Outside the Colosseum, Esidisi was getting worried. "Even for Wamuu this is too long to finish a fight. You don't suppose those warriors somehow killed him, do you?" "I doubt that," Kars replied, "While they did seem strong enough to survive a battle with one of our kind, they clearly aren't strong enough to defeat us. More likely their tenacity is making it difficult for Wamuu for win, causing him to take his time and savor the fight." Esidisi considered it. "Just in case, I'll go back and check on him." He leapt down into the hole leading to the chamber.

"Two-thousand years ago there were no such warriors as you," Wamuu noted, "At least none that we encountered. To be able to withstand my greatest attack, even as amateurs. I'd love to see how much more powerful you could become if you trained some more." Caesar raised an eyebrow. 'There's no hint of deception in his voice. He truly is looking for a stronger opponent. But still, to let us go just like that? Is he merciful or just conceited? It's hard to tell from his words alone.'

"I suppose we could take the time to get stronger," Joseph noted, "Earlier I was able to damage you. If I had the chance to complete my training I could likely defeat you given another round." Wamuu nodded. "It's settled then. Shall we agree on a time and place?" "Allow me to select the time for you," came Esidisi's voice. Without warning he came up behind Joseph and shoved his hand into his throat. "What... What did you did you just do?," Joseph asked.

"I was wondering what was taking Wamuu so long," Esidisi admitted, "He's been waiting two-thousand years for a worthy opponent. Me and Kars are more than his masters, we're also his adoptive family. And as family, we like to give him presents he desires when he proves himself. That ring I've placed inside your throat is tied to your carotid artery. Surgery can't remove it, and if you try it will instantly explode filling your body with poison. We'll call it a month for you to get stronger so you can give Wamuu a good fight, since that ring will dissolve and kill you in thirty-three days. Five days before that happens, I'll come find you to check on your progress, by fighting you personally. If you can win against me, you'll not only earn the antidote in this ring on my nose, but prove you can fight and win against Wamuu."

Wamuu sighed. "Well, there you have it. I'm sure we'll know whether or not you've beaten Master Esidisi when the time comes. After that, I'll wait five more days then find you again. Assuming you don't find me first, that is." He and Esidisi returned to Kars. "An amusing game," Kars admitted, "But don't forget our objective is the Red Stone of Aja. And Esidisi, what made you think they wouldn't sort out when the fight would take place?" "Something told me they would," Esidisi admitted, "But I didn't want to waste too much time. If that man Jojo is allowed to get too strong, our search for the stone becomes pointless." Kars shrugged, and the three of them dashed off.

Mark finally dropped his barrier, letting the others get to Caesar and Joseph. "We're neck deep in it now," Joseph admitted, "Literally in my case. I was planning on getting stronger regardless. What I said to Wamuu was no bluff." "If you plan on getting stronger," Caesar said, "Then so will I." "I'm more concerned about this Red Stone of Aja they were talking about," Applejack said, "If they get their hands on it, it may not matter how strong we are."

"I know the stone they speak of," Zeppeli admitted, "It's already located in a safe place, with someone we can trust." Mark started to leave the chamber. "I'll have to report this to my superiors in Berlin. We'll need to make modifications to Stroheim's cybernetics after this." Joseph gasped. "Stroheim!? He's still alive!?" Mark nodded. "He barely survived after he blew himself up trying to kill Santana. Our medical and science divisions are using top secret cybernetic technology to rebuild him, using the data from Santana to allow to him to fight on the same level as the Pillar Men. But given how much stronger those three were, we'll need to account for that increased strength."

"Never thought the Nazis would be helping us against anything," Applejack noted, "But we'll need all the help we can get at this point." "If it's come to this," Twilight said, "Then I suppose the time has come. Joseph, Caesar, we'll be heading for Air Supplena Island. It's time for you to take the final step in mastering Hamon." The two of them nodded. Joseph rubbed his neck, knowing he only had a month to master Hamon so he could defeat Esidisi, and then Wamuu after him. And if was lucky, he might also get strong enough to defeat Kars as well.

Elsewhere in Venice, the mysterious Hamon master Lisa Lisa received a phone call. 'I'm afraid the worst has come to pass,' came Zeppeli's voice, 'The Pillar Men are awake. They know about the stone, and are searching for it to use its power for themselves. We'll be sending Joseph and Caesar to you for additional training.' "Thank you, Master Zeppeli," Lisa Lisa replied, "I'll be sure to push them to the best of their abilities." She then hung up and got out a photo. 'So, we'll be meeting again... Jojo.'

Meanwhile in Berlin, Stroheim got the report from Mark. "The other three Pillar Men exceed Santana's power by a tremendous margin," he noted, "This was not unexpected, but to think the difference in power would be so great. German science is the greatest in the world, as I have always said, but even it has limits. Can it even match this level of primal force?" "We can always push it to the best of our abilities," the lead scientist assured him, "At the very least, we can reinforce the steel plating to ensure you won't get ripped apart again." Stroheim nodded. 'Those Pillar Men cannot be allowed to have their way. Even if this world won't belong to Germany, it won't belong to them either.'

This chapter was largely meant to set up future events, but I hope you enjoy it regardless. We'll be getting into more action later in the story.