Chapter 244

A/N: Guys, this fight scene isn't based on canon, since there is no information about IM. So consider everything as a fanon. If you came from the future where everything is resolved in the main storyline, never mind.

-x-X-x-

Josh appeared on the island of Amazon Lilly. This place had been his home for months when Akainu had wasted him the sea. He had made friendships here, ate fruits with the amazons, and everyone was nice to him.

Now, as he appeared on the top of a hill, Josh could see that the island was split in half. His eyelids shook. The swordsman who had done that surely is at a very high level. Higher than Mihawk, and both Josh and Mihawk were at the peak of Swordsmanship. But other factors put Josh at the top such as strength, Haki, speed and everything else.

Josh turned his eyes left and right while hiding his presence. He closed his eyes, and he could feel a very powerful fighting spirit.

'Now I remember IM. The one who really rules the world, and possibly the secret of the Celestial Dragons.'

'He can be an ancient being and the secret of the Celestial Dragons, who is also the reason they know about Eternal Youth Surgery. I have to be careful.'

Yes, he has to be careful. Not for his sake, but for the sake of the amazons here. If he wanted for them to stay alive, with his kid, he shouldn't make a presence.

'The ancient beings…Kind of reminds me of Dark souls… Miss is already.'

Josh summoned his sword from thin air and put it on his waist. He squatted and held the grip of the sword while closing his eyes, trying to scan the island for any man. In Josh's mind, a big black painting appeared. In its middle, appeared white shadows of people. He could make out the shadow of Sonia, who was lying on the ground in her snake form. Above her, there was a man around Josh's height, and he was aiming a sword at her while holding DenDenMushi with the other hand.

Josh's thumb pushed his sword up a little.

*Boom*

A supersonic bomb could be heard, followed by Josh's image fading.

Josh, in no time, appeared in the middle of the Kuja Tribe's city.

No one could see him, but he could sense red eyes on him. Between him and Josh, there was a wall made of transparent energy. Josh slashed upward. The man glided to the ground and flew back, before hitting a building.

Josh turned his head, seeing that Sonia was panting, while there were few bodies on the ground that belonged to some amazons.

"Did I arrive late?" Josh smiled at Sonia.

"Hah… Hah…" Sonia, who was lying on the ground, started panting. Things were happening too fast. One second, she was facing death, and in the other, she was facing Josh.

"Josh?" she tilted her eyebrows in confusion.

"Yep." Josh span the sword while walking around and staring at the cloud of dust which appeared after Josh sent the man flying.

"I… I thought you hanged the call…" Sonia had a few tears on her face. "I thought you abandoned me!"

"Now now," Josh said. "You can question my methods, but not my intents."

She sobbed a bit and extended her arms as if desperate for a hug.

"Go and hide. This guy isn't dead." Josh said.

Sonia stood up, nodded, lifted a few amazons from the ground, and moved backwards.

"Now, tell me, who are you," Josh said as the cloud of the dust was cleared.

IM appeared, his hand extended, with a wall made of Haki extending from his hand.

"I'm the one who used to rule the world. No know had seen me, except the Elders. Beings from this Era won't know me, so it's useless to explain." IM said.

"I know you, a dead man." Josh started walking forward slowly, red scales covering him and his height increasing.

"A man who lived for 800 years." The man pushed his hood back, to reveal a very young face with red eyes. "I can't let you live any longer. Your existence is more of a threat than the silly One Piece."

"As much as I'm interested in your back story." Josh turned his eyes to the dead girls, before looking forward. "You have to die."

IM smirked. "You are strong, but you don't know what a man of my age could have learnt."

Haki started making an aura around IM. Orbs started flying out of it and headed toward Josh, who quickly appeared somewhere else. Josh found that all of the orbs were heading to him.

IM moved his lips. "You're going to say that you're surprised that I can see the future. I can read your mind too. You are like an open page to me."

Josh was really going to say that. But he didn't. He only extended his tongue in mockery, and he slashed many times in many directions, cutting the orbs. Whenever they passed by him, they created heavy explosions.

"Why do I need to see the future, while I can already read your thoughts too?"

Josh unleashed a great pressure of Conqueror Haki around him in a form of a wave. He could explode this island into shreds if not for the people living on it. But it seems that he has to deal with this old guy.

"Humph…" IM harrumphed. He unleashed his Conqueror Haki as well. The thing he had been training for so long. "You know the ancient weapons."

"Yeah. Heard of those."

"I'm that one." IM lifted his hand and aimed at Josh. "No matter in which direction you move. This attack will erase you. Dodge, and both of your woman and her kid will die before you."

IM seemed to be confident that Josh wouldn't move away.

"Be my guest." Josh didn't seem to be worried as opened both of his arms, ready to welcome the attack.

Red lightning danced around the arms of IM. The next second, a powerful beam moved, big enough to swallow Josh.

So far, it seems that IM has the strongest Haki Josh had ever seen. Even though Josh's Haki was as strong as ten people, he could tell he lacks something against the ancient being.

But what he doesn't lack in comparison to anyone is his trickster power.

Red lightning covered Josh's hand, and he extended them, holding the beam as he infused his Haki in his armament.

Several wounds appeared on his hands, which healed in instant.

But they kept appearing.

Josh could feel that his power was increasing as his Berserk Constitution was working.

"Now tell me, who is the one who is turning my children into toys," IM asked Josh who was about to die.

"Why would I answer?"

"The answer is in your mind. Carlos." IM sighed. "That little child. I'll make sure to punish him." He turned his head.

"Yeah, but you didn't read the main thought."

"More-More?" IM muttered Josh's thoughts. "What the heck."

"Size and speed." Josh span his body and redirected the beam toward IM. The beam grew up so large that it could swallow the island. And its speed, it was impossible to dodge. IM was swallowed by that, his body dissolving into nothingness.

In the next second, the beam shrunk, turning into its normal size.

The other second, a large explosion appeared in the middle of the sea, reaching the sky.

"Not so bad." Josh shook his hand. "You made me use 40% of my power."

Josh lifted his head. Rain started falling from the cloud-clear sky, and it was salty and red. It seems that the explosion sent the blood of the creatures that died along the water.

"Everyone is going to need a shower." Josh turned his head. Some girls were hiding.

"You can come out." Josh waved his hand.

Many women started coming.

"Josh! Hey! Do you know that crazy guy?"

"Oh! I almost didn't recognize you. You grew up ever since the last time you were here."

Josh was quite popular in this place as the only man who ever lived with them.