JJL Chapter 77

Equivalent Exchange and the University Hospital, Part 1 (等価交換と大学病院 その①) is the seventy-seventh chapter of JoJolion and the nine hundred twenty fourth chapter of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga.

Summary
The chapter begins on detailing the Rokakaka fruit, its origins, healing properties and how the wealthy such as local baseball star  use it as a miraculous cure. Additionally, Josuke mentions that he is a mix of and Josefumi Kujo due to the Rokakaka, having lost his memories as a result.

After the fire in the orchard has been extinguished, the Higashikata Family is gathering. Suspicious, Joshu accuses the unfamiliar Rai of being the arsonist. However, Norisuke and then Josuke clarify the situation, explaining that Rai is a plant appraiser working for Norisuke, and that the Higashikata House was attacked because of the Rokakaka. The branch was stolen by 🇺🇳, who Norisuke supposes are Rock Humans.

Meanwhile Tsurugi and Jobin listen nervously as they have stolen the branch for themselves, and Jobin tries to subtly mislead Josuke into focusing on the hospital. Rai then declares that their time limit for finding the Rokakaka is now 10 days before the fruit regrows, explaining to an incredulous Joshu how that feat is possible by grafting the branch to a potted cactus. Hato anxiously wonders what the family will do now that their ancestral orchard was burned down, to which Joshu begins to comically babble about converting their land into a " Hunting Tour". Rambling about his idea, he is notified by a supportive Daiya that everyone has left.

Alone with Josuke, Rai reveals to him that he knows that it wasn't Poor Tom nor the ambulance drivers who lit the orchard on fire, but that it was Jobin. Josuke finds this hard to believe, but Rai assures him that Jobin's behavior gave it away. Thus, Rai plans to investigate Jobin while he and Josuke also must deal with the two ambulance drivers, having the ambulance's license plate number as their only lead.

Meanwhile, Mitsuba Higashikata parks her car at the university hospital garage and heads to the elevator, selfishly closing the door before an old lady can enter it. In the doctor's office, she complains about a unilateral deafness on the right ear and breathing difficulties. The physician, obsessively eating as his lunch, examines Mitsuba and pulls her hair back to reveal that the right portion of her scalp has hardened into stone and is crumbling away. Nonetheless, he claims that she is in perfect health.

Mitsuba recalls how she first came for a breast lift operation, leading to a mysterious teeth disease that she also had treated at the hospital. Her doctor interrupts her to drink silicon-infused water, before assuaging her fears. Mitsuba says she has been keeping everything a secret from her husband Jobin, and he hasn't noticed anything wrong. However, she is worried about Tsurugi noticing and asking why her skin is like that. Mitsuba begs the doctor to make her look perfect, prompting him to make a phone call before claiming that he can give her a secret treatment just this once, for the hefty price of 200,000,000 yen. Finally, he makes it clear to the enticed Mitsuba that she is still healthy and that it is her decision to make.

In the hospital waiting room, Yasuho Hirose hears the news about the fire in the orchard of the Higashikata House. Having been notified by Josuke and Rai, she is nonetheless worried about the stolen branch. Yasuho then suddenly winces due to menstrual pain. Just then, she notices Mitsuba crossing the hallway in a wheelchair with her ankles crumbling to the bone and her feet turned to stone. 10 days, 19 hours, and 6 minutes remain until the harvest of the Rokakaka fruit.