One Piece: Gambling to The Top
Chapter 175 - 175

It was night. 

"Fuck!" Cursed Josh as he read the task the system he had given them. He had expected that he would go to the 6th floor for the amount of money he had robbed. But no! It seems that the World Government hadn't decided what to do with him.

[New Gamble: Prison Break

You are trying to delay war for your own benefit, and the key for that is Ace, who is getting executed in half day. Unfortunately, they think you are harmless for handing yourself and not killing. You were sent to a higher level than the known ones. 

Objective: Complete your quest to the sixth level.

Rewards: 

- x3 Mystery Boxes Tier 5

What you are betting on:

- 3000 points

- the risk of dying poisoned and losing your Warlord title. 

Are you man enough to accept (y/n)]

'They think I'm harmless because I don't kill. Geez. With an attitude like that, they would be in the mercy of their girls.'

"Hey, don't curse now. You can curse all you want when you are getting tortured." Said the prisoner toward Josh as they took his shackles off, replacing them with sea stone shackles. 

Josh looked at him with Jack Sparrow face, and he said. "Do you have manners here?"

The prisoner's head became hot all of the sudden. "Take off your clothes and bend your ass over for me, I want to see what there is there something inside." 

They don't give such treatment to the people who went to the 6th level. Those people go down with their clothes, with their dignity. 

Once he finished his words, the guard lost consciousness, entering the wonderland of his dreams. A few minutes later, he woke up, seeing Jack Sparrow dressed in prison's clothes. 

"What happened?" the prisoner stood up and rubbed his head, not remembering what happened. 

 Sparrow rolled his eyes and said. "You wanted to check my ass, but you couldn't handle the smell and passed out. Wanna try again?"

"Hell no!" the guard pinched his nose. 

Jack Sparrow scoffed at him, not telling the guard about the big bruise that appeared on his head. 'You are the only one who gave me such strong motivation to kill, yet has yet to die.' 

 "Let's move on," Sparrow said. 

"Hey, prisoner!" the guard took a near whip and whipped him. "You don't order here." The guard continued whipping him. 

"What do you suggest?" Not seeming to be affected by the weak hits, Sparrow asked.

"Let's move on." 

"Now you are taking the credit. Typical boss." Sparrow yawned, annoying the guard. 

While pretending to be lazy, Josh was observing his surroundings as he was being taken to the lower levels. At the first level, he could see men walking through a forest where beasts chase them, and they are forced to run through glasses and sharp spikes. 

Their howls alone made it clear how much pain they are suffering. Once their torture is over, they are sent to the cells, so they can recover for another torture day. 

'And those are the harmless pirates that get to this level.'

Josh was being taken down, passing by the levels.

The second level was full of giant bizarre beasts and guards. 'Zala is here?' Josh could see with the slit of his eyes someone he used to know, at his days in Baroque works. She was hugging her legs, her chin on her knee while observing the beasts. Galdino was also there, shackled with sea stone. 

 Each time he gets down, the heat gets higher.  He passed by a desert, and finally, he reached the fourth level, where he is supposed to fulfil his punishment. 

'I have to replace a way for them to send him me down, otherwise, I will have to use brute force, which can call the admirals here, and the rest is obvious.' 

"It's hot here." Dramatically, Josh waved his hands in front of his face, trying to make enough air stream so he can cool himself. 

Although, it wasn't really hot for him. For someone who has a Zoan that belongs to a creature of hell, this weather was so suitable for him, and it would be better if he used the Wrath attribute. 

Somehow, seeing the prisoners walking around while being tortured gave Josh a feeling. 

It was a feeling that seemed to feed his demonic energy. 

'Despair, sadness…' 

Josh closed his eyes. Demons feed on negative emotions, and despair seemed to be feeding his demonic energy. Josh could feel it, and it was delicious. Not in the sense of tasting, but in a spiritual sense that he couldn't explain in words. 

'Am I turning into an S!' Josh shook his head, 'Just let me stay in vanilla range.'

"Of course, this is called the Blazing Hell." The guard said. "Good trip." 

"Yeah, right." 

The prisoners were lifting heavy objects, and they were without shoes. 

This level was built on a giant pool full of blood, heated by raging flame, which makes this level extremely hot. There are cells, and there are platforms that the prisoners can walk on. If any of the prisoners decided that they can't endure torture anymore, they can throw themselves into the hot pool, and they will die. 

The guard continued explaining in a sadistic manner. "We must wear protective gear to avoid being hurt by the intense heat, as it is strong enough to sear bared flesh. For you, you don't have to worry about that." 

"But I know where a huge wealth is. I bet you don't want me to jump." Said Josh, shaking his head. 

"Do it, be my guest." The guard smirked. 

If Sparrow tried to jump, then his body would react subconsciously and pull him back. 

"Whatever." Josh dodged the kick that was aimed at his butt, he walked to the line of the prisoners, and someone soon tasked him to lift a heavy log to throw it at the edge, which should heat up the flames. 

'Now, I can't just cause a huge mess and expect them to send me down… I should make myself beat their strongest guards, but lose to the top two.' 

Josh observed a familiar muscular figure in front of him. 

He thought for a bit, and he decided to whisper. Josh had formed a new plan. 

"Hey, balls of steel." 

The black man with a shaved head almost flinched and turned his face. "Are you already losing your mind? We don't bust balls here." 

"Not if it's so thin," Sparrow said quietly as the prisoners lifted the log. 

"Less talking, more working." Another guard, who was on the side, lifted his whip and hit the two who were chatting. Daze Bonez endured it. 

Daze Bonez was thinking, about the only person who may call him Balls of Steel, very thin. 

For someone who rarely got mocked, it should be easy to remember. 

He quickly turned his head. 

"Mr 7…?" Daze Bonez turned his head and lifted his eyebrows. He expected to see Josh, a previous coworker, but all he was seeing is a pirate, who looked crazy and barely cared about his health. 

"Some ladies call me their lucky number," he whispered. 

Daze Bonez turned his head as they started walking. "Do you know him? Or did your look change so much. Funny thing, I heard that you died." 

It seems that Daze Bonez entered the jail at the period that Josh had been known to be killed by Akainu. 

"I have no idea who are you talking about. Do you wanna leave?" Josh said. 

Although it may seem that he is doing a big risk, as a matter of fact, he isn't. 

First of all, Josh is known by his face, and he is almost a legend figure in the first half of the Grand Line. 

Second, he was wearing Sea Stones shackles, so no one is going to relate him to Jack Sparrow. 

Josh can just yell that he is the Gambler here, and no one would believe him.  

"Is there a way to leave this burning hell?" Daze Bonez was enduring the pain that came from his bare feet. Josh, on the other hand, seemed to be so fine. 

"Why would anyone leave. Walking on a blazing floor is healthy for your feet.." Josh said.