One Piece Gunslinger

Before the final stone giant was shattered, Pica tried to jump out of the stone giant, but he was immediately discovered by Fujitora, who continued to slam him against the birdcage.

With no other option, Pica could only muster all his Armament Haki to fight against the Birdcage, but it was hard to say how long he could hold out under the pressure from Fujitora and the Birdcage.

"Still not surrendering?!" Fujitora, having gone this far, couldn't help but shout at the Don Quixote family who were still fighting.

After a series of battles and defeats, Doflamingo was no longer the high-spirited man he once was. The eyes of the others were filled with despair.

Doflamingo chuckled helplessly and continued to unleash a barrage of silk threads. As he fought, he said, "Whoever wants to surrender, surrender then. But today is my final moment of glory, Don Quixote Doflamingo's last."

Seeing this, Fujitora shook his head, continued to hold Pica down, and joined the battle, preparing to end the fight as quickly as possible.

……

The final battle was indeed fierce. But there were no unexpected events, and everything remained under the control of the revolutionary army. In the end, the Don Quixote family was unable to escape Li Ang's grasp and was completely wiped out.

However, those who were there and participated in the battle were not inspired by the fierce fighting. In the end, most of the Don Quixote family members chose to surrender, and the rest were either killed or captured because they were outnumbered.

Unfortunately, Doflamingo and Diamante died in the Revolutionary Army's attack, failing to give Leon a chance to finish him off, thus missing out on the two Devil Fruits.

The rest, including the Pica ability user, were handcuffed with sea stone handcuffs and awaited their fate.

Li Ang didn't want to easily decide to execute those who hadn't died in battle. Instead, he imprisoned them first, and later studied who was truly guilty and could be executed directly. He also considered who didn't deserve to die and how to deal with them.

After that, there was some finishing work. First, Sugar's powers were removed, and the toy was restored to human form. This led to the toy soldier becoming Cyrus and reuniting with Rebecca and her father.

This scene played out throughout Dressrosa, where people discovered that their closest companions were actually friends, family, or former lovers. Words that had been bottled up for years could finally be spoken at this moment.

And those toys that were enslaved in underground kangaroo or other places were able to see the light of day again and return to normal life.

Of course, with the fall of the Don Quixote family, the revolutionary army exposed their deeds, exonerated King Riku, and made people apologize to the wronged Riku royal family, and once again supported him as king.

This left King Riku completely bewildered. Throughout the entire Revolutionary Army incident, he hadn't even had a chance to make a cameo appearance, mainly because he didn't recognize the toy soldier son-in-law and hadn't communicated with him beforehand. He had no idea such a thing had happened.

As a result, they found out in a daze that Doflamingo was going to use the Birdcage to destroy the entire Dressrosa, without even realizing that Doflamingo was going to use such a ruthless move that would leave no survivors.

So the only thing I did during that time was to lead a group of people in a run of several kilometers, upholding the spirit of never giving up. The strong ones helped the weaker ones and said some encouraging words.

As a result, he inexplicably became king. Originally, I thought it would be good if the revolutionary army directly governed and notified the country, but unexpectedly, he was still put in charge of the overall situation.

Perhaps it was precisely because King Riku stepped forward at that time, leading these many ordinary civilians to escape the shrinking birdcage, that he regained the love of the masses and even won the praise of the Revolutionary Army.

Therefore, after deliberation, the revolutionary army leadership, headed by Leon, decided to allow King Riku to continue governing Dressrosa. This was also in line with the will of the people of Dressrosa. However, the methods of governance might need to be changed somewhat.

The Riku family has gone through several years of hardship and has been tempered anew. With these experiences, they will surely be able to make Dressrosa even better.

Thus, the Revolutionary Army mobilized almost all available personnel and resources accumulated over the years, racking their brains and outmaneuvering the World Government in their attempt to seize Dressrosa.

It's finally over.

Chapter 265 The Post-War

"As expected of you, Dressrosa was so easily captured. Even though there were some unexpected events in the plan, we still succeeded in the end." Fujitora laughed. "Without you, I probably wouldn't have lived to see the day when Dressrosa broke free from the control of the World Government."

After the Dressrosa incident came to an end, Fujitora also took the opportunity to leave the Revolutionary Army alone with Leon, leaving the others to clean up the mess.

The two were standing on the edge of the island, on the huge rocks that surrounded it. After several intense battles, they had come here to enjoy the slightly sweet sea breeze.

Li Ang shook his head and said, "I only did a small part of the work. The real work of carrying out everything and demonstrating strong execution is done by everyone. Especially you, who went to great lengths to come from afar, and then immediately went into battle. You have made great contributions."

Actually, Li Ang knew that Fujitora had something to say when he brought Li Ang out alone, and it certainly wasn't something like praising him about life. However, since Fujitora had praised Li Ang first, Li Ang was a little confused and could only go along with it in a round of mutual flattery.

After exchanging pleasantries with Fujitora, Fujitora finally revealed his true thoughts: "Alright, let's hold the victory celebration later. But was it worth it? Should we really have taken Dressrosa?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ang was first taken aback, then frowned deeply.

Li Ang understood what Fujitora meant. Before they arrived, this was a prosperous and enthusiastic country, full of sweet and joyful atmosphere. No matter how dark it was underground, at least on the surface, that was the case.

However, once they arrived, they could use these giant rocks to build a natural, massive military base. This ring of rocks protected Dressrosa very well, and it was also relatively easy for them to modify it.

This is essential; this place will inevitably become a stubborn nail driven into the heart of the World Government. If it isn't made impregnable, like Marineford, then this nail will be easily pulled out.

As a result, the people of Dressrosa can no longer return to their previous carefree lives. Instead, they are constantly under the shadow of the World Government, fearing that its army might attack at any time.

From this perspective, it seems that the Revolutionary Army's occupation of this area is not as effective as Doflamingo's previous rule.

However, from the Revolutionary Army's perspective, overthrowing the World Government and occupying Dressrosa are necessary; for the liberation of the world, they have no choice but to do so.

So, if things go this way, how can the revolutionary army claim to be just? Aren't they just acting under the control of their own purposes and interests?

This creates a sense of contradiction.

The intention was for the good of the people, to liberate them from the oppression of the World Government and Doflamingo, yet they are being thrust into this dangerous situation. If the World Government were to send a large army to attack, their lives would be in danger, so what's the point of talking about oppression?

You might say that although these people have suffered, it is obvious from an overall perspective that this is for the people of the whole world. What does it matter to sacrifice the people of one island or one country in order to enable the people of the whole world to stand up?

But this is not simply a matter of comparing the size of the numbers. If we look at it from the perspective of the local people of Dressrosa, why should I be the one to sacrifice? Why should my sacrifice be used to exchange for everyone's happiness?

This is far too cruel and unacceptable for the people of Dressrosa. Even people like Fujitora, and many members of the Revolutionary Army, have this question.

Just as they couldn't accept that the prosperity brought by Doflamingo was built on the sacrifice of some people who became toys.

Some unscrupulous beneficiaries might feel they've made a profit; what does it matter to them if others become mere toys, as long as they're doing well? But most people are unwilling to exchange their own happiness for the sacrifices of these others.

Yes, this kind of behavior—disregarding the wishes of a few, even exploiting the happiness of people worldwide to morally blackmail others and force them to make sacrifices to ultimately achieve their goals—makes the Revolutionary Army just like Doflamingo, doesn't it?

Li Ang was also troubled by this problem.

"In the grand scheme of things, the will of the people of Dressrosa doesn't really matter. Sometimes I can't help but think that all actions are driven by the pursuit of maximum benefit."

However, I still understand one thing: belief and order can give us strength, but at the extreme, belief and order can also lead us astray. Even if we overthrow the world government, what then? There's no guarantee that we won't become the next world government.

Therefore, we cannot cross this boundary, this dangerous and ambiguous boundary. Our actions are like walking in the dark, where the next step might lead to an abyss.

Fujitora understood that Li Ang and Ryu were the people under the most pressure in the entire Revolutionary Army. Every decision had to be repeatedly studied, and every action had to be carefully considered. They were afraid that if they weren't careful, they would go down the wrong path, or even become sinners in history.

Fujitora sighed, "But we have no choice but to take Dressrosa as well."

Leon paused for a moment before saying, "Yes, it's because Dressrosa had to be taken that we went to great lengths to devise this surprise attack strategy, which fooled the World Government."

In order to prevent these people from becoming sacrifices for the happiness of the whole world, we need to be even more careful about attacks from the World Government, build the strongest fortress, and go to great lengths to get the World Government to give us a year to develop.

However, even if I do all of this, I cannot guarantee that the country will not be harmed again, nor can I guarantee that they will not hate me in the end, nor can I guarantee that I will not regret it later.

Therefore, in order to ensure that these things do not happen, and in order to completely resolve these problems, I have decided that after dealing with matters here, I will begin preparing for and launching... my final plan.

Fujitora's eyes widened upon hearing this. He had heard of Li Ang's plan before, and theoretically, if it succeeded, it would give the Revolutionary Army an advantage.

Yes, it's true that this could give the Revolutionary Army an advantage, not only allowing them to shed their long-standing weakness and confront the World Government, but also putting them in a superior position, turning the tables and overwhelming the World Government. Can such a miraculous thing really exist? How could the World Government be so easily suppressed? This is almost unbelievable, and saying it out loud would only invite ridicule. Many would laugh at the Revolutionary Army for overestimating themselves and indulging in wishful thinking.

You should know that when Dragon first established the weak Revolutionary Army, he planned to dedicate his entire life to this cause. Even if he couldn't make it in this lifetime, he had his sons, grandsons, and other revolutionaries who could take over the work until the World Government was overthrown many years later.

So when Li Ang first proposed the plan, it immediately shocked Fujitora and Ryu. Their first reaction was that it seemed a bit far-fetched and ridiculous. But upon closer examination, they realized that if it succeeded, it could very well turn the tide of the game.

However, it was subsequently rejected by Ryu and Fujitora, and due to resource and personnel constraints, the plan could not be implemented. Li Ang never mentioned it again, so the plan remained a secret known only to Ryu and Fujitora.

Hearing Li Ang bring up the old issue again, bringing it up again, she turned to him in surprise and asked, "Are you sure you want to launch that plan? Our revolutionary army is in a very good position right now, there's no need to do something so risky. Although with our current resources it's not impossible to carry it out, if we do that..."

Li Ang interrupted, "My mind is made up. This is the only way I can think of to quickly expand our influence and then end all of this. In order to prevent us from falling into the abyss in the dark, I think this plan must be put on the agenda. After all, it will take two years to prepare."

Seeing this, Fujitora realized that Li Ang's attitude was so resolute that he couldn't offer any further persuasion. This was Li Ang's own decision, and it seemed that he had never given up on this earth-shattering plan over the past few years. Presumably, his renewed proposal this time had involved unimaginable struggle.

He could only sigh, turn his head back, and continue to enjoy the slightly bitter sea breeze. He silently murmured to himself, "Do I really need another two years of preparation?"

For a moment, the two of them remained silent on the boulder, seemingly as before, continuing to enjoy the sea breeze as if nothing had happened.

The pleasant feeling from before has been overshadowed by a somber atmosphere.

"Hey, so you guys were here all along? What are you two doing? You didn't even bring a Den Den Mushi, we've been looking for you for ages." Fujitora didn't know how long he had been standing in this heavy atmosphere until he was startled back to his senses by a voice.

Fujitora quickly shook off his previous gloom and smiled, "Oh, it's Sabo. What's wrong?"

Li Ang pretended nothing had happened and turned to Sabo, saying, "We're enjoying the sea breeze here, shouldn't we take a break?"

However, Sabo didn't notice their previous state and said irritably, "You two are the biggest contributors to the liberation of Dressrosa, how could you just run away without a word? Everyone was preparing to have a banquet, but the two main characters are not here. Luckily, I found you before nightfall."

Li Ang glanced at the giant fireball gradually sinking into the sea in the distance and laughed, "A banquet? We can't miss this. Fujitora, let's get back here quickly."

"Yes Yes."

Chapter 266 Departure

Wow, speaking of banquets, last night was quite a lively affair. Even though Li Ang has been in the One Piece world for several years, he still can't resist all sorts of people trying to get him drunk at every banquet.

It can only be said that banquet culture is part of the One Piece world, and one has to experience it. Although he always had to find a way to escape the encirclement and interception at the banquet table, whether it was the Revolutionary Army or the people of Dressrosa, they were all united against a common enemy and launched a fierce attack on him, making Leon look quite embarrassed.

Everyone had heard that this grand plan was spearheaded by the Chief of Staff, but they had never actually met him. Now that they had finally seen him in person, they were naturally quite excited and began drinking heavily.

To be honest, Li Ang usually acts mysterious, and even many people in the Revolutionary Army don't recognize him. Apart from Fujitora Sabo, only some high-ranking officers know him.

If Sabo and Fujitora hadn't exposed him, others would probably have just thought of him as an ordinary revolutionary soldier.

Despite facing a barrage of drinks at the table, Li Ang still enjoyed himself immensely. He kept saying he couldn't drink anymore, but then chuckled as he finished the beer that had been poured for him.

Then, while they were drinking, they would take advantage of a moment when no one was looking and run away, until they were caught again the next time.

It can be said that everyone was immersed in revelry last night. Everyone, regardless of who they were, vented their pent-up resentment over the years and relieved the fatigue and tension brought about by the recent operation.

But celebration aside, work still needed to be done the next day. A large number of houses needed rebuilding, but thanks to the dismantled stone giants, there was no shortage of materials. As long as materials were plentiful, construction in the One Piece world was incredibly fast; in some ways, the manpower used for building was more efficient than some modern mechanized equipment and advanced construction methods.

It was a hardship for King Riku's family; the palace was gone, and even the King's Highlands were gone, so they had to rebuild their house.

However, in Li Ang's opinion, it's better that the King's Heights are gone. These things were built eight hundred years ago by the Donquixote Family to emphasize their nobility, a costly and laborious undertaking. In reality, the Riku King's family had no need for such a thing; just getting around the heights was incredibly inconvenient. It's good that Pica and Fujitora demolished them, and the rebuilt structures are much more approachable.

However, these tasks will not be the responsibility of Leon and Fujitora. In the future, the Revolutionary Army will send special personnel to guard the area and build the powerful cannons that Leon had mentioned earlier, and construct a giant fortress using the natural walls surrounding Dressrosa.

After resolving the matter here, Li Ang and Tang Hu prepared to lead a large number of revolutionary troops away from here and return to headquarters.

To be honest, these massive cannons are only effective against minor enemies. If the World Government is truly determined to reclaim Dressrosa, then with the Navy deploying three admirals, the existence of this so-called fortress would be irrelevant; it would still be easily breached.

In fact, the revolutionary army's move was intended to flex its muscles.

Showing off one's strength is an age-old and enduring activity used to boost public confidence and warn hostile forces—an activity that has never failed.

Therefore, many countries frequently conduct military exercises and parades, and occasionally release the latest news about their military equipment. Essentially, they are flexing their muscles.

That's how the revolutionary army is now, telling everyone that they have advanced artillery and that they have established a powerful military base.

At least this way, it can greatly deter those in the underworld who have cooperated with Doflamingo before, and at the same time send a message that those below the level of the Four Emperors should behave themselves and not cause trouble.

The Navy, too, needs at least a Marine Admiral to take this place, and even then, it can't be just the Admiral; troops are needed as well. Dressrosa has a garrison, and relying solely on an Admiral could easily lead to disaster. Each Marine Admiral possesses world-destroying power, but they are all also Devil Fruit users.

This might explain why the navy didn't frequently dispatch its three admirals. For minor matters, a vice admiral was sufficient; using an admiral was somewhat of an underutilization of their talents. However, there was a risk of botched important tasks, leaving Sengoku indecisive. This resulted in the three admirals spending their days sitting in their offices, practically growing mushrooms from boredom.

We seem to have digressed. Let's get back to the main topic.