One Piece Gunslinger

However, ever since Li Ang obtained the system, his calm mind has always managed to find ways to make him abandon the simple and crude method of recklessness and instead think of other ways to gain more benefits and reduce losses.

It's not that this is bad, but it just feels too cold and lacks passion; everything is so calculating.

As Li Ang had predicted, Dalton, though unaware of why they needed to find Gureva, led Li Ang to a secluded place. In this place, so remote that few would pass by or discover it, stood a striking wooden hut.

It seems Dalton did indeed know Gureva's location all along, but he had been hiding it from Walpo. He was just fooling those idiots.

"Dong dong dong."

Dalton knocked on the door, and after a while, slowly opened it a crack.

Then we saw a classic pose: Chopper nervously hid behind the door, staring wide-eyed at the two strangers. However, Chopper was hiding in reverse, with his hands on the back of the door, exposing his body.

"Um, is Chopper the only child at home? Is Kureha not here?" When Li Ang saw the mascot of the Straw Hat Pirates and even the entire One Piece world, he couldn't help but want to touch it a couple of times and see what Chopper's fur felt like.

However, when Chopper saw Leon talking to him, he acted like a frightened little animal, running through the door and "hiding" behind a sofa.

Well, it seems we need to open up Chopper's shy and withdrawn heart first, otherwise, Li Ang, an outsider, won't be able to touch a hair on his head.

But who is Li Ang? With years of experience dealing with all kinds of unruly children, he quickly found a solution.

Li Ang pulled a lollipop out of his pocket and gave Chopper what he thought was a very kind smile: "Come on, good boy, Uncle will give you some candy."

Chapter 200 Healing the Nation

However, Li Ang's self-proclaimed amiable smile, combined with his attire, appeared both menacing and sleazy, with a hint of cunning within it. He looked exactly like a child trafficker.

However, perhaps it was Li Ang's powerful weapon, the lollipop, that worked, or perhaps Chopper discovered Li Ang's sincerity. Chopper emerged from behind the canopy and slowly approached Li Ang.

However, this last stretch was the most difficult, and Li Ang did not press too hard. He threw the lollipop to Chopper when Chopper had gone about halfway.

Well, if we proceed step by step like this, Chopper has already halved the safe distance this time. Next time, he can shorten it even further. If we do this a few times, we'll eventually eliminate this distance.

Seeing Chopper happily licking his lollipop to the side, Li Ang suddenly remembered that he had come to see Dr. Kureha, so why was he playing with Chopper? It seems Chopper's cuteness has a truly immense influence.

"Well, cough cough. It seems quite unfortunate, Gureva isn't here." Li Ang said to Dalton, who had witnessed the whole thing. He also wondered if Dalton had any complaints about standing there for a few minutes for nothing.

Dalton, as if he had just logged on, didn't comment on Li Ang's behavior, but said with some concern, "I wonder when he'll be back. Sigh, I've left a pet at home."

Li Ang almost collapsed when he heard this. So you've always thought Chopper was a pet? Although Joanba is indeed a pet in a certain sense, have you ever seen a pet open a door for you?

“I’m not a pet.” Chopper actually spoke up when Dalton referred to himself as a pet.

"What? You can actually talk?" Dalton had no connection with Kureha and Chopper to begin with, and this was the first time he had ever heard Chopper speak, so he was immediately taken aback.

As soon as Chopper said that, he regretted it, thinking, "Oh no, I'm going to be treated like a monster again."

Li Ang quickly tiptoed and patted Dalton on the back of the head. Li Ang had finally managed to get a couple of meters closer to Chopper, but this one sentence brought it all back to square one.

Li Ang quickly chimed in to salvage the situation: "Wow, so smart! She can even talk. Following Gureva, does she want to become a doctor in the future?"

Bringing up this topic finally made Chopper forget what had happened before. The topics of doctors and pirates are always a good way to get Chopper involved.

Then Chopper started chatting with Leon, who would occasionally compliment him, causing Chopper to strike that classic awkward pose. "Even if you compliment me, I won't be happy~" He completely forgot the panic he felt when he opened the door and found that it wasn't Kureha who had returned.

"Wow, I didn't expect anyone to be able to chat so happily with Chopper." Just as Li Ang and Chopper were having a pleasant conversation (actually, Li Ang was just trying to please Chopper), Dr. Kureha finally returned.

Although Dr. Kureha is over 130 years old, she dresses very fashionably, almost like a young person, maintaining a youthful mindset. Moreover, she is extremely healthy; at her age, she can not only take care of herself but also Chopper, practically defying the laws of nature. She has reached a powerful state of "I am in control of my own destiny," defying the whims of nature.

And if things continue like this, living to two hundred years old probably wouldn't be a big problem. I simply don't know how she's managed to live this long; it's not just a matter of adding a second, it's a hundred years longer than the average person.

The doctor's trip was indeed to treat patients and earn money in return. After all, she not only had to support Chopper but also teach him medicine, which was quite expensive, so she often had to go out.

But Chopper is still too young and hasn't grown up yet, so I haven't let him pull the sled and go out with me. That's why I left Chopper at home alone.

"You've come at the perfect time. I was wondering how to coax you out of this situation when you arrived." Li Ang spoke the truth without a care in the world.

"So you've been coaxing Chopper all along. Looks like you're quite good at dealing with kids," Kureha chuckled. Ignoring Chopper's big, watery eyes, I knew the truth and tears welled up in my eyes.

"Alright, what brings you here? Are you here to see a doctor?" Gureva asked the two of them after putting her hat and coat on the hanger.

"See a doctor? That's right, I'm here to see a doctor." Li Ang nodded and said, "I've come to you to treat this country."

“Haha, you want me to treat the country’s illness? You’ve come to the wrong person,” Gureva said.

“I haven’t come to the wrong person. Hiruluk has already given you the prescription to save this country, hasn’t he?” Leon continued.

Upon hearing Hiluluk's name, Chopper, who was standing to the side, perked up. However, just as he was about to say something, Kureha began to shoo him away unhappily.

"Let's go. I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't know such a person."

However, Li Ang did not make any move, but continued, "Hiruluk never cured a single patient in his life and was called a quack. But he could cure countries that even famous doctors couldn't cure. But even the best medicine needs an opportunity to be used to be effective, and now is such an opportunity. Cure this country, remember this day!"

Leon's headache was how to gain acceptance and support for their actions. While a simple, brutal approach—directly eliminating Walpo—would be satisfying, it would inevitably cause instability in the country.

While the general public might see Wapol as an utterly wicked villain, some ministers and ordinary soldiers might not see him that way.

After all, by following Wapol, they hadn't suffered much, and they could even watch others suffer. Considering both, it was like getting a huge profit by staying by Wapol's side.

Especially Wapol's two inseparable henchmen—Jes and Cromarimon—who revered Wapol as a wise ruler and unconditionally supported his every move. These two were practically beyond saving, and Leon had no way to rescue them.

Therefore, if it were just a reckless act, some people would feel resistant. Ordinary people and even those like Dalton who harbored great resentment towards Walpo were constrained by their own thinking, unable to take any concrete action, and dared not overthrow Walpo's rule, only silently enduring it. Not to mention those who didn't have a particularly bad impression of Walpo.

Therefore, changing the people's minds is more important than saving the country. To do this, Li Ang must find the healer Gureva, or rather, find the national salvation formula that the quack doctor Hiruluk has preserved in her possession.

Li Ang always thought the quack doctor Hiruluk was quite remarkable, but unfortunately, he genuinely lacked medical skills, had never studied medicine, and was also uncultured, never pursuing literature. His hairstyle and attire were also extremely exaggerated. Otherwise, Li Ang would genuinely suspect that Hiruluk was a character Oda created based on Lu Xun.

He and Lu Xun truly share many similarities. Although he called himself a doctor, he abandoned the path of medicine because he believed that medicine could only save the body, not the spirit. Instead, he devoted himself to finding a way to save people's spirits. Drawing on his own experience of being redeemed by cherry blossoms, Hiluluk spent his entire life researching a method to make cherry blossoms bloom in this snow-covered country.

A country renowned for its advanced medical technology, a nation whose skilled doctors couldn't save, was cured by a quack doctor—a truly remarkable character. Just as he said before his death, "Man only dies when he is forgotten."

Some people die, but they still live on; I guess that's what Hiruluk embodies.

Li Ang primarily aims to use the achievements of his life to salvage the soul of this nation. He intends to have the miraculous cherry blossoms bloom ahead of schedule in this country, and he plans to make this day, the founding day of the New Drum Nation, a day when they bloom every year.

Every country should have one or more impressive characteristics, whether cultural or otherwise, so that people can immediately recognize its unique features. Just as people think of China when they see the Great Wall and Egypt when they see the pyramids, the cherry blossom, a miracle that blooms only once a year in a cold country, should be the symbol of this country.

“So please come with us and let’s showcase the results of Hiruluk’s work and truly save this country,” Li Ang said sincerely, bowing to Gureva.

Leon's salute was actually for Hiruluk. Although Hiruluk was not a member of the Revolutionary Army, he had become a revered revolutionary martyr. Although he was only fighting for this small piece of land and against a minor character like Walpo, he devoted all his remaining life to the cause of liberating people's minds, which was enough to earn him respect.

Then Leon continued, "Since Valpo became king, this country has been sick. Before, it was a country with advanced medical care, where everyone could enjoy high-quality medical treatment. But with the establishment of Doctors 20 and the expulsion of a large number of excellent medical personnel, can this country still dare to call itself a medical superpower now?"

People need medical care when they're sick, but Walpo cut off their access to it. Now this country is sick too, and it needs medical care. Can we, like Walpo, remain indifferent and refuse to help those in need?

Chapter 201 Iron Man

After Li Ang finished speaking, Gureva's attitude changed somewhat, but she still sighed: "Give up. Although I don't know where you found out about this, and I don't care what your relationship with Hiruluk is, I can tell you with certainty that this medicine is ineffective. Trying to use it to save the country is a joke."

Li Ang shook his head: "We don't lack the ability to perform surgery, but rather the means to facilitate post-operative recovery. We will handle Walborough, and afterwards, we will rely on Hiruluk's medicine to help the country recover."

Leon's meaning is quite clear: today is the anniversary of Walpo's death.

Upon hearing this, Dalton finally realized that Leon's visit to Gureva wasn't to use her to defeat Wapol and his other confidants. It seemed that he already possessed the strength to defeat Wapol.

"Wait, Leon, do you mean you have a way to defeat Wapol?" Kureha asked in surprise.

"What do you mean by 'a way to defeat Wapol'? It's like I need to think of some other way to defeat him," Leon said dismissively, curling his lip.

Indeed, "getting rid of Walpo" was the easiest part for Leon. The real challenge was how to punish Walpo, then smoothly make Dalton king, and then rebuild and govern this fragmented country.

These are the troublesome parts for Li Ang. However, these things can be left to Dalton and Gureva to handle later. And only the two of them can deal with them.

That's why Leon brought Dalton along, and then Gureva too. Leon continued, "You need to understand that Wapol is not our biggest enemy. We should take a longer-term view. Killing Wapol is not the goal, but a means. We should focus our energy on more important things later."

Gureeva was somewhat shaken after hearing this. Before and after King Wahlpoten, she had always been a recluse, rarely concerned with national affairs. But Hiluluk's actions had shaken her. She couldn't understand why a quack doctor with no talent and no connection to the country would sacrifice his remaining life to save it.

"But can we really save this country?"

Li Ang understood that being able to ask this question meant that he was close to persuading Gureva, so he immediately struck while the iron was hot and said sincerely, "Only by fulfilling your obligations to the best of your ability will you know how much value you truly have."

There is no doubt that no one in this world is completely worthless. In fact, everyone has their own value, but it is hidden and not brought into play until a specific time.

Like Hiruluk, a man with no particular talent, he finally discovered his true talent in the final period of his life. No one in the country except himself had ever witnessed the beauty of falling cherry blossoms. This led him to develop a method to make cherry blossoms bloom in the Drum Kingdom.

"How valuable is it really?" Gureva sighed, finally understanding the significance of Hiruluk's actions. And what about herself? Was her value solely in the medical field?

"Haha, well said! I'm still young, it seems I still have a lot of value to be discovered." Gureva laughed heartily. The "young" Gureva didn't think that she was old and weak and had no room to perform anymore.

Meanwhile, Dalton felt it was a waste for him to be just a guard captain. Since he had the ability and ideas, he should make more contributions to Drum Nation.

Poor Chopper is the only one who's still a child. Ever since Kureha returned, he hasn't understood a word of what everyone was saying and remains confused for a year.

“Alright, next I’ll go to the castle on the mountain with Dalton, and you prepare the medicine. It will be ready to work after we’ve dealt with things up there.” After saying that, Li Ang bid farewell to Kureha and Chopper and headed towards the castle with Dalton.

In reality, Dalton didn't significantly improve Li Ang's combat abilities. In fact, Li Ang brought Dalton along not because he wanted him to participate in battles, but rather to avoid unnecessary fights.

Once Wapol is dead, Dalton can rally the remaining soldiers, and Leon believes that most of them won't necessarily seek revenge. Therefore, his main role is to gather those who can still be persuaded. Leon simply assigned a capable observer to provide support and bring him in as well.

Thanks to Dalton, Leon encountered no obstacles along the way, and Walpo had no suspicion of Dalton. The journey was smooth, and they arrived before Walpo.

"So, it's you who wants to see me?" Wapol asked, still perched on his throne, "That envoy from which kingdom?"

“Uh, it’s the Kingdom of Yutakana,” Leon said helplessly. He couldn’t expect to have any smooth communication with someone who was mentally challenged.

It was precisely by virtue of his status as an envoy, coupled with Dalton's guidance, that Leon easily got close to Walpo.

Leon didn't want to fight his way in; most of those soldiers could eventually be re-incorporated. They weren't just soldiers of Walpo, but should be considered soldiers of the Drum Kingdom.

However, now that we've successfully walked up to Wapol, there's no need to keep up the pretense. "Oh well, whatever, the kingdom doesn't matter anymore, it's just a facade anyway."

After saying that, he pulled out the rifle he had acquired from Loguetown from behind his back and shot Wahlbo in the forehead.

Li Ang didn't care whether the shot would hit or not; after all, with his marksmanship, he had never missed at this distance. He was the kind of marksman who could aim for your eyebrow but wouldn't hit your eye.

So without even looking, Li Ang turned his gun on Jess and Cromarimon, who were standing on either side of Wahlbo, and fired two more shots, each aimed straight for their foreheads.

This is indeed the simplest step. Well, all done.

Unfortunately, although this gun was very advanced for its time, it still had many technical shortcomings compared to modern firearms, with its rate of fire being an insurmountable gap.

Although Li Ang only fired three shots, the entire process took a full three seconds. Once those three shots were fired, everyone realized that Li Ang had come to assassinate Walbourne. However, it seemed the head guard was on the assassin's side, and the soldiers were unsure whether to advance or not.

However, Wapol's next words dispelled their doubts: "Ouch, ouch, ouch, it hurts so much! Grab him!"

Regardless of what this mentally challenged man actually said, the fact that he spoke proves that Wapol is not dead. Since Wapol is not dead, these soldiers have no choice but to obey his orders.

So, did Leon's shot miss? Obviously not. The bloody holes in the eyebrows of Jess and Cromarimon lying next to Valpo also prove that Leon did not miss.

Leon quickly understood Wapol's condition by scanning him with his Observation Haki: the attack had hit, but had not caused any real damage.

It turned out that the bullet didn't pierce the skull like the other two. Instead, it was taken by Wapol, breaking through the outer skin and flesh, causing Wapol's head to tilt back before bouncing off. This gave Leon a headache; this idiot was incredibly stubborn.

Wapol was truly a stubborn fool, incredibly stubborn. And not just his head, but his entire body was made of iron. There was practically no part of him that wasn't made of iron.