After greeting Yuto, Jonathan finally turned toward Joseph and the others.
His attention lingered especially on Joseph, and a faintly puzzled frown appeared on his face.
"Sir, is something wrong?" Jonathan asked politely.
Erina, standing beside him, leaned forward slightly and looked toward Joseph with the same confusion.
Joseph hurriedly grabbed the hat resting on the counter and raised it to cover part of his face.
The people sitting beside him could hear several heavy sniffs from behind it, though the hat muffled the sound enough that anyone farther away would probably miss them.
"No. It's nothing."
After taking a moment to compose himself, Joseph lowered the hat and forced his expression back under control.
Jonathan and Erina paused.
The two exchanged a brief glance before deciding not to press him and took their seats instead.
Jonathan soon began chatting warmly with Yuto and introduced the woman beside him as his wife, Erina.
His affection for her was obvious in every word.
Whenever he spoke about her, the corners of his lips unconsciously lifted, and his entire expression became relaxed and content.
Under her husband's gaze and praise, a soft blush appeared on Erina's cheeks, though her smile remained as gentle as ever.
Watching the newlyweds shower each other with affection made Yuto's teeth ache a little.
The sickening sweetness of love was strong with these two.
"We originally went out to enjoy the night scenery," Jonathan explained with composed elegance.
"Somehow, before we knew it, we ended up here."
Every movement and mannerism perfectly embodied the word gentleman.
Yuto smiled and nodded before asking what they would like to eat.
Jonathan ordered a steak.
Erina chose a simple vegetable soup.
After accepting their orders, Yuto headed back into the kitchen.
Off to the side, however...
From the moment Jonathan sat down until he finished ordering, Jotaro and the other three had barely taken their eyes off him.
Each of them was still processing the same extraordinary revelation.
Joseph had not explicitly explained anything yet.
But his reaction had already revealed plenty.
Kakyoin quietly compared Jonathan with Joseph.
Then with Jotaro.
'That flawless gentleman sitting only a short distance away...'
'Was really the ancestor of these two?'
Kakyoin secretly glanced at Jotaro again.
The difference was...pretty damn huge!
"Oi, old man." Jotaro lowered the brim of his hat and spoke quietly. "Those two are my great-great-grandfather and great-great-grandmother, right?"
Joseph was still struggling to control his emotions.
After a long silence, he finally nodded.
"Yare yare daze..."
Jotaro released his usual weary sigh.
At that moment, Jonathan turned toward their group.
"Gentlemen... is there something you need?" His smile had disappeared, replaced by seriousness and caution.
"Why do you keep watching Erina and me? You've been staring ever since we entered the restaurant, haven't you? Is something wrong?"
Jotaro, Kakyoin, and the others had tried to keep their attention discreet.
But Jonathan was a Ripple warrior.
His senses were sharp enough to notice when someone was watching him.
At first, he had assumed the four men would glance over briefly and eventually lose interest.
Quite some time had passed, however, and their attention had never truly left him or Erina.
Naturally, Jonathan became wary.
If he had been alone, he would have confidently faced whatever trouble came his way.
But Erina was beside him.
That meant he could not afford the slightest carelessness.
The expressions of Jotaro and the others changed.
Joseph in particular looked visibly flustered.
The man who was normally so quick-witted and cunning suddenly had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to say.
Then Jotaro placed one hand on Joseph's shoulder.
"Old man. You said my great-great-grandfather also knew that Ripple energy capable of dealing fatal damage to DIO, right?"
That simple question instantly sharpened Joseph's thoughts.
"That's right. Grandpa Jonathan defeated DIO and his ghoul servants with Ripple back then. I can use Ripple too, but—"
"But you let yours go to shit as you got older."
Jotaro's blunt interruption left Joseph speechless.
Unfortunately...
It was true.
Joseph's Ripple had deteriorated enormously with age. For decades, he had barely bothered to maintain any proper training at all.
"Then this works out." Jotaro analyzed the situation with complete calm. "Why don't we ask Great-Great-Grandpa to come with us? Against a vampire like DIO, having him there should improve our chances."
Joseph could not answer immediately.
He understood better than anyone that this journey might become a one-way trip.
If they truly asked Grandpa Jonathan for help, Jonathan would almost certainly agree.
But...
Would that not be terribly unfair to Grandma Erina?
Those two had already suffered enough because of DIO in their original fate.
Did Joseph truly have the right to drag Jonathan into danger all over again?
On the other side of the scale, however...
His own precious daughter was dying.
An invisible balance swayed back and forth inside Joseph's heart, refusing to settle.
Just like Joseph himself.
Torn between two people he loved.
And unable to find an answer that did not hurt someone.
While Jotaro and Joseph whispered between themselves, Jonathan only became more confused.
He could not sense any hostility from the four men.
But he was equally certain that he had never met any of them before.
So why had they been staring at him and Erina this entire time?
And after he directly asked what they wanted... why had they all suddenly gone quiet?
Jonathan genuinely could not understand.
At that moment, Erina seemed to notice something.
Her eyes shifted slightly as she carefully studied Joseph and Jotaro.
Then she looked closely at Jonathan.
A trace of surprise gradually appeared in her eyes.
They did look somewhat alike.
"Gentlemen, are you not going to answer?" Jonathan asked again.
"Wait, Mr. Jonathan." Before Joseph could settle on what to say, Jotaro decisively spoke up.
"There's something I want to ask you first."
Joseph froze.
Jonathan frowned faintly before nodding.
"Of course. Please ask."
Jotaro looked directly at him.
"Mr. Jonathan... do you know DIO?"
The instant that name left his mouth, Jonathan and Erina's expressions changed dramatically.
DIO.
That single name carried countless painful memories for both of them.
It was also one of the greatest reasons Jonathan had become the man he was today.
To Jonathan, DIO had somehow been both friend and enemy.
Their lives had twisted around one another like two intertwined spirals.
The brightest and most passionate years of Jonathan Joestar's youth had been spent alongside DIO, and even after they became mortal enemies, some part of Jonathan had still mourned his death.
And yet... Jonathan had also genuinely hated and resented him.
Every attack he had launched against DIO had carried the determination to kill.
Those contradictory emotions were almost impossible to describe cleanly.
If there were one word that came closest...
It would be rival.
The two of them had become rivals bound together by fate itself.
Within the story of Jonathan Joestar's life, DIO had already carved one of its deepest scars.
Something impossible to forget.
"How do you know that name?!"
Jonathan demanded, suddenly far more agitated than before.
The muscles throughout his body unconsciously tensed and swelled, stretching his shirt so tightly that it looked ready to burst.
Jotaro lowered the brim of his hat.
For a brief moment, even he felt genuine pressure coming from this great-great-grandfather of his.
A real sense of danger.
"Mr. Jonathan, calm down." Jotaro paused before immediately turning his head. "Oi, old man. Your turn. You explain."
Joseph's face changed on the spot.
Jotaro simply turned away and refused to deal with the problem any further.
Jonathan's eyes settled squarely on Joseph.
The pressure he felt instantly doubled.
"You damn brat..." Joseph muttered before clearing his throat. "Ahem. Well... Grandpa Jonathan... and Grandma Erina... this is going to take some explaining."
The forms of address immediately made both Jonathan and Erina stare at him strangely.
Grandpa Jonathan?
Grandma Erina?
"This isn't exactly easy to accept, so please try not to be too shocked."
Joseph then explained everything.
Including their family relationship.
Once he finished, Jonathan and Erina simply stared at him.
"So..." Jonathan blinked slowly. "You're my grandson?"
"And I'm your... grandmother?"
Erina looked at Joseph in disbelief.
Joseph nodded helplessly.
The young couple fell silent.
Then Erina suddenly seemed to connect something as her eyes brightened.
"No wonder I thought you looked similar."
She gestured between Joseph and Jonathan.
Jonathan blinked.
"Do we really...?"
He sounded genuinely confused.
"I have a photograph."
Joseph reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet.
Inside was an old photograph.
Jonathan accepted it carefully.
The picture showed a younger Joseph standing beside an elderly woman and an old man leaning on a cane.
"This is... Speedwagon?!"
Jonathan stared at the old man in shock.
"Then this woman must be... Erina?"
Both Jonathan and Erina exclaimed almost together.
But Erina quickly noticed something else.
"Why isn't Jonathan in the photograph?"
She looked innocently toward Joseph.
Joseph fell silent.
When he finally spoke, his voice had become heavy.
"Grandpa Jonathan... died at sea together with DIO during your honeymoon voyage afterward."
The moment those words left his mouth, Erina covered her mouth.
Tears immediately appeared in her eyes.
"How could that happen?!"
Jonathan looked equally unable to believe it.
"DIO was already dead. I killed him. How could...?"
"According to what Grandma Erina later told us, DIO still had one servant alive," Joseph explained helplessly.
"That servant preserved DIO's severed head instead of allowing him to truly die. He brought DIO's head aboard the ship as well... and afterward, DIO used that opportunity to take Grandpa Jonathan's body."
Jonathan's expression became heavy.
His fingers slowly tightened around the photograph.
Silence lingered for only a moment.
Then he raised his head.
"Take me with you. I'm going too!"
His sudden, unwavering declaration changed everyone's expression.
Joseph had already explained the purpose of their journey.
They were going to kill DIO!
Jonathan's meaning was obvious.
"But—"
"No!"
Jonathan cut Joseph off before he could finish.
"If it's DIO, then I have to go!"
His voice was completely resolute.
"This all began with me. It was my failure back then that allowed him to survive until now, and because of that, my descendants have been dragged into this endless grudge."
His fingers tightened around the photograph.
"I will end it with my own hands."
There was no room for persuasion in his tone.
Joseph's expression became deeply conflicted.
For a moment, he had nothing to say.
Jonathan then turned toward Erina.
The determination in his expression remained, but guilt softened his eyes.
"Erina... forgive me for making this decision so suddenly. But this is something I have to do. If DIO isn't destroyed completely, he'll continue bringing terror and tragedy to countless people. I have to put an end to it."
Jonathan gently held Erina's face between both hands.
They had only recently married.
And now he was preparing to throw himself into danger once again.
How could he possibly not feel guilty toward her?
"It's all right, Jonathan."
Erina did not cry or desperately try to stop him.
Instead, she reached up and gently held one of his hands.
Her expression remained tender as she looked into his eyes, filled with absolute trust and love.
"I understand you. I know what DIO means to you."
Her fingers curled softly around his.
"So go."
"Do what you believe you must."
A gentle smile appeared through the tears still gathered in her eyes.
"I'll be waiting for you at home."
Her words were endlessly soft.
"My Erina..."
Jonathan pulled her tightly into his arms.
Erina hugged him just as firmly.
Watching them, Joseph felt his eyes begin to sting all over again.
His heart became even more complicated than before.
He had just dragged his own grandfather onto what might become a road of no return.
What the hell had he done...?