One Piece Gunslinger

However, no matter how Yom asked the question, he already had the answer.

"Golden Land of Shangdiya!" Someone answered the question quickly.

“That’s right.” Yhorm nodded. “That’s why I proposed becoming a Shichibukai. Just a few days ago, the Revolutionary Army stole the gold from the Golden Emperor Tesoro, causing a huge uproar. So we can also offer the gold of Shandea to the World Government.”

Yes, that's right. A few days ago, Li Ang did abduct the Golden City. But actually, Li Ang didn't intend to let go of the Golden Country either! Although there isn't as much gold here as in Tesoro, there's still quite a bit!

Leon's original plan was to land on the Sky Island and seize the gold from the Golden City. Yum was unaware that his actions were tantamount to snatching food from a tiger's mouth.

"But is what that guy said credible? Is the story of the big talker Rolando really true?" another king questioned.

Well, that's good. Yum has one more person on his death list. There's no need for idiots here.

Yom explained, “What this descendant says is certainly plausible. Aren’t our compass pointers pointing to the sky right now? And some scattered gold artifacts were found on the seabed, supposedly at the site of the Shandia fracture. All of this corroborates our idea. Now all we need is to find a way to send someone up there and find concrete evidence for the World Government.”

Chapter 347 He's Gone

Vasily Lorenzo was executed for treason. His infamy spread far and wide, turning the entire story of the Golden City into a joke.

Even though Yhorm deduced the truth from various signs, the World Government still needs to produce more and stronger evidence. If they could send someone to Skypiea to take photos and bring out some information, the matter would be settled.

Given time, Yhorm might actually find a way to reach the Sky Island, perhaps by riding the Monster Current like Luffy. Then the Revolutionary Army would have to compete with the World Government for it.

Unfortunately, he no longer has the time.

Just as Yhorm was searching for some useful clues in Mogu Town, he found something unexpected.

"Intelligence station?"

The crew member who reported the incident explained, "Yes, we found some typewriters and fax machines left behind in the cellar of a tavern. There were also quite a few burned documents, which were probably things they couldn't take with them in their haste. It's clear that this was an intelligence station left here by some organization. And they were very careful; they didn't find anything to identify them."

"And what about the owner of this tavern?" Yhorm pressed, asking if they had been able to find out where he was.

"I'm sorry. We've searched the entire island but haven't found anyone like that, but we'll intensify our search."

Yom nodded: "Go out and report back to me when you find anything of value up there."

According to the information they gathered, the tavern owner was characterized by messy long hair and a full beard, but these features were all disguises; he was actually a bald man without a beard, and had now removed the makeup. Following this pattern, they would never find him in their entire lives.

This so-called intelligence station isn't a huge problem, but it's not insignificant either. Any organization of any size would establish an intelligence department; even Yom established one domestically.

However, it would be a bit strange to establish an intelligence station in this small town where there's not much to gain. What's so special about this desolate place? Apart from the occasional small-time pirate stopping here for a rest, it has no value whatsoever.

Of course, this is under the premise of not knowing about Sky Island and Golden City.

So, when Yom chose this place to start his comeback and establish a nation, he thought few people would pay attention. But he just happened to catch a big fish.

However, one intelligence station is different, indicating that someone else also values ​​this place and is monitoring its situation. Perhaps they share the same goal—the Golden Land.

In this way, the news of his occupation of Magic Valley Town should have also been passed on to the person behind him.

"First, we must rule out the World Government. The World Government has no shortage of manpower, and this place is still under their jurisdiction. If they had confirmed the existence of the Golden City, they would have already sent troops to control this place."

That is why other forces only established an intelligence station and could not operate openly. They could only wait for an opportunity and were also looking for a way to land on the sky island.

Therefore, our arrival now is undoubtedly alerting the enemy and has inevitably angered the person behind it all. If his power is similar to ours, that's one thing, but if his power far exceeds ours, wouldn't he have already sent people to deal with us?

Thinking of this, Yum broke out in a cold sweat. Luckily, he had ordered a full island search beforehand, otherwise he wouldn't have known about this intelligence station. He might have only realized it when the enemy was right in front of him.

"No, we can't worry about the evidence anymore. Even if the success rate is low, we have to contact the World Government first." With that thought, Yhorm took out a Den Den Mushi. He knew a lot of people in the World Government when he was still the king, so he just randomly picked someone and dialed their number.

One minute I was thinking about how to find a way to get to the island and gather enough evidence, the next minute I was thinking about reporting it to the World Government as soon as possible. That way, if they found themselves no match for the World Government, I could use the World Government's name to intimidate them, or at the very least, get a share of the spoils.

However, by that one minute, Yum lost his last chance to contact the outside world. No matter how hard he tried, the Den Den Mushi could not communicate with the outside world.

At this time, Li Angying arrived in Mogu Town and placed a large magnet that disrupted the magnetic field.

Leon knew as early as when he heard about the destruction of the Wenban family that the King Pirates likely possessed crucial information about the Golden City. Moreover, after getting the information, they turned on him, seemingly unwilling to let more people know.

Furthermore, they remained in this place, keeping watch over everyone in the town and preventing anyone from leaving, which further corroborated Li Ang's idea.

So these people must have something on Golden City, otherwise they wouldn't have gone to such lengths. They're just a pirate crew; they could have robbed them and left.

So Li Ang brought an iron ball with him. If they were truly capable, they certainly wouldn't have gone around bragging about it and kept the benefit for themselves. But they were just mediocre players in the first half of the Grand Line, not particularly strong. Li Ang and his hat-wielding squad could easily wipe them out.

Once they realize they can't beat Li Ang, they'll inevitably threaten him with the mindset of "If I can't have it, neither can you." That's when the giant iron ball comes in handy.

However, Yhorm's performance was far better than Leon had anticipated; he assessed the situation ahead of time based on some clues. Fortunately, Leon arrived in time, otherwise Yhorm would have indeed sent the message out.

To get there as quickly as possible, Li Ang pushed his little arms to their limits. He arrived at Magic Valley Town in just over ten hours.

Keep in mind that these two locations, one in the first half of the Grand Line and the other in the second half, practically circled half the planet. They were also carrying a large iron ball. This iron ball nearly sank Li Ang's small boat.

Even when Li Ang arrived in Mogu Town, he was sore and had a sore back. After arriving, he collapsed on the beach, completely exhausted.

"Oh my god, I'm exhausted. Let me lie down for a bit." Li Ang isn't someone who drinks gasoline, but even this much exercise still makes him feel tired.

Of course, while others were unaware of Li Ang's arrival, the other members of the hat-protecting squad certainly were. They had been hovering in the sky, observing and monitoring the situation below, and upon seeing Li Ang land, they quickly descended from the sky.

It seems that flying in the sky is faster and easier; no one is lying on the ground panting like Li Ang.

"Hey, you guys got here first. Did you find anything?" Li Ang asked.

"To be honest, we've made some discoveries," Buffalo said, stroking his chin. "From our observation, the thirteen ships in this pirate crew seem to be independent, with little interaction between them. They're all doing their own thing. It feels like not just one pirate crew, but a coalition of thirteen pirate crews."

Li Ang nodded and said, "You're right, but I already knew that. It was news from the intelligence department. The King Pirates really do have thirteen kings in their crew, and they're old friends of ours."

However, at that very moment, after Li Ang had only uttered a single sentence while lying on the ground, Baby5 noticed that the King Pirates in the distance had lowered their anchors and sails.

What's going on? Are you trying to run away?

"Oh no, they've discovered the problem and are trying to escape."

Upon hearing Baby5's words, Li Ang disregarded his rest and sat up abruptly. Looking into the distance, it seemed they were indeed going for a walk.

"Wow, it seems this captain is no ordinary person; he reacted so quickly. His IQ is quite high," Li Ang remarked.

"Boss, what should we do?" Johnny asked, scratching the back of his head.

Li Ang stood up: "Fine, let them run for a while, and we'll attack after they're far away from the island. That way it'll be easier to clean up the mess. Otherwise, we'll have to clean up the wreckage left behind before the Straw Hat crew arrives."

After saying that, Li Ang glanced at the big iron ball and the small boat again, and said to himself with self-pity, "Alas, I am just pitiful. I have a hard life. I have to follow behind them with the iron ball after only a short rest."

“Well, how should I put it? You’re just doing more work because you’re capable,” Buffalo said with a fawning smile.

Upon hearing this, Li Ang laughed and said, "Why don't you give it a try? I'll entrust this glorious task to you."

"No, I can't fly while carrying something this heavy," Buffalo quickly said, waving his hand. "I can barely fly with this big oaf carrying me."

The "big guy" Buffalo was referring to was actually Johnny. Don't let Johnny's burly appearance fool you; he's actually quite shrewd. Hearing Buffalo call him a big, dumb oaf, he immediately became unhappy. With a quick thought, he suggested, "It's okay, I can lift this. Let me do it."

"Pfft." Buffalo almost fell over when he heard this. "Are you really stupid or just pretending? You're carrying me, but you're still sitting on me."

And so, the hat-bearing squad bickered as they leisurely followed the King Pirates.

A large pirate crew composed of thirteen former kings, who had roamed the first half of the Grand Line and had a total bounty of 400 million Berries, was sentenced to death by Leon in the midst of a casual conversation.

Only one intelligent person survived, and that person was Yom.

"They were after us after all. Now the Den Den Mushi is back to normal." Yhorm said dejectedly. Although he was alive now, he was far from happy.

Yum didn't go with them. After giving the order to set sail, he slipped off the ship when no one was looking. He slipped away, he slipped away.

After the fleet had sailed for some time, Yom discovered that the disrupted communications had been restored, confirming his suspicions.

Using the entire pirate crew as bait to escape alive—that's a ruthless move. It has to be said, even Li Ang didn't react in time to it.

Chapter 348 Yum's Melancholy

However, after escaping the fate of being wiped out along with his pirate crew, Yhorm did not choose to inform the World Government about the incident. Given the kind of people Yhorm associated with back then, they were certainly not benevolent.

Previously, he was the leader of a large pirate crew and held some status. Now, if he were to reveal this matter, and others believed in the existence of the Golden City, then Yhorm would have reason to believe that he would not receive a single penny and would instead be killed, silenced, and devoured.

As for the Seven Warlords of the Sea, that's wishful thinking. To become one, at least one of two conditions must be met.

It means having a large number of subordinates and a powerful force, like Buggy. Even if the Seven Warlords themselves aren't particularly strong, they are still a considerable force. Or it means being like Hawkeye, who may not have subordinates, but whose strength is top-notch.

Of course, Buggy the Clown's subordinates and forces were established after he joined the party. That's true. But this shows that Buggy quickly impressed the World Government after becoming a Shichibukai. With the help of the Revolutionary Army, Buggy instantly became the talent the World Government wanted.

Otherwise, if Bucky doesn't produce results, he will "accidentally" die, freeing up this spot.

Yom is no longer able to do either of those things.

What could he do? After much thought, he realized that the only way to survive was to slink away and keep the matter to himself.

No matter which major power, pirate empire, or World Government Yhorm aligns himself with, he won't come out unscathed. Regardless of whether the Revolutionary Army, which destroyed his King Pirates today, ultimately obtains the gold, he himself will certainly not have a good end. Ultimately, it's a lose-lose situation, a life-for-life exchange.

He felt utterly hopeless, especially after realizing that the Revolutionary Army was likely behind it. Yes, the same old tricks, the same familiar tactics, the same old formula. They'd blocked all communication on the island again; Yhorm was certain it was the Revolutionary Army again.

When the revolutionary army used this method to bring out this advanced technology, it amazed the world. This prompted many to begin researching this strategic weapon of mass destruction.

However, a core part of the Revolutionary Army's technology comes from Koala's Devil Fruit ability. No matter how much others research it, they can only come up with a watered-down version, which is much worse in terms of scope and scale.

So Yom was really annoyed. "Damn it, you destroyed my country two years ago, and now you've destroyed my pirate crew. Can't you give me a way out?"

So even if Yhorm is lucky enough to find some forces that won't kill him and can benefit from the cooperation, he still has to be able to defeat the Revolutionary Army.

Currently, besides the World Government, only the Four Emperors can rival the Revolutionary Army. No one else can do much. And once the Revolutionary Army discovers he's still alive, Yhorm, who thwarted their plans, will certainly not survive.

This is undeniably the tragedy of the weak. No matter which path they take, they find themselves trapped, forced to keep their feelings bottled up and live with their tails between their legs. Without power, there is no voice. And if they wait for him to rise again, the revolutionary army will have already finished their work. In short, it's a bitter pill to swallow.

However, this is also the tragedy of intelligent people. If Yhorm hadn't been so clever and rational, he wouldn't have agonized over these issues. He could have simply acted like a foolish clown, gleefully revealing the truth, even though it cost him his life and hindered the Revolutionary Army's actions.

Unfortunately, Yom was too smart and rational, and he saw that he would not have a good ending either.

This is still a tragedy for the world. If the situation were reversed, and Yhorm hadn't been enemies with the Revolutionary Army, but instead discovered someone's conspiracy, then informed them and joined the Revolutionary Army, then given the Revolutionary Army's modus operandi, they would not only have rewarded him but also protected his safety.

The difference in the ways these forces operate is, in essence, the difference between barbarism and civilization in this world. Alas, the world is at fault.

Therefore, all things considered, having a sufficiently intelligent mind in this world is a tragedy.

Since he could remember, Yhorm had learned how to survive in this world and how to gain benefits. It was because of these skills that Yhorm was able to thrive on the world stage.

He knew how to cater to the world's preferences, how to serve the world government, and how to extract benefits from the people.

He was too clever; he didn't need anyone to teach him these things; he could learn them on his own without any instruction. Moreover, for a long time, he believed that he had done nothing wrong and was convinced of this.

Until the revolutionary army conquered his country.

This was the first time he had felt powerless, not powerless against the strength of the Revolutionary Army, but powerless against the world itself. Although he understood that if he were in the shoes of other kings, he would also stand idly by and watch their plight, and if he were the World Government, he would treat them differently.

He didn't hate these indifferent people, because hatred wouldn't do anything, because he would have done the same thing in their shoes, and because it was in line with the world's preferences, that's the rule of this world, and they weren't wrong at all.

Yes, from Yom's rational perspective, there was nothing wrong with what they did.