"Leviathan"

There was some panic aboard the Siren. The crew had no idea why the Leviathan had appeared here.

Hadn't it been docked in Gangplank's hidden harbor in Bilgewater all this time?

It was a genuine military warship!

Its entire hull was armored in forged steel, and every feature had been designed for combat.

When it sailed at full speed, its powerful boilers roared and belched black smoke. No other ship in the world could match its speed.

By contrast, the Siren had only basic armaments. Sarah treated it merely as transportation and a base of operations.

In front of the Leviathan, the Siren was as fragile as a candle flickering in the wind. The two ships weren't even in the same league!

Of course, that was only if you considered the ships themselves.

Ato and Ryze came up on deck to look out at the approaching ship. Sarah's expression was grim.

"That's Gangplank's Leviathan. He stole it from a Noxian general. It's built with the most advanced technology available."

"Much as I hate to admit it, only a real nation has the means to build a warship this big."

"Bilgewater is just a gathering place for mercenaries and pirates. Its production capabilities can't compare to a nation's."

"Awesome!" Ato grinned excitedly.

Ever since he'd arrived in Runeterra, he'd been like a tourist, getting excited whenever he saw something new.

"With a warship like that, plus his own flagship, the Dreadnought, Gangplank really can do whatever he wants in Bilgewater. No wonder he became its ruler."

"This is bad." Ryze looked worried. "There must be a lot of people aboard. That means they all know where I am."

"They don't care where you're going. They're after Sarah."

Gangplank was going to such lengths to guarantee everything went according to plan—sending out a warship. What a show of force.

"Mr. Ato, what do we do?" Sarah was extremely tense.

The two ships were drawing closer. Turning around and fleeing was out of the question.

Even with the Siren's engines running beyond their limits, it was only a matter of time before they were caught. Sarah was trapped between a rock and a hard place.

Andrew thought so too.

He'd kept in contact with Hark's ship the entire time. A day after Sarah set sail, he'd headed toward the location Hark provided, pushing his ship to full speed.

They'd reached a point ahead of the Siren in just two days, where they waited for Sarah to sail right into their trap.

The armored plates beneath the Leviathan's bow opened, revealing two terrifying cannons. The smaller guns along its sides also took aim at the Siren.

In Andrew's eyes, a single volley would be enough to leave the Siren as nothing but scraps floating on the sea.

So he was now in the mood to play cat and mouse, hoping to toy with Sarah, the Iron Gulch Gang's greatest enemy.

"Hello there, Miss Fortune. Do you remember me?"

Once the two ships were close enough, Andrew went to the bow and called out to Sarah aboard the Siren.

"Andrew, Gangplank's top lackey? How could I forget?"

"Your bounty is second only to Gangplank's. If I took your head in for the reward, I could afford a ship as big as this one."

Ato stood beside Sarah, giving her some confidence.

Besides, she'd seen the Centaur Monster with her own eyes during the Harrowing. A mere warship could no longer frighten her.

Andrew, however, seemed to have heard the greatest joke in the world. "You? Hahahaha! Look at this magnificent ship. The only vessel in all of Bilgewater that can match it is the Dreadnought!

"You want my head? What makes you think you can take it? This little boat that'd capsize in a breeze? Hahahaha..."

"What a hassle." Ato pointed at the Leviathan. "You want a big ship? There's one right there. Why buy one?"

"Huh?" Sarah stared at him, dumbfounded. "You're planning to..."

"Ryze, I need your help. Protect the Siren with magic in a moment. You can do that, right? Leave the dirty work to me. It's better if you keep your hands clean."

"You really intend to kill them all...?" Ryze hesitated, but didn't try to stop Ato.

He understood that there weren't any good people aboard the Leviathan, and the fewer people who knew where he was, the better.

"I was going to smash this ship to pieces. But since you want it, Sarah, I'll give it to you."

Ato gripped the hilt of the sword on his back with his right hand, ready to strike.

"Mr. Ato..." Sarah was at a loss for words.

"Gangplank is yours. You have to deal with him yourself. But his first mate, Andrew, has nothing to do with your grudge. Leave him to me."

"Wait, Mr. Ato. How did you know..."

"Are you two exchanging last words?" Andrew was getting impatient.

He hadn't seen a single person aboard the Siren looking desperate, which had taken all the fun out of it. He decided not to play around anymore.

"Done talking? Then get ready to die! Fire!" Andrew gave the order to attack.

"Ryze, Warp Magic!" Those were Ato's last words before the cannons roared.

Ryze nodded and swiftly formed hand signs. The runes on his body glowed once more.

A spinning Magic Circle appeared beneath Ato's feet. A flash of white light, and he vanished from the Siren.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Take cover!" Sarah shouted. "Everyone else, load the guns and return fire!"

As soon as the Warp Magic ended, Ryze changed his hand signs. Dozens of Magic Circles appeared along the Siren's side facing the incoming fire.

They were spread beneath the hull and above the masts. Together, the circles formed a pale purple Light Screen.

It was much like the Imprisonment Magic he'd used before, except its range was dozens of times larger.

The cannonballs struck the Light Screen, sending ripples across it. The screen absorbed most of the impact, but some of it still reached the Siren, making the entire ship rock violently.

The Siren's crew didn't dare slack off. They returned to their posts, fulfilled their duties, and fired back.

But the Leviathan's exterior was tough, and their counterattack did little damage.

Meanwhile, Andrew had just given the order to fire. When he turned around, he saw a spinning Magic Circle appear on the deck at the bow.

Then Ato stepped out of the white light, and the two of them stared at each other.

"They can do that? Damn mages!"

Andrew was stunned. He'd known there was a mage aboard Sarah's ship, but he knew very little about the effects of magic. He hadn't expected the other side to teleport someone straight onto his ship!

He drew the pistol at his waist, and the sailors around him gathered to help.

There was only one man. This was his home turf! Before leaving, Gangplank had warned Andrew to watch out for the man carrying a greatsword.

Andrew refused to believe it. No matter how strong the man was, he'd walked right into their encirclement. Did he really think he could kill everyone aboard the Leviathan and steal the ship?

"Nice ship." Ato looked at Andrew without expression. "A beautiful young lady wants to own it. So, would you mind dying?"