Florence, the jewel of Italy's Tuscany region.
The Arno River flowed with golden ripples under the autumn sun, ancient stone bridges connected the two banks, and the display windows of jewelry and craft shops on the bridges sparkled with alluring luster.
The air was filled with the rich aroma of coffee, the unique scent of leather, and the faint singing of an unknown church choir drifting from afar.
There was none of Morioh's tension and murderous intent, nor Tokyo's power struggles, only the languor and artistic atmosphere left by the Renaissance... and the endless gang warfare hidden in the shadows.
Their journey so far had been unexpectedly smooth, encountering none of the imagined gang roadblocks; after Kira Yoshikage left Morioh, his luck seemed to normalize, as if fate tolerated his anomaly.
Kira Yoshikage was walking through Piazza della Signoria, arm in arm with his wife, Shinobu Kawajiri.
He wore a well-fitting casual suit, his expression gentle, and a perfectly appropriate smile on his lips, flawlessly playing the role of a husband accompanying his wife on a romantic trip.
"Kosaku, look! That statue... it's so majestic!" Mrs. Shinobu excitedly pointed at the Fountain of Neptune and the statue of Neptune, her face beaming with pure curiosity and joy.
She seemed completely immersed in this sudden romantic journey, temporarily forgetting the trivialities of Morioh and her somewhat distant son, her face full of sweetness.
"Hmm, very beautiful," Kira Yoshikage responded gently, his gaze sweeping over the reproductions of Renaissance sculptures, full of power and beauty; some of the statues were indeed very well carved, their hands strong and smooth.
His appreciation was heartfelt; these artworks, polished by time, were excellent. "Truly worthy of the country that created the Mona Lisa."
"Darling, can we go to the Uffizi Gallery later? I heard there are so many famous paintings there!" Mrs. Shinobu asked expectantly, holding his arm.
"Of course, whatever you want," Kira Yoshikage smiled and nodded, his thoughts already drifting far away.
Florence was beautiful, but this was not his true purpose for this trip.
Polnareff... that silver-haired Frenchman, his last known active location was in Italy.
The Stand Arrow... that key item containing power beyond a Stand, was very likely in his hands, or at least related to him.
He chose Florence as his first stop precisely because of its rich artistic atmosphere and numerous tourists, making it easy to hide.
He would later go into the rural farmhouses to search; a Frenchman with strange silver hair was quite conspicuous here. The Boss hadn't found him mainly because he didn't know the guy was so tenacious.
He was split into a jigsaw puzzle, yet he recovered.
He accompanied Mrs. Shinobu into the Uffizi Gallery, pausing before famous paintings. Mrs. Shinobu marveled, while Kira Yoshikage seemingly admired the art, but was actually scanning the crowd in secret.
Checking for any oddly shaped individuals; there were simply too many Stand Users in this cursed place.
None, at least on the Surface there was no abnormality. Only tourists from all over the world, focused guides, and security guards maintaining order.
'Hmm, at this point in time, Passione should have already risen, right? There are only two years left until the anti-drug movement; I just don't know if they have taken control of all of Italy.'
In the afternoon, they sat at an outdoor table outside an old café, enjoying Italian espresso and tiramisu. Shinobu was very happy eating there, enjoying this romantic trip.
But Kira Yoshikage's thoughts were not on the bitter yet strangely fragrant coffee, but on Italy's specialty—the Mafia.
'Diavolo's Passione, by Part 5, had already taken control of all of Italy, even the President of Italy had to pledge allegiance to him.
One could say he was the true master of Italy, the de facto ruler. The few Stand Users that appeared in the story were just a tiny glimpse of Passione; it's better to be careful.'
Kira Yoshikage seemingly leisurely flipped through a tourist guide, his finger casually brushing over the names of several inconspicuous small churches and museums marked on it, related to ancient religious symbols or mysterious legends.
"Kosaku, where are we going tomorrow?" Mrs. Shinobu asked, contentedly eating her dessert.
"I heard there are some very interesting handicraft workshops near Piazza della Signoria, especially leather workshops. We can go have a leather bag custom-made for you."
Kira Yoshikage closed the guide, his tone gentle, "Florence's leather goods are world-renowned, and then we'll go visit some rural farmhouses; the scenery there is also very nice."
"Really? That's wonderful!" Mrs. Shinobu's eyes lit up.
Seeing Kira Yoshikage's doting smile, she leaned in and kissed Kira Yoshikage's cheek, which he accepted with a smile.
Indeed, everything was so smooth after getting rid of the protagonist group and the annoying child.
As they checked into a hotel in the evening, Kira Yoshikage suddenly exclaimed, "What's going on?" as he watched the television.
Shinobu turned to look and saw a broadcast reporting a terrorist attack in Japan, and it also mentioned that Kishibe Rohan, the cartoonist who had been reforming their town, had become the interim Prime Minister.
"This... Tokyo... Morioh?!"
Seeing the place on TV that was terrorized, Shinobu Kawajiri gasped, and a hint of worried and fearful light flashed in her eyes.
Kira Yoshikage gently hugged her from behind, patting her back, "Don't worry, Hayato is very smart; he'll take good care of himself. Let's not travel today; let's rest first."
Looking at Shinobu leaning in his embrace, Kira Yoshikage felt a sense of satisfaction; he could feel that his obsession with 'hands' was gradually being fulfilled.
It was probably a case of beauty being in the eye of the beholder; as long as true love was achieved, the ecological niche of hands could be filled, because a lover's hands were naturally perfect.
At the same time, a tenderness and satisfaction appeared in Shinobu's eyes, like a small cat, all traces of worry and fear gone. "Hmm, you're right, and he's a bad kid, otherwise we wouldn't have left him behind.
If something really happened to him, it would be his own problem; we can just have another one."
(A family of eccentrics)
A hint of surprise flashed in Kira Yoshikage's eyes. Holding Mrs. Shinobu, they walked into the room, and at the same time, a photograph slipped out of Kira Yoshikage's pocket.
The night passed without incident.
Meanwhile, Kira Yoshihiro began his tracking and investigation, "My son said that Polnareff should be living in Italy! He has another arrow in his hand. No, I must get all these arrows back; they are priceless treasures!!!"
He flew to the rural farmhouses and began a massive search.
And a week later, his son would meet with him, and then they would combine their information to see if they could find this flamboyant Frenchman.