With a drop of sweat running down her small cheek, Marianne stared around her, hugging her brush and colours to her chest.
Behind her was a store for artists. In front of her, however, were numerous marines.
Couple of them were wearing capes but no caps. Needless to say, there are some commanders here.
In Grand Line, the marines were elites, especially the ranked ones.
Even a captain is known to hunt pirates with bounties of 90 millions.
'Damn it, Josh would be angry at me and treat me as a silly little girl.' While thinking so, Marianne lowered her head and stared at the commander in the lead.
He was really a huge guy. For a small woman like her, it scares her. Luckily, nothing is shown on her face, since she had trained it to be like that in Baroque Works.
"Ms Golden Week. You are under the rest for committing crimes with the Baroque Works." The commander, who was a tanned dark-haired man, said as he cracked his fist, not seeming to mind beating a small girl like her.
Marianne, making her decision, picked up her brush, and quickly drew a pattern toward the commander, which caught him off guard as it landed on his chest.
"Damn you, you ruined my new shirt." The commander said. When he angrily looked at his shirt, he suddenly smiled and fell on his butt, sitting and looking to be in high mood.
Marianne was about to do the same with the others. A clever marine, however, squatted and aimed with his rifle forward. The brush fell of her hand as a bullet hit it, and she took a step back.
Marianne only raised her hands and didn't say a word, staring at the marines and bitting on her lips.
The marine with a rifle aimed at her. It was known when a pirate resist, it would be justifiable to kill him on the spot.
The moment Marianne closed her eyes, hope lost, she felt something was missed. Few seconds passed and the marines didn't shoot at her.
*Bang*
Hearing a wall getting crushed, she opened her eyes widely, seeing a high figure — only compared to her — standing in the front of her.
When she looked over his pitch-black shirt, there was that marine, resting on the wall and bleeding.
"What a troublesome girl."
Josh was standing in the middle. The marines surrounded him and aimed the riffles at him.
Josh only stared at them, his face seemed to suppress anger as he glared at them fearlessly.
Regaining her confidence and feeling safe upon seeing him, Marianne stood up, patted her hat, and looked at his back.
"Hey, I'm your woman, treat me with more respect." She said as she lowered her head, her slightly pink cheeks turning red.
"Heh~" Sighing, Josh stared at the marines.
The commander, who was relaxing on the ground, seemed to get out of the effect of the hypnosis that Marianne's patterns do.
Standing up to his feet, he looked at Josh. The other commander, who looked to be exactly a twin of his, came and stood up next to the first commander.
"Josh. The Gambler. 110 million berries."
The commander declared.
'The Gambler.'
Josh tilted his head as if he was amused, not seeming worried about the ten rifles aimed at him.
Moreover, he felt a bit curious about his title — The Gambler.
Well, the marines are known to give good titles to the wanted. Luffy was named after his hat.
Since Josh owned two casinos, was named The Gambler.
Funny thing. That's what he has been doing ever since he arrived at this world. For a reason, Josh was resisting his urge to laugh.
Upon noticing the smirk on his face, the commander, standing in the right, asked with disdain on his face. "You think it's funny, you scum filthy criminal."
"Hey." Josh stared up at the commanders. "That hurts my feeling."
The other commander, lifting his hand, gave a signal to the marines around.
Josh wasn't caught off guard. Since he had enhanced senses now, he had been focusing on the marines around him without the need to look at them.
Upon hearing their heartbeat, he knew it was the moment they would take the action. He swiftly kicked on the ground and vanished from his spot in what seemed an instant.
*Bang* *Bang*
Loud guns and rifles shooting sounds filled the air, as all of the bullets were aimed at Josh.
However, a second later, Josh's figure turned into after image, allowing the bullets to pass by him. The marines had shocked expression on their faces. They looked around, Josh wasn't there, Neither Marianne.
Instead, on the body of the half of the marines here, there were holes.
They noticed it and started screaming. When they had shot at Josh's afterimage, they shot themselves.
"Truly unfortunate." Josh said, appearing ten meters behind them, his hand on Marianne's hat.
The rest of the marines happened to be 6. Four of them seemed to be officers. While the twin were commanders.
The people in the street were running away from the direction of the battle.
Some hide under the barrels they found on their way. Some just jumped and entered the houses of people they didn't know. Meanwhile, the vendors closed their shops.
Everyone wanted to hide and avoid the clash between a strong pirate and marines.
"You shall pay for this! Filthy pirate."
The twins dashed forward.
"Humph."
Josh, on the other hand, took a fighting position.
His arms and legs started morphing all of the sudden. His physical talent had allowed him to learn things faster. Controlling his Zoan fruit was one of them.
His arms were covered with red scales, nails turning to claws, same for his legs. But the rest of his body didn't seem affected.
Jumping slightly and reaching couple of meters up, Josh flipped in the air many times, his leg extended forward. From that spinning leg, many air blades flew out, cutting everything on their way.
The twin commanders noticed that the ground was getting cut, the pressed air heading toward that.
They jumped to a different sides, trying to dodge.
As Josh used Shave, he appeared behind one of the twin, benefiting from the distraction his kicks had made.
Squatting and taking a Kung Fu position, he waved his claws.
A deep cut appeared on the back of the commander, so sharp that blood got out of his chest despite being attacked on the back.
Continuing his combo, Josh made claw with the other hand, and started slashing on the back of the commander.
"Brother!"
Yelled the other twin as his brother fell to the ground, quickly rushing toward him as Josh vanished and appeared above one building.
"You shall pay for this — Huh ?"
Holding his brother, the commander suppressed his urge to tear and stared up to Josh, intending to curse.
However, Josh wasn't in his sight.
Before the other twin could realise it, Josh punched quickly on the back of his head, making him lose consciousness on the spot.
"You don't take your eyes off."
His hands and feet turning back to normal, Josh looked around to the other soldiers. They were on the ground, their necks seeming to be cracked.
Looking at the top of one building, Josh nodded at Robin, whom was hiding there.
"Josh… that was scary!"
Opening her arms widely, Marianne hugged Josh, who patted her head. Marianne barely showed her emotions when facing marines. But when Josh was here, she buried her face in his chest.
Josh bent down, lifted her, and gave her a deep kiss on the lips, saying. "I was really worried about you."
"Hmm…" lowering her head to hide her blush, Marianne nodded.
While still hugging her, Josh looked around. "Quickly, tell me, where is Mikita."
Marianne looked at his face and said after thinking for a bit. "I think she is still buying lemon. The shop is only one street far away."
"I see. We need to find her quickly."
Josh put Marianne down.
"You shall find nothing."
Turning in the empty street, Josh saw a man, with a cape of captain.
Standing at the height of 2 meters, he has curly long black hair, a skeletal face, and a long neck, and he is missing one tooth.
He is pot-bellied with muscular arms and thin legs.
he is clad in golden, sleeveless chain mail armour with an ornately decorated collar and he wears a helmet with a long, flowing purple plume on the top.
"You…" Josh half closed his eyes on him. His instinct, not as a demon, but as someone who is a starter swords-master, alerted him.
"Captain T-Bone." One of the marines who was lying on the ground extended his hand toward the mysterious man.
The captain of the marines walked forward, his great sword on his back.
He ripped a part of his sleeve and wrapped it around the wound of the fallen soldier's wound. The marine seemed to be affected by the captain's action. Meanwhile, the captain seemed to be holding tears as he was pitying the marine.
The captain then took a great sword from his back, and stared at Josh.
"Marianne, hide." Josh said, looking at the man, who, he believed, is a very experienced swordsman.
In the Anime, the guy could cut a big ship in half, which should gain him the title of Ship Slasher.
Extending his hand forward, Josh grabbed a black Katana from thin air.
He held the sheath with one hand, his other hand on the gripe of the sword, ready to draw at any moment.
This guy isn't weak.
"Criminal. You shall pay for what you did to our men." Said T-Bone, a strong aura leaving his body, staring at Josh.
"What are you gonna do if I don't pay? Sue me?" Josh said, mocking, while his face is super serious.
A/N: Chapters ahead at patréon
www.patréon.com/Blazuki