One Piece: Gambling to The Top
Chapter 163 - 163

(A/N: The thing about Blackbeard isn't canon. But it's not a reason not to use fan theories...) 

While Robin was done fighting Jesus, Josh was sent flying back as Blackbeard unleashed the darkness. Everything that had been absorbed was now unleashed, and it was destroyed. Josh had a question in mind as he stood up and looked at Blackbeard. 

'He isn't letting an opening for me to strike.'

Josh wasn't feeling pain or any damage as looked at Blackbeard. Now, thinking about it, Josh now is the strongest Swordsman in the world. Considering the fact that he can slice Blackbeard if they clashes, Blackbeard is using the darkness to shield himself from head to toe. 

'Noob.' Josh shook his head as he looked at the town. People were running and escaping. Some were dead, as rocks fell on their heads. That was something they don't show on TV.

"Zehahaha…" a loud laugh echoed. "Gambler San. You are so dangerous, even without your Devil Fruit. However, don't think that I will let you." 

Josh saw the future in instant. 

Extending his hand, Blackbeard's arm was surrounded by dark fog, aimed at Josh. Josh used shave to move behind one building, vanishing from the sight and concealing his presence. A big rock that was next to Josh was grabbed flying toward Blackbeard. 

'I should think of something.' Josh thought as he was out of sight. He grabbed his black scimitar, and muttered, "this should keep him busy." As he waved his words in many different directions, many thin air blades left the sword and circled in the air, heading toward Blackbeard. 

Blackbeard, who was unleashing his observation Haki to replace Josh, suddenly found many sharp waves in the air heading toward him, barely noticeable. 

"Sneaky Bastard! Is that how a real swordsman fights!" 

Yelling to shame Josh, Blackbeard stomped on the ground, and the dark fog countered the thin air blades. 

 "Aren't you ashamed!" Blackbeard yelled. 

Once he completed his words, he turned his back, feeling an attack coming toward him. He blocked it using darkness. 

However, there was one thin threat he didn't notice, which slashed him on the chest, cutting him and making blood splash. 

"Did you learn shaming tactics from your girlfriend?" Josh lowered his head and sighed, appearing in another spot. "I have you to know; they don't work on everyone." 

While teasing Blackbeard, Josh was thinking of a way to defeat him. 

There is no doubt that Blackbeard has the strongest Logia Devil Fruit. 

However, it doesn't mean that he is invincible. 

Josh may be strong now. 

However, he didn't reach his current level because he was depending on the power. 

'Time to switch from the swordsman style to the trickster style.' 

"There!" Blackbeard extended his hand, the darkness created a vortex around his arm. 

Josh jumped up, trying to dodge. Extending his other arm toward Josh, Blackbeard used the gravity of darkness to grab Josh. 

"Zehahaha! Even if you are as fast as light, you can't escape the darkness." 

Josh was sent flying toward Blackbeard. He waved his sword, trying to send a few air slashes. But it was a useless attempt as the darkness absorbed them. With his other free arm, Blackbeard gave Josh a punch to the face, sending him flying. 

Now, one must not underestimate Blackbeard. His punches could even hurt Whitebeard, whom even Admiral's punches didn't. 

Before Josh could regain his balance, Blackbeard extended his hand toward Josh, grabbing him again and punching him flying with his other hand. 

'He has strong armament Haki, for sure.' Josh wasn't really hurt. Combining Iron Body with his armament Haki was just a form of training.

Josh was waiting for the right moment, however, he couldn't just escape Blackbeard's grip. 

"Zehahahaha! How about this!" 

Blackbeard didn't even dare to give Josh an opening and punched him on the face. One arm was grabbing him, and another was sending him flying. Josh even lost his obsidian scimitar as Blackbeard took it away. 

Josh appeared to be standing, pretending to be dizzy. The dark fog extended, covering both of him and Blackbeard, isolating them from the rest of the world. 

Josh's eyes were moving. 

'One fist punch, and other use gravity to keep me from moving.' 

Josh closed his eyes, trying to parry a punch heading toward him. 

"Useless!" Blackbeard said. A strong gravity pulled his arm away, letting his defence open, and getting him a punch on the face. 

The arm that punched him was getting surrounded by the dark. 

Josh, who was supposed to be sent flying, put his feet on the ground, not letting himself move away. 

In that millisecond, before the darkness could grab him and surrounds Blackbeard's arm, Josh took a swordsmanship stance, raising both his hands without a sword or that is what Blackbeard had thought.

"All or nothing." 

 The Great Devil Sword appeared in his hand, and Josh's doppelganger with a katana appeared behind Blackbeard, doing the same movement at Josh. 

"Fuck!" Cursed Blackbeard. 

Once his arm was surrounded by darkness, both of his arms were separate from his body. 

"Playtime is over." 

Josh squatted, and then, he extended his hands upward, stabbing Blackbeard in the heart. 

From his right side, illusionary katana left him. 

"Impossible," Blackbeard said, eyelids shaking as he looked at the sword in his hand. 

"You shouldn't be able to summon your sword. I disabled your Devil Fruit ability." Blackbeard said. 

"Oh, so you think it's a result of a Devil Fruit," Josh said. "I don't blame you." 

Well, it's alright if Blackbeard thought so. Because Josh usually summons his sword from thin air, while his black sword was always on his back. 

'And I made him think so.' Josh had a shit-eating grin, as the darkness around them was vanishing. 

The Devil's pattern on the top of the sword"s grip, its eyes shone in red. 

This Legend Rank item, The Great Devil Sword, can absorb a Devil Fruit power. It's either done by giving it a fruit, or by stabbing your opponent in heard. 

"Hey, kiddo." Said Blackbeard, furrowing his eyes. 

Josh opened his eyes widely. 

What he just heard now was the voice of three people. In his observation Haki told him that he isn't in front of one person, however, he was seeing only one person. 

Black lightning surrounded Blackbeard before it was concentrated on his arm as he punched toward Josh.  Blackberad lost his fists, but still, he punched with the meat and bone. 

Josh quickly raised his sword to block that punch. 

That was a mix between Conqueror Haki and Armament. 

It was the same thing he used to escape from Shanks. 

Josh could feel unimaginable pressure from that fistless arm, and he was sent gliding on the ground for ten meters or so. 

"Now, prepare to die, for real." 

Blackbeard extended his arl that was covered by black red lightning, summoning the darkness. 

However, the darkness didn't come. 

"I must say, I'm surprised that you are alive, even when I stabbed you in the heart." 

Josh rested his sword on his back, walking around while staring at the angry Blackbeard. "It seems your ability to eat more fruit is because you have something unique about you." 

Blackbeard didn't respond to Josh. 

Josh clenched his fist around the Great Devil Sword. 

The same sword that can allow him to use a second Devil Fruit. 

"Looking for this." 

Josh stabbed in the air. The Devil's pattern's eyes shone in red. Darkness started spreading from it, and Josh opened his free hand, dark fog dancing there. 

"It's hard to control. But there is the first time for everything." Josh said, spinning the great sword. 

He then turned into his demon form. Flapping his wings, he floated a bit. 

"You've said you are interested in my Devil Fruit," Josh said. "I'll show you what its true potentials are." 

"You stole my fruit!" Blackbeard's voices echoed. He held his head with both hands and screamed. "Damn you." 

Blackbeard's body started growing. Three heads appeared next to his head, as his body was turning black. His body became like a lion's, with three heads of bulldogs.  and two arms grew instead of his severed ones.

"Cerberus," Josh muttered in a demonic voice. "Three persons in one." 

"That's right," Blackbeard said. "We are a triple who ate a triple fruit. Each presents a head. Our hearts are one, and you took something from us." 

Said the three heads at the same time. 

Josh cringed at how ugly the giant head dogs are with Blackbeard's hairstyle. 

"Is this canon?" Josh asked, floating. He was curious if this is the real method Blackbeard used to eat more fruits. Nevertheless. He can only focus on what he is seeing now. 

***

A/N: Chapters ahead at: pațreon.com/Blazuki