One Piece Gunslinger

So Li Ang decided to take the initiative and unleash a barrage of shotgun blasts to observe Vista's foil technique. If he could find a pattern, that would be ideal.

Then the sounds of "bang, click" and "bang, click" echoed again on the ship. While firing, the gunner quickly pulled back the handguard to eject the empty cartridge cases.

The last time Li Ang did this, Van der Deiken's men were utterly routed. This time, however, Vista easily dodged most of the stray bullets. Nevertheless, quite a few still struck him.

Unfortunately, due to the distance, the shotgun shells that hit Vista were unlikely to cause any significant damage. This was beyond the range where a shotgun could inflict substantial damage, and Vista could easily withstand it using Armament Haki.

Vista didn't rush forward, instead circling around Leon, outside the powerful lethality of the shotgun. The gun would eventually run out of bullets, and then Leon would be a toothless tiger.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before Li Ang stopped firing. It wasn't that he was out of bullets, but almost; he only had one left.

It wasn't that Li Ang had figured out Vista's foil technique and felt confident of victory. Rather, he had to stop this action.

Li Ang understood that he couldn't afford to waste this last bullet; Vista wouldn't give him time to reload.

As for switching guns? No matter what gun you switch to, it's not really suitable. Agile firearms, like pistols and TMPs, lack sufficient power; Vista could easily withstand several bullets and pose little threat. Powerful sniper rifles and the Butterfly rifle aren't agile enough to target an agile fighter like Vista at such close range.

Therefore, this last bullet can be considered Li Ang's final offensive move. As for other techniques, such as karate, they could injure Vista, but not defeat him instantly; the required skill level wasn't high enough to deliver a decisive blow.

A protracted war is not Li Ang's forte.

Since he couldn't see through Vista's swordsmanship in a short time, and wanted to end the battle quickly and secure victory, Li Ang had no choice but to get serious and show his true strength.

Yes, Li Ang hasn't even used his full strength yet.

He had originally planned to hold back, but if he didn't reveal his strength, he figured he was in for a beating. Faced with the choice between getting a beating and exposing his power, Li Ang decisively and shamelessly chose the latter.

"Out of bullets?" Vista asked after noticing that Leon had stopped firing.

“No,” Li Ang answered truthfully, “there is still one bullet left.”

“Heh, you’re quite interesting to tell me this,” Vista chuckled.

Li Ang shook his head: "No, I've already decided to use all my strength, so this last bullet is enough."

"So you're telling me this to warn me to be careful?" Vista frowned, realizing that things weren't so simple.

Li Ang didn't seem to be lying, but he didn't really believe Li Ang had any hidden strength. Judging from Li Ang's actions, he had already used his full strength from the start. Domineering aura, physical skills—he used everything. He shouldn't be holding back at all.

Li Ang actually knows a little swordsmanship, but it's no match for the great swordsman Vista. His skills would only make him a laughingstock and are utterly useless.

So, is it a more powerful firearm? No, that's not the point. Even if it's powerful, it still has to be able to hit the target.

The biggest problem Leon is facing right now is the sword technique of Vista that can interfere with the senses and Observation Haki. If he can't solve this problem, then Leon will only face defeat.

Conversely, if this problem can be solved, then nothing else matters, and the outcome will be a victory for Li Ang.

Thinking of this, Vista asked, "Do you have a way to break my sword technique?"

Li Ang spread his hands, shook his head, and said, "No."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Not only Vista thought so, but the captains watching from the ship all had the same thought in their minds.

But Li Ang's next words roused Vista: "However, I can prevent you from using your sword skills."

Chapter 319 Indiscriminate Attack

Ultimately, it all comes down to Li Ang's lack of combat prowess and insufficient strength. Otherwise, Li Ang wouldn't be struggling to see through Vista's foil sword techniques.

Having made up his mind to defeat Vista with all his might, Li Ang decided not to bother with Vista's sword techniques. Let him be strong, the breeze still caresses the mountain.

Then, Leon did something that Vista hadn't expected: he charged at him with his gun, as if a gunman was ready for close combat.

Although he didn't know what Leon was planning, Vista, as a swordsman, had no reason to be unhappy. Since Leon wanted to fight in close combat, he would accompany him to the end.

Vista then assumed a fighting stance, imbuing his twin swords with Armament Haki, and some flower petals appeared around him again, preparing to deliver a head-on blow to Leon.

Leon showed no fear, as if what awaited him was not swords but sponges. Using this momentum, Leon spun 360 degrees and kicked towards the direction where Vista was standing.

"Five thousand tiles, roundhouse kick."

In reality, only the fight between Ace and Leon could attract the attention of the other spectating captains on this battlefield; the other soldiers were completely irrelevant. They just needed to be careful not to cause any deaths.

Compared to Ace's battle with his two opponents, which consisted of various energy attacks and cheap special effects, and was essentially a battle of fireballs with no substance, the fight between the swordsman and the gunslinger on Li Ang's side was more skillful and more visually appealing.

Vista's moves were a headache even for captains ranked higher than him. However, Marco's Phoenix and Jozu's Diamond Dust were both thuggish abilities. Even if Vista interfered with their senses, it wasn't a big deal. Vista couldn't do anything to them anyway, and in the end, he was defeated by these two thugs in a prolonged battle.

However, Li Ang lacked the thuggish skills necessary for prolonged battles. As a gunman, he was ill-suited for prolonged engagements, often encountering fights that ended with a few shots fired, a fight to the death. Therefore, gunmen often placed even greater emphasis on technique than swordsmen.

So most of the captains' attention was focused on the fight between Leon and Vista. Watch these two masters of skill engage in a quick and exciting battle.

Naturally, everyone saw Li Ang's inexplicable spinning kick. They were surprised that Li Ang knew Fishman Karate and had reached an astonishing 5,000 watts level, while at the same time wondering why Li Ang had made such a move.

Anyone with a modicum of common sense knows that in a fight between fists and feet and swords, the fists and feet will always be at a disadvantage, unless the person using fists and feet has stronger Armament Haki than the person using swords.

So, is Leon stronger than Vista in terms of Armament Haki? Of course not. As the fifth division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Vista's Haki is not to be underestimated.

This is one example of Li Ang using his own weaknesses to attack others' strengths.

Secondly, Leon clearly knew that Vista's flower sword skills would interfere with the senses and Haki judgment to some extent, and Vista had already taken a stance. No matter how you looked at it, Leon's attack was unlikely to hit.

What kind of move is this? He just kicked at thin air? Li Ang couldn't have been unaware of this, could he?

Third, what happened to the promise of having a way to stop Vista from using his swordsmanship? Are we going to do what Jozu and Marco did? Use wounds to create opportunities? Use your body to block Vista's sword and find an opening?

But Leon doesn't possess Jozu's defensive capabilities or Marco's regenerative abilities. To attempt this move would be suicidal; it's all or nothing, and even if successful, it would result in mutual destruction. Are all revolutionaries this reckless? Are they willing to risk their lives at the slightest provocation?

These three questions are basically the confusion that many team leaders have in mind.

However, the answer was soon revealed: Li Ang's kick did indeed hit thin air, but hitting thin air was precisely to show that Li Ang's plan had succeeded.

Li Ang's kick wasn't random; there was a specific technique involved.

As he kicked out, his right hand didn't release the shotgun with only one bullet left, and he even raised the muzzle. The muzzle of the shotgun was pointed directly at Li Ang's right side.

Vista's sword skills interfered with Leon's senses, but this interference was limited. Just like the technique Vista used last time, it caused Leon to receive the information a fraction of a second later than the actual situation.

So if, I mean if.

If Vista uses the same technique again, he will be able to sense Vista's true position when Leon kicks into the air.

Leon's right side has a shotgun, and if Vista uses that move to get to the right, he'll be hit by Leon's bullets. Therefore, Vista will only attack from Leon's left.

This posture is a calculated move, forcing Vista to come to Leon's left unless he's willing to give up the opportunity Leon has given him. Since it's a calculated move, Leon is certain that Vista won't let this opening slip by and will definitely return to Leon's left to defeat him.

Did Li Ang really come here just to be killed? Of course not.

Leon already had a flashbang pinned in his left hand. If Bisetta really attacked from the left, he would fall into Leon's trap.

The problem is that everything before was based on "what if".

There's no rule that says Biseta has to use the same sword move as before.

Bisetta has a wide variety of foil techniques. Although Li Ang's probing with a shotgun from a distance didn't reveal his foil skills, he did witness the diverse applications of the foil.

So, is Li Ang gambling? Is he betting that Vista will definitely use the previous sword technique?

Actually, that's not the case. Li Ang isn't a seasoned gambler like Fujitora, nor is he incredibly lucky. The reason Li Ang dared to do this is because he had already gathered enough information through probing and understood some of the characteristics.

Two points are important. First, no matter what move Vista uses, his true position is always close to the illusion. This kind of illusion created with a sword can never extend beyond the range of the sword itself.

Secondly, Bista's foil is not fast enough.

This speed is relative. If Vista didn't use foil techniques, simply swinging the sword would indeed be faster. But to create this illusion, compromises must be made on "speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness." This is inevitable; no technique can be perfect in every aspect.

"Accuracy and ruthlessness" are not important to Li Ang now; he only cares about speed. As long as Vista isn't fast enough, he'll have time to react. Just like when Vista attacked for the first time, even though Li Ang was confused, he managed to half-raise his leg to respond. Although he was still sent flying in the end, it was better than being directly hit.

Using these characteristics, Li Ang's little brain had already figured out that no matter what kind of moves Vista used, he could respond.

Li Ang's goal was to ensure that no matter what Vista did, the flashbang would hit Vista in the face at close range, catching him off guard.

After taking that flashbang, it was Li Ang's turn to take over.

However, Li Ang was lucky this time. Vista didn't cause any trouble and launched an attack from Li Ang's left side, following the first and simplest scenario.

"Good timing!"

This was like a godsend. Li Ang didn't need to come up with any new tricks; he simply spread his left hand, exposing the flashbang to the air.

Good children should not imitate this action. Although flashbangs are not hand grenades, they still have a certain power when they explode, and they also release intense heat and burn the skin. Li Ang only did this because he was protected by Armament Haki.

Although Vista didn't recognize flashbangs, he saw that Leon's left hand wasn't empty and knew that this thing was not to be trifled with. He quickly stopped his attack and retreated, while keeping a close eye on Leon's movements.

Staring intently at you is not enough; you should close your eyes at this point.

However, Li Ang wasn't about to kindly warn Vista, and besides, it was too late for him to do so now. Li Ang could only focus on himself and close his eyes the instant the flashbang exploded.

As mentioned before, everyone's attention was almost entirely focused on Leon's side. Many captains were watching Leon and Vista's battle intently, and naturally, they suffered the same fate as Vista.

A sudden burst of intense light blinded all the captains.

Holy crap!

These were the only words that came out of the mouths of all the captains who were caught off guard.

In addition, the burst of intense light also affected many soldiers in the battle, and the entire sky was illuminated in an instant. Even those who were not watching the battle saw the flash of light that shot into the sky.

Of course, many captains possess Observation Haki. Although their eyes were filled with a white light, their Observation Haki was still usable. Moreover, they had used Observation Haki more than their eyes and ears to observe the battle below. They could still continue to observe the battle.

However, Vista, who was closest to the flashbang, was not doing so well. Not only was he now blind, but he also lost his hearing. To make matters worse, his mind was not clear. With the pain in his brain, he could hardly stand up, let alone use Observation Haki.

Of course, Li Ang was also the victim closest to the flashbang. Under this indiscriminate attack that did not distinguish between friend and foe, he was also temporarily deafened by the shock.

But at least Li Ang had been protected from the bright light, although he was deaf and his head was buzzing, making him feel a bit uncomfortable. However, he quickly opened his eyes and struggled to raise the shotgun, which had only one bullet left.

He pointed the gun at Vista, who was still in a state of confusion, wondering "Who am I?" and "Where am I?" Then Leon slowly pulled the trigger.

"boom!"

"I won this time."

Chapter 320 Crossover

"I won this time."

Li Ang said this to Vista, but of course, he didn't actually aim the shot at Vista; instead, it went past him. The implication was that the two didn't have any deep-seated hatred, and there was no need to actually go all out.

The captains watching from the bow breathed a sigh of relief. When Leon raised his gun, Vista hadn't recovered yet, and his mind was a complete mess. He couldn't defend himself or use Armament Haki. If Leon had actually fired at Vista, given the power of that shotgun, he would have been severely injured, if not killed.

Not long after, Vista recovered quickly. Although he was still a little uncomfortable, it didn't prevent him from moving around normally.

"It seems I've already lost without even realizing it. The Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff is not only incredibly intelligent, but also very skilled in combat." Vista maintained his composure, looking at Leon who remained motionless in front of him. He had already realized that in that short time, if it had been a life-or-death battle, he would have died several times over.

"Not at all, this method only worked wonders the first time. I believe that if we did it again, I definitely wouldn't be your match," Li Ang said modestly, but it was true. After suffering a loss once, Li Ang probably wouldn't be able to achieve much better results with grenades, incendiary grenades, or flashbangs in the future.