Age 737 Friday December 16th 1988
Jojo and crew arrived in the coastal town of Karachi, Pakistan's industrial and financial center, located in the Indus River delta.
"Hey, a doner kebab joint! Let's stop and grab a bite," said Joseph.
They pulled over and gathered around the shop, eyeing the sizzling meat rotating on the spit.
The doner kebab: it's been called the hamburger of the Middle East! A slab of meat is placed on a spit, its outer layer roasting as it turns. Before long, the meat is cooked, sliced, and served on bread. Try it, your taste buds will thank you!
"Scuse me, fifteen doner kebabs, please."
"That'll be Three thousand yen." said the seller.
"What." said Joseph, shocked.
In the Middle East, Japanese and Western business practices are by no means universal. Namely, prices change and are subject to negotiation. First-time visitors naive of the value of goods for sale can become easy targets for exploitation. But here, such exploitation is not frowned upon. The swindled are deserving of the label "fool," not "victim." Haggling takes guts and ingenuity!
"Three thousand yen?" grinned Joseph, staying calm. The seller looked scared. The first step is the art of the bluff. Make it clear you see through the trick.
Joseph laughed saying "Don't mock me, now! That's far too much." A hearty laugh always helps. Then…
"How much would you buy them for?" said the merchant, inching closer. the merchant will test the waters.
"Make it 2,750 yen for fifteen!" said Joseph coolly. In return, you throw out a price so low, you can't help but blush. And then…
the merchant you serious? You've got to be kidding! He'll act as if you have no sense at all… "If I sold them for that cheap, my entire family would starve!"
Then he'll gesture at the old throat slash. But you can't give up the fight just yet. "I guess I'll just buy them somewhere else," said Joseph, turning to leave. Pretend that you're leaving… "Okay, friend! I like foreigners very much. I'll sell you fifteen for 6,700 yen." ...he'll try to stop you. "Then make it 2,500." Let the haggling begin!
"2,600!"
"2,350!"
"2,550!"
"2,400!"
"2,450!"
"2,425!" they both said at the same time.
"I'll take them!" said joseph. "All right! I got them for less than half his original price! Take that! I made out like a bandit!" thought joseph.
And just as you think you won… Joseph walked back grinning. The merchant smirked, "I usually sell five for 450 yen!" he thought. "Bye-bye, thank you, Mr. Joestar!" said the merchant.
Joseph swiveled around, catching sight of the merchant who suddenly shed his turban. "The name's Steely Dan, and my Stand embodies The Lovers card," announced Steely Dan. As the others exited the vehicle, they circled around the adversary.
"It's a wrap, fifteen versus one. You've got no shot. But not a single one of you will lay a finger on me, The Dan of Steel," Steely Dan boasted confidently.
"Oh, really?" Joseph retorted, directing Star Platinum to throw a punch straight at Steely Dan, breaking the window upon impact. Simultaneously, Joseph was flung skyward, mirroring the damage inflicted on his opponent.
"What in the blazes?" Jotaro exclaimed, alarmed by Joseph's unexpected flight. "What on earth just happened, Mr. Joestar? He got thrown back like that other guy!" Polnareff chimed in, bewildered.
As Steely Dan regained his footing, he winced, admonishing Joseph, "You fool! I was about to clarify my powers. You nearly Killed your own granddad with that strike," scolded Steely Dan, dusting off the remnants of the broken glass. "You despicable scoundrel! You claimed your Stand is The Lovers, correct? Then, what in blazes does it do?" Joseph barked, rising to his feet while blood collected in his hand.
Steely Dan swayed his finger in the air, asserting, 'The showdown has already started, Mr. Joestar. You're all mere simpletons… Gaze all you want, but you won't lay eyes on my Stand,' confident as ever. He glanced around and spotted a child sweeping nearby.
"Hey, little guy! Fancy some cash? It's all yours if you hit my leg with that broom," Steely Dan offered, waving the cash and flicking it casually towards the boy. "But why on earth would he do that?" pondered Joseph.
"Now, give me a whack!" Steely Dan urged the kid, who promptly struck his leg with the broom. Joseph yelped in agony as a jolt of pain surged through his leg. "Mr. Joestar!" Kakyoin exclaimed, causing the others to turn their attention towards Joseph.
"It hurts! I don't understand! My leg's killing me!" Joseph cried out, perplexed and in agony. "Still haven't wrapped your head around it, Joseph Joestar? My Stand infiltrates bodies! The instant I handed you that dear piece of meat, it sneaked into your ear canal and made its way into your brain," Steely Dan explained.
"What?" Joseph gasped. "My Stand and I are interconnected! If my Stand sustains damage, I feel the pain. And the reverse holds true! Even a tiny nick on me triggers a reaction deep within your brain due to my Stand's discomfort, and flies into a rage. And it will amplify that pain to the same bodily location. Now I'll say it once more. You won't be able to lay a single finger on me! Plus the Lovers have taken one of Lord Dio's flesh buds into your body. It's growing in your brain as we speak. it'll eat you from the inside out! " Steely Dan calmly revealed.
The kid smacked Steely Dan again. "Ow!" cried Joseph. "I don't recall asking you to strike me again, you stupid little brat!" snarled Steely Dan, backhanding the kid. The poor child tumbled over and ran away, dragging the broom behind.
Steely Dan straightened up, cracking his fingers, "Well, I must confess, my Stand, The Lovers, lacks physical strength. Can't move a single strand of hair, making it the world's weakest Stand. But, you don't need brawn to kill someone. Understand, gentlemen? Imagine something unfortunate happens, like I get hit by a baseball or just trip and fall, Mr. Joestar. You will feel my pain many times over," he explained.
"You've got ten minutes. Then your brain will be eaten through," Steely Dan declared. Jotaro clenched his fist in anger, ready to strike. Kakyoin intervened, "Jotaro, calm down! Don't do anything rash."
"No. I'm gonna kill this tool so quickly, he won't have time to feel pain!" snarled Jotaro. Steely Dan held his breath until he couldn't. This made Joseph wheeze, grabbing his chest. "I remember how that poison ring was implanted around my aorta long ago. This is worse." thought joseph.
"Kill me before I feel it, huh. Sounds interesting. Do it, then, Jotaro. Let's see what happens. What were you planning to destroy? Tell me. My face? Throat? What? Are you angry? Come on and try it! Let's just see what happens! How about busting a hole in my chest? Or how about you give up on using your Stand, and crack my head open with a rock?" said Steely Dan, calmly turning around and walking away. "This one looks like a prime specimen. Sure looks big enough for the job." Steely Dan bent down and picked up a rock. Jotaro grabbed Steely Dan by his clothes, lifting him up. The rock fell out of Steely Dan's hands.
"You do not want to underestimate me. When I say I'm going to do something, I do it," said Jotaro, summoning Star Platinum. Fasha entered the game, grabbing Star Platinum's arms as she hugged Jotaro from behind. "Jotaro, don't do it! You already know what he can do! Are you trying to kill your own grandfather?" cried Fasha. "He just might do it," remarked Kakyoin. "Dumb punk," sneered Steely Dan. Jotaro, growing angry, released Star Platinum. Fasha let go as their Stands dispersed.
Then, Steely Dan delivered a punch to Jotaro's stomach. "Jotaro," exclaimed Joseph with surprise in his voice. "Don't toy with me. After the geezer kicks the bucket, you're next!" declared Steely Dan, bringing the rock down and crumpling Jotaro to the ground. His friends watched in shock.
"The Lovers will enter your brain and kill you!" proclaimed Steely Dan. "What do you think you're doing? This is just insane. My grandson is getting beaten so I can survive," said Joseph, helpless. Jotaro felt something entering his ear.
"I grew bored of punishing Joseph, so why not you and your girlfriend," smirked Steely Dan, laughing as the rock fell on his toe. Jotaro screamed in pain as his toe was set on fire. Fasha rushed over to Jotaro, crouching down and glaring at Steely Dan.
"Dan, was it? You know, I'm gonna make you pay for this," warned Fasha. Joseph and Kakyoin exchanged nods before walking away. Polnareff followed them, leaving Jotaro and the Saiyans behind.
"If we can't hurt you, at least we can make sure you never harm yourself," declared Fasha. "Well, you're going to follow me around, ha like that would ever happen," smirked Steely Dan. Fasha charged toward Steely Dan, her fist intertwined with her Stand, ready to strike. Steely Dan casually stepped out of the way, Fasha's punch barely grazing his skin. "You think you could restrain me," boasted Steely Dan.
Fasha hid a smirk; she knew she could move faster than that. The Saiyans and Jotaro could tell it was choreographed. A paper suddenly appeared in Fasha's hands. She smiled and showed the paper.
'May fortune always smiles upon you, shielding you from life's hardships and turning every endeavor into triumph. May you be so lucky that winning the lottery becomes a mere daily occurrence, showering you with wealth beyond measure. Yet, in this extraordinary luck, may you find the caution to navigate a world where challenges and struggles build character. May your path be paved with prosperity, but may you never forget the value of resilience and the lessons that come from overcoming adversity. May your good fortune be a beacon, guiding you through a balanced and fulfilling life, where success is not just measured in riches, but in the richness of experiences and personal growth. Wishing you a life so charmed that you remain humble, compassionate, and appreciative of the intricate dance between good luck and the challenges that make us who we are. Duration: 1 hour.'
"What does that mean for you? You actually gave me unlimited success. A chance of a lifetime. But first, I have to deal with you," said Steely Dan, smirking. He made a run for it, and the others followed him from a distance.
"How about I jump in this fountain? Surely the cold will kill Jotaro here. After all, I will be fine," said Steely Dan, nearing the fountain. He leaped in as the water magically parted around him, creating a wall everywhere he went. The change in the fountain spilled into the pocket of air, and Steely Dan, ever the opportunist, dryly collected the money.
"Well, at least I can get rich while I'm at it," he said, putting the dry change into his pockets, which somehow held all the money. Steely Dan stepped out of the fountain, only to be confronted by a tall, imposing figure brandishing a knife.
"Give me all your money or else," demanded the thief. The Saiyans placed bets on the impending showdown. Jotaro deadpanned, "I am not partaking in my demise."
"What if I don't?" taunted Steely Dan.
"Then I am going to stab you," threatened the figure.
"Well, go find someone else to rob," replied Steely Dan, turning away and walking off. The thief grew angry, rushing to plunge his knife into Steely Dan's shoulder. He stumbled and slid on a coin that Steely Dan dropped, falling face-first. Police sirens surrounded them as the head police officer got out and started to clap, joined by others.
"Well done for stopping this murder, Malik Rasheed Khan. He manipulates political situations, aligns himself with extremist groups, and uses his family's wealth to fund activities that destabilize the region. But I guess his funds have drained. But just as promised, here is 5 million Pakistani Rupees," said the head detective, handing Steely Dan a big sack of money.
"Thanks for this," said Steely Dan, frowning. He trudged away, weighed down by the coins in his pockets and the bag.
"I will just punch a wall. At least my broken arm will be nothing compared to the pain you will experience. You might die," said Steely Dan, walking toward a brick wall. He stopped, ready for the pain, and then lunged with all his might. The wall exploded, knocking out escaping thieves with Steely Dan's punch. Dumbfounded, he then snarled and ran away from the bank toward the awaiting group. The police came over and arrested the wrongdoers.
"You think it's funny, do you?" growled Steely Dan.
"Well, what did you expect? You are protected. Everything goes your way. You could literally pick up one of the thieves' bags of money, and nobody will even care," said Jotaro, smirking.
"But there are no consequences, no real struggle. For all I know, I could be a main character in a story suddenly given everything without the hard work put into it," said Steely Dan desperately. "But I will embrace what I can get in the time this effect has. I am done with Dio. I don't enjoy people suffering anymore. I took hard work for granted, and I am going to pursue it," he declared, walking away. Jotaro could feel something crawl out of his ear. Steely Dan then used the remaining hour to get rich by walking into situations that seemed to come out of nowhere, even ones that seemed too crazy that it was bizarre.
Joseph and Kakyoin ran away, followed by Polnareff, heading toward a shop that sold TVs. "An electronics store! Mr. Joestar, they have TVs!" cried Kakyoin.
"Yeah, so? Why does that matter now?" questioned Polnareff.
"Come on, Polnareff, did you think we were just running away? I'm going to fight this blasted Stand that's inside my great-grandson's head," said Joseph.
"F-Fight?" said Polnareff, scared.
"We have only a few minutes. And we're gonna need your help," said Kakyoin.
"Huh?" said Polnareff, pointing at himself. Joseph put his hands on the glass looking into a TV. "Hermit Purple!" Joseph cried as the purple vines moved past the glass to the TV. Hamon sparked like electricity up and down the vines, powering the TV. Polnareff closed his eyes from the brightness. The TV turned onto static, flickering for a moment before displaying a crystal clear picture of Lovers, Steely Dan's Stand in Jotaro's head.
"It's there!" said Kakyoin.
"Oh, no!" said Joseph as Lovers held Jotaro's pain receptors. "I can't believe I'm looking at the inside of Jotaro's brain!" said Joseph.
"I get that there's a really small Stand inside Jotaro, but how are we going to destroy it?" questioned Polnareff to Kakyoin.
"By having our Stands travel inside Jotaro to locate and destroy it," answered Kakyoin.
"What?" said Polnareff.
"Stands are simply materializations of energy. We should be able to shrink them," explained Kakyoin.
"Kakyoin!" yelled Polnareff.
"Hey, be gentle with me!" said Joseph.
"There's no time. We're going in now, Polnareff!" said Kakyoin.
"All right!" said Polnareff, nodding. "Hierophant Green!" yelled Kakyoin. Hierophant Green was summoned. "Silver Chariot!" yelled Polnareff. Silver Chariot was summoned. "Smaller!" they both shouted as their respective Stands shrank. It wasn't enough as they shouted, "Get smaller." After a while, they were ready to enter Jotaro's brain.
"Hold on a second," said Joseph. They stopped and looked at the TV. The Lovers dropped what it was doing and simply vanished.
They stood there dumbfounded as they rushed to meet up with the others who were lounging around. "The stand is gone, How?" said Joseph questioningly. "Well you see we changed his mind…"