-201- Regards from Zaun

Early April —

On the Guardian's Sea, a battleship sails on it's azure water.

The ship, predominantly black and red, adorned with massive cannons, deters any would-be assailants who have second thoughts about approaching. Such a vessel, bearing an aura of aggression, is a distinctive creation of only one nation — Noxus.

The ship lacks Noxian war banners, a puzzling detail considering its appearance. Observing the attire of the individuals on board only adds to the mystery. Instead of the typical Noxian military garb and weaponry, they wear beautiful white and blue clothes and uniformly carry long pole like weapons on their backs.

This peculiar style belongs to Piltover and Zaun!

"Graves, how much longer until we reach Bilgewater?" A middle-aged man with a beard, a robust physique, and wearing an enforcer's hat on the ship inquired solemnly, addressing Graves, who stood at the bow with a telescope, gazing at the sea.

"Call me Captain, Crewman Jack."

Graves licked his lips, feeling both nervous and excited as they approached his "homeland." He wanted to know if the rulers of Bilgewater were still the same people.

Gangplank, the Pirate King, the Lone Wolf Captain Yarei, the Blood Wolf Gang, and the Butcher's Gang.

Graves' eyes turned bloodshot; he hadn't slept in two days.

The ship he currently commands might be the best vessel in Bilgewater! He believed that even Gangplank, the Pirate King, wouldn't have such a ship at his disposal.

This ship, originally a Noxian warship, might not be visually appealing to some, but it is undoubtedly the most powerful warship in the world.

"You should rest, Captain." Jack, hearing this, spread his hands helplessly.

However, he would unquestionably follow Councilor Linwin's orders.

During this expedition, they had to obey Twisted Fate's commands first, followed by Graves' commands.

"We've been sailing for several days. According to your estimated departure time, we are already behind schedule."

"That's because we don't have an excellent navigator in either of these two grand city-states."

Graves continued to use the telescope, responding to Jack's words, "In these powerful city-states, there's surprisingly not a single person who can read star maps among the enforcers."

Jack: "."

Listening to Graves' complaints, he felt a bit frustrated.

Just as he was about to say something, Graves suddenly jumped up.

"Boys!"

Graves shouted strangely, veins popping on his neck, and his eyes, bloodshot from lack of sleep, glowed with excitement.

"Hurry, get ready, we're almost there!"

Twisted Fate looked at the excited Graves, walked up to him, and snatched the telescope away.

This latest telescope developed by Piltover allows for even longer and clearer visibility.

Twisted Fate looked to the places Graves had observed earlier, and there he saw a group of small islands.

These islands were filled with peculiar structures, exuding an eerie style.

Twisted Fate even spotted several massive hooks on which enormous monstrous fish were hanging.

Those were sea monsters.

"All hands!"

Enforcer Captain Jack raised his arm.

In an instant, the Zaun and Piltover enforcers, who were chatting and laughing moments ago, all stood up and quickly formed four rows.

"Ready!"

"Swoosh!"

Checking their backpacks, opening gun barrels, and tightening belts or boot laces.

On the bow, Graves witnessed this scene, thrilled.

These powerful soldiers from the twin cities were now his crew!

They were under Captain Graves!

Looking at Graves' expression, Twisted Fate, who knew his old buddy well, patted Graves on the shoulder with a hint of helplessness, whispering, "Stay calm, Graves. Don't forget the task Linwin assigned to you."

"Of course, I remember."

Graves revealed a fanatical smile and exclaimed, "What he wants me to do doesn't conflict with what I want to do."

To claim a dock in the chaotic and dark Bilgewater, one had to rely on brute force.

That's why the enforcers dispatched by the twin cities were battle-hardened veterans.

The youngest soldier was already twenty-seven years old.

As for Jack, being the Enforcer Captain of Piltover, he was approaching forty.

Twisted Fate shook his head, somewhat helpless.

But to be honest, he was excited too.

He was a rather petty-minded man. Last time he came here, he was chased away. Now, with the backing of Zaun and Piltover, Twisted Fate was determined to regain his dignity.

"All crew members!"

Graves hoisted his Hextech double-barreled shotgun, which he called the "New Destiny."

"Prepare to dock!"

---

An hour later, Graves was the first to step off the ship, carrying his double-barreled shotgun, holding a giant cigar, and draped in a cloak.

The landing point was a neutral port planned by the Pirate King Gangplank. To thrive, Bilgewater relied not only on robbing passing merchant ships but also on the black-market traders who came to the island to sell goods.

This is why Gangplank planned such an area.

Ensuring the safety of merchants was a must; otherwise, they wouldn't come.

Under the pirate king's jurisdiction, various gangs and factions would give Gangplank face.

Although they wouldn't directly kill people, taking a cut afterward was inevitable.

Because he was the undisputed King of Bilgewater.

Jack stayed on the ship with a group of armed enforcers, keeping an eye on the vessel. Then, accompanied by ten people, he followed Graves off the ship.

As soon as they disembarked, Jack frowned, holding his breath.

But waves of foul odor still assaulted his nostrils. The smell in Bilgewater's air, filled with the stench of sea breeze, the bloody aroma from dismembered monstrous fish on the dock, the rotten fish stench, combined with the sweaty odor of dock workers.

This concoction of scents made Jack think that if he had to imagine it, it would be like squeezing a sponge soaked in a pool of decaying rats for several days. Stepping onto this dock was like gently squeezing that sponge, and the result was an overwhelming stench.

"What is that thing?"

An enforcer pinched his nose, looking towards an alley on the dock where a peculiar creature was frenetically flailing about.

Graves glanced and, biting his cigar, said, "Dock rats."

"Food?" Curiously, an enforcer asked as he watched the hefty dock rat disappear into the alley.

"Haha, no one here would eat that thing." Graves laughed heartily. "Do you know what those things grow up eating?"

The curious enforcer looked at Graves.

Graves, back to his birthplace, took a strong drag of his cigarette, blowing smoke rings as he said, "They eat the dead."

He extended a large hand and patted the enforcer's shoulder, proclaiming loudly, "So if you can survive, no one here would consider the dock rats as food."

Even in the chaos of Bilgewater, it wouldn't stoop to cannibalism. They would leave corpses in alley corners for these large rats to devour.

Look at their crimson eyes and sharp teeth; they could strip a corpse clean, leaving not even bones!

"Wait!"

In front of Graves, a shirtless man with a bone-cleaver in hand approached.

Behind him, several men with knives followed.

Wearing heavy rain boots, adorned with tattoos, the lead man looked at Graves and asked cautiously, "Brother, are you Noxian?"

"Hey, I'm definitely not a Noxian."

Graves lifted his Destiny and took the cigar from his mouth. Anyone seeing these massive twin barrels would know that this guy wasn't someone to mess with.

"But what about your ship?"

"I took it. Pretty impressive, huh?" Graves raised an eyebrow, proudly saying.

Twisted Fate stood on the side, shaking his head in helplessness.

"Very impressive, but you still haven't said where you guys are from." The man took a step forward, standing in front of Graves. He continued sternly, "Plank welcomes anyone who can bring wealth to Bilgewater, but troublemakers are not welcome. Brother, are you here to cause trouble or make money?"

"I'm here to make money, of course."

Graves raised his gun, and to Jack's disbelief, Graves aimed the twin barrels at the man's chest.

Flesh met the cold metal, and the man's face changed.

"Who do you think you're talking to?"

Graves took two steps forward, pushing the man back three steps with the gun, a wicked smile on his face.

The barrels slowly lifted.

"Click!"

A crisp sound rang out, and a blue flame appeared on the two gun muzzles.

The man's expression completely changed.

Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as he looked at Graves, stammering, "Wait, wait!"

"This is a safe zone planned by Plank. If you dare to make a move here, Gangplank—Gangplank will not let this go."

"Haha! So, I should let you cut a piece of meat off me?" Graves bit the large cigar, smirking, "Do you think I don't know what you're scheming?"

When he first met Linwin in Shurima, Graves didn't hesitate to shoot him. Linwin was a monster; otherwise, Graves, with one volley, could have shattered Linwin in half!

Graves wasn't a good person.

He was a thief, a bandit, a criminal!

Now, he's a pirate!

Knowing the rules of Bilgewater well, Graves knew he couldn't take a step back now.

This would help deter some people's thoughts and minimize unnecessary troubles.

Although it would attract attention, what was the problem? Linwin didn't give him much time, and Graves didn't think the group on the island, armed only with inferior knives and gunpowder guns, could break through the powerful shield crafted by the twin cities.

That was a magical armor that even Hextech weapons needed dozens of shots to break.

Therefore, Graves didn't think Linwin was being unfair, demanding him to take down a place with only forty people in a few months.

This wasn't unfair at all.

"Who do you think I am?"

Graves' hand was already on the trigger. Behind this man, the group of men who had stood behind him had scattered.

Seeing Graves lift the gun, aiming at the man's head, the shirtless men with bone cleavers quickly scattered.

On the contrary, another group of people in black clothes, carrying weapons, emerged.

From the left alley, the man leading them had a scorpion tattooed on his head, holding a worn-out fire harpoon. He walked straight towards Graves.

Seeing this, Twisted Fate immediately ordered, "Jack!"

Even though Graves was protected by the shield, Graves definitely wouldn't get hurt. But now was the time to declare their stance.

Graves may not be the brightest, but his luck has always been on his side.

So, following Graves' lead at this moment is definitely the right move.

After all, he was the one who brought Twisted Fate into Zaun initially; otherwise, Twisted Fate would have run away long ago.

"Roger!"

Although Jack was confused and couldn't understand why Graves and the other guy were about to fight, and it seemed like it might turn fatal, in the peaceful city of Piltover, he had never encountered such a situation during his enforcement days in Zaun!

Nevertheless, Jack obeyed Twisted Fate's command.

The seventh rule of the new regulations for Twin City enforcers is to follow superior orders!

And now, Twisted Fate is Jack's superior.

"Enforcers, aim!"

Led by Jack, eleven enforcers quickly raised their long guns.

With blue as the main color, the exquisite Hextech long guns were raised, and the large gun barrels emitted blue sparks at the tips of their two thick fingers, gathering into dazzling sparks.

This was the Hextech guns charging up.

Rapid firing would result in a puncture-type attack, but if charged for a longer time, the bullets fired would be a long line of magical beams.

"When I was messing around and killing people at the Devil Docks, you were probably still a greenhorn." Graves noticed the situation behind him, chuckling.

"I-I get it." Watching Graves with his crazed, bloodshot eyes, the shirtless gang member was engulfed in fear. Trembling, he begged, "I'll pay you, spare my life, please."

"You're also from Bilgewater. You know the reputation of the Pirate King. If you kill me, you won't have a good time either."

A hand slowly reached for the pocket.

But Graves, sneering, said, "I don't want your money."

"You!"

"Kneel!"

The gun barrels were ablaze with blue fire, but Graves didn't shoot. Instead, he swung the new Destiny heavily onto the man's shoulder.

He knelt down quickly, and soon, this gang member who tried to make a fortune from Graves was prostrated at Graves' feet.

"Next time, measure your strength before taking action. I can't stand you guys who can't see the big picture. Robbing is also an art, you son of a bitch."

A kick sent the man in front of him sprawling. "Get lost!"

Seeing the gun barrels leaving him, the man immediately crawled away.

Around them, the workers who were initially at the dock disappeared, and instead, more people in different-colored clothes gathered.

Graves recognized these people.

They were a group of outlaws.

He used to be one of them.

Looking at the man with a scorpion tattoo on his head, Graves grinned.

"Pfft!"

Spitting out the cigar from his mouth, Graves aimed the gun barrels at the open sea.

Then Graves pressed a special button on the gun.

"—!"

A mechanical sound echoed.

The continuously glowing blue sparks on the gun muzzles suddenly condensed.

Then...

"Boom!"

Graves was pushed back three steps by the enormous impact, but in his hands, where the new Destiny was aimed, two thick laser beams with a diameter of one meter shot straight towards the sea.

The waves parted on both sides, all ignited, emitting an eerie blue light.

"You bastards! Listen up!"

Laughing heartily, Graves raised the new Destiny high, looking at the men who widened their eyes, filled with fear, with a mocking grin.

The guy with the scorpion tattoo on his head had quickly thrown his fire surcease gun to the ground.

He raised his hands and stared dumbfoundedly at the eleven enforcers led by Jack, his legs involuntarily trembling.

Because, no one knew if those eleven beautiful blue weapons could also unleash such attacks.

This is a pack of wolves!

Not sheep!

"Click!"

The sound of cocking echoed again, and Graves lifted Destiny, aiming in a direction. Anyone in that direction quickly raised their hands in a surrendering gesture.

Graves grinned widely, laughing loudly:

"Zaun told me to send their regards!"