The Cheater

Bilgewater had two famous ports. One was called Blood Harbor.

The waters around Bilgewater were always at risk of Sea Beast attacks. Over the years, hunting and processing these giant creatures had given rise to many profitable industries.

Sea Hunter Ships dragged them back to port, where people cut them up for meat, oil, hide, scales—even bones and teeth—to sell in the bustling dockside markets.

The slaughter docks called Blood Harbor had earned their name because so many Sea Beasts were butchered there. Not even the waves could wash away the steady flow of greasy blood between the planks.

The merchant ship Jia Ruo was on had docked at the other port: White Harbor.

White Harbor's name had a far more ordinary origin. It was simply covered in white bird droppings every day.

After they loaded four or five dozen barrels of fresh water and several baskets of vegetables aboard, the ship was fully resupplied.

Then the sailors were split into two groups, led by the Captain and First Mate. They took turns either keeping watch aboard ship or heading into town to unwind.

Jia Ruo and Neeko were in the group that went ashore first with the Captain.

"Let's go!"

The Captain waved his hand and led everyone flooding into Bilgewater's streets.

Clink!

The Captain flicked a Golden Siren Coin to Jia Ruo, a currency accepted in coastal regions.

"Here, you little brat. Take it. It's my reward to you. Don't underestimate its value..."

The Captain stood beside the Bounty Board in the middle of the street, studying it carefully.

(In Bilgewater, the closest thing to law and order was the Bounty Board. The names posted there belonged to the most wanted criminals in Bilgewater, ranked by the price on each head.)

"Right now...it can buy one four-hundred-and-sixty-thousandth of Gangplank's life. Ha ha!"

Gangplank was widely known as a cunning, ruthless pirate king, and his fearsome reputation had spread far and wide.

He was Bilgewater's underworld emperor, known as the Scourge of the Seas.

They said the Noxian General himself had sworn to see Gangplank torn to pieces with his own eyes, because Gangplank had stolen the Leviathan, Swain's warship and the pride of the Noxian navy.

As for who had put a bounty on Gangplank in Bilgewater, that was Gangplank himself. He often sent people to raise the bounty, openly challenging all of Bilgewater.

Alongside the wanted posters for various criminals, the Bounty Board also featured the four terrifying legends of Bilgewater: the Phantom of Blood Harbor, the Tidecaller, the River King, and the Abyssal Titan.

Jia Ruo, who had crossed over to Runeterra, knew that these four legends corresponded to four League of Legends champions.

But he hadn't expected to meet one of them so soon...

Next, the Captain led everyone into a casino, and the sailors scattered at once, gathering around different tables.

Jia Ruo and Neeko easily turned their single Golden Siren Coin into ten by playing at a few tables. Neeko could effortlessly see everyone's hole cards.

Worried about causing trouble, Jia Ruo didn't get greedy. They'd made a little profit, so he had Neeko stop.

Although Jia Ruo had been in Runeterra for quite a while, he had never needed money and didn't even know how much a Golden Siren Coin could buy.

Of course, now he could buy one forty-six-thousandth of Gangplank's life.

Suddenly, the gamblers all crowded around one table.

Neeko was too curious to miss out. She pulled Jia Ruo along to join the onlookers.

There were four people at the table. Two had already stood up and left in dejection.

Only two men remained, seated opposite each other.

The one on the left wore a short vest much like Jia Ruo's, open at the front to reveal his solid chest and abs. He had a thick cigar between his teeth and was leaning back in his chair.

Just from his looks, it was clear he was a bruiser.

The other man had his medium-length hair braided into a single plait. He rested his crossed hands on the table, a calm, confident smile on his lips.

The crowd had gathered because the two men had raised their bets to a thousand eight hundred Golden Siren Coins.

Jia Ruo had no idea how much that was worth, but it was definitely a hefty sum.

"Then let's see the cards. Hoo..."

The man on the left exhaled a huge cloud of smoke. His voice was deep and resonant.

"As you wish."

Smack!

All four hole cards were turned over at once and slapped onto the table.

In an instant, the noisy chatter of the other gamblers fell silent.

Both men had four aces!

The man on the left reacted quickly, grabbing the shotgun he'd set beside his feet.

It was no ordinary shotgun. The barrel was so huge that Jia Ruo was sure he could fit his hand inside it.

Bang!

The man flicked his hand, and a smoke bomb hit the floor. At the same time, the braided man sent a storm of playing cards flying through the air.

Smoke instantly filled the room.

The whole casino descended into chaos. People who couldn't see where they were going shoved one another, choking and streaming with tears.

Jia Ruo shielded Neeko behind him and huddled in a corner.

Could that be Graves when he was young? The title "Outlaw" sure suited him.

Thinking back to the enormous shotgun and smoke bomb, Jia Ruo couldn't help guessing.

Bang!

This time, a deafening gunshot rang out as the bruiser fired into the air.

"If you don't want to die, get out of the way!"

The braided man flipped over a table in front of him. "Out of the way, gentlemen."

The two men rushed toward the casino exit.

They exchanged a smile.

They'd both sensed an effortless rapport between them, as if they'd been old friends for years. Yet today was the first time they'd ever met.

The two dashed out of the casino, and the bouncers came to their senses and chased after them.

The entire street erupted into a frenzy, loud gunshots echoing through it.

Vendors' goods lay scattered everywhere as people ducked down and searched for cover.

Clearly, this wasn't the first time they'd experienced something like this.

Quite a few gamblers who wanted to see the world burn ran out of the casino too.

"Give 'em hell!"

They cheered.

Those who owed the house money or had been dealt lousy hands took the opportunity to slip away.

In the confusion, Jia Ruo and Neeko also got separated from the Captain. They had no choice but to head back toward White Harbor and return to the ship.

Neeko was thrilled, chattering nonstop to Jia Ruo the whole way. She'd never encountered anything like it.

But Jia Ruo didn't know that he had just witnessed the first meeting of a criminal duo.

He'd guessed half right. The bruiser really was Graves, the Outlaw, while the other man was a young Twisted Fate.

Neither of them had grown a beard yet, so it was no wonder Jia Ruo hadn't recognized them.