honorable as he was being to them, she must reciprocate. Mo nodded.
"Very well." The fortune teller agreed. "Let's hear this explanation." He started walking up the stairs and past Akemi, who backed off to stand with the rest of the boys.
"My Stand did not break apart and disappear." Polnareff began. "Silver Chariot was wearing armor. That's what it just took off. What was burned away by your flames was just part of its armor. And with its armor off, it is lighter. Did you see it lift me up? That's right! That's how fast it can move now!"
"I see." Mo said thoughtfully. "So you're saying that because its armor was so heavy, it had to take my Crossfire Hurricane head-on. But that would also mean it's naked now. Now that it doesn't have its protection, if it were to take that attack again, it wouldn't survive." Mo noted. Polnareff crossed his arms.
"Oui, precisely. But that would be impossible." Polnareff claimed.
"I'd like to test that theory." Challenged Mo, raising his chin pridefully.
"Because I'm going to show you something astonishing." Akemi didn't like the look in Polnareff's eyes as he said that. She was unnerved, especially since she could barely read his aura enough to tell what he was feeling.
"Oh? Go right ahead." Mo said. Polnareff's lips curled into a smirk as Silver Chariot divided into eight. Akemi's eyes widened.
"Woah... his Stand just multiplied into six! No, now there are seven of them!" Joseph cried.
"I- impossible." Said Kakyoin with a glare. "There should only be one Stand to each user."
"This... is still one Stand, Kakyoin. The other seven must be illusions." Akemi said, sure of herself.
"It seems that you are astonished." Said Polnareff with a giggle. "Akemi, you would be right- in a way. These are shadow clones. Shadow clones of my Stand that confuse not only your eyes, but your senses. Your senses can't follow its movements. How do you like its swordsmanship now?" All the Silver Chariots rushed forward, swinging their rapiers in a circle. Mo summoned his Stand and prepared for another battle.
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Silver Chariot
||Power: C || Speed: A || Range: C || Durability: B
||Precision: A || Potential: C ||
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"Red Blind!" Shouted Mo. Magician's Red threw fire at the shadow clones. They moved quicker than she could see. Suddenly, they were all back behind Polnareff.
"I told you that you wouldn't be able to follow its movements. Your flames can only grasp shadow clones." Said Polnareff. Mo ignored him and charged forward, Magician's Red at his side, flames in hand. He catapulted them forward, the jets of fire just barely missing their targets.
"Striking at random now? You're getting a bit desperate, Avdol." Polnareff observed.
"It's true. That'll just use up all his energy." Said Kakyoin. Though she didn't want to assume, she silently agreed.
"Crossfire Hurricane!" Exclaimed Mo for the third time today. Of course, the Chariots just deflected it.
"Non, non, non, non, non, non. That is also a shadow clone. Your attack will not work against my Stand." Said Polnareff, just before he launched another attack. They all stabbed their rapiers, and all of them hit their marks.
"Mo!" Shouted Akemi. He was pushed back, but he seemed alright, for the most part.
"Such precision... th- this is... a Stand ability that has been very highly trained." Mo choked out.
"For personal reasons, I trained for nearly ten years." Polnareff revealed. "Now, come at me again. I will finish you with my next move."
"In the name of chivalry, you keep explaining your attacks. You're rather honorable. Therefore, I shall also reveal a secret before beginning my next attack." said Mo.
"Oh?" Polnareff questioned.
"You see, there are variations of my Crossfire Hurricane. It is a flame in the shape of an Ankh, but it need not be singular. I can break it up and make it fly in pieces." He revealed as flames built up around him. And then again, he called out the name of his attack.
"Crossfire Hurricane Special!" Exclaimed Mo, sending off the Ankh-shaped flame. "Just try and dodge it!" He teased.
"You waste your time, Avdol!" Polnareff called. He summoned all eight of his shadow clones in a circle around him.
"They formed a circle!" Cried Joseph.
"There's no opening!" Added Kakyoin.
"You got this, Mo!" Akemi cheered, jumping upward, earning a strange look from Jotaro.
Mo had a plan, she could see it in the triumph of his aura. It was like he'd already won.
"Naïve! Naïve, naïve, naïve, naïve!" Repeated Polnareff as he sent off his Chariots. "You're naïve! I will again use this power against you! Sever! Blow it back at him!" Just as Chariot swung his sword, the ground below Polnareff exploded in flame.
"What?" He breathed, shocked. The Ankh took out the Chariots, and the explosion shot Polnareff flying through the air. Mo crouched down near a smoking hole.
"That's... the hole that was made by the flames earlier!" Akemi noticed.
"I get it!" Said Joseph. "The first flames were used to dig a tunnel! And then he shot the Crossfire Hurricane through it!"
"I told you," Said Mo, "I can break apart my flames and make them fly in as many pieces as I wish." Polnareff looked up, finally defeated, as the flames burned around him. Mo approached him and planted a knife in the ground in front of him.
"Burning is a rather painful way to die. Use that dagger to end it while you can." Said Mo. He then turned to walk away. As he did, Polnareff picked up the knife and looked at it. He raised it, as if he were going to throw it toward Mo's back, but stopped himself. He held the knife under his chin, but fell back down instead.
"I was conceited. I couldn't imagine his flames standing a chance against my swordsmanship. I'll be a good sport and burn to death after all. Since I was defeated by your powers, it is only due courtesy. It would be disrespectful to kill myself." Mo suddenly turned around and snapped his fingers, putting out the flames. Akemi's expression brightened.
"Heh." Huffed Jotaro, with a small smile on his face.
"Even now, you remember to be chivalrous." Said Mo, walking back toward Polnareff. "And you did not throw your dagger when I had my back turned." He picked Polnareff up and flipped him over, holding him in his arms. "Despite having orders from Dio, your proud honor shines through. It would be a shame to kill you. There must be a reason behind his actions..." Mo said. Intrigue arrived in his aura.
As Akemi arrived with the boys, she saw him part his hair in the front to reveal... another flesh bud.
"Another one? ...Well, it's good to know he wasn't doing this of his own will." Said Akemi.
"Indeed." Kakyoin agreed.
"Akemi." Jotaro called, taking out his Stand. Akemi looked up.
"Right!" She replied, Empress Gaea appearing at her side. The stony-skinned Stand released her vines with an almost bored look, watching as they coiled and constricted around the unconscious silver-haired man. As Jotaro started his work, the flesh bud's tentacles started flailing about.
"Ugh! Those tentacles are so gross!" Exclaimed Joseph squeamishly. "Jotaro, hurry up and get it out! Hurry, hurry!"
"Shut up, old man." Snapped Jotaro. Akemi chuckled lightly. After it was taken out, it turned into dust under the sun.
"Good! Now that the flesh bud is gone, we can be buddies!" Guffawed Joseph. Akemi huffed a breath of laughter and rolled her eyes. Her vines grew jasmine leaves and flowers and began healing his burns.
"Akemi, Kakyoin. Don't guys like him who make stupid puns seriously piss you off?" Asked Jotaro, annoyed. Kakyoin and Akemi exchanged amused glances.
"Only sometimes." She answered for the both of them.
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"That boat that we'd chartered from the Speedwagon crew yesterday should be at the harbor now." Said Joseph. Akemi, Mo, Jotaro and Kakyoin all walked behind him at the dock, looking around. Akemi was munching on a to-go box of chicken dumplings- she had demanded that the enemy buy her replacements from earlier, and he did so with pleasure.
As they explored, they noticed the person they'd saved earlier. She could really see his aura now, and it was orange-ish with nervousness.
"My, my, what's this?" Akemi said in a slight teasing tone, putting a hand on her hip.
"What's wrong? Is there something else you needed, Polnareff?" Mo asked.
"I haven't thanked you for freeing me from Dio's spell yet." Polnareff said.
"For that, you need to thank Jojo and Akemi." Said Mo, stepping slightly to the side.
"Don't need it." Said Jotaro.
"Sure." Said Akemi, a friendly smile on her face. Polnareff smiled back.
"One more thing," Requested Polnareff, approaching the gang. "Monsieur Joestar. I'd like to ask you a very bizarre question."
"A bizarre question?" Echoed Joseph, putting a finger on his chin.
"Forgive my curiosity, but even while eating, you didn't take off your gloves. Your left arm wouldn't happen to be a right arm, would it?" Polnareff asked. Huh, no kidding. That was rather bizarre.
"Eh? My left arm, a right arm? That is indeed a bizarre question. What do you mean?" Asked Joseph. Polnareff's expression darkened.
"I'm looking for the person who killed my younger sister." Polnareff revealed. Akemi raised her eyebrows, sympathy filling her eyes. "I don't know his face. But he has two right arms." Joseph said nothing and took off his glove, revealing his robotic hand. He opened and closed it with satisfying clacks.
"I lost it in a battle fifty years ago." Joseph told him. Polnareff's face fell, and he bowed his head.
"I apologize for my rudeness. Please forgive me." Polnareff apologized sullenly.
"If you don't mind, tell us what happened." Joseph asked of him, leaving it unsaid that he was, in fact, forgiven for his mistake. Akemi thought Joseph was prying, but Polnareff didn't seem to mind sharing his story. He turned and faced the water.
"It's been three years now..." He started. "My younger sister was walking home from school with a classmate one rainy day. It was a country road in my native France. On the side of the road, a man stood with his back to them. Mysteriously, even though it was raining, the rain fell around him in a dome-like shape, as if an invisible screen surrounded him. Suddenly, as if cut down by a scythe, her classmate's chest was sliced open. And then... my sister was shamed and killed. That was all the man wanted. Barely escaping death, her friend somehow survived. She said that she didn't see his face, but both of his arms were right arms. No one believed her testimony, but I understood it! Because I believed that man may have a similar power to the one I had been keeping a secret!" Akemi stared ahead, horrified. His aura was bright red with passion and anger.
"Y- you don't mean he..." Akemi said shakily.
"He's definitely a Stand user." Said Joseph, knowing what Akemi was thinking.
"I swore!" Exclaimed Polnareff suddenly, bending so far over to the side that he was inches from the floor. "That my sister's soul would not be able to rest unless he atoned for her death! I will use my Stand for retribution! Then, a year ago, I met Dio. He showed me the image of my sister, then offered to help me exact my revenge. To be friends with me. Then... I was ordered to kill you. I believed that was the right thing to do." Polnareff explained.
"It's partially because of the flesh bud, but Dio's also skilled at manipulating others." Commented Mo.
"Indeed. But according to what you just said, it would appear that Dio has found the man with two right arms and has joined forces with him." Said Kakyoin.
"I've decided to go to Egypt with all of you!" Said Polnareff suddenly. "If I go after Dio, I'll be able to find the one who took my sister's life!"
"What should we do?" Asked Kakyoin, turning to the squad.
"I say yes. He deserves revenge." Akemi said darkly, her eyes hidden by her bangs. Jotaro huffed in agreement, tugging his hat down. "Plus, I suppose you do have brownie points from me, since you replaced my dinner." Akemi lightened, munching happily on her food.
"I have no objections." Agreed Mo.
"I'm sure you'd follow us, even if we said no." Chuckled Joseph. It was 'yes' all around.
"It's an honor." Said Polnareff with a smile.
"Good gri-"
"Excuse me!" Jotaro was cut off by two teen girls. "Would you mind taking our picture?" Akemi could see Jotaro's annoyed look and dark orange aura.
"Thank you! We want our backs to the ocean!" They said.
"Shut up! Go bug someone else!" Jotaro shouted angrily. Before Akemi could offer instead, Polnareff took his chance.
"Now, now, now, now, I'll take your picture for you!" Polnareff offered with a friendly smile on his face, taking the camera and leading them to the edge of the dock. "You have very nice legs. Let's get a full body shot!" Akemi watched, bemused, as Polnareff proceeded to take pictures only of their legs.
"I don't quite understand his personality." Whispered Mo, his intrigue from earlier gone with the wind.
"Ditto." Muttered Akemi.
"That was a very sudden change of mood." Kakyoin noted.
"More like his head and his lower half are very clearly separated." Snorted Joseph. Akemi snorted.
"Good grief." Jotaro finally finished his phrase.
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ze fronk man has arrived
facts
-akemi probably would've been quite at home in a garden like tiger balm garden, but polnareff, being able to cut through anything, is the perfect opponent. she would've lost in the end... maybe.
-akemi often finds herself apologizing for jotaro's rudeness, and he often wonders why she would put in the effort to be kind to people the way she does.
okay byeee
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word count: 4,506