Chapter Fourteen: The Insect Arrow and DIO's Arrow
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DIO’s Arrow and the Insect Arrow!
The former requires no further explanation. The Insect Arrow, however, is special.
Of all the arrows capable of awakening a Stand, it is the most extraordinary. This is not merely because its shape is unique; although the other arrows possess different abilities, they all look exactly the same.
More importantly, the Insect Arrow possesses the ability to evolve a Stand yet again—and this evolution comes without any conditions!
“Everyone, I hope our paths cross again someday.”
Carrying the two arrows and a piece of DIO’s flesh, Borsalino took the initiative to bid farewell to the Stardust Crusaders.
Perhaps, in terms of strength, the Stardust Crusaders were beneath Borsalino’s notice. Yet their courage and determination had earned his respect.
“Until we meet again…”
The Stardust Crusaders also felt a quiet sense of relief. Although they suspected that Borsalino was the “Sun God,” on the one hand, Borsalino had never admitted to it; on the other, they were not the sort of people who would kneel and fawn over someone merely because of his divine identity.
Parting ways after saying goodbye was the best possible outcome.
As Borsalino’s figure gradually vanished into the radiance of the “teleportation,” the Stardust Crusaders became even more convinced that he truly was the Sun God.
…
After returning to the world of pirates, Borsalino glanced at the time. Less than two minutes had passed since he had left.
The difference in the flow of time between different worlds was indeed rather considerable. It was a pity that his golden finger had arrived a little too late.
Otherwise, by taking advantage of the differing time flows between worlds, whenever he encountered an enemy he could not defeat—or when both sides were so badly wounded that neither could prevail—he could simply flee to a world where time passed especially quickly.
After spending a few days healing his injuries, or even several months cultivating, he could return to find that only a few seconds had passed in this world. Fully recovered and stronger than before, he could then beat his enemy senseless. Would that not be wonderful?
“Still, I did at least receive a consolation prize. A Stand, huh…”
Borsalino took out the two arrows he had brought back from the world of JoJo. Using an arrow to obtain a Stand did carry a certain degree of danger, but with Borsalino’s current strength and constitution, the possibility of failing to endure it was virtually negligible.
What was more, Borsalino’s Observation Haki had already reached the highest level. He had even awakened an ability resembling danger perception, allowing him to judge how much harm an object might pose to him.
According to what his Observation Haki sensed, the two arrows were not entirely harmless. Yet the danger they represented was so close to zero that there was practically no difference between that and having none at all.
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“Then let’s give it a try and see how lucky I am…”
Borsalino’s personality was quite decisive. Once he had confirmed that there was no danger, he firmly grasped the arrow DIO had used.
As a sharp pain appeared in his palm, Borsalino’s expression grew somewhat peculiar.
It felt as though his body had suddenly acquired an additional “organ.” He had never possessed a Stand before, yet information concerning it surfaced naturally in his mind.
Even for someone as experienced and well-traveled as Borsalino, this was an extremely novel sensation.
Sitting on the sofa, Borsalino pondered for a moment. Without making any apparent movement, a phantom resembling a younger version of himself emerged behind him.
It wore the uniform and cloak of a Marine admiral, its arms folded across its chest in an arrogantly superior pose. Its slightly immature face was filled with unrestrained defiance.
This was Borsalino’s Stand. The instant it appeared, he also learned its name and ability.
The Flash.
Its ability was to grant Borsalino a power known as the Speed Force. It also possessed an attachment ability similar to that of Star Platinum, capable of enhancing the attributes of the one it inhabited. Moreover, the target of its attachment was not limited to Stand users.
However, this held little meaning for Borsalino. At his level of combat, the Stand’s own fighting power could not even be considered the icing on the cake.
What truly delighted Borsalino was the Speed Force granted to him by The Flash.
The Speed Force endowed Borsalino with superhuman speed. Even without the Glint-Glint Fruit, he could reach—and even surpass—the speed of light through his own power.
Furthermore, thanks to the superhuman thought speed bestowed by the Speed Force, Borsalino no longer needed to worry about the awkward possibility of accidentally flying into outer space whenever he reached the speed of light.
In theory, so long as he wished, he could move freely at the speed of light for the entire duration of his journey. Before obtaining the Speed Force, such a feat would have been practically inconceivable.
After sensing the abilities possessed by his Stand, Borsalino immediately thought of The Flash from DC Comics.
Their abilities were almost identical. In other words, sooner or later, Borsalino would be able to master every power that The Flash could wield.
And with the Glint-Glint Fruit, Borsalino’s potential was even greater than The Flash’s. In an instant, he had already thought of more than ten ways to combine the Glint-Glint Fruit with the Speed Force.
And this was only the beginning. Even Borsalino was filled with anticipation over what sparks might fly when these two powerful abilities were combined.
“Now for the Insect Arrow…”
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Borsalino was somewhat impatient to see what his evolved Stand would become. More than anything, he was curious about what kind of ability the Stand could evolve.
As the Insect Arrow pierced his body, countless fine cracks appeared across the surface of Borsalino’s Stand. As those cracks continued to widen, an endless radiance swallowed everything.
Fortunately, only Stand users could see any of this.
When the radiance gradually faded, the Stand that reappeared before Borsalino looked as though it had just endured a fierce battle.
The admiral’s uniform and cloak had vanished, leaving behind only a pair of slightly tattered trousers. Its short black hair had been dyed a brilliant golden hue. At first glance, it looked rather like a Super Saiyan who had fought until his clothes were blasted apart.
Stand Evolution: The Flash Requiem!
Compared with its original form, the evolved Stand’s ability was remarkably simple. It could grant Borsalino a power known as the “Solar Body.”
By merely absorbing energy from the sun, he could grow continually stronger and even awaken all manner of abilities.
Put simply, he could become stronger just by basking in the sunlight—much like Superman from the DC universe. And he did not even possess Superman’s weakness to kryptonite…
The evolved Stand could switch back to its original form at any time. In terms of its overall abilities, it was nearly perfect.
This was the combined power of Superman and The Flash, added to the Glint-Glint Fruit he already possessed. He had truly struck it rich this time!
Even with the lazy, carefree temperament Borsalino had cultivated over the years, he could hardly wait to test just how astonishing these newly acquired abilities were.
“Hmm. Headquarters should be in that direction…”
Borsalino estimated the general direction and distance. His body gradually transformed into light and vanished from the spot.
After acquiring a Stand, Borsalino gained the ability to move at the speed of light in the truest sense. Before this, if he had rashly attempted long-distance movement at the speed of light, he might well have flown into outer space and ended up as an astronaut.
Only when moving short distances in battle could he lock onto his target with Observation Haki and avoid veering off course.
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