Chapter 39: The Heart of Battle

Josh stood, smirking at Mr. 4, who held his massive metallic bat. He extended a hand toward Mr. 5 and Melissa, signaling them not to interfere. Josh wanted to take on Mr. 4 alone, aiming for the reward that would come with the victory. To his surprise, Mr. 4 wasn't as mentally slow as he had first appeared. After Miss Merry Christmas passed out, Mr. 4 demonstrated a new level of intelligence—average, but still unexpected.

This was about to be a showdown between two of the few non-Devil Fruit users among the Baroque Works agents.

"Is this even canon?" Josh mused as he eyed the large, blonde man, who was reaching for his bazooka.

Without wasting time, Josh used Shave, disappearing from sight and reappearing directly in front of Mr. 4. Taking a low stance, he clenched his fist and punched forward.

Mr. 4 barely registered Josh's movement but managed to see him just before the blow landed. When Josh's fist struck Mr. 4's gut, the big man slid back slightly. However, due to his immense size and strength, Mr. 4 quickly regained his footing, his belly fat absorbing much of the impact.

As Josh prepared for another attack, Mr. 4 raised his bat and brought it down with astonishing speed. If it connected, Josh would be reduced to nothing more than a splatter on the ground. But Josh was quick—he adjusted his stance, stepping forward just in time to grab Mr. 4's wrists, halting the bat mid-swing. In a fluid motion, Josh jumped up, placing his right foot on Mr. 4's chest, and twisted his body, kicking the larger man in the face. Using the momentum, Josh flipped Mr. 4 through the air, sending him crashing to the ground.

Mr. 4 tumbled several times before coming to a stop and standing back up, his face showing the bruises from Josh's kick and from colliding with his own 4-ton bat.

"Damn you!" Mr. 4 roared, his frustration growing as he swung a fist, relying on his brute strength. But Josh reacted quickly, flipping away and extending his legs, meeting Mr. 4's feet and causing him to lose balance. Josh then flipped back up and delivered a powerful punch to Mr. 4's back.

"He knows judo too?" Mr. 5 remarked, watching the fight unfold. Mikita nodded in acknowledgement.

"I thought he was more of a Kung-Fu guy," she said.

"He's good, though," Melissa added, cheering for Josh. She lifted her shirt, revealing her green bra and cheering him on, much to Josh's silent amusement.

The battle raged on. Josh relied on his agility and techniques, while Mr. 4, with his baby face and massive frame, depended on sheer brute force. The longer the fight went, the more damage Mr. 4 took, his strength gradually weakening. Blood trickled from his nose as he screamed in frustration, throwing another punch at Josh.

Josh sidestepped the strike and responded with his own punch, this time aiming for Mr. 4's face. The blow landed squarely, sending Mr. 4 flying back once again. He rolled across the ground, eventually falling unconscious, unable to continue the fight.

Josh wiped the sweat from his forehead, relieved that the battle was over. Mr. 4 had been tough, and the oppressive heat of the desert made the fight even more exhausting. Had it been cooler, Josh might've had more of an advantage.

As he caught his breath, Josh remembered Melissa, who had been cheering him on. He had wanted to glance at her, but his focus had been entirely on Mr. 4 during the battle. Just as he was about to turn and smile, something unexpected happened—Gem's limp body flew past him.

"What the hell is going on?" Josh muttered.

Melissa, standing thirty meters away, was attempting to spray gasoline on a tall, lean figure that seemed to be dancing ballet. Her efforts were futile. The figure, moving gracefully, kicked her hard in the abdomen before flipping in the air, ready to land a kick to her face.

Josh acted instantly, using Shave to cross the distance in less than a second. Without breaking momentum, he launched a roundhouse kick that collided with the other man's leg, sending both fighters flying in opposite directions with a shock-wave between them.

Landing smoothly next to Melissa, Josh asked, "Are you okay?"

"You..." Mikita, floating nearby with her umbrella, stared at the new opponent, ready to attack. Josh's attention, however, was on the man in front of him—Mr. 2.

Mr. 2 was one of the strongest agents in Baroque Works, and Josh knew this was going to be a challenge. But more than anything, Josh was irritated by the fact that Mr. 2 had attacked Melissa, leaving her almost topless.

What kind of person does that to a woman? Josh thought.

"Either a true believer in gender equality or…" He glanced at Mr. 2, who wore makeup, lipstick, and exposed his long, hairy legs. The answer was obvious.

"Marianne!" Josh called.

From behind a nearby rock, Marianne sat comfortably in the shade, sipping her tea, oblivious to the chaos around her.

Mr. 2 spoke with exaggerated flair. "What a delightful scene! I had just finished my delivery mission and was about to meet Mr. 4. Practising my Okama (translation: gay) martial arts, I stumbled upon this. Such a pretty boy like Mr. 4—I feel so bad for that face of his turning blue."

Mr. 2's long eyelashes fluttered as he scanned Josh, who was crouching slightly.

"The only funny thing is going to be your face when I'm done with you. It's already a joke," Josh retorted, his expression darkening.

A sudden memory surfaced in Josh's mind—Mr. 2's sacrificial scene at Impel Down. That moment had made Josh cry. He thought no one had noticed, but his little cousin had walked in without knocking and caught him tearing up at the scene. She'd spread rumours about him crying over a "homosexual drama," and Josh hadn't attended a family gathering since.

Back in the present, Josh glared at Mr. 2. "You'll pay for what you've done!"

(AN: I also cried during that scene, although, it didn't affect my familiar-gathering participation. So I consider that a big win.)

Mr. 2, seemingly confused by Josh's intense expression, asked, "Why are you looking at me like that? Did I make you cry? Did I ruin your life?"

"No, idiot," Josh snapped. "You hurt my teammates, and you wonder why I want to kick your ass? Get your brain checked." He paused, then added, "Just wait a second."

Josh calmly lifted Melissa over his shoulder and carried her to a shaded spot, setting her down gently. He glanced at Gem, who was still unconscious. "Explosions shouldn't bother you… you're supposed to handle the heat."

Satisfied with Melissa's safety, Josh returned to Mr. 2.

"Did I take too long?" Josh asked with a grin.

Mr. 2's eyes widened in admiration. "That scene of you putting her in the shade—no, leaving the guy in the sun—is powerful. You're a simp. Why let the guy suffer?"

Josh snorted. "You're calling me a simp because women aren't attracted to you."

With that, he began jogging in place, taking off his shirt and preparing for the next fight.