Pluck for Tomorrow and the Successor (story arc)

Tomorrow's Courage, The Successor (あしたの勇気・うけ継ぐ者) is the eighth story arc in Phantom Blood.

Summary
Tarkus has trapped Jonathan in the Dragon Decapitation Room, a special room in which Jonathan and Tarkus are both collared and chained together. The key for one's collar being on the other's collar, the only way to be free is to kill the other one. Jonathan's respiration is cut off by the collar and he can't gather the Ripple perfectly, thus he is being slowly beaten while Zeppeli and Speedwagon fail to break through the metal door leading inside. Poco, remembering his sister's sermons to be brave, sneaks through a hole and enters the Dragon Decapitation Room, managaing to open the door from the inside. Zeppeli remembers a prophecy his master Tonpetty made back in Tibet in 1863, in which Zeppeli was fated to die and sacrifice himself to "release a young lion into the future". Zeppeli tries to fight Tarkus, but the Zombie binds him with the chain, and yanks so violently that the Ripple master is cut in two and Jonathan's neck breaks. However Zeppeli crawls toward Jonathan and uses his ultimate technique the "Ultimate Deep Pass Overdrive". Zeppeli transfers all his lifeforce into Jonathan, empowering him greatly. Jonathan is able to heal his broken neck and becomes stronger than Tarkus, breaking the collar and punching Tarkus's head with both fists, sending a Ripple strong enough to disintegrate Tarkus. Jonathan holds the dying Zeppeli in his arms, and Zeppeli tells Jonathan that he was a great friend and son at the same time, and that he will live on through Jojo before expiring.

Chapters

 * 033. Tomorrow's Courage, The Successor (1)
 * 034. Tomorrow's Courage, The Successor (2)
 * 035. Tomorrow's Courage, The Successor (3)

Volumes

 * 04. Chamber of the Two-Headed Dragon

Anime Episodes

 * 06. Tomorrow's Courage
 * 07. Successor