One Piece: Gambling to The Top
Chapter 96 - 96

A/N: Chapters ahead at patréon

www.patréon.com/Blazuki

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A week passed since his kiss with Hancock.

Josh, after that kiss with Hancock, had been more interested in his Armament Haki training.

While thinking of the best lips he had ever tasted, Josh let a sigh. The relationship between him and Hancock seemed to go better, and his Haki training was progressing.

Josh, thanks to his talents, was quickly improving. Since he is training on the type of Haki and has great talents, he assumed it would take him one to two months to finish. .

Now, Josh was standing in the middle of the island, in the jungle. Since Hancock had gone to do some piracy so that she can provide her island citizens, Josh was left to wait for her until she comes back to train him.

Sonia wasn't here as well, so there was no woman to tease him. Still, Josh had taken his time to check the other beauty amazons, who by the way seemed to be very curious about him.

"Alright, some Devil Training."

While exhaling, Josh's height started increasing as his shape started turning into a demon's.

Unlike the other times, Josh had wings growing out of his back, bat wings. Around his red scales, another layer of black scales grew on his chest, abs, and elbows, as if creating a natural armour. His horns had gained some dark layer.

This time, his height became 2.5 meters. It wasn't outstanding here. Still, it felt a bit good… Josh, felt it's good. If he kept feeling little here between the amazons, he would unlock the Envy Sin.

"Alright, so this is pride." Josh looked at his hands.

What does he know about this pride? It belongs to a fallen angel called Lucifer, who challenged the god and was then cursed to become a devil, who took the job of misguiding humanity to hell. As he knows about the Abrahamic stories, Lucifer should have been the angel of light.

Opening his hand and focusing on the sin of pride, Josh had some light appearing on his hand. It was really light, controlled above that. As Josh aimed his hand forward, a light beam flew out of it. Like a spear, it hit a rock and pierced it. The rock then blew up in every direction.

"Wow." Amazed by the transformation, Josh flapped his wings. So easily, he floated up.

He then kept testing his fruit. Depending on his spiritual powers, Josh could replace a lot of things to do with this new attribute.

"Control." He could control the light to shape something out of it, depending on his will. It seems his Haki helped him to achieve such a stage.

From his hand, a spear with a long blade on its top appeared. It was yellow and shiny.

"Great." Depending on his Kung Fu arms mastery, Josh started flipping the light spear and his arms, before he slammed down, sending a shiny yellow air blade that cut a near rock.

'Now, how can I use it better.'

Thinking of mixing it with wrath attribute, Josh tried it.

He tried to do that in the past with other attributes, but it didn't work. For such, lust and wrath don't work together. But Pride and Wrath seemed to get along with each other.

The spear started getting wrapped by red flames that flew out of Josh's hand. The demonic energy around him started to feel unstable. Josh stabbed the spear forward, a fire beam leaving the spear's blade and heating up a rock, turning it black.

*Boom*

The spear almost blew up completely if not for Josh stopping channelling his demonic energy. Combining two sins creates a huge mess it seems. Josh demon face smiled, knowing there are a lot of potentials left in this fruit.

Opening his palm again, the light in Josh's hand formed a katana's blade. Seeing it, Josh felt sore in his heart. He missed his Epic sword, which he had lost during his battle against Akainu.

"I promise you, I will get you back one day."

Landing on his feet, Josh looked into the other rewards he has yet to use.

Empty Knowledge Book, Grandmaster Epic Guide in swordsmanship, and instant mastery pill.

Since he knows how strong a grandmaster from the show is, Josh knew it's best to learn it now. One can always remember that it allows him to use his soul in attacks. Zorro could create illusion swords and demon heads. Vista could create sharp metallic petals from thin air.

Haki alone isn't enough to become stronger, and Josh has a good teacher anyway.

After reading the guide again, Josh ate the pill and focused on this specific knowledge.

Josh felt his head getting loaded with information. Swords movement, meditating stances, and how one links his feelings to a weapon and become one in soul and body with it.

"It says I have to choose my swords path before the sword and spirit become one." Josh frowned. Never he thought he would understand such a weird line in his life. "If not for the pill, I wouldn't understand this bullshit."

Josh became human again. Still holding the light katana, Josh stared around him. Other than a destroyed tree and a burned rock, there was one big rock that was still alive.

Waving his sword, Josh felt he was in a totally different realm. A thin sharp air blade left his sword, and Josh felt he could control it with his swing. The pressed air danced and circled around the rock, cutting it in a circle.

'Alright, let's test this.'

Josh waved his sword many times, each swing made an air blade he controlled perfectly. The pressed air blades rolled around that rock, making a vortex around it. If one looked at it, the rock was surrounded by what seemed a sharp airball.

Once the sword vortex calmed, the rock turned into many tiny shreds.

"Nice." Josh dispelled his weapon.

There was one last item to test. The Empty Knowledge Manual.

When Josh summoned it, an empty white book appeared. Josh flipped all of its pages, yet there was nothing to be displayed.

Josh knows, when he thinks of something he wants to learn more about it, the system would tell him about a higher level.

Thinking about swordsmanship, the book didn't react at all. It seems that he has yet to complete the grandmaster, as he has yet to chose a path for his swordsmanship. Well, one can depend on his talent. Josh thought about the thing he has yet to upgrade.

Martial arts.

When he thought about it, the book shone. According to the system's guide to using this, he needs to close the book to confirm it. When Josh closed it, the book's cover changed.

'Tai Tiger Supreme Kung Fu Manual'

The book became thick all of the sudden. Josh opened it and started flipping the pages. There were pics of poses, training stances, and some special footwork and weapon use. There was also a precise explaining.

"Perfect."

After reading about one move, Josh put the book in his storage. Putting his left foot forward, Josh squatted and extend his hands forward. Taking a step forward, he chopped down on the last rock around, no strength was used to crush it.

When Josh pulled his hands back, five cuts appeared on the rock but has yet to get sliced. "Tiger slicing shop. The manual says one can chop metal once perfected. Well, I have nothing to do but training, and banging Hancock." Josh took the book out of the storage and started reading it again.

"There are other moves that use the impacts to do more damage.

Josh looked at the corner and remember that day when he had faced the Buster Call.

That day, Josh had changed his minds about Tuesdays, from his lucky days to not to mess with. But after seeing the upgrades he got, he changed them into a blessing in disguise days.

When Josh was about to leave, he remembered the last item he has in the system. The Epic candy that gives him random talent. Opening it, Josh hoped it's not something to be used in the kitchen, as his cooking talent — he doesn't like to cook. But his food is damn delicious.

[Ding: Assassin Talent]

(A talent that allows the host to move while concealing his presence and make it harder to predict. Once mastered, one can conceal his presence while moving)

As Josh was wondering what was that, he walked around.

Although he had yet to notice it first, Josh's step barely produced sounds.

Josh was thinking what can it be. Is it like his time in baroque works, when he had used to sneak up to pirates food stores?

Putting his leg on a near tree, Josh jumped and landed on a tree. Although the tree shook, only a few leaves shook. Josh stopped as he realised it. Maybe it can be useful if he trained on hiding his presence. But now, his primary focus is on Haki. Everything could be trained with time.

As Josh turned his face toward the sea's direction, he saw two sea kings pulling a ship. Josh had a strong vision when he turned his eyes red. He stared at Hancock, who was walking in a circle, her cheeks turning red.

Josh smiled. It had been a day since he didn't date her, or rather, complete his training with her, which had been ending up with kisses.