One Piece Gunslinger

Li Ang chuckled. This project, initiated more than two years ago, is one of the revolutionary army's main farming projects, and now it's finally time to reap the rewards.

"Your Majesty, please allow me to apologize first. The method of this cooperation is rather confidential. You see..." Li Ang did not directly state the conditions, but instead planned to send some people away first.

Cobra understood what Leon meant, hesitated for a moment, and nodded, saying, "It seems that the conglomerates inside also have some concerns. How about this, the head of the guard, Icarum, can stay, and the rest of you can adjourn the meeting."

Leon had no objection to Ikaram staying behind. Ikaram was extremely loyal to the royal family and it was impossible for him to leak information. Besides, it wouldn't be reasonable for the king to be alone in a room with someone else. No matter how good Leon had seemed before, no one would feel at ease.

After everyone else had left the council chamber, Li Ang spoke up, saying, "The proposal is simple: all we need is for Alabasta to join the Revolutionary Army's ranks."

"What?! You're from the Revolutionary Army?"

Cobra initially thought Li Ang would ask for an exorbitant price. After all, businessmen are profit-driven, and spending years and so many resources on something like this must mean he has a huge expectation. But he never expected that Li Ang didn't want money at all; he wanted his life.

“That’s right, Your Majesty. I am the CEO of the Grandet Consortium, but I am also the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army. I’ve come here to get Alabasta to join the revolutionary ranks and contribute to the liberation of the world.” Li Ang didn’t care at this point and spoke the truth without hesitation.

Icarus was also surprised and speechless for a moment. After clearing his throat a few times, he said, "Aren't you afraid that we will reveal your identity and cause the Grandet Consortium to have no place to stand?"

Li Ang laughed and said, "I believe you won't. What good would it do you to refuse to cooperate, reveal my identity, and expose the Grandet Group's backing? You would also lose this opportunity to solve the water shortage and drought problem once and for all. I believe the King of Alabasta is a smart man, otherwise this desert country would have perished long ago."

Leon had a good grasp of Cobra's mindset, and Cobra was just as he had said. He would not give up this opportunity. The problem that had plagued Alabasta and his family for generations was about to be solved, so how could he be so heartless?

He's been in power for decades, working diligently, all to improve the lives of everyone in the country. Now that Li Ang is fulfilling his wish, he certainly can't refuse. It's just that he seems a little conflicted, after all, the opponent is the behemoth that is the World Government. If the revolution ultimately fails, even the land of Alabasta might sink into the sea.

Seeing that Cobra was still somewhat hesitant, Li Ang continued to increase the speed: "Your Majesty, Alabasta has followed the World Government for eight hundred years, and the World Government has not yet solved this problem. And now, if they want to join the Revolutionary Army camp for even one more day, then Alabasta will win the hearts of the people."

Think about it. If our Revolutionary Army were truly the terrorist organization, a bloodthirsty and brutal rebel group, as the World Government portrays it, would we have prepared this gift for Alabasta? Frankly, the resources spent researching desalination plants would have been enough for us to conquer and build several countries.

But we didn't do that. This gesture alone is no less valuable than substantial help. I don't want to call this a transaction, because it's a collaboration between two kind people, two kind organizations, for the sake of their country and the world.

After listening to Li Ang's words, Kobra sighed heavily: "Alright, I agree. As long as the Alabasta problem can be solved, we Alabasta will be part of the Revolutionary Army."

In 1519, the Revolutionary Army achieved its second milestone, a great victory. The Alabasta royal family, formerly part of the Celestial Dragons, joined the Revolutionary Army, marking the beginning of the World Government's decline from its peak.

Chapter 212 Cooperation

Huh? Someone asked what the Revolutionary Army's first milestone was? I can't believe someone would ask such a simple question.

Of course, the best course of action was to outsmart the Kingdom of Yutakana, gain access to its largest logistical base, and acquire a great general in the process.

That was the standard by which the Revolutionary Army transformed from poverty to wealth, from destitution to rise. In the following years, with the support of the Kingdom of Yutaka, the Revolutionary Army entered a phase of rapid development. From an unknown, unnoticed small organization, it suddenly became the World Government's number one thorn in its side. Moreover, it established a solid base, actively expanding and seizing territory, no longer needing to hide.

Therefore, taking over the Kingdom of Yutakana was the first milestone in the establishment of the Revolutionary Army, and this is the second.

Although Kobra had agreed, it seemed as if he had used all his strength just to nod. Li Ang comforted him, saying, "You don't have to look so gloomy all the time. Think about it. If the construction team is fast, they should be here in four or five days. They've been preparing well during this time, ready to go at any time. Before long, the people of Alabasta will be able to use desalinated seawater and will no longer have to worry about water shortages."

Since Li Ang reached an agreement with Kobra and established cooperation, he no longer needed to use honorifics such as "Your Majesty" or "you," and simply began to treat each other as equals.

Cobra's expression softened considerably upon hearing Leon's words. However, he remained somewhat worried about the future of the sea, and said, "I'm concerned that we won't be able to withstand the World Government's army. The Revolutionary Army's headquarters is too far away, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to defend it."

Li Ang exclaimed, "Oh, so that's what happened. Don't worry about that. On the surface, Alabasta is still a member state of the World Government, just like before. As usual, we just need to stir things up at the World Conference and interfere with the World Government's decision-making and judgment. We'll show our fangs when the time is right."

Upon hearing this, Cobra asked in confusion, "If I'm still officially on the side of the World Government, won't it be difficult to resolve the issue of where the desalination equipment came from? Will people believe that it was given to me for free?"

Li Ang had prepared for this problem long ago; otherwise, he wouldn't have posted all these research results under the Chamber of Commerce, just to cover up his true intentions at this moment.

“We also have measures in place. We will continue to conduct business transactions in the name of the Grandet Consortium, such as opening our ports to us for free or waiving trade taxes, and giving us money from time to time. Doesn’t that make sense?”

Cobra realized this too and joked, "Hey, so it turns out I still have to pay. This isn't what we agreed on. I feel like I've been scammed."

Li Ang could only chuckle dryly, "Ahem, it's all for the revolution. And now that people no longer lack water, we do need to stimulate the economy, and now is the perfect time for development."

Kobra was just joking; this price was negligible compared to the problems that had plagued Alabasta for years, and it was all negotiable.

Cobra then continued, "So it seems I'm not the first one. I guess some members of the World Government's member states have already sided with you."

“That’s right, countries like Drum Kingdom joined us a few days ago,” Li Ang admitted. “Besides, there are a few other countries. I’ll talk to them when I get back. You guys can make the arrangements beforehand.”

"But did they expect me to join after you helped solve major domestic problems?"

Li Ang shook his head and said, "Not entirely, but everyone eventually joined the revolutionary ranks. The World Government isn't as scary as people imagine. By the way, I don't know if you've heard me say something like this before."

"What?"

Li Ang said in a deep voice: “Let good people walk hand in hand. Let them raise the banner of truth, goodness and beauty and work together to seek happiness for this world. The ideas that have a great impact are often extremely simple. My whole thought is nothing more than this: if immoral people can form a force when they gather together, then upright people should do the same.”

"That sentence...did you say it?!" Cobra exclaimed in surprise. Not only Cobra, but even Icarum, who was standing to the side, was very familiar with that sentence.

“It seems you’ve heard of this. I said it when I was in the Kingdom of Yutakana, disguised as Captain Jack.” Li Ang nodded and smiled. “This saying has a unique characteristic: kind people, those who haven’t given up in their hearts, remember it well, while immoral people, or those who have long since become walking corpses without any will to resist, always treat it as a joke and scoff at it, forgetting it in the blink of an eye. It seems I didn’t misjudge you; you are indeed a worthy partner.”

“I see, no wonder.” Cobra nodded and said, “When it first appeared, the newspapers reported on it, but we haven’t heard anything about it since, only the wanted poster for Captain Jack Sparrow. It seems the World Government deliberately suppressed that phrase. After all, it was a phrase the Revolutionary Army used to motivate others to fight against the World Government.”

Icarus chimed in, "Yes, back then we never imagined that Captain Jack Sparrow actually intended to use that line to rally people all over the world to fight against the World Government. It wasn't until the Revolutionary Army was exposed that we realized that Captain Jack Sparrow was actually a member of the Revolutionary Army, and you were that Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Hey, a hero doesn't dwell on the past, lol. Now that I think about it, all that stuff I had on my face when I was dressed up as Captain Jack Sparrow was just awful," Li Ang said, shrugging his shoulders.

These words finally dispelled all of Cobra's doubts. The Revolutionary Army was indeed a benevolent organization, not the chaotic and evil terrorist group described in the newspapers. And for Leon to say such things, he couldn't possibly be a bad person.

After Kobra finally felt relieved, something occurred to him, and he asked, "Wait a minute, after hearing what you said before, now that I think about it, it seems you never even considered the possibility of failure. You invested so many resources and then had those people on standby at all times. If I hadn't agreed, wouldn't we have suffered a huge loss?"

Li Ang thought to himself, "That's not just a loss, it's a loss that's devastating! I might be so angry I wouldn't be able to get out of bed for months." Based on Li Ang's calculation that not making a profit equals a loss, this kind of loss was practically a psychological nuclear attack.

No, it should be called an "intelligence-lowering blow." It will definitely make Li Ang doubt his own intelligence. If he can mess up something so easy and effortless, then he can basically say goodbye to being a chief of staff and go home to sell sweet potatoes.

But what came out of my mouth was this: "No, you've already agreed, haven't you? And even if you hadn't agreed, I wouldn't have lost anything. These things will still be useful in the future. They'll come in handy after we liberate Alabasta or other water-scarce countries."

We overthrow the World Government not just for the sake of overthrowing, but to liberate the entire world and free all people from oppression so they can live in a happy and prosperous world. Therefore, if we only focus on defeating the World Government and ignore the various problems facing humanity, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?

Although we've been constantly at odds with global payment systems, we haven't forgotten to develop our region and improve people's lives. Technology isn't necessarily meant for warfare. In fact, it should bring people more happiness and convenience than war.

Now let me tell you, the territories we occupied earlier have developed remarkably well, and some places even have running water. It's the kind where you sit at home, don't need to go fetch water, just turn on a tap and water flows from the pipes to every household; that's why we call it running water.”

Li Ang was so convinced of his own words that he almost believed them himself. But that made sense; overthrowing the World Government was merely a means, not an end. In fact, even if they hadn't brought Alabasta into the fold, they would have had to start this research in a few years anyway.

However, after hearing Li Ang's words, Kobra burst into laughter: "Now that you mention it, I could have refused you. Oh dear, I feel like I'm the one who lost out."

“It’s worth it. If you hadn’t agreed, Alabasta would probably have suffered for several more years. By the time we attacked, countless people would have died of thirst. This is a win-win situation.”

“That’s true.” Cobra has never been as happy as he is today. “The sooner you come, the sooner you can enjoy it. Now that you mention it, I’m even more eager to get running water installed so I won’t have to worry about water anymore and can enjoy life in peace.”

Li Ang nodded and said, "Don't worry, there will be desalinated water, and tap water will come in the future. As a powerful nation, it's time for Alabasta to treat its people better. When the people are prosperous and free from the shadow of water scarcity, and their quality of life improves, they will truly become strong from the inside out."

“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean, power from the inside out.” After saying that, Cobra stretched out his hand.

Leon understood Cobra's meaning and extended his hand to shake his. This formally declared that the Revolutionary Army and Alabasta understood each other and were of one mind.

Leon's journey to Alabasta, or rather, his purpose in escaping from the Revolutionary Army headquarters, is more than half accomplished. The remaining task is to persuade Crocodile, who is far more difficult to deal with than Cobra.

Chapter 213 From Adversity to Prosperity

After both sides finalized a large number of details, Cobra invited Li Ang to stay in the palace for two days. However, Li Ang declined Cobra's invitation, thinking that he still had many things to deal with.

It can be said that Li Ang's trip to the palace was a complete success, with only a slight regret at the end: he didn't get to meet Princess Vivi of Alabasta. His visit was brief, and his departure was equally fleeting.

After leaving the palace, Li Ang immediately set off for Rain Land, and on the way he did not forget to call headquarters and ask them to send an engineering team.

As Leon had planned, things unfolded exactly as he had envisioned. Not long after Leon's success, Cobra made headlines. He immediately summoned reporters and made public the details of his collaboration with the Grandet consortium, announcing to the nation that drought would soon be a thing of the past.

The next day, this bombshell news spread throughout the country and even the world.

The people of Alabasta rejoiced, finally free from the suffering of water shortages, while other countries saw another message: Alabasta was finally about to rise.

Alabasta, while considered a powerful nation in the eyes of other countries and on the international stage, was still quite far from being a superpower. Alabasta has a large land area and a large population, and the desert environment has fostered a resilient and combat-ready military. Furthermore, due to historical reasons, it has received overt and covert support from several world governments.

Not to mention that successive kings have been diligent and hardworking, unlike other countries where there has been a situation where the people's wealth was heavily exploited, causing hardship and a decline in national strength, because there was simply no wealth to exploit.

This has led to Alabasta being in a state of prosperity and reasonable development, which means it is on the verge of rising.

However, due to Alabasta's chronic water shortage and severe water resource constraints, any slight improvement is quickly followed by a few years of drought, causing it to regress back to square one. Therefore, Alabasta was in a state of flux, constantly striving for rise, a state that lasted for eight hundred years.

Today, if Alabasta can get rid of this dragging-down problem, it will truly rise this time. It will finally break free from its long-standing state of being poised for a rise.

Technology is the primary productive force, and this statement still applies even in the world of One Piece, where perpetual motion machines, especially the first type of perpetual motion machines, are commonplace. Without technology, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit would remain just that—the Rumble-Rumble Fruit—used only for destruction, not as an energy source or for production and construction.

With technology, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit can power electric lights, washing machines, and rice cookers. Therefore, power itself isn't scary; what's scary is its master. Powers are neither good nor evil; it's how they are used that matters.

Therefore, Alabasta's rise is just missing this one technology. Once the technology is in place, Alabasta can break free of its shackles and soar to new heights.

Therefore, no one knows exactly what Cobra and the other two discussed in the end. In any case, the result was that Alabasta and the Grandet Foundation reached a cooperation agreement.

People assumed this was a commercial collaboration, with Grandet responsible for the desalination work in Alabasta, while Alabasta would reduce the Grandet consortium's taxes significantly and provide policy support for its development.

This ostensibly legitimate business partnership seemed too good to be true; both sides reaped enormous benefits, and no one doubted its authenticity. No one would have imagined that Alabasta had already sided with the Revolutionary Army.

A few days ago, before the construction team arrived, many Alabasta residents were still skeptical. After all, such requests for funds have existed for hundreds of years, and now it's said to be resolved without any prior warning. Such a drastic change is indeed hard to believe.

When dozens of large ships arrived in Alabasta one after another, carrying professionals and a large amount of materials, everyone stopped doubting. No one would go to such great lengths and make such a big fuss just to play a joke. Watching the huge iron crates being unloaded from the ships one by one, people also looked forward to seeing what these behemoths would look like in the end.

These dozens of large ships were personally escorted by Fujitora in secret. The so-called armed escort team of the Grandet Foundation was actually played by the Revolutionary Army. This clearly demonstrates how much the Revolutionary Army values ​​this cooperation with Alabasta. If any pirates had intercepted this shipment en route, Leon would have been truly devastated.

However, sending Fujitora and his armed forces to escort them was indeed the right decision. On the way, they did encounter two groups of pirates with abnormal intelligence. Upon seeing the large fleet of dozens of ships, they couldn't move and, regardless of the difference in strength, they just wanted to rob it.

Don't you realize that even if you steal it, what good will it do? There's no gold or silver treasure on it, and if you don't install or use it, all those materials and parts are just a pile of scrap metal.

However, even if these minor characters were to die, it would be bad if vital components were damaged. Therefore, Fujitora was especially important; he prevented them from getting close and blasted to pieces by artillery fire from a distance.

Upon arrival, Alabasta reacted swiftly, immediately assembling tens of thousands of soldiers to completely surround the desalination plant, even though the plant was still an empty lot with not a single brick laid. It was already being treated like a military base, surrounded by layers of soldiers, with all bystanders driven away.

Absolutely! Alabasta is counting on this to turn its fortunes around; it's more important than its own lifeline. No amount of caution or vigilance is excessive.

In the days that followed, the desalination plant was built at breakneck speed. Alabasta mobilized a large number of craftsmen and laborers to build houses and dig tunnels. Many others simply dug a large pit behind the desalination plant, a pit the size of a lake, to serve as a reservoir.

Others couldn't see what was happening inside the area surrounded by the army; they could only see many people digging a large pit. This reservoir required a large scale, to be as big as a lake. So they enclosed it as well. After all, it was just the final water storage stage, not important, and didn't require much technology. They simply dug the pit outside, since this artificial lake would eventually be open to the public anyway.

The Grandet consortium members were responsible for building various facilities and assembling a large distillation and desalination system.

It has to be said that the construction efficiency in the world of One Piece is incredibly high. Take the unloading of cargo, for example. On Earth, this would require forklifts or even cranes, but they use only manpower. Some people can even carry several cargoes by themselves. Digging holes is also incredibly fast. Each person is like half an excavator, which is equivalent to thousands of excavators working together, and the hole was dug in just a few days.

A few days later, the pit was dug, and huge, thick pipes were laid from the factory all the way to the pit. The machinery and equipment were also installed and tested, and it was ready to be started up and put into operation.

King Cobra of Alabasta, accompanied by his princess and numerous ministers, traveled from the capital to witness this historic moment. Many others also came to see the much-publicized spectacle of freshwater flowing continuously from the factory. There were so many people that it seemed the entire lake, no matter how large, couldn't be surrounded by enough people to encircle it several times over.

"Boom! Boom!"

"Listen, what's that sound?"

"It seems to have come from the factory."

"No, the sound is closer; it's coming from inside the pipe."

"Water! Is this what flowing water sounds like? I've never heard the sound of flowing water in my entire life."

As expected, the sound grew closer and closer until it transformed into a massive torrent of water, gushing forth from a pipe over a meter in diameter. The enormous flow of water crashed against the dry bottom of the pit, creating a splashing sound.

Upon seeing this scene, there were no cheers, no excitement. People stood silently on the ground, watching the massive torrent of water crash against the bottom of the pit and the water level slowly rise, motionless.