"It's simple."
A vein pulsed on Duke's forehead as he forced the words through gritted teeth. "She's trying to extort protection money from us!"
"Huh?"
Jace's jaw dropped. Since when did people collect protection fees like this?
Truly eye-opening.
"That's right! What a clever little man you are. So, what's your decision?"
With both hands slowly caressing the grips of the flintlock pistols at her hips, Miss Fortune, Sarah, circled Duke, surveying the ship with a sharp eye.
Every crew member on board was visibly armed, and even the lowest-ranked sailor wielded better weapons than most in Bilgewater could dream of.
After all, Bilgewater was a port city built along the Serpent Isles, desperately short on mineral resources. Local chaos and lawlessness drew in opportunists and fugitives from across the globe. In truth, the city's real rulers weren't politicians, but whoever led the strongest band of pirates.
Here, communication was carried out not with words, but blades and cannon fire. It wasn't that Bilgewater lacked master gunsmiths, Miss Fortune's mother had been one of the best, but rather that the city's people had no regard for craftsmanship.
They didn't pay with gold krakens, they paid with fists and blood.
As a result, skilled craftsmen were few and far between, and without a reliable supply of quality ore, weapons were scarce.
Ironically, the locals were some of the fiercest around, dancing daily on the edge of death, and thus had a greater thirst for arms than anyone else.
Even so, Bilgewater's unique location made it a hub for smuggled weapons from all over: blades from Demacia, armor from Noxus, rifles from Piltover.
And yet, still, not enough.
Miss Fortune had only caught a brief glimpse earlier, but it was enough for her to notice the exceptionally crafted guns the young man before her wielded. Thanks to her mother's meticulous training from a young age, Sarah could tell: those weapons were legendary grade.
Far superior to anything she'd ever seen or held.
So she came, with the pretense of "selling security", to take them.
"Apologies, dear lady, but we provide our own security."
Duke gently bounced a grapefruit-sized orb in his palm, the same one he'd pulled from his inventory moments ago. His gaze turned sharp.
It was obvious they'd been marked as easy targets.
But that was understandable. After all, judging someone based on a single impression was a fool's game.
Miss Fortune may have started off as a bounty hunter, but she earned her reputation through sheer grit. She'd swept entire bounty boards clean, bringing down wanted criminals all on her own.
Now, with a ship and crew of her own, her methods had become even bolder.
She had mouths to feed, after all. Being a boss meant responsibility.
But such a person… could never be truly kindhearted.
Whatever decency she still held only extended to the idea that, after robbing you blind, she'd at least leave you bus fare.
Hadn't we all seen that Bilgewater cinematic? The one where Miss Fortune double-crossed both Twisted Fate and Graves? Sure, she handed TF a red card in the end, but only because she wanted to keep things cordial for future encounters.
She got what she wanted, her captured first mate returned. And the sea witch? Just some collateral damage.
"You really have to understand someone completely to judge them fairly," Duke mused. Outwardly smiling, inwardly alert.
"So you're saying there's nothing to discuss, then?"
Miss Fortune lowered her chin slightly, fingers tightening on her gun. Her once-friendly gaze turned razor sharp.
"Wow, she turns faster than a page in a book," Duke thought bitterly. But he already had a plan.
"Now, now, don't be hasty."
Duke began pacing around her, hands gesturing openly. "With a woman as lovely as you, who could say no to a deal?"
"But surely, I have the right to know, what exactly am I getting in return for this 'sense of security'?"
"What do you get?" Miss Fortune echoed, then broke into peals of laughter. "Hahaha... kid, you're adorable."
"Rafen, tell him."
The dark-skinned first mate grinned, resting a massive curved blade on his shoulder. "We'll let you keep one of your ships. You'll reach land in one piece."
"You hear that, sweetheart?"
Miss Fortune stepped up close, almost eye level with Duke, and stared him down.
"Out on the ocean, anything can happen. You never know if tomorrow or an ambush will come first. Pay the fee, and we guarantee you'll be safe."
She gently tapped a finger on Duke's forehead.
"Oh, wait, I meant a sense of safety. You Piltover types are always so high-strung."
The smile never left her face, but the threat was clear.
"Alright, dear lady. And what exactly do you want as payment?"
"Weapons."
Miss Fortune's tone was firm. Her eyes danced over the crew's arsenal. With firepower like that, she could finally take revenge on Gangplank, sink his ship and him with it.
"You mean the weapons we're holding right now?"
Duke took Jace's rifle and examined it. Then, without warning, he aimed the barrel directly at Sarah.
Rafen stepped forward immediately, eyes narrowing with deadly intent.
"Careful, kid. Guns tend to misfire."
Sarah calmly stepped into the line of fire. The muzzle pointed straight at her chest.
"Or are you planning to gamble?"
"Oh, I wouldn't be so foolish."
Duke lowered the weapon, holding it out flat in his palm.
Sarah's smile returned. "Wise choice, "
Clatter!
Duke let the rifle drop.
Her smile vanished.
"What's the meaning of this?"
"A cheap gun like this? It's beneath a beauty like you."
He stomped down, snapping the rifle clean in two.
Sarah winced.
So did Rafen. That could've served them for years, if well-maintained.
But… they were poor.
Sarah forced a laugh. "So you're saying... you have something better?"
"Of course."
Duke revealed the grapefruit-sized device, resting it on his palm.
"Allow me to present, my newest invention!"
"Oh?"
Sarah leaned in curiously. It looked like a grenade, but its glass casing revealed glowing, unknown liquids within.
"The G-18C Freeze Grenade. Once I pull the pin..."
Click!
"...it explodes in five seconds. Five-meter radius."
"Its effect?"
Duke tossed it. It arced gracefully through the air, landing ten meters ahead of the ship.
Sarah instinctively stepped back.
BOOM!
A burst of frost erupted, freezing the ocean's surface into thick ice.
Everyone, Sarah, Rafen, the crew, stood dumbfounded.
A tiny device, no bigger than a fruit, had frozen a five-meter patch of sea.
"Impressed?"
Duke's voice broke the silence.
Sarah nodded stiffly. "Very."
"We're just getting started."
He produced another.
"G-35L Shock Grenade. Emits a pulse of arcing electricity, five to ten meters range."
Click! Toss.
The frozen sea exploded with lightning. Steam rose. Static buzzed.
Sarah's smile stiffened. She threw a sideways glance at Rafen.
Time to go.
This kid, this tiger in lamb's clothing, was dangerous.
"Don't blink. I've got more."
"O-oh?"
Sarah's head throbbed. Greed had led her into a trap.
Duke hefted his railgun. Left hand supporting, right hand gripping the trigger.
"Electromagnetic cannon. Vaporizes ships, or buildings, in an instant."
Click.
Four rails lit with electric arcs.
Sarah shielded her eyes, peering through her fingers.
WHOOSH!
A piercing beam of blue light fired. Duke stumbled back from the recoil, leaving drag marks on the deck. The blast vanished over the horizon.
Ozone filled the air. Steam hissed off the sea. Arc lightning crackled on the water.
Duke calmly pointed the cooling railgun at the Siren's Call.
"Now, my dear lady... compared to your 'security,' how does mine measure up?"
"I-I..."
Sarah managed a shaky smile while her brain scrambled for an escape plan.
That lambskin wasn't hiding a tiger.
It was hiding a dragon.
"What rotten luck!" she wailed inwardly.
"Where the hell did this terrifying brat come from?!"
End of chapter...
To be continued...
Want to dive deeper into Duke's world of gears, power, and shadow?
Craving early access to game-changing chapters?
Join my Patreon and become part of the machine that powers it all. ⚙️
🔹 Hexcore Initiate – 15 chapters ahead
🔸 Arc Reactor Elite – 35 chapters + 1 bonus
Join now. Power up the engine. Build something legendary.
patreon.com/MrBehringer