Raiden Mei tried to sense it, and the figure of Crazy Diamond appeared behind her. Looking at the strangely shaped Crazy Diamond, Mei blinked: "Is this a Stand?"
"That's right, this is a Stand. Every Stand has a completely different appearance."
King Crimson appeared in the room, suddenly raised his hand, and with a hand chop, split a nearby chair, startling Kiana next to him: "Come, try Crazy Diamond's ability. Fix this chair."
"Ugh, this feeling of only I not being able to see Stands is so annoying! Takatsuki, quickly get me a Stand!"
"Alright, alright."
Looking at Crazy Diamond, who seemed a bit flustered standing next to the chair, Takatsuki said: "Mei, don't think about how to do it. Just think that you want to fix this thing, and it will work. The Stand will act on its own."
Most Stand Users go through this experience because a Stand won't tell its Stand User its abilities. So, they usually give a general command, and the Stand's instinct triggers automatically.
For example, when Dio was shot, he commanded The World to block the bullets, and The World autonomously activated its time-stop ability, plucking the bullets one by one.
Mei nodded, and then saw Crazy Diamond suddenly let out a loud cry.
"Dora!"
He punched the remains of the chair, and before she could wonder, she saw the shattered wood transform back into a complete chair, enveloped in energy.
Though she couldn't see the Stand, Kiana, who witnessed the chair being destroyed and restored, clicked her tongue in amazement.
It made her even more envious; after all, who wouldn't want strange yet useful superpowers?
After seeing Mei use her Stand's ability, Takatsuki briefly explained Crazy Diamond's usage and some tips. Then he took out Ebony and Ivory and the famous sword Moonlit Night to give to the two for self-defense before leaving the room. After all, the hotel rooms were doubles, and Takatsuki couldn't stay in the same room with two girls.
Originally, Joseph had planned to put Polnareff and Takatsuki in one room, but fearing they might fight, Joseph booked another room to separate them.
What Takatsuki didn't notice was a section of purple vine hidden behind the TV in the room.
…
"Mr. Joestar, how is it?"
In Joseph's room, Jotaro Kujo, Kakyoin, Avdol, and Joseph Joestar were gathered. Joseph Joestar's hand extended a purple vine wrapped around the television in front of him.
"Yes, Takatsuki and them can be trusted."
Joseph Joestar said this after using Hermit Purple to eavesdrop on the situation in the room, and after Takatsuki left, he listened to a short conversation between the two girls.
Did Takatsuki and their words not expose anything?
No, they definitely exposed something, but what kind of person is Joseph Joestar?
Would he doubt someone who showed him kindness just because of a slight lie? No! He could become a close friend with Caesar, who was at odds with him from the start, and he could also become friends with Smokey, a black teenager from a completely different world whom he saved. Plus, there's Avdol, who started a journey with him immediately after meeting, despite their decades-long age difference. All of this proves that he is extremely good at making friends.
He knows how to respect his friends and how to trust.
However, the information Takatsuki and his companions exposed would undoubtedly become a source of doubt for others, so he chose to conceal it because he trusted this young man.
"Since Mr. Joestar says it's fine, then it should be alright."
Kakyoin said with a smile: "Jotaro, you can rest assured now, right?"
"Yare yare." Jotaro pulled down his hat and walked towards the door: "Going back to rest."
And just after everyone had fallen asleep, Raiden Mei found herself in a strange place, accompanied by a melodious tune.
"Good morning, Morioh-chou Radio Station, I will be serving you today as well…"
…
The next day, Hong Kong Pier.
Eight people arrived here early in the morning, and a ship was already docked.
"Alright! Everyone, board the ship."
Although everyone knew that the ship's captain had likely been killed and replaced by an assassin sent by Dio, no one said much. They boarded the ship calmly, just like ordinary tourists.
The negotiations were left to Joseph. After boarding, everyone went to choose their rooms. Since the number of people was double the initial estimate of four, they had to squeeze into double rooms again, just like at the hotel.
Incidentally, Takatsuki also checked the lower cargo hold with someone else to ensure no one was stowing away before going up.
"Mei, look! Dolphins!"
It wasn't Kiana's first time on a boat, but it was her first time on a ship's deck.
She had traveled from Siberia all the way to the Extremely East Region by stowing away, always hiding in cargo holds or taking illegal ships. It was fortunate that her personal strength was strong enough; ordinary people were no match for her.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to reach Changkong City safely.
So, this boat trip made her very excited, and she dragged Mei around everywhere.
"Takatsuki, you can't catch fish like that, can you?"
Seeing Takatsuki holding a fishing rod by the ship, but with the ship constantly moving, it was indeed quite impossible to catch any fish.
"It's fine, I just purely want to fish. It's okay if nothing bites."
Takatsuki waved his hand, then looked at Mei: "Mei, why do you seem so spiritless today?"
Raiden Mei smiled wearily: "I'm fine, I just had a dream last night."
"Did you have a nightmare?"
"A nightmare… I guess not."
Raiden Mei remembered the man she saw last night, the man named Josuke.
In her dream, she experienced all the battles Josuke had gone through, and she watched him fail to save people due to his own mistakes.
"Crazy Diamond is not omnipotent; those who have died cannot be resurrected."
The man said so. Although the deceased old man was Josuke's grandfather, Raiden Mei seemed to feel the sadness within it.
"Crazy Diamond is the gentlest Stand in the world, but there are times when it cannot protect. Are you willing to use this power to protect others?"
Perhaps thinking of her only two friends, Raiden Mei's answer was but one.
"I can feel the gentleness in your heart. Crazy Diamond should suit you very well. So, I lend you this power!"
Leaving these words, the man disappeared, leaving only the experience of using Crazy Diamond.
Raiden Mei, from being a complete novice with Stands, instantly understood how to use Crazy Diamond.
"Josuke's will, huh…"
Listening to Mei's description, Takatsuki thought of this. Perhaps Stigmata not only contained Stand abilities but also the will of their owners.
And when encountering someone with suitable compatibility like Mei, they would gain the experience of using the Stand.
Thinking of this, Takatsuki felt somewhat fortunate that he hadn't given her Diavolo's or Ghiaccio's Stands; otherwise, the wills of those two villains would certainly be incompatible.
Looking at Kiana, Takatsuki also felt wise about his initial decision.
The idiotic sandal-bug Kiana and the dim-witted Okuyasu Nijimura, their compatibility should also be quite good, right?
Moreover, Takatsuki felt that both of them were kind people, so when facing other kind people, they already met half the conditions.
If it were an evil person, they would certainly not be recognized by these two.