Chapter 598: Death Gun's Promise
"Is it finally time?"
In the First Half of the Grand Line, on an Edge Island rarely disturbed by the outside world.
"Moshi Moshi!"
The long-silent Den Den Mushi kept ringing.
An Elder whose figure was still straight sighed.
Although he had white hair, he didn't look old; his mind was in excellent condition.
Ignoring the Den Den Mushi, the Elder opened a long-sealed wardrobe, put on a gray cloak, and donned a fedora.
He then took out a locked black iron box, opened it, and before his eyes appeared a collection of finely crafted, top-tier flintlock guns.
Taking out the flintlock guns one by one, he disassembled and reassembled them, checking for any issues before loading ammunition.
He then hung them on his waist, inside his clothes, until he was fully armed.
He put on a mask, covering his appearance, and draped the gray cloak over himself.
The war in the New World was still ongoing.
And soon, he would join it.
Finally, a black sniper rifle appeared before him.
He took out a clean cloth and carefully wiped it, a smile on his face, as if it were his family.
If there were a Gunman present, they would recognize this as "Death Gun", the sniper rifle of the world's number one Sharpshooter from the previous era.
This Elder's identity was self-evident.
He was the Great Pirate who had shaken the Great Sea in the previous era, a Veteran King, one of the Commanders of the Thirteenth Division of the Rocks Pirates, the now-retired Lyon 'Death Gun'.
The last time he appeared was during the Sword Tournament, after which he vanished from the Great Sea.
No one expected that this legend of a Great Pirate was actually living in seclusion in the First Half of the Grand Line.
Having prepared everything, Lyon 'Death Gun' was now fully armed with Armament Haki, ready to participate in the war.
The number of this Den Den Mushi was unique, known to only one Faction: the Fire God Arms Company.
Back then, the Fire God Arms Company had spared no cost to specially build "Death Gun" for him, along with other sidearms and ammunition.
The seemingly ordinary "Death Gun" came at no small price; the materials cost alone was close to one hundred million Beli.
In today's age, the cost would at least double or triple.
This was just the materials cost, not including the manufacturing cost.
Lyon could certainly afford this money, but some things couldn't be simply measured by money.
At that time, the Fire God Arms Company was already the world's Arms Tycoon, its Base Camp unknown.
Even a Strongman like Lyon had no way against the Fire God Arms Company.
As a price, Lyon had to seriously make a move for the Fire God Arms Company once.
For all these years, Lyon had been waiting for the Fire God Arms Company's Den Den Mushi, until he grew old, now approaching eighty years of age.
He didn't believe the Fire God Arms Company would forget this transaction.
He had a premonition during both of the recent bloody battles that it would come to him making a move.
Now, it had finally arrived.
A Strongman like him possessed his own pride; it was impossible for him to betray a promise he had once made.
Moreover, he was indeed very satisfied with "Death Gun", his beloved gun, which allowed him to maximize his ability as a Gunman.
To some extent, it greatly increased his combatant strength and deterrence.
Opening the Den Den Mushi, before the person on the other side could speak, Lyon said calmly.
"I'm ready. Just tell me what you need me to do."
Hearing Lyon's voice, the higher-ups of the Fire God Arms Company on the other side were momentarily stunned.
"I thought you were dead, Death Gun."
After a joke, they immediately got to the point.
This was Hades's command; there was no time to waste here.
"You must have guessed it. Participate in this bloody battle."
"Which side should I stand on?"
Lyon asked calmly.
To him, it was the same whether it was the World Government side or the Pirate side.
A promise was a promise, and besides, he had been retired for many years, so his former stance didn't matter.
"Help the Pirate Alliance Army against the World Government."
"Snipe the Strongmen of the World Government. You can leave once Death Gun's magazine is empty."
"Also, some people are not within your sniping range. For others, do as you please. The data will be provided to you later."
"Head to Sabaody Archipelago. Someone will meet you there and take you to the New World, and also give you a gift that will greatly ensure your safety."
Hearing this, Lyon breathed a sigh of relief.
Frankly speaking, he would definitely stand with Shiki, as they were former companions.
This also indicated that the Fire God Arms Company and the World Government were not on the same side, meaning he wouldn't suddenly be betrayed by the World Government.
Furthermore, the Fire God Arms Company's demands were not harsh.
Death Gun's magazine only held eighteen rounds, which wasn't many.
It seemed they had also considered his age.
As one gets older, without training to maintain it, the body's condition naturally declines.
It was difficult to display powerful Gun-Fu like in the past; his strength had indeed declined significantly.
After all, he wasn't known for his body's resilience and didn't have strong anti-aging capabilities.
During the Battle of God Valley, he was already at the tail end of his peak.
If it was just sniping, his deterrence wouldn't decrease by much.
"I understand."
The Den Den Mushi hung up.
Lyon's long-peaceful blood seemed to boil, and his body felt a sense of heat.
More accurately, it was excitement, a craving for sniping.
It seemed instinctively, he himself wanted to join this war.
To make it his last battle.
"Are you excited too?"
Lyon stroked his beloved gun, chuckling softly.
"Looks like I'll have to change locations after this battle."
Lyon had no intention of sacrificing his life for a promise; he would leave after fulfilling his promise.
The Great Sea was so vast, and various interesting things had happened over the years.
He hadn't planned on dying so early.
Being able to hide in a corner of the World and watch the rise and fall of the Great Sea was also an interesting thing.
However, the words of the Fire God Arms Company higher-ups had raised Lyon's vigilance.
The Fire God Arms Company might not know his exact location, but they could confirm he wasn't in the New World and was in the First Half of the Grand Line.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have needed to tell him to go to Sabaody Archipelago first.
The greater probability was that they had determined his approximate location.
This was very disadvantageous for someone like him, so he decided that after this operation, he would go into seclusion in the even vaster Four Seas.
(end of chapter)