One Piece Gunslinger

Chapter 206 A Drop in the Ocean

Leon was ready to set off early in the morning. In the country of Alabasta, apart from the royal capital where the royal family was located and the city where Crocodile was located, the rest of the country had no appeal.

Therefore, Li Ang had nothing to be nostalgic about. With just a simple map and a compass, Li Ang was confident that he could cross the desert and reach the capital.

However, the world is always full of variables. Just as Li Ang walked out of the hotel, he saw a shirtless young man sitting at a table in the lobby.

As a result, Li Ang could no longer walk.

"That peculiar orange cowboy hat, the bare torso, the beads around his neck, the tattoos on his arms. Wow! What are you doing here?!" Even from behind, those distinctive features were enough for Li Ang to recognize this person instantly. The eldest of the three sworn brothers who were always causing trouble—Ace.

"Damn, so all this time I've been rushing around like crazy, and I actually managed to catch up with you all this way?" Li Ang thought to himself. "I don't know if meeting this troublemaker is lucky or unlucky."

If they hadn't met, it would have been fine, but since they had, Li Ang couldn't pretend he hadn't seen them. This was a golden opportunity; if he didn't do something, he'd be missing out big time.

Ace will eventually join the Whitebeard Pirates, and if we can get in touch with Ace, it will be just around the corner for the Revolutionary Army to improve its relationship with Whitebeard.

Furthermore, after learning that Ace was actually the son of the Pirate King Roger, Whitebeard not only regarded him as his successor but also planned to groom him to become the next Pirate King. It can be said that within the Whitebeard Pirates, only Ace had the greatest influence on Whitebeard.

Li Ang was worried that as his territory grew stronger in the New World, it would soon border Whitebeard's territory, and he didn't know how to maintain good diplomatic relations. Then, as if on cue, a perfect bridge was delivered to his doorstep.

If Li Ang doesn't do something at this crucial moment, it would be a complete waste of this incredible opportunity, and it would be an injustice.

Even setting aside personal interests, the very relationship between Leon and Sabo is enough to make Leon care about Ace. Look at the tattoo on his arm; it's a tribute to his "untimely death" younger brother.

However, this isn't the time to tell him that his sworn brother is still alive. Luffy and Leon didn't tell him either. Even Sabo is still suffering from amnesia and hasn't remembered that he has two sworn brothers.

He'll make an appearance now, and once Ace and his Spade Pirates join Whitebeard's crew, Leon will take Sabo to Whitebeard. The brothers' expressions will be priceless, and they can serve as a bridge, taking the first step towards cooperation between the Revolutionary Army and the Whitebeard Pirates.

As for Luffy, it's best to wait until he sets sail two years later before deciding when to tell him this question.

Wait a minute, thinking about the feud between Crocodile and Whitebeard, it seems a bit unfair to do this. Trying to win over Crocodile on one hand, and trying to improve relations with Whitebeard on the other—it gives off a scumbag vibe.

However, let's leave these problems for later. At worst, we can have Li Ang act as a wise older brother and mediate the conflict. It's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. Crocodile and Luffy were initially bitter enemies, but didn't they eventually cooperate to escape Impel Down?

Just as Li Ang was figuring out how to approach Ace without appearing to have ulterior motives, an unexpected turn of events occurred.

Before Li Ang could even make a move, Ace, as the eldest of the three troublemakers, even though he didn't actively go out to cause trouble, his troublesome nature wouldn't let him off the hook. Even when he was just sitting there eating a meal, trouble would come knocking on his door.

"boom!"

A gunshot rang out, and a bullet embedded itself in the bar counter. Then several more shots rang out, and several more bullets hit the bar counter. Seriously, what do you guys do to this bar counter?

Perhaps it's because there are too many pirates on the Grand Line, especially in port cities like this one, where pirates frequently raid. Or perhaps this country suffers from chronic water shortages, leading to instability and unrest. They've seen this kind of conflict many times, and everyone reacts swiftly.

Several people were still eating in the tavern, but they all disappeared in those few seconds. Some ran upstairs, and some ran out the door. The owner behind the bar was the most experienced. Even though a bullet was right in front of him, he didn't panic too much. Instead, he quickly slipped into the back and closed the door behind him.

"Wow, that's quite a sense of crisis. Those who are slow to run are probably already dead." In the blink of an eye, only Li Ang and Ace remained in the entire lobby on the first floor of the tavern.

Seeing that Ace was still indifferent and continued eating calmly, it seemed that he would not leave until he finished the food in front of him, or that he simply did not notice what was happening.

However, Li Ang saw it clearly: the person at the counter had no deep-seated hatred for anyone else; they were just an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.

Several shots were fired in quick succession from outside the window, all aimed at Ace. However, due to Ace's Flame-Flame Fruit powers, ordinary physical attacks were completely ineffective; the bullets passed through Ace's body before landing on the counter behind him.

"So he really is a human-shaped troublemaker. He didn't do anything, and people still come knocking on his door while he's just having a meal." Thinking this, Li Ang decided to stay put for the time being, found a seat in a corner, and just watched the situation unfold.

Of course, the person who fired those shots saw the effect. Normally, when encountering a monster that is impervious to bullets and blades, one should stop and run away. After all, Logia-type Devil Fruits are practically invincible until a countermeasure is found.

But for some reason, this group of people were so confident that they not only didn't run away, but also rushed in with their weapons and surrounded Ace.

"Ace, you're unlucky to have met me. I'll take your bounty." The speaker seemed to be the leader, and the rest appeared to be his subordinates.

The person leading the group looked vaguely familiar to Li Ang, as if he had seen him somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place him.

Why did they have to shout that after they surrounded him? If you want to fight, just do it! Ace is still focused on finishing off the food in front of him.

It wasn't until then that Ace heard someone call his name, and he finally reacted, looking up at the group of people surrounding him.

"What do you need me for?"

Ace's words enraged the leader, who sneered, "Hmph, no wonder you're a Flame-Flame Fruit user. How dare you speak like that. But don't think you can do whatever you want with your Devil Fruit power. I've come prepared today."

After saying that, his two henchmen behind him raised two wooden barrels that they had prepared beforehand and smashed them down on Ace's head.

Ace threw two barrels at him; he could no longer ignore them. He immediately stretched out both hands, one on each side, and punched the barrels twice. There was no need to use any special abilities with just two punches; he simply smashed them to pieces.

Although these three brothers often cause trouble, they are kind-hearted, and Ace knows how to restrain himself. Otherwise, if he used his powers and unleashed a single fire punch, the whole street would probably burn down, resulting in too many accidental injuries and deaths.

However, the moment Ace smashed the barrel, he discovered that there was something inside.

Nonsense, if the two barrels are empty, why use them to attack? Besides, barrels are meant to hold things, after all.

"Hehehe. These are two buckets of seawater." The leader laughed twice when he saw Ace get hit and drenched by the water that burst from the wooden bucket. Then he drew his large curved sword from his back and slashed it at Ace's head.

This series of maneuvers was so impressive that even Li Ang wanted to give this person a thumbs up; they were truly well-prepared. They probably already knew Ace had come ashore and meticulously planned this whole thing for Ace's bounty.

However, this was only second to a like. Regarding the current situation, Li Ang remained calmly seated, showing no intention of taking action to resolve the predicament.

Because Ace could handle it himself.

Although Ace was soaked by seawater, he remained calm. Facing the downward-slashing scimitar, Ace simply stretched out one hand and tightly gripped the scimitar, preventing the man from moving it any further no matter how hard he tried.

Then Ace's other hand wasn't idle either; he punched the man, sending him flying through the wall and out of the shop. Ace then burst into flames, washing away the water from his body.

While water can extinguish fire, it depends on the difference in intensity. A real raging fire cannot be put out by a little water. These people's actions are a perfect example of the idiom "a drop in the ocean" (meaning insufficient to extinguish a fire).

Seeing the flames engulfing Ace, the group finally lost all will to resist. All their previous preparations had been in vain; there was no hope of victory whatsoever. They slunk out of the tavern with their tails between their legs.

This group came and went in a hurry, and Li Ang remembered that these people were probably low-level henchmen from Baroque Works, known as the Billionaire Elders and Millionaire Elders. He hadn't expected Crocodile to start making moves so soon after arriving in Alabasta. He'd already sent Baroque Works out to hunt down pirates with bounties.

After sending the group away, Ace didn't give chase. He just stared blankly at the food on the table, which was also soaked and uneaten, and felt a pang of sorrow.

If I don't eat it, I'm still not full. But if I use my ability to roast it and then continue eating, it will be unbearably salty. That was seawater, after all.

Chapter 207 First, Get Closer

"Ugh, why do I keep running into these kinds of things lately? Strangers always pop out of nowhere when I'm walking down the street." Ace looked at the mess around him and scratched the back of his head.

Li Ang calmly watched the whole process from a corner. After hearing Ace's complaint, he laughed and said, "That's because your head is worth a lot of money now, 80 million Berries, and maybe even over 100 million in the future." Li Ang wasn't lying to him; after joining the Whitebeard Pirates, he would have earned several hundred million Berries.

However, these people's intelligence is truly appalling; there are always some who overestimate their abilities and send themselves to their deaths. Don't they realize that even with a high bounty, you need to be alive to claim it? The bounty, to some extent, also represents combat strength.

However, in this world where there is no shortage of idiots, you can encounter these small fry who rush in with high bounties everywhere you go, which makes it tough for Ace to be constantly harassed by these flies along the way.

"Hey, why haven't you left yet?" Ace then noticed Li Ang and asked in confusion, "Do you want my head too?"

Li Ang said disdainfully, "Don't worry, I'm not like those people from before. I have no interest in your bounty. If I wanted your head, you would be dead by now."

But don't you feel guilty saying that? You're penniless right now, yet you say you're not interested in an 80 million Berry bounty.

"Oh, really?" Ace raised an eyebrow, not believing that Leon could do anything to him.

"Looks like you still don't believe me." Li Ang then took out a Seastone from his pocket and tossed it to Ace. "Catch this."

Leon acted without hesitation, without any preparation. He directly intended to use Seastone to teach Ace a lesson.

Ace saw a small pebble being tossed towards him through the air, puzzled. Instinctively, he reached out and caught it. Naturally, Ace had no suspicion whatsoever about this seemingly ordinary pebble; he was completely unprepared.

Let alone a small pebble, Ace has frequently encountered situations like today since he obtained the Flame-Flame Fruit, became famous and was wanted by the authorities. He even catches bombs with his bare hands.

But this time, Ace finally received something he shouldn't have.

The moment he touched the sea stone, he felt a wave of weakness wash over him, and he almost lost his balance and fell to the ground.

“There’s something wrong with this thing.” Ace immediately realized subconsciously that this pebble was not as simple as it seemed, and prepared to let go.

Hey, this whole thing is like Superman foolishly taking Kryptonite; the moment he did it, he was already doomed to lose.

However, Li Ang acted even faster. Everything was in Li Ang's script, and he had anticipated that Ace would accept the Seastone without a care.

Just as Ace was about to catch the Seastone, Leon rushed over and grabbed Ace's hand, tightly gripping the Seastone in his grasp. Ace, weakened by exhaustion, had no chance of breaking free.

Then, with his other hand, Li Ang pulled out a toy gun from his waist, pointed it at Ace, and said, "Alright, now that I've pulled the trigger, 80 million Berries are mine."

Wow, thinking about it carefully, I'm actually a little tempted. Eighty million Berries would first allow me to escape the pain of being poor, and then I might even get a Flame-Flame Fruit. If Li Ang weren't so rational and didn't care much about the gains and losses of a single city or place, but instead prioritized the overall situation, he might have been unable to resist making a move.

However, Ace was completely powerless, but he still managed to force a smile: "But I am a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, bullets are useless against me."

It seems this guy doesn't realize the power of sea stone and still thinks he has a huge advantage.

Upon hearing this, Li Ang laughed loudly and said, "You can try it. Do you still have the ability now?"

In Ace's mind, although he was now weak, as long as he could use his powerful abilities, he would surely be the victor.

Then Li Ang saw the smile on Ace's face gradually disappear and said in surprise, "Where's my power? Why can't I use my power? Could it be that stone?"

Li Ang nodded, then put away his pistol and released Ace: "This thing is called Seastone. It is said to contain the essence of the sea. Once any Devil Fruit user touches it, they will immediately become weak and lose their Devil Fruit power, just like you. Only by removing this thing from their body will they regain their power. It can be said to be the nemesis of all Devil Fruit users."

After Leon let go, Ace also threw the Seastone on the ground, and the feeling of powerlessness disappeared. Then Ace used his ability again, and flames appeared in his hands, proving that his ability had been restored.

"This thing is really powerful." Ace looked at the Seastone that had fallen to the ground; he certainly didn't dare touch it.

Leon bent down and picked it up from the ground. He said to Ace, "But you don't need to worry too much. Anyway, this thing is quite rare. And as long as you're careful, it's unlikely to be of any use. Just be careful with the Navy; they have quite a few of these."

"Ugh, this is really troublesome." Ace said with annoyance, realizing for the first time that his invincible myth had been shattered. "I thought that having this fruit would make me invincible and that I could become the Pirate King. I never expected there to be something like this."

After Li Ang put it into his arms, he said, "Nothing in this world is invincible. Even without this Seastone, there are other ways."

Ace's displeasure was only temporary, and he quickly recovered: "That's true. If becoming the Pirate King were that easy, it wouldn't be fun. It turns out there are still many challenges."

At this point, Ace stepped forward and hooked his arm around Leon's, saying, "I think you're a very interesting person. Why don't you join my pirate crew and go on adventures with me?"

As expected of Luffy's older brother, even though they're not blood relatives, his method of recruiting people is still so simple and brutal—he just blindly pulls anyone who looks good onto the pirate ship.

However, Li Ang refused decisively, pushing Ace away and saying, "Please allow me to refuse. I don't want to go to sea with you and become a pirate. If I go with you, I'll probably be driven crazy by you every day."

After being pushed away, Ace looked puzzled and said, "Don't you want to be my partner? And why did I make Kitada so angry?" as if it were his natural right to be a partner.

However, this is what Li Ang fears most. Since ancient times, so-called flirting and getting close to people have always been purposeful. Strangers who grab elderly people on the street and try to get close to them are all trying to scam money.

So, logically speaking, since Li Ang wasn't after Ace's bounty, he must have other motives. The reason Li Ang was thinking about how to approach Ace discreetly was to avoid giving others the impression that he had ulterior motives in this awkward situation, just like a conman needs to hide his true identity.

Although Ace didn't adhere to these principles and relied solely on his intuition, his intuition was surprisingly sharp, allowing him to keenly perceive Leon's motives. Unfortunately, Ace's initial reaction went awry: "He wants to go on a sea adventure with me."

Li Ang was genuinely impressed by this thought process. Couldn't they think of any other possibilities? So Li Ang quickly used conversational skills to change the subject, bypassing the problem and moving on to the next one. He was confident that Ace's memory, comparable to a fish's, would eventually forget what he had said earlier.

"Of course I'm going to be furious with you. I can't handle your behavior of doing whatever you want, whatever makes you happy, without caring about the consequences," Li Ang said matter-of-factly.

After listening, Ace pondered for a moment before smiling and saying, "It seems that's really the case. What you said makes a lot of sense."

They even shamelessly admitted it; this technique is exactly the same as Luffy's.

However, Li Ang didn't want to delve any further into the matter, and instead asked, "You didn't eat well because of that commotion earlier, did you? Would you like something else to eat?"

Upon hearing this question, Ace immediately forgot everything that had happened before and frankly said, "Yeah. But everyone here has run away."