One Piece Gunslinger

"Heh, I am indeed on guard against this. But with your intelligence, you might be able to come up with other methods. You might even be able to find the patterns and loopholes in my foil."

"Not at all, Mr. Vista, you flatter me. The skill of this foil is so exquisite that it cannot be easily seen through." Li Ang quickly retorted.

I'm not bragging, but when it comes to the art of mutual flattery in business, no one in the world can rival him. Li Ang loves nothing more than post-war mutual praise.

However, this post-battle mutual flattery quickly came to an end. The reason was that someone interrupted their friendly exchange.

"Alright, alright. Vista, you go up first, I'll take care of the rest."

The speaker was Jozu, the third division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. After speaking, Jozu jumped off the ship.

What the heck? What do you mean by "the rest is up to me"? It looks like they're going to use a tag-team approach.

When Vista saw Joz come down, he didn't say much. He just left Li Ang with a "good luck" before returning to the flagship, the Moby Dick.

"Hey, who are you cheering for? Which side are you on?" Joz teased as Vista passed by. Vista just rolled his eyes at him and didn't answer.

Joz didn't care about this small problem and walked up to Li Ang in a few steps, saying, "Hehe, I didn't expect that even Vista would be defeated by you. But you'd better be careful, I'm even stronger than Vista."

Although Li Ang had anticipated this possibility, he still couldn't help but sigh and say, "I mean, do we really have to fight? Can't we just sit down and have a drink?"

As expected, Joz answered confidently, "Drinking is no problem. But a fight is a must. This is Dad's decision."

"Yeah, right, your old man means he has to beat me up today to be happy. The most willful pirate in the world, you can go compete with Kaido for number one before Luffy sets sail." Li Ang thought to himself, and at this moment he was already mentally spitting out a torrent of abuse on Whitebeard.

Well, there's nothing I can do. Since I'm destined to get beaten up today, I might as well give up and let Joz beat me up and be done with it.

Joz understood that this was a bit of a dilemma for Li Ang, and he could also see that Li Ang's morale was low. That drooping head perfectly reflected Li Ang's state of mind.

However, Joz had witnessed the previous battle between Leon and Vista and was itching to have a proper fight with Leon. He was unwilling to simply win when Leon was not motivated.

So when Joz saw that Li Ang wasn't very motivated, in order to avoid the battle ending so hastily, he suggested, "But don't worry, as long as you can beat me, I'll tell Dad. You've already defeated two of our captains in a row, so we won't have the nerve to fight back then."

Ah, that's exactly what I've been waiting for.

Who is Li Ang? He's a cunning guy, and a cunning guy with superb acting skills. His previous persona was just a facade. Heh heh, kid, you're still a bit green in this cutthroat entertainment industry.

However, Jozu's words did make some sense. After Vista's defeat, it would be a huge loss of face for Jozu to step up. If other captains continued to step up after Jozu, the Whitebeard Pirates would be ridiculed by the world.

However, Li Ang still had to maintain his acting skills, putting on an expression as if his fighting spirit had been rekindled, and said, "In that case, I have no choice but to go all out."

After Li Ang finished speaking, Sachi, the fourth squadron leader standing on the Moby Dick, turned around and called out, "Dad?"

It's estimated that they were seeking Whitebeard's opinion.

Not long after, Sachi turned around and said, "Dad agreed."

Now that Whitebeard has given his approval, the matter is considered closed. Li Ang can now proceed with his plans boldly.

"Wait a moment, I need to get ready. You don't mind, do you?" Li Ang asked.

“It’s alright. We just finished a fight, and I know you need some time to recover.” Joz readily agreed to Li Ang’s suggestion. In his opinion, it would be unfair to attack Li Ang while he was still tired.

However, even if Li Ang were given an hour, he wouldn't be able to return to his perfect condition before the fight with Vista. He would only be able to recover some stamina.

Despite the fact that Li Ang's preparations didn't take much time and were completed very easily.

The first step was to put away the shotgun and take out the TMP, which had hardly been used.

The second step was to remove the magazine and replace it with a magazine containing sea stone bullets.

The third step: "I'm ready, and I can start the war at any time."

In Li Ang's eyes, Joz was not as good as the previous Vista.

"You're all recovered already? I thought we'd have to wait until they finished fighting over there?" Joz was also a little surprised. Li Ang's so-called preparations were really just changing his gun. He was just about to find a place to sit down and wait for Li Ang to rest before coming over.

"Wait until they finish fighting over there?" Li Ang looked towards Ace's side; the two were still going back and forth. Little Ma, can't you step up a bit? At this rate, they're going to fight until nightfall.

"No, I think we should start now."

Actually, Li Ang really wanted to complain about the fight between Marco and Ace. He just had to get it off his chest; it was too uncomfortable to keep it bottled up.

Whitebeard had so many sons, yet he didn't care for treasure, power, or even One Piece. He must have been a trainer in his past life.

Ah, yes, it's the one you're thinking of, the Pokémon Trainer. He'd look even more like it if Whitebeard had a few Poké Balls hanging from his hands.

This operation by the Whitebeard Pirates can be seen as an attempt to subdue spirits. Whitebeard's sons are essentially spirits. Ace is like a rare spirit that Whitebeard took a liking to. His other adopted sons are spirits he had already subdued.

So how did Whitebeard manage to recruit Ace as his son? Of course, it was through battle.

The first step in capturing a Pokémon always begins with a battle.

What if a wild Ace appears? The decision is yours, Marco.

Marco, use Flame Charge! Ace's Ignite ability activated, absorbing the flames emitted by Marco and taking no damage.

Ace used the Flame Emperor technique! He unleashed his own flames along with Marco's flames, but with little effect.

Then Marco used a flying kick, hitting a vital spot...

If we were to describe a battle between the two, it would probably go something like this.

The two fought for two hundred rounds before a winner was finally decided, with Marco bringing Ace to near-death. The remaining tasks weren't easy either; they still had to put Ace in a Poké Ball (tied up with a rope) and bring him back to the ship, then treat him.

Of course, Ace definitely didn't like Whitebeard. As soon as his injuries healed a bit, he was bound to rebel. All Pokémon are like that; their initial affinity is usually low. They not only ignore their trainers but also oppose them, and some even try to escape.

After that, there were various episodes where Ace ambushed Whitebeard.

As time went by, the two gradually came to understand each other. This essentially built up the bond between Whitebeard and Ace. Ace also came to acknowledge his father. In the end, the two formed a bond and worked together to become the champion (the Pirate King).

This is really a Pokémon story! Whitebeard's exploits could fill a book like "Pokémon: I Have Many Sons".

As for the rest of the battlefield, after surveying the area, Li Ang concluded that it was mostly over, with most of the Spade Pirates members already bound by ropes. Many had also noticed that the Whitebeard Pirates' ambush wasn't truly intended to kill Ace and the others; they hadn't used any lethal attacks.

Li Ang's previous battle also ended peacefully, with neither side causing any unpleasantness; it was practically a friendly exchange of blows.

So the Spade Pirates remembered the rumors about Whitebeard and finally realized that Whitebeard had taken a liking to their captain. Since that was the case, they decided to go with the flow, feign defeat, and hastily end the battle. They would be happy if Ace joined the Whitebeard Pirates.

Therefore, the Whitebeard Pirates were the winners in this conflict, as they absorbed the Spade Pirates and Ace. Ace was also a winner, as he found a father figure who could fill the void of paternal love he had lacked for many years.

"So I'm the only one who got beaten up and didn't get any benefits!" Li Ang finally realized the problem at this moment.

Chapter 321 The Previous Lesson

Well, actually, Li Ang didn't come away empty-handed; just being able to meet Whitebeard was a benefit in itself. Originally, Li Ang went to all this trouble to arrange this chance encounter with Whitebeard, just to act as an intermediary.

To some extent, Li Ang's persuasive abilities were indeed very strong, but he also needed the opportunity to do so. If he was simply turned away, then even if Li Ang had extraordinary abilities, it would be useless. The other party would simply dismiss him with a "I won't listen."

Therefore, Jozu, the Diamond Man, is the last obstacle standing between Leon and Whitebeard. Only by defeating these captains can Leon gain Whitebeard's respect and barely earn the right to speak to him as an equal.

Alas, circumstances are beyond one's control; when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Since he's already here, Li Ang can only follow the rules set by the white-bearded man and go along with his preferences.

Although Joz was surprised that Li Ang did not get much rest, since Li Ang said he was ready and could start now, he had no reason to refuse.

Half of Jozu's body had turned into diamonds, and his aura suddenly surged. It seemed he had mustered his fighting spirit and was determined to give the Revolutionary Army's chief of staff a good beating.

"Hehe, if it were an ordinary sniper, they would have given up hope when they encountered my tough body. I wonder what you're thinking now," Joz said with a smug smile.

Jozu certainly has reason to be proud. Forget about snipers, Jozu's ability is a nightmare for any physical attack. Diamond, as the hardest naturally occurring material, is extremely difficult for anyone to harm with slashing, piercing, impacting, or blunt force techniques.

Not to mention, Jozu also possesses Armament Haki, making his physical attack and defense practically off the charts. In the Whitebeard Pirates, only Whitebeard himself, and Marco and Ace (who can use fire for energy attacks), could actually harm Jozu. Therefore, Jozu truly deserves the title of Third Division Commander.

With such an abnormal level of defense, Jozu was able to withstand even the first swordsman Mihawk's slash without taking any damage. Although Hawkeye didn't use his full strength that time either.

As for the sniper, only despair could describe his situation. The sniper's entire skill lay in his rifle, but as Jozu realized, there was simply no firearm in the world capable of harming him. The technology to damage diamonds with firearms was still centuries ahead.

If there is no firearm in the world that can harm Joz, then no sniper is his match.

However, Li Ang remained noncommittal about Joz's words. Even if what he said was true, Li Ang could not break the diamond even with the butterfly unless the butterfly was upgraded to the maximum level.

However, Li Ang was not facing a natural diamond; Jozu still had weaknesses.

Li Ang pointed the TMP at Joz's angular, sparkling diamond-like body and said, "Joz, if you think no gunman can hurt you, you're sorely mistaken. To avoid losing your life in the future, thank me for the lesson I'm giving you today."

After saying that, Li Ang pulled the trigger on Joz's body.

Facing the muzzle of Li Ang's gun, which was spitting fire, Joz wore a disdainful expression. Although he had never seen this strange weapon before, Joz was still somewhat unconvinced after hearing Li Ang's words.

"Give me a lesson? Are you kidding me?" Joz thought disdainfully.

So Jozu didn't even use Armament Haki, just stood there motionless, waiting to see Li Ang's expression after he deflected the bullet.

However, Joz's confidence was quickly shattered by a barrage of Seastone bullets fired by Leon.

"Clang clang clang clang, puff puff puff puff."

Indeed, the first few bullets were deflected the moment they touched Jozu's body. But these deflected bullets weren't entirely useless. Seastone can be more effective than the ocean at times, and when it encounters a Devil Fruit user, it can even seal their Devil Fruit abilities.

Although the blocking ability happened in an instant, there was still a little bit of time for Joz's diamond body to dissipate. So the first few bullets bounced off Joz's body, and the later bullets were able to penetrate Joz's chest unimpeded, splattering a few clusters of blood.

Upon seeing that Joz had been shot, Li Ang immediately stopped firing, raised the TMP to shoulder height with one hand, pointed the muzzle upwards, letting the smoke slowly drift upwards, and calmly said, "Alright, you guys take him back and get him treated."

And so, to everyone's disbelief, Joz clutched his chest and slowly knelt down.

Everything happened so fast that even the commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates didn't know what had happened or how it could end so quickly. The dignified third division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates was instantly killed by a gunman.

“This is… Seastone…” Jozu said with difficulty, kneeling on the ground.

“That’s right, these are sea stone bullets.” Li Ang shook the TMP in his hand and nodded in acknowledgment.

What?! It's actually a sea stone bullet?

It was only then that the captains realized how high-tech the thing in Li Ang's hand was. At the same time, they felt sorry for Jozu's defeat. Losing due to carelessness was too frustrating. If they had known that Li Ang had fired a Seastone bullet, Jozu wouldn't have stood there dumbfounded. Even if Jozu had used Haki, things wouldn't have turned out this way.

However, on the other hand, not only Joz himself, but none of them expected that Leon would have seastone bullets. This was the first time they had learned from Leon that seastone could be made into bullets.

This stems from the properties of Seastone. Because it is extremely hard and unlike steel, it cannot be melted at high temperatures and then cast, making the processing of Seastone incredibly difficult. If it weren't for the system, even if Li Ang had the idea, he wouldn't have been able to produce this material. Even the World Government is still in the research phase.

Four years later, Zephyr didn't have Seastone bullets, and even then, he had to use a special firearm to fire them. Otherwise, why would Zephyr have a Gatling gun and an extra pistol that looks like a revolver?

This shows that the technology is still quite immature; it's not yet possible to make ordinary bullets or mass-produce them. It's clear that four years ago, this technology might not have even been developed yet, and only some relevant personnel in the World Government knew that such a powerful weapon targeting ability users was being researched.

Regardless, Jozu's defeat is a defeat, and the result remains the same; everyone can only accept it. Having Seastone bullets is someone else's skill, just like in a swordsman's fight, you can't say someone wins because their sword is better. If you're so capable, go find a Supreme Grade Sword yourself.

Moreover, Jozu himself didn't seem to mind. Before being carried away by the others, he generously said, "I'll remember this lesson and be careful with Seastone bullets in the future."

After Jozu was carried away, Leon put away his great hero TMP and could finally sit aside and watch the battle between Ace and Marco from the sidelines.

Although, in retrospect, Li Ang's victory was remarkably easy—ending the battle in two seconds with a flick of his finger—the real battlefield lay in his mind. His ability to defeat Joz with a mere flick of his finger was the result of his brain cells working at full power.

First of all, there are specific considerations when it comes to the selection of firearms.

TMP Leon is not commonly used and has a lot of drawbacks, especially its power, but its advantages are undeniable.

First of all, the TMP's power is lacking, being the lowest among all of Leon's weapons. This is indeed a drawback, but in this situation, it becomes an advantage. After all, Leon isn't here to settle scores with the Whitebeard Pirates. If he accidentally kills Jozu or inflicts permanent, irreparable injuries, then Leon will have no choice but to slink away.