Aboard the Dead Pool, a member of the Jagged Hooks came running from the distance and found Gangplank, who was in an exceptionally foul mood.
"Captain! We caught thieves sneaking into the docks at Rat Town!"
Gangplank's icy expression frightened him, and he became much more careful with his words.
The Jagged Hooks took pleasure in killing people, but compared to the tyrant of the seas before him, they were nothing but amateurs. In fact, it was precisely because Gangplank stood behind them that the Jagged Hooks dared to murder people for entertainment without restraint.
"Speak."
Gangplank rose to his feet, his figure tall and imposing, almost monumental. Thick muscles knotted around his neck and shoulders like those of a bull. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing forearms soaked in blood, while his red coat and tricorn hat hung nearby.
"There are two of them. They started arguing for some reason. We don't know how they got into the warehouse. One has a shotgun. The other uses a strange weapon, some kind of glowing playing cards..."
The gang member quickly explained the situation at the docks, then lowered his head and fell silent.
A cold, murderous presence spread from the man standing before him.
Gangplank's expression finally changed. His entire face turned a terrifying shade of crimson with rage, and the lamplight reflected scarlet in his eyes.
"That bastard dares to provoke me again. Gather everyone. We've got work to do!"
He snatched up his coat and hat, issuing orders as he strode outside, his voice thick with suppressed fury.
"You idiot! You ruined everything! Again!"
Twisted Fate sprinted across the docks with none of his usual elegance. Even so, he kept one hand firmly pressed against his hat as if it were as valuable as his life.
"If you'd ever face your own mistakes, none of this would've happened! But you'll never admit you were wrong!"
Graves ran several yards behind him. He ducked beneath incoming bullets, fired back at their pursuers, and roared just as loudly.
He knew that the moment the man in the hat found an opening, he would run away like a coward all over again.
Graves would not give him that opportunity.
Bullets whistled past Twisted Fate, including several deliberately fired by Graves to interfere with him.
Graves could have shot him directly, but he did not want to.
Even now, he still had not heard the words he had spent ten years waiting for.
Twisted Fate glanced back. A bullet passed so close that it nearly grazed his expensive coat, making him grind his teeth in fury. He immediately raised his hand and hurled two red cards, not at Graves, but at the approaching members of the Jagged Hooks.
Those lackeys could never pose a genuine threat to him. The only real problem was the idiot named Graves.
The man had spent the entire chase obsessing over what had happened ten years ago, refusing to let him go.
Twisted Fate truly wanted to explain everything that had happened back then, yet part of him felt that doing so would be pointless.
Once that thick skull of Graves's became fixated on something, it took him an eternity to realize the truth. Unfortunately, they did not have an eternity.
Twisted Fate could clearly sense that more and more people were coming after them.
Sure enough, another group soon appeared from the opposite direction.
The Painted Brothers, another gang serving Gangplank, had arrived with several dangerous fighters among their ranks.
Twisted Fate was forced toward the edge of a bridge. In the distance, he could vaguely make out Gangplank's ship upon the sea.
Almost every escape route had been blocked, and Graves was close behind him.
At least the fool was no longer pointing that broken-down shotgun at him, but what good did that do now?
Twisted Fate looked over the edge.
The dark sea below resembled a bottomless abyss. From this height, the fall alone would last several seconds.
"Wonderful. Now we're both going to die. Are you satisfied?"
Twisted Fate turned and gave Graves a mocking smile.
Graves responded with an equally scornful sneer.
"I already died once ten years ago! What difference does it make whether I die now or later?"
"I already told you..."
"Told me what? You didn't say a word back then. I turned around, and you were gone without a trace. How did it feel to betray your partner?"
Graves cut him off with a cold laugh. He fired his shotgun into the ground with a deafening blast, stopping Twisted Fate from using another card.
The Jagged Hooks and Painted Brothers drew closer.
Yet on the bridge, Twisted Fate and Graves seemed to forget everything around them as they confronted each other.
Twisted Fate had long since lost the ability to remain calm.
"Are you deaf?" he roared. "I told you the job felt wrong! But you, you stubborn pig, insisted on going through with it! I tried everything I could to get us out!"
"You only needed to cover me for a few seconds, and we both could've escaped! But you ran! You just ran!"
Graves stepped forward viciously, a mad obsession burning in his eyes.
He still remembered turning around to find nothing behind him. The partner he trusted had disappeared, while countless enemies closed in from all sides.
The despair he had felt at that moment had nearly consumed him.
Twisted Fate fell silent.
He knew that nothing he said would matter now.
It was also true that he had left Graves behind.
At that moment, a flash of fire appeared behind Graves, the muzzle flare of what looked like a flintlock rifle.
Twisted Fate immediately raised his hand and hurled the card he had concealed between his fingers. At the same time, Graves lifted his shotgun and pulled the trigger.
Boom!
The shotgun blast sent a Painted Brothers thug several dozen yards behind Twisted Fate flying through the air. The throwing knife the man had been preparing to launch clattered onto the ground.
Meanwhile, Twisted Fate's card intercepted the bullet aimed at Graves and struck the shooter with perfect accuracy, knocking him unconscious on the spot.
Neither man looked at the other, but they began fighting back in perfect coordination.
Against everyone around them.
However, more enemies continued to arrive. Their resistance was ultimately pointless.
When Graves ran out of ammunition, Twisted Fate finally stopped moving as well.
The surroundings immediately fell silent.
The wall of men parted, and a figure draped in a red coat stepped through.
Gangplank's face was expressionless, but even from several yards away, Twisted Fate could sense the fury radiating from the tyrant of the seas.
Gangplank looked at them and revealed a smile that sent chills down their spines.
"Show them some hospitality."
Bilgewater Harbor was the most crowded place on the island. Nearly every ship arriving or departing Bilgewater passed through it. A vast stretch of buildings surrounded the docks, while farther uphill, structures of wildly different styles clustered together like an enormous spiderweb.
At that moment, the harbor was packed with people. Countless eyes stared out over the water, some excited, some cheering, others frightened or filled with dread.
Two figures hung from the front of the massive Dead Pool, clearly illuminated by the surrounding lights.
All around Gangplank's flagship were vessels loyal to him. Nearly every man under his command had gathered there.
Thud!
Thud!
Crack!
Several large sailors surrounded the two captives, punching and kicking them without pause. Twisted Fate and Graves swung helplessly like human punching bags.
The news had already spread.
Gangplank had brought the two thieves who dared offend him before the public to punish them, reminding everyone that his authority was untouchable.
Given his arrogant and tyrannical nature, this was exactly the kind of thing he would do.
Bilgewater had no official system of law, but it was still a place where countless people lived. Most tried to preserve some degree of order and peace.
Gangplank alone acted without restraint.
He killed whenever he pleased, and his methods were always unimaginably cruel.
He could trample anyone's dignity without ever facing punishment.
That was Gangplank.
"Is that all you've got? Are you a pack of weaklings?"
Graves's speech had become slightly slurred. He spat blood from his mouth and looked contemptuously at the men surrounding him.
"Come on, you worthless bastards."
Twisted Fate no longer seemed to have the strength to speak. His hair was disheveled, his face bruised and swollen, and his precious hat had been tossed aside like garbage.
Graves was not in much better condition. Several of his bones were broken, and every part of his body throbbed with pain.
But this was precisely the moment when he could not afford to show weakness.
"That's enough."
A calm voice rang out, and the men surrounding them stepped aside.
Gangplank had placed a barrel on the deck and was sitting on top of it. He held a carving knife in one hand and an orange in the other, slowly peeling away the skin.
"I've always admired thieves with courage and quick hands. Under different circumstances, we might have enjoyed a very pleasant friendship."
He rose as he spoke and approached Twisted Fate, an icy presence rolling from his body.
"But of all the things you could have done, you chose to steal from me."
"I'm not an unreasonable man. I don't force people to kneel and scrape before me. All I ask for is a tiny, insignificant amount of respect. But the two of you decided to climb onto my shoulders and shit on my head."
His voice was low, his anger tightly suppressed.
"Unforgivable."
Gangplank pressed the carving knife against Twisted Fate's face.
"And you did it twice. Where is my property?"
"Twice?"
Twisted Fate raised his head and stared at Gangplank through swollen eyes, genuine confusion appearing within them.
This was the first time he had ever provoked the bastard.
"Don't play dumb."
Gangplank leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"The treasure I hid on the island. I'm giving you one chance to answer carefully. I can obtain as much money as I want, but once you lose your life, you don't get another."
Twisted Fate was not actually too exhausted to speak. Even now, he was still searching for a way to escape.
However, those words made him realize something.
Even if he had infiltrated Rat Town to steal a dagger, Gangplank should not have mobilized every man under his command.
The image of a fiery red-haired woman flashed through Twisted Fate's mind. His entire body went cold, as though he had fallen into an abyss.
He had walked straight into the middle of a conspiracy like a complete fool.
He was the bait hanging from the hook.
Twisted Fate possessed sharp instincts, and every one of them was now screaming the same warning.
He had been used.
That damned redheaded woman.
Admittedly, he had tricked her the last time they met, but did her revenge really need to be this vicious?
When she had come to capture him, he had deliberately lured her into the middle of a battle between two gangs. She had ended up trapped between them, attacked from both sides, while he slipped away with style.
Well, perhaps not quite as much style as he liked to remember.
She had come dangerously close to catching him.
Twisted Fate felt boundless sorrow.
He should have remembered that this was Bilgewater, a place overflowing with schemes, lies, and betrayal. He had deceived people his entire life, yet today someone had finally deceived him on a truly monumental scale.
He was about to expose the redheaded woman without hesitation when he suddenly caught Graves looking at him.
The glance lasted only an instant.
Twisted Fate closed his mouth again.
"Fine!"
Seeing that Twisted Fate refused to respond, Gangplank laughed in fury and turned away without mercy.
"Tie them together. I want everyone in Bilgewater Harbor to witness a magnificent red firework."
The fortune he had hidden on the island was enormous, more than enough to purchase ten lives from each of these bastards.
But he no longer wished to waste time questioning them.
There was no need.
Did they not know who he was?
Gangplank treated money like dirt. With his current status, he could obtain another fortune whenever he wanted.
What truly mattered to him was his supreme and inviolable authority, along with the pleasure of seeing fear and terror on everyone's faces.
Twisted Fate and Graves were quickly bound together with heavy ropes.
"Well, this is it. We're both finished."
Twisted Fate spoke weakly and let out a dry, bitter laugh.
"You deserve every bit of this," Graves mocked.
"You think I wanted things to happen that way?"
Twisted Fate finally snapped. He growled the words, anger burning in his eyes.
With his life about to end, he could no longer endure it.
"You left me behind. That's a fact. Ten whole years."
"My people and I tried to get you out, and every one of them died!"
Twisted Fate fired back immediately.
"Cote, Valar, and Brick. Not one of them survived! They all died trying to save you, you thickheaded bastard!"
"But you survived. Ever wonder why? Because you're a coward. That's right. It doesn't matter how pretty your excuses sound."
The words struck Twisted Fate like a bullet.
He lowered his head.
The fighting spirit faded from his eyes, and his entire body sagged as if something inside him had finally shattered.
At that moment, Graves also felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Exhaustion washed over him, leaving him utterly drained.
He no longer understood what he had hoped to accomplish by pursuing this so stubbornly.
Perhaps he had only wanted to hear a single sentence.
"We're both going to die, so it doesn't matter whether you believe me anymore. We tried everything we could to rescue you, and I never meant to abandon you."
Twisted Fate's voice was weary.
"Anyway, I'm sorry."
After saying that, he fell silent.
Graves trembled and lowered his head as memories of that day returned.
He had always done things his own way. Whenever he pushed matters too far, Twisted Fate would clean up the mess.
Twisted Fate always had an escape plan, some hidden road that allowed both of them to get away again and again.
But that day, Graves had refused to listen.
That was what had caused everything that followed.
"You two seem to be having a wonderful conversation."
Gangplank's voice interrupted them.
He finished peeling his orange and prepared to take a bite.
Twisted Fate and Graves were hoisted into the air and left hanging upside down. From their new position, they saw a heavy cannon being rolled onto the deck.
"Her name is Deadman's Daughter. She's been with me since the day I first sailed and has earned glory in countless battles."
Gangplank walked proudly beside the cannon and placed one boot upon its barrel, though his eyes remained cold.
"You two will join the countless souls she has already claimed. Consider yourselves fortunate."
Across the harbor, people stretched their necks to watch.
"This time, I truly have no way out."
Twisted Fate had completely given up.
He had never imagined his life would end in such a miserable fashion.
Then he heard Graves burst into laughter, and something brushed against his hand.
Twisted Fate knew exactly what it was.
A playing card.
After a moment of hesitation, he closed his fingers around it.
Magic immediately surged around him.
The next second, under the gaze of everyone present, Twisted Fate vanished.
Gangplank's eyes widened.
Everyone around him reacted the same way, unable to believe what they had witnessed.
Shock swept through the harbor.
Graves released a relieved breath.
"Find him! Find him now!"
Gangplank roared in fury, and his men immediately scattered in every direction.
"I'm right here."
Twisted Fate's voice came from above.
As he spoke, a card flew toward Gangplank.
Consumed by rage, Gangplank simply reached out and caught the card in midair despite the force behind it.
His ferocity genuinely startled Twisted Fate. No one had ever caught one of his cards with a bare hand before.
"Feed that bastard to the fish!"
Gangplank furiously glanced at Graves, who still hung from the ropes, then turned back.
"And capture this one!"
Clank, clank, clank.
Chains were released.
Graves plummeted toward the water with heavy iron chains wrapped around his body, sinking rapidly beneath the surface.
Twisted Fate saw it happen and immediately hurled several cards, striking one man after another.
However, he was still only one person.
Bang!
White smoke rose from the muzzle of Gangplank's pistol.
A bullet tore straight through Twisted Fate's shoulder.
His magic immediately fell into chaos.
Twisted Fate glanced at the water, then jumped without hesitation.
"Choosing your own grave."
Gangplank sneered as he watched him dive into the sea.
The waters near the harbor were filled with schools of man-eating devil rays and Razorfin.
"Listen carefully. If anyone ever thinks..."
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Gangplank turned toward the harbor and began issuing a warning, but before he could finish, cannon fire erupted across the night.
A powerful sense of unease struck him.
He instinctively raised his head and froze.
A storm of cannonballs was descending upon the Dead Pool.
"Enemy attack! Everyone, return fire!"
Gangplank roared.
The cannonballs had already arrived.
Explosions erupted across the Dead Pool with continuous thunder, flames bursting from every section of the ship. The vessels surrounding it were struck as well.
At least several dozen cannonballs landed in the first volley alone.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Before anyone could recover, a second barrage was launched.
The cannonballs seemed to have been specially enhanced.
Even the Dead Pool's formidable defenses could not withstand them. In a matter of moments, countless breaches had been blasted through the hull.
Gangplank dodged through the explosions, both shocked and enraged. He quickly located the ship attacking them.
At some point, a massive vessel equal in size to the Dead Pool had appeared in the distance.
Fire blazed from its cannons.
At the bow stood a woman with flowing red hair.
"Damn you! You filthy pack of bastards!"
Gangplank roared and seized Deadman's Daughter, intending to return fire.
Before he could even load the gunpowder, a cannonball came hurtling directly toward him.
"Fuck!"
Gangplank had no time to think. He threw himself aside, but the explosion still launched him through the air.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that someone would dare attack him directly.
Even more unbelievable was the existence of a ship with enough firepower to defeat the Dead Pool. He had received absolutely no intelligence about such a vessel.
The Dead Pool had always been invincible upon the sea. No other ship could rival it.
In a direct confrontation, it might not have lost to that unknown vessel.
But such considerations were now meaningless.
After two surprise volleys, half of the Dead Pool had already been destroyed.
A single vessel of equal size could not have caused so much damage so quickly. Gangplank soon noticed other captains joining the assault, all opening fire on him without hesitation.
Those bastards.
How dare they?
The Dead Pool began sinking beneath the waves.
Gangplank watched countless men under his command die. Rage, shock, and even despair flashed through his mind.
The blast that had struck him had caused serious damage, but he could still move.
That only made it worse.
He was forced to watch his Dead Pool sink.
He watched the maritime empire he had personally built collapse in a single night.
He watched himself become a relic of the past before the eyes of countless witnesses.
"No!"
Gangplank threw back his head and roared, his voice seemingly louder than the cannon fire.
The next instant, another explosion swallowed him and hurled him away.
He vanished beneath the flames and wreckage, sinking alongside the Dead Pool.
That night, Bilgewater Harbor burned beneath towering flames. Fire painted the dark sky crimson, as though the entire world had been set ablaze. Waves of heat caused the temperature above the sea to rise without pause.
Shock, terror, and despair spread through the city.
The wreckage of the Dead Pool burned fiercely. Flames danced within countless horrified eyes, while screams echoed throughout the harbor.
Buildings along the docks had been struck as well. They crackled and burned as the blaze swept through the port, and thick smoke swallowed the entire city.
From that moment onward, Bilgewater descended into complete chaos.
Countless people had witnessed Gangplank being swallowed by cannon fire.
There was no possible way he could have survived.
Because of that, everyone understood one thing.
Bilgewater was about to change forever.
Far away, aboard the Syren, firelight flickered within Sarah's eyes.
She had remained silent for a long time while staring at the horrifying scene she had created with her own hands.
She had watched Gangplank disappear beneath the bombardment. Some of his men had been killed instantly, while others had fallen into the water and drowned. Still more were being torn apart by swarming Razorfin.
The sight had been magnificent.
A colossal ball of flame had risen into the night sky like the morning sun emerging from the sea.
This was the day she had awaited for fifteen years.
At last, she had taken revenge.
Gangplank was dead.
She should have been thrilled. She should have been ecstatic.
But fifteen years was far too long for a girl.
After fifteen years of preparation, the only thing Sarah felt now was emptiness.
Gangplank was dead, yet her hatred had not diminished.
It felt as though a piece of her heart had vanished, leaving behind an aching void. She could not shake the feeling that something was still missing.
Perhaps she had not killed enough people yet.
"This is only the beginning. Listen carefully. Every person who ever swore loyalty to Gangplank will pay in blood. Every brothel, tavern, and warehouse decorated with his emblem will be burned to the ground."
Her voice was chillingly cold, and the hatred in her words made the surrounding air feel oppressive.
"In the end, I want to see his corpse lying at my feet."
"Yes!"
Countless people answered and immediately departed.
After tonight, they would no longer need to hide themselves in Bilgewater.
"Whether those two survive depends on their luck."
Sarah stared at the sea, which had been painted red by the flames, and slowly released a breath.
She had only ordered the cannons to fire after confirming that both men had fallen from the ship.
In the end, she could not bring herself to be as merciless as Gangplank.
Otherwise, she could have opened fire much earlier and allowed the explosions to swallow both of them as well.
As for using them, Sarah felt no guilt whatsoever.
She had investigated them. The two notorious thieves had become infamous across the seas many years ago, and neither was remotely a good person.
"Perhaps he isn't completely dead."
Luke stared at the water and suddenly muttered those words.
He had witnessed everything from beginning to end. Even though Gangplank was one of the so-called champions Luke had once known about, he felt no sympathy for him.
Scum like that deserved to die thoroughly.
Sarah had already turned to leave, but Luke's words made her stop abruptly.
She looked back at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
Luke glanced at her, then turned and began walking.
"I'm going to look around somewhere else. Follow me or don't. It's your choice."
Sarah watched his back.
After hesitating for only a moment, she followed.
She had already developed tremendous trust in Luke.
Without him, her revenge plan would never have been completed so quickly.
Yurna had remained beside Luke the entire time, so she naturally accompanied them as well.
The three remained silent along the way.
Behind them, Bilgewater had fallen into complete disorder. It was as though all order had collapsed in a single moment, leaving no peaceful corner anywhere in the city.
After some thought, Sarah finally spoke.
"Why did you choose to help me?"
"I remember answering that before. Among all the possible choices, you were one of the better ones. I've seen people consumed by hatred. The fact that you never lost yourself is already impressive."
Luke walked ahead and spoke softly.
"I haven't lost myself?"
Sarah gave a self-mocking smile.
"Perhaps I already have. There was a time when killing someone would make me feel guilty. Now I don't feel the slightest remorse."
Luke glanced back at her.
"But you're still yourself. You haven't fallen. You've grown."
Sarah paused, then smiled.
"You're quite good at comforting people."
"My friends say the same thing."
Luke faced forward and continued walking.
"How does it feel to finally have your revenge?"
Sarah sighed.
"Empty. There's none of the pleasure or joy I expected. Perhaps I was excited for a moment, but only for a moment."
"Fifteen years is too long," Luke said. "Like I said, you've grown far too much during that time. Still, you can consider tonight a final separation from your past. Tomorrow, your new life begins."
"A new life..."
Sarah looked toward the horizon, and a trace of anticipation appeared in her eyes.
That was right.
She had completed her revenge.
Not once during those fifteen years had she lived for herself.
Only hatred had kept her alive.
Perhaps from now on, she could finally live for herself.
Sarah was the kind of person who could quickly sort through her thoughts. Her melancholy soon faded, and she looked up.
"Where are you taking us?"
"You'll know when we arrive."
Luke answered calmly.
The two chatted as they walked.
Yurna remained silent the entire time, almost as if she were invisible.
The minutes passed. Soon, they left Bilgewater's chaos far behind and reached a peaceful, quiet place.
The Buhru Temple.
Blue luminescence drifted through the temple grounds at night. Countless fireflies and plants naturally emitted light, illuminating the area with soft, glowing colors.
The worshippers here remained undisturbed by the conflict outside, radiating an inner sense of peace and tranquility.
Sarah was not surprised.
Even she would never have dared bring trouble to this place.
She did not understand why Luke had suddenly come here, but he clearly had a reason.
"Stop there!"
A worshipper stepped forward and blocked their path.
"Outsiders are not permitted to enter the temple at night."
"We only need a moment. Take us to the Truth Bearer."
Luke spoke peacefully, a friendly smile on his face.
However, his exceptionally handsome appearance failed him this time.
The worshipper remained cold and shook his head.
"Outsiders are not welcome here at night."
At that moment, several people appeared in the distance carrying a stretcher.
Sarah instinctively looked over.
Her pupils immediately contracted.
The emptiness in her heart was instantly consumed by boundless fury and hatred.
"Gangplank!"
She nearly growled the name.
Sarah moved at once, rushing forward as both pistols appeared in her hands.
There was no possibility she had been mistaken.
The man lying on the stretcher, visible only for an instant, was unquestionably her greatest enemy.
Gangplank.
He was still alive.
Even after being struck by such a devastating cannon barrage, he had survived.
And the Buhru Temple had brought him here.
What were they thinking?
Sarah suddenly remembered that Gangplank and the Truth Bearer had once shared a romantic relationship.
She clenched her teeth.
Rage nearly overwhelmed her reason. She would never give Gangplank an opportunity to return and rebuild his power.
"How dare you!"
"Stop her!"
The surrounding worshippers immediately reacted to Sarah's sudden movement and closed in from every direction.
These were nothing like the ordinary gang thugs outside. Every one of them possessed genuine skill.
However, Sarah moved faster.
She dashed toward the corner where the stretcher had disappeared and saw her enemy again.
She raised both pistols and prepared to pull the triggers without hesitation.
"Stop!"
A voice exploded like thunder, carrying undeniable authority.
Sarah's fingers froze upon the triggers.
Her eyes were cold as she looked toward the tall, powerfully built woman approaching from the distance.
"Illaoi, are you going to interfere in our conflict?"
The newcomer was Illaoi, the Kraken Priestess.
"No. Your grudge has nothing to do with me."
Illaoi calmly shook her head, her expression displaying neither sorrow nor joy.
"Then why did you save him? Why are you stopping me?"
Sarah ground her teeth, glaring at the Truth Bearer, who clearly intended to protect her former lover.
"He is a challenger chosen by the Great Kraken. That is the only reason I saved him. As for why I am stopping you, the rules of the Buhru Temple have forbidden violence within these grounds since ancient times."
Illaoi looked at Sarah and calmly explained.
Her explanation only made Sarah angrier, yet she could not refute it. A profound sense of helplessness spread through her body and mind.
Nagakabouros's trials had existed since ancient times.
Anyone who passed a trial received Nagakabouros's blessing.
The strength of those blessings varied. The most powerful recipient was unquestionably Illaoi herself.
Without exaggeration, she was the most respected person in all Bilgewater.
No one else came close.
She even stood above Bilgewater's unwritten laws. No one dared oppose her will.
Not even the most experienced and ancient captains dared act arrogantly before Illaoi.
She was Nagakabouros's representative in the mortal world, the Truth Bearer.
In Bilgewater, Nagakabouros, the Bearded Lady, and the Mother Serpent were all names for the same deity, the god worshipped by everyone.
That fact alone elevated Illaoi's status beyond measure.
Anyone who passed the trial effectively received Nagakabouros's protection. It was not absolute immunity from death, but it certainly earned the favor of the Buhru Temple.
Such individuals were rare.
Yet Sarah refused to believe that Gangplank just happened to be scheduled for a trial at this exact moment.
Gangplank was not completely unconscious. His mind was clouded, but he had heard the conflict outside.
He stirred, spat blood from his mouth, and laughed arrogantly.
"I knew it! I knew I wasn't meant to die! There's no way I'd go down that easily."
He looked toward Sarah.
"Miss Fortune, I'll repay you for this!"
His arrogance knew no bounds because he was inside the Buhru Temple, a place where no one dared cause trouble.
Sarah ground her teeth so fiercely that she began to hate Illaoi as well.
"I don't believe your reason is that simple."
"Whether you believe it is your decision. The truth remains unchanged."
Illaoi's tone remained calm, but her attitude was unyielding.
"If he fails the trial, I will send him outside the temple. After that, whether he lives or dies will mean nothing to me. But not now. The trial is about to begin, and no one may interfere with the Mother Serpent's decision."
"Don't think I don't know the truth. You're obviously going to protect him. I know perfectly well that the two of you were lovers."
Sarah publicly exposed a secret known by very few people in all Bilgewater.
The surrounding worshippers' expressions changed.
They had never expected to hear such a revelation.
The Truth Bearer had once been romantically involved with Gangplank?
Gangplank spat out another mouthful of blood and grunted without speaking.
Illaoi's expression remained unchanged, though her brow furrowed slightly.
"That belongs to the past. There is no reason for you to behave so irrationally. If he fails the trial, you can kill him however you please. It has nothing to do with me."
She did not deny it.
Her indirect confirmation caused the surrounding worshippers to whisper among themselves.
It was merely gossip to them.
In their eyes, the Truth Bearer remained supreme and magnificent.
"And what if he passes?"
Sarah's face was icy.
"Then it means he is not destined to die."
Illaoi answered indifferently.
"I'll pass."
Gangplank sneered with complete confidence.
He had always believed himself favored by destiny. No disaster could break him. He was destined to survive until the very end.
What had happened tonight proved it.
"Wonderful. Truly impressive. The Truth Bearer deserves her reputation. You can protect anyone you wish with nothing more than a thought."
Sarah laughed, but tears filled her eyes, and the sound carried a bitter desolation.
The most respected Truth Bearer in Bilgewater intended to protect Gangplank.
What could Sarah possibly do?
Even if she fought, she could never defeat Illaoi.
Even if she sacrificed everything, she could not shake the Buhru Temple.
"I already told you, if he fails..."
"What if he absolutely must die now?"
Another calm voice interrupted her.
Luke walked forward, realizing that he could no longer remain a bystander.
The question came so abruptly that Sarah turned toward him.
Everyone looked at him.
Illaoi raised her eyes and studied Luke, her expression becoming noticeably more solemn.
"He may die at any other time, but not now."
She had noticed Luke from the very beginning.
It was impossible not to.
The man merely stood there, yet his presence was as dazzling as the sun.
Her instincts told her he was no ordinary person.
"But I insist on killing him now."
Luke calmly drew his sword.
A wave of Sword Intent spread outward.
"Who the hell are you, bastard?"
Gangplank's expression changed, and he glared at Luke with hatred and fury.
He could also sense that Luke was no ordinary man.
Luke ignored him and kept his gaze fixed on Illaoi.
Illaoi stared back.
She slowly lifted a massive golden idol with a rounded shape. The idol's eyes began glowing green.
"I already told you. He cannot die now."
The atmosphere became tense in an instant.
Every worshipper nearby raised a weapon and aimed it at Luke and his companions.
Sarah immediately moved closer to Luke and lifted both pistols, preparing to fight her way out of the temple.
Tonight, she had lost all faith in the Buhru Temple.
"Is that so? I'm not someone who enjoys fighting, but it appears this battle is unavoidable."
Luke released all his Sword Intent at once.
His presence abruptly rose to its peak, filling the area with overwhelming pressure.
Powerful winds erupted around them, howling violently. Several worshippers felt a heavy pressure against their chests.
They stared warily at Luke, whose visible power had become impossible to ignore.
His aura alone was enough to reveal his strength.
Standing beside him, Sarah experienced Luke's true power more directly than anyone.
He was likely far stronger than she had ever imagined.
Illaoi's expression changed as well. Solemn authority filled her features, and several enormous green tentacles emerged from empty space around her, radiating an equally formidable presence.
The collision between their auras alone generated a violent gust of wind.
"Are they really going to fight? I suppose I can't keep hiding anymore!"
Janna revealed herself, no longer intending to remain concealed.
After all, Luke was under her protection. Even in someone else's territory, she could not allow anyone to mistreat him.
At that moment, Illaoi suddenly lowered the massive golden idol.
Her aura disappeared, and her attitude became peaceful.
"The Great Kraken has delivered its will. The trial is canceled."
She looked toward Gangplank.
"You may take him. Do not let his blood stain the Buhru Temple."
Her complete reversal left every worshipper frozen in disbelief.
They could not imagine the mighty Truth Bearer actually yielding.
The smile on Gangplank's face also froze instantly, replaced by disbelief.
He had witnessed Illaoi's power before.
She was practically invincible.
How could she give up?
"Illaoi, no! You can't abandon me!"
"Damn you, answer me!"
"You owe me, Illaoi! I never stopped making offerings all these years! You can't throw me away!"
Gangplank roared in shock and fury.
His body was too badly injured to move properly, and he fell from the stretcher.
The former king of the pirates now looked pathetic and ridiculous, almost pitiable.
"I owe you?"
Illaoi stopped and repeated the words slowly, one at a time.
Her eyes were calm and utterly devoid of emotion.
"Gangplank, you know exactly what you have become. I have never owed you anything. Your offerings were debts you were obligated to repay, sacrifices you owed to the Mother Serpent."
She stared at him without pity.
"I warned you long ago. You chose not to listen."
"You can't do this!"
Gangplank nearly began sobbing. Every grievance and feeling of injustice inside him erupted at once.
But Illaoi merely turned away without mercy.
She walked off without taking another look at him.
At that moment, it felt as though all strength had been drained from Gangplank's body.
Only despair remained in his heart.
He could not understand why Illaoi had abandoned him so completely.
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