One Piece Gunslinger

"Hehe, that's my fault." Rayleigh grabbed the edge of the small boat with one hand and easily flipped it up. "I didn't know you were traveling with me, little brother. I should have asked earlier."

As for why Rayleigh was on Amazon Lily, and even occasionally swam there, Leon didn't want to dwell on the question. Judging from Rayleigh's knowledge of Amazon Lily, there must be something fishy going on, but asking him would likely get him killed.

"Hey, you see, it's fate that we've come this far. No one else would have taken this route. Calling me 'young brother' and 'old gentleman' all the time is too formal. Just call me Li Ang."

Rayleigh took off his shirt, wrung out the water, and nodded, saying, "You're right. There are probably only the two of us who can take this route. Just call me Uncle Rayleigh."

Rayleigh didn't want to ask Leon why he was on Amazon Lily; everyone has their secrets. The old man and the young man tacitly skipped over the topic.

Moreover, Li Ang knew Rayleigh's identity. Since Rayleigh met Li Ang on Amazon Lily, it's possible that he also knew Li Ang's identity. However, neither of them said anything or revealed anything. It was as if they had just met a fellow traveler.

"By the way, uncle, do you think my little boat can be coated?" Li Ang asked casually.

"What, you want to go to Fishman Island? It's a pity your ship is too small, we can't find bubbles small enough to coat your ship." Rayleigh was an experienced ship coater, and if he said he couldn't coat it, then he really couldn't.

However, Li Ang was not disappointed. He had already expected this situation, which was why he came to find his two old friends to hitch a ride on their boat to Fishman Island.

Back when Jinbe came looking for the Revolutionary Army, Leon had already said that even if Jinbe hadn't come, he would have gone to Fishman Island. And now it was time for Leon to go to Fishman Island.

It's clear that Li Ang's plan and route are meticulously planned, with each step linked to the next. The first step is to go to Amazon Lily, then he'll return to the Sabaody Archipelago to see two old friends, and finally, he'll board his old friends' ship to Fishman Island. This is all calculated, utterly scheming.

“Alright, young man, how about coming to the tavern for a couple of drinks with me? It’s on me,” Rayleigh suggested after disembarking.

Li Ang instinctively wanted to refuse the question. He didn't have time to go to the tavern; his two old friends were waiting for him. If they left, he wouldn't have any more opportunities to hitch a ride.

But then I thought, these guys are definitely not going to stay quiet, so the most likely place they'll be is the tavern. And the tavern Rayleigh was talking about is probably the one owned by his partner Shakky.

Even if they don't appear at the tavern, we can still ask Shakky, the local know-it-all, for information. Instead of searching aimlessly, we might as well start with Shakky's tavern. Those two must have caused some trouble in the Sabaody Archipelago.

“Alright, since that’s the case, I’ll gladly accept. But as for the wine, I’ll have to treat you.” Li Ang nodded slightly, seemingly having already agreed to Rayleigh’s invitation.

But besides that, Li Ang had another thought in mind: to probe Rayleigh's background and see if there was a way to win him over as well.

It's impossible for Leon not to have any feelings for someone like Rayleigh. He's long harbored those desires towards Rayleigh.

There was no other way; that's just how the revolutionary army is. What they lack most is talent—talent in all areas, but especially in combat. The revolutionary army's thirst for talent bordered on obsession.

Therefore, Li Ang had certainly considered Rayleigh and thought about recruiting him to the Revolutionary Army.

However, this difficulty is self-evident. After Roger disbanded the pirate crew, Rayleigh lived a carefree life. Even when Roger's son Ace was in trouble, Rayleigh did not come to his rescue.

This could also be because Roger didn't tell Rayleigh about his son before disbanding the pirate crew, but simply entrusted Ace to Garp, before Ace was even born. Therefore, Rayleigh was unaware of the situation.

However, once the Navy captured Ace, the Navy's upper echelons knew that Ace was the son of the Pirate King Roger. Shakky, as a well-informed information broker, should have told Rayleigh about this.

This also proves that Rayleigh really intended to live in seclusion like this.

However, Rayleigh later unusually helped Luffy, teaching him Haki. This shows that although Rayleigh intended to do so, he hadn't completely let go of the matter. He still cared about becoming the Pirate King, which is why he lent a hand on Luffy's path.

However, the Revolutionary Army and the Pirate King are not on the same page; they are worlds apart. For Rayleigh to join the Revolutionary Army, Leon would have to declare that he wants to become the Pirate King.

However, the future Pirate King's father is the commander of the Revolutionary Army, so maybe we can pull some strings.

Chapter 300 Tavern

However, with this idea in mind, there are still two years before Luffy sets sail, so Li Ang can only familiarize himself with the area first. He'll find his two old friends first, starting with a drink with Rayleigh.

then……

"Hey, Li Ang, you're here too! Come on, have a drink."

Li Ang quickly found one of his old friends.

And then...

"You bastard, what are you doing here!"

I also met another old friend.

"Damn it, what the hell? I should be the one asking that. Why are you two both here? What the hell is so special about this little tavern?" Li Ang roared.

Li Ang was also caught off guard by the appearance of these two people. This happiness came too suddenly. He had successfully found two people in the first step.

Moreover, there are only these two customers in the tavern right now, both sitting at the bar, but there's an empty seat between them, indicating that they didn't know each other beforehand and didn't come together by appointment. It seems like today really is a lucky day for them.

Thinking about all this change, it seems to have started from the moment he confirmed his relationship with Hancock. Li Ang began to contemplate life: "Is it because Hancock is favored by the heavens, the most beautiful woman in the world? So I also benefited from her, basking in something like the protagonist's halo?"

However, Li Ang quickly dismissed this idea, as the reason was just too damn ridiculous.

These two so-called old friends were actually two pirates that Li Ang had met on his journey to become the King of Travel—Ace and Buggy.

If Buggy is here, it's possible he's looking for Rayleigh, since both the first mate and the crew member followed Roger to find One Piece. So why is Ace here too?

"Oh, you two know each other?" Rayleigh smiled and said, "I didn't expect to be so lucky. In that case, I'll treat you to drinks today, and we can get to know each other."

As soon as Rayleigh finished speaking, Shakky, who was behind the bar, immediately became unhappy: "Rayleigh, you still owe me a lot of money for drinks!"

Rayleigh laughed heartily and said, "Shakky, it doesn't matter, as long as you're happy today."

Shakky had no choice but to say dejectedly, "Fine, I'll treat you to drinks today. It's not like I'm short of money for alcohol anyway."

She certainly wasn't short of money for drinks. For Xia Qi, running a tavern was just a side job and a hobby; the money she made from selling one piece of information was equivalent to half a month's worth of beer.

Li Ang then plopped down in the empty seat between the two of them, naturally accepted the beer Xia Qi handed him, and asked Bucky, "Did you successfully find the treasure on that treasure map I gave you before?"

Upon hearing the topic of treasure, Ace chimed in, "What treasure?!"

"Hmph, need I say more? With Lord Bucky on the case, how could we not find it? Even through dozens of meters of soil, I can smell the gold." As soon as this topic came up, Bucky's nose almost reached the sky, and he began to boast about his "legendary" treasure hunting experience.

There was no legendary experience involved. We just sailed the boat there according to the map, dug up the buried items by following the X on the map, and finally carried them onto the boat to finish the job.

However, Li Ang didn't expose him, and just listened to the treasure hunt story he had made up with the others. Ace was the most interested, constantly asking Buggy all sorts of questions. Rayleigh and Shakky had already realized that he was exaggerating.

For example: "Hey, you mean that diamond giant guarding the treasure? I shattered it with one shot. I was originally planning to load those diamonds onto the ship, but for some reason, they turned into ordinary dirt after being shattered."

Damn it, if there really is a Diamond Giant, then using the Bucky Cannon will only make a noise. Besides, the Diamond Giant itself is much more valuable than the treasure, so it's better to just hide the giant.

But if you take it too seriously, you'll lose; just enjoy it for fun.

Ace then drank and recounted his experiences. After hearing Ace's stories, Buggy couldn't be smug anymore, because what Ace said was true.

"Wait, are you the Fire Fist Ace with a bounty of 202 million Berries?" Bucky was slow to react and only realized what was going on after hearing the rest, asking in surprise.

Not only Bucky, but even Leon was a little surprised. He didn't expect that Ace's bounty would increase so much so soon after they parted ways. But when he thought that this guy was Ace, one of the three troublemakers, he understood.

"Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself again after all this time. My name is Ace, the man who will become the Pirate King." Hmm, very good, that speech was spot-on, practically identical to Luffy's.

After hearing Ace's words, Buggy snorted twice, shaking off the shock Ace had brought, and said in a deep voice, "However, in my opinion, a bounty of 200 million Berries is nothing, far less than what I, Buggy, am capable of."

Not to be outdone, Shakky chimed in at this moment, pulling out a bounty poster from under the bar and saying, "Oh? But I see your bounty is only 15 million Berries?"

Everyone stared intently; the person on it was none other than Bucky the Clown, with a bounty of fifteen million Berries. Li Ang practically wanted to give Shakky a thumbs up; as expected of an information broker, she'd pulled off a brilliant move.

Bucky the Clown looked at the wanted poster and stammered, "That's because Lord Bucky is low-key, unlike you."

However, this explanation was of no use. Led by Li Ang, who had a good intention, everyone burst into laughter, and the tavern was filled with a joyful atmosphere again.

However, it's no small feat for a pirate with a bounty of only 15 million Berries to even reach Little Sabaody Archipelago, and judging by his current attitude, Buggy the Clown even intends to venture into the New World. This might just break the record for the lowest bounty pirate captain in the New World.

Since Buggy has managed to get this far, his strength hasn't changed much, but he must have awakened the attributes of "strong luck" and "brainless aura" beforehand. Combined with his own efforts, this is how he was able to reach the Sabaody Archipelago.

Unfortunately, Li Ang's purpose in coming to find Bucky this time was to prevent Bucky from going to the New World, stop him from breaking that shameful general class record, and interrupt his treasure hunt.

After the laughter subsided, Bucky seemed unable to bear it any longer and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Speaking of which, this guy doesn't even have a bounty, so why is he laughing at my 15 million Berries?"

It was rare for Bucky to be so cunning; he had already learned to shift the focus of his attacks. However, Bucky's move was clearly a miscalculation; Li Ang had a bounty of one billion. But no one knew that Li Ang was the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff, so the others stopped laughing and turned to look at him.

At this point, Bucky himself paused for a moment, then said, "Wait a minute, you're not an ordinary person. How come you don't have a bounty? What have you been doing all this time?"

Bucky the Clown's words reminded everyone, and Ace, like a curious child, widened his eyes and asked, "Yeah, yeah, haven't you ever experienced any adventures?"

As for his experiences during this period, after parting ways with Ace, he first brought the Alabasta Kingdom and Crocodile under his control, then returned to the Revolutionary Army and launched a major operation, and finally personally went to Dressrosa to wipe out the Donquixote Family. Just the day before, he and Hancock had killed two Celestial Dragons.

However, Li Ang certainly couldn't say these things, but not saying them would seem like he was out of place. It wouldn't be good for the friendship that had just been established among them, so after thinking it over, Li Ang could only choose a less important thing to say: "Nonsense, it's natural that there's no bounty, because I'm a legitimate merchant. Don't treat me like a pirate, that's unacceptable."

"A legitimate businessman?" Bucky looked Li Ang up and down carefully and said with doubt, "I don't see anything legitimate about you, so how can you be a businessman?"

“Hmph.” Li Ang continued, “I am the CEO of the legendary Grandet Group. How about that? Didn’t expect that, did you?”

However, everyone shook their heads: "Never heard of it."

Well, Leon's confidence was shattered just like that. It's unrealistic to expect this group of ignorant pirates to care about anything else; they'd never care how Alabasta solved its water shortage problem.

Only Xia Qi understood what Li Ang was talking about, and said in surprise, "So it was you. I must say, that thing called a seawater desalination device is truly amazing."

"Thank you." Tears streamed down Li Ang's face; at least one person knew.

"No need to thank me. I believe that others will be interested in this news later," Xia Qi said with a slight smile.

"Thank you so much!"

Sure enough, there wasn't a single reliable, normal person among them.

Li Ang then asked about the coating: "Oh, by the way, you're going to the New World, so has the ship been coated?"

Upon hearing this, Ace and Buggy seemed to remember something and slapped their heads.

Ace said, "Now that you mention it, I remember why I came back here. I came to find this uncle. He was plating my ship halfway through, and before it was finished, he disappeared. So I went to this tavern he frequents to wait for him."

Bucky, looking annoyed, asked, "Rayleigh! You promised to plate my ship!"

Well, it seems that it wasn't Li Ang's good fortune that came about. Ultimately, it was Rayleigh's fault. Both of them came to Rayleigh and asked him to plate the ship. But perhaps because of Li Ang and Hancock, Rayleigh discovered that there was a problem with Amazon Lily and went there himself. As a result, the ship-plating job was abandoned.

That's why Leon was able to meet Buggy and Ace here; they were all waiting for Rayleigh to return. It's fortunate that Rayleigh is quite strong; if it were an ordinary ship plating worker who abandoned his work and ran off like Rayleigh, he would have been killed long ago.

Chapter 301 The New Seven Warlords of the Sea?

However, Rayleigh didn't seem to be dealing with this kind of thing for the first time. He laughed heartily at their questions and said, "Don't worry about it, let's drink first."

It seems that Li Ang still has plenty of time and there's no need for him to rush over. With Rayleigh's unhelpful work efficiency, the construction period is bound to be extended indefinitely.

However, Leon wasn't in a hurry anymore; it was Ace and Buggy who were. Ace and Buggy didn't have time to waste with Rayleigh. One was looking forward to a new adventure, and the other was busy searching for his treasure. They immediately pushed Rayleigh out to work, showing no respect for his elders. However, even together, the two of them couldn't beat Rayleigh, so respect for his elders was out of the question.

Ace didn't want to stay in this run-down place for more than a day. He did try out the bubble rides for kids, which was really fun. But after the initial novelty wore off, it wasn't that interesting anymore, and he was just looking forward to heading off to the underwater world.

Buggy, thinking that he should finish the remaining half for Ace first before it was his turn, resolutely pushed Rayleigh out.

Rayleigh sighed helplessly. Since no one wanted to drink with him anymore, he could only continue his coating process alone, feeling dejected. He'd gotten two free drinks from Shakky again today, and before leaving, he made sure to finish the ones in his glass. It was definitely a good deal.

"Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have gone to that old man. If it were anyone else, we wouldn't have wasted two days here." Ace complained again after sending Rayleigh away.

Xia Qi laughed and said, "Although he can be a bit unreliable at times, I didn't introduce the wrong person. He really is the best coating artist in the Sabaody Archipelago."

Ah, so Ace was introduced by Shakky. Unlike Buggy, who came to him on his own. But Rayleigh is the best coating craftsman here, Leon has no doubt about that. Other craftsmen rely on experience and skill, but Rayleigh has worked for over ten years and doesn't discriminate. But Rayleigh has exceptional insight and superb skills that ordinary craftsmen don't possess, which are things that ordinary craftsmen don't have.