One Piece Gunslinger

It just goes to show how cunning the city is. Li Ang, this city guy, is too good at playing the game. Luckily, he didn't transmigrate to be Vanderdeken's advisor.

Vander Decken's idiotic behavior only takes him further away from his goal. After the explosion subsided, Neptune continued, "As long as you can eliminate Vander Decken and his pirate crew, and Shirahoshi agrees, I have nothing more to say."

Chapter 308 Fishing

Li Ang was no stranger to these sudden, straightforward tasks, and generally didn't mind them. However, he found this seemingly simple task quite challenging. Neptune had dumped a problem that had plagued Fishman Island for centuries on him, leaving him somewhat at a loss.

If this hidden danger that has threatened Fishman Island for many years can be resolved, it will prove Leon's ability, and Neptune can then confidently hand over Shirahoshi to the Revolutionary Army for protection.

Hey, some people might say at this point, "Vander Decken was just a weakling, what's so difficult about this? When he first appeared in the original story, any one of the Straw Hat Pirates could have easily defeated him."

Moreover, his ship was a dilapidated vessel, a truly wrecked ship, unrepaired for who knows how many years, practically a ghost ship. Although it looked terrifying, it was actually of little fighting capability. It wasn't the real "Flying Dutchman," but merely a dilapidated ship with the same name.

What determines a ship's combat effectiveness? Firepower, more and more intense firepower. A stronger hull, greater speed. Not its "face." And this dilapidated ship, if not for being pulled along by the bald sea monster, would hardly be able to move.

Therefore, if we only consider strength, the Vander Decken Pirates aren't particularly strong. If they were to directly confront the Sun Pirates, the Sun Pirates would likely have a higher chance of winning. And Vander Decken's chances of winning against Jinbe, a Fish-Man genius, are also slim. Not to mention Neptune. Neptune won't just stand by and watch; he'll definitely send his army to join the fray.

Therefore, if Vander Decken IX and even his eight ancestors, their Vander Decken Pirates, could survive to this day, the most striking thing about them is their cowardice.

Well, the so-called "cowardice" strategy means I won't come out. Coming out is idiotic, coming out means getting attacked, so I'll just hide in the surrounding waters. As the art of war says:

When the enemy advances, I am cowardly; when the enemy retreats, I am cowardly; when the enemy camps, I am cowardly; when the enemy is exhausted, I am cowardly.

As long as you remember these sixteen words of truth, you too can live like Vander Decken, spending your whole life around Fishman Island with a dilapidated ship.

Van der Deiken himself was well aware of his own limitations and had long remained in the shadows, unwilling to confront Fishman Island head-on.

How did Vander Decken get beaten up and imprisoned? It was because he got arrogant and, after associating with Hody Jones of the New Fishman Pirates, thought the Ryugu Kingdom was no longer a threat.

In this arrogance, they forgot the sixteen-character mantra passed down from generation to generation, and actually became fearless, appearing openly before the world. Isn't this just offering themselves up for disaster?

And to make matters worse, they chose the wrong time, launching their attack just as the Straw Hat crew arrived in the Ryugu Kingdom. Well, Neptune was happy to have some peace and quiet, and by playing dumb and being cute, he got rid of these two major threats.

Li Ang could only comment on this with four words: "Idiots are harmful." The New Fishman Pirates have 100,000 idiots. How can you expect anything good if you get mixed up with them? Your IQ will be dragged down to the same level.

Therefore, the greatest credit for resolving the Vander Decken Pirates and eliminating one of Fishman Island's biggest threats should go to Hody Jones. If Vander Decken hadn't been lured out, no one in the vast ocean could have found him.

Neptune's test was certainly not insignificant; this was the difficult problem he posed to Li Ang.

Of course, Li Ang could also refuse, since he wasn't really expecting to use "Aquaman's" power anyway. He could just pretend the request was never made.

The main problem is that the power of "Sea King" is still unstable. It will take several years for Shirahoshi to have stable control over this power. Moreover, Shirahoshi herself is an extremely kind and simple-minded person, so it will be very difficult to mold her into a weapon for the war.

But as the saying goes, if you're idle, you might as well do something. Li Ang thought he should find something to do and give it a try.

Of course, Li Ang wasn't truly idle. In a broader sense, this was also work, a kind of planned leisure. In other words, he included his leisurely stroll on Fishman Island as part of his work.

His next step was to continue surfacing with Ace. How many days he would stay on Fishman Island depended on how many days Ace wanted to stay. So, aside from the necessary tasks, he could be considered quite free.

“Okay, I agree,” Li Ang replied. “However, I only have a few days. If it can’t be resolved this time, then we’ll talk about it again in four years.”

Li Ang's idea was simple: if this problem couldn't be solved in the next few days, it would be impossible to solve it in the short term. Rather than wasting a lot of energy and time on this coward, it would be better to wait until four years later when they were mixed up with a bunch of idiots and easily wipe them all out.

“It’s alright. Just let us know if you have any requests these next few days, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.” Neptune was happy that Leon could solve this problem, and naturally gave his full support.

However, Li Ang really needs Neptune's support, and it's something he can't handle alone.

"In that case, let me take Bai Xing out for a while," Li Ang said without any hesitation, quickly making his request. And he immediately brought up such a troublesome request.

"What? This won't do!"

"Shirahoshi will be in danger outside."

"This is the only thing I can't do!"

Sigh, those three sister-protecting maniacs are at it again.

These three were the same; they could only watch while Leon and Neptune talked, unable to get a word in edgewise. Their understanding wasn't deep enough; sometimes they even had to think for a while to comprehend their conversation.

However, when it came to the topic of Shirahoshi, Li Ang and Neptune were left out of the conversation. There was no way around it; all three were simply not powerful enough, and Li Ang was no match for his three older brothers when it came to protecting his sister.

"Alright, alright," Neptune said, intending to continue, "Your request isn't impossible to fulfill, but you have to promise me that you won't let Shirahoshi get hurt in the slightest. Can you do that?"

Li Ang blew on his hair and said, "Is that even a question? I'm the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army." He was utterly confident.

Li Ang was finally able to say this with confidence. Although he was the chief of staff of the revolutionary army and was rumored to be incredibly powerful, with strength comparable to a naval admiral, he was actually just a weakling.

But things are different now. Although he's still not on par with the Admirals, he's at least above the average level of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. And Vander Decken is just a weakling who doesn't know Haki; Leon could take on ten of them.

The biggest problem with the mouse Vander Decken isn't anything else, but how to lure him out. White Star is the cheese Leon prepared for Vander Decken, and he himself is the pair of clips placed in front of the cheese.

Once van der Deiken's timidity tactic is broken, that's when he'll have to call GG.

Neptune understood Leon's intentions; even such a simple method required considerable strength to implement. It's impossible that Neptune hadn't considered this approach, but he couldn't find a way to protect Shirahoshi.

Seeing Li Ang's confidence, and the powerful aura emanating from that confidence (actually, it was a combination of Conqueror's Haki and showing off), the three princes gritted their teeth and agreed.

A short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one. Under Li Ang's protection, even if Bai Xing suffers some injury, it won't pose a significant threat. And once Van der Deiken, the "Sword of Damocles" hanging over Bai Xing's head, is dealt with, Bai Xing will no longer have to suffer.

Soon, Li Ang came up with his first plan without much thought.

In this plan, Bai Xing would be allowed to leave the palace and explore the area below. In addition, Li Ang requested that two teams of soldiers be dispatched to protect Bai Xing, one team in the open and one in the shadows. They were to be extremely vigilant and, above all, keep their presence and purpose a secret from the soldiers.

Li Ang, that old schemer, seems to have a wealth of experience.

This plan was known only to the five people present; everyone else was merely a pawn and unaware that the purpose was to lure them in.

If you're going to fish, you have to act like one; a straight hook and salty bait won't cut it. As a fish, Bai Xing certainly can't just walk around in the street like that. Since Bai Xing is all alone, once Van der Deiken receives the news, he'll definitely think it's a trap. The royal family wouldn't let their precious darling wander off alone, treating her like a delicate flower.

That said, when Luffy secretly took Shirahoshi out of the Hard Shell Tower, Vander Decken never considered that it was a trap, and simply took it as a golden opportunity.

All I can say is that he had become arrogant by then, and his IQ had been dragged down by the 100,000 idiots in the New Fishman Pirates.

Sending two squads of soldiers would better test Vander Decken's intelligence and be more deceptive. Vander Decken, hearing that White Star is traveling, will certainly inquire carefully about the situation, such as the strength of the guard.

Then he'll easily discover a squad of soldiers protecting him. At this point, he might still be uneasy, still suspecting a trap. He'll continue observing for a while, and when he discovers another hidden squad of soldiers, he'll have a reason to feel at ease. And then it's time to take the bait.

Moreover, Li Ang had anticipated all sorts of reactions and probing tactics that van der Deiken might make, and had already outlined countermeasures in advance. If van der Deiken succumbed to temptation and jumped out, it would be the end for van der Deiken.

Even if this plan fails, it doesn't matter. Li Ang can still learn about Vanderdeken's intelligence level from this operation, which will make it easier to formulate a plan based on that.

Li Ang has a way of dealing with smart people, ordinary people, and even idiots. But someone whose intelligence is uncertain is more troublesome.

Soon, Li Ang's wishes were conveyed, and without even knowing why, Bai Xing happily went on her trip. This was the first time Bai Xing had left the Hard Shell Tower in several years.

Chapter 309 Saving Lives and Healing the Wounded

The moment the Hard Shell Tower's doors opened, Li Ang hid at the back of the group, watching Bai Xing happily riding on her shark pet Megalo. Li Ang also felt it was necessary to restore Bai Xing's freedom as soon as possible.

After all, the revolutionary army's mission was to bring freedom to the world.

That hard-shell tower served as both a protective measure and a prison. As long as Vander Decken existed, White Star would spend a day in that prison. This was incredibly damaging for a "little" girl.

Although this "small" girl is much larger than Li Ang.

Two hours later.

Li Ang had been outside with Shirahoshi for two hours, watching her play. Having spent so much time inside the Hard Shell Tower, she was even more curious than Ace. Although Fishman Island couldn't have changed much in the past few years, it still gave her a feeling of being in another world.

She touched this and looked at that, constantly greeting strangers. The other mermaids and fish-men were also curious about this princess who hadn't appeared for many years, and they all responded to Shirahoshi.

All of this is normal; two hours have passed, and van der Deiken still hasn't made a move. At least, that's how it appears.

Needless to say, Li Ang's ability to hide was far superior to that of the soldiers. Li Ang had completely blended into the identity of a human tourist, and he was absolutely certain that Vander Decken hadn't noticed anything unusual about him along the way.

However, he discovered Vanderdeken's spies.

Just as Li Ang had predicted, Van der Deken must have left spies on Fishman Island to have been able to survive for so many years and thus avoid Jinbe or Neptune when they made their moves.

But van der Deiken hasn't jumped out yet, which means he's still uneasy and suspects something's amiss. However, Li Ang believes that van der Deiken won't do nothing; even if it's a trap, he'll test the waters. Patience is key in fishing.

After two hours of tireless sightseeing, Princess Shirahoshi was already quite far from the palace, almost reaching the edge of Fishman Island. If Vander Decken wanted to make a move, this would be the perfect time.

Sure enough, just as Li Ang was getting bored and wanted to join a group of fishmen dancing, the expected change finally happened.

A curved blade emerged from the sea outside the bubble, flying diagonally downwards, its target being Shirahoshi.

This squad of soldiers was a carefully selected elite force, and Neptune had specifically instructed them to be wary of any incoming weapons. Therefore, the moment the scimitar appeared, it was knocked down by the guards.

Van der Decken's move was within Li Ang's expectations. Li Ang believed that Van der Decken was very likely conducting this kind of probe. His purpose was not to actually harm Shirahoshi, but to probe for other hidden guard forces that had not yet been discovered.

If Van der Deikun's spies were a bunch of incompetents who only discovered this group of soldiers and not the other group, then Van der Deikun would most likely take this action. However, if a second group of soldiers was discovered, just to be on the safe side, there was still a 50% chance that he would do the same, to see if there was a third or fourth group yet.

Of course, one weapon wouldn't be enough to detect it; any guard could easily knock it down. But to this group of guards, the scimitar seemed like a signal, and immediately a large number of weapons appeared on the horizon.

Faced with this barrage of weapons flying towards them, one squad of guards was overwhelmed, and a second squad immediately rushed out from the crowd, pulled out weapons from their civilian clothes, and joined in the defense.

In response to Van der Deiken's actions, Li Ang's pre-planned next move was to have the soldiers carry the princess back as quickly as possible, while simultaneously calling for backup.

In that short time, several guards were wounded.

Here we need to understand Vander Decken's mindset. Even if he were to take action, he would definitely choose a place far from the palace to intercept Shirahoshi as soon as possible before reinforcements arrive. That way, even if Neptune came, he would be unable to act due to Shirahoshi's safety.

This condition is now met.

Secondly, after fulfilling this most basic condition, it was necessary to demonstrate that this was not a trap. They did this very well, one could say they were extremely loyal. When they were overwhelmed, they even willingly offered their own bodies to the knife.

Li Ang could only watch these wounded soldiers suffer, refusing to lift a finger. He told Van der Deiken that there was no longer any trickery involved, and that there were no more guards available.

It's worth mentioning that Li Ang was also careful this time, in order to prevent any accidents from happening, so that Ace wouldn't suddenly appear and cause trouble at this time.

To nip in the bud a scenario like "You bastard, how dare you attack a girl!" followed by a massive fireball that melts all the weapons, causing Vander Decken to panic and flee, Leon deliberately sent someone to guide Ace, intentionally leading him on sightseeing in other directions. Right now, he's probably happily exclaiming "Wow, that's amazing!" on the other side of the island, led by two "kind" and "hospitable" mermaids.

Soon, all the guards were wounded, and no one else came forward to help. The civilians who had been surrounding them hid, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.

Princess Shirahoshi, having never witnessed such a scene before, was completely flustered and didn't know what to do. She anxiously sat on Megalo and began to cry. Fortunately, Megalo wasn't as bewildered as his mistress; he quickly took Shirahoshi and, along with the other guards, blocked their path as they ran.

"He really is a crybaby." Li Ang also hid like a flustered tourist. "But this should stop soon. Van der Deiken can't really hurt Shirahoshi's life."

As Li Ang was thinking this, he saw a huge, wrecked ship rushing in from outside the bubble, its bow plunging directly into it. With the appearance of this ship, no more weapons flew down from it, and Vander Decken was standing at the bow.

"Wow, he actually came. Sure enough, if this guy can hang out with idiots, his own IQ can't be much higher either." Li Ang looked at the smug-looking Vander Deiken with disdain.

Li Ang wasn't entirely confident that this hastily conceived, immature plan would hook Van der Decken; in fact, he didn't have high hopes. It would be best if he could lure him out, but if not, that would be perfectly acceptable.

Li Ang himself had to admit that there were still quite a few loopholes in this scheme, and a smart person wouldn't have fallen for it at all.

It's like when Vander Decken dropped a bomb, giving Neptune a serious threat, and then Shirahoshi just ran out and strolled around like nothing happened. How carefree can she be?

Then going out to play is fine, it's not like you can't. Staying cooped up for too long can cause problems. But this route is a bit too daring. Logically speaking, from a psychological perspective, it shouldn't be like starting by wandering around the palace for two days without incident, then venturing further afield, still without incident, and then expanding the distance a little further. This gradual, cautious expansion of the activity range would be more realistic.

As it turned out, Neptune and Shirahoshi didn't engage in any of those crazy probing actions; they simply ran out as soon as they arrived, which was incredibly bold of them.

Therefore, Li Ang had already begun planning his next move after this failure halfway through the journey. If Van der Deiken's probing attempts failed to materialize, he would begin preparations upon returning.