JoJoLands chapter 20: Jodio's crew gets a win as the Lava Rock pushes them closer to their goal

Following a month break for the series, JoJoLands chapter 20 was expected to all but wrap up the current fight, if not see it to its end via Jodio Joestar and Agent Bobby Jean’s standoff. Officially released on Thursday, November 21, 2024, the issue did indeed see Jodio and co’s fight with Agent Bobby Jean and Lulu end, but much quicker than anticipated.

This allowed JoJoLands chapter 20 to set up what’s next for Jodio and co, which for now is escaping the hospital without being noticed and returning to Meryl Mei. While these objectives may seem mundane, the full context of why Jodio and co are taking such a route is incredibly exciting, as the Lava Rock continues pushing them towards their goal.

JoJoLands chapter 20 sees the Lava Rock take over Jodio and co’s fates yet again

Brief chapter recap

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JoJoLands chapter 20 began with Agent Bobby Jean continuing to shoot stalls in the men’s bathroom as workers and patients in the hospital cleared out due to the shooting. Some were shown to be dead, while others were just injured. Bobby Jean then began checking for Jodio’s feet in the stalls, which Jodio already thought of by tucking his feet up onto the toilet itself. However, Lulu’s Bags Groove Stand was wreaking havoc on Jodio’s health.

Bobby Jean then analyzed the abilities of Jodio’s November Rain Stand, deducting that he’s only in significant danger if the vertically oriented raindrops hit him. Bobby Jean busted open one stall after shooting its door before deciding to send bullets at each of the toilets in the remaining stalls he hadn’t checked. In an act of desperation to not be found, Jodio activated November Rain and used it to deflect the shots.

JoJoLands chapter 20 saw Bobby realize what happened and fire several shots in the door of Jodio’s stall, which were also blocked by November Rain. However, not all of the shots were blocked, resulting in the toilet breaking under Jodio. Bobby Jean fired some shots again, which were also deflected, before kicking open the door. He noticed Jodio was reaching into his left pocket for something, which he suspected was the Lava Rock he and Lulu had to retrieve.

Jodio cleverly overcomes Agent Bobby Jean's powerful abilities in JoJoLands chapter 20 (Image via Shueisha)

Bobby Jean likewise stopped attacking and gave Jodio a chance to cut a deal by emptying his pockets and giving him the Lava Rock. As Bobby Jean demanded that Jodio hand it over, one of the water droplets from the ceiling (put there as a result of Bobby breaking the toilets) dripped down onto his hat, and seemingly made it to the floor. As Jodio said he didn’t have the Lava Rock, it was revealed he used November Rain on the water droplets to kill Bobby Jean.

JoJoLands chapter 20 saw Bobby Jean collapse on the floor motionless immediately after, with Lulu entering the room and crying and screaming after seeing Bobby Jean dead. For some reason, she called back her Bags Groove from both Jodio’s body and everyone else’s. This prompted a shift in focus to Charmingman, Usagi Aloha’oe, and Dragona Joestar, all of whom were now fine.

The focus returned to Jodio, who told Lulu that she could take time to mourn him, but she’d be leaving with him and his group once she was done. Lulu ignored this as Jodio left the bathroom, while police in full tactical gear with assault rifles swarmed the building. Paco Lovelantes then woke up in the hospital’s ICU, having suffered only minor injuries from both being shot and falling down the elevator shaft.

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JoJoLands chapter 20 saw the doctors tell him to rest before leaving, with Paco instead going to a nearby locker to grab his clothes. He found a strange bag in there as well, with Jodio and Dragona appearing at that moment. They explained that everyone was fine, but Howler knew who they were and the building was crawling with cops. However, Usagi and Charmingman were already downstairs working on faking the security cameras so they could leave.

The group was unsure of whether or not Howler knows their faces, but adds that they need to escape and Howler clearly knows about the Lava Rock’s existence. Dragona confirmed he still had it while Jodio asked Paco what the bag in the locker was. He explained it was not his, guessing it was someone else’s who was injured in the shooting. Jodio inspected the contents, realizing it to be the bag of the person in the next bed over.

JoJoLands chapter 20 revealed this man to be the Dolphin Bank employee who met with Acca Howler after his plane landed. The man was then shot in the head upon arriving at the hospital, hence his admission to the ICU. Jodio continued inspecting, learning that Howler had a loan out from Dolphin Bank and that this person was meant to collect the debt. The bag also had all the relevant documents, leading the group to realize the Lava Rock was responsible.

Jodio and co successfully escaped the Howler agents' clutches alive in JoJoLands chapter 20 (Image via Shueisha)

Meanwhile, the United States Congressman whose daughter was the receptionist at the land records building was seen trying to tell his daughter, who was now all better, to rest. The Congressman then took credit for signing the investigation and doubled down on the need to investigate Howler. However, the Congressman’s initial hesitation suggested that the Lava Rock was at play here to some degree.

JoJoLands chapter 20 saw Jodio and co witness all this, sharing their joy that the receptionist woman also fully recovered. However, they also realized that the Lava Rock’s mechanism is indeed still at work, sending items and commodities of monetary value their way. Jodio then revealed that the documents in the bag value the loan at 38 million dollars, with the north slope of Hualalai put up as collateral.

The bag also had digital contracts and the man’s smartphone, also explaining that the documents were meant to collect the loan before politicians froze Howler’s assets. Jodio then declared that they’d collect the debt in Dolphin Bank’s place since the Lava Rock’s mechanism is absolute. The issue ended with Jodio saying they should return to Meryl Mei Qi with the banker and the documents, since the time to collect may be soon.

In summation

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JoJoLands chapter 20 puts the series in an exciting position moving forward, with setup for the initial Howler land plotline reaching its end. Likewise, the next installment should move this plotline forward to its next stages, explaining exactly how Jodio and co will collect on the Howler land debt.