Great, we're doomed now!

Dior's pursuit and desire for everything stemmed precisely from his past destitution. The unease of losing whatever he gained fueled his relentless climb towards ever higher goals, until his position was rock-solid and unshakeable.

Ye Shou admired the scenery and smiled knowingly.

"But nothing in this world is permanent; power and wealth both flow under the control of fate."

Therefore, in a sense, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a warrior who defied fate.

"Hearing you say that, it sounds like he's a character who's neither good nor evil?"

"No, a pure villain. If we have the chance, we must kill him completely. This kind of person isn't even worth a tear." Ye Shou curled his lip.

He likes Dior simply because it drops lots of gold coins.

Chapter 127 Bobo's Unfortunate Adventure

Connecting with the two Qiaos was an indispensable part of Ye Shou's plan.

If we only look at it from the perspective of "getting gold coins", if Ye Shou could exclude the Joestar family bloodline and rely on his own comrades to defeat Dio, it would be like severing the bond between Indra and Ashura in "Naruto", which would definitely change his fate drastically!

However, while the idea is appealing, a problem inevitably arises in its practical implementation:

How can we find Dio and prevent him from escaping?

To many, Dio is a domineering boss, a demon king-like character, who should stay in his castle waiting for brave warriors to come and challenge him.

But that's not actually the case at all!

Dio is very agile and skillful. A person who grew up in the slums and suffered bullying since childhood could not be a "man" who would rather die than submit, nor would he be like a certain dark cosmic emperor who would take a powerful attack head-on for the sake of dignity. Apart from being too self-important and somewhat believing in fatalism, he has almost no weaknesses in his character.

He can be manipulative and play the female-oriented game with Da Qiao, or he can be desperate and abandon his human identity, even parasitizing his enemy to survive!

Just waiting for a hope that may take who knows how many years to arrive~

If there really is some irresistible force targeting him, for safety reasons, Dio could simply move to a different place to live, or even use a different hideout every night.

In that case, given the depth and breadth of his influence in the underworld, Ye Shou would have no way to find and kill him in a short time. On the contrary, he would become a bounty target for Stand users all over the world, which would be incredibly annoying!

Why didn't Dio do that in the original story?

The most crucial element is the existence of Joseph Joestar!

In the end, it all comes down to fate...

Because he stole Jonathan Joestar's body, Joseph Joestar, guided by his bloodline, can sense Dio's presence. Coincidentally, he is a detection-type Stand, capable of constantly reading and writing down information related to Dio.

In addition, the SPW Foundation provides excellent intelligence and financial support, enabling them to rival Dior's underground forces.

Dio himself could sense the presence of Joseph Joestar, so he knew very well that as long as he was still using his sworn brother Jonathan's body, he would never be able to escape the fate of encountering the Joestar clan. He also firmly believed that he could conquer fate, so he would not abandon this body!

Taking more action will actually bring more intelligence to the two Qiaos!

Therefore, instead of hiding in various places, it's better to stay in the well-managed "Demon King's Castle" and use a strong defensive force to fight the final battle.

In fact, Dior's arrangement was already perfect:

Hiring assassins to weaken the enemy's strength, recruiting loyal subordinates to set up ambushes in Egypt, arranging the fiercest and most terrifying Stand users in the fortress, even the birds guarding the gate have a sassy look on their faces...

However, the SPW conglomerate is incredibly powerful. No matter what unexpected events the protagonist group encounters, they can immediately obtain new means of transportation. They are not entangled in any lawsuits or troubles along the way, which means that the various assassins have no time to intercept them and can only send them to their deaths one by one.

They were so arrogant that they even sent various detectives and spies to operate directly in Cairo, Dior's stronghold!

What else can Dio do? He can only honestly develop a Stand and actively prepare for battle!

Intelligence, funding, and the pull of fate were essential elements that drove Dio to the brink of despair, and the key to all of this was Joseph Joestar!

That phrase "old man" might well be Dior's resentment towards Joseph Joestar...

Ye Shou was able to discover Dio's "weakness" thanks to his similar stance to Joseph:

Having a powerful conglomerate behind you makes everything much easier.

...After a three-hour train journey, Ye Shou and Bobo arrived in Paris, a city renowned for its romance and fashion.

—It doesn't feel any different.

"Since we're waiting for someone, shouldn't we find a well-known hotel to stay in?"

“We’re not deliberately hiding our whereabouts. The SPW Foundation wouldn’t be unable to do something like this. It’s more interesting to wander around than to just wait in the hotel.”

Ye Shou felt that since he had nothing to do all day, he might as well visit some tourist attractions to relax and unwind.

"The Eiffel Tower or the Seine River...?"

"You're really taking it easy, aren't you? We're still on our journey, and we could be hunted down at any moment!"

That being said, Bobo didn't really want to go to hotels either, but unlike Ye Shou, he preferred good food and wine, and where these two elements converged, there were often beautiful women too.

“Since we’re in Paris, we definitely have to go to Notre Dame!” Bobo, a local, recommended. “The Eiffel Tower and such are just industrial waste; Notre Dame is the place that best embodies cultural heritage.”

"Hmm, I'll think about it..." Ye Shou hesitated slightly.

It seemed he had little interest in religious buildings, which made Bobo very anxious.

While the Eiffel Tower is a Parisian landmark offering the best views of the city skyline, it is a traditionalist that prefers to move people with art, history, and cuisine, and France has always been a leader in this regard in Europe.

Just then, Bobo's eyes lit up, and he ran to the platform newsstand to grab a tourist brochure: "Let me see... Hmm? Oh, how about this—the Louvre!"

"Louvre?"

So, am I finally going to have a chance to meet my own Mona Lisa?

Ye Shou's interest was piqued, and he leaned over to look at the promotional image above.

"Indeed, it allows you to appreciate the architecture and explore the collections inside, making it much better than the other two... Oh, and there's a joint exhibition too."

"So, what do you think of my recommendation? Pretty good, right?" Polnareff closed the brochure. "Then it's decided!"

Off we go, destination: the Louvre!

Six

"...Maybe I just don't know how to appreciate it."

Ye Shou shook his head, then looked carefully at the hands of the lady in the painting (Mona Lisa)... and pursed his lips.

There's nothing special about it, is there? How could it make Yoshikage Kira kiss?

As expected, abnormal thoughts are beyond the comprehension of normal people.

But then I thought, Yoshikage Kira's hobbies are just a niche interest, or perhaps mainstream tastes haven't evolved to that level yet. What if Leonardo da Vinci had painted a pair of bare feet instead of Mona Lisa's hands…

Suddenly, many people can understand Kira?

"Oh my, look... it's a genuine authentic tunnel!"

Polnareff was in high spirits, smiling and nodding at everything he saw, occasionally muttering to himself. It was unclear whether he truly understood or not, but because of his mohawk, he was too conspicuous in the exhibition hall full of tourists. Even the security guards paid special attention to him, and everyone deliberately kept their distance from him.

The Louvre holds a similar position in France to the Forbidden City in China. Originally a royal palace, it was later replaced by the Palace of Versailles. During the French Revolution, it was defined as a "public place" and opened to the public, thus becoming the historical museum it is today.

The museum houses over 40 art treasures from around the world, with the painting gallery being the most extensive and largest in area. The museum's crown jewel is, of course, the world-renowned Mona Lisa.

These artworks not only encompass antiquities from ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, and the East, but also include treasures from France and Italy.

Historically, after Napoleon's defeat, some of the looted treasures were returned to their original owners, numbering around several thousand, but this was still insignificant compared to the overall amount.

As Bobo strolled around, he naturally parted ways with Ye Shou. The two agreed to meet at the François statue in the square at four o'clock in the afternoon, and after acting alone, he went to find a toilet as soon as possible.

While dealing with his physiological needs, Bobo also had a sudden thought:

Since they met, has Ye Shou ever suggested going to the restroom when they're together?

Are people from the East really this polite?

"Phew~ That's a relief~"

A silver-haired young man with light steps walked out of the restroom and happened to run into a group of tourists passing by under the guidance of a tour guide. Without thinking much, he followed them.

Although he acted as if he had impeccable taste, he actually couldn't recognize most of the items in the exhibition hall; at most, he knew which was a painting and which was a plate. But coming to the Louvre was his suggestion, and it would be embarrassing if he showed his ignorance.

The reason for separating from Ye Shou was also due to this consideration. After all, if Ye Shou came to ask him what works Leonardo da Vinci had, whether François Millet was really a product of hype, or why Mark Twain specifically chose him to make up stories...

Bobo had absolutely no idea how to answer!

Now, just follow the tour guide and take a good look around. Remember as much as you can, then you can brag about it to your buddies when you get back!

"Now we have arrived at the Sully Hall, which houses a large collection of ancient Greek, Etruscan, and Roman artifacts. It is divided into several exhibition halls according to different periods and civilization systems. In front of us is a separate exhibition hall built specifically for the Parthenon, which was built by the Athenians on the Acropolis in 447 BC."

The temple's name, 'Parthenon,' is a transliteration of the ancient Greek word into Latin, meaning 'virgin,' and is also an alias of Athena…

At first, it was just to pass the time, but gradually he couldn't help but be attracted by the rich exotic atmosphere and cultural ambiance. Bobo is a sentimental man, but this was the first time he realized that his romantic feelings could be triggered not only by gentle and pure girls, but also by inanimate objects that cannot speak.

They sit quietly in the glass display cases, judged and criticized by the crowds coming and going... or quite the opposite, they have endured thousands of years, being moved around while coldly watching wave after wave of people come and go.

"Watch out! Excuse me!"

"……Oh!"

After being reminded, Bobo snapped out of his daze and quickly stepped back, letting the staff pull the carts filled with wooden crates past.

He had unknowingly arrived at the Ancient Egypt exhibition hall. The style here was different from the rest of the hall. Even the ceiling and walls were in an exotic style. Inside the hall, you could see stone coffins, statues, and even pillars. Rather than being filled with exhibits, the whole place had been completely "cultural relics".

The unique mystery and eeriness of Egypt made Polnareff feel as if he had stepped into a demonic realm.

People at the University of Tokyo are generally indignant about the fact that foreigners took advantage of their misfortune to plunder and steal many precious cultural relics. However, not every country has this kind of national pride, or rather, not every country has the right or courage to complain.

Egypt is also an ancient civilization that was once glorious but later declined. However, unlike the United States, it failed to rise again and instead remained lying there.

The entire history of modern Egypt is a spiral of constant invasion, followed by new invaders driving out the previous one and continuing the plunder of artifacts in Egypt.

From murals and reliefs to gold artifacts, from stone tablets of documents to the pharaoh's scepter, nothing was spared, not even the pharaoh himself...

For a period in history, mummies were considered to have a similar status to tiger penises. Europeans believed that eating them could cure all diseases and was a panacea comparable to the Philosopher's Stone, capable of "restoring youth and vitality" with just a little bit of it—you know what I mean.

Even in modern times, the Egyptian government has no concept of protecting its own cultural relics and has turned "cultural relic lending" into a business. Every year, a large number of precious cultural relics are rented to museums in other countries for exhibition, which is one of the few ways they can earn a lot of foreign exchange.

Whether the cultural relics were properly protected during the process, and whether the other party would fail to return them on time... that's another matter entirely.

For example, the Egyptian and French governments have reached an agreement to borrow a batch of cultural relics for exhibition at the Louvre for a month, making the already rich exhibition hall even more abundant.

However, the staff were clearly not very attentive during the moving process. They did not even isolate the flow of people, nor did they choose to carry it out on a rest day, and they were not afraid of any accidents.

"Is this thing pure gold?"

Just as Bobo was admiring an inscribed gold medal through the thick glass, an accident suddenly occurred.

A staff member was pulling a bunch of wooden crates marked with "E" back. This was because the exhibition hall itself had limited space, and in order to make effective use of the number of booths, the newly delivered exhibits were divided into five levels from A to E according to their rarity.

The items being transported away now are all surplus; there's simply nowhere else to put them.