Chapter 42: The Confrontation Begins

Josh was sitting by the seaport in one of the locations in Alabasta. People came and went around him, but if one observed closely, it was clear that these individuals were quite wealthy.

Josh estimated that they were carrying tens of millions of Berries and were heading to one of the richest cities in Alabasta. This city was affluent largely due to Crocodile's casino and his reputation as a Warlord, which attracted many wealthy individuals.

"Thanks, Robin. I'm ready to move now," Josh said, placing the snail back into its holder. He stood up and adjusted his new black cap.

Josh concealed his face as he walked through the streets toward an isolated spot in the desert, away from the crowds.

According to Robin, Crocodile had just left the casino and was on his way to eliminate Josh. Robin had assured him not to worry, as she had arranged for some groups to burn the green powder no too long ago.

As Josh walked, he gazed at the sky, hoping for the clouds to start gathering soon.

---

Flashback

Three days prior, after the conversation designed to rattle Crocodile, Josh lay in bed with his girlfriend, Mikita, wrapped around him. Despite the danger surrounding him, he was lucky to be embraced by such a stunning beauty in their hotel room.

Having defeated four of Crocodile's top agents, Josh had earned four mystery boxes, each rated at tier 3 (Mr. 5, 4, 3, and 2). He also received 20 draw points for each agent, totalling 80 points.

Josh planned to use his luck to gamble before the final battle.

"Joshy…" Mikita murmured, hugging him tightly and providing warmth against the desert's cold.

Josh turned and kissed her lips before deciding to take a gamble with his current luck. He began opening the mystery boxes.

[+ Chef Cooking Talent (Excellent)]

(This talent allows one to cook exceptionally well and learn recipes 500% faster than most people.)

Josh frowned. While this talent would be useful if he wanted to open a restaurant, it wasn't relevant to his current needs.

[+ Healing Pill 65% (Excellent)]

[+ Ability-Increasing Cigar (Epic)]

(This cigar can enhance any ability by 50% at the user's choice.)

[+ Swordsmanship Guide to Master Level (The Breath of Steel) (Epic)]

The other items were more promising. The ability-increasing cigar made Josh consider whether to improve his physical talent or healing factor, which was currently a mid-grade physical constitution.

He decided to enhance his healing factor, which increased from mid-grade to above mid-grade. This improvement would allow him to regenerate faster and handle critical injuries better.

The swordsmanship guide was nearly heart-melting for Josh. It would help him learn to use blades and cut through steel. However, despite his talent, he realised it would take several months to reach mastery level in this discipline. Still, by reading that manual, he could tell it covered blade positions, breathing techniques, and movement. The last chapter was about the Breath of Steel, which explained how to 'hear' it.

Josh moved Mikita's sleeping body gently, retrieved a long dagger from under the bed, and began practising as the manual suggested. He had to start from the basics.

After practising, he remembered he still had 80 draw points to use.

Josh faced two tough choices: spend the points one by one for lower chances or use more points per trial for higher chances but fewer attempts.

In any case, he was still gambling, and it always felt heart-wrenching for him.

After a while Josh smirked and decided on a number.

40…40

He was gambling what was worth 40 million Berries in the Lottery, not knowing if he would get an epic reward!

After praying to every holy existence in the known world and stealing another quick kiss from Mikita, Josh activated the system.

[+ Agility-Increasing Serum (Excellent) (+50% Agility)]

This serum would have made it easier for Josh to defeat Mr. 2 quickly due to the increased speed.

[+ Stainless Steel Katana (Epic)]

(A master-crafted sword, durable and extremely sharp.)

Josh received a black-sheathed katana. Although he wasn't a swordsman and practised Kung-Fu, which included sword techniques, he accepted the katana. The inclusion of swordsmanship could be beneficial, though he needed to focus on his strengths before the upcoming battle. He resumed practising with the dagger while Mikita remained asleep.

---

End of Flashback

Josh stopped and rubbed his nose, noting that the weather was becoming both wetter and drier simultaneously.

His feet halted on the sand, and he turned to see a towering black-haired man standing before him. At 253 centimetres tall, he made Josh look like a child.

The man wore a black tuxedo and had a cigarette in his mouth. Josh observed his square face, tight black eyes, and a scar that almost split his nose in half.

"Boss, you're here. I didn't expect you to arrive so early," Josh remarked.

"The 'late' Mr. 7," Crocodile said slowly, scrutinising Josh from head to toe. "I didn't expect you to be so tiny."

"Tiny!" Josh took a step back, feigning offence. "That's not what your mama said."

Crocodile, initially planning to taunt Josh and demonstrate his superiority before killing him, now clenched his teeth in anger, splitting his cigar in half.

Josh observed Crocodile's fury and the fallen cigarette. He knew Crocodile expected him to be terrified, as many had been in the past.

However…

"Learn to keep those teeth to yourself. Do you kiss your parents with that mouth?"

Josh smirked, drawing a dagger and pointing it at Crocodile.

"Bastard!" Crocodile growled, his anger palpable. As the sky darkened, Crocodile felt invincible.

"You'll beg for mercy when I'm done with you," Crocodile declared, confident he would defeat Josh before a single raindrop fell.

"That's what she said. God, it's almost too easy" Josh mused in his mind, holding a chuckle.

Aiming to provoke Crocodile to ignore the weather, he raised both hands. Still thinking about the joke, Josh shook his head and looked at the ground. Crocodile sneered at the brat's silence. His hand transformed into sand, shaping into a sword with a faint yellow aura.

Josh smiled playfully at Crocodile.

"I promise to be gentle."

"Damn it!" Crocodile roared, his fury exploding as he swung his sand blade. The ground cracked and split in front of Josh, threatening to swallow him.

Josh used Shave to dodge, leaping five meters to the right. He looked back to see the ground split in half. If he had stayed in place, he would have been split in two. His increased agility had proven useful.

"You're quite physically strong ," Josh commented, observing Crocodile's strength even without his fruit powers. He cracked his fingers. "But that won't be a problem."

Rumble

A lightning bolt flashed in the dark sky as Crocodile glared down at Josh, his anger evident.