One Piece Gunslinger

Chapter Ten Speed-Up Hack

When Li Ang arrived near Shi Yingguo, he first ordered the main force to stop at a distance, while he quietly approached with two assistants to meet with the intelligence agents planted in Shi Yingguo.

They were greeted by Lehman and Louis.

In fact, besides Louis and Lehman, there was another person originally stationed here, named Arnold, who was also a young man.

Lehman and his partner conducted intelligence work on the island for nearly a year; in other words, they lived on the island for a full year.

Of course, true masters hide in plain sight. The best way to gather intelligence and protect oneself from exposure is to integrate into the country and become an ordinary resident.

During this process, Lehman and others met many neighbors and made friends with many people.

Just a few days ago, King Charles II of Great Britain announced that he would build another luxurious warship, to be dedicated exclusively to the Celestial Dragons. This would require recruiting another batch of craftsmen.

This wasn't the first time Charles had done this. During his years as king, he gifted over a dozen large ships to dignitaries in world governments, gaining considerable benefits and status for himself on the international stage.

The British had a long-standing tradition of shipbuilding, capable of creating very luxurious multi-storied ships. This practice had been employed by kings before Charles II, and working in the shipyards was a major source of wealth for the island's inhabitants.

If that were the case, it would be fine. But Charlie wasn't satisfied with that; he had a unique secret that could speed up shipbuilding.

It would normally take two or three years to build a multi-story ship, but Charles couldn't wait that long. He didn't want to be like the previous kings, who could only build a few multi-story ships during their reigns. He had much greater ambitions.

In the past two years, he tried everything he could to improve the process, increase manpower, expand the scale, and try various methods, but none of them had much effect.

However, just as Charlie was racking his brains about how to improve production efficiency, the first ship he sent out received a gift from a powerful figure in return: a Devil Fruit.

Charlie, of course, knew the power of the Devil Fruit, and swallowed it without hesitation.

This gave Charlie a pleasant surprise on the spot. This Devil Fruit was an Acceleration Fruit, which could increase the speed of time flow in a certain area by ten times.

Charlie immediately thought, if it could be used to produce warships, wouldn't that be a huge profit? Who needs technological improvements, who needs to expand production, who needs bicycles? In this world, Devil Fruits are the primary productive force; all science and technology can only rank second.

At first, it did give Charlie a feeling of flying, like having a speed boost cheat, which was incredibly exhilarating. However, after a while, Charlie discovered the drawbacks of this ability.

Although the shipyard's work efficiency has increased tenfold, from a human resources perspective, the amount of work each person can do remains the same, with no significant change.

For every year outside, the shipwrights inside worked for ten years. The construction progress of the multi-story ship was still built up bit by bit with the blood and sweat of the workers.

One year outside is like ten years inside. In a few more years, even the youngest boatman will become a decrepit old man.

Charlie understood the gravity of the situation. If he sent the boatmen home and the news leaked, no one would be willing to work as his boatmen again.

So he sealed off the shipyard, barring everyone from entering or leaving, and found the families of the shipwrights, signing a ten-year agreement.

The agreement stipulated that the shipwrights' entry into the shipyard was a secret, and they were not allowed to contact the outside world for ten years. After ten years, they could return home to reunite with their families and receive a substantial reward.

Most people would have signed anyway; it's understandable to classify a shipyard with core technology as confidential, especially with a substantial reward. Even those who didn't want to sign were forced into the agreement by Charlie through force.

But only Charlie understood that by the time his loved ones turned to ashes ten years later, it would be impossible for them to return the money.

As for what to do ten years from now, Charlie doesn't care. He's already made enough money in these ten years, so he can just leave and live a carefree life.

It must be said that people who can do intelligence work all have some extraordinary abilities.

Lehman and Louis noticed something unusual when they arrived on the island. Ten years seemed too long, yet it also just met the minimum requirements for most people.

A long timeframe is unacceptable, while a short timeframe doesn't yield sufficient benefits.

Moreover, a shipyard that was originally open to the public suddenly became a state secret overnight. Although it possesses core technologies, it had never been blocked for many years. As a pillar industry of the country, the shipyard employs a large number of workers. Such an agreement is far too inhumane.

This huge and inexplicable change is truly suspicious.

Not to mention, Charlie also recruits people from time to time and signs agreements with other people to replenish the shipyard with fresh blood.

No one has ever come out, yet people keep going in one after another. If nothing unexpected happens to the original group inside, wouldn't the number of people inside be increasing to the point where they're shoulder to shoulder?

After a thorough investigation, the two tried every possible method to infiltrate the shipyard. However, due to the extremely tight security, it took them a year and countless hardships to finally dig a tunnel leading into the shipyard.

The two men were immediately discovered by the boatmen after they went inside. They thought the boatmen would call the guards to arrest them.

However, what happened next was unexpected. Instead of speaking up, the boatmen actively covered for them and seized an opportunity to inform them of the situation.

Only then did the two realize that countless decades had passed since the people who entered this place died without ever leaving.

The workers considered resisting, but Charlie threatened them with their families, claiming he could find them through the agreement and prosecute them for treason. He also surrounded the area and ordered the execution of anyone who tried to escape.

The boatmen hoped for nothing more than for the two men to carry the message out to their families.

Having gathered intelligence, Lehman immediately realized that this matter was of utmost urgency. The time flow inside was ten times that of the outside world, and the shipwrights had to be rescued as soon as possible.

Upon returning to the base, they immediately contacted headquarters via Den Den Mushi and requested that headquarters send troops to provide support as soon as possible.

Therefore, it was only when Leon, accompanied by two assistants, landed in Britain by small boat and exchanged information with Lehman and Louis, who were there to greet them, that Lehman became angry.

In Lehman's mind, this was the most important thing; he had clearly stated in the Den Den Mushi that he needed to rescue the country as soon as possible. However, the troops that Lehman had brought were not sufficient, let alone rescue the workers quickly; it was questionable whether they could even do so.

Li Ang knew he was in the wrong, having diverted most of his troops to that side for the sake of the bigger picture, so he let Lehman point his finger at him and curse him a few times.

After hearing Rayman's explanation, Li Ang thought to himself, "Holy crap!" Devil Fruits are indeed full of wonders. He never expected to encounter such a bug-like speed boost on his first trip out.

However, Li Ang also noticed that this cheat seemed to only work on the outside world, and he didn't know if it could help in combat.

"Although we can't just rush through and feel bad for those trapped workers, our revolutionary soldiers are also living beings, and I must also be responsible for them."

Looking at the now-calm Lehman, Li Ang promised, "However, justice may be delayed, but it will never be absent."

Chapter Eleven: The Punisher

Without alerting the enemy, Li Ang first led the two men back to the fleet, then took Haku, Kerla, and the other two to the captain's cabin to discuss how to quickly and steadily capture Charlie with this small force.

"Kera, you understand the current situation. What do you think we should do?" After everyone was seated, Leon asked Kera first.

Since Li Ang is determined to take Kela as his personal disciple, he must start now, gradually improving Kela's abilities and eliminating her long-standing inferiority complex.

After hearing this, Kera was stunned for a moment, then waved her hands in front of her and shook her head with her eyes closed, saying, "Eh? No, no, I can't do it, I don't know what to do."

Well, as expected, but Li Ang was just asking casually, so it's normal to be like this at the beginning.

The others were also surprised. Louis asked, "Why ask a little girl for her opinion? And I was just wondering why the Chief of Staff has been accompanied by this little girl the whole time."

"Hahaha, don't underestimate her, she's my disciple." Li Ang laughed heartily. "Don't let her current appearance fool you, she'll definitely become a strategist in our revolutionary army in the future."

"No, no." Kera was almost in tears, still waving her hands frantically.

Li Ang turned to Louis and said, "Look, it's all because of you that my disciple has become like this."

"Huh? Is it me? Isn't it because the Chief of Staff has been teasing her?"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Apologize to my disciple Kella right now!" Leon approached Louis and shouted.

"Ah! I'm so sorry, Miss Corra, I really didn't mean to say those things. Please forgive me!" Under Leon's "kind" gaze, Louis still chose to "be sensible" and apologize to Corra.

"Alright, alright, Louis has apologized too." Leon pressed Kerr's head down and ruffled her hair. "Now you just watch carefully and remember our conversation. I'm going to test you later."

Haku and Lehman were utterly speechless at the scene described above. This guy must be a fake chief of staff, doing absolutely nothing but teasing little girls all day long. It's unbelievable.

"Hey, what are you all standing there for? Let's get down to business and figure out how to take this place."

Haku and Rayman: "..."

Li Ang quickly came up with two plans.

The first plan was a decapitation strike, and the main people responsible for carrying it out were Leon and Haku.

Leon has a spatial backpack that can carry weapons, and Haku is a master of Fishman Karate. If the two of them were to appear as envoys from a neighboring country to King Charles, they should be able to easily gain an audience.

If we can stage a scene in the palace where the true intentions are revealed, we might be able to catch him off guard and take him out with a single shot.

Once that's done, have Haku escort Leon out, and then have the other Revolutionary Army soldiers meet him outside. That should easily solve the problem.

This method is simple and brutal, quickly eliminating King Charles without incurring any losses.

However, this presents several problems. First, all the pressure rests on Leon and Haku. The success rate of the assassination depends entirely on the disparity in strength between King Charles and the two men.

However, King Charlie is, after all, a Devil Fruit user. Even if he indulges in a life of pleasure, it doesn't necessarily mean he's an ordinary person. Besides, all we know for now is that he can use speed-up cheats, and we don't know if his Devil Fruit has been further developed.

Even if all of this is done and the two manage to kill King Charles, who knows if they can fight their way out of the royal guards' encirclement?

Therefore, Li Ang's first suggestion was immediately rejected by everyone, as no one dared to let their chief of staff put himself in danger.

On the contrary, Li Ang felt very regretful.

This is a rare opportunity in the world of One Piece; if you miss it, you'll never have another chance.

Whether it's the navy or pirates, the leader of each gang is far stronger than the officers and henchmen. Under this premise, it would be a miracle to carry out a decapitation strike.

Like the Beasts Pirates, if they were to face off, they would never try to take down Kaido in one fell swoop. Instead, they would first defeat his subordinates and then concentrate their firepower on Kaido.

Even if King Charles possessed a Devil Fruit, his strength would be limited. He might not even be as powerful as his captain of the guard, and it's possible that he was just an ordinary person besides having a Devil Fruit.

Therefore, Li Ang really wanted to experience such a tense and exciting assassination.

It wasn't that Li Ang was incredibly brave and unafraid of death. Nor was it that he had a death wish and insisted on courting death. Rather, it was that Li Ang couldn't resist the temptation!

Side Quest: The Magnificent First Battle.

Mission Description: Haha, finally at sea! And to make matters worse, I've become the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army! How gratifying! Now a great battle is about to begin. They say soldiers against soldiers, kings against kings. If you can personally kill King Charles, I'll give you a reward, how about it?

Mission objective: Kill King Charles with your own hands.

Mission Reward: Punisher (9mm pistol)

This is the Punisher, the legendary Punisher with a piercing effect! Bullets fired by the Punisher can penetrate an enemy and strike enemies behind them. If upgraded to the final level, it can even take on five enemies at once.

The Punisher is a handgun, which is not considered powerful in the original work. In fact, its power is even slightly lower than the initial handgun, with only 99 points.

The penetration effect seems good, but you'll rarely encounter a chance to take down two enemies at once, let alone five. Furthermore, the Punisher becomes ineffective against larger groups of enemies; you'll still need a more powerful weapon.

But no matter what, even if you don't use it, selling it for 10,000 pesetas at the store is still good. You can buy quite a few things with that; you could buy two first-aid sprays.

In the end, Li Ang argued with everyone for a long time, but he still couldn't persuade them to carry out the plan.

Even the usually well-behaved, adorable, introverted, and shy Kella spoke up to stop it, showing that everyone from top to bottom opposed this rash plan.

Li Ang had no choice but to give up and wait for another opportunity to see if he could complete the task.

"Alright, fine." Li Ang said with a reluctant look, "Then let's reluctantly put that aside for now and talk about the second plan."

"Wow," everyone thought, "Just how reluctant you are to give up that plan? You even used words like 'for the time being,' 'reluctantly,' and 'put on hold' to describe it."

Ignoring what others thought, Li Ang straightened his expression and said, "I call the second plan Operation Capsizing."