"The enemy has a Stand ability that can create illusions. If too many of us go in at once, we'll be split up and defeated individually. It's better if Jotaro, Kakyoin, and I scout ahead, while the rest of you stay outside and be ready to provide backup," Joseph suggested.
Even with a thorough understanding of the enemy's abilities, Joseph did not let his guard down. Even when confident, he always chose the most cautious strategy.
"If it's just illusions, there's nothing to worry about. No illusion can fool my eyes," Borsalino calmly interjected.
As a master of top-tier Observation Haki, Borsalino could sense everything around him with unparalleled precision. Even if his five senses were completely blocked, he could still rely on his Haki to fight effectively.
Unless the enemy's Observation Haki surpassed his and could also deceive his ability, no illusion—no matter how realistic—would have any effect on him.
Besides, the enemy's Stand ability could only create illusions to deceive vision. It couldn't even fool the sense of smell of Iggy, the dog. How could they possibly stand against Borsalino?
"Alright then, everyone, stay alert and proceed carefully," Joseph finally agreed reluctantly after noticing that Jotaro, who was usually reliable, did not object. Clenching his teeth, he led the group into DIO's mansion.
However, the moment they stepped inside, the surroundings abruptly transformed into an endless abyss!
Before anyone could react, a dazzling flash of light swept through the area. The bottomless abyss instantly disappeared, and their surroundings reverted to the entrance of the mansion.
At that moment, Polnareff's delayed scream rang out. Faced with the slightly amused looks of his teammates, Polnareff wished he could stab the illusion-casting enemy into a beehive.
"That illusion-casting Stand user..."
Joseph squinted at Borsalino with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. Even now, he couldn't figure out what had just happened.
In his mind, however, he was certain that the sudden dispelling of the illusion must have been due to Borsalino.
"Handled it. Just a quick cleanup," Borsalino replied casually.
Attempting to deceive someone with illusions in front of a master of top-tier Observation Haki was nothing short of a death wish.
"Move forward!" Jotaro commanded, his focus unshaken. He had no intention of dwelling on the defeated enemy. His sole target was DIO.
No one objected. The group was now eager to push forward, overcome DIO's remaining minions, and end this nightmare once and for all.
Soon, the group found themselves standing before a grand hall.
Awaiting them inside was the mansion's first true opponent.
"Welcome, esteemed guests. I am Telence T. D'Arby, Lord DIO's butler."
A young man with distinct markings on his forehead, nose, and chin rose from his seat. Despite facing six intruders and a dog, D'Arby appeared completely at ease.
"Daniel J. D'Arby—what's your connection to him?" Joseph asked calmly. Knowing how dangerous D'Arby's Stand ability was, the experienced veteran tried to unsettle him.
"My useless older brother managed to make an impression on you? At least his death wasn't entirely in vain."
D'Arby smirked, seemingly unfazed by Joseph's attempt to throw him off balance.
These followers of DIO were pure evil. Ordinary human emotions were nothing but a weakness to them.
"Stop wasting time with him. Let me take him down!"
Polnareff, still stinging from his earlier embarrassment, stepped forward with determination. His Stand, Silver Chariot, charged directly at D'Arby.
"Ah, that won't do… As Lord DIO's butler, letting you through here would be far too negligent of me," D'Arby said with a sly grin.
Using his Stand ability, D'Arby flawlessly predicted Silver Chariot's movements, dodging Polnareff's relentless attacks with ease.
The group's expressions darkened.
They had already known D'Arby's Stand could read minds to some extent, but facing it firsthand was proving incredibly difficult.
And this was only one aspect of his ability. Without prior knowledge of D'Arby's powers, defeating him would have been nearly impossible.
"Dammit! If you're so confident, stop dodging and fight me head-on!" Polnareff roared in frustration, his temper flaring.
With DIO's lair so close, being stalled by D'Arby was infuriating. The longer the fight dragged on, the more agitated he became.
"That won't do. How about we play a game instead? If you can beat me in a video game, I might consider letting you pass..." New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝗻𝗼𝘷𝗲𝗹•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝕟𝕖𝕥
D'Arby spoke with a sly grin, his mind already scheming.
With so many Stand users here, turning them into puppets would be absolutely thrilling.
His collection didn't have many Stand users, let alone ones like Joseph and Jotaro from the Joestar family. If he could deliver their bloodlines to Lord DIO, DIO would surely view him in a new light!
"A mind-reading ability, huh? Too bad you're such a scumbag. Otherwise, you'd make a great human polygraph..."
Borsalino exchanged a glance with Jotaro and then stepped forward.
Although the dimensional chat group had already provided strategies for defeating D'Arby, Jotaro wasn't willing to take risks. D'Arby's ability was simply too dangerous, and having seen his companions' 'deaths' in those illusions, Jotaro didn't want to gamble again.
Borsalino didn't mind helping out.
Even though he was used to slacking off, he'd carried the name of justice as a marine for decades.
To him, DIO and his henchmen were like red-named enemies in a game, generating automatic hostility. It only made sense to strike them down on sight.
"Heh, still trying? Let me guess—you'll attack left... right... or maybe the center..."
D'Arby's confident smile slowly vanished. His assured demeanor stiffened as he looked at Borsalino. The smugness in his eyes turned to fear.
Although Borsalino merely raised a single finger, D'Arby reacted as though he were witnessing the apocalypse itself.
"No need to guess. I have a hard time making decisions, so I prefer to choose all of the above!"
A dazzling light appeared at Borsalino's fingertip. In the next instant, countless beams of light erupted, showering the room like a deadly web.
D'Arby had no chance to dodge, counter, or even escape. The onslaught of light pierced through him like a sieve, eliminating any opportunity for resistance.
This attack was something Borsalino had developed before mastering Observation Haki. The only way to survive it was to endure it head-on with raw defense.
Clearly, D'Arby wasn't built for taking hits.
With a single strike, Borsalino wiped out the troublesome Stand user.
At last, Jotaro's companions began to understand just how powerful the ally Jotaro had brought with him truly was.