"The enemy has a Stand capable of creating illusions. Even if we all go in together, we'll be split up and surrounded, then picked off one by one. It'd be better if Jotaro, Kakyoin, and I scout ahead first—everyone else stays outside and be ready to provide support…"
Joseph didn't grow careless just because they knew the enemy's abilities. Even with sufficient confidence, he still chose the most conservative strategy.
"If it's just illusions, there's nothing to worry about. No illusion can fool my eyes."
Borsalino spoke calmly.
As a wielder of top-tier Observation Haki, even if all five senses were sealed, he could still fight purely by relying on it.
Unless the enemy's Observation Haki was even stronger than his—and capable of deceiving Observation itself—no illusion, no matter how realistic, would mean anything.
What's more, the Stand in question only created visual illusions. It couldn't even fool Iggy's sense of smell—so what right did it have to challenge Borsalino?
"In that case… everyone be careful."
Seeing that the usually reliable Jotaro didn't object, Joseph gritted his teeth and nodded. The group moved together into DIO's mansion.
But the moment they stepped inside, the surroundings abruptly transformed into a bottomless abyss!
Flash!
Before anyone could react, a blinding white light swept through the space.
The endless void vanished instantly, and their surroundings snapped back to the mansion's entrance.
"W–Waaah—ah—!"
Polnareff's scream arrived a beat late. Faced with his companions' slightly strange looks, he dearly wished he could skewer that illusion-making bastard into a pincushion.
"That illusion-making Stand user…"
Joseph narrowed his eyes as he looked at Borsalino. Even now, he still hadn't quite grasped what had just happened.
But in his heart, he suspected the sudden collapse of the illusion had everything to do with Mr. Borsalino.
"Yeah. Took care of him on the way in."
Borsalino replied casually.
Trying to toy with illusions in front of a top-tier Observation Haki user was nothing short of joking with one's own life.
"Let's keep moving."
Jotaro didn't spare a thought for the fallen enemy. His only objective was DIO.
No one objected. Having dispatched an enemy so effortlessly, the Stardust Crusaders were eager to deal with the rest.
Soon, a grand hall came into view.
And there, waiting inside, was their first true opponent since entering the mansion.
"Welcome, honored guests. I am Terence T. D'Arby, steward to Lord DIO."
The young man, marked by peculiar patterns on his forehead, nose, and chin, rose to his feet. Even when facing six intruders and a dog, D'Arby's expression remained relaxed.
"Daniel J. D'Arby—what is he to you?"
Joseph asked calmly, attempting to unsettle him. The man's Stand ability was dangerous, and the seasoned veteran hoped to shake his composure.
"That useless older brother of mine actually managed to be remembered by such distinguished guests? I suppose he didn't die in vain."
D'Arby smiled, as if he hadn't noticed Joseph's probing at all.
The followers of DIO were all pure, unadulterated villains. Ordinary human emotions were nothing but burdens to them.
"Enough talk. I'll deal with him!"
Still stinging from his earlier embarrassment, Polnareff stepped forward. His Stand, Silver Chariot, lunged straight at D'Arby.
"That won't do…"
As DIO's steward, letting them pass would be a dereliction of duty.
D'Arby used his Stand ability to perfectly predict Silver Chariot's attack trajectory, easily evading Polnareff's relentless assault.
The sight made everyone's expressions darken.
They had known he possessed a degree of mind-reading, but facing it head-on was far more troublesome than expected.
And this was only part of his ability. Without prior knowledge of D'Arby's tricks, defeating him would be extraordinarily difficult.
"Damn it! Stop dodging and fight me head-on if you've got the guts!"
Polnareff growled. He was hot-headed by nature.
With DIO so close yet blocked by D'Arby, and unable to break through, his frustration only grew.
"That wouldn't do at all. How about we play a game instead? If you can beat me at a video game, I'll gladly step aside and let you pass…"
D'Arby said with a grin.
With so many Stand users here, turning them all into dolls would be wonderful. Even among his collection, Stand users were rare—let alone two members of the Joestar bloodline.
If he could present the blood of Joseph and Jotaro Joestar to Lord DIO, DIO would surely look upon him with new favor.
"Mind-reading, huh… What a waste. If you weren't such a scumbag, you'd make a pretty good human lie detector."
After exchanging a glance with Jotaro, Borsalino stepped forward.
Although the chat group uploads already contained a method to defeat D'Arby, his ability was simply too dangerous. Having already witnessed his companions' 'deaths' in another timeline, Jotaro didn't want to take any chances.
Borsalino, for his part, didn't mind lending a hand.
No matter how used he was to slacking off, he'd carried the name of justice as a Marine for decades.
Villains like DIO and his followers were like red-name players in a game—automatically flagged. Seeing them and cutting them down was only natural.
"Heh. Still not giving up? Let me see… you're going to attack from the left… the right… or the center…"
The smile on D'Arby's face slowly vanished.
The confidence in his expression stiffened, and the look in his eyes shifted from mockery to outright terror.
Borsalino had only raised a single finger—yet to D'Arby, it was as if the end of the world had descended.
"No need to guess. I've got decision paralysis, so I usually just take everything."
A dazzling light flared at Borsalino's fingertip.
In the next instant, countless beams of light burst forth, crisscrossing the air in a dense web. D'Arby was riddled through and through, with no angle or space left to dodge or escape.
This technique was something Borsalino had developed back before he'd even mastered Observation Haki. Against it, the only option was to rely on sheer defensive power to endure it.
Clearly, D'Arby wasn't the type who could tank or trade blows.
With a single strike, the Stand user whose ability had been such a headache was eliminated.
And only then did Jotaro's companions truly realize just how terrifyingly strong the helper Jotaro had brought along really was.
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