One Piece Gunslinger

Seeing the two of them hugging each other and bursting into tears at the drop of a hat, Li Ang shook his head: "I've always said not to believe everything in the newspapers. You two thought so yesterday, but now you've thrown it aside."

When the clever women heard Leon say that he had a powerful force behind him and that his intelligence capabilities were extremely strong, they had already pieced together all the clues.

Only a handful of major powers possess extremely strong intelligence capabilities. Leon had already stated that he was not a pirate, and he also told Kuro that he was not a member of the World Government or the Navy.

That eliminates the Four Emperors, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Navy, and the World Government, leaving only one possibility.

Li Ang could only be a member of the rebels.

The rebels are actually the revolutionary army; this is the name the World Government uses for the revolutionary army. From the World Government's perspective, they cannot call the revolutionary army the revolutionary army, so they are referred to as rebels, terrorists, or extremist groups.

Just like a peasant uprising, only the people in the uprising call it an uprising; in the emperor's eyes, it's called rebellion.

Since the world government calls the Revolutionary Army a rebel army, then we should also publicize the dangers of rebels to the whole world so that countries large and small can take precautions to avoid being attacked by rebels.

Therefore, the various glorious deeds of the rebels were distorted into despicable acts in the newspapers published by the World Government. The soldiers' heroic battles were turned into bloodthirsty terror, and their excellent command on the battlefield was turned into treacherous cunning.

In contrast to the newspapers, which reported that liberated areas were filled with peace and prosperity, and that people were freed from oppression and living happy lives, the newspapers portrayed the people as suffering terribly, living under the whips of the rebels and becoming slaves of the rebels.

Each of these news reports infuriated the members of the revolutionary army, who would roll up their sleeves and prepare to charge into Mary Geoise to fight to the death.

There was no way to compete with the World Government's overwhelming propaganda. The newspaper published by the Revolutionary Army was like a child.

Therefore, all the news Nami and Carina have come across about the Revolutionary Army has been negative. Due to the World Government's propaganda, many people who are unaware of the truth have come to regard the rebels as an even more vicious and terrifying force than pirates.

This led to the scene where Karina and Nami hugged and whispered to each other.

However, Li Ang was prepared. Directly revealing his identity would not be advisable, but revealing his identity little by little was enough to prepare the two of them mentally.

Over the past few days, through his interactions with the two men, Li Ang has been subtly changing their deeply ingrained impressions of the revolutionary army.

In addition, the previously accepted view that "newspapers are written by people, and what's in them isn't necessarily accurate" gave the two people room to maneuver in this matter.

“Take a good look at me. Do I look like the kind of cannibalistic, bloodthirsty, cruel, and inhumane rebels who treat people like livestock that you think I am? Think about it carefully. Seeing is believing. You need to see for yourselves what the truth is.”

Chapter 158 Two Choices

It must be said that Li Ang's ideological work today has been somewhat effective, and the person has become somewhat hesitant in the face of Li Ang's questioning.

On one side is the deeply ingrained propaganda from childhood, and on the other side are the truths Lyon has been spouting for the past three days. Neither of them can quite grasp which side has more weight.

Seeing the two of them looking hesitant and conflicted, Li Ang sighed and then flicked their foreheads twice with his hands.

The sudden blow snapped them back to reality. Clutching their foreheads, they glared at Li Ang and said, "What are you doing? That hurts!"

"I just flicked you, and you dare to glare at me? Aren't you afraid I'll eat you up?"

"Hmph! You dare!" Nami clenched her fist and said.

“Look, you’re not afraid of me at all, and you don’t need to be. Doesn’t that prove that all the propaganda about our revolutionary army is completely false? We’re not scary at all,” Li Ang said, spreading his hands.

"Besides, I am the chief of staff of the revolutionary army. If you are not even afraid of me, then there is probably nothing to be afraid of within the revolutionary army."

Li Ang's words had a remarkable effect; the two women immediately surrounded him excitedly, scrutinizing him closely.

"You are...you are the legendary..."

"Insidious and cunning, sinister and terrifying..."

"Completely wicked, committing all sorts of evil deeds..."

"The crimes are heinous and the sins are utterly outrageous..."

"Lawless and immoral, committing heinous crimes..."

"A beast in human form, a wolf in sheep's clothing, and a dog's lungs..."

"...the chief of staff??!" X2

"I am the chief of staff, that's true, but you can omit all those qualifying phrases!" This wasn't the first time Li Ang had seen this string of qualifying phrases. Even though he'd seen them all the time in the newspapers, he'd never felt so frustrated as to hear two young girls here, one after the other, talking in unison.

I, Li Ang, am a dignified and upright gentleman. How did I end up with a string of inexplicable accusations against me? No matter how I look at it, it's all the world's fault, it's all the world government's fault.

In the end, Li Ang patiently and persistently explained the facts and reasoned with the two in the room, gradually turning over their misunderstandings about the revolutionary army.

“I never imagined that the rebels—no, the revolutionary army—that I’ve always known are actually the only organization fighting for freedom and equality in this world,” Karina said, resting her head on her hands on the table.

Li Ang was also parched from talking, so he quickly picked up his cup, took a sip of water, and pressed on while the iron was hot, saying, "Now that we've talked about this, are you willing to join the revolutionary army?"

"This……"

Although I understand it, I still hesitate to participate myself and go against the world's largest organization, the world government.

However, seeing their hesitation, Li Ang knew there was something to be done. Previously, they had refused without hesitation; their hesitation meant they had the idea in mind, but were simply undecided. Noon had arrived; it was time to unleash his trump card.

Li Ang suddenly stood up from his chair and said in a solemn and powerful voice: "The most precious thing a person has is life, and life is given to a person only once. Therefore, a person's life should be spent in such a way that when he looks back on the past, he will not regret wasting his years, nor be ashamed of having accomplished nothing. In this way, before he dies, he can say, 'I have dedicated my whole life and all my energy to the most precious cause in life—the struggle for the liberation of mankind!'"

Li Ang's words were resounding and powerful. This wasn't the first time Li Ang had said these words, and they had already spread throughout the revolutionary army.

But for the two young girls who had only recently begun their sea voyage, these words were incredibly impactful. It was the first time they had ever heard anyone talk to them about life and ideals in such a way.

We should not regret wasting our youth, nor should we be ashamed of having accomplished nothing.

The most precious cause in life—to fight for the liberation of mankind?

These two sentences were like a spell, firmly nailed to their minds, and still echoing long afterward.

"I must also fight for the liberation of all mankind." After hearing this, Karina immediately stood up and bowed deeply to Li Ang.

“Good, everyone who is willing to sacrifice themselves for the revolutionary cause deserves respect.” Li Ang patted Karina on the shoulder. “Go back and familiarize yourself with the work. We’re going to hand over our revolutionary army’s spies and intelligence personnel to you.”

"Huh? This, could it be..."

"Don't be afraid, I believe you can do it, you just lack some experience."

After settling things with Karina, Leon looked at Nami, who was still hesitant and unsure what to say. He didn't press her for an immediate decision, but instead said slowly, "It's alright, you don't need to make a decision now. Our doors are always open for you."

Nami's inner conflict is nothing more than the Arlong Pirates, who are far away in her hometown of Cocoyasi Village. As long as the Arlong Pirates exist, Nami will never be able to achieve her true self, nor will she have any freedom.

The most fundamental solution to this problem is to eliminate the Arlong Pirates so that Nami has no worries about her safety.

"Nami..." Seeing Nami's sullen expression, Karina realized that Nami had a hidden, sorrowful side that no one knew about.

It was a rather gloomy night; under the dim moonlight, even the vast sea appeared somewhat eerie.

Li Ang and his two companions had already arrived here ahead of time, waiting for the possible appearance of Kro.

"So why did you all come along? What if we encounter danger..."

“You’re here even if there’s danger. We wouldn’t dare stay in the hotel alone. If Kro goes crazy and attacks the hotel, no one can save me,” Karina said matter-of-factly.

Li Ang retorted, "What? I already said that given his personality, he definitely wouldn't choose to attack a hotel. Otherwise, even if he succeeded, the whole plan would fall apart."

Just as the three were idly chatting, a dark shadow finally appeared on the horizon.

Li Ang quickly took out his binoculars and looked outside. As expected, it was the Black Cat Pirates' ship.

"As expected, they've arrived. Now it's up to Kro to decide what to do," Li Ang said in a low voice, putting down his binoculars.

Nami also took the binoculars and managed to make out the Black Cat Pirate Ship and the figures on it.

"The Black Cat Pirates? What are they doing here?" Nami asked, puzzled.

“It’s good that they came. If they hadn’t come, it would have been troublesome,” Li Ang said matter-of-factly. “This shows that Klo definitely listened to what we said, instead of treating us as nobody who was just there to scare him.”

"Why is that?" Nami asked after putting down her binoculars.

Karina cleverly explained, "That's simple. If Kuro wants to leave here and go back to being a pirate, he certainly can't leave this island by swimming. Besides, not everyone can sail the seas in a small boat like Leon. He'll definitely need to notify a pirate ship to come and pick him up."

Leon nodded and said, "That's right, but that's only one possibility. It's also possible that Kuro wants to use the power of the entire pirate crew to deal with us."

Nami initially thought Karina's words made sense and was relieved that the matter could be resolved perfectly. However, after hearing what Leon said, her heart, which had been at ease, started racing again: "What did you say? Use it against us? No way, you're mobilizing the entire pirate crew just for the three of us?"

After sighing, Li Ang explained, "This wasn't prepared for the three of us, but for the forces behind us. If you think about it that way, it all makes sense."

Kro is inherently suspicious. If I adopt a strong stance during the day and force him to comply, he'll definitely have a lot of thoughts running through his mind. He'll also be suspicious about whether we have any powerful backing, or what kind of power it is.

If his cautious thinking ultimately prevails over his greedy desires, and he realizes that the forces behind us are untouchable and that the three of us are also very powerful, then he will eventually obediently board the ship and leave, continuing to be a pirate in the East China Sea.

If the tables turn and greed triumphs over caution, he will attack without hesitation. After all, he doesn't know that I'm backed by the Revolutionary Army. If he thinks that killing the three of us to silence us, destroying the evidence, and preventing the news from leaking out will allow him to continue his plan, then we're about to face a fierce battle.

The chances of either scenario occurring are roughly 50/50; the outcome depends entirely on his decision and the resolve he makes.

Nami and Karina's expressions turned grim upon hearing that there was still a 50% chance they would be surrounded and attacked by the entire pirate crew. "Then could you tell him that you're a member of the Revolutionary Army? That way, he won't dare to mess with us."

Leon immediately refused: "Impossible. I revealed my identity to you because I considered you as future partners. You must know that the Revolutionary Army's enemies are practically the entire world. If I were to reveal my identity to the outside world, I would definitely be strangled by the massive World Government before I even get far."

Protecting one's identity and concealing one's purpose has been the guiding principle for many revolutionary soldiers around the world for years. Your first lesson upon entering here is to learn how to protect yourself in all circumstances.

Unfortunately, since their identities still couldn't be revealed, Nami and Karina could only pray that Kro would be smart enough to leave quietly and avoid the 50/50 chance of running into them.

Unfortunately, if something has the potential to go wrong, it will always develop in that direction. And Li Ang was not a lucky person; he couldn't persuade them to back down with just a few words and avoid any friction. Such good fortune ultimately did not fall on Li Ang's head.

Seeing Kro extend his two sharp iron claws, Li Ang knew that a fight was inevitable.

Chapter 159 First, eliminate a bug.

"You two go hide on the cliff first, I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of you later." Seeing that the main character had appeared, Li Ang also became very alert.

Upon hearing Li Ang instruct people to hide, the two women hesitated for a moment, perhaps thinking that they wouldn't be of any help if they stayed. So they ran back and up the slope to the top of the cliff.

Kro didn't react to the name, as if he hadn't seen the two at all. After all, the two were practically powerless, and once Li Ang was dealt with, they would be at his mercy anyway.

"Kro, how are you? Have you thought it through?" Leon asked Kro after seeing that Nami and Karina had left the troublesome place.

“Yes, I’ve made up my mind. No one can stop me.” Even at this moment, Kro maintained his elegance, adjusting his glasses with his palm as he said, “So, I can only ask that you be buried here.”

In fact, Chloe always uses this special posture to push up her glasses. If you only look at the action at that time, it feels a bit funny.

But once Kro was equipped with weapons, the gesture of pushing up his glasses became natural and perfectly reasonable.

This habit stems from Kuro's many years as a pirate, where he always keeps his weapon close at hand. If he were to push up his glasses with his fingers like a normal person, the iron claws, far exceeding the length of his fingers, would pierce his head—a feat only a comedic character would attempt. However, by pushing up his glasses with his wrist, the four sharp blades on the iron claws can extend upwards along the back of his hand, pointing towards the sky.

"When you were Kaya's butler, you always kept this habit of pushing up your glasses. It seems that even after you live a peaceful life, you still can't forget your thirst for battle."

"Oh? I hadn't noticed that, but now that you've reminded me, I might have to change this habit. It wouldn't be good if others noticed." Li Ang wasn't in a hurry, and neither was Kuro, who began to talk to Li Ang. There was still some time before the pirate ship docked; they could stall for as long as possible.

"Alright, since you insist, then my greatsword can continue to drink blood." After saying that, Li Ang took out a mask from his spatial bag, put it on, and drew his blood-stained greatsword. It was time for Jason to make his appearance; Li Ang would be off work now.

Since it was used against Monka, this machete has only been lying around for two days. The bloodstains on it haven't completely faded yet, and there's still a reddish-black stain on it.

"So you're the serial killer mentioned in yesterday's newspaper, and you've actually come here." Having roamed the East China Sea for many years, Kro naturally understood that the distance from the scene of the incident to Xiluobu Village was quite a distance.

Jason, after donning the cosplay gear, was surprised that even after seeing such a terrifying look, Kro remained unfazed and was able to calmly analyze the situation.