One Piece Gunslinger

Li Ang shook his head and said, "Your understanding is flawed. This cannot be understood in this way..." Then he launched into another long and rambling discourse.

Emma, ​​Li Ang couldn't help but admire Mrs. Xia Li's rare genius. In just a few days, she had gone from zero to understanding so much, and could even discuss the market economy with socialist characteristics with Li Ang. Li Ang himself had spent years studying to grasp these things, while Mrs. Xia Li had learned them in just a few days. Her learning ability was simply terrifying. At this rate, in less than six months, Mrs. Xia Li would have thoroughly exhausted Li Ang's knowledge.

Unfortunately, Li Ang didn't have six months to spend with Lady Xia Li. In truth, all the things he and Lady Xia Li had been discussing during this time were useless, utterly irrelevant in this era. That would be at least a century from now.

As for Ace, he slept soundly all morning, only waking up at lunchtime. He left dejectedly in the afternoon. Li Ang was also thinking about what happened in class back then; sometimes, when faced with lessons he couldn't understand at all, well, his performance wasn't much better.

Lady Shirley knew there might not be a next time, especially after witnessing Leon's death in the crystal ball. All the previous prophecies had come true. So, before Leon departed, she asked one last question: "Can I join the Revolutionary Army?"

"Heh, you've been a revolutionary for a long time." Li Ang chuckled twice and walked out without turning his head.

Yes, the reason Li Ang had talked so much with Madam Shirley these past few days was because he already considered her a member of the Revolutionary Army. Li Ang had reason to believe that even the Five Elders, once they accepted Li Ang's theories from the future, would also become members of the Revolutionary Army.

In this renewed clash between savagery and civilization, everyone will eventually choose sides: either savagery or civilization, there is no other choice.

All Li Ang did was to maximize the strength of the civilization side before the final battle.

……

The next morning, Leon bid farewell to Neptune, Jinbe, and Madam Shirley at the dock. He boarded Ace's ship and departed together. Leon was somewhat surprised to find so many people seeing him off, making him seem like a hero going off to never return. Well, at least that's how it seemed from Madam Shirley's perspective.

The others were somewhat surprised to see Lady Shirley there to see them off. Lady Shirley was usually quite disregardful of King Neptune.

To avoid the desperate situation of calling for help that occurred when they arrived at Fishman Island, Li Ang made sure to figure out how to navigate safely to the New World. He even took on the role of temporary navigator, directing the others.

Li Ang found this quite confusing before, but it's actually similar to sailing on the surface of the sea, except underwater it's like sailing with the currents. While Li Ang doesn't understand ocean currents like the fish-men, and isn't a navigator, he does possess Observation Haki. In case of any problem, he can simply use Observation Haki to sense the currents.

The same principle applies to directional control; the bubble enveloping the ship is not a perfectly round bubble. It's also attached to the rudder, so the rudder remains functional in the water.

The only difference is that navigation has changed from two-dimensional to three-dimensional. But this is no challenge for Li Ang.

"So you've been at the Mermaid Cafe these past few days?" Ace was the only one who seemed to have some free time. "Do you like the mermaids there? Especially the ones."

While calibrating the pointer, Li Ang used his Observation Haki to sense the movement of the ocean currents, and had no time to pay attention to Ace.

"How enviable," Ace continued when Li Ang ignored him. "Why doesn't any mermaid take a liking to me, Ace? I was the one who took care of that guy named Fan something."

Sigh, in order to quell the anger and prevent the conflict between fish-men and humans from escalating, Neptune attributed all the credit to Ace. Of course, Li Ang had no objection to this. Let Ace take the spotlight; Li Ang wasn't into that sort of thing.

This led Ace to genuinely believe that he was the one who had defeated Vander Decken, and he enjoyed hero treatment for several days. Wherever he went, he was treated with great respect. However, these were mostly rough-looking fish-men; there were no mermaids among them.

So when Ace saw Leon moving freely in the mermaid cafe teeming with mermaids, he felt a bit resentful and kept complaining to Leon.

"Alright, just tell me what you want to eat." After confirming that they hadn't strayed off course, Li Ang finally had a moment to deal with the incessantly chattering Ace.

What kind of imbalance is this? It's all nonsense. Ace isn't like that at all. It's just that after Ace tasted Li Ang's cooking once—yes, the one where Li Ang tried to make Ace a sour fish soup with that ugly thing that made his sanity drop—Ace has been obsessed with it ever since, trying every possible way to taste Li Ang's cooking again.

Leon also deeply regretted showing off his culinary skills to Ace, but it was also to make up for it, since he had left him hanging all morning, letting him lie on the sofa listening to lullabies for hours. Now, Ace would come and pester him whenever he was hungry. The ship's cook was practically out of a job.

"Hehe, you can make whatever you want, it'll all taste good." Ace wasn't picky at all; he'd eat whatever Li Ang made.

After a while, Li Ang casually prepared two dishes and prepared to eat with Ace.

"Seriously, Leon. Don't you even have the slightest thought of joining my pirate crew? Look, our ship is missing someone like you—someone who can be a navigator, a cook, a sniper, and a helmsman..."

"Stop!" Li Ang immediately interrupted, "First of all, I'm not as good as you say. I'm not omnipotent. The reason I give you the illusion of being omnipotent on your ship is because I'm utterly incapable. I'm worried about everything that's going on, and I feel like the ship will capsize if I don't come to help."

Secondly, I've refused many times already. I'm not a pirate, and I don't want to be one. So I'll refuse again. Laugh Tale isn't my pursuit, and besides, just eat it, isn't that enough to shut you up?"

Then Ace happily began eating the food Li Ang had prepared, but he didn't give up; he continued to eat. He'd talk about it after he finished.

"Tch. Is there anything more ambitious than becoming the Pirate King?" Sure enough, as soon as he finished eating, Ace continued, "I have two younger brothers, and we made a promise when we were little that we would go to sea and become the Pirate King."

At this point, Eston paused, perhaps thinking of the "deceased" Sabo. Leon seized the opportunity to tease, "Hey, there's only one Pirate King, but you three brothers. There's something wrong with that agreement."

Ace continued, "Hmph, that's the agreement, but I'll definitely be the Pirate King in the end."

"Oh? You mean you're going to become the Pirate King even if it means fighting your two younger brothers?" Li Ang feigned ignorance.

Ace nodded and said, "That's right. Even if it's my younger brother, I won't give up the title of Pirate King. There can only be one Pirate King, and that's me. But unfortunately, in the future, there will only be one younger brother competing with me."

"Oh? Did he give up?"

No, he's dead.

At this moment, Li Ang also put on a sad expression: "I'm really sorry."

What a performance! Sorry my foot! Sabo is doing just fine with the Revolutionary Army. Leon was right; Sabo gave up. Even if Sabo recalls his childhood memories, he won't fight for the Pirate King title anymore. Once the burden of revolution is taken on, there's no going back.

However, he scoffed at Ace's statement, "The future Pirate King can only be me." He believed Ace would soon say, "It's actually pretty good."

Forget about competing with Luffy for the title of Pirate King; it wouldn't be long before Ace abandoned his own ambition and, like Whitebeard's other adopted sons, started thinking about how to make Whitebeard the Pirate King. However, after Whitebeard took Ace in, especially after learning that Ace was Roger's son, he decided to make Ace the Pirate King.

After a brief silence between the two, Ace discovered something new.

"Hey, Li Ang, look, isn't there something on the surface of the sea?"

Looking up, Leon did see some shadows on the sea, but from this vantage point, they weren't very clear. There was no time for Ace and Leon to investigate what was on the surface; the current carrying the ship quickly carried them ashore.

As soon as Ace's ship surfaced, the coating on it fulfilled its purpose and dissipated into the air. But as the bubbles disappeared, what appeared before everyone's eyes were six large ships.

These six large ships had obviously been waiting here for a long time, and Ace's ship was positioned in the middle of them as soon as it came out.

"Wow! Looks like we've been ambushed." Li Ang said nonchalantly, completely unfazed.

This was actually something he had anticipated, which was why he questioned leaving Fish-Man Island with Ace. He had considered this possibility while on Sabaody Archipelago. And on Fish-Man Island, he had received concrete information from the Revolutionary Army:

Whitebeard has set out.

Chapter 316 A Major Failure to Make a Scene

Li Ang didn't even need to look at what flags were flying on those six ships to be able to tell that the one coming must be Whitebeard.

The route Li Ang took was given by Neptune, and the method of navigating the ocean currents was also taught by Neptune. Li Ang also believed that he had not gone astray along the way.

Ace's ship appeared right in the middle, which means Neptune had already leaked their whereabouts. If Whitebeard inquired, Neptune, as the territory under Whitebeard's protection, would not dare to disobey.

Moreover, there must be excellent navigators in Whitebeard's crew. As long as the information is correct, they can accurately pinpoint the location where the ship emerges from the sea.

Undoubtedly, it was Ace's refusal to become a Shichibukai that reached Whitebeard's ears. Combined with Ace's previous experiences, Whitebeard's unique hobby kicked in again, and he decided to take Ace as his son.

Li Ang had anticipated this situation, which is why he boarded Ace's ship, hoping to catch a glimpse of Whitebeard.

Ever since the Revolutionary Army subtly took advantage of Whitebeard last time, even if Leon wanted to shamelessly see Whitebeard again, it would have to be Whitebeard's consent.

"Ace, something's wrong! This is a flag bearing the banner of Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors!" Two people immediately screamed.

Just because Li Ang can remain calm doesn't mean others can. Upon entering the New World, he found Whitebeard calmly sniping him; not many people can remain composed.

"Who is Whitebeard?" Ace asked curiously.

Of course, Ace is an exception. He and Luffy have never been afraid of anyone except Garp's iron fist. They don't even know who the Four Emperors are. But he's also curious who could scare his group of companions like this.

At this moment, someone immediately explained: "Whitebeard is one of the four Emperors of the Sea in the New World. Their power is at the pinnacle of the world, and Whitebeard is known as the strongest man."

"Oh, is that so? What do you think, Li Ang?" Although someone had explained it to him, his expression showed that he hadn't grasped the terror of the white beard at all.

Li Ang shrugged and said, "They are indeed terrifying. After all, the Four Emperors are the closest to becoming the Pirate King. They are only one step away. You could say they are the most terrifying competitors on the road to becoming the Pirate King."

Although that's what Li Ang said, Ace and the others didn't find Li Ang's calm demeanor convincing at all; in fact, it inspired Ace's fighting spirit.

Li Ang, clearly enjoying the drama, was fanning the flames for Ace. Mentioning One Piece instantly ignited Ace's fighting spirit. Moreover, he knew that unless they directly clashed with Whitebeard, Whitebeard and his crew wouldn't go all out against the Spade Pirates.

If things really get serious, you'll see how timid Li Ang is. He can quickly send a distress signal to the revolutionary army and then run as fast as he can.

At that moment, Whitebeard stood up from his throne, walked to the bow of the ship, and shouted to Ace and his crew below, "Which one of you is Ace?"

That's right, it was shouted downwards. Ace's ship wasn't small, carrying dozens of people, but it wasn't even half the height of Whitebeard's flagship, the Moby Dick. Put together, it looked like a small child.

Of course, Whitebeard wasn't the only one to appear; several captains stood behind him, and Marco's pineapple-shaped haircut was as eye-catching as ever. Captains from other ships also stepped forward, standing at the bow to confront Ace's ship.

If an ordinary person saw this scene, they would be so scared they would wet their pants. Most of the Spade Pirates weren't much better off; Li Ang saw many of them trembling, and it was a miracle they didn't collapse.

Ace heard someone call his name, looked up, and saw the tall figure of the white-bearded man standing in the sunlight, his imposing shadow cast directly onto Ace's ship.

Emma, ​​Li Ang almost suspected that the positioning was designed. How could the lighting and shadows just happen to highlight Whitebeard's power? And it just happened to only project Whitebeard's upper body. The captains, who were not tall enough, did not receive this treatment.

Such a scene allows one to determine the winner even before the battle begins.

However, Ace was not so easily intimidated. Upon hearing Whitebeard's question, he immediately stepped out from the crowd and stood at the bow of the ship, raising his head and shouting to Whitebeard, "I am Ace, the man who will become the Pirate King!"

"Gurarara, very good." The white-bearded man laughed, "I knew I hadn't misjudged you, you look just like the person in the photo."

Li Ang's lips twitched slightly. "You've seen the photo, why are you asking?"

However, he immediately realized that Whitebeard's question was not what it seemed; he wanted to see if Ace's temperament and personality were as rumored. The result, of course, satisfied Whitebeard.

"What are you doing here? Want to fight?" The phrase "a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger" perfectly describes someone like Ace.

"Fight?" Whitebeard was even more pleased with Ace. "That's right, I'm here to fight today."

Without further ado, Whitebeard swung his large naginata horizontally. A faint white energy appeared on the naginata, and as Whitebeard swung it, a strong sense of oppression pressed down on the crowd below.

The weaker crew members were directly pressed to the ground by the vibrations transmitted through the air.

Li Ang, being the first to be hit and the primary target of Whitebeard's attack, was completely bewildered and sent flying, nearly breaking the mast in his descent.

Well, it wasn't Ace who was the first target of Whitebeard's attack. Instead, it was Leon, the sideline observer who was just there to watch, who got hit by Whitebeard's attack. If he hadn't reacted quickly and crossed his arms in front of his chest to block it with Armament Haki, he probably would have suffered internal injuries from the impact.

The others were merely affected by the aftershocks of Whitebeard's attack and were already lying on the ground, unable to move, which shows how severe the blow Li Ang took.

This is all wrong! They were talking about taking Ace as their son, but why are they targeting me now?

When Ace saw Leon fly out, he called out with concern, "Leon!"

It seems Ace really has his eye on Leon. Although Leon hasn't joined his pirate crew, he already considers him a half-commander. This touched Leon a little.

However, Li Ang didn't keep Ace worried for long. He quickly got up from the ground, grimacing, and said, "I'm fine." He wasn't injured, just a little sore.

Ace breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Leon was alright. Since Whitebeard had already made a move, it wouldn't be polite not to retaliate. Ace shouted, "Fire Fist!" and unleashed a ball of flame larger than his ship, which flew towards Whitebeard.

"Gurararara." Upon seeing this, the white-bearded man burst into laughter.

Every move Ace made—whether it was his concern for his comrades' safety or his fearless attacks against powerful enemies—made Whitebeard's impression of Ace grow increasingly positive. Ace was becoming more and more to his liking; he needed a son like that.

While laughing, he threw a punch, easily shattering Ace's attack into a pile of harmless sparks that then dissipated into the air.

"This guy is strong! And the others aren't weak either. Li Ang, do you have any good ideas?" Ace's expression turned serious when he saw his attack easily neutralized.

Ace had a smooth journey to the New World—okay, smooth sailing is a bit of an exaggeration, but even when he encountered powerful enemies, none reached the level of the Four Emperors. This time, however, Ace sensed that his path to becoming the Pirate King might be coming to an end.

Although Ace often asked Li Ang for help with various problems he couldn't handle, and Li Ang's performance gave Ace the illusion that he could do everything, Ace himself knew that this time, surrounded, Li Ang probably wouldn't be able to do anything either.

As expected, when Li Ang heard Ace's question, he could only shrug and helplessly say, "What can I do but fight?"

Li Ang was truly helpless; he was already trapped, surrounded by Whitebeard's premeditated plan. Even a god couldn't save him. However, even if Li Ang had a solution, he wouldn't tell Ace; he'd just be Whitebeard's son.