Who Could Sail a Ship?

"I'll drown her in her own blood!"

Gangplank stared at the latest intelligence Hark had brought him, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"What do you mean, 'The Siren suffered no damage, the Leviathan was completely wiped out, and it has fallen into Miss Fortune's hands'?!"

"Andrew! Where is Andrew? Why hasn't he contacted me?"

"That was a warship! The most powerful Steel Beast in the world!"

"Its warehouse alone could hold eighty thousand loaves of bread! Even if Miss Fortune fed them to her whole fleet, it would take them ten years to eat it all!"

Several sailors exchanged glances in the office. They watched Gangplank seethe with rage, but none dared to speak.

At last, Pete, the Boatswain, broke the silence. "Why don't we wait until Hark gets back and ask him about it in person?"

Gangplank sank heavily into his chair, closed his eyes, and analyzed the situation.

After a long while, he opened his eyes and ordered Pete, "Keep this quiet. No other faction can learn that something has happened to the Leviathan."

"Especially you lot. I've suffered heavy losses, but that doesn't mean I'm some stray dog on the roadside for anyone to kick around!"

"If anyone betrays me and leaks this, I'll make sure you wish you were dead!"

"Yes, Captain!" Pete replied loudly.

The First and Second Mates had most likely met with disaster. Gangplank had only Pete, the Boatswain, and a few other trusted men left under his command.

"Also, have Hark come see me as soon as he gets back."

The sailors left. Gangplank took several deep breaths, but still couldn't calm down.

"Miss Fortune... I really underestimated you. Run. Never come back to Bilgewater! If I catch sight of you, I'll reward you with pain!"

"Mr. Ryze, are you feeling any better?" Sarah asked Ryze, who had just finished meditating.

"I've mostly recovered. Meditation is the best rest for me."

"Thank you again. Without your magic, the Siren would never have survived that first barrage..."

"Don't mention it," Ryze said, waving a hand. "All our fates became intertwined in that moment. Helping you is the same as helping myself."

"I owe you an apology, Mr. Ryze. We'll arrive in Ionia a few days later than expected. We've just finished getting a general idea of this warship..."

Sarah explained to Ryze that while he had been meditating, she had used a small boat to bring aboard all the sailors on the Siren who knew about ships. Only a few had been left behind to keep watch.

The rest were on the Leviathan, learning about the warship.

The Leviathan was four times the size of the Siren. For that reason, it required many more people for its daily operation and maintenance.

Even if they put everyone from the Siren together, they would only just have enough.

After boarding, the Chief Engineer had first gone to the engine room at the bottom of the ship. It housed the warship's power source and fuel stores.

A rough estimate showed that at a normal speed, with the sails assisting, the Leviathan had enough fuel to sail for two months.

That was good news for everyone.

If they conserved fuel, they would still have some left after taking Ato to Freljord, leaving them plenty of time to search for supplies along the way.

"...That's the situation. It'll take time to get this warship moving, and we'll have to reduce speed to save fuel."

"Once we reach the waters near Ionia, we'll have to leave the Leviathan dozens of nautical miles offshore to avoid causing a panic. The Siren will take you to the mainland."

"So, about the delay..."

"Doesn't sound like a bad plan to me," Ryze said with a smile. "I've waited hundreds of years. A few extra days won't matter. Go familiarize yourselves with the ship. Don't worry about me."

Sarah nodded, thanked him once more, then left.

She first headed to the command room, located toward the middle of the deck, and pushed open the door.

The room was much more luxurious than the Siren, and far more spacious. It was stocked with all kinds of household items.

A detailed world map was even posted on the wall. It must have been there already when Gangplank seized the ship.

That fit with Noxus's ambition to expand across the world. They would need to conduct reconnaissance beforehand.

She moved on to the ship's interior. The orderly rows of gunrooms lined both sides, each cannon in its own room with a clear view. The storage chests within reach were well stocked with ammunition.

The crew's living quarters occupied the middle, including the Resting Room, dining room, kitchen, and warehouse.

The sailors were now moving some supplies onto the Leviathan. The warehouse really was huge. Sarah estimated it could hold eighty thousand loaves of bread.

She had no intention of going down to the lower levels and interrupting their work just yet. That wasn't her area of expertise.

"Have you figured out how to sail it, Raven?" In the wheelhouse at the highest point of the stern, Sarah looked curiously at the unfamiliar equipment filling the room.

"It's extremely complicated, Captain." Raven looked troubled.

"The Siren has a mechanical system for powering the ship too, but compared to this one, it's child's play. The Chief Engineer and I have been studying it for ages, and we still don't understand what a lot of these devices do."

"So, in short, this ship can't move right now?"

"Probably, maybe, possibly... that's right..." Raven stammered, unsure how to answer.

"This is a disaster." Sarah ran a hand through her hair.

Their progress had hit another snag. Ato had dealt with everyone aboard the warship. If anyone had survived, they could have shown them how to sail it...

Wait, hadn't someone actually survived?

"It's fine. I'll go find someone to teach you how to sail it." With that, Sarah hurried away.

"Hey, Captain, wait... do you know who she means?"

The Chief Engineer, Sanchez, shook his head.

Andrew thought he had done a good job of hiding, curled up beneath a mast with only one thought in mind: he was being good now, so please let him go.

But no one noticed him, even after the moon rose. Keeping the same position for so long had left his whole body stiff.

He was now hungry and thirsty.

Just as he was about to stretch, a pair of high-heeled boots came into view.

"I had quite a time finding you." Sarah's ethereal voice sounded like a demon's whisper in Andrew's ears.

He instinctively dropped to the ground, clasped his hands over his head, and trembled all over.

"I... I surrender. I'm willing to swear loyalty to you. I also know a lot of Gangplank's secrets. Just spare my life..."

"Stand up." Sarah's tone gave nothing away. "I'll give you a chance."

A chance?

Andrew had found salvation at the edge of despair. He squeezed every last bit of strength from himself and asked, "What chance? If it's something I can do, I'll definitely..."

"Come with me." Sarah turned and headed for the wheelhouse, paying no mind to how weak he was.

Andrew gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand, wringing every last bit of strength from his body. Now that he had a chance to live, he had to seize it.

Even if he went back to Gangplank, after losing the Leviathan, he'd definitely be hanged at the Slaughter Docks!