One Piece Gunslinger

The army that Long pulled out was neither the first nor the last revolutionary army.

Li Ang explained it this way: the so-called World Government, and the Celestial Dragons hated by the whole world, may have originated from the Revolutionary Army. Perhaps they were once revered, perhaps they once carried the hopes and beliefs of the world. Then they successfully overthrew the old world, which was much darker at the time, and established a new order of peace and prosperity.

Eight hundred years later, the world government, once the epitome of progress, has fallen behind the times and is no longer advanced. Instead, it has become the new boss, a symbol of backwardness and darkness, a symbol of barbarity, and a representative of the old society. Now, the world welcomes a new revolutionary force, ushering in a new civilization.

Of course, there's another possibility: even if nothing has changed from eight hundred years ago, and it remains just as dark, then a revolutionary army similar to the one formed by the dragon might have emerged, and this army would have launched a global war. However, the revolutionary army from eight hundred years ago failed. The other force, the current World Government, emerged victorious in this chaotic conflict.

Or perhaps, amidst the chaos, the Revolutionary Army wins, only to have the World Government steal its spoils, much like Yuan Shikai. Except, Yuan Shikai's reign as emperor lasted only a few days, while the World Government has reigned for eight hundred years.

The erased history of eight hundred years ago might just be the story of how this revolutionary army fought eight hundred years ago. It was also a measure taken by the World Government to prevent the emergence of a new revolutionary army. However, eight hundred years later, the wheels of history keep turning, and no matter how the World Government organizes things, a more advanced civilization will still arrive.

When this theory was first proposed, Mrs. Shirley wore an expression of complete disbelief, as if to say, "Are you kidding me?" Indeed, even a wise person wouldn't have considered such a thing, especially before the Renaissance.

Because a person's life is finite, and finiteness means that many things are unseen. From birth to death, the world remains unchanged for most people, so they naturally cannot see the wheels of history turning.

Now, the wheels of history are turning at breakneck speed. With the impact of technological explosion, the changes of the times can be described as happening every day. One can witness several major leaps in a lifetime.

Therefore, even Mrs. Shirley could not escape the confines of her time to view this changing history. Like the vast majority of people, she still believed that the times were unchanging.

This is a common misconception. Even if the Revolutionary Army overthrows the World Government, things will remain the same. They may have eliminated the Celestial Dragons, but they will have a new emperor.

No, this is about changing the era. If the revolutionary army overthrows the world government, the world's power structure will undergo a major reshuffle. It won't be this feudal society anymore.

Li Ang also likened the current era to the Renaissance on Earth, both being bursts of thought and liberation of ideas. However, on Earth, there is a group of thinkers to accomplish this work, while here, Li Ang is the only one walking alone.

So, it took Li Ang several hours to explain this matter to Madam Xia Li. Fortunately, Madam Xia Li's cultivation level was half a level higher than that of ordinary people; otherwise, Li Ang could have talked for three days and three nights without success.

Mrs. Shirley sighed, “I never imagined the world would change like this. Some parts sound like madness, but somehow, I find them somewhat reasonable. I can only predict things a few years from now, and even then, I find the world uninteresting. But if what you're saying is true, that you can predict things hundreds or thousands of years from now, wouldn't that world be incredibly boring? If it were me, I'd probably go crazy from boredom.”

Li Ang nodded and said, "I know it's hard to understand. And I don't expect others to understand it. I've explained this theory to many people, but only a few can understand it, and even then, they, like you, don't entirely agree. As for the last question, perhaps I'm already a madman."

With my abilities, I could easily live a comfortable life, a life of luxury, yet I insist on engaging in this revolution, spending my days hiding from the World Government and playing hide-and-seek with it, racking my brains to figure out how to accomplish this task that seems impossible to ordinary people. Not to mention, I just found the woman I love a few days ago, but after only spending one day together, I'm back out there working for the revolution.

I'm starting to wonder if I'm crazy.

Mrs. Shirley took a puff of her pipe and said, "If you're a madman, then I'm half a madman in front of you. I have no interest in talking to ordinary people, but I can listen to the language of a madman like you. Before, I looked down on ordinary mortals, thinking they were too much, but now that I'm in front of you, I realize I'm just as foolish."

I've even become so dense that I can't understand what you're saying anymore. I can barely grasp the point about rapid development after the liberation of thought. But as for the later terms like the information age, digital revolution, technological revolution, space exploration, information explosion, network engineering, globalization, and artificial satellites, I can't understand a single one of them. Just memorizing these terms is a struggle.

This kind of feeling can only be experienced by someone half a level above Mrs. Shirley. If Li Ang were to tell these things to ordinary people, they would just think he was crazy.

Just as no one in his time could understand Van Gogh's paintings, he couldn't even make a living from them. It wasn't until many years after Van Gogh's death that people realized he was a genius and began to regard his unsellable paintings as priceless treasures.

What the hell does this prove? It proves we're nothing but a bunch of idiots. We thought people back then were fools, and people many years later probably think the same way about us. So, discussing ideas without considering the times is just being a scoundrel.

Li Ang poured out his knowledge of modern and contemporary things to Mrs. Shirley. However, Mrs. Shirley, limited by the times, could only grasp the most about the liberation of thought and the First Industrial Revolution. As for the rest, Li Ang didn't expect her to understand; he considered it just a venting of frustrations.

Mrs. Shirley continued to puff on her pipe, saying, "Even so, I still suspect there's something you haven't told me."

It has to be said that a woman's intuition is often accurate. Li Ang hadn't finished speaking; what he had mentioned were all things he had experienced. There were also things he hadn't experienced, things much more distant than the modern world, such as the omnic crisis, interstellar colonization, virtual reality, cyberpunk, and so on. These concepts, existing only in science fiction, are not even fully understood by modern people; explaining them to Mrs. Shirley, an ancient person, would only leave her more bewildered.

Besides that, Li Ang told her everything he knew about the historical developments, and it was up to Mrs. Shirley to digest and understand them gradually.

Li Ang didn't want to talk about this issue anymore, so he changed the subject, saying, "Don't keep making me answer your questions, I have a question too."

"What?" Shirley asked, continuing to smoke.

"Is your pipe powered by nuclear energy? How come it never runs out? And don't you feel uncomfortable smoking soapy water?"

Chapter 314 A Cup of Coffee Makes for a Good Night's Sleep

Mrs. Shirley's pipe was no ordinary pipe. This was a question Li Ang had wanted to ask for a long time, the very question that had troubled him since he entered the room. This question had arisen while Li Ang was still on Earth, and now he was finally finding the person responsible to answer it, to resolve this problem that had plagued him for so many years.

Xia Li MM isn't smoking cigarettes, she's smoking loneliness. Seriously, this is such an old joke, why are they still bringing it up? They must have just learned to surf the internet.

Ahem, to be serious, Mrs. Shirley smokes bubbles. What comes out of her pipe isn't smoke, but tiny bubbles.

This alone makes him stand out from all the other smokers; he smokes in a way that is refreshingly unique.

Since it's smoking bubbles, the substance inside definitely isn't tobacco, and it's certainly not lit with a flame. Is it smoking soapy water?

Moreover, when others smoke, they inhale the salt and then exhale it from their mouths. But when Mrs. Shirley puts her mouth to the pipe, bubbles actually come out of the pipe, not from her mouth.

However, none of that is the point. The point is that Mrs. Shirley's pipe seems to have an endless supply, and Li Ang has never changed the contents of it since he met her.

However, due to Luffy's past experiences, when Luffy met Madam Shyarly, he asked her a question about "mermaids protecting and excreting," which resulted in Madam Shyarly, who usually doesn't show her teeth, revealing a row of sharp, interlocking shark teeth.

Li Ang was also afraid of being beaten for asking such a strange question. So he held back until now, and only dared to ask after helping Madam Xia Li clear up her doubts and building up enough influence.

"You mean this?" Mrs. Shirley was completely absorbed in the grand sweep of history and, as expected, no longer cared about such a trivial matter, answering casually.

"It's just a toy, not a real pipe. Besides, I just think it suits my image; I don't actually smoke." With that, he handed the pipe to Li Ang, letting him examine it himself.

Very well, Mrs. Shirley is indeed no ordinary person. In terms of shamelessness, she rivals Li Ang, speaking the truth so casually without a trace of affectation. This makes Li Ang seem rather petty for hesitating to ask the question.

After taking it and looking inside, Li Ang immediately understood what was going on. Inside lay a block of resin. This resin was the raw material used to make various bubbles on Fishman Island. Below it, near the mouth, was a vent. And this wasn't for inhaling; it was for blowing.

By blowing moisture into the air, bubbles are created on top, giving the illusion of smoking.

Okay, Li Ang played with this thing when he was a little kid. But back then, he would dip it in soapy water and blow bubbles.

And this solidified resin lasts longer than soapy water; it won't just disappear after a few blows. Putting one in can last for several days.

However, this thing is only something that fish-men or mermaids can play with; humans cannot intentionally exhale so much water vapor while breathing.

Well, it turns out that the problem that has troubled Li Ang for years is actually quite uninteresting once it's been explained and understood. It's like magic; once you understand the principles behind magic, it's not so fun anymore.

Having figured out the problem, Li Ang finally got to the point and returned the pipe to Madam Shirley. The trip to Mermaid Island thus came to a successful end; now it was up to Ace to decide how long he would play around.

Li Ang hadn't expected that even Lady Xia Li, who was half a level higher, couldn't escape the same fate. Mermaid women were known for their love of beauty, and Lady Xia Li, like other mermaids, was extremely concerned with her image and appearance. She even went so far as to acquire a pipe to enhance her elegance.

Just imagine how respected and lucrative fashion design is on Fishman Island, and you'll understand how much these mermaids love beauty.

Just as Li Ang stood up again, preparing to take his leave for the second time, Madam Xia Li called him back for the second time.

Can you come tomorrow?

Well, it seems that after talking all day, we still couldn't satisfy Mrs. Shirley, this big sponge. We'll have to continue tomorrow.

However, Li Ang was happy to have someone to chat with about things that others couldn't understand. Besides, it didn't matter where he went these days; it was better to accompany Madam Shirley to give advice than to play with that troublemaker Ace. There were troublemakers everywhere; Li Ang had even beaten one up before leaving. But Madam Shirley was unique.

Moreover, Li Ang is still very pregnant; it would take Mrs. Xia Li several months to empty his belly, let alone a few days.

Nine years of compulsory education, three years of high school, and four years of university. Add to that the information overload. In fact, if modern people were placed in the past, they would all be great sages. Their minds could fill a library.

"Come, come, I'll come every day before I leave Fishman Island, since I'm free these few days." With that, Li Ang walked out. Did he intend to stay overnight if he didn't leave soon?

Unlike pirates like Ace, Leon didn't have the habit of sleeping on the ship, so he found himself a hotel. However, after hearing that Leon was staying at a hotel, Ace followed suit and booked a room next to Leon's.

In his words, why sleep in a uncomfortable place when there's a comfortable place available? Besides, he's not short of money, and his adventures along the way have even unearthed a chest of treasure. So, money is useless if you don't use it, so why mistreat yourself?

Today, Ace had spent some time underwater and was planning to talk to Li Ang about his experiences and share his joy, hoping Li Ang would join him tomorrow. So Ace was already waiting at the stairwell: "Why are you only coming back now? I've been waiting for ages!"

After leaving Mrs. Shirley's Mermaid Cafe, Li Ang first found a place to eat before returning. As soon as he got back, he ran into Ace blocking the door, who asked with a puzzled look, "Huh? What are you waiting for me for?"

"Hehe." Ace chuckled, then moved his hands from behind his back to face Li Ang: "Jiang Jiang! This is a fish I caught from the bottom of the sea, what do you think?"

Upon seeing it, Li Ang exclaimed, "Holy crap! It's so ugly!" It was truly an eyesore, and Li Ang felt his sanity level plummet.

Ace didn't understand what Li Ang meant and continued, "Hehe, aren't you envious? Don't you want one too? Let me tell you, I'm going to hang it by my bed today."

You big idiot, hanging on the bow of the ship, aren't you afraid of having nightmares?

Actually, this fish was genuinely ugly, but after Ace had seen so many ugly things that day, he had become immune and didn't find it particularly ugly anymore. However, Li Ang had spent the whole day seeing mermaids, and when he came back to see this, the huge contrast made it seem like it was so ugly it was disrupting the balance of the world.

"Oh, do as you please. I'm going to sleep." Li Ang immediately decided to stay away from the fish.

However, Ace wasn't so easily swayed by Li Ang: "Hey, wait a minute. I know you really want it, that's why I'm here. How about it? Come with us to the bottom of the sea tomorrow."

"No, please allow me to refuse. I already have plans with someone else for tomorrow."

After Li Ang finished speaking, Ace didn't give up and naturally said, "Who wants it? Why not invite them over to play together?"

Hearing Ace's words, Li Ang thought about Mrs. Shirley and Ace together. The two had completely different styles, and forcing them to appear on the same screen would create a bizarre scene that was hard to accept. Besides, he figured Mrs. Shirley wouldn't agree to it either.

So in the end, Li Ang, on behalf of Madam Shirley, firmly refused. However, before entering the room, Li Ang did not notice Ace's pouting and unhappy expression.

The next day, Li Ang arrived at the Mermaid Cafe early. Having done it once before, he knew his way around and went straight into the back room. The other mermaids, having already received instructions from Madam Shirley, did not stop him.

As expected, Mrs. Shirley was already sitting in the same spot as yesterday, waiting for him.

"Hey, you're here early." Li Ang greeted him.

"No, I didn't leave this sofa."

Upon hearing this, Li Ang nearly lost his balance and fell to the ground.

Mrs. Shirley was incredibly dedicated; she not only didn't leave the room, but she didn't even leave the sofa she was on, sleeping directly on it. Li Ang could only attribute this to Mrs. Shirley entering a state similar to "If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening." Compared to "hearing the Way," nothing else mattered.

Fortunately, they were still eating and sleeping, otherwise they would have truly lived a life of quiet contemplation.

Just then, Li Ang heard a voice: "Sir, if you want to have coffee, please sit outside. That is a private space."

Then the familiar voice followed: "Why can he go in, but I can't? I want to go in too."

Well, upon hearing this, Li Ang immediately covered his face. Damn it, he'd actually been followed by Ace, and he hadn't even noticed. Looks like Ace has improved.

"your friend?"

"That's it."

"Then why not have him come along?"

"He doesn't understand."

Mrs. Shirley quickly understood what was going on and had the waiter let Ace in: "Even if you don't understand, a cup of coffee will do."

"Well, Li Ang. I was wondering why you didn't want to go fishing with me. Turns out you were hiding among the mermaids. You didn't even take me with you to such a great opportunity. You're not a good friend at all." These were the first words Ace said as he entered.

"First of all, I didn't come here for the mermaid. Secondly, this isn't a good thing for you; you can't share the joy."

However, Ace did not believe it.

But he quickly believed it; Li Ang really hadn't lied to him. Within minutes, Ace realized he couldn't get a word in edgewise. He didn't even understand what the two were talking about. After finishing his coffee, he had no idea what to do next.

"I can understand each word individually, but why is it that when they're put together, I can't tell what language they're from?" This was Ace's only thought before he fell asleep.

Chapter 315 Ambush

"Alright, whether you understand or not, I have to leave tomorrow."

Another day has come to an end, and Li Ang is preparing to leave, for there will be no next day.

However, on this last day, Mrs. Shirley clearly wasn't going to let Li Ang off so easily: "Wait a minute. Since you say 'capitalism comes into the world dripping with blood and filth from head to toe,' then why don't we just adopt a completely planned economy? Wouldn't it be better to simply abandon the market economy altogether?"