In the Guardian's Sea, a thick fog rose from the surface, obscuring the view even from several meters away. Yet, through this dense fog, one could vaguely make out a huge black shadow darting back and forth.
At first glance, the dark shadows resembled ships sailing on the sea, but upon closer inspection, one would find that the enormous dark shadows in the fog were shaped like serpents, beasts, and sea monsters. These enormous dark shadows twisted and turned from time to time; some were slender and long, while others were thick and short, some had horns, and some had their mouths wide Kog'Maw.
The dark shadows in the thick fog exuded a sense of danger, making people afraid to approach. However, experienced sailors could discern something from them.
Those were indeed sea monsters, but unlike others, they were being controlled by humans. These were giant sea monsters, nearly a hundred meters long, that surrounded Bilgewater.
Sea monsters and giant creatures are nothing new to Bilgewater, as these sea monsters are present in the lives of the Bilgewater's sailors who brave the waves, the butchers and fishermen who work at the docks, and in every aspect of the islanders' lives.
However, creatures of this size are rare, because every appearance of these enormous sea monsters, some hundreds of meters long, brings disaster to Bilgewater. If the Buhru hadn't built the giant horn, and the Snake Summoner hadn't been able to play a horn sound that could affect the sea monsters' sense of direction, Bilgewater wouldn't have achieved its current state of development.
Because ships from Bi Island cannot leave, and ships from outside cannot enter.
Therefore, experienced sailors could tell at a glance that this was the work of the snake summoner of Buhru.
That's right, these sea monsters were summoned by humans.
The objective was to surround Bilgewater, preventing any ship from leaving and also blocking any ship from entering the island.
In Bilgewater's Upper City, a flushed old drunkard slammed his glass down on the table and fired a shot behind him without turning his head.
After the gunshot, a body kneeling in the tavern fell forward and crashed heavily to the ground. His face slammed into the floor, his nose and lips making intimate contact with the floor, kicking up a cloud of dust. His eyes gradually lost their luster, but the fear he had felt in life was still evident.
"I don't want to listen to your nonsense, so shut the hell up!"
"It's been four days, four days. The entire island has spent four days and still hasn't been able to get rid of that girl. What, do you think I'm an idiot?" Gangplank's eyes were cold as he stood with his big feet on the stool, looking at the Boss of gang leaders from the island in front of him.
"Boss Gangplank, their weapons are too powerful. Rushing in recklessly will only result in many deaths," one person said to Gangplank, mustering his courage.
Upon hearing this, Gangplank glanced at the speaker, and in that instant, a hint of fear flashed in Lance's eyes, causing him to instinctively take a step back.
Even though Gangplank had lost power and was beaten to a pulp by Sarah, his current rise to power and his ruthlessness made people selectively forget those past events.
However, Gangplank did not lay a hand on him.
Because he himself is very clear about it.
The only reason these guys are obeying me right now is because of Illaoi, because these bastards believe in Buhru culture.
He, Gangplank, had already been ruined once before. Betrayed by his men, on that one night, Gangplank lost his beloved ship and the loyal men who served him.
Therefore, Gangplank maintained patience with these gang leaders.
He shouted, "So what? You're afraid of dying more people than him, so you're just wasting your time here?"
"Do you know that if I hadn't asked Illaoi to help, Sarah would have already fled Bilgewater with her people? Do you think I'd be waiting for you to catch her and kill her? She's still backed by Zaun. If we keep dragging this out, what if Zaun changes its mind and sends people to help that girl? Are you going to switch sides and side with Sarah then?"
Lance smiled awkwardly upon hearing this; Gangplank's words had indeed hit the nail on the head regarding what these Boss were thinking.
After the Buhru people made their move, Sarah's group was running low on ammunition, and Sarah and her people were now trapped in a corner of the Upper City.
And they watched as their food and water resources dwindled. Bilgewater's storage facilities had extremely poor preservation capabilities, and with the hot summer weather, rats, flies, and the damp, warm environment made it impossible for the fish and meat stored in the warehouse to keep fresh.
But precisely because Sarah and her group are now trapped like beasts, no gang Boss is willing to lead their men to provoke Sarah at this moment. She's going berserk, going through a final frenzy, and will indiscriminately beat anyone who goes near her.
There are many people in Bilgewater, but in the past four days, more than four hundred people from the Isle of Bilgewater have died at the hands of Sarah's gang.
This is already a large gang. You have to understand how many loyal people Gangplank had when he was in power in Bilgewater.
Gangplank's violent gang consisted of only a few hundred people.
Therefore, when Sarah was powerful, they united to deal with Sarah, but when Sarah was about to fall, they started scheming against each other in private.
What can they gain from this war?
If so many of their men die, will they be able to establish a foothold in Bilgewater after this war ends?
These issues influence their choices.
Lance spoke up, "Boss Gangplank, there's something wrong with what you're saying. The Serpent Summoners have surrounded Bilgewater with layers of sea monsters; how could the Zaunite possibly come to help?"
"Yes, yes, who dares to oppose Bearded Lady? Who doesn't know that the Buhru people are her followers?"
"Boss Gangplank, we just feel that Sarah has gone mad. If we surround them, they'll start fighting amongst themselves. There's no need for us to make unnecessary sacrifices."
Lance led the group of Boss in speaking up.
"Fuck your pointless sacrifice!" Gangplank sneered and cursed. He stood up. When he was sitting, his dirty appearance and unkempt appearance made him look like a little old man, but when he stood up, Gangplank was actually quite tall. Because of what he had been through recently, he had obviously lost a lot of weight, but his muscle lines were still obvious.
He shouted, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Trying to outsmart me? When I was killing Noxians and causing havoc on the seas, when I was taking down the Noxus navy, you were still fucking in your dad's crotch!"
I'm telling you guys, this island belongs to me, it always has, it is, and it will always be mine!
"I did lose once, but I lost to my own men, not to Sarah. And now, I'm back! Who the hell dares to deny me? Who among you dares to go against me?"
Gangplank glared at the group of men in front of him and roared angrily.
His roar silenced the group of "big shots" on Bee Island; not one of them dared to utter a word.
They might have had some youthful vigor before, and after being scolded like that by Gangplank, they would grab their knives and guns and fight Gangplank. But after living in the Upper City for so many years, they had lost their bloodlust. They were no longer the young people who dared to go out to sea with a knife or build a small raft to lead a group to rob cargo ships.
Time has erased their fighting spirit.
"I'm telling you this: whoever puts in the most effort and has the most deaths, I'll make him the Second Hand of Bi Island. Listen up, all of you, this island will still be under my control! You're trying to play mind games with me now, trying to conserve your strength? What the hell are you trying to do by conserving your strength? What, you think you can take me down after you've finished with Sarah?"
Gangplank was a smart man. He might be arrogant and haughty, but he was definitely not stupid.
He was all too aware of the impact Illaoi's endorsement would have on Bilgewater.
Let's put it this way: no Bilgewater Boss would dare to refuse the words of the Buhru, not even those of a lowly Buhru priest.
The people of Bi Island follow the Buhru culture, and Illaoi is Buhru, the highest-ranking Buhru besides the Bearded Lady. With her support, Gangplank has no reason not to succeed.
"You act like you care about your men, but aren't you just afraid that you won't have enough men to fight for territory and won't be able to hold onto your little place?" Gangplank hiccuped and sneered, "Don't worry about that. I may be domineering, but I'm willing to share the profits with my own people."
"I'm different from you guys. I haven't forgotten my roots! I've always remembered who I really am. I'm a pirate, not a merchant!"
Lance and the Boss took a deep breath and agreed at the same time.
"So, all of you, get the hell out of here!"
"Today, I must see that woman Sarah kneeling before me. I will personally rip off her head and use her pretty face as a wine glass!"
"Yes!"
Bilgewater, the western part of the Upper City, was originally owned by Gangplank, but after Gangplank was driven out by Sarah, this prime piece of land in the Upper City belonged to Sarah.
At this moment, Sarah was wearing a tube top covered in dust and bloodstains. Her firm and beautiful abdomen was no longer snow-white, but had some gray and black marks, and you could even see patches of dirty oil stains.
Sarah's red hair had lost its luster, and she had a plaster on her left waist and a bandage on her right arm.
With gritted teeth, Sarah tore off a piece of jerky and swallowed it with difficulty, along with some alcohol.
Her pupils were bloodshot, and her once beautiful and alluring lips were now covered with dead skin.
She hadn't had a proper rest for three days, and now, looking at her equally disheveled first mate, Sarah giggled.
"Rafen, we're really doomed this time. Do you have anything to say?"
"What do you want to hear from me? So what if we're finished? We've already gotten our money's worth. There were fifty-odd of us who took down hundreds of them. I personally killed four of their Boss." Rafen rolled his eyes at Sarah's voice, annoyed.
He had an iron plate strapped to his leg, a result of a shell that struck him yesterday morning. If it weren't for the medical supplies from Zaun, he would have lost his leg in the harsh conditions of Bi Island.
But now it seems like even if we save it, it wouldn't be of much use?
Sarah smiled and nodded. "Yes, that's enough."
"It's a pity we should have swallowed our pride and asked Zaun for help back then," Rafen suddenly added.
Zaun is too powerful; these weapons are enough to change the battlefield. To put it bluntly, there aren't enough weapons, and Sarah doesn't have enough manpower. Otherwise, even if the Buhru intervened, the outcome of this war would be really hard to say.
Sea monsters are indeed terrifying, but they can't go ashore, so if they don't come to sea, then the only thing these sea monsters bring is psychological pressure.
"Zaun has already helped us enough. I can't blame them for not coming. I just blame my bad luck for not killing Gangplank directly, which allowed him to go after Illaoi. By the way, how much ammunition do we have left?" Sarah asked.
"Not many left." Rafen sighed, then continued, "Starting around 1 p. m. today, those bastards have gone crazy, completely fearless of death."
"Gangplank must have said something." Sarah nodded, leaning back slightly. She then stood up, picked up the pistol on the table, and said with a smile, "Let's go, this is the final battle, my dear first mate."
"Ha, if we're really doomed, I'll shoot you. I can fall into their hands, but you can't." Rafen stood up, the earring on his ear making a crisp sound, and made a shooting gesture towards Sarah.
Sarah burst into laughter. "The line of men who want to sleep with me could stretch from the Upper City to the sea cave in the Lower City, but not a single one has succeeded. What are you worried about?"
Afraid I'll be humiliated then? Ha! If that happens, I'll break his thing, bite off his... well, if I don't, then I've lived in vain."
"Besides, Gangplank wouldn't dare keep me alive. He's not lecherous, he's ruthless and decisive. If I fell into his hands, I'd die instantly." Sarah laughed until tears streamed down her face.
She believed Gangplank would do this because the person who understood Gangplank best was not Gangplank men, but herself, a woman who had studied Gangplank for decades in order to seek revenge.
Her mother was also very beautiful, but Gangplank only shot and killed people and burned down houses, didn't he?
Thinking about it, it makes sense. After all, it's about being able to date Illaoi. What normal man would choose Illaoi?
Therefore, Sarah knew Gangplank all too well.
Now, she's going to make one last desperate attempt.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, Gangplank took a shower, changed into a new outfit, and then, accompanied by a group of people, went to the square in the Upper City of Bilgewater.
Illaoi also arrived, concealing herself with a cloak, but her tall stature, steel-like muscles, and towering height still caught Gangplank's attention.
Gangplank didn't go to say hello because he had more important things to do right now.
In the center of the square, next to the artificial fountain, on a makeshift platform, more than thirty people were being held captive and kneeling.
At the very front was a beautiful woman with red hair. She was calmly looking at Gangplank walking down from below the stage, a hint of disdain and mockery on her lips.
"Wow, Gangplank, the Sea Emperor's final comeback was all thanks to a woman?" Sarah exclaimed as Gangplank approached.
She was defeated. Under the frenzied, reckless charge of that group, her weapons and her men, who had been fighting for days, were completely unable to withstand their offensive.
Sarah's leg was pierced by a bullet, and she should have died from blood loss, but Gangplank had her treated.
He certainly wouldn't let Sarah die like that.
Gangplank wants to use Sarah Levi.
He wanted to show the Bilgewater who really called the shots in this place.
"Wait till I hang you on the mast, then let's see if you'll still be so calm." Gangplank just smiled slightly at Sarah's calm sarcasm.
He walked up to the platform, approached Sarah, and, under the watchful eyes of most of the population of Bilgewater 'Upper City, Gangplank drew near to Sarah.
"You know, no matter how strong your will is, your body will still react, because that's human instinct. You'll lose control of your bowels because you're suffocating."
And I will hang you naked on my ship and cruise around Bilgewater for three days. I want everyone to see you incontinent, to see the most beautiful woman in Bilgewater incontinent, and then I will let seabirds peck at your body."
"Alright, that's just something you say to scare people," Sarah said calmly.
"Fine, you've got guts, you've got real guts, I hope you really can be that gutsy!" Gangplank laughed.
Then, after making a dangerous declaration to the people of Bilgewater, Gangplank prepared to make his move against Sarah.
But just as Gangplank was about to send his men to take all of Sarah's people away and hang them in rows in Bilgewater, a tall figure stepped out of the crowd and reached out to remove his cloak.
"Gangplank, stop!" Illaoi looked at Gangplank with her large, bell-like eyes and said loudly.
"Damn it, what do you want to do?" Gangplank looked at Illaoi in confusion.
Illaoi said calmly, "She can't die yet."
"Nagakabouros has taken a liking to her," Illaoi said.
Gangplank frowned upon hearing this. "So what? Because of what you said, I'm going to let her go? Don't you know what she did to me?"
Illaoi ignored Gangplank's words and walked straight forward. She reached behind her back and a strange sculpted object appeared in her hand.
"This is the will of the Deity."
As she spoke, Illaoi was about to pass on Nagakabouros's Trial to Sarah.
Gangplank was annoyed, but dared not stop it.
He was a smart man; he knew the consequences of opposing Illaoi here. Even though he and Illaoi had once been lovers, when it came to matters of the Deity, Illaoi would become ruthless and impartial.
Therefore, Gangplank could only pray that Sarah failed her trial, even though that would mean her immediate death. But that wouldn't stop Gangplank from hanging her on his ship, would it?
"Your name is Sarah, right?"
"Congratulations, you have won the favor of the Nagakabouros."
Sarah's hands were restrained. As Illaoi approached, she opened her mouth with a cold smile and spat on Illaoi's cheek.
Illaoi calmly reached out and wiped it away, looking gently at Sarah: "Don't be afraid, don't worry, accept it. Janna."
Halfway through her sentence, Illaoi suddenly stopped, and her ears twitched.
Her hearing was far beyond that of ordinary people. She stopped what she was doing in surprise and looked at a certain place.
Then Sarah looked up in confusion, because she seemed to hear... a strange sound?
Just as Sarah thought this was the Bearded Lady's trial, she saw Rafen and the others beside her also look up in astonishment at the sky.
Then came Gangplank and his group, followed by the entire square.
A sudden burst of powerful music appeared over Bilgewater, growing louder and louder until a black dot appeared in the distant sky.
Accompanied by electronic music and energetic drumbeats, something resembling a "ship" appeared in the sky Upper City of Bi Island.
With the powerful music playing, the people on the island could see the faces of the people on the sky ship more clearly.
Sarah stared blankly at the blue hair that was faintly visible beneath the robe.
A guess emerged, but Sarah herself couldn't believe it.
Then
She made up her mind.
In the air, the person at the very front, controlling the airship, suddenly raised her head and, while vigorously shaking the joystick with both hands, looked down at Sarah below.
"Snort."
The hood was shaken off by the violent movement, revealing a clean and lovely face. Her blue hair was blowing in the wind, and she had a smile on her face.
Jinx
Sarah looked on in disbelief.
"You guys are pretty cocky, huh?" Jinx said loudly through the megaphone from the spaceship.
Li Ke, standing to the side, was both amused and exasperated.
Akali, who was wearing a mask, was covering her ears.
It's so noisy! Too noisy!