One Piece: Gambling to The Top

Standing in front of Josh, Jabra and Blueno stared at Josh, who was holding the sword from the sheath. Josh was deeply staring back at them.

Meanwhile, the agents seemed to be waiting for any slip from Josh.

Jabra smirked. "Like old times."

Blueno didn't reply.

"I'll take it as yes."

Jabra, who was beyond 3 meters tall in his Hobard form, extended his hands forward toward Josh. A blue glint of light covered his body for brief.

"Iron Mass Kung Fu."

Declaring that, his body becoming as hard as steel, Jabra moved around at a very high speed.

Josh's eyes moved along with the movement of the wolfman. Taking a quick step to the side, Josh found a couple of hands that almost pierced his original spot.

When Josh was about to unsheathe his sword, his senses alerted him and he used Shave, moving up toward the sky.

Behind his original spot, a door appeared in thin air. Blueno got out of it, and he stared at Josh, who was 10 meters high in the air.

"Free falling," he muttered coldly.

Jabra smirked as if he knew what this meant.

Blueno sat on his back and aimed his feet up at Josh, and he started kicking in the air.

Tens and tens of blue sword beams left Blueno's fast legs.

"Look at me!" Jabra screaming, flipping forward, and using Storm Legs.

Unlike usual air blades, what Jabra had sent was air blades that took the shape of wolves beams, and they moved in a zigzag pattern, making them hard to track.

"Seems you don't know everything about me."

Josh had to admit. Although he can take any one of them one on one easily, their teamwork made it quite hard.

Making his feet face the sky, Josh drew the sword out of the sheath and waved, sending a large air arc, which was bigger than their projectiles.

*BAM*

An explosion in the air occurred when the projectiles met.

The ice on the ground cracked as many slits appeared across it. The snow flew up, making a mist that covered the view.

Something like this shouldn't bother a highly trained agent. Jabra and Blueno stared across the snow that covered their view, looking for Josh.

In the middle of the white mist, they saw two red shiny eyes, demonic negative aura could be felt when staring at them.

It felt like rage.

Those two eyes were getting bigger and bigger in their eyes.

Quickly, they used Shave to dodge.

When the red eyes silhouette landed, the snow and the mist were pushed, allowing anyone to see.

There, in the middle of the cracks, stood up a demon with red scales. Josh looked at his hands in this demon form. Unlike his usual form, this time, around his shoulders, the scales grew, making shoulder guards. Not only so, but their colour changed from red to black.

"I guess, this is what can be called the rage energy."

Thinking for a bit, Josh realised what had happened. The frustration he felt while dodging and facing the projectiles sure had made him change the nature of his demonic energy.

Lust, and rage. These were attributes for the demonic energy he discovered. But he has yet to learn how to use them.

"I will test it later."

Muttering to himself, he looked in front of him.

Jabra and Blueno are here staring at him carefully, and it's time to end this battle.

Couching lowly, Josh was wrapped by a red aura, which danced around him like snakes.

The snow and the ice, this time, started melting around his feet.

Josh, however, was more focusing on his opponents rather than the snow.

"Seems he revealed his demon form," Blueno said.

"Hehe! I was excited to fight this Zoan form. The one that took a commodore down." Jabra cracked his fist.

Blueno noticed something and he flinched. "This! Is it energy or fire?"

"Dunno. Be ready to clash." Jabra couched and took a kung fu stance, supporting all of his weight on his back leg as he extended his left leg forward. A drop of sweat danced around his wolf eye. "There is something about that red energy. Not only it's hot, but it makes me feel his rage… Tsk, you won't scare me."

Blueno, not noticing that his breathes became slower, took a sneaky step back, ready to use his Door Door Fruit power.

"Come here, asshole!" Jabra extended his hands toward Josh.

Josh, who was couching, was aware of his surroundings more than anyone. In this form, his senses are in their sharpest form.

When a door appeared behind him, hands extended to his neck, Josh vanished in thin air.

Blueno landed on his feet, eyes widely opened as he realised that he held an afterimage.

"Scum."

Followed by this word, a blade of a sword entered from his back and got out of his stomach. Blueno was about to turn. Josh didn't allow it as he opened his hand, and then, Josh stabbed forward with his claws, his hand entering Blueno's back.

Josh jumped up, kicking Blueno with both of his powerful legs, sending him flying away.

Landing on his feet, Josh shook his demon arm and sword, which were covered in red liquid.

In this form, Josh had his strength multiplied. Blueno had taken so much damage from the kick that he rolled on the ground many times, before landing down, unconscious.

"Blueno!" Jabra turned and screamed toward his partner.

Josh, taking this as a chance, used his multiplied speed and appeared next to Jabra.

Jabra felt the heat all of the sudden, and turned, jumped and flipped many times, aiming a kick at Josh. When Jabra momentum stopped, he realised that Josh held his leg.

"Leave me!" Jabra used his other long leg and kicked toward the demon's scales face.

"Iron mass, it surely helps." Muttering that, Josh didn't take another kick as he lifted Jabra from his leg and hit him to the ground. "Gotta learn that one day."

"Iron Mass." As Jabra declared that, his body hit the ground.

*Bam*

A strong impact spread through the island. Jabra spat blood. His mastery over Iron Mass kept him alive, but it wasn't something against Josh's overwhelming strength.

Josh lifted Jabra again and slammed him to the ground again.

Jabra puked blood each time, his internal organs getting destroyed. Finally, he lost consciousness, his wolf shape morphing into a human again.

Josh walked forward, regaining his human form.

Jabra, who was lying on the ground, opened a small slit in his eyes, thinking that he is lucky to pretend dead just before the moment he would die.

However, that movement wasn't unnoticeable, as Josh unsheathed his sword. Before Jabra could even turn, Josh flashed in front of him, and stabbed him in the chest, before taking his sword back.

Walking away from the wolf man's body, Josh stared at Robin and the other girls.

"I've told you I can handle them on my own."

Mikita seemed to be frustrated that she didn't participate. But she smiled when she looked at his eyes. Robin just let a sigh of relief.

Josh waved his sword in the air, making the blood fly away from it. As the blade became clean again, Josh sheathed the sword and sent it to his storage.

He stood up in the middle of the girls and wrapped his arm around them. "I feel cold." He said.

"Hih. Didn't I tell you to wear a coat?" Mikita said, putting her hand on his forehead and kissing his cheek. "Weird, you're so hot."

"Thanks." Josh winked at her.

"Hey!" Mikita touched his face. "Don't tell me you caught a cold."

"No. I will be fine once my temperature goes back." Josh said. "I need a heat source though."

As it seems, when he had transformed earlier, not only he felt angry, but he was too hot. Now that he is normal, his new temperature made him feel cold.

"You have me." Mikita raised her eyebrows.

"Let me warm you then." Robin just hugged his arm to her chest.

Josh shook his head and pointed with his index forward.

"Not here. Let's go there first."

Turning their heads to the direction Josh pointed in, they stared at Accino's castle.

Josh had a smile on his face. "Green berries would be great."

He then turned to the agents on the ground.

He has a plan for them after he leaves the palace.

But now, collecting money has priority.