One Piece Gunslinger

Crocodile smiled as he said this, "Heh, I see. You're with the Revolutionary Army. Only the Revolutionary Army would be so secretive; even the information I have only tells me about a handful of people. That's right, besides the Revolutionary Army, who else would spend so much money researching technology that can't cause more damage on the battlefield? Everyone else is researching bigger cannons and more powerful muskets."

The Grandet Foundation is just a front. This is actually a collaboration between Alabasta and the Revolutionary Army? Haha, the Revolutionary Army has actually used this method to secretly control a powerful nation right under the World Government's nose.

Crocodile finally understood Leon's identity and the key to his cooperation with Alabasta. He couldn't help but burst into laughter, laughing at the so-called World Government for being a fool, and also at himself for not realizing it sooner—he was just as stupid as the World Government. Even though it aggravated his shoulder wound and caused him to bleed profusely, he didn't care at all.

After a while, Crocodile said self-deprecatingly, "So no matter what, I was destined to fail in the end. It was all predetermined. Because my goal is the same as that of the Revolutionary Army, one of the most powerful forces in the world. Heh, I'm so stupid. It seems like this is my fate."

Leon, after presenting the certificate, finally began to speak: "You guessed right, I am indeed Leon, the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army. I've come to discuss with Cobra the matter of Alabasta's alliance with the Revolutionary Army. Now that you know my identity, do you still not intend to join us?"

Crocodile merely scoffed, "Now that I know your identities, I'm even more certain that I'll be thrown to the sharks. You will never let someone who knows your secret live. If I tell the World Government about Alabasta's alliance with the Revolutionary Army, Alabasta will be finished, and your headquarters in the New World will definitely be too late to come to the rescue."

Crocodile is telling the truth, but it's not time to draw conclusions yet. If Crocodile is one of our own, then it's not a secret.

Li Ang did not continue the discussion on this issue, but instead brought up another seemingly unrelated matter: "However, if our Revolutionary Army continues to expand outwards, it will soon be bordering the Whitebeard Pirates' territory."

Robin didn't know why Leon suddenly brought this up, but Crocodile's pupils contracted when he heard the words "Whitebeard." Although he recovered quickly, the perceptive Leon still noticed it.

"What does that matter? What does it have to do with me?"

"Oh ho, still being stubborn. I saw your expression just now."

Li Ang continued, "Although Whitebeard is known as the strongest man in the world, he is now old and frail, relying on various tubes inserted into his body to maintain his health. You may not know, but we have already planted agents around Whitebeard. We have just one opportunity. If we can add something to the medicine prepared by those medical staff, then Edward Newgate... tsk tsk..."

Finally, if they could simply frame the Beasts Pirates, who border the Beasts Pirates, and incite a fight between the two, then the territory of both pirate crews would be easily within their grasp.

In reality, almost everything Li Ang said is impractical; it's all pure fabrication. Firstly, the very first step would be incredibly difficult. Blackbeard Teach spent decades working alongside Whitebeard before finally finding an opportunity. Whitebeard's use of drugs would certainly have been heavily guarded, making it extremely difficult to find an opening.

Even if the first step is achieved, how to shift the blame to Kaido is another problem. It's not like the spy can just shout "Long live Lord Kaido!" and then jump into the sea to commit suicide. That kind of operation requires a lot of acting skill, and even if there are many fools among the pirates, they won't necessarily fall for it easily in such a crucial situation.

Ultimately, even if the two factions are severely weakened, the Revolutionary Army won't be able to take over easily; they'll still have to share the spoils with others. Will Big Mom, Shanks, and the World Government just stand by and watch the Revolutionary Army seize all of their territories?

Therefore, Leon's words were actually meant for Crocodile alone.

"What did you say?!" As expected, Crocodile lost his mind the moment he heard Leon's ruthless plan. Ignoring his injuries, he struggled desperately to break free from Robin's grip. However, the Seastone had weakened him considerably, and his efforts were futile.

Actually, this kind of thing becomes clear with a little thought; Leon's entire plan is riddled with flaws. Besides, when Crocodile was still intelligent enough to realize that Leon was a member of the Revolutionary Army, it just goes to show that concern clouded his judgment.

Seeing this, Li Ang laughed loudly and said, "Oh dear, look at yourself. Didn't you say this had nothing to do with you? Why are you getting all worked up all of a sudden?"

Crocodile was taken aback by Leon's words, but quickly realized he had been tricked and angrily retorted, "You tricked me!"

“Yes, so what if I tricked you? But even if I didn’t trick you, our Revolutionary Army might still have to fight Whitebeard one day.” Li Ang said with a sly expression, “Hehe, and I also know a secret, a secret that Ivankov told me.”

That's right, this was Li Ang's trump card, a trump card that even he himself didn't know what it was. Ivankov knew the secret, but Li Ang didn't. Li Ang didn't ask when Ivankov was around, and after he was imprisoned, Li Ang no longer had the chance to ask.

However, Crocodile was unaware of the situation and genuinely believed that Ivankov had told Lion his secret. Upon hearing Lion say that he also knew the secret, Crocodile was terrified.

"Sigh, it seems you really do know everything. I'm willing to join you." Crocodile finally sighed.

Robin, who witnessed the entire process, was completely bewildered: "What happened? I don't understand any of it?"

Chapter 226 Son

Although Robin watched the whole thing, she still couldn't understand the cryptic conversation the two were having.

Completely baffled, Crocodile had been so resolute just moments before, but after Leon said a few words about Whitebeard and that secret, he just gave in like that.

Let alone Robin, even a normal person would not understand it. Even Li Ang himself only had a vague understanding of it, and it was only by chance that this matter was brought about.

Regarding Crocodile's background, there is a speculation that he is also Whitebeard's son, and more likely, Whitebeard's biological son.

Li Ang doesn't have any substantial evidence for this either; it's mainly based on some fragmented information left by Oda in the manga, leading to bold speculation.

First, after being defeated by Luffy, Crocodile also fell into a state of exhaustion and lost all fighting spirit. However, after seeing Luffy again in Impel Down and hearing that Whitebeard was going to war with the Navy, he regained some ideas. He asked Luffy to release him and went with him to Marine Headquarters.

Of course, it's also possible that Crocodile couldn't forget the powerful man after being defeated by Whitebeard, so when he heard that Whitebeard was going to storm Marine Headquarters, his fighting spirit was rekindled. He wanted to kill his enemy, and he was also inspired by Whitebeard's heroic spirit.

But logically speaking, considering Whitebeard's character, unless someone is extremely heinous, it's unlikely he would become an enemy. Based on Whitebeard's past behavior, even after defeating Crocodile, he should have wanted to take him in as a son. Even if Crocodile ultimately refused, he shouldn't be considered an enemy. What did Whitebeard do to make Crocodile constantly feel humiliated by being defeated by him? This is rather inexplicable.

Secondly, regarding the relationship between Whitebeard and Crocodile. The manga clearly states that their relationship is one of "fate" rather than "enemies," which is a clue that leaves much to the imagination.

It has to be said that Oda is incredibly adept at using these ambiguous and confusing tricks. What exactly is this so-called karma? The relationships involved in karma are incredibly complex.

Furthermore, considering Crocodile's actions during the Marineford War and after Whitebeard's death, it's clear he was just using the pretense of being Whitebeard's enemy to cause trouble. He saved Luffy multiple times and even joined forces with Whitebeard's crew to fight Akainu Sakazuki. What kind of enemy is he?

And let's be reasonable. Crocodile isn't a headstrong fool like Ace. If he climbed up from the bottom step by step, and his growth was hard-won, then why did he have to be so stupid as to challenge Whitebeard?

Did he not know how strong Whitebeard was? That's clearly impossible. So if he knew Whitebeard was powerful, why did he still provoke him? And what's more, after provoking him, why didn't he become Whitebeard's son? Did Crocodile not understand something back then? Did he only feel happy when he was about to be killed?

Furthermore, if one doesn't have a certain understanding of Whitebeard, and only relies on World Government newspapers and rumors to learn about this strongest man in the world, then the conclusion would only be that Whitebeard is a vicious and terrifying pirate who kills without blinking an eye and destroys an island at will. In that case, Crocodile would be foolish enough to challenge him, practically offering himself up for death.

Even if we take a step back and say that Crocodile had to challenge Whitebeard for very special reasons, or that he accidentally encountered Whitebeard while adventuring in the New World and thus clashed with him, and that he didn't actually want to provoke Whitebeard, then Crocodile's actions were purely subjective.

If that's the case, didn't Whitebeard let you go in the end? He didn't blow up your ship, kill any of your men, or steal your treasure. What's there to hold a grudge about? Therefore, there must be a very deep relationship between Crocodile and Whitebeard; it's not as simple as it seems.

Finally, before Ace joined the Whitebeard Pirates, the position of the second division commander was actually vacant. Even Blackbeard, a veteran member who had been in the second division for over twenty years, wasn't qualified for it. It was only after Whitebeard learned that Ace was Roger's son that he gave him the position.

What does this mean? It means this position was prepared for the future Pirate King. Whitebeard knew his destiny was near and had no choice but to groom Ace to be the next Pirate King. Previously, this position might have belonged to Crocodile.

Later, for reasons unknown, Crocodile left Whitebeard's side. Perhaps he wanted to make his own way in the world and didn't want to spend his whole life under his father's wing. Or perhaps he wanted to be known not as Whitebeard's son, but as Crocodile, to make a name for himself.

So Leon began to boldly speculate that Crocodile was Whitebeard's son, and a biological son at that, unlike his adopted sons.

Since it's just a guess, there's a high chance it's wrong. Li Ang wasn't very confident about this guess either. However, the important thing was that Crocodile himself was right in front of him; trying wouldn't hurt. Besides, even if he guessed wrong, it wouldn't matter much; at worst, he could just tie him up and take him back, then figure out a solution later.

So Leon deliberately brought up Whitebeard, wanting to personally seek Crocodile's verification to see if he was indeed Whitebeard's biological son. If so, then dealing with the issue of Whitebeard would be much easier.

Crocodile's reaction did not disappoint Leon. Judging from this performance, Crocodile is indeed Whitebeard's son. No wonder, his dream of becoming the Pirate King also serves this purpose; he doesn't want to become the Pirate King step by step under Whitebeard's arrangement, but wants to become the Pirate King through his own efforts.

However, these were only things that made Crocodile hesitate, letting him know that as long as he joined the Revolutionary Army, the battle with Whitebeard might eventually be resolved peacefully without a major conflict.

The final straw that broke the camel's back was the secret dealings with Ivankov. Ivankov had been captured and brought to the city several years earlier, when the revolutionary army was still tightening its belt and keeping a very low profile.

Therefore, many people do not know that Ivankov is a member of the Revolutionary Army, and Crocodile certainly does not know either. Ivankov would not likely go around spreading rumors.

So when Leon revealed that Ivankov was also a member of the Revolutionary Army and that Leon knew his secret, Crocodile had no choice but to submit.

"Wow, this handle is really useful." Leon, having already removed the bullet from Crocodile, sat on the sofa and joked.

Although the room was damaged after the fight, and there were several marks of battle on the floor, the two of them acted as if nothing had happened and put the sofa back in its original place as before.

Upon hearing this, Crocodile almost wanted to cleave Leon in two with his giant desert sword, but thinking of Whitebeard and the secret kept by the Revolutionary Army, Crocodile ultimately restrained himself.

"Damn it, if you bring this up again, I'll fight you to the death!" Crocodile said angrily, even the cigar in his mouth couldn't help him stay calm. "And this is the only time, don't even think about using this to order me around again."

"Okay, okay, yes, yes, yes." Li Ang shrugged, clearly just going through the motions and not taking it to heart at all.

Li Ang was also extremely curious about the whole secret that Ivankov possessed. The main reason was that the one keeping this secret was none other than the damn transvestite king, Ivankov.

Those with wildly imaginative minds might think that Crocodile was originally a woman who underwent gender reassignment surgery with Ivankov, which explains why he valued Ivankov so much. Or perhaps he had seen Ivankov in his female form before, fell in love at first sight, and pursued him. These possibilities evoke a wicked sense of absurdity.

"But you're too easygoing. You let me go so easily. Aren't you afraid I'll expose everything about you as soon as I turn around?" Crocodile said angrily. You scare me, I scare you; everyone has something on them, right?

To everyone's surprise, Leon's reaction was much calmer than Crocodile's, and he casually uttered a sentence: "I believe you won't."

"Aren't you worried at all?" Crocodile asked doubtfully, wondering if his calm demeanor was genuine.

Li Ang shook his head and said, "My principle has always been to trust those I employ and not to employ those I don't trust. In reality, no one can guarantee absolute loyalty; so-called loyalty is based on certain conditions. But I've never worried about others betraying me, just like her." As he spoke, Li Ang pointed at Robin.

Li Ang continued, "If one day someone really betrays me, it can only mean that the problem lies with me. Because I can't give them what they want, and others can give more than I can, or things that I can't give. Only when I'm not good enough will I be betrayed by others."

Crocodile nodded slightly after listening, but still pressed on relentlessly: "What you said seems to make some sense, but if I'm not doing this willingly, but because you used some means to get me to work for you, then where is my loyalty?"

Li Ang chuckled and said, "We don't have any deep-seated hatred, do we? Since the US and Europe are so sworn enemies, the principle is the same. I can give you what you want, such as the kinship with Whitebeard, and help you repair your relationship with Whitebeard. What good will it do you to criticize me? Comparing the two, my side naturally carries more weight."

"Tch, alright, let's talk about what to do next." Crocodile couldn't argue with Leon, so he changed the subject. "Should I just announce my joining the Revolutionary Army and go conquering cities with you, or should I continue being one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and lie low waiting for the right opportunity?"

Chapter 227 Acceptance

Meanwhile, Rick Rockdale was instructing his servants to repair the room that had just been damaged: "What a bastard! He took Robin with him before he left. Looks like I have no choice but to listen to him and upgrade Mr. 1. Robin is gone, but someone still has to do the work. Because of his stupid plan, I have to stay in Alabasta for another two years. It's infuriating."

Judging from this, it seems that Li Ang does not intend to directly incorporate Crocodile into the combat system, but rather to keep him in hiding for another two years as a Shichibukai.

"Are you really going to do this? Don't you think it's too risky?" Robin asked nervously as they emerged from Crocodile's Rain Party.

"Danger? To be honest, you can't escape it once you're on this ocean." Li Ang didn't care and led Robin towards the desert outside the city. "What isn't dangerous? Where is it safe?"

"but……"

Robin wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by Li Ang waving his hand: "You don't need to think too much. Everyone has their own things to do. Sometimes having ability is not a lucky thing, because with great power comes great responsibility."

After saying this, Li Ang and Robin fell silent and continued forward. When they reached a completely deserted place, a man wearing a dark green cloak fell rapidly from the sky, landing in front of them and then miraculously stopping, his feet just centimeters off the ground, floating right in front of them.

Watching the dragon gracefully descend from the sky, Li Ang first scoffed, then familiarly stepped forward to greet it, saying, "Oh, I'll have to trouble you this time too."

"Hey, isn't that a dragon?" Because of the cloak, Robin had to take a few more glances before she could see the person's appearance clearly. It was none other than the commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Army.

Long nodded slightly, indicating that it was indeed him.

"Could it be that when you said someone would come to pick us up later, you meant him?" Robin was immediately incredulous. When did the leader of a major power start doing something like this?

"Oh, don't worry about it. The capable should do more. If it weren't for the dragon coming to take me back, we might have had to sail at sea for more than ten days to get back to headquarters." Li Ang was quite blunt and didn't ask for the dragon's opinion at all.

"Yeah, this isn't the first time this has happened. Every time Li Ang calls me over, it's basically for this." Long was also helpless. Every time, Li Ang would say something on the Den Den Mushi, that something important and urgent needed his help right away. But most of the time, it was just this kind of thing.

You say this kind of thing is important? Well, it really is quite important. Like last time, if no dragon came to pick up Karina and Nami and they had to go back on their own, they might have mysteriously disappeared on the way.

However, following Li Ang all the way would be somewhat cumbersome and difficult to manage. Moreover, it could expose their identity, as being with Li Ang would reveal that they were also part of the revolutionary army, which would affect Li Ang's grand plans to some extent.

They even had the illusion that it was a waste of time and talent. Rather than wasting time following Li Ang, the two of them should hurry back to study so they could contribute to the revolutionary army.

So, looking at this time, Long was summoned again. If this matter is urgent, it is extremely urgent. Li Ang almost suspected that the General Staff had been working themselves to the bone without him for some time. There was no time to dawdle on the road; if they didn't hurry back, something really bad would happen.

So Ryu didn't say anything, and Li Ang wasn't just crying wolf for no reason. Every time it seemed like a waste of talent, only Ryu was capable of doing this kind of thing. Oh, and there's Fujitora, an admiral and a commander. Only an organization like the Revolutionary Army would let these two do the work of deliverymen.

“Let’s talk on the way, let’s get going,” Li Ang said quickly. “Now is not the time to chat.”

The dragon nodded, and with a wave of its hand, it carried the two of them into the sky.

"Is this what it feels like to fly?" Robin exclaimed, watching the scenery below grow smaller and smaller. "This experience is truly amazing."

“There’s nothing amazing about it,” Li Ang said, pursing his lips. “If you want to fly, go back and find that person who’s always playing mahjong all day long. Oh, mahjong is a form of entertainment I invented, a game with a bit of gambling involved.”

He's very easy to spot; tall, dressed in a purple robe, and blind, he walks by feeling his way with a sword. Let me tell you, since he can't see, if you bluff a few times, beat him a few times, and win all his wages, then you can fly away freely.”

Ryu, who was listening nearby, broke out in a cold sweat. He thought to himself, "Thank goodness I'm not blind." He then silently mourned for Fujitora for two seconds.

Robin thought to herself, "These physical characteristics sound so familiar." After a moment's thought, she said, "You're not talking about that general in your Revolutionary Army nicknamed Fujitora, are you?"

“Hey, so you knew. That makes things easier. It’s him, just find him.” Li Ang betrayed Fujitora in a flash. “If you feel bad about bullying a disabled person, go find Sabo and Haku. They’ll give you some advice. They’re easy to find, just ask anyone you know.”

This left Robin speechless. He was supposedly a Revolutionary Army admiral, comparable to a Marine admiral, according to the outside world. And now you're saying he was bullied and treated like a cripple within the Revolutionary Army? This isn't the Revolutionary Army I know.

Even Ryu couldn't stand it anymore: "You're corrupting the newcomers right from the start. Have you forgotten that time when you and the other two teamed up to cheat Fujitora?"