"Boom!"
A loud collapse startled the two men. They turned toward the sound—it turned out the Joestar family's old mansion had finally succumbed to the flames.
It collapsed.
"That seems like... my house???"
George Joestar, who had just recovered from his injuries, was left dumbfounded once again.
Can someone please tell me what exactly happened?
How did my massive house just collapse?
"A child without a mother—it's a long story."
Under Yamcha's explanation, George finally learned what had happened after his "death."
"I never imagined Dio would turn into such a monster. It's my fault for neglecting his discipline."
As expected of a true gentleman.
"Sir, this isn't the time for reflection. I believe we should go find Jonathan."
One day later.
Aside from the resurrected George Joestar, only Jonathan and Speedwagon had managed to survive the incident with the vampire Dio.
"Thank you so much, Sir Potter. If it weren't for you, my father..."
"There's no need for such formality, Jonathan. I simply happened to discover that Sir Joestar wasn't actually dead." Yamcha waved off the gratitude casually.
"Besides, we're practically family now."
As he spoke, he gestured toward Erina and Jonathan. The young couple immediately blushed bright red.
Thanks to his intervention, Erina's first kiss hadn't been stolen by Dio. Over the past seven years, her relationship with Jonathan had blossomed. They were just one step away from being fully together.
"Have you thought about what to do next, Mr. Jonathan?"
"Dio... No, that monster didn't die. He only suffered non-lethal injuries. It's likely he'll come back for revenge soon."
For someone who had nearly killed his father and turned into a monster, Jonathan was fully resolved to end things with Dio once and for all. But the gap in their strength was still far too great.
"You needn't worry about that," a stranger's voice interrupted, breaking their conversation.
The speaker was a man dressed in a white suit and a checkered top hat.
Aside from his outfit, his appearance bore a striking resemblance to Yamcha's Harry Potter disguise—especially the small mustache on each side of his lips.
"Who are you? You've been following us, haven't you?"
"Relax, young man." The stranger suddenly exerted force with his legs and leapt to a height no ordinary human could reach, then landed gracefully.
The display shocked Jonathan and Erina, while Yamcha carefully sized the man up.
"I'm surprised you survived someone possessed by the Stone Mask."
"Maybe it's fate. Let me see what kind of talent you have."
With that, the man rushed at Jonathan with unbelievable speed, suddenly landing a heavy punch to his stomach. As Jonathan let out a brief gag, his arm—previously broken by Dio—miraculously healed.
Not only that, but Jonathan's strength also surged dramatically.
Watching this incredible scene, Yamcha, still in disguise as Harry Potter, narrowed his eyes.
No doubt about it... that's the power of life.
Very similar to Nen, but not quite the same.
"How did you do that?"
Facing Jonathan's question, the man replied casually, "No need to be surprised. I didn't do anything. I merely altered your breathing—you're now using a special breathing technique."
"This unique breathing method is what I call Ripple Breathing."
"Also known as the Way of the Hermit!"
At last, you've arrived—no, not Mitsui, but Master Zeppeli.
Will A. Zeppeli, Baron, Ripple user, and Jonathan's first mentor.
After his father accidentally donned a Stone Mask and became a vampire, Zeppeli vowed to destroy the mask and all vampires. To track its whereabouts, he traveled to Britain, and upon hearing Jonathan's story, he found his way here.
Zeppeli wasted no time. After seeing Jonathan's natural Ripple potential, he decided to teach him Ripple Breathing.
"Ripple Breathing, huh? Master, why not teach me too?" Seeing that Zeppeli was about to teach Jonathan, Yamcha finally spoke up.
This was the very reason he came to this world—to learn Ripple.
He had stayed by Jonathan's side all this time, waiting for Zeppeli to appear.
"You?"
Zeppeli looked Yamcha up and down, then shook his head and sighed. "No."
"Why not?"
"In times like this, isn't an extra fighter a valuable asset?"
"Learning Ripple Breathing requires an extraordinary level of talent—one in ten thousand. Someone like Jonathan is rarer than one in a million. Even I took decades to reach my current level."
Zeppeli declared firmly, "You don't possess that kind of talent, Sir Potter. You'll never learn Ripple."
No talent.
Same excuse he gave Speedwagon in the original story. If I insist any further, he'll probably punch me in the stomach as a "lesson" under the guise of training.
From the beginning, Zeppeli only ever intended to teach Jonathan. During this time period, Ripple training was still subject to strict gatekeeping.
I knew it wouldn't be that easy. Plan A: failed.
After making it clear he wouldn't teach Yamcha, Zeppeli began instructing Jonathan in Ripple Breathing as if no one else were around.
He didn't fear Yamcha trying to learn by watching—if Ripple were that easy, everyone would already be using it.
Those who can learn Ripple are true prodigies. Jonathan's talent was especially rare. Most importantly, without physically experiencing it, theory alone isn't enough to master it.
"JOJO," Yamcha suddenly called out to Jonathan, "You should have grasped the basics of Ripple Breathing by now, right? Can you use it?"
"Huh? Mr. Potter?" Jonathan took a deep breath. As he did, a faint glow covered his right hand.
"It seems I can use it."
"But I'll need more training to use it in actual combat."
Yamcha raised an eyebrow.
Jonathan's talent was truly terrifying. In just one morning, he had already grasped the fundamentals of Ripple. In a few hours, he had integrated the breathing technique into his daily routine.
Even someone with talent would normally need one or two years to reach that level.
His combat power had at least doubled since the day before. He had gone from an ordinary man to someone capable of fighting vampires.
His growth speed was practically like cheating.
As expected of the protagonist.
Terrifying. Simply terrifying.
He truly was the most talented Ripple user in all of JoJo. If Jonathan had avoided death and continued training, he could've reached an unprecedented level in history.
Yamcha nodded seriously and said:
"Good. Then strike me with all your strength—using your Ripple-infused fist."
(End of Chapter)