American comic: I, JoJo, am going to heaven!

After the three finished celebrating, Jon and Tony said goodbye.

Before leaving, Jon looked at Tony and said seriously:

"There might still be a little bit of toxin left after this detoxification, so remember not to wear the Iron Man suit all the time."

"Don't worry, kid," Tony smiled confidently, "At worst, I'll just have you do it again."

Upon hearing this, Jon shook his head.

"This is the last time, Tony. There won't be a next time."

"Hey, what do you mean by 'last time'?" Tony retorted dismissively.

Jon was about to light a cigarette when he heard this and paused. He turned around and repeated:

"You understand, this is the last time."

He took a deep drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled.

The stench of blood in the room triggered his thirst, and coupled with the consumption of some Ripple energy, his body instinctively craved fresh blood to replenish itself.

Fortunately, he wasn't a real vampire; his platelets were produced normally, and his thirst was just a temporary reaction.

So he has always chosen to use nicotine to suppress it.

Jon turned and left, while Tony stared at his retreating figure with a lost look in his eyes, as if he had lost his lifeline.

Seeing this, Rod patted him on the shoulder silently without saying anything more.

At this moment, Jon, who had reached the door, suddenly stopped, bit his upper lip, and seemed to be struggling with something.

Finally, he turned back and said:

"Hey, Tony!"

Tony and Rod both looked toward the doorway.

Jon stood there, his expression more solemn than ever before:

"Don't die before I get back from New Mexico, Tony."

Upon hearing this, those words, brimming with a sense of security, instantly dispelled the confusion in Tony's eyes.

He responded with a familiar, confident smile:

"Don't worry, kid, I'll find a way."

Jon's lips curled up slightly, but he quickly regained his composure when the two of them weren't looking.

"goodbye."

After leaving a message, he nodded, opened the door, and went upstairs.

Because of his arrival, and the butterfly effect and such, Jon was unsure what Tony's future would hold.

But he knew that Iron Man would never be defeated by palladium poisoning alone.

Besides, with Tony's mind, honed by three doctoral degrees, he's bound to find a solution; it's just a matter of time.

Sometimes, when genius strikes, it's the most irrational thing you can do.

"That kid's not bad, Tony."

Rhodes looked in the direction Jon had left, his voice tinged with envy.

"He has a reassuring aura about him, can you feel it?"

"Yes." Tony stood up and nodded in agreement. "Just listening to him speak makes you feel very reliable."

"You know, it's that feeling I had when I watched Captain America videotapes as a kid, you know?"

"I understand." Rod nodded. "Our school organized a viewing back then too."

Meanwhile, Jon had already gone up the stairs.

In the living room, Pepper and Natasha were working diligently.

Hearing footsteps and seeing that it was Jon, Pepper looked up in surprise.

"Jon? What brings you here?"

"Come to the birthday party." Jon shrugged helplessly, "but unfortunately I didn't receive the text message about the three-day postponement, so..."

A hint of regret flashed across Pepper's face: "It's all my fault. I was the one who suggested postponing the birthday party."

"Um... how about..." Pepper started to say, but then hesitated, "Uh..."

She had intended to use the birthday party as a topic to talk more with Jon, but suddenly she didn't know what to say.

As her last remaining family member in the world, Jon meant a great deal to her.

But every time Pepper tries to get closer to Jon, it always ends in failure.

As a woman, Pepper could sense that Jon seemed to be carrying something heavy on his shoulders.

This also made Jon deliberately keep his distance from her.

"It's alright," Jon's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Pepper snapped out of her reverie, only to hear Jon continue, "Actually, I also have something to tell you."

"What is it?" Pepper's eyes lit up, her tone filled with anticipation.

After all, this was the first time Jon had taken the initiative to have a heart-to-heart talk with her.

"Do you have someone you like? Or do you have a girlfriend?" she couldn't help but ask. "Is it Skye?"

No, no! Jon isn't working right now, so he's probably not well-off either.

Making a living is difficult enough on its own, but to have an additional expense on top of that...

And if he goes on a date with his girlfriend and is very frugal, he'll be dumped soon. No way!

Pepper's mind raced, and without a word, she pulled out her wallet, took out a card, and handed it to Jon.

"Jon, spend it however you like. The password is my birthday."

Jon was still reeling from the deadly three questions he'd just been asked when, before he could react, the card was already shoved into his hand.

"What?" He blinked, then pushed the card back. "I don't need the money. And Pepper, actually I'm here to say goodbye."

"I'll be leaving New York in a few days."

Pepper was stunned.

She looked down at the card in her hand, then looked up at Jon.

For the first time, this powerful businesswoman, who had dominated the business world for many years, showed confusion and helplessness on her face.

Is it because of me?

"You're...leaving New York?" She hesitated for a moment, then reached to put the card back. "Then you'll need the money even more. Take it."

"Really, you don't need to." Jon shook his head and pushed the card back.

He's not the kind of person who likes to spend his family's money.

Back when he lived at the Joestars' house, the old woman Suggie Q tried to give him pocket money several times, but he always refused.

He believed that since they were already enjoying the Joestar family's comfortable lifestyle, they shouldn't be asking for money anymore.

Pepper silently put her bank card back, feeling empty inside.

"Where to?" she asked softly.

New Mexico.

The two remained silent, neither of them adept at handling family relationships, and now they were even more at a loss for words.

After a long silence, Jon finally broke it and said:

"I'm leaving, Pepper."

"Remember to send a message when you arrive," Pepper instructed.

Jon nodded and turned to leave.

But after taking only two steps, Jon seemed to remember something and turned back.

"Pepper," he called out to Pepper, hesitatingly speaking, "you don't look too well today, are you alright?"

Upon hearing this, Pepper's face lit up with joy, and she said with a smile:

"It's alright, I'm fine, Jon. I've just been a bit busy with work these past few days."

"Take care and get some rest," Jon said briefly, nodded, and turned to leave.

"Jon..."

Watching his retreating figure, Pepper suddenly felt a surge of power coursing through her body.

Sometimes, when you encounter difficulties, a simple word of concern from a loved one can help you overcome the predicament.

As Jon walked out of the villa, he unconsciously glanced back.

A strange sense of guilt welled up in his heart.

Actually, Jon had already received that text message today, but he still came on purpose.

Because he needed Tony to owe him this favor.

In this way, Tony might become a key fighting force when facing the Pillar Men in the future.

Everything in this world was beyond his comprehension. Just how strong were those unknown Pillar Men? How many were there? What abilities did they possess?

He knew nothing about it.

But one thing is certain.

The Pillar Men of this world are definitely several times stronger and more difficult to deal with than those in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure world.

After all, he possesses Star Platinum and Ripple, making him no match for ordinary Pillar Men.

In other words.

Fate will not arrange for him to fight an opponent much weaker than himself, because that would be meaningless.

Therefore, even though Jon had prepared for the worst, he was still uncertain.

He had no choice but to gather all possible forces to deal with it.

Although this practice is despicable.

But since Jon has inherited the will of the deceased, he must continue to move forward for this elusive goal.

Because this is the responsibility that those who survived bear.