Jack the Ripper and Zeppeli the Strange (story arc)

Jack the Ripper and Zeppeli the Strange (切り裂きジャックと奇人ツェペリ) is the fifth story arc in Phantom Blood.

Summary
Three days after his battle with Dio, as Jack the Ripper took his final victim and mysteriously disappeared, Jonathan comes to in a hospital room and finds his nurse to be his childhood sweetheart Erina Pendleton who spent the last seven years in India. The two begin conversing as Speedwagon, coming to visit Jonathan after getting him to the hospital, coolly withdraws. Sometime after being discharged, Erina remaining by his side to make sure he does overexert himself, Jonathan inspects the debris of his house to ensure that the mask was destroyed in the fire with Dio. He eventually gives up and decides to take a stroll with Erina.

The two of them do not walk for long as Jonathan notices a strange Italian man is following them. The man reveals that he knows both of their names, and quickly disabled Jonathan's breathing by poking him in the chest with his pinky finger. A moment later, Jonathan felts energy surging though his body as his right arm has completely healed within seconds. The man introduces himself as William Anthonio Zeppeli, a martial artist trained in the ways of Sendō.

He takes Jonathan and Erina to a nearby pond where he demonstrates the power he used to heal Jonathan: Ripple. Explaining that Ripple energy akin to sunlight, created by one's breathing and channeled through the bloodstream, Zeppeli shatters the stone in front of him with frog resting on it unharmed. Zeppeli explains that learned to use Ripple to destroy the Stone Mask, revealing to Jonathan that Dio survived. Jonathan is told that he and Zeppeli are allies while offered to be taught Sendō so he can utilize his own Ripple. While unknowing causing a tree to bloom with Zepelli's residual Ripple, Jonathan accepts the man's offer while deciding to keep a safe distance from Erina for her well being.

For the next week, Jonathan trained under Zeppeli while learning of his mentor's tragic history with the Stone Mask which claimed his father's life while they were on their way home from Mexico. The following night, Jonathan is attacked by Wang Chan, who became the first of Dio's Zombie followers. But Jonathan learns to use the Zoom Punch technique to drive Wang Chan off. Wang Chan retreated to the village of Windknight's Lot, where Dio took residence in the castle and is draining humans of their blood to heal his wounds. After tossing the corpse of one of his victims for a zombified Jack the Ripper to eat, Dio learns of the Ripple energy from a wounded Wang Chan. Later, after Speedwagon acquired intel on Dio's whereabouts, he accompanies Jonathan and Zeppeli to Windknight's Lot via carriage.

The carriage enters the tunnel entrance to Windknight's Lot, the carriage is suddenly stopped partway as Speedwagon finds the driver killed and the horses beheaded before seeing Jack emerge from one of the horses. A unfazed Zeppeli, explaining that zombies are nothing but flesh-eating thralls, pours himself a glass of wine while telling Jonathan to stand back. As Jack displays his power and skills with the numerous knifes in his body, Zeppeli predicts his enemy's likely move being to use the carriage to block their way back. Zepelli then counters Jack's attacks, telling Jonathan that courage is dominating your fear and that it and Ripple energy are the rights of humans. Zepelli also adds that zombies lost that right by discarding their humanity and are no better than fleas while landing a Sendō Wave Kick on Jack's face, Zeppeli having not once lost a drop of wine during the fight. After Jack escapes through a hidden passage, Zeppeli instructs Jonathan to finish the zombie off and warns his ward not to waste one drop in the wine glass he is given.

Chapters

 * 018. Jack the Ripper and Zeppeli the Strange (1)
 * 019. Jack the Ripper and Zeppeli the Strange (2)
 * 020. Jack the Ripper and Zeppeli the Strange (3)
 * 021. Jack the Ripper and Zeppeli the Strange (4)
 * 022. Jack the Ripper and Zeppeli the Strange (5)

Volumes

 * 03. The Dark Knights

Anime Episodes

 * 04. Overdrive