In a high-class ward of a public hospital in Cagliari, the Assassination Team members stood or sat, filling the entire room. Johnson Joffrey's Stand, Reversed Hierophant, had its hands clasped on Risotto's chest, death almost engulfing him.
"Giorno Giovanna?!" Ghiaccio repeated the name in surprise, "If I recall correctly, he's your brother?!"
"Yes," Johnson Joffrey said, "He is indeed my brother. His Stand Ability, Gold Experience, can…"
"Wait, I don't want to talk about that. I just want to ask, is he also a child of a vampire?!"
"Yes," Johnson nodded.
"There are really a lot of vampire children in this world. That one named Giorno, Johnson, you track him this time."
Prosciutto looked at the considerably injured Johnson and Mista, "It seems their abilities are also very strong, otherwise they couldn't have taken Trish from your hands."
"Indeed," Mista interjected, "Those guys' resolve should not be underestimated."
"Since Trish has fallen into their hands, she's probably doomed. We should try to wake this woman up," Melone analyzed. "And now we also need to find Giorno to save the captain."
"No," Johnson suddenly said. "That guy won't let Trish die."
"Huh?" Melone was a bit surprised and asked, "Although he's your brother, you two seem to only be half-siblings and hadn't met before this, right?"
"Yes, you're right, we hadn't met before this," Johnson Joffrey said expressionlessly, then calmly added, "He won't let Trish die. That's the promise between him and me."
"Because I handed Trish over to him."
"Hmm?!" The Assassination Team all looked at Johnson Joffrey, especially Mista. He didn't expect Johnson to blurt this out directly. Didn't they say they would secretly merge the two teams?
"Because he is my brother. I handed Trish over to him, and at the same time, I made a promise with him that she must not die."
"Why?!" Prosciutto asked in surprise.
Johnson sighed and looked at Risotto, whose face was pale. The bloodstains on him had even dried.
"Although I've only met him a few times, I don't think Bucciarati is the type of person who would continue to follow the boss after realizing he's someone who would even kill his own daughter."
"But can you be so certain about something based purely on feeling?"
"Giorno Giovanna is my brother. He shares the same traits as me, and I trust him as much as I trust myself. If I'm not mistaken, he will deliver Trish into the boss's hands."
"But after meeting Trish, I've been constantly brainwashing her, telling her that her father wants to kill her and her mother, making her live in a place where she can't trust anyone, surrounded by enemies. Then I told her how to awaken her Stand, and had Formaggio prepare biological energy for me to put on her to increase her chances of awakening her Stand, making her believe that she owes her Stand awakening to me."
"If she's still alive, she'll definitely be grateful to me. At the same time, this sense of unease that the boss might kill her will continue to spread to Bucciarati and Giorno, making them both believe that it's entirely possible for the boss to kill his own daughter."
"Bucciarati is a righteous man who would never harm women or children. He would absolutely not allow the boss to kill his own daughter just to protect his true identity. And I used the brotherly bond between Giorno and me to make him bear the heavy responsibility of protecting Trish."
"If nothing unexpected happens, they should have already betrayed the boss by now."
Johnson Joffrey's tone was relaxed, as if he was describing something that had already happened, simple and natural.
The Assassination Team was surprised and remained silent for a long time, seemingly astonished by the calm mind of a thirteen-year-old child, who could so clearly analyze the psychology of a group of people and use psychology to defeat enemies, all just to unite with Bucciarati's Team?!
"Why do I have to unite with them? We're already very strong," Formaggio asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Because Abbacchio's Moody Blues can replay any person from any time period. As long as we find a place the boss has been to, we can get a look at the boss."
"Uh…" Ghiaccio stared at Johnson with wide eyes, his face full of admiration. "…How are you so amazing? Wait, does that mean you intentionally let Trish go to them?!"
Johnson nodded.
"A place the boss has been to?! You mean the emergency room downstairs?"
"More precisely, this hospital is full of the Boss's traces."
"Then I can find out who the boss really is."
"Hoh! Johnson, you're too smart!" Ghiaccio praised, but then said to himself with some reluctance, "I'm also very amazing."
"Then let's go find them quickly!" Mista shouted.
"No need. They'll be here in a while."
— — — — — —
"I believe choosing to join the Assassination Team is quite beneficial for us," Giorno said, his tone calm, completely unlike a thirteen-year-old child.
"First, our goals are aligned," Giorno said. "We both want to deal with the Boss."
"First, you need to understand," Abbacchio, driving ahead, didn't forget to retort to Giorno, "why should the Assassination Team ally with us?!"
"Because of Trish. They want Trish," Giorno said. "They only want to investigate the Boss's past. Comparatively, Trish being alive benefits them more."
"So, does that mean we're also using Trish?" Narancia whispered.
"No, of course not," Giorno continued to analyze. "It's different. We and they are only working together to bring down the Boss. The Boss's death benefits us all."
"However, our goals may not be entirely aligned. Clearly, they are greedy and heinous people. Our values don't match. I can't be aligned with them."
Silence fell in the car again. After a long pause, Bucciarati suddenly spoke, "The reason I betrayed the Boss is because he possessed an evil I couldn't tolerate. If the Assassination Team is the same, then there's no need for me to betray him."
Giorno raised an eyebrow and said nothing more. He truly couldn't be sure about the Assassination Team's character. He could only say that Johnson Joffrey seemed decent.
"Those guys do have a strong resolve," Narancia suddenly said. If anyone had truly fought the Assassination Team, it was only Narancia and Fugo. They had once battled Formaggio and Ghiaccio.