Valentine checked out the standings as the race moved through Park Ridge. "They're down to the last fifty, including all of my team. I knew handpicking my racers was a good idea. At this point there won't be any more eliminations, but they'll need to hurry to capture the final steel balls needed to win." "Sir," his secretary said as she came in, "We have an issue with one of the racers, Mario DeBorne." She showed him a file. Valentine's eyes widened as he read it. "Does the board know of this?" "Not to my knowledge," the secretary replied. Valentine nodded. "Get me in contact with Sadao."

Sadao got the call in as his team entered Chicago. 'Sadao, do you remember that young mobster boss you ran into before we met?' "Sure," Sadao said, "He stuck out in my mind because of what he said as he left, implying he could see my Stand." 'That's because he can,' Valentine explained, 'His name is Mario DeBorne, and he's the sole racer sponsored by my company's chairman of the board. However, he's manipulating the contest behind the chairman's back.'

"How so?," Sadao asked. 'He's been in contact with other crime syndicates across the world,' Valentine explained, 'They're apparently answering to some unknown major power hidden behind the scenes in the middle of Egypt. The exact nature of this deal is unknown, but I do know a lot of money is going on amongst them and being funneled into some very low-profile assassins, most of whom are Stand users. I doubt you'll meet any of these assassins along the race course, but DeBorne has made arrangements to his family to take out your team. And any other racers along the way.'

"Why start now?," Sadao asked, "They had plenty of chances." 'Right now there are only fifty racers left,' Valentine explained, 'Meaning there won't be any more eliminations on our part. So DeBorne is forcing the issue to ensure that he and seven other racers handpicked by him are the ultimate winners. Listen, most of what DeBorne's family will send against you are no match for a Stand user, but he is in contact with a mob racer from a different team named Alan Genie, whose Stand is a vicious amphibian creature called Fat Shark. Keep an eye out for him, you'll likely meet him when you go for the next steel ball.' "Gotcha," Sadao said before hanging up.

Sure enough, the team found the mobster in question waiting for them as they neared the rest stop. "You've become a cause for concern for a friend of mine," Genie said, "But I think it's time to deal with you. Starting with your teammates." "Allow me," Antoinette said, "His said Stand may like water, but I still have a few advantages." Genie looked surprised, especially the fact that Antoinette seemed to be looking right at his Stand. "I see...," he realized, "DeBorne was unaware you all had Stands. This complicates matters, but like real sharks I'm quite capable of adapting."

He called out Fat Shark and had him tackle Antoinette into the nearby pool. Fat Shark soon found itself up against Shout Out, but couldn't see anyone else. The humanoid shark creature attacked with fearsome jaws and strong attacks, but Shout Out was designed to travel through the water with ease. "I can't keep track of it," Genie said, "If only I could find the girl I could take her out and bypass her Stand, but where is she?" "Just where do you intend to look?," came Antoinette's voice, "My Stand doesn't have a big projection range, so obviously I must be close by. Yet you're spending so much time looking through the entire pool."

It took Genie a few minutes to realize what Antoinette was getting at, as she burst from the pool in water form, Shout Out dragging Fat Shark with its whips as she did. "As they say," Antoinette said as Genie was thrown back from the attack, "You can't see the forest for the trees. My Stand, Shout Out, allows me to become like water to increase my mobility, or in this case blend into a watery environment. And like your Stand, mine is quite amphibious." Genie sent Fat Shark to snap at Antoinette with its jaws, but she leapt onto the nearby wall, clinging there with Shout Out's power, the legs having split into their octopus form.

"Your Stand possesses much in the way of physical power," Antoinette admitted, "But your skill is sorely lacking. I'm going to assume you're used to using it against those that cannot defend against it. But now that you're up against me, it's flaws are laid bare. And this shall be the finale!" She leapt off the wall and came down on Fat Shark, Shout Out lashing out with its whips at incredible speed. "NON! NON! NON! NON! FORME FAIBLE!" Genie and Fat Shark were taken out as Shout Out finished off with a electrified double strike. As the mobster lost consciousness from the attack, Antoinette held a locket around her neck and sighed. She then took the blue steel ball and the team moved on.

As the race moved out of Illinois, two more Stand users made themselves known before the border came up. One racer was named Dale Getter, with his Stand Cosmic Dolphin. This humanoid dolphin looked like an alien being, and could project a digital readout around Getter in a language only he could read, because he made it up. This allowed him to bypass all the other competitors. The other was Daisan Lebonte. His Stand, Pink Spider, was a humanoid spider wearing Chinese robes. It's power let it generate spider silk for a variety of uses, largely tying up rivals on the track.

The team soon came up to the duo, which set Getter's screens off as warning lights appeared over all of them. It turned out Rudy was trying a straightforward attack with Power To Tearer, using its horns to strike at Getter's Stand. The attack eventually proved successful, as Getter's attempts to keep his Stand away from Rudy's caused one of Power To Tearer's horns to hit Getter's bike, taking it out as Getter crashed. Meanwhile, Sadao used Gotta Keep It Real to easily cut through Pink Spider's silk, taking it out and causing Lebonte to crash. "We're about to circle the Great Lakes," Sanji said, "Less than a thousand kilometers to go."

So now we have the identity of this arc's Big Bad... But not his Stand. Also, Antoinette's quote as she pulls off her battle cry is French for "poor form". Her way of insulting the guy she's beating down on.