One Piece Gunslinger

Whitebeard was right; most people thought the same way. The Great Pirate Era was named after the pirates, so the main characters were the pirates, and everyone else was just a supporting character.

Of course, Li Ang couldn't deny this either; compared to Whitebeard, he had more information. This was the world of One Piece, the title itself indicated that the protagonist was, of course, a pirate. At least in this era, the protagonist had to be a pirate.

However, there was one point in Whitebeard's words that Li Ang disagreed with, and this was Li Ang's only breakthrough point. It was also the most crucial and core point to persuade Whitebeard.

Li Ang waited quietly for a while without saying a word. Only after the continuous chants of "Long live the old man" subsided a little did he begin his performance.

The atmosphere immediately shifted as soon as Li Ang opened his mouth: "I originally thought that Edward Newgate, as one of the Four Emperors and Roger's most formidable rival, would have profound insights on this issue in front of these thousands of crew members. I didn't expect him to utter such simplistic words that are no different from those of an ordinary pirate."

Leon had completely disregarded the feelings of the Whitebeard Pirates and Whitebeard's anger, bluntly stating what he wanted to say.

To achieve your goal, you can't back down; you have to fight head-on. The saying "the brave win when paths cross" actually means that the victor knows when to be brave and when to back down.

After Li Ang finished speaking, Whitebeard's expression changed. Marco reacted quickly, rushing forward as if to teach Li Ang a lesson for his arrogant and ignorant brat.

"Stop!" Fortunately, Whitebeard stopped Marco, otherwise Leon wouldn't have been confident he could withstand two of Marco's attacks.

"What are your different opinions?"

Facing a fist that nearly landed on him and Whitebeard's questioning, Li Ang appeared calm as a rock, but was actually panicking. For the sake of his own life, he still said with neither arrogance nor servility, "Pirates are the main characters? The World Government, the Revolutionary Army, and other countries are merely supporting characters? Yes, this is a turbulent era, a great pirate age where pirates swarm forth. But there's nothing to say about that; it's still an axiom, even ordinary small-time pirates know this principle."

Romance? Freedom? Every pirate has their own way of life. While most pirates are far removed from true romance and freedom, this description truly applies to the Whitebeard Pirates.

At this point, Li Ang paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts or giving everyone time to think.

"If that's the case, what's the point of all this talk? After all this rambling, it's still the same thing, isn't it?" Many people already had this thought in mind when Li Ang mentioned this. Li Ang was simply putting the white-bearded man's words in a different way.

However, these were all ordinary people. Whitebeard, some of the more famous captains, and Teach all understood that Leon wouldn't speak without reason; there was more to come. They were all waiting for a turning point.

"However……"

Yes, here comes the turning point: "However, there is one very important point that I do not agree with. Is the Great Pirate Era the Golden Age of pirates? The best era for pirates? That's a joke. It's not that there are many pirates that make it a Golden Age. The so-called Golden Age should be the era of Roger. After Roger died, the Golden Age ceased to exist."

Chapter 326 The Age of Alchemy!

Li Ang's words surprised everyone. No one expected him to attack from such a point. Was there really a problem?

Not only do they exist, but the problems are quite significant.

"Are you serious, Leon?" Joz couldn't help but step in at this moment, saying, "Are you out of your mind? This is an axiom that the whole world agrees on."

Everyone else looked at Li Ang with strange eyes, it seemed that no one agreed with what Li Ang said. If it was said by a fool, then there was really no need to take it to heart.

However, Li Ang was not a fool, but a madman, a madman ahead of his time. Moreover, Li Ang was an experienced madman. After spending several years with normal people, he had also mastered the ability to make ordinary people understand his mad ramblings to a certain extent.

In summary, it's about contradicting others and giving examples.

Facing the others' disdainful looks, Li Ang said scornfully, "Truth is often in the hands of a minority, because the majority are ignorant."

Hey, that's really asking for trouble. Isn't that basically saying everyone here is an idiot? If it weren't for Whitebeard and the other captains stopping him, Li Ang would have been overwhelmed by the angry crowd by now.

However, Whitebeard and the other captains weren't acting out of kindness; they saw Li Ang's confident demeanor and wanted to know how he was going to continue arguing.

This is the purpose of contradicting others: to stimulate the audience's attention. Only when the audience listens attentively can the subsequent content be easily understood.

"Thank you all for giving me a chance to explain." Li Ang bowed in return and began his speech. He believed that these words would gradually spread from Whitebeard and eventually become a resounding theory influencing pirates worldwide.

"As I mentioned before, I have discussed this issue with many people, not only the Revolutionary Army, but also ordinary people, the King, the Navy, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and even the father of one of the Four Emperors. Everyone has a different perspective and their views differ to some extent. But the core content is pretty much the same, which is what you think it is, so I won't repeat it here."

Then I'll share my own perspective and insights, based on my observations and experiences, as well as those of many others.

Twenty years have passed since the beginning of the Great Pirate Era, and in these short twenty years, the world has undergone earth-shattering changes.

Before the Great Pirate Era, during Roger's time, every pirate was a dreamer. Countless people, like the old man, set sail to become free pirates for various reasons.

Twenty years later, the term "pirate" carries more connotations of the get-rich-quick fantasies of outlaws; it represents the scum and trash of the high seas; it symbolizes the evil that everyone wants to devour; and it represents the so-called supremacy of strength, where whoever is the strongest in a fight is right.

They act with impunity, cruelly harming living beings, playing hide-and-seek on the sea and in the navy, plundering the wealth and lives of the weak, and spreading fear and misfortune.

Twenty years later, the scene that countless pirates had hoped for had arrived; it had finally become a common phenomenon in the world, and even the troublesome Navy had to yield to powerful pirates. But now, this pirate, accepted by the world, has a face we've never seen before.

Hearing this, Whitebeard and Teach, who were veterans of the industry, felt the most emotional. Yes, compared to twenty years ago, the status of pirates has indeed improved, and more people have embarked on the path of freedom as pirates. But is this really what we hoped for back then?

Li Ang paused deliberately here, giving the others some time to think. Only after they had taken the information to heart could he proceed with his next example.

"Looking back at that era, there were many outstanding figures in both the pirate and marine communities. There was Roger, the Pirate King revered by all pirates; Father, who set sail not for fame or fortune, but to build a family; Zephyr, the 'Never-Killing' who imprisoned countless pirates and never killed a single one; Garp, who could have been an admiral but chose to pursue freedom and refused the position despite being a Marine. And so on—many heroic figures, now we can say..."

They are all a minority group that is incomprehensible to others.

Faced with the current crop of pirates who sail the seas solely for fame and fortune, pirates who only know how to plunder, burn, and kill for a life of pleasure; and the resulting influx of people who join the Navy seeking revenge by killing pirates; and the Navy's willingness to exterminate pirates even at the expense of innocents, all in the name of completing missions and climbing the ranks of power; in the eyes of these people, the old hero, like "Old Man," is simply "stubborn and inflexible."

"Yes, what do you think I am? Just an old-fashioned man." The white-bearded man listened with deep feeling and sat down in his chair, laughing weakly at himself. "A while ago, the old lady wanted one of her daughters to marry me, talking about forming an alliance. Heh, only an old man like me would refuse outright. What a stubborn old man."

"Dad, don't think of me like that." Marco had never seen Whitebeard so dejected. Even when he was on an IV drip, Whitebeard was always full of energy.

Joz panicked and quickly said, "Don't listen to him. You'll always be the greatest dad in our hearts."

Whitebeard waved his hand: "You don't need to worry about me, I'm fine. He's right, we pirates don't see things as clearly as young friend Li Ang. It's the pirates who have changed."

However, Li Ang said at this moment, "Pirates have changed? On the surface, that seems to be the case. But I believe that as long as the pirate spirit of pursuing freedom and adventure remains unchanged, then pirates haven't changed. Isn't someone like Ace a strong piece of evidence?"

I believe the spirit of pirates still exists, and young people haven't all become radical and utilitarian. What has changed is this corrupt world...

No, this world has always been corrupt. In fact, this corrupt world, after corrupting other things, has now set its sights on pirates who pursue freedom.

After twenty years of dedicated effort in gathering Nobunaga's crew, he became one of the Four Emperors, a figure whose mere presence could shake the world, standing at the pinnacle of power. However, some people always seem to have an easier way, effortlessly becoming one of the Four Emperors within a year or two, amassing a large crew.

Li Ang seems to be referring to Kaido's violent empire, which he rapidly built by suppressing his subordinates through force and strength. He's also implicitly referring to Blackbeard Teach, who, through various schemes, became one of the Four Emperors shortly after Whitebeard's death.

“If things continue to develop at this rate, by the time we old folks are all buried, then…” If Li Ang is right, then Whitebeard is worried that pirates will really become nothing more than sea bandits in the future.

Li Ang understood Whitebeard's worries and shook his head, saying, "Don't worry, Father. Although the situation is already very bad, it's alright. History tells us that a world that is decaying will not last long."

Even if the world government has ruled this world for eight hundred years by concealing that one hundred years of history, it can only slow down the process. Eventually, a new order will replace it, and this world will be reborn from corruption.

In this unique historical period, more and more people will discover that this world is truly accelerating corruption. Ultimately, everyone, whether willingly or unwillingly, will join the fight against it, unless they have already become part of it, a component of corruption and darkness.

There's something else Li Ang didn't say, but that's a matter for the future. And so, naturally, under the wheels of history, the Straw Hat Pirates, following in Roger's footsteps, and other pirates who truly inherited the spirit of free adventure would emerge.

Whitebeard, hearing this, felt that the matter was nearing its end and was just waiting for Li Ang to give his final conclusion.

"Alright, since that's the case, the theory of the 'Golden Age' has now been completely overturned. I believe everyone shares this view. But I have to ask you, how do you ultimately define this era? And how do you define us pirates?"

Li Ang turned around, his back to Whitebeard, and said to the thousands of crew members: "So my view is that the current Great Pirate Era is actually a turbulent period, but one that is bound to be difficult."

The devil used wealth and power to muddy the waters, but he also got himself involved. Darkness corrupted the world, but it also made more people see the true nature of the world, gradually drawing everyone in.

I believe that Roger started the Great Pirate Era at the end of his life in order to accelerate this process and to allow the new world to be reborn from decay as soon as possible.

Thanks to the efforts of the entire world, this evil will ultimately reap what it sows and pay the price for its actions. At that time, the truly excellent and those with strong beliefs will be recognized, while the corrupt elements will be thoroughly purged.

If the best of times was the Golden Age, then now is the age of alchemy, where gold ore is mixed with impurities and thrown into a giant blast furnace to melt them together. In this process, the impurities are removed, and only then is the gold refined.

This is not only true for pirates, but also for all of humanity, and even other races, in this age of alchemy.

Even if many people pursue profit in this corrupt world, there will be even more people pursuing their hearts here.

And we…

"And you are the first to awaken and pursue your true selves, the revolutionary army tasked with eliminating impurities and leaving behind gold in this alchemical age," Whitebeard said with a slight smile. "Is that what you ultimately wanted to express?"

Chapter 327 The Continuation of the Dream

“That’s right, that’s exactly what I meant.” Li Ang readily admitted.

Now that the goal has been achieved, everything that needed to be said has been said, and everything that needed to be conveyed has been conveyed, there is naturally no need to hide anything anymore.

"Gurararara." Whitebeard laughed loudly, "Well said, well said! What a fine alchemical age, what a fine revolutionary army. Now I, your old man, must apologize for my previous prejudice."

I used to think the Revolutionary Army was just a group of people who opposed the World Government. Now I'm going to change my mind. The Revolutionary Army is actually fighting against this increasingly corrupt world, which is something no one else can match.

And after your explanation, I understand why people always say that heroes emerge in times of chaos. It's because chaotic times are like a furnace, and naturally, only in such an alchemical era can heroes be selected from among millions of ordinary people.

Emma, ​​despite being flattered by Whitebeard, Leon remained unfazed and calmly asked, "In that case, what is the Whitebeard Pirates' choice?"

This was Li Ang's goal. If his previous words could persuade Whitebeard and the others, and convince them of his theory, then according to that theory, in this era, no one can remain unaffected; they must either become impurities or become a gold mine. The choice would then be easy.

If, despite his efforts, Li Ang is ultimately unable to explain his ahead-of-his-time theories in a simple and easy-to-understand way, then this mission will have failed.

Fortunately, Li Ang's last question was just a formality, and the result was already obvious. If Whitebeard and the others hadn't understood Li Ang's words, they would be crawling on the ground by now.

"Gulalalala. Is there even a need to ask?"

Whitebeard rose from his chair again, clenched his fist, and slammed it into the sky. Li Ang could even hear a series of explosions in the air, and the dark clouds that had been obscuring the bright moon were blasted apart.

"None of my white-bearded sons are cowards; they're all gold mines!"

After Whitebeard finished speaking, his many adopted sons jumped up and agreed that it was only natural. If they couldn't become gold, they might as well perish in this furnace.

Then, Whitebeard picked up a wine glass that was about half the size of Li Ang's body and clinked it against the normal-sized wine glass in Li Ang's hand: "Today, I, Whitebeard, will toast you, and also toast you who were the first to wake up, to thank you for waking us up after you woke up."

After saying that, Whitebeard took the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Li Ang immediately followed the white-bearded man's words, saying, "A toast to all the gold in the world." Then he downed his drink in one gulp.

“Well said, Brother Li Ang.” Marco stepped forward at this moment. “I’d like to toast you as well, and also apologize for my previous behavior.”

"Okay!" Li Ang poured another glass, and he and Marco drank together.

Then Li Ang saw Joz standing behind Marco, and the others gradually surrounding him. His expression changed slightly, realizing that things were getting out of control: "Are they trying to get me drunk one by one?"

Li Ang was right; the rest of the time was spent getting Li Ang drunk. For the first time, Li Ang hated his own good physique, having drunk over a hundred cups before collapsing – it was truly agonizing.

It seems that while the death penalty may be avoided, punishment is inevitable. He will have to crawl down as he is destined for this calamity; there is no escaping it.

This was also the first time in history that the Whitebeard Pirates did not center the banquet around their father, but instead revolved around Leon to drive the event.

As everyone vied to toast Li Ang, Teach, who was standing at the back, also silently offered a toast, but not to Li Ang, but to this era.

"The Alchemy Age? Heh heh heh, that's true. But what is gold ore? And what are impurities? That's for the victors to decide. Let me raise a glass to such an Alchemy Age."

Teach naturally admired his teammate Li Ang immensely. Previously, Teach had thought Li Ang was just boasting and talking nonsense while sitting next to him, but now that Li Ang had accomplished it, Teach realized that if Li Ang could do something so impossible, then obtaining the Dark-Dark Fruit wasn't such an unrealistic dream after all.

Well, Li Ang indirectly encouraged Blackbeard, and Li Ang also played a part in Blackbeard's later defection.

Putting aside right and wrong, likes and dislikes, good and evil, Blackbeard Teach truly was a successful dreamer. He endured over twenty years of lurking and patience, all for that one moment. And after escaping the Whitebeard Pirates, Blackbeard even inspired the Straw Hat crew in Mog Town below Skypiea, loudly proclaiming his innermost thoughts—"A person's dream never ends!"

Dream chasers may be enemies, but they are definitely people who understand each other. One dream chaser can inspire another dream chaser regardless of their position or identity.

……

The next day, Li Ang, who was completely drunk, slowly woke up when the sun was high in the sky.

"Xi Ba, don't let me see these banquets again. I'll avoid them every time. Why am I so popular? They always target me." Li Ang rubbed his forehead, making up his mind. However, he didn't remember that he had thought the same thing when he was drunk at the last banquet.