JoJoLands chapter 23: Acca Howler's origins explored as he discovers Jodio and co's Lava Rock

Heading into JoJoLands chapter 23, fans were expecting focus to mainly stick with Meryl Mei Qi, Paco Lovelantes, and Usagi Aloha’oe as they fight off Meryl’s assailants. Officially released on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 in Japan, the installment instead spent nearly the entirety of its focus on Jodio Joestar and co as they negotiated with Acca Howler.

Likewise, JoJoLands chapter 23 gave additional focus to the Howler family’s history, specifically looking at Acca Howler’s origins and how his grandfather influenced him. This in turn leads to an explosive discovery on Acca’s part by the issue’s end, which seems to be setting Jodio and allies up to fight their way off of Acca’s yacht.

JoJoLands chapter 23 sees Acca Howler realize that Jodio and his allies are in possession of a Lava Rock

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JoJoLands chapter 23 began with a focus on the Howler family house on the vast north slope of Hualalai on the island of Hawaii. Within, there can be found a true-to-form treasure chest which houses the family’s generational treasures. Within them include a Tintoretto painting, jewels, precious metals, antique vases and glasses, and more. However, it’s also specified that these treasures once had to be put up for sale in the outside world.

In 1967, a wildfire burnt the family’s pastures on the north slope down, which would take years to recover. This drove the family to the verge of bankruptcy, with this being the era of Acca’s grandfather. At the same time, there was a Hawaii state representative named Monte Brutto who had his sights set on the Howler farm’s water source. He suddenly began claiming that the water source was under state jurisdiction, legally accurate given the land’s history.

JoJoLands chapter 23 explained that Latrato Howler was given the north slope by the Royal Family of Hawaii before the state was annexed in 1898. Legally, the land was thus only theirs via a verbal agreement, with Brutto leveraging this fact to argue that a “water source” belongs to the public, not a private individual or individuals. Despite the apparent nobility, Brutto wanted to use his Hawaiian mafia connections to build resorts and villas with the water source’s power.

Jodio's group is the main focus of JoJoLands chapter 23 (Image via Shueisha)

The issue also confirmed that, while they weren’t ever caught, it was Brutto and his allies who started the wildfire that drove the Howler Company to the verge of bankruptcy. Focus then shifted to a smoky, slow truck chugging along a highway, with Brutto coming up behind it in a chauffeured sports car. Brutto ordered the driver to pass, with the truck driver fatally shooting Brutto before ramming the car off the road.

The truck driver is revealed to be Acca’s grandfather as Brutto’s driver tries exiting the car and is approached by him. Acca’s grandfather apologizes to him before killing him with a rock, clearly concerned about leaving witnesses. Focus then shifted to a young Acca spending time with his grandfather, who revealed he had legitimized their family’s land deed under law. JoJoLands chapter 23 saw Acca’s grandfather also promise that the slope would always belong to them.

He then explained that “Latrato’s will” was that the Howler family keep precious things inside the aforementioned treasure chest. Acca’s grandfather told him to know that anything removed from the box was certain to come back to the family. As he said this, the Tintoretto painting and a pile of valuables similar to those mentioned earlier are seen nearby. Acca’s grandfather says they all saved the Howler family after the wildfire, but still came back to them in the end.

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JoJoLands chapter 23 saw Acca begin playing with a deteriorated Lava Rock in the box, prompting his grandfather to tell him to treat it with respect and leave it in the box. He explained that Latrato found it somewhere “on those mountains of the gods,” but no one knew where. Focus returned to the present with a shot of Dragona Joestar’s Lava Rock, as he, his brother Jodio, and their ally Charmingman (disguised as Yokohama) boarded Acca Howler’s ship.

As they did so, Jodio spotted Paco Lovelantes and Usagi Aloha’oe speeding off to save Meryl Mei Qi. After some tense introductions, Acca invited the others onboard, with Dragona blown away by how luxurious the yacht was. They then went to a room below deck, where negotiations began with Howler pulling a gun out. Howler made it clear that the gun was staying out despite their not being a “need” for it before calling something into the room.

JoJoLands chapter 23 saw Howler place a suitcase with two million dollars in it on the table, offering 20 in total to Charmingman, Dragona, and Jodio each if they got him out of this mess. Acca was confident in his offer, and rightfully so; however, Jodio’s group made it clear that while the offer would be tantalizing for real bank employees, they were after everything Howler had, and thus pressed on by demanding he give up his land assets.

Meryl Mei Qi's help arrives in JoJoLands chapter 23's final moments (Image via Shueisha)

Charmingman accused Howler of illegal arms manufacturing on the north slope in response, prompting him to point the gun at Charmigman’s head. Jodio then whispered something into his ears, prompting him to boldly bark back at Howler. Charmingman then proposed a swap of land, arguing that this made the most sense for both of them. Howler began sweating here as Charmingman pressed him to agree, even handing him a deed to sign.

However, JoJoLands chapter 23 saw Jodio explain that the exchange part was fake, with the documents instead just granting them Howler’s land. Paco and Usagi arrived at the school as Charmingman pushed harder for Acca to take the deal. However, Howler then noticed some sand on the table, recognizing it as crumbled Lava Rock from his youth. The issue ended with him telling Dragona to stand up as her Lava Rock began crumbling uncontrollably.

Final thoughts

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Overall, chapter 23 is an incredibly exciting and informative issue which seemingly sets up the series’ near-future. Acca’s goons will likely all be dealt with in the next several issues, leaving him defenseless and at Jodio and co’s mercy. In turn, it seems the series may be setting up Howler becoming the group’s ally, and revealing to them and Meryl Mei a more sinister and evil force controlling things behind the scenes.