Chapter 28: The Luck of the Draw

Josh continued with his lottery that night, using one point at a time for sixty draws. He hadn't even touched Mikita's money yet. The results, however, were not as impressive as when he invested more heavily. Still, there were some good moments.

For every ten tries, he managed to pull in 1-2 Good Tier items. 

His girl, Mikita, had certainly become his lucky charm. Josh realised he had fallen for her the moment he saw how much she increased his chances in the Draw.

Some items weren't immediately useful, but one significant upgrade came when Mikita consumed the Devil Blood, enhancing her Kilo-Kilo powers. Now, she could control her weight from as little as half a kilo to a staggering 15,000 kilos.

"It's so much easier this way," Mikita said, floating effortlessly in the air after reducing her weight to almost nothing, allowing her to jump to incredible heights.

"Alright, calm down," Josh replied with a chuckle, watching her show off her newfound powers.

By now, Josh had amassed plenty of items—soups, pills, elixirs—and stored four healing pills for emergencies. He had already consumed the strength pills, smoked all the stamina-enhancing cigarettes, and taken his medicine.

His stamina had shot up by 300%, and thanks to the strength-enhancing pills and elixirs, his raw power now reached 3 tons. His agility had also doubled, boosting his speed significantly. Despite all these gains, Josh had yet to use the Super-Human serum, which promised not only to double his stats but also to heighten his cognitive abilities, reactions, and combat skills.

Feeling more optimistic about his mission, Josh focused on training. With his new skills, including Judo—he was already a Kung-Fu master—his confidence soared.

But what excited him most was a rare, legendary item he'd drawn: the Constitution Candy.

Josh stared at the candy in his hand, eager to see what constitution it would grant him.

Meanwhile, Mikita floated around, testing her enhanced strength and agility. She was faster and stronger than ever, and her Devil Fruit ability was greatly improved. She might even try mastering a new fighting style soon. Josh had tossed her the Kung Fu manual he was done with, knowing she'd be unstoppable if she could apply her weight manipulation to martial arts. Imagine the damage a 15-ton punch could do—it would be like a human cannonball.

Turning his attention back to the candy, Josh read its description:

[Constitution Candy: Grants a random constitution to the eater.]

Josh, who knew the legendary rank was no joke, hoped it wouldn't be something ridiculous.

'Please, don't give me a killer-fart constitution,' he thought nervously, recalling a ridiculous Wuxia-system novel he'd once read where someone had gained a 'poisonous farts' constitution.

'If it's something like that, I'll fucking lifen't immediately,' he joked to himself.

With a deep breath, he popped the candy into his mouth. After a moment, he checked his system.

[+ Mid Healing Factor Constitution.]

(A constitution that regenerates wounds at high speed, depending on the nutrients in the blood. Healing slows with multiple injuries. Critical wounds can still be deadly, and it cannot regenerate lost limbs.)

Josh blinked in surprise. A healing factor? Even with its limitations, it was an amazing ability.

Testing it out, Josh took a dagger and made a small cut on his arm. Three seconds later, the wound was gone.

He winced. The healing didn't stop the pain.

He tried again with a larger cut. This time, it took a few more seconds to heal, confirming that bigger injuries took longer. Despite the healing, he felt hungrier than before.

'The bigger the injury, the harder it is to heal,' he thought, satisfied with his new ability. It would help him recover faster in battle, though he couldn't rely on it endlessly since it drained his energy.

Afterwards, Josh decided it was time for the Super Human Serum. Injecting himself, he immediately felt the effects—his stats doubled, making him stronger, faster, and sharper. His mind raced, processing information at a faster rate than before.

Despite these gains, Josh knew it wasn't enough to match some of the superhuman feats he had seen. After all, Sanji had kicked a giant crocodile into the sky. Still, with 6 tons of strength now, combined with his martial arts, Josh was confident his attacks would be stronger and more focused.

"Josh, let's use my money now," Mikita said with a grin, clearly excited. Josh had shared the rewards from his recent draws with her, boosting her powers.

"Sure, but let's eat first," Josh replied.

Mikita returned to the ship and brought back 35 million Berries from her savings. Josh prepared another summoning circle, drawing only a portion of the items since it was her money.

Mikita received a few common items, along with two Good Rank items and one Excellent Rank serum that increased agility. Josh kept the strength pill, leaving her the agility serum, knowing it would help her in battle and, well, behind closed doors too.

Over the next few days, Josh and Mikita trained together in the gym. Thanks to his healing factor, Josh could train harder and recover faster, eating and resting between intense workouts. His regimen was insane—he'd run across the island at dawn using Shave, his speed technique, until he was exhausted. This constant practice dramatically increased his speed, stamina, and control over his technique, making him appear as though he were teleporting. Additionally, because of the Super Human Serum, Josh's control of over his body and speed improved by leaps and bounds.

"Here, drink this," Mikita said one day, tossing him a bottle of water while he was in the middle of shadowboxing.

Josh caught it and took a sip, feeling grateful. He had been debating whether to give her the Angel Tears, an item that could remove a Devil Fruit curse. He was hesitant since he didn't have a Devil Fruit power himself, but he could always win more Tears in the lottery.

'If I get a good fruit later, I'll figure it out then,' Josh thought, deciding to give her the Tears. 

Handing her the bottle, he watched as Mikita drank it without realising its full significance. She didn't feel any immediate difference, and Josh decided not to tell her for now—she seemed preoccupied.

"What was that? It tasted good," Mikita commented.

"Just something I got," Josh replied casually.

"From Devil-San?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Wow, you've really changed your tune about him," Josh said with amusement.

"He's nice. All he wants is money," Mikita quipped.

"And how do you know that?"

"He gave you extra stamina," she teased, flashing him a mischievous grin.

"That hurts," Josh mockingly clutched his chest. "But still, it's a curse—you can't keep up anymore."

"Only because you get hungry," Mikita shot back playfully.

"Says the one who moans within the first two minutes," Josh teased, rolling his eyes. "Where are my weights and food?"

" I'm here." Mikita laughed and jumped into his arms, increasing her weight to seven tons. The ship creaked under the strain, but Josh began lifting her effortlessly, working out with her as his weight.

As the days passed, they continued their intense training regimen.

-x-X-x-

Josh eventually made his way to one of Baroque Works' bases, Whiskey Peak. He was there with Mikita, lounging on the beach, half-naked and enjoying some well-deserved relaxation before his upcoming mission.

However, he was interrupted by the sudden ringing of his Den Den Mushi.

"Who's calling?" Josh asked, picking up.

"Josh," a calm yet hurried feminine voice responded.

"Yes?" Josh recognised the voice immediately.

"Josh, don't hang up. It's Robin," Nico Robin said, her tone carrying a sense of urgency.

Josh raised his eyebrows. "What's going on?"