"So tell me, my dear lady, between your idea of security and mine, which one sounds more reassuring to you?"
With his railgun aimed squarely at the Siren's Call, Duke asked Miss Fortune with a half-teasing, half-menacing tone. Beads of cold sweat trickled down Sarah's temple as she forced out an awkward laugh.
"Th-That…"
Her eyes darted around, brain working furiously to find a way out. Duke's intent was obvious, the moment he pointed that devastating cannon at her ship, the balance had tipped completely.
"Ara ara~ little brother, don't be so scary," she said with a renewed smile, trying to keep her cool. "Big sister was just teasing you, that's all."
"We're not some greedy merchants who force people into shady deals. Now that you've clearly shown you can protect yourselves... let's just chalk this up to a misunderstanding, shall we?"
"We'll even escort you to port, free of charge!"
She strode toward the gangplank, planning to retreat with her crew. A predator every other day, today she'd misjudged the prey, and got bitten.
But,
"Oh no, no, that won't do," Duke said, swinging the cannon's barrel toward her. "I can't let you suffer a loss like that, Sister Sarah."
The moment the barrel aimed directly at her, Sarah felt every hair on her body stand on end. If that thing fired, she and her ship would be vaporized in an instant.
"Besides," Duke continued with feigned innocence, "we're just a research vessel from Piltover. We're all scholars and craftsmen here, delicate hands, weak shoulders, a stiff breeze might blow us away!"
He spouted these bald-faced lies while holding a superweapon, utterly shameless. Sarah kept up her smile, but inside, she was mentally screaming:
Craftsmen?
Who the hell walks around with an arsenal like that?!
Delicate hands? Your strength's inhuman!
And weak? If you're weak, then Gangplank's a model citizen!
Duke lowered his eyes and gave her a tight-lipped smile.
"So, Sister Sarah, what do you think?"
The tables had turned. Her earlier aggression? Flipped back on her tenfold.
"…What do you want?" Sarah growled through clenched teeth.
But the moment she saw the railgun begin to hum with energy again, she plastered another forced smile on her face, one so stiff it made her jaw hurt.
Escape? Forget it. She'd walked right into the lion's den.
A bit older, sure, Duke thought, but I bet you're still quite useful.
He hadn't come to Bilgewater just to test his Hex Gate prototypes, he had another mission: get rid of Gangplank. Then, install a new Pirate King to protect both himself and the interests of the Ferros family.
Sarah was a prime candidate. She had standards, she had brains, and, most importantly, she hated Gangplank's guts.
Perfect.
Duke hadn't forgotten Camille's words about that confiscated shipment. Half of his research funds were tied up in it. That cargo was worth ten million in gold, enough to fully unlock the Iron Man system template.
He needed the money.
He needed the ship.
He needed her.
No one was walking away today.
"Out here on the sea, danger lurks in every wave," Duke said, finger still resting lightly on the trigger. "You never know which will come first: tomorrow, or an ambush."
"Honestly, it's too dangerous for me to travel alone. You should stay. As my... personal bodyguard."
The moment he said it, Sarah and her first mate visibly tensed.
Bodyguard?
More like hostage.
"You little, !"
BZZZZT!
A blinding blue arc tore through the air, brushing the mast of the Siren's Call. The top section of the mast was completely vaporized.
Some of the pirates dropped to the deck in shock, limbs trembling.
Duke eyed his weapon's cooling rails, calculating downtime. The super railgun was powerful, but it needed time to reset between blasts.
White steam hissed from the overheated rails.
"My bad," he said cheerfully. "Guess I got startled. Trigger finger slipped. You're not mad, are you, big sis?"
Sarah's silver teeth ground together.
You were scared? I'm the one scared out of my damn mind!
This was no accident. This was a message. A warning, loud and clear.
The next shot won't miss.
"…Of course not," Sarah said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear with practiced calm. "Naturally, I trust you, little brother."
"And since you're being so sincere…" She tossed her belt sword to Raven, her first mate. "I'll gladly accept the role."
"That's wonderful to hear!" Duke grinned. "With you around, I feel safer already."
With a flick of his wrist, the railgun vanished into his inventory.
Sarah's heart skipped a beat.
Spatial storage?!
He's a mage?!
She mentally upgraded Duke's danger level yet again.
As she approached the ship's rail, she subtly signaled Raven with her hand: Get the crew out of here, now.
As for herself?
What, this baby-faced brat? Please, I've handled worse.
"Oh right," Duke said, "since you've graciously offered to protect me in person, I think your ship should escort us as well. Just to ease my nerves."
A vein bulged on Sarah's forehead.
"Fine," she spat. "No problem."
"Raven!"
"Yes, Captain!"
"Escort our friends from Piltover to Bilgewater. No accidents."
"…Understood."
Raven nodded grimly. What was supposed to be a simple shakedown had gone spectacularly sideways. Now they were the ones being watched.
Just who the hell is this kid? Why haven't I heard of anyone like him sailing from Piltover?
Duke stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and watched as Raven returned to the Siren's Call, the gangplank pulled back behind him.
"Captain Lister," Duke called calmly.
"Here, sir!" Lister stood upright, awaiting orders.
"Set sail!"
"Aye!"
Lister moved quickly to organize the crew. Internally, he was full of admiration.
Not only did he reverse the entire power dynamic… he even captured the pirate captain herself!
This is why he's the personal agent of the Ferros family!
In fact, Lister was seriously considering clinging to Duke's coattails, maybe he could snag himself a promotion.
Suddenly, Duke's expression shifted.
"What did you just say?" he asked, looking sharply at Lister.
"…Nothing, sir," Lister replied, bewildered.
He'd only been thinking, hadn't said a word. But Duke arched a brow.
"…Keep an eye on the Siren's Call. Don't let our escort fall behind."
"Yes, sir!"
As Lister sprang into motion, Duke rubbed his chin.
Did I just… sense his thoughts?
Weird. Maybe I'm imagining things…
He set it aside for now. Jayce approached, casting wary glances toward Sarah.
"Duke, are you sure about this?" he asked. "She's dangerous. Wouldn't it have been safer to just let them go?"
"Dangerous?" Duke chuckled, patting his friend on the shoulder. "I didn't see anything dangerous."
"And besides, we're strangers in Bilgewater. Don't you think it's wise to have a local guide?"
"Well…"
"Focus on your experiments, Jayce." Duke leaned in. "Let me handle the rest."
"…Alright then." Jayce sighed, eyes still lingering on the weapon Duke had wielded.
How the hell did he build that thing?
Before he could ask, Duke and Sarah had already vanished below deck.
Jayce shrugged.
"Whatever. Duke's always got a plan. I'll just get back to prepping the next test."
Back in his room, Duke slipped off his coat and gestured for Sarah to enter.
"No need to be so stiff. Make yourself at home."
Sarah stepped inside, carefully studying the luxurious interior. From the ornate rugs of Shurima to the Ionian murals, the Noxian armor, and Demacian blades hanging on the wall, it was clear this room belonged to someone with power, wealth, and taste.
And all of it was merely decorative.
"Want something to drink?" Duke asked casually, pulling supplies from his inventory. "Coffee? Tea? Wine? Juice?"
"Anything's fine," she said, plopping into a chair without hesitation.
Only then did she notice, even the chairs had mounted restraints for stability. A detail no average person would think of, let alone bother with.
Who the hell is this guy?
As she watched Duke heat the water for tea, the look in her eyes shifted, from defiance, to deep curiosity.
End of chapter...
To be continued...
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