One Piece Gunslinger

Is he afraid of light? Or rather, afraid of bright light?

The thought, once it arose in Jack's mind, wouldn't leave. If he really was afraid of bright light, then unfortunately, Jack had plenty of it.

To confirm this, Jack pretended to be exhausted when the assassin attacked again, and didn't manage to dodge completely, resulting in another large wound on his arm.

Jack then feigned pain, dropped the knife, and lay on the ground. He then took two quick steps back behind the lamp.

As expected, faced with this golden opportunity, the assassin did not press his advantage and charge straight ahead. Instead, he took an arc, avoiding the direct line of fire beneath the lampshade.

Upon seeing this, Jack smiled.

The outcome is now decided.

Chapter Fifty: A Sudden Idea

Speaking of strong light, Jack definitely has it, and he has a lot of it.

In Resident Evil 4, there are three powerful throwable weapons: grenades, incendiary grenades, and flashbangs. When Jack successfully recruits Fujitora, further strengthening the Revolutionary Army, the shop adds new items, including these three throwable weapons.

In the original game, grenades, incendiary grenades, and flashbangs sold for 2000, 1000, and 500 respectively. Assuming the selling price is half the purchase price, the actual selling price should be 4000, 2000, and 1000 respectively.

However, that wasn't the case. The system was the ultimate authority. Regardless of the type of throwing weapon, the price was a flat 4000. Jack was initially frustrated by the price; he couldn't bargain, so the price was whatever they quoted. Could he possibly charge at it?

However, Jack was also glad that he had kept some biseta beforehand, otherwise he would have had to sell his guns to make money.

Without hesitation, Jack silently thought to himself, "Buy a flashbang."

Just then, Kevin lunged forward, aiming a stab at Jack's chest. However, Jack, wanting to test whether Kevin was truly afraid of light, had deliberately dropped the knife to the ground, leaving him with no way to block. Dragging his weary and broken body, he also had no chance to dodge.

Jack could only stretch his right hand out horizontally, while a flashbang he had just bought appeared on his left hand.

Unsurprisingly, Kevin's dagger easily pierced Jack's arm, but Jack also bought himself some time by sacrificing an arm.

Despite the excruciating pain of his right arm being pierced, Jack kept his short blade firmly lowered, preventing it from stabbing further into his chest. With one hand, he pulled the pin, gently tossed the flashbang to the ground, closed his eyes, and turned away.

Seeing that Jack was willing to sacrifice an arm to throw the blue cylindrical object, Kevin knew it was no ordinary thing. He disregarded his struggle with Jack and drew the short blade stuck in his arm.

Before Kevin could make his next move, the flashbang went off. Although Kevin had given some warning, he hadn't expected it to explode so suddenly and so violently.

The main problem is that Kevin is different from ordinary people. When faced with a flashbang, an ordinary person, like Jack, can protect their eyes and won't suffer much damage. But Kevin is different; his entire body is a weak point, and he can't protect himself at all.

Kevin suddenly felt as if he were being torn apart, with waves of tearing pain coursing through his entire body. This pain seemed to come from the depths of his soul, as if it were about to rip his soul apart.

After the flashbang had barely passed, Jack turned his head again with his True Eye. The assassin was already unconscious on the ground.

Just as Jack breathed a sigh of relief after the assassin's first stab, he realized he had been in a state of high concentration ever since the crisis began. Those short minute or so felt like an eternity to Jack; the physical exhaustion and overuse of his domineering aura had left him utterly drained.

Just as Jack picked up his knife, preparing to finish off the fallen assassin before anything went wrong, the door, which had been closed, was violently kicked open.

Jack looked at the picture and exclaimed, "Ugh! I'm so annoyed!"

If only those two had come back a minute earlier, there wouldn't have been so much trouble.

Yes, it was Haku and Fujitora who violently kicked the door open. Fujitora, in particular, sensed Jack fighting someone inside the room while still flying with Haku, and quickly pulled Haku down with him.

As soon as the two men kicked the door open, they saw Jack, who was covered in wounds and whose arm was drooping and dripping blood, and the assassin lying on the ground.

Just as Haku was about to call for medical help, Jack quickly used his left hand, putting his index finger to his lips in a "shh" gesture. However, Jack's movement was so exaggerated that it aggravated his wound, making his mouth look slightly distorted, which was quite funny.

The two were confused as to why they couldn't call someone over.

As the two rushed in, they attracted the attention of the guards, who then became alert and wondered if something had happened to Jack.

Hearing Meng Kuai's footsteps approaching, Jack quickly whispered, "Send them away quickly, don't let them in."

The two men had exceptional hearing; although Jack spoke very softly, it wasn't a difficult task for them. Despite Jack's somewhat erratic behavior, they followed his instructions and managed to get rid of the guards.

When the two returned to the room afterward, they were surprised to find that Jack was completely calm, although he still had a lot of blood on him, but his injuries had healed. His previously limp right arm was now moving freely.

Ignoring the puzzled looks on their faces, Jack stared at the empty can in his hand, thinking sadly, "A flashbang costs 4000, a first aid spray costs 5000. This guy is still useful, but I can't kill him. Today is a total loss."

Jack thought of the assassin still lying on the ground and quickly said to the two men, "I have an idea. Let's put sea stone handcuffs on him first, so he doesn't run away when he wakes up."

What are your thoughts?

"Subdue the assassin organization."

So, two hours later...

"Wow, you finally woke up right away. You were knocked out for over two hours by a flashbang. How afraid of light are you?" Jack sat in his chair, crossed his legs, and teased Kevin as he looked at the now-awake Kevin.

"Luckily, I didn't activate my ghost form back then and maintained my physical form, otherwise I probably would have lost half my life." Kevin thought to himself with relief, but when he saw the seastone handcuffs on his hands, he thought with disappointment, "But what difference does it make now?"

Seeing that Kevin didn't answer, Jack didn't dwell on the small matter.

He stood up abruptly, pretending to be very authoritative, and looked down at Kevin, saying, "Tell me, do you want to die or live?"

Now Jack could see the assassin's face clearly. He wasn't handsome, and was even a bit ugly. He looked like a middle-aged man, probably in his forties. His face had many scars, all from sharp blades. His already somewhat ugly face looked even more terrifying now.

Fujitora and Haku, standing to the side, looked like they wanted to disappear into a crack in the ground. Their expressions, movements, tone of voice, and outfits were simply hilarious. It's strange how when others do this, they seem so fierce, but when it's Jack, it just looks so funny.

To be honest, both of them felt deep down that Jack's sudden idea to fight was unreliable.

Those who become assassins are all seasoned veterans, possessing unwavering resolve. Torture and coercion are far easier for them. They go on missions with a death-defying mentality; they have no interest in dealing with you.

As expected, Jack was met with only a cold snort in response, and he turned away, ignoring Jack.

However, Jack didn't care and continued his comical performance: "You're not mute, are you? From the moment I met you until now, you haven't said a word."

"Fine, if you're going to kill me or torture me, stop with the nonsense. You're not going to get anything out of me." Perhaps unable to stand Jack's incessant chatter, Kevin also spoke up.

“Well, I’m not trying to get anything out of you.” Jack toyed with the flintlock pistol in his hand. He said to Kevin slowly, “I just want your Passengers organization to join my cause and work for me, it’s that simple.”

Chapter 51 Simple Thoughts

Kevin was completely dumbfounded after hearing this.

How can you offer surrender like that? The two sides don't even know each other yet. Let alone the fact that they are still enemies, even if you were a complete stranger on the third street, and you said that to them, they would think you were crazy.

"Heh." Kevin laughed angrily after hearing this, "You'd better kill me now, otherwise if I ever escape, I'll definitely find a way to get rid of you."

Fujitora, standing nearby, couldn't stand it any longer—or rather, he couldn't stand it anymore either. He was about to erupt and teach the assassin a lesson.

How can someone be so arrogant after being captured, while his captors are so polite and friendly? It's like they've got it backwards.

Seeing Fujitora suddenly stand up, Jack quickly stepped forward to persuade him, "Don't be angry, uncle. It's understandable for a lost comrade to be a little temperamental. After all, he hasn't learned advanced ideas and is still quite ignorant. Everything will be better after learning and reform. We should be more tolerant of our new comrades."

In the few days since Fujitora joined, he has read many books and articles, studying various ideas. He eventually learned where all this came from, though most of it originated from Li Ang.

Ever since Jack discovered that Haku was recording and organizing some of Li Ang's quotes, Li Ang has been thinking about it. In his spare time, he organizes the things in his mind and writes them down little by little.

Unfortunately, Li Ang didn't remember much, or even all of it. Otherwise, he could have memorized a book of Marxist philosophy or the complete works of Lu Xun. Once the propaganda spread, the World Government and the Navy would fall apart without him even lifting a finger.

After Jack finally managed to calm Fujitora down, he continued his conversation with Kevin: "You see, you assassins are all about money. Go ask around, I, Jack, may lack many things, but I don't lack money. Give me as much as you want."

"Pah, take your filthy money. Yes, we need money, but we're people of principle. We won't accept your pig's charity." Jack's words inadvertently touched a raw nerve in Kevin's heart, and Kevin couldn't help but curse.

Upon hearing this, Jack was not angry but rather pleased. Kevin's words showed Jack that their organization wasn't just about money. If Kevin were willing to join them for money, Jack wouldn't even want him.

Money? I'm desperately short of that stuff. If we had money, our revolutionary army would have developed long ago. We don't have any extra money to give you.

The fact that he seemed to harbor deep resentment towards Jack meant that there was potential in this matter, and that there was indeed a way forward.

The moment Kevin uttered those words, the "irritable" Fujitora could no longer sit still. He slightly drew his blade and whispered, "Gravity Blade."

Upon hearing this, Kevin felt as if a thousand pounds were pressing down on him, and he was instantly forced to the ground.

Jack quickly continued to soothe the "furious" Fujitora: "Oh, it's such a small matter, nothing to worry about, no need to make such a fuss."

"No way!" Fujitora roared. "If we don't teach this guy a lesson, he'll get too big for his britches."

Haku also stepped forward to act as a peacemaker, persuading Jack and Fujitora to each take a step back, which finally calmed the situation down.

These three, one playing the good cop, one the bad cop, and Haku acting as a peacemaker, clearly show how determined Jack is to get Kevin.

Jack looked at Kevin lying on the ground, coughed, and said, "See, wouldn't it be better if we all got along? Let's have a good talk. Even if we don't reach an agreement in the end, we can still part ways amicably. Why make things so tense?"

"Humph!"

Jack's response was still a cold snort. If he loves to snort so much, he might as well be called Humming Hero.

Jack mentally scoffed for a moment, then continued to ask, "Think about it, if my money is pigs' stinking money, then isn't the money I use to order you assassins and hire you to kill people also pigs' stinking money? What's the difference between the two?"

Jack's words were finally somewhat insightful, and after they finished speaking, Kevin lay on the ground, lost in thought.

"Yes, Jack's money is tainted money. In this country, whose money isn't tainted money? I have to say, since I started taking orders and carrying out missions, my standard of living has improved a lot. Not only do I no longer have to worry about three meals a day like before, but I can even compare to the officials I used to envy. And the way I make money is exactly the same as those people I hate—using this land and the chaotic situation to extract profits. What about those new kids? Although they learn the art of killing very quickly, when our generation dies, who will remember the original intention of founding Hell's Gate? Those brats will probably turn Hell's Gate into a full-fledged assassin organization."

Jack watched Kevin struggle with his dilemma, but didn't urge him. He sat quietly on the ground, waiting for his reply.

After a while, Kevin sighed. Although he was still pinned to the ground by Fujitora, he managed to lift his head and ask Jack, "If I may ask, since you say you're not short of money, what is the purpose of annexing these gangs? Or rather, what will you do after you unify the gangs of Pacqui City?"

Jack sat cross-legged in front of Kevin, a smile on his face, looking into Kevin's eyes, and answered firmly, "Of course, it's about saving this country, taking it from the World Government, the Mafia, and Donald. We'll eliminate all those shady forces. That way, we'll make a lot of money."

"Isn't it time for you to have plenty of money?"

“Yes,” Jack admitted, “but if we want to eliminate all the darkness in the world, no amount of darkness will be enough.”

"Hahaha." Kevin, lying on the ground, laughed. "Want to eliminate the Celestial Dragons? So you're just that laughable Revolutionary Army, a mere few thousand people trying to overthrow the World Government. If we could find your headquarters, a single naval fleet would have been enough to take you down. Who can you save? You can't even save this country now."

These words were spoken to Jack, but also to himself. Seeing Jack's earnest expression, Kevin saw a reflection of himself ten years ago, yearning to save his country and his people. But ten years of experience had taught Kevin that it was utterly impossible for such a small group to contend with such powerful forces.

Jack raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. Wow, this guy's got some knowledge; he's even heard of the Revolutionary Army. His information network is pretty good.

Meanwhile, Haku and Fujitora's eyes narrowed; they were now truly intent on killing. This marked a significant departure from the script the three had agreed upon. They hadn't expected anyone here to know about the fledgling Revolutionary Army; if negotiations broke down, they would certainly not allow Kevin to live.

Jack remained seated cross-legged on the floor and asked, "How much power do you think it would take to deal with all the evil people in the world? How many people would be needed?"

This question wasn't directed at Kevin, nor at Fujitora and Haku sitting beside him, but at himself. Since joining the Revolutionary Army, despite his ever-present carefree demeanor, he often harbored deep worries.

Facing a powerful world government and the world's largest military force—the navy—like a dragon, once in this position, one rarely finds a genuine smile.

But like Long, Li Ang never gave up hope. Both believed in the existence of truth, goodness, and beauty in the world, and both believed that one day they would win.

Jack sat on the floor in the small room, recalling Leo Tolstoy's famous quote from "War and Peace," and blurted it out involuntarily.

Let kind people walk hand in hand. Let them raise the banner of truth, goodness, and beauty, and work together to seek happiness for this world.

Those ideas that have a profound impact are often extremely simple. My entire philosophy is nothing more than…

"If immoral people can form a force when they come together, then honest people should do the same."

Chapter Fifty-Two: Wild