Maple Island
While on Maple Island do all available quests. Where you put your Skill Points (SP) as a beginner won't affect your character much, so spread them how you wish, though I suggest not putting any in Three Snails.

Ability Point Distribution
I recommend spreading your ability points (AP) as follows:

Level 1: all in dexterity
Level 2: all in dexterity
Level 3: all in dexterity
Level 4: all in dexterity
Level 5: all in dexterity
Level 6: 1 point in strength, 4 in dexterity
Level 7: 1 point in strength, 4 in dexterity
Level 8: 1 point in strength, 4 in dexterity
Level 9: 1 point in strength, 4 in dexterity
Level 10: 1 point in strength, 4 in dexterity
Notice a pattern? 1 in strength (STR)and 4 in dexterity (DEX) is what I recommend from level 6 to 30. Stay on Maple Island until level 9 with at least 30% experience (EXP). There are a few quests to tie up there, and they'll get you (at least) to level 10.

Things To Buy
Nothing. While on Maple Island, everything you need will be either a quest reward or a Monster Drop.

Arrival at Victoria
After leaving the boat, talk to Olaf. He looks a bit like a Viking. Finish your quests with him, and start The Road of Pirate. Now go back to the boat area and catch a cab to the Nautilus. Although I'd normally suggest using a scroll or walking, since you're a beginner, it's cheaper to ride. Once you arrive, enter the ship. It looks like a giant whale. Go right and (if you can afford it) buy the level 10 Pirate hat and Overall. If not, don't worry about it. Next, go left to the portal with the up arrow above it. This will take you to the upper corridor. Go to the farthest portal to the left and enter. Talk to Kyrin and finish "The Road to Becoming a Pirate". Talk to her again and become a Pirate. She'll give you a gun (the stats are identical to the one you can buy at the NPC shop), several charges of bullets (unfortuneatley, these can't be recharged, and eventually you will have to buy some, for now, though, you're covered), four more ect inventory slots, 4 more equip inventory slots, and one SP. Put the SP in Double Shot, and equip the gun and whatever armor you bought. Congrats! You're a Pirate!

Levels 10-14
So now you're a pirate! But, you still have a long way to go until gunslinger. At this point you need EXP and mesos for potions, armor, and the bullets you'll soon need. What's the answer? Quests! There are many level 10 quests, mostly involving gathering sticks and sticky liquids. You could go and complete each quest individually, or you can work on them all at once. My suggestion it to go to every town and start all the quests you can find, them return to Henesys. Henesys Training Ground I has the monsters required for every single level 10 quest, and the last of your Beginner Pirate's Training Sessions.

Training Locations
At your current level, there are many great locations, especially around Henesys and Ellinia, but here's a shortlist.

Pig Beach
Henesys Hunting Ground I
The Tree That Grew
The Tree That Grew II
The Tree That Grew III
The Rain-Forest East of Henesys
Heneseys Party Quest
Suggested Quests
I'm Bored and I'm Bored 2
I Need Help On My Homework
I Need To Find My Daughter
The Stump Horror Story
Sea Firefly 1
A Mysterious Entity On-board The Nautilus
A Mysterious Presence On-board The Nautilus
Amoria: Beauty or Beast!
Nautilus' Special Entree
Request of Mrs. Reade
The Reason Behind The Mushroom Studies
Whalians and the Nautilus
Skill Point Distribution
Level 10: 3 in Double Shot
Level 11: 3 in Somersault Kick
Level 12: 3 in Bullet Time
Level 13: 2 in Double Shot, 1 in Bullet Time
Level 14: 2 Somersault Kick, 1 in Double Shot
Ability Point Distribution
Level 10: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 11: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 12: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 13: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 14: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Things to Buy
Unless you use potions heavily, or didn't complete/chose and alternate award where available, you probably won't need any potions at this point. I suggest always having at least 5 Return Scrolls for Henesys, Perion, Kerning, Nautilus Port, and Ellinia at this point in the game, and 10 Return Nearest Town Scrolls at any time.

Blue Potions
Orange Potions
Nearest Town Scrolls and Return scrolls
Bullets
Brown Rocky Suit
Brown Rocky Bandana
Levels 15-19
By this time, you're probably getting used to hunting with your pirate. You've also probably done a bit of exploring, and know your way around Victoria Island.

Training Spots
The training spots for levels 10-14 are also great spots for levels 15-19, with the addition of the Sleepywood Area.

Suggested Quests
For the first time, there are some quests that you won't be able to finish without the help of some higher-leveled players' help, which we'll leave for later.

Arwen and Ellinia
DANGER! 1-G. Mushroom
Help Me Find My Glasses
John's Pink Flower Basket (jumpquest)
Manji and the Secret Group
Maya and the Weird Medicine
Nella & Kerning City Citizen's Request
Sophia's Snack

Skill Point Distribution
Now that we have some points in Somersault Kick, we're going to max out Bullet Time and improve Double Shot.

Level 15: 1 in Double Shot, 2 in Bullet Time
Level 16: 2 in Double Shot, 1 in Bullet Time
Level 17: 2 in Double Shot, 1 in Bullet Time
Level 18: 2 in Double Shot, 1 in Bullet Time
Level 19: 2 in Double Shot, 1 in Bullet Time
Ability Point Distribution
We continue to follow our pattern:

Level 15: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 16: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 17: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 18: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 19: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Things to Buy
Unfortunatley, you've probably run out of freebies by now, which means you've got a lot to buy.

Bullets (I recommend having at least 5 sets at all times, more if traveling in Mushroom Shrine or Showa, as you can't recharge them there. Also, now you may want to have a small stock (10, since it costs mesos just to be able to enter the shop where you buy them) of return to Sleepywood scrolls since it will become and increasingly helpful training spot.
Orange Potions
Blue Potions
Return/Nearest Town Scrolls
Brown Lagger Slipper
Brown Lagger Cap
Brown Cotton Lagger

Levels 20-24
Not only does reaching level 20 unlock a slew of quests, many of which you won't be able to complete yet, this also the point I recommend starting to travel to other continents.

Training Spots
For the most part, your training spots will completely change. You'll rely more on Sleepywood, and Ariant then Heneseys and Ellina. NOTE:There are two level 20-30 PQs. The first is the Kerning PQ, which I don't recommend attempting until at least level 25. The second, which isn't a true party quest, and is less popular than KPQ, is the Party Quest (Ariant Coliseum), has an awesome prize that can be claimed if enough points are earned.

Party Quest (Ariant Coliseum)
Outside East Entrance of Ariant
Outside the West Entrance of Ariant
Outside North Entrance of Ariant
Ant Tunnel
Suggested Quests
For this first time, some of your quests will take you off of Victoria Island.

Mrs. Ming Ming's First Worry
Mrs. Ming Ming's Second Worry
Manji and the Secret Group
Camilla's Gem (An extremely easy jumpquest)
A Banquet for the Whalians
Maya and the Weird Medicine
Winston's Fossil Dig-Up and the subsequent quests NOTE: This quest starts a very long chain of quests, however the rewards are great.
Skill Point Distribution
We're going to begin by maxing double shot, and then improve Somersault Kick, and continue improving Dash.

Level 20: 3 in Double Shot
Level 21: 1 in Double Shot, 2 in Somersault Kick
Level 22: 3 in Dash
Level 23: 3 in Dash
Level 24: 3 in Somersault Kick
Ability Point Distribution
Level 20: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 21: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 22: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 23: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 24: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Things to Buy maple story mesos
Except for armor, your purchases shouldn't change much. If you end up in Ludibrium, I suggest buying potions there, as they're cheaper than usual.

Blue Potions
Orange Potions
Bullets
Return/Nearest TownScrolls
Beige Carribean
Brown Double Marine

Level 25-29
Suggested Quests
Eliminate Monsters from the Site
Mystery of Naora Hospital a must do quest, the reward to the follow up is a Old Raggedy Cape
Shawn the Excavator's Request
Strange Dish
Lazy Little Calico
Nella & Kerning City Citizen's Request Yup, their back.
Nautilus' Special Entree
Training Spots
Two words: Ant Tunnel. If you need to train from levels 25-29, do it here. It's by far the best at this point. However, you should have more than enough quests to get you through these levels.

Skill Point Distribution
Level 25: 3 Bullet Time
Level 26: 3 Bullet Time
Level 27: 3 Bullet Time
Level 28: 1 in Bullet Time, 2 in Somersault Kick
Level 29: 3 in Somersault Kick
Ability Point Distribution
Level 25: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 26: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 27: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 28: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Level 29: 1 in STR, 4 in DEX
Things to Buy
Blue Potions
Orange Potions
Bullets
Return/Nearest Town scrolls
Eos Rock Scrolls (if you've got the mesos to spare, they can save a lot of time)
Brown Turk Gally
Brown Pitz Bandana NOTE: If you have any Bamboo Hat's, a reward from Maya and the Weird Medicine, I suggest using this instead.

Level 30 and the Advancement to Second Job
You've reached level 30. But you're not a gunslinger yet. You have one final quest. Don't worry; it's easy. Talk to Kyrin on the Nautilus. Chose the Gunslinger option. Make sure you have 10-20 Blue potions, and the same number of orange. Next, talk to her, but chose the conversation prompt. She will take you to a new area, filled with Pirate Octopi. Don't worry, they're only slightly harder than their octopus brothern. Each one you kill will drop a Wind Crystal. You have 10 minutes to get 15. You shouldn't have any trouble with the timelimit. Once you've given all 15 Wind Crystals to Kyrin, she'll take you back to the Nautilus and make you a Gunslinger. You'll receive some more equip slots, 1 SP (I suggest putting it in Invisible Shot), A good deal of HP and MP, and hire ticket rates (yippee!), as well as the title Gunlinger on your user info.Congratulations! You're a Gunslinger!