One Piece Gunslinger

In Fujitora's perception, the two men were like two bright lights in the tent, easily distinguishable from the other soldiers. But now, Fujitora could no longer sense those two lights in the camp, indicating that the two men were no longer in the tent and must have gone off somewhere to cause trouble.

As a seasoned curious individual, Jack was definitely going to investigate. Knowing your enemy is half the battle.

So he entrusted everything to Haku and took Fujitora to investigate. With Fujitora's flying ability, they could find out the situation from a distance without having to take any risks.

After giving his instructions, Jack had Fujitora take him and fly towards the royal capital, Gran.

As for why Jack flew to the royal capital, Gran, instead of somewhere else, it's because the royal capital is the center of the vortex. Whatever actions they intend to take, if they're not on the front lines, they'll inevitably return to the royal capital.

"Achoo! I should have worn more clothes. I almost got blown away flying here," Jack and Fujitora complained as they floated above the royal city.

"Forget about that, let's not dwell on it. Check downstairs to see if those two people are there."

"Hmm, there are four of those beings down there now, and I can't tell who's who," Fujitora said uncertainly after carefully examining the situation.

"Well, they're bound to make a move eventually. Let's just wait here quietly for a while." Jack looked down at the street with boredom and started chatting with Fujitora.

"Hey, why do these people always like to act at night? Do they think that people won't be on guard if they do something at night?"

"The capital is indeed the capital. It's much bigger than Pacqui City, and it looks much more prosperous. There are several more docks here."

"Look, this palace is really well built. It looks very new. It was probably built in recent years after they became richer."

"Wow, there's even a city wall built under this palace. The old king just drew a circle on the map, and a city within a city appeared. Donald, don't you feel completely insecure?"

"However, this city wall is actually completely useless, okay. If someone really wants to deal with Donald, without troops and strong people to protect him, what use is this wall? We can fly in right now."

"However, there are still some guards on it, but I don't know how much of a role they can play."

It was Jack who kept rambling on and on, and Fujitora, standing next to him, didn't know how to respond.

Just then, Fujitora said, "They're here. There are many large ships heading this way, and they are clearly two separate groups of troops."

Jack peered through his binoculars and saw, good heavens, at least a hundred ships on either side, landing separately on the left and right banks of the capital without meeting. Otherwise, a naval battle could have erupted on the spot.

So here's the problem: judging by the way the two sides are acting, even if there isn't a major naval battle, a land battle is bound to break out. Neither side seems to be here for tourism; they're definitely up to something.

As expected, Jack didn't have to wait long. After disembarking, both groups headed straight for the palace. Judging from their posture, they had the same goal: to attack the royal family. The two groups were densely packed; Jack estimated there were over three thousand people on each side. If they met in front of the palace, it would be a clash of titans.

“Fujitora, let’s go over and take a closer look,” Jack said to Fujitora, putting down his binoculars.

So Fujitora led Jack to the top of the palace, so that they could see anything that happened anywhere in the palace. The location was perfectly concealed by a large patch of dark clouds.

After a period of marching, the two groups successfully met not far from the palace.

"Attack!" A powerful voice rang out from the crowd, and one side launched a charge.

Jack looked closely and realized that the voice came from none other than the familiar Maxim.

The other side, clearly anticipating the operation's failure, prepared for battle and charged forward to engage in combat. A stern and imposing figure stood among them, calmly directing the battle.

This person is none other than Hartman, the representative of the other world government, the culprit who instigated the rebellion of various generals, and also the creator of the Shadow.

Hardman's trip was a large-scale operation with only one purpose: to rescue King Donald from the palace.

This is related to the current set of rules for the game.

Since the current set of rules was established ten years ago under duress from the mob, it naturally favors the mob. As a member of the mob, Hardman is naturally restricted in many ways.

But if the enemy can exploit the rules, so can I. It's been almost ten years since the last update to the law. If we can seize the king and then use the same methods the gangsters used before to force him to revise a rule that favors Hartman, then everyone else will be the ones suffering.

If things get a bit more extreme, they could directly amend or repeal the laws that legalize gangs, thus classifying them as illegal organizations. In that case, they could even ask the Navy and the World Government for help, just like asking for help to wipe out pirates, to eliminate them.

This is also a form of loyalty to the king, but all moral initiative is now in Hardman's hands, no longer on King Donald's behalf. Hardman could easily force Donald to include a large amount of content favorable to Hardman in the legislation; in this way, as long as those gangs can be eradicated, Hardman would legitimately achieve his goal of controlling the country.

The two gangs weren't stupid either; they knew the ten-year deadline was fast approaching, only two or three days away. They were certain someone would set their sights on Donald.

So Yuri devised this plan: feign weakness, making it appear as if the siege of Paquirth had dragged on without success. Then, he used the agents planted by the two men within the army to lure Hardman and his controlled forces away from the sea. Finally, he dispatched a large army to annihilate them in one fell swoop.

Are you allowed to place spies among us, Hardman, but we can't plant our own spies? In fact, the two of them had already planted the seeds when the army defected.

However, Jack assisted in completing the first half of the plan ahead of schedule. But the result was the same; at least Hardman still deployed troops.

After learning from the spy that Hadman had taken action, the two immediately notified the hidden troops to also mobilize, and left the camp to return to the royal capital, Gran, to personally take command.

Jack didn't initially think of this aspect, of course, because he didn't know the specific dates as clearly as the person involved.

Looking down at the situation below, Jack thought for a moment and figured out the key: the two were vying for the right to change the rules.

So here's the question: should Jack join the fray now?

Chapter Seventy-Four: Clash

The answer is not to participate. This thing is something that the two largest forces must fight for, but for Jack, it's a hot potato. If others find out that the king is in his hands, he will immediately become the target of everyone's hatred and be surrounded and beaten by everyone in the blink of an eye.

Even the most precious treasures must be protected.

Alas, I truly feel sorry for old King Donald. He has been reduced to a mere tool, becoming the object of everyone's struggle, no less so than Emperor Xian of Han under Cao Cao on Earth.

“That’s an opportunity too. Shall we go back now and take our troops to wipe out those people outside the city?” Seeing that Jack wasn’t interested in the matter of winning over Donald, Fujitora immediately offered another tempting suggestion.

Indeed, the other side is now lacking leadership, like a tiger without teeth. Moreover, while the camp is large, its vigilance is extremely poor. They certainly wouldn't expect a mere two thousand men to dare to venture out of the city and launch a night attack on four thousand.

With their plan in mind and Jack and his two companions leading the charge, they committed murder and arson under the cover of darkness. In the ensuing chaos, the exact number of attackers was unknown. This operation had great potential and a high probability of success.

However, Jack rejected the suggestion.

"The outcome of this battle will inevitably be that Hardman prevails," Jack said confidently. "Then we'll have to temporarily stand on the same side as Yuri and the others to fight against Hardman, who wields Donald."

“Although I know Hardman is a professionally trained officer, a legitimate World Government officer, and has undergone extensive theoretical and practical training, these soldiers under him are simply not good at land warfare. It’s like the gangsters have a home-field advantage. Even if his command skills are outstanding, he can’t win this battle.” Faced with Jack’s confident answer, Fujitora offered a different opinion.

Jack shook his head and said, "Your doubts are common to everyone. While others are thinking this way, Hardman has already thought of the next step. It's not a question of whether we can win this battle, but whether we can achieve our strategic goals. Now, try to sense where those four highly skilled individuals are."

Fujitora remained silent, releasing his Observation Haki to intently sense the locations of the four powerful figures. "Two of them together are Yuri and Maxim. One is also on the battlefield; it should be Hartman. There's one more..."

Fujitora opened his eyes and looked behind him. Although he couldn't see anything, he still made the movement. He said in surprise, "He's at the very back of Hardman's unit. It looks like he's planning to sneak away from the back."

“Now think about it carefully. When you see that the number of troops led by Hardman is about the same as that of Maxim’s, you can already guess the outcome. The situation on the battlefield is hard to predict, but in the end, Hardman will definitely achieve his set goal,” Jack said with a solemn expression.

"In any case, Yuri and Maxim had been planning for a long time and had secretly trained a unit. They dared to use Donald as bait, so they must have been confident in catching Hardman, a big fish. Moreover, there must have been someone planted within Hardman's ranks, otherwise the timing wouldn't have been so precise."

"But Hardman, that fish, saw through their tricks, and even knew about the people he had planted around him. This can be seen from the fact that the number of people on both sides was roughly the same. Obviously, Hardman led the way out first, so that Yuri could receive the message and leave. The one who left later naturally knew how many people the one who left first had brought with him."

"Logically speaking, if there are no other changes, the number of people we see on both sides on this battlefield should be significantly greater on Yuri's side, so that we can reliably defeat Hardman's forces."

Fujitora finally understood and exclaimed, "So, the current situation where the number of people on both sides is roughly the same is actually abnormal and not what Yuri and the other man expected."

Jack nodded and said, "That's right. I'm afraid the two of them are a little apprehensive now that they've seen the number of people Hardman has. We just don't know what kind of magic Hardman used to hide some of his people, causing Yuri and the other two to make a wrong estimate."

"If it were an ordinary person, they would probably have lost a lot of manpower for nothing, and Yuri and his companion would have taken advantage of them. But he was able to predict Yuri's ambush and make appropriate countermeasures."

"Even so, Hardman never intended to win this battle. Deploying more troops was merely to prevent the front line from collapsing too quickly. He pretended to be able to fight the two sides to a standstill, but in reality, he was already prepared to retreat and was just waiting for news of his comrades' success on the other side. He was willing to suffer heavy casualties on the front line in order to ensure the achievement of his strategic objectives. Hardman's wisdom and ruthless methods were terrifying."

Jack praised Hardman from head to toe, then analyzed Hardman's correct methods in detail, and finally shook his head and sighed, "Alas, this Hardman is definitely a talent, it's a pity that he stood on the side of the World Government."

Fujitora sighed upon hearing this, and said helplessly, "I feel like you try to persuade every talented person you see, just like Kevin and me before. Haku even told me about a guy named Charlie before, but he failed that time."

“Absolutely.” Jack spread his hands. “Right now, our Revolutionary Army is too weak, and our opponents are too strong. Faced with this immeasurable gap, I’m trying to make up for it as much as I can, accumulating talent step by step, so that eventually quantitative change can lead to qualitative change.”

“However, I didn’t intend to recruit Hardman this time,” Jack continued. “Hardman’s move looks brilliant, but it also means sending more lives away. He’s ruthless in achieving his goals, which doesn’t align with the ideology of our Revolutionary Army. I’m just worried that we’ll have to fight such a figure next.”

Thinking of this, Jack shook his head and said, "But Hardman has no choice. King Donald is something he must fight for. If he gets it, he can change the rules and make the unreasonable reasonable. This time, you will have a legitimate reason for your operation. If you can't get it, then the reasonable will become unreasonable."

As the two were talking, the man had already quietly broken away from the army and arrived at the back of the palace, preparing to climb over the wall and enter.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield in front of the palace, Hardman was buying him time, the two sides locked in a fierce battle. Hardman, Maxim, and Yuri had also joined the fight. Hardman and Maxim clashed, while Yuri, finding no equal, slaughtered indiscriminately on the battlefield. Hardman's defeat on the main battlefield was only a matter of time.

The true owners of this land, the people who govern and protect it—the guards on the city walls—could only hide and tremble in fear, like ordinary residents, in the face of the chaotic battle below.

Chapter Seventy-Five: Kidnapping

“Oh? It seems all that’s left is a race against time.” Jack said, amidst the complete chaos of the battlefield, “Now it’s a matter of whether Yuri can break through Hardman’s front lines first, or whether Hardman can hold out until his comrade completes his mission.”

"So we can't just stand here and watch; we have to do something. Don't you think so, Fujitora?" Jack said with a sly grin. "Come on, let's infiltrate together. I actually really hope Hardman succeeds; at least on the surface, we're still partners."

Fujitora, unaware of Jack's plans, could only descend with him and follow the route the man had taken earlier.

Looking at the person lying on the ground, Jack curled his lip and said, "What happened to the infiltration? Did you think that just because everyone who saw me is dead, it means I wasn't seen at all?"

As he spoke, Jack examined the body and the traces of the battle. "Heh, it seems this is another master of the Six Styles, but definitely much stronger than the last one."

This actually made things easier for Jack. If he wanted to know which route the man was taking, he just had to follow the people lying on the ground. Wherever someone was lying, that was his route.

So Jack followed the man's path and went in. The deeper he went, the more people he saw lying on the ground, indicating that the guards were more heavily guarded. However, this didn't pose much of a problem for the man; the guards were dealt with easily.

Jack and his companion finally arrived at a richly decorated door, where they could hear voices talking inside.

"So the ten-year period is almost up? I almost forgot about it." The voice sounded a bit old, clearly Donald's.

"So we ask Your Majesty to come with us. If anything goes wrong, we can provide protection." It was a young voice.

Don't be fooled by this guy's polite manners. Everyone knows that if he obediently follows the patient's instructions, then he's fine. Otherwise, don't accuse him of being impolite.

Since Jack had no interest in competing with Donald, he stopped paying attention to the conversation inside. He whispered to Fujitora, "Let's go find the others. Look around and see if there's anyone else nearby."

Meanwhile, Yuri, who was slaughtering people in the crowd on the other side, also received the news.

"What?! Our people planted in the palace have disappeared?!" Yuri exclaimed in shock, forgetting all about killing.

"You old fox, you're really something." Maxim heard Yuri's exclamation and realized that someone who could sneak into the palace silently must be quite capable.

“Likewise.” Hardman said expressionlessly. Now that Yuri had discovered the anomaly inside, he could only pray that Francis inside would take Donald away as soon as possible.

Yuri couldn't care less about the situation here. He told Maxim, "I'll go inside and check. You stay here and make sure they don't escape. Keep as many as you can."

With that, he flipped over and jumped over the wall.

Jack also found his target, a handsome young man.

"Who are you!" The young man was about to scream in terror when he saw strangers enter when Jack quickly stepped forward and covered his mouth, whispering, "How about we cooperate? It's better for both of us. You young people always have so much energy. It's so late, why aren't you asleep?"

To everyone's surprise, the young man Jack was talking about rolled his eyes, pushed Jack aside, and said, "Well, I need to be able to sleep first. With all this fighting going on outside, who can sleep?"

Jack was a little embarrassed by what he heard, and pretended to look at the scenery: "Yeah, it's all the fault of those people outside. Why aren't they sleeping? Why are they out fighting?"

"Stop with all that nonsense, just tell me why you came to see me." The young man scoffed at Jack's words and asked directly.

“Alright, if I’m not mistaken, you must be Prince Sergei, right?” Jack stopped joking and spoke seriously to the young man.

"So what if it is? In your eyes, the royal family is nothing but a tool. But I must tell you, I am only a prince now, not a king, so I'm afraid I can't help you much." The young man also realized the identity of the visitor; Jack's distinctive face was unforgettable after just one look.

"Looks like you know who I am. I won't say much more. I'll just ask you one question—do you still have any dreams?" Jack asked directly, seeing that Sergei recognized him.

"Dreams?" Sergei scoffed. "If you can't control your own destiny, what's the point of sighing about dreams?"