One Piece Gunslinger

"Hmm, here it comes, the villain's standard line. All the protagonist needs to do now is spit on the villain." Karina was still making sarcastic remarks from the side.

However, the script didn't go as Karina had predicted. Bakara hesitated for less than a minute before nodding and agreeing to Leon's invitation. "Okay, I'll join you. I'll do whatever you say."

After all, Li Ang is not a villain, and Bakala is not a member of the main characters' team.

"Hey, what were you saying before? Even those trusted by Tesoro betrayed him so easily. I'm really curious now." Karina hadn't experienced the whole story; she only witnessed Leon's reckless actions at the end. "How could that even work?" she couldn't help but ask, filled with curiosity.

Since Karina had asked, and in order to avoid giving anything away during the subsequent cooperation, Li Ang recounted the previous operation to Karina.

Baccarat chose to join the Revolutionary Army for several reasons. First, she was not loyal enough to Tesoro. Tesoro did not have any extraordinary qualities that attracted her, nor did he move her with his life ideals; it was just a simple boss-employee relationship.

Secondly, there's the prevailing belief in Li Ang that Tezzolo's fate was already sealed and there's no chance of a comeback.

Thirdly, those who understand the times are wise.

However, these three points combined are what Li Ang is worried about, because these three conditions will continue to exist for some time. Even if Li Ang wants to cultivate loyalty, it will take some time.

Therefore, in Li Ang's view, Bakara might surrender to the Revolutionary Army today, but she might turn around and sell them out to the World Government tomorrow. After all, the Revolutionary Army is currently at a disadvantage in terms of strength compared to the World Government.

This is a ticking time bomb. Li Ang quickly prepared to deal with it.

"Ahem, although there's no formal ceremony, you've essentially joined the revolutionary army. In that case, according to tradition, I should give you a lesson," Li Ang said righteously.

"Attend class?"

This wasn't a question asked by the observer, but by Karina herself. What kind of tradition is this? I've never heard of such a bizarre tradition before. But judging from Bakara's bewildered expression yet again, she probably also wants to know what this is all about.

"Don't interrupt." Li Ang quickly changed the subject and said directly to Bakala, "Listen to me carefully. The saying that the strong get stronger and the weak get weaker doesn't apply in all situations. Things aren't simple, so don't apply everything to everything."

"What?! It's not that simple?"

Bakara had no idea what was going on today; she had never experienced more surprises and shocks in her entire life. The main thing was that every time Li Ang finished speaking, she felt he made a lot of sense.

It makes me feel like an ape, several levels below in intelligence, which is quite distressing.

Previously, Li Ang spent two hours playing with Bakara, doing only one thing: implanting this concept into Bakara's mind, making her believe it without a doubt. But now Li Ang is going to overturn it. This kind of worldview collapsing and rebuilding repeatedly in a short period of time is truly exciting.

However, if he overturns his previous theory, isn't Li Ang afraid that Baccarat will turn around and go back to Tezzolo's side?

So when Li Ang said that, Karina wanted to strangle him. Things were going so well, why did he have to cause trouble? He's a real troublemaker.

However, since Li Ang had already spoken, Karina could only trust that he could solve the problem.

“That’s right. In order to prevent you from misunderstanding and going astray, I must make this clear first. It’s not that simple,” Li Ang said seriously.

Chapter 342 The Weight of the Heart

Proving something is correct takes a lot of effort, but proving it is wrong only requires a counterexample.

So Li Ang used himself as an example: "If it's really that simple, then what's the point of our Revolutionary Army struggling? The final outcome is already predetermined, and the World Government will definitely be the winner."

When I first joined the Revolutionary Army, it was nothing more than an illegal armed group. The World Government could easily crush us. It's just that at that time, we hadn't yet caught the World Government's eye. Once they started to take us seriously, they could no longer crush us so easily.

Several years have passed since we came to the attention of the World Government. Yet, not only have we not been destroyed, but we have grown stronger. Now, we have even decided to launch a decisive battle against the World Government.

After saying this, Bakara's IQ seemed to be a bit lacking again. It made a lot of sense. What exactly went wrong?

Seeing this, Li Ang pressed his advantage, saying, "The strong get stronger and the weak get weaker, that's true in itself. But it's not just about strength, wealth, fame, power, and other things we're familiar with."

Besides the visible factors, the strengths and weaknesses of the Pu'an section also involve invisible or immeasurable forces, such as belief, will, spirit, and thought. There are many other factors as well.

Our initial conclusion did not take these immeasurable factors into account. However, the weaker individuals in those examples also lacked these factors. Therefore, the outcome was unaffected.

Especially that time when I refused to go to the VIP room. If I had agreed, it would have meant I lacked 'wisdom,' making me a weakling who deserved to fail. But with 'wisdom' added to the equation, I was no longer weak, which is why Tesoro failed to defeat me in that encounter.

Do you remember the two children I saw in the slums? Even if no one came to rescue them, I still believed they could escape their fate as slaves, even if it was because they had the belief and unwavering conviction of the strong.

Even if the dream of putting one's sculptures in an auction house doesn't come true, as long as one keeps that desire in mind, one can still achieve remarkable success in other areas.

The statement I told you before that the strong get stronger and the weak get weaker is not wrong. However, this seemingly simple principle is not as simple as you imagine. There are many unpredictable factors that affect the concept of "strength and weakness".

Do you understand now?

Li Ang went to great lengths to help Bakara develop the correct understanding: why are strong people strong, and how are they judged? These are all based on reason and evidence, and cannot be determined simply by glancing at them.

After Li Ang's explanation, anyone who wasn't mentally challenged could understand. Bakara then suddenly realized, "So, even though the Revolutionary Army isn't as strong as the World Government in terms of combat power right now, it's gradually growing stronger. The source of the Revolutionary Army's power isn't the army, but the mind, those immeasurable things. That's the lesson you wanted to teach me, isn't it?"

"Yes, he is a promising young man," Li Ang nodded slightly.

Karina, who was standing nearby, also heard what Leon said and touched her face somewhat awkwardly, saying, "I never knew the Revolutionary Army was so powerful. Now that you mention it, I suddenly feel like the World Government isn't a big deal at all."

If Bakara hadn't just been "brainwashed" by Leon here, Karina would have been more blunt: "How come you've managed to hype up the revolutionary army so much with your smooth talk? It seems a bit unreal."

However, Li Ang still gleaned this meaning from Karina's expression and actions. He gave Karina a blank look, as if to say, "Think what you want, it's not worth explaining. The Bible in this world is different from the one on Earth." Anyway, Li Ang felt that this explanation was quite appropriate.

For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

Actually, this statement doesn't appear out of nowhere in the Bible; it's introduced by a short story.

It is said that Christ divided the eight thousand pieces of silver into three portions according to the talents of his three servants: five thousand, two thousand, and one thousand. He then gave these portions to his three servants.

Much later, the one who was given 5,000 taels of silver returned with 10,000 taels, and the one who was given 2,000 taels of silver returned with 4,000 taels.

But the man who gave the thousand taels of silver didn't earn a single penny. He buried the silver in the ground and hid it away. He lived in constant fear, terrified of losing the silver and having no way to explain himself.

In the end, Christ allowed the first two men to keep their ten thousand and four thousand pieces of silver respectively, but took back the one thousand pieces of silver from the last man and gave it to the first man. This was as a reward and a punishment.

For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

This statement came about under such circumstances.

That's right, the strong get stronger and the weak get weaker; someone who leaves with five thousand in their pocket can earn five thousand.

It's true that everyone starts with a significant difference—five thousand, two thousand, one thousand. But beyond that, the difference in mindset is the most crucial.

If the third servant possessed the same abilities and confidence as the first two, he might not earn five thousand or two thousand due to limited initial capital, but he could still earn one thousand.

Of course, this is an assumption made without considering other factors. Perhaps this student is unlucky and loses all of his initial investment of one thousand. However, even if he does lose it, Christ will not blame him.

That's all Li Ang told Bakara. The theory is correct, but it needs to be considered from both perspectives.

"Okay, so now..."

Li Ang was about to say, "Let's start discussing how to take down Tesoro now."

Before she could finish speaking, Baccarat interrupted her: "Wait, that's not right. If that's the case, then Tesoro isn't weak either; he's a man who uses money to control the world. How can you deny the power within him?"

Karina had also noticed this problem, but considering that she was on the Revolutionary Army's side, she didn't ask it to make things difficult.

However, Li Ang was not intimidated by this question at all. He went straight to the front, leaned over and pressed down on the table, getting close to Bakara and said, "It's ridiculous. I didn't see any mental power in Tesoro. Maybe he had it before, but as the wealth in the Golden City accumulated, this power became weaker and weaker."

Then Li Ang reached out to stop Bakala's rebuttal and continued, "You don't need to explain. Actually, I know him very well, or rather, our intelligence knows him very well."

Tezzolo dreamed of becoming a musician since childhood, and now, it seems he has achieved that initial goal. It must be admitted that his musical talent is already quite impressive.

However, he has probably forgotten about his second dream.

In his youth, Tesoro was taken away by the Celestial Dragons because of his lover Stella, and he himself was captured and enslaved by them. This awakened Tesoro's hatred for the Celestial Dragons and for money. This became the spiritual pillar and source of his strength as he later escaped from Mary Geoise and gradually built his own power, becoming stronger step by step.

At this time, all he could think about was avenging Stella and taking revenge on the Celestial Dragons. Tesoro was incredibly powerful during this period; he even managed to break Doflamingo's trap set up using the Gold-Gold Fruit, creating a huge scandal and managing to evade its power. Moreover, years later, he was able to use his strength to persuade Doflamingo to reconcile and let the matter drop.

But after he left, Tezzolo's career began to decline.

I have to complain here; Doflamingo never learns his lesson. Years ago, he used the Gold-Gold Fruit to set up an auction. He didn't originally intend to sell it; he just used it to attract customers, but Tesoro ended up stealing it.

Years later, he used the Flame-Flame Fruit to pull off the same stunt, again not intending to actually give it away as a reward, but merely to lure Luffy. In the end, it was still eaten by Sabo. It seems this tactic is truly dangerous; Doflamingo dug himself into a hole twice, suffering a double loss.

"Downhill?" Karina didn't know how to continue this bluff. Tezzolo's career was getting better every day, and you're just lying through your teeth.

“That’s right, it’s going downhill.” Li Ang was blatantly lying, saying something that contradicted the facts in their eyes.

Seeing the two men's expressions of "I don't believe you," Li Ang continued to explain, "I'm not referring to Tesoro's wealth, fame, or power, but rather to the fact that his mental strength has gradually weakened until now it's almost completely gone."

After mastering the power of gold that he had previously hated, he was gradually corrupted by the principles of gold. In order to maintain and gradually increase this power, Tesoro has come to regard the Celestial Dragons, whom he hated the most, as his own fathers.

He had no choice but to do this. If Tesoro didn't offer the Celestial Dragons the Heavenly Gold and fawn over them, his Heavenly Gold Power would soon be devoured by the World Government, that old rogue. But that would go against his original intention. If things continued this way, he would always be second-in-command, and the World Government would always be number one. Whenever the second-in-command tried to control the world, that would be the time for the number one to eliminate him.

So in order to maintain this power, he has completely lost his way. The power of the mind is gone; he is now nothing more than a goose laying golden eggs for the World Government.

When I wanted to avenge you, I lacked the power; now that I have the power, I yearn to avenge you. This is destined to be a tragic end.

Leon sighed in the end and sentenced Tesoro to death.

Ultimately, the blame lies with the World Government, not Tesoro; the world is at fault.

Chapter 343 Fame

For Li Ang, the most difficult step in the harvesting process was over, and the rest became very simple.

After all, the most overpowered ability users in the entire Golden City are on their side, plus they've caught the enemy off guard. If Li Ang can't eliminate Teso and his subordinates, then he's really incompetent. In every sense of the word.

So I'll just give a brief overview here.

Afterwards, Leon, Baccarat, and Karina went to the casino again and went straight into the VIP room. There, they "coincidentally" ran into Tezzolo.

Then, like an ignorant victim, Leon walked step by step into Tesoro's trap. However, when Baccarat touched Leon, it was just for show; she didn't actually steal his luck.

Then Baccarat naturally stood next to Tesoro, and when Leon distracted Tesoro, she quickly made her move and drained all of Tesoro's luck.

Tesoro sensed something was wrong when Baccarat touched him, but it was too late. Leon calmly tossed a Seastone on the ground, and Tesoro, like a dog, slipped and pounced on it. A real "fall." He was quickly finished off by Leon with a single shot. Leon didn't intend to spare Tesoro either, sending him to meet Stella with another bullet.

As for Mr. Tanaka and that masochistic big man whose name Li Ang couldn't even remember, they were no match for Li Ang at all. They were quickly shot down by Li Ang.

Well, it was completely uneventful, and nothing went wrong. We didn't encounter any problems on the way, and we went straight through the Windless Belt to the revolutionary army's territory.

Because Tesoro and the other executives were killed in the VIP room, a place isolated from the outside world, most people had no idea that the Golden City had changed hands. The guests in the VIP room who did know about this were also placed under Li Ang's control.

Once they entered the territory of the revolutionary army and were taken over by the revolutionary army, the people of Golden City realized that the world had changed.

So some people made phone calls, some took photos, and some wrote articles. People from all walks of life in Golden City and reporters from newspapers used their various methods to pass on the news.

Only then did the world realize that the revolutionary army had silently swallowed up 20 percent of the world's gold in the City of Gold.

With this, Li Ang's vegetable-growing plan was successfully completed.

This not only gave the revolutionary army a shot in the arm, but also caused a huge uproar around the world. The news of the revolutionary army's repeated victories made many people feel that the world government was doomed.

Meanwhile, in line with the needs of revolutionary army propaganda, Li Ang's name and achievements also appeared in newspapers. It is said that these reporters learned this from interviews with revolutionary army cadres who were acting alongside them.

It exaggeratedly described how Li Ang single-handedly stormed in and eliminated Tesoro and his entire group of subordinates. It praised Li Ang's strength and wisdom.

Here's the key point: the emphasis here is on exaggeration. Not only is it about praising Li Ang's exploits in the Golden City, but it also involves bringing up some old stories from the past. It's as if they're desperate for the world to know who he is.

Li Ang was known for his low-key lifestyle, so to outsiders, this chief of staff, who was said to have planned many major revolutionary army operations, remained shrouded in mystery. Some even wondered if he didn't exist at all, and if the plans were the collective brainstorming of the revolutionary army.