One Piece Gunslinger

"This is...this is the doctor's...waaaah..." Chopper sobbed uncontrollably, choking back tears, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Li Ang quietly walked behind Chopper, squatted down, touched the hat on Chopper's head, and whispered, "Hiruluk is a great doctor. He is definitely not the quack that people say he is. He did what no other doctor could do in his entire life. He cured the disease that no one else could cure. Chopper, he gave you the hat. In the future, you should also be like him and become a great doctor, understand?"

Chopper didn't answer Li Ang, or rather, he was no longer able to answer; tears had completely soaked the large patch of brown fur on his face and chest.

He knew it, he had known it all along, he knew it from the very first time they met: Hiruluk was the best doctor in the world.

At this moment, the 20 doctors who had witnessed Hiluluk being blown up before their eyes, the 20 best doctors in the country a few years ago, looked up at this scene and had only one thought in their hearts: "This time we have lost, Hiluluk."

Chapter 204 Main Objective

"You've probably seen it by now, even from a great distance," Li Ang said, lying as usual on the small, dilapidated boat, speaking to the engine in front of him.

Last night's spectacle covered almost the entire Drum Kingdom. The manatee Moo Moo naturally saw such a huge spectacle even from a distance. Although it couldn't understand the meaning behind it, it was still captivated by the beautiful scenery.

The next morning, Li Ang left Drum Kingdom alone. He believed that Dalton and the others could handle the rest. As for Chopper, the adorable creature, Li Ang tossed him all his lollipops as a parting gift before leaving.

Although they only spent less than half a day together, it didn't affect Chopper's feelings for him at all. After all, Chopper has almost no friends, and right now, there are only three people who can accept and agree with him, not counting the deceased Hiruluk, there is only Kureha, Dalton, and the last one, Leon.

Before Chopper left, he asked if he would ever see Li Ang again. Li Ang smiled and replied that he would definitely have the chance to see him again. Not only that, but he would also make more friends, find his own partners, and then come to the New World to find him together.

After that, Chopper stopped worrying and, after Li Ang's words, began to look forward like a child. After all, he was still a child.

Drum Nation could then operate as a covert partner of the Revolutionary Army on the world stage, unlike regions directly controlled by the Revolutionary Army which would be directly removed from the World Government's fold.

This means the Revolutionary Army has planted another thorn in the side of the World Government. In fact, the Revolutionary Army doesn't only control the New World. Since their existence was revealed and they made their name known, they've faced immense pressure from the World Government.

As a result, mindless expansion is no longer feasible. While the outward expansion continues gradually, the pace has slowed. Furthermore, its development strategy is no longer singular; in addition to expanding its power outwards from the center, it has adopted a multi-pronged approach, expanding its reach far from headquarters.

In this way, the Revolutionary Army actually controls several countries behind the scenes. However, these countries are still officially members of the World Government. Whenever the World Government makes any major moves, the Revolutionary Army not only learns about it in advance, but sometimes several countries can even work together to influence the situation.

Although the trip to Drum Kingdom had come to a perfect end, or rather, the entire journey had been smooth sailing from the very beginning, without encountering any major problems, and Li Ang had made a fortune along the way, every journey eventually comes to an end, and this time Li Ang truly only had one last stop left.

“Okay, let me see what the next stop is.” Li Ang took out the blueprints from his pocket and lay down on the ship to look at them. “It seems that the next stop is Alabasta to follow the main storyline.”

The so-called main storyline refers to the main storyline of the revolutionary army, which is Li Ang's initial objective in coming out this time.

"Wow, I really want to go to Little Garden too. But I have no idea where this deserted island is. There are so many deserted islands marked on this map. I can't possibly search for them one by one. Speaking of which, if the Navy had known that Brogy and Dorry had been standing on Little Garden for a hundred years, they would have come and captured them long ago. It seems that these two were modeled after Guan Yu, and I'd love to see them in person." Li Ang complained, holding the map.

So, let's get back to the main objective of Leon's escape this time. As many people have probably guessed, his primary goal is Crocodile. That's right, Crocodile.

Holy crap, what the hell? It wasn't for Robin at all? How could I possibly have guessed that? I'm unsubscribing.

Ahem, calm down, calm down, let me explain.

Crocodile was actually the easiest of the Seven Warlords to win over. After seeing the newspaper report that Crocodile had become a Warlord and appeared in Alabasta, Li Ang decided to set off immediately, going to Alabasta alone to persuade him to join the revolutionary forces and undermine the World Government.

Let's examine the Seven Warlords of the Sea one by one to see why Leon is so interested in Crocodile.

Of these seven people, or rather, seven teams, Tyrant Kuma is already one of their own; he was originally planted by the Revolutionary Army.

Then, as for the rest, Doflamingo is currently on the edge of the Revolutionary Army's territory. When Leon returns, his next move will be to punish him and expand his power to Dressrosa.

As mentioned before in the Kingdom of Yutaka, even without abundant resources, a location situated on a major transportation route is almost guaranteed to prosper. This was true of Mary Geoise, Yutaka, and now it's true of Dressrosa.

Doflamingo was also exceptionally intelligent and insightful. His acquisition of that piece of land wasn't random; it was the result of careful consideration. Could the prophet Doflamingo's choice have been wrong? Of course, it had its unique merits.

Dressrosa, as a point where all seven routes on the Grand Line eventually converge, a pseudo-end point of the Grand Line, is naturally a piece of meat that Leon has long coveted.

Moreover, from the Revolutionary Army's perspective, Doflamingo will inevitably be the target of future sanctions, so this potential ally, Li Ang, cannot be poached.

As for Gecko Moria, he's a staunch supporter of the World Government, and his long-term goal has been to overthrow Kaido. Since his interests align with the World Government's, perfectly matching the original intention of establishing the Seven Warlords of the Sea—to counterbalance the Four Emperors—his interests are completely aligned with theirs until the World Government actively pushes him away. There's no room for him to undermine them.

However, if they were to try to poach Kaido's talent, it would mean that the Revolutionary Army would have to make enemies of Kaido. The Revolutionary Army is still too weak to do something so foolish.

Then there's Hawkeye, who can't even be found. Judging from the situation two years later when Luffy and his crew were sent flying by Kuma in the Sabaody Archipelago, at least Kuma, or rather the Revolutionary Army, had located Mihawk's position to send Zoro flying, but they haven't been able to find him yet. And even if they did find Hawkeye, it's almost impossible for him to be persuaded, given that he's a recluse focused on swordsmanship and farming.

Next up is Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea. Should we try to win him over? When the time comes, he'll naturally become our teammate. With shared interests and goals, he'll recruit us himself.

Furthermore, once the time is right, the Revolutionary Army aims to unite other races; it's not enough for humans alone to conquer the world. The Fish-Men are also on Leon's target list. However, Fish-Man Island is still quite far away. First, they need to conquer Dressrosa, then gradually push towards Fish-Man Island. Once Fish-Man Island is liberated, wouldn't Jinbe essentially become a freebie, joining the Revolutionary Army as well?

Next up, the Empress. Li Ang simply surrendered; there was nothing he could do.

The only outcome of Li Ang's intervention would be being turned to stone; perhaps he could save his life if he ran fast enough. Li Ang didn't believe he possessed any kind of superhuman protagonist aura. Moreover, Li Ang wasn't confident in his appearance, or rather, he wasn't confident enough to be as handsome as Pan An.

If you're a man going to the Kingdom of Women, the first thing you'll be met with is a rain of arrows. If that doesn't work, the next step is for the Empress to come out and take you down with a set of skills.

After much deliberation, only one option remained: Crocodile, whom they could try to win over.

First of all, Crocodile has only just arrived in Alabasta and hasn't done anything wrong yet. Hey, he may have ideas, but he hasn't acted on them, so that's not a problem. It's like thinking about robbing a bank; as long as you don't actually do it, just fantasizing isn't illegal.

Then there is no conflict of stance, and the first condition is met.

Next, Crocodile is a smart person. One of the few truly smart people. In this world rife with idiots, do you even know how precious a smart person is? If it weren't for Luffy's idiotic aura lowering his IQ, he wouldn't have lost at all. He's far more capable than a mere henchman, which is why he's worth recruiting.

Finally, and most importantly, Crocodile and the Revolutionary Army share the same goal, which provides ample opportunities for them to be won over.

Some might ask, how are they aligned? They're completely different! The Revolutionary Army wants to overthrow the World Government, while Crocodile... well... become the Pirate King?

Please allow me to slowly explain...

Yes, Crocodile's ambition to become the Pirate King is the same as Luffy's. And it's not like his goals and beliefs changed after he encountered powerful enemies on the Grand Line or in the New World. Countless people who enter the Grand Line gradually have their edges smoothed out, forgetting that they came here to compete for the title of Pirate King. Crocodile is one of the few who still insists on becoming the Pirate King.

So his joining the Seven Warlords of the Sea was just a temporary use of that identity; he was definitely not on the same page as the World Government.

Becoming the Pirate King is actually exactly the same as the Revolutionary Army overthrowing the World Government and establishing a new order; both require overcoming five major hurdles—the Four Emperors and the Navy.

In other words, regardless of Crocodile's ultimate goal, the process itself can be mutually beneficial. They will both have to do the same thing.

With shared interests, a basic foundation for cooperation was established, making cooperation possible. Li Ang also believed that once Crocodile boarded this pirate ship—no, this revolutionary army's ship—he could subtly and gradually bring him into the revolutionary ranks.

Chapter 205 Alabasta

"So, this time it's really goodbye. You don't need to wait for me here anymore, understand?"

At this moment, Li Ang stood on the shore, with a vast desert behind him, and in front of him was Moo Moo, the manatee who had accompanied him for several days and pulled him across a long stretch of sea.

Li Ang looked at the manatee Moo Moo with a touch of reluctance. Although they hadn't encountered any foolish pirates along the way, and hadn't used Moo Moo to show off, the manatee had pulled the small, dilapidated boat for days without complaint (even though it couldn't speak). It had certainly done its duty, if not done anything particularly meritorious. Besides, it was so intelligent; even if he kept it as a pet, he would have developed some affection for it.

However, the current situation dictates that he can't continue his journey with Moo Moo the manatee. Once Alabasta is over, he has to fly back to the Revolutionary Army headquarters immediately. It's probably in an uproar there right now, and there likely won't be another opportunity like this. He also has a lot of things to deal with when he gets back, including the previously mentioned operation against Dressrosa.

The manatee Moo Moo understood Li Ang's meaning, but still showed no intention of leaving, continuing to stare intently at Li Ang with its big, watery eyes.

Seeing this, Li Ang sighed and said, "You were born on the Grand Line and grew up in this sea. You were born to be like a pirate, the freest of all. Remember, in the sea, no one will be able to enslave you. If you encounter someone you can't beat in the future, then hone yourself. As long as you still yearn for freedom, the door to freedom will always be open to you."

After listening, the manatee let out two reluctant moos, slowly turned around, and swam gently into the sea.

"Keep going, only this vast ocean is your true home." Seeing the manatee Moo Moo sink into the sea, Li Ang turned around and left the deserted coast without looking back.

Little Broken Boat: "Even though you can't hear me, there's something I have to say. What happened to your unwavering loyalty? What happened to your promise of eternal love? What happened to your promise to make me a legendary figure? You just left me here? Fine, I didn't expect your lies to come true anyway, but you've already said goodbye to Moo Moo the manatee, don't you have a single thing to say to me? I was here first..."

Cough cough, Li Ang is certainly not crazy. Talking to a small, broken boat would be a sign of a terminal illness.

After saying goodbye, Leon began walking along the coast. After all, Leon only had a nautical chart, not a map of the land within Alabasta.

I'm completely clueless about this country right now. I have no idea where the cities are or where anyone lives. Plus, it's a desert country with vast, uninhabited desert stretching out everywhere. If I wander around aimlessly, I might not encounter anyone and just get stuck in the desert forever.

The most urgent task is to find a human settlement along the coast, or at least obtain a map before taking any action. Following the coast is the best method. In any case, it is certain that there are cities along the coast. As long as Li Ang keeps walking, he will definitely find one. It is impossible for him to plunge into the desert and wander around for days without getting out.

Sure enough, Li Ang walked along the coast for two hours and arrived at a city. After asking around, he finally found a shop that sold maps. It wasn't that Li Ang was lucky; he was just fast.

"Boss, give me a map. It doesn't need to be too detailed, just mark the locations of various cities in China."

The boss didn't say much, just tossed out a very simple map. It was exactly as Li Ang had requested, only marking the locations of various cities, nothing else—no deserts, no oases.

"Okay, this is it. Thank you." After glancing at it, Li Ang readily paid and left with the map.

In fact, such an extremely simplified map is almost useless for a desert country like Alabasta. Most people would die in the desert if they followed it to walk along a cliff.

Why didn't Li Ang buy a much better map? Well, he simply couldn't afford it. Back in Loguetown, he couldn't even afford an ice cream. And after that, his finances remained unchanged; he was still just as poor.

Anyway, at his pace, this distance is nothing, and he doesn't need to know any safe routes, where sandstorms are likely to occur, or where there are oases. This is just enough for him.

"It's getting dark, so let's find a place to rest here for the day and set off for the capital tomorrow. I should be able to walk that distance in a day." Li Ang put away the map, found a cheap hotel, and spent the last of his Berries.

However, Crocodile wasn't even in the capital; the Baroque Works headquarters was in another city called Rainfield. Crocodile was also based in the large casino there.

Li Ang was naturally aware of this, but he chose to go to the capital first to find King Cobra of Alabasta.

Leon not only demanded to find Crocodile, but also the king of that country. Why was that?

The purpose is actually very simple: the more the better. Of course, the more people who support the revolution, the better.

Based on the previous analysis, it seems that Leon and the Revolutionary Army have a slight possibility of working with Crocodile.

However, for the Revolutionary Army, whether they can win over Crocodile and reach a cooperation agreement with him is entirely up to them. Even if they fail, it's not something they can't accept.

So, there was actually something more important on Li Ang's trip. If he could handle that, then even if he suffered a crushing defeat in Crocodile, it would become insignificant.

That is to persuade the King of Alabasta, Neferutali Cobra, to join the revolutionary camp. If this can be accomplished now, it will be of great significance; Leon has even been planning and preparing for this for several years.

The surname Nefertari is quite special; like Donquixote, it belongs to one of the original Celestial Dragons. Initially, there were 20 Celestial Dragon clans.

Eight hundred years ago, after the ancestors of the royal family established the World Government with the other Celestial Dragons, they did not move to Mary Geoise like the other 19 clans, but instead returned to Alabasta to become royalty.

In Li Ang's view, this decision was undoubtedly correct. The ancestors of Alabasta clearly saw further ahead than the other nineteen Celestial Dragons, even considering the collapse of the World Government hundreds of years later.

Even without venturing to the Holy Land, this family still received considerable support from the World Government, and their intelligence had been well-preserved over the past eight hundred years, allowing Alabasta to remain powerful. This demonstrates that capable individuals are like gold; they shine wherever they are, and at their maximum brilliance.

Those Celestial Dragons who lack ability and whose intelligence is declining will gradually be replaced by those who are capable.

Therefore, regardless of anything else, the fact that Alabasta was also a Celestial Dragon eight hundred years ago is already of great significance. If they could persuade Cobra to join the revolution, it would be a monumental victory. It would feel almost like persuading Puyi to join the revolution during the Republic of China era.

However, while this aspect is of great significance in terms of spirit and inspiring revolutionary fervor, it cannot compare to the more meaningful and substantial revolutionary process that it can bring at the same time.

Gaining the support of Alabasta is equivalent to gaining the support of a dozen or so other small countries.

Alabasta is an island nation located on the Grand Line, and it's not a small island. It has a large number of cities scattered throughout the country, some coastal and some inland, which shows that its land area is much larger than that of a typical small country with only one city.

Moreover, China has hundreds of thousands of standing troops, making it a powerful nation in the One Piece world. It is also quite active on the world stage and has considerable influence.

Furthermore, Alabasta has gained considerable additional benefits from the World Government due to the relationship between the royal family and the Celestial Dragons. Thinking about it this way, it's practically using the World Government's resources to fight against the World Government. The Five Elders might be furious enough to vomit blood when they finally discover the truth.

However, the downside is that Alabasta is still a desert country, and it faces considerable difficulties in terms of water resources and food. Speaking of which, Australia seems to be the only island nation on Earth with deserts. Australia has such a large landmass, it's practically a continent, so it's hard to understand why it's considered an island nation.

Therefore, Alabasta's situation—an island nation in a desert, and perpetually arid—has been like this since ancient times. Geographically, this is almost impossible; it could only possibly occur in a world beyond the comprehension of ordinary logic, like the Grand Line in One Piece.

So here's the question: if Alabasta is so significant, why should anyone want to join the revolution? What gives Leon, or rather, what leverage does the current revolutionary army have to make Alabasta, a beneficiary of the World Government and the world stage under this system, willingly overthrow its own land? That's utterly delusional; Leon is probably still living in a dream.

However, Leon's decision was not a spur-of-the-moment thing. This decision was naturally related to the Revolutionary Army's preparations over the past few years. Leon had set this strategic goal several years ago, and had been eyeing Alabasta for a long time, working on it for several years and worrying about it a lot.

Therefore, Li Ang's visit this time was not solely based on his silver tongue, but also on immense sincerity. He came with the expectation of finding a way to persuade Cobra.