One Piece Gunslinger

It was as if the whole world had fallen silent; even the two men playing cards behind Li Ang were quiet. Only Li Ang's dark gun barrel and the slingshot in his hand remained.

"Judging from the shooting angle and the position of the muzzle, this time it will pass under my armpit. It's a really tricky position. If I miss, it could very well hit me."

The wind direction is southeast, and the wind speed is very light, so it won't have much of an impact. The bullet takes 0.2 seconds to reach the intercept point, while my bullet is slower, but it doesn't need to travel too far. It only needs to reach the intercept point 5 meters in front of me; otherwise, mine will arrive first. That would mean missing.

No, then delay your shot until the bullet reaches a certain point. The goal is to accurately hit the upper part of the bullet, causing it to bounce downwards and embed itself in the ground.

So I should adjust the angle again, pull the slingshot up a bit, and also make some minor adjustments to the timing.

A flash appeared at the muzzle; the bullet had already left the barrel, but it wasn't the right time yet. Let's wait a bit longer.

I heard a 'bang,' that's about it, we're almost there.

"Now!"

Li Ang had no idea about Usopp's thought process, but he already knew the outcome the moment he saw Usopp make his move.

"Bang!" "Clang!" "Pfft!"

Three sounds rang out in quick succession: the sound of a bullet leaving the barrel, the sound of it striking the iron ball, and finally, the sound of it ricocheting into the ground and landing on the beach. These three sounds signified that Usopp had finally succeeded.

"I did it?" Usopp stared incredulously at the bullet embedded in the sand.

Li Ang smiled slightly: "Be more confident. You have indeed succeeded. You have basically mastered the technique of intercepting bullets, while artillery shells fly slower than bullets. Since you can intercept bullets, it will not be a problem to detonate artillery shells in the air in the future, provided that the artillery shell is not a solid metal ball."

The two women on the side were also happy for Usopp. Although they had been forced to come here with Leon at first and had no way to leave, they didn't have a good impression of this place.

Nevertheless, the two watched Usopp gradually, well, not gradually, but in a meteoric rise. They witnessed Usopp's growth firsthand, and finally…

"But don't get too excited yet. You've only gone through the second stage. There's still the final stage waiting for you," Li Ang said, still trying to dampen Usopp's spirits as he danced around with joy.

"What, there's a third stage?"

Not only Usopp, but the two girls who thought they were free and could leave were suddenly shocked. "Is this not finished yet? Do we have to stay here for a while longer?"

"Ah, no, the last stage is very simple and short. And it has nothing to do with aptitude; it can be completed quickly," Li Ang quickly explained. "Why don't we strike while the iron is hot and continue? What do you think?"

The last sentence was addressed to Usopp. However, looking at Leon's strange expression, Usopp realized it didn't seem like something that could be accomplished so easily.

"Um, is it really that simple? It really doesn't take much time?"

Still worried, Usopp couldn't resist asking one last question.

"Don't worry, it'll be over soon." With that, Li Ang raised his gun again.

However, this action, which he had performed many times before, gave Usopp a different feeling. This time, Leon didn't choose to outline the human body; instead, he pointed the gun directly at Usopp's forehead.

Usopp was also startled and instinctively prepared to dodge to the side.

“Because whether it succeeds or fails, it means it’s over.” Li Ang was not joking at all. No matter how Usopp tried to dodge, he kept his eyes firmly locked on Usopp’s forehead.

"Um... um... could we... skip the last phase of training?" Usopp asked tremulously.

"The answer is of course no. Didn't you just make up your mind? Are you already thinking of giving up?"

Is this something that can be solved simply by making a decision? Let alone Usopp, even an ordinary person would be afraid if they were pointed at with a gun.

The two girls, who were just observing, didn't have Usopp's ability to calculate bullet trajectories from the muzzle of a gun. They only realized, after hearing the increasingly strange conversation between the two, that this final training session was actually a real battle.

All of the previous training was just practice, because even if it failed and the bullet wasn't successfully deflected, it wouldn't cause any problems. But in this final stage, if the interception fails, there's only one outcome.

"Wait, Leon, are you kidding me? What if this fails..." Nami, who was on the side, was ultimately too soft-hearted and even started pleading for Usopp.

Karina hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to pull Nami back: "Indeed, without actual practice, it's just training. You might panic and not be able to perform at your best in battle. After all, the enemy won't intentionally miss you. Leon is right, this is indeed necessary."

This is Li Ang's training process, which becomes more and more terrifying with each stage. In the first stage, there is only killing intent, but no actual harm. If you can see the trajectory clearly, then you will not be afraid of the killing intent.

The second stage involves actual harm. If not controlled properly, it can still hurt you, but it may not be fatal, and you may still be able to recover.

The third time would be truly life-or-death; it would be a matter of success or death.

This is another layer of training that Leon is giving Usopp in terms of courage.

"Don't hesitate, I'll count to five, and then I'll start shooting. Five...four..."

Seeing that Li Ang's expression was genuine, Usopp had no choice but to bite the bullet, pull back his slingshot, and assume a defensive stance.

As Li Ang said, when he counted to "one", he pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Chapter 165 Heading to the Next Stop

In certain things or fields, some people are born with the corresponding abilities they excel at. We usually call this ability talent, and people with this ability are called geniuses.

However, it doesn't mean that geniuses can achieve something in this field. Talent is one thing, but if you have talent but don't develop and utilize it, or don't make corresponding efforts, then even a genius is useless.

However, Li Ang wanted to complain at this moment: "I want the protagonist's halo too!"

"What are you yelling about? Row properly!" Nami quickly grabbed the edge and shouted.

The two men had no idea what was wrong with Li Ang. He was rowing the boat just fine when he suddenly stood up, raised his arms, and roared at the sky, causing the small boat to rock violently and almost throwing them off.

However, Li Ang was amazed by Usopp's talent. Even if he was exceptionally talented, it was still too exaggerated. In just a few days, he had already grown to this level, surpassing the achievements that countless people could not reach in their entire lives.

In order not to shatter his image as a wise man in Usopp's eyes, he kept this incredible surprise to himself. It wasn't until the next day, after Leon and Usopp had waved goodbye and left Syrup Village far behind, that it finally erupted.

In Li Ang's view, Usopp's talent had transcended the realm that talent could be defined by. He was simply a prodigy. As for the other main characters, Li Ang didn't think they were as prodigies because they were from a different field.

It was only after meeting Usopp, this genius sniper, that Li Ang understood the terrifying power of the protagonist's plot armor. Li Ang even wondered if Usopp had somehow become a master sniper with a scope.

Regardless of whether Usopp and the Straw Hat crew have any protagonist aura or not, since this is the case, Li Ang can only accept it.

After Li Ang vented his anger, he pretended nothing had happened, sat back on the boat, and calmly started rowing.

However, the sea remained unchanged, and the journey remained monotonous and tedious. Before long, Karina couldn't resist starting a conversation.

"I said, the last training session was too terrifying. I was thinking of trying this kind of training later to see if I could master this skill, but the last one completely interrupted my idea."

"Yeah, yeah, aren't you afraid of killing him? Putting aside everything else, if you kill him, wouldn't all the training you've done these past few days be for nothing?"

Facing the two's questions, Li Ang continued his work, saying as he rowed, "Your problems are actually the same. If someone can't complete the third step of training, they won't even succeed in the first step. Just like I never even considered teaching you shooting, because I knew before I even started that you wouldn't be able to get past the first step."

While it's true that genius doesn't guarantee success, if you're not a genius, you absolutely cannot succeed in this field. It's not something that can be achieved through hard work alone; without talent, all your efforts will be in vain.

Li Ang's words implied that the two men lacked talent, and they immediately understood. They were indignant: "How can you say they have no talent? What are you using to judge whether they have talent or not?"

“Hey, I can’t say anything, or you’ll bristle like two little cats,” Li Ang said helplessly. “It’s not that you lack talent, but your talent isn’t here, it’s elsewhere. Everyone has their own area of ​​expertise, and in rare cases, some people are completely incompetent and truly stupid. But in any case, absolutely no one can be talented in every field, so you don’t need to be upset about not having a talent for shooting, because you weren’t born for this area.”

But Usopp's was truly terrifying. He's the most incredibly talented person I've ever seen, and keep in mind, he wasn't using a gun, but a slingshot.

Upon hearing Li Ang's words, the image of Usopp using his slingshot flashed through their minds. Indeed, when they first saw Usopp using a slingshot as his primary weapon, they almost burst out laughing. However, as they grew older, they gradually accepted this interpretation, finding Usopp wielding a slingshot to be just as impressive as someone wielding a firearm.

"But your last one was way too reckless. After Usopp intercepted the first bullet, you fired three more in quick succession. Usopp relaxed a bit after catching the first one, so he..."

Li Ang curled his lip in disdain and said, "That's because that toy gun can only hold four bullets, so I only fired four bullets in the end. If it weren't for running out of bullets... hmph."

Hearing Li Ang's answer, calling that dangerous thing a toy gun, Nami almost jumped up: "So you think 'powerful' is an understatement? I was terrified when I saw it, let alone Usopp."

Listening to Nami's complaints, Li Ang's thoughts returned to yesterday, to the moment he actually fired at Usopp.

Usopp did not disappoint Leon. Facing this final step of death training, facing a bullet aimed straight at his head, Usopp successfully intercepted it with his little slingshot and small iron ball.

Li Ang's original plan was to end it with one shot and he didn't intend to take on the remaining three thousand. However, this idea was abandoned when Usopp successfully intercepted the first shot.

The reason is that after Usopp saw Leon raise his gun and point it at him, his expression of terror remained unchanged until he intercepted the bullet, and his legs even trembled uncontrollably.

This was completely unexpected by Li Ang.

In Li Ang's imagination, since Usopp was able to break through the first stage and overcome his inner fear in the second stage, his courage should have been greatly enhanced, and he should no longer be as timid as before.

Li Ang confidently fired at Usopp's head based on this belief: he was confident Usopp had overcome his fear of bullets. If Usopp's hands and feet were to tremble with fear and he was unable to react, then Li Ang would have no choice but to dig him a grave.

But that wasn't the case. As it turned out, Usopp hadn't made any progress in this area and was still the same cowardly Usopp.

Even so, Usopp only showed his inner feelings on his face and legs, but his arms and Mikasa's slingshot remained steady, showing no signs of being affected by fear.

This piqued Li Ang's curiosity. With the thought, "What? Is that even possible?" Li Ang fired three more shots at Usopp in quick succession until he had emptied his magazine and was forced to stop.

While firing those three shots, Li Ang didn't forget to keep a close eye on Usopp's expression.

After his first attack, Usopp's tense body relaxed, and he even wiped the sweat from his forehead. However, when he saw that Leon hadn't lowered his gun but instead kept it pointed at him, he looked terrified again and assumed a fighting stance.

Li Ang found Usopp's rapid changes in expression during this scene rather amusing.

With each gunshot, Usopp's expression grew more terrified, until finally tears and snot streamed down his face. After Leon fired three shots, his trembling legs gave way, and he collapsed face-first to the ground.

Looking at Usopp, who was lying on the ground panting heavily with his butt sticking out, Li Ang muttered to himself, "Not only has it not changed his timid nature or trained his courage, but it has also given him this power?"

Li Ang hadn't expected Usopp's timid nature to be so tenacious. Even after repeated training and in moments of crisis, it remained deeply ingrained in his mind. He even used the power of fear to do things beyond his limits.

They say it's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature, and now Li Ang has finally witnessed that firsthand. This is proven in Usopp's case. Trying to change Usopp's cowardly nature is harder than overthrowing the World Government.

In the original storyline, Usopp spent two years training to survive in a dangerous place during the two years he was separated from the others. However, after two years, he was still the same cowardly person and still had the same disease that would kill him if he went to the island.

Li Ang had initially thought that this was because someone had been with him during those two years, someone who could rescue him at any time in case of danger, thus preventing the emergence of true helplessness and terror. But now it seemed that wasn't the case at all; this timid nature was a flaw that God had created in Usopp to restrain his powerful shooting talent.

As Leon waved goodbye to Usopp, he decided to do something more. So he took out a gun. But this wasn't the toy gun from before; it was Red Nine.

"You are the most talented shooter I have ever met. You are a natural-born sharpshooter. I wouldn't be surprised if you become the best sniper on this sea in the future," Li Ang praised without reservation.

“But you’re still too weak right now, and I can’t just stay on this island forever. There are still many things I need to do. So…”

Leon raised the Red Nine in his hand and pointed it at Usopp's side.

“If we ever meet again in the future, I hope you can intercept this bullet,” Li Ang said as he pulled the trigger.

"Bang." Usopp had never heard such a crisp sound before, but unfortunately, by the time he heard the gunshot, the bullet had already embedded itself firmly in the sand at his feet.

"This... is too fast."

"That's right. For you, this bullet is too fast. Let alone intercepting it, you might not even be able to see how it hit the sand. But I believe you will be able to do it someday. Consider this the homework I'm giving you before I leave."

After saying that, Li Ang didn't turn his head, but boarded the small, dilapidated boat, carrying the two impatient people, and left Xiluobu Village.

Next stop, Cocoa West Village!

Chapter 166 I'm Sorry

Next stop, Cocoa Village?

This travel route is wrong. Logically speaking, the next stop should be the sea restaurant. Whether it's the distance, the map route, or the development of Luffy's journey and the plot, it should be the sea restaurant where Sanji is.

However, reality is not so simple; you can't just go to a restaurant on the sea whenever you want.

Not to mention that the floating restaurant was just a ship adrift in that area of ​​sea, with no fixed location. There were no relevant markings on the map, and Li Ang had no idea how to find it.