"Shakedown Road" (story arc)

"Shakedown Road" is the fourth story arc in Part VIII: JoJolion.

Summary
(Cont.)

The next day, at the breakfast table, Josuke asks Norisuke for a cell phone, as well as the chance to go to school. Norisuke agrees, but orders Joshu to escort him.

Joshu tests Josuke with a trigonometric problem, which he solves, before Joshu asks him to walk with him to a different high school, as a favor. Josuke and Joshu travel to Shakedown Road, known for its kleptomaniacal community. Joshu hopes to record himself being robbed in order to complain with evidence to the police for an earlier crime.

Arriving, Joshu unknowingly breaks a child's "compact" toy before her mother demands compensation; as does Josuke a turtle tank in a nearby store window, apparently killing the turtles inside; for which the store owner exorts Josuke for ¥20,000 and a plan to pay off ¥330,000. Joshu captures the event with his phone; discovering that Josuke had stepped on leaves, rushed almost instantly to the tank, and then back, unawares.

Continuing, Josuke is confronted by three men who had been watching from afar, who accuse Josuke of having made one drop his cell phone into a puddle. Watching another recording just made, Josuke sees himself again slide backward, knocking the man, then forward. The men propose that Josuke deliver a package underneath a nearby flower pot to a nearby woman as compensation. Having been set up to exchange an illegal substance, the two are soon arrested by a pair of police officers also observing.

Joshu meanwhile analyses mysterious actions between the woman and the gangsters during the exchange, localizing the effect to the ginkgo leaves scattered on the ground; and intercepts their exchange of money, fleeing. While Josuke is pinned by the policemen, the gangsters notice Joshu's sleight and give chase, easily catching up using the ginkgo leaves.

Preparing to beat him, a nut and screw suddenly materializes on one of their hands. Confused, unscrewing it, his hand detaches from his wrist. Panic rises among them as his other hand falls and more screws form, before Joshu's Stand, Nut King Call, is fully revealed. Joshu escapes, reversing his Stand's effect; before discovering his stolen money is in fact composed of leaves.

The policemen discover Josuke's package contains only candy, and release him. Josuke reveals he had also deduced the power of the gingko leaves, and during its exchange had taken the money for himself with his Stand, which with he pays the pet shop owner in full for his case and turtles.

Josuke then makes a call to Yasuho while she is in class. Seeing Joshu's caller ID, she doesn't answer, but noticing the origin of Josuke's call on her phone's map, Yasuho takes interest in a nearby landmark named Joestar Jizō. Searching the term, she is reminded of Holy and the Higashikata/Joestar family tree. Subconsciously employing Paisley Park, Yasuho continues to research the subject on her phone.

Chapters

 * 18. "Shakedown Road" (1)
 * 19. "Shakedown Road" (2)
 * 20. "Shakedown Road" (3)
 * 21. "Shakedown Road" (4)

Volumes

 * JJL Volume 4
 * JJL Volume 5

Trivia
This story arc was named after the Clint Eastwood film, Trouble with the Curve.