Just as the armed soldiers were about to pull the trigger, turning the four protagonists into sieves—
"Stop!!"
An old but powerful voice boomed like a clap of thunder.
Following this voice, a team of people dressed in dark suits, whose demeanor was distinctly different from the surrounding military police, quickly rushed into the standoff.
Leading them was a white-haired elder wearing gold-rimmed glasses, holding up a special badge and a satellite phone that was in use.
"I am Yuichiro Tanabe, Chief Legal Counsel of the SPW Foundation!"
The elder fearlessly stood between the muzzles of the guns and Kujo Jotaro and the others, his voice loud, "Our clients are protected by law! This is a special permit from the U.S. Embassy! You have no evidence, and you have no right to arrest them or take any forceful action!"
The manipulated police officer's expression froze slightly, and Kishibe Rohan's sneer came through the walkie-talkie, "SPW Foundation? Hmph, Lawyer Tanabe, do you think a few pieces of paper can stop us from apprehending terrorists?"
"Terrorists? Where's the evidence?!"
Lawyer Tanabe did not back down, his sharp gaze sweeping over all the military police present, "Based solely on a few blurry wanted posters and unverified accusations?
This will cause a serious diplomatic incident! I have already contacted the U.S. State Department directly!"
He shook the satellite phone in his hand, "Do you need someone from the State Department to confirm it with you personally?"
The atmosphere on the scene instantly became even more delicate.
Although the armed soldiers still had their guns raised, their actions clearly showed hesitation.
Kishibe Rohan could control a few high-ranking officials through Heaven's Door, but he couldn't instantly alter the perceptions of all enforcers within the entire state apparatus. He currently only controlled about ten percent of law enforcement.
And the law enforcement in this area were those he had not yet controlled.
Laws, procedures, and potential pressure from the United States still formed an invisible barrier.
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the walkie-talkie; clearly, Rohan was also on the phone communicating.
If he acted rashly, it would indeed bring unpredictable trouble and could shake the fragile power he had just gained, which relied on American support.
"...Hmph, you sharp-tongued old man." Rohan's voice sounded again, full of unwillingness and venom.
"Don't let me find another handle."
"We are willing to provide a guarantee!" Lawyer Tanabe immediately responded, his tone decisive, "The SPW Foundation is willing to cooperate with the investigation at the highest level, but the personal safety of our clients must be guaranteed, and the process must follow normal legal procedures! Not this… illegal detention and threat of force!"
Another brief silence ensued.
Then, Rohan's voice, as if squeezed through his teeth, came through the walkie-talkie, "...Alright, but don't forget what you promised."
Subsequently, with the order given, the police withdrew directly, and Kujo Jotaro and the others regained their freedom.
Kujo Jotaro suddenly looked up, his eyes under the brim of his hat becoming incredibly sharp, "What did the Foundation pay?"
Tanabe was silent for a moment, then led them to the plane prepared by the Foundation, explaining briefly as they went.
The SPW Foundation handed over a precious "Arrow" they had been safeguarding, which contained terrifying power. Kujo Jotaro had painstakingly found this Arrow over the past decade, but it had now been given to the U.S. government.
In exchange, the Japanese side had to immediately lift the wanted warrants for Kujo Jotaro, Higashikata Josuke, Nijimura Okuyasu, and Hirose Koh, allowing them to leave the country immediately.
And it was promised that they and their families would no longer be held responsible for this incident, and Kishibe Rohan could not continue to use it as a pretext to bother them.
The armed forces and special agents retreated like a tide, leaving behind a mess and airport staff who were still in shock.
The four protagonists safely boarded the SPW Foundation's private jet, but no one felt relieved. They had exchanged a crucial and powerful item, possibly related to the future course of the war, for this lifeline.
"Mr. Jotaro, that Arrow…" After the plane took off, Okuyasu finally couldn't help but ask.
Kujo Jotaro looked at the gradually shrinking Japanese archipelago outside the window, his face grim: "...That is the price. And a new beginning."
He knew that the SPW Foundation would never easily hand over such an important item; there must be deeper games and plans behind it. But no matter what, they were temporarily free.
However, in a place they could not see, the carefully packaged "Arrow" was quickly handed over to representatives of a special department of the U.S. military waiting at the airport.
A few days later, a highly classified laboratory somewhere in the United States.
"Sir, you must see this!"
A researcher in a white coat excitedly shouted to a general.
The screen was displaying the preliminary analysis report of the ancient Arrow, next to which was a blurry video. This Arrow was not what they thought; it not only contained some alien viruses but also something even stranger.
When the Arrow came into contact with a test subject possessing a specific mental fluctuation, it emitted an eerie glow and... momentarily vanished into thin air before reappearing.
"Energy readings are off the charts! It seems to react to specific mental waveforms... This completely exceeds our existing knowledge!"
The general looked at the report, his eyes gleaming with shock and extreme greed. He had originally only pressured for this item at the request of his "ally" Kishibe Rohan to help him complete a certain plan, but he hadn't expected... "This... this will change everything."
He whispered, immediately picking up the encrypted phone, "Connect me to the Pentagon and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).
Immediately! Immediately increase funding for the 'Stand' project! We need to find more such Arrows, and more people who can 'activate' them! Never mind Rohan's plan; go and bring me that Kira Yoshikage immediately."
"What? You're talking about diplomacy between Italy and Japan? I don't care about him; just bring him back. You don't need to worry about the rest; that's the State Department's business!"
The SPW Foundation exchanged the Arrow for the protagonists' freedom, but this action, like throwing a giant rock into a calm lake, its ripples would inevitably spread throughout the entire world.
And it made the U.S. military, which had already been eyeing supernatural powers, truly realize the value of the "Arrow," thereby becoming more deeply involved in this vortex surrounding Stands.
Meanwhile, at Cape Canaveral, Kujo Jotaro had already grasped what destiny wanted him to grasp.
He stood there, gazing at the distant ocean, an invisible force surging within the sea. The world here seemed different, as he watched the active pod of dolphins in the distance.
Thinking again of his wife, and the still young Jolyne, and the old man who had passed away, Kujo Jotaro silently murmured, "Beyond Heaven?"
"Then what should my 'Secret Word' be?"