One Piece Gunslinger

This tactic only works against people like Smoker. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle. Li Ang made this move based on his understanding of Smoker to a certain extent.

Of course, this alone wasn't enough to get out of the crisis, and Smoker wasn't stupid. He immediately said, "We suspect you're a wanted criminal. If you're innocent, come with us. If we confirm you're innocent, we won't make things difficult for you."

Smoker said this, but he was already prepared for battle. The other naval soldiers also drew their swords and guns, ready for the next battle at any moment, showing no sign of letting their guard down.

After all, in Smoker's and many other marines' memories, no pirate had ever surrendered on their own; they had all been captured after a fierce battle.

Li Ang understood that the fact that Smoker hadn't taken direct action with those words was already an achievement; as for resolving the matter directly with them, that was simply impossible.

However, this is also the result Li Ang wanted. As long as no one takes action, everything is negotiable. I don't believe you can find any evidence.

"Alright, then I'll go with you and clear my name." Li Ang seized the opportunity and agreed to go to the naval base.

This surprised Smoker and many of the Marines. Was it really that easy? They caught him so easily; were they still half asleep? Even after Leon's hands were handcuffed, everyone still found it somewhat unbelievable.

Throughout the entire process, Li Ang remained completely cooperative, from being handcuffed and accompanying the navy back to the interrogation. The whole process proceeded without a single problem.

But the fact that things went so smoothly also gave Smoker a bit of a headache. "Although I had considered this possibility before, there was only a less than 10% chance. Could it be that we really arrested the wrong person?"

"Has he shown any unusual behavior?" In the office, Smoker frowned, a cigar dangling from his lips, and asked the man who had been watching over Leon the entire time.

"No, everything seems normal, and after our interrogation, we haven't found anything suspicious." As he spoke, the naval soldier handed over the record of the interrogation process.

“Leon? Lancer Village in the South China Sea? A professional chef? A tavern owner?” Smoker looked at the records in his hand and muttered to himself, “Setting sail to travel the world? No fixed abode?”

Smoker simply glanced at the auspicious words and tossed them onto the table, ignoring them. The contents were all too normal; nothing about them matched Jason's characteristics.

"Have you checked the information above? Is it true?" Smoker exhaled a puff of smoke.

“Yes, Colonel,” the soldier said. “Except for a small number that are difficult to verify for some reason, the rest are fine.”

So, would Li Ang reveal his true colors? Of course not. But if he's full of lies, they won't stand up to scrutiny. Many things can be verified with just a phone call.

Fortunately, Li Ang knew the importance of having multiple burrows, so he prepared another identity for his face: a chef born in Lancer Town, South China Sea.

Without conducting an on-site investigation, one could indeed find information about a highly skilled chef in Lancer Village based solely on available materials.

However, these were merely identities that Li Ang had cultivated over the years using resources from the Revolutionary Army. If the Navy were to send someone to Lancer Village, they would find that there was no tavern at all, and no one recognized Li Ang.

This operation was, of course, because the Revolutionary Army had planted a spy within the Navy. Although this spy was only a low-ranking lieutenant, he was more powerful than a local official and had jurisdiction over the villages, large and small, in the area around Lancer Village.

So it's so easy; all you have to do is write some documents, and you'll have this identity. As long as no one actually goes to Lancer Village, there won't be any problems.

Therefore, given his current identity, it is absolutely impossible for him to destroy a naval ship and kill a naval captain.

This was Li Ang's strategy of feigning retreat to advance. It seemed as if I had surrendered without resistance, but in reality, Smoker had no decisive evidence and could not expose Li Ang's false identity.

If it cannot be confirmed that Leon is the wanted serial killer, then Smoker will ultimately have no choice but to release him.

This stems from Smoker's personality and his sense of justice. If it were a Marine like Akainu, he wouldn't care about any details; he'd rather kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free. He'd just unleash a combo and take you out without a second thought. Forget about investigation and evidence gathering—that's out of the question.

“Sigh, even though there’s no problem with this, I still have a feeling it’s him,” Smoker said, rubbing his temples.

"Take me down to see him; I want to see him for myself."

Chapter 186 Exoneration

Li Ang's fabricated identity did indeed have some effect. However, Smoker's intuition kept reminding him that Li Ang was the wanted criminal.

Therefore, Smoker ultimately decided to meet Leon in person. Smoker had reason to believe that with his powerful observation skills and experience, any flaws in Leon's character would be exposed.

This duel between the two is a battlefield without gunpowder, a duel between an old hunter and an actor. The outcome of this duel will determine whether Li Ang stays or leaves.

"You've asked me the same questions so many times already. I don't know what other questions you have. Aren't these enough to prove my innocence? Hey, are you listening? How long are you going to keep me locked up?" After a round of questioning, Li Ang said irritably.

Smoker sighed inwardly, still finding nothing. Even with his keen eye, Li Ang was perfectly fine in terms of his emotions, actions, and demeanor.

“Since they’re the same, there’s no need to record them.” Smoker ignored Li Ang and turned to the soldier who was recording the information.

Smoker was considerate of his men. He knew that after this interrogation, the recorder would have to write thousands of words. If there were ten interrogations a day, that would be ten thousand words.

So since Leon was still sticking to the same old story, Smoker didn't want to see his men do useless work. This naval soldier, who had been a recorder for a short time, had calluses on his hands from holding the pen.

"Huh? Calluses?"

Smoker stared at the recorder's hand and finally found a breakthrough.

Even writing can create thick calluses, let alone for swordsmen and knivesmen.

Smoker quickly reached out and grabbed Leon's handcuffed wrist, saying, "Open your palm and let me see your hand."

Yes, that's right. I hadn't thought of that before, nor had I seen it. If Li Ang held a knife all year round, his palms and the area between his thumb and forefinger would definitely have thick calluses.

When Li Ang reached out to grab Smoker, he knew what Smoker was up to. If he couldn't smooth things over, all his previous efforts would be in vain, and Li Ang would have no choice but to fight his way out.

However, this also presents an opportunity. Smoker is clearly in a bind. He hasn't found any compelling clues or any weaknesses. In this state of utter frustration and despair, he discovers another way out, another crucial point.

This illusion of finding a new path after a dead end can unconsciously lead people to place all their hopes on this and bet everything on it.

If this has no effect, then Li Ang can use this as a pretext to be released without charge.

In this critical moment, Li Ang cannot panic at all; he must maintain his superstar composure. If he shows any sign of panic, Smoker will definitely notice something is wrong.

So after being captured by Smoker, Li Ang first pretended to be stunned for a moment, and then showed a puzzled expression, slowly opening his palm.

“That’s right, it’s this one.” Smoker looked at Li Ang’s palm and thought to himself, “There are a lot of calluses on his palms, the base of his thumb, and his fingers. This must be because he has been holding something for a long time. And it must have taken a lot of effort to hold this thing, which is why there are so many calluses and they are so thick.”

"Can you explain why you have so many calluses on your hands?" Smoker asked. "As far as I know, you wouldn't get this many calluses just from using a kitchen knife."

Li Ang sighed and said, "This really wasn't caused by using a kitchen knife. It just gradually grew after I went to sea these past two years. You know, the high seas are never peaceful. Sometimes you might encounter someone with ill intentions, so it's important to have a way to defend yourself, so..."

"So you put down the kitchen knife and picked up a cleaver instead?" Smoker pressed further.

“No, no, no, I don’t know how to use a machete,” Li Ang quickly explained. “What I mean is, I’ve started practicing with firearms, and now I’m a really good shot.”

"What? You've started practicing your marksmanship?" Smoker was a little disappointed. This wasn't going according to the script. Why were you holding a gun instead?

“Yes, but my original gun fell into the sea during a storm,” Li Ang continued.

If this is true, then the calluses on Li Ang's hands can be explained, and Smoker can also rule out the possibility that Li Ang is Jason.

Because, according to common sense, it's impossible for one person to master several fighting styles. Only Li Ang, this freak, easily improved his physical abilities through the system, unlike others who achieved it through cultivation.

Smoker could only say with a stern face, "Are you really that good with a gun?"

"I only discovered it later. I have a great talent for firearms. If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have become a chef. I would have become a sniper long ago." It seems that this is the only truth Li Ang is telling.

"Very good, then come with me, I'll take you to the shooting range."

Smoker was clearly determined to see if Li Ang was really that good. Although Li Ang's expression suggested he wasn't lying, he still wanted to see if Li Ang was truly that powerful.

Soon after, Li Ang, handcuffed, followed Smoker to the shooting range.

There happened to be a group of soldiers training at the firing range. Smoker quickly unlocked their handcuffs and, using what was available, had the soldiers hand Leon a pistol and a rifle.

I'm not worried at all that Li Ang might do anything dangerous once he has a weapon. As a user of a Logia Devil Fruit, I have that kind of confidence. With me here, you won't be able to cause any trouble.

However, Smoker was confident, and Li Ang was even more confident. The moment he got the gun, Li Ang seemed to become a different person. His whole demeanor and spirit underwent a huge change. If he was a harmless little white rabbit who was timid and submissive before, he was a lion now.

Smoker saw this scene and, even though Li Ang hadn't fired a single shot, he already knew the outcome.

This perfect harmony between Li Ang and his weapon, and the difference between having a gun and not having one, all demonstrate that Li Ang is an exceptionally skilled marksman. He couldn't have reached this level without a genuine love and understanding of guns.

As expected, Li Ang used both pistol and rifle interchangeably, switching between them as he drew dots on the target. In no time, he had used dozens of bullets to draw a rough human face on the target, which, upon closer inspection, even resembled Li Ang himself.

These ordinary naval soldiers had never seen such marksmanship before; their eyes widened in disbelief. And it wasn't just these ordinary soldiers; even Smoker found it somewhat incredible.

"As expected of a standard naval weapon, it's really good," Li Ang thought to himself after putting down his gun.

Whether it's recoil, accuracy, reloading speed, or continuous firing capability, it's far superior to the weapons of the Revolutionary Army or the pirates. Li Ang was even a little envious.

“Alright, I don’t know why I came here to show off my shooting skills, but at least I didn’t disappoint. Now you can let me go, right?” Li Ang said to Smoker.

Logically, after the last glimmer of hope vanished and it was confirmed that Leon was not the person on the wanted list, Smoker should have released him.

However, Smoker took notice of Leon's incredible marksmanship. Although he was a Logia-type Devil Fruit user and not afraid of firearms, his fearlessness didn't mean others were. If he could recruit Leon into the Marines, it would be like adding another asset to Loguetown, who could sometimes help Smoker with his work.

Especially the Buggy Pirates, who were incredibly lucky and escaped right under his nose. If they had a capable assistant like Leon, they could definitely have kept them here. Luck wouldn't have mattered.

Conversely, if Li Ang is let go and not allowed to join the Navy, he might later join the pirates and be recruited by a pirate crew. That would be bad for the Navy; in the end, the Navy would lose one Li Ang, while the pirates would gain one. It would be a loss of a pair of excellent snipers.

So Smoker made up his mind to find a way to keep Leon here no matter what.

Thinking of this, Smoker was able to let it go easily and sincerely apologized to Li Ang: "I'm sorry, we arrested the wrong person this time. You are not the wanted criminal we are looking for."

Then, Smoker changed the subject: "I wonder if you'd be interested in becoming a Marine and contributing to the fight against pirates and the maintenance of peace and justice."

Oh dear, before, Li Ang was always using his connections and lofty ideals to recruit others, but now the tables have turned, and one day someone has actually set their sights on him.

Li Ang was completely dumbfounded. He had planned everything perfectly, but he never expected such a tactic. This Smoker actually wanted to have his cake and eat it too; regardless of whether Li Ang was a wanted criminal or not, he wouldn't be able to escape.

For Li Ang, having the opportunity to join the navy wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It would give him a perfectly legitimate identity within the navy. Moreover, once he rose to a higher position, he could infiltrate deep into enemy territory and use this opportunity to steal technology, intelligence, and even recruit people (turn them to defection).

However, Li Ang cannot do such a thing right now, because it is not part of his plan. In other words, Li Ang does not have the time or energy to do it.

There was still one urgent matter that he needed to deal with: the problem of insufficient manpower in the General Staff had not been resolved. Kerla couldn't hold on for long, and Leon would eventually have to rush back to save the day.

"Oh dear, this is so unpredictable. How could something like this happen?" Li Ang looked at Smoker's longing eyes and started to feel a headache coming on again.

Let me think about it carefully, what should I do if I get conscripted?

Chapter 187 Three Aspects

Of course, this problem is not actually that complicated; it's essentially a matter of nodding to choke or shaking to leak.

If Li Ang clearly refuses, then Smoker is not an unreasonable person. Even if he regrets it, he will respect Li Ang's wishes and let him leave.

But Li Ang was a greedy man; he didn't want to just have a one-day visit to the detention center and then slink away in disgrace. Since he was already here, he had to do something, otherwise it would have been better not to come at all.

Not making a profit is equivalent to losing money. Influenced by this inherent mindset, Li Ang decided to buy a seed before leaving, a seed that would later turn Smoker against him.

Hehe, no one else can steal my men, only I, Li Ang, can steal other people's men.

Smoker was undoubtedly one of the few officers in the Navy whose ideals were similar to those of the Revolutionary Army. Many marines joined the army with the intention of maintaining peace at sea, upholding justice, and fighting injustice.

However, as time goes by, most of them are corrupted by the dark power struggles. The higher they go, the easier it is for them to lose themselves in the pursuit of interests and become like Morgan or Colonel Rat.

While this is partly due to their lack of resolve, it's largely influenced by the current global environment. Conversely, Smokers have become an anomaly; these powerful Logia-type Devil Fruit users remain only lowly colonels, confined to a small place like Loguetown.

Of course, as things stand, the Navy is generally inclined to be lawful and benevolent. As long as the top leadership is upright, the lower ranks won't stray too much. The Navy's top leadership ultimately upholds justice.

Sometimes, however, the World Government's orders are unavoidable, forcing compromises. To uphold justice, to avoid being blinded by illusions, to see the world clearly, and to make the right decisions—this is incredibly difficult. Even Fleet Admiral Sengoku couldn't escape this vicious cycle, and at times, he too could only make wrong decisions.

Smoker, someone who hasn't been corrupted, can refuse orders from superiors, can see what justice is, knows what he should do, and knows how to uphold justice, is truly rare. (After Luffy escaped, he resolutely disregarded orders and left Loguetown to pursue him. Later, in Alabasta, however, to save the country, Smoker abandoned his pursuit of Luffy.)