Arcane: The Gods Want Me to Pick a Route-Chapter 172: At This Moment, Music Starts Playing

Chapter 172: Chapter 172: At This Moment, Music Starts Playing

Over the Watcher Sea, a thick fog had rolled in across the surface of the water. After only a few meters, you could no longer see what lay ahead—but inside that dense mist, enormous black shapes could still be faintly made out, darting back and forth.

At first glance, those silhouettes looked like ships cutting through the sea.

Look closer, though, and you’d realize the massive shadows in the fog had the shapes of serpentine sea monsters. They twisted and writhed from time to time—some long and slender, some thick and squat, some with horns, some with their jaws stretched wide.

A sense of danger seeped out of those shadows, warning anyone with sense not to come near. And if there were an old sailor with enough years on the water, he’d be able to tell what was really going on.

They were sea beasts.

The difference was that these sea beasts were being controlled.

These were colossal creatures—nearly a hundred meters long—layered around Bilgewater in a suffocating ring.

Sea monsters weren’t exactly news to Bilgewater. Sailors who lived their lives riding the wind and waves, butchers on the docks who processed the catch—Bilgewater’s daily life was full of these ocean giants.

But monsters this huge were rare.

Because whenever a hundred-meter-class horror surfaced, it brought disaster with it. If the Buhru hadn’t built enormous horns—so that serpent callers could play a sound that disrupted the sea beasts’ sense of direction—Bilgewater would never have grown into what it was today.

Because the ships inside couldn’t get out.

And the ships outside couldn’t get in.

So any experienced sailor could tell at a glance: this was the work of Buhru serpent callers.

That’s right—these sea beasts had been deliberately summoned.

The goal was to surround Bilgewater, forbid any ship from leaving, and block any ship from entering.

In Bilgewater’s Upper City, a red-faced old drunk slammed his mug down hard on the table—then casually fired a shot behind him, without even turning his head.

After the gunshot, a body kneeling in the tavern pitched forward and hit the floor with a heavy thud. His face smashed into the boards—nose and lips kissing the wood—kicking up a puff of dust. The light in his eyes quickly scattered, but the terror on his face still lingered.

"I don’t want to hear any of your useless crap. Don’t waste my time with bullshit!"

"It’s been four days. Four. And the entire damn island spent four days and still couldn’t deal with that little bitch? What, you think I’m a fucking idiot?" Gangplank’s eyes were icy as he planted one boot on a stool and stared at the gathered Bilgewater bosses.

"Boss Gangplank, their weapons are just too strong. If we charge in recklessly, a lot of people will die," someone finally worked up the courage to say.

Gangplank lifted his eyelids and glanced at the speaker.

In that instant, Lance’s eyes filled with fear, and he unconsciously took a step back.

Even though Gangplank had fallen before—beaten down by Sarah and left looking like a drowned dog—now that he’d clawed his way back up, the savage cruelty in him made people selectively forget the past.

But Gangplank didn’t strike Lance.

Because Gangplank understood something perfectly.

These bastards were only listening to him right now because of Illaoi—because they believed in Buhru faith.

He, Gangplank, had already been finished once.

That night of betrayal—he’d lost the ship he loved, and he’d lost the men who’d once been loyal to him.

So with these so-called bosses, Gangplank kept a leash on his temper.

He barked, "So what? You’re scared to lose people, he’s scared to lose people, so you’ve all decided to sit here and rot?"

"Do you know that if I hadn’t asked Illaoi to move, Sarah would’ve already gotten the hell out of Bilgewater? And I’d still be waiting for you to catch her and kill her? She’s already got Zaun behind her—if you keep dragging your feet and Zaun changes its mind and sends help for that little bitch, what then? You gonna flip sides and crawl to Sarah again?" 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Lance forced an awkward smile. Gangplank’s words hit exactly what they’d all been thinking.

After the Buhru intervened, Sarah’s group was running low on ammunition. She and her people were boxed into a corner of the Upper City.

And her food and water were almost gone.

Bilgewater was terrible at preserving supplies to begin with, and with the summer heat—rats, gnats, humidity, and warmth—fish and meat stored in warehouses spoiled quickly.

But precisely because Sarah’s people were cornered, none of the bosses wanted to be the one to touch her now.

She was a wounded beast, lashing out in a final frenzy—anyone who approached got shot, no questions asked.

Bilgewater wasn’t small, but over these four days, more than four hundred locals had already died at the hands of Sarah’s gang.

That was the size of an entire major crew.

Back when Gangplank ruled Bilgewater, how many truly loyal people had he had under him?

His violent outfit had only been a few hundred at most.

So while Sarah was strong, they united to deal with her.

But once she started to break... they went right back to scheming against each other.

What would they actually gain from this war?

If they lost even more men, once it was over, could they still hold their turf in Bilgewater?

Could they keep their little corner?

Those questions shaped every choice they made.

Lance said, "Boss Gangplank, that’s not quite right. The serpent callers have the sea beasts surrounding Bilgewater—how could anyone from Zaun possibly come help?"

"Yeah, yeah, exactly! Who dares oppose the Bearded Lady? Everyone knows the Buhru are Her believers!"

"Boss Gangplank, it’s just that Sarah’s already gone insane. If we keep them surrounded, they’ll start tearing each other apart. There’s no need for pointless sacrifices."

With Lance leading, the other bosses chimed in.

"Pointless sacrifice my ass!" Gangplank let out a cold laugh and cursed. He stood up.

Sitting down, with his filthy look and untrimmed mess, he’d looked like a grimy little old man.

Standing, he was tall.

He’d clearly lost a lot of weight from everything he’d been through, but the lines of muscle were still obvious under his skin.

He roared, "Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do—playing games with me? I was slaughtering Noxians and raising hell across the seas when you were still stuck in your dad’s pants!"

"I’m telling you right now—this island is mine. It was mine before, it’s mine now, and it’ll be mine in the future too!"

"I lost once, sure. But I lost to my own men—not to Sarah. And now I’m back!" Gangplank snarled. "Which one of you dares deny me? Which one of you dares stand against me?"

Under his bellow, Bilgewater’s so-called "important people" fell silent. Not one dared open their mouth.

Maybe in the old days they still had blood in them—maybe they would’ve grabbed blades and guns and fought Gangplank right then.

But after living in the Upper City for so many years, they’d lost that edge.

They weren’t the young men who would grab a knife, sail out, and build a crude raft just to chase a prize ship anymore.

Time had sanded down their viciousness.

"I’ll make it simple," Gangplank said, voice hard. "Whoever puts in the most effort—whoever loses the most people—I’ll make you the number two of Bilgewater. Listen carefully: when this is over, I’m still the one calling the shots on this island."

"And you’re trying to save your strength—why? Save your strength for what? What, after you finish Sarah, you planning to come for me next?"

Gangplank was smart.

He might be arrogant and domineering, but he wasn’t stupid.

He understood exactly what Illaoi backing him meant for Bilgewater.

Put bluntly: no boss in Bilgewater dared refuse the Buhru—no matter how small the priest.

Bilgewater believed in Buhru faith, and Illaoi was a true believer—second only to the Bearded Lady Herself in status. With Illaoi’s support, there was no reason Gangplank wouldn’t succeed.

"Don’t act like you care about your men," Gangplank sneered, belching alcohol. "You’re just scared you’ll run out of bodies and won’t be able to fight for turf after this. You’re scared you won’t be able to hold your little patch."

"Don’t worry about that. I’m ruthless, but I’ll share the profits with my own."

"I’m not like you. I haven’t forgotten what I am. I’m a pirate—not a merchant!"

Lance and the other bosses took a deep breath and agreed in unison.

"Good. Then get the hell out!"

"Today, I need to see that bitch Sarah kneeling in front of me. I’m going to take her head with my own hands—and I’m going to use that pretty face of hers as a drinking cup!"

"Yes!"

Bilgewater—Upper City, western side.

This area had once belonged to Gangplank, but after Sarah drove him out, the best land in the Upper City became hers.

Now, Sarah wore a strapless top caked with dust and blood. Her tight, beautiful stomach was no longer pale—gray-black smears streaked across it, patches of grime and oily dirt visible in ugly blotches.

Her red hair had lost its shine.

A medicated patch clung to her left waist, and her right arm was wrapped in a bandage.

She tore off a strip of jerky with her teeth, washed it down with liquor, and forced it into her stomach.

Her pupils were threaded with bloodshot veins, and her once-lush lips were cracked and peeling.

She hadn’t rested properly in three days.

Looking at her equally battered first mate, she let out a soft, almost amused laugh.

"Rafen... we’re really finished this time. Anything you want to say?"

"What do you want me to say?" Rafen rolled his eyes, sounding irritated. "Finished is finished. We already got our money’s worth. Fifty-some of us wiped out a few hundred of them. I personally killed four bosses myself."

One of his legs was strapped with a metal plate—damage from a cannon blast yesterday morning. If not for Zaunite medical supplies, in Bilgewater’s brutal conditions, he would’ve lost that leg.

But now... what did it matter if he kept it?

Sarah nodded, smiling. "Yeah. Worth it."

"Still," Rafen said suddenly, "we really should’ve swallowed our pride and begged Zaun for help."

Zaun was too strong. Those weapons could rewrite a battlefield.

The truth was simple: they didn’t have enough weapons, and Sarah didn’t have enough people.

If they did, then even with the Buhru involved, the outcome wouldn’t have been so certain.

The sea beasts were terrifying, sure—but they couldn’t come onto the island. As long as you didn’t go out to sea, all those monsters brought was psychological pressure.

"Zaun has already helped us enough," Sarah said, shaking her head. "If they don’t come, I can’t blame them."

"I only blame my bad luck—back then, I didn’t kill Gangplank outright. I let him reach Illaoi."

She exhaled, then asked, "How much ammo do we have left?"

"Not much," Rafen sighed. "Starting around one this afternoon, those bastards went completely insane. They stopped being afraid to die."

"Gangplank must’ve said something," Sarah muttered. She nodded, then leaned back—before forcing herself up again. She grabbed the pistol off the table and smiled.

"Come on. This is the last fight, my dear first mate."

"Heh. If it really comes to it, I’ll shoot you," Rafen said as he stood. The ornament on his ear gave a crisp jingle. He mimed a gun at her. "I can fall into their hands. You can’t."

Sarah burst out laughing. "People who want to get into my pants could line up from the Upper City all the way into the sea caves in the Lower City—and not one of them’s ever managed it. What the hell are you worrying about?"

"Afraid I’ll be humiliated if it comes to that?" She snorted. "If it ever gets to that point, and I don’t break his little toy—or bite it off—then I lived for nothing."

"Besides," Sarah added, laughing so hard her eyes watered, "Gangplank won’t keep me alive. He isn’t ruled by lust. He’s vicious and decisive. If I fall into his hands, I die immediately."

She believed it.

Because the person who understood Gangplank best wasn’t his men—it was her.

She was a woman who’d studied him for decades for the sake of revenge.

Her mother had been beautiful too, and what did Gangplank do then? He shot her and burned the house down.

And honestly... it made sense.

A "normal" man who could get involved with Illaoi in the first place wasn’t going to be ruled by ordinary impulses.

Sarah knew Gangplank too well.

And now she was going to gamble everything on one final push.

At four in the afternoon, Gangplank took a bath and put on clean clothes. Then, escorted by a crowd, he arrived at the plaza in Bilgewater’s Upper City.

Illaoi was there too—wrapped in a cloak to hide herself. But her towering build, iron-hard muscles, and fortress-like frame still made her impossible to miss.

Gangplank didn’t go greet her.

Right now, he had something more important to do.

At the center of the plaza, beside a man-made fountain, a crude platform had been set up.

On it, more than thirty people were shackled and forced to kneel.

At the very front was a beautiful woman with red hair.

She stared calmly at Gangplank as he approached, her mouth curved with contempt and mockery.

"Look at you, Gangplank," Sarah called out loud. "The Sea King’s comeback... and you needed a woman to pull it off?"

She had lost.

Under that suicidal, cost-blind charge, her weapons—and her exhausted crew, fighting for days—couldn’t hold back the tide.

A bullet had punched through Sarah’s leg. She should’ve bled out.

But Gangplank had her treated.

Of course he did.

He wasn’t going to let Sarah die like that.

Gangplank wanted to use her to make an example.

He wanted Bilgewater to remember who truly ruled this place.

"Once I hang you from a mast, I’ll see if you can still stay so calm," Gangplank said with a thin smile, unfazed by her insult.

He stepped onto the platform and walked up to her.

Under the gaze of more than half the Upper City, Gangplank leaned close to Sarah.

"You know something?" he said softly. "No matter how strong your will is, your body will still react. That’s human instinct."

"When you suffocate, you’ll lose control. You’ll piss and shit yourself."

"And I’ll hang you naked from my ship and cruise the waters around Bilgewater for three days. I’ll make everyone watch you—Bilgewater’s prettiest woman, pissing and shitting herself."

"Then I’ll let the seabirds peck you apart."

"Alright," Sarah said flatly. "That kind of talk works on other people. Not on me."

"Fine," Gangplank laughed loudly. "You’ve got guts. You’ve really got fucking guts. Let’s see if you still have them when it happens!"

Then, after giving Bilgewater a dangerous, triumphant speech, Gangplank prepared to make his move.

He called out orders, ready to have Sarah’s people dragged away—row after row, to be hanged across Bilgewater.

But just then, a tall figure stepped out of the crowd and pulled back her hood.

"Gangplank. Stop." Illaoi’s eyes, wide as bells, fixed on him as she spoke in a booming voice.

"The hell are you trying to do?" Gangplank frowned, looking at her.

Illaoi’s face was calm. "She can’t die yet."

"Nagakabouros has taken an interest in her," Illaoi said.

Gangplank’s brows knotted. "So what? You say that and I’m supposed to let her go? Do you have any idea what she did to me?"

Illaoi didn’t respond.

She walked straight forward and reached behind her back—pulling out a strange, sacred idol.

"This is the will of the god."

She was about to deliver Nagakabouros’s trial to Sarah.

Gangplank was furious—yet he didn’t dare stop her.

He was smart. He knew what would happen if he opposed Illaoi here.

Even if they’d once been lovers, once it involved the god, Illaoi would become unyielding.

So Gangplank could only pray Sarah failed the trial.

If she died from it, so be it—he could still hang her from his ship anyway.

"You’re Sarah, right?" Illaoi said.

"Congratulations. You’ve earned the Mother Serpent’s favor."

Sarah’s hands were clamped in restraints. As Illaoi approached, Sarah sneered—then spat right into Illaoi’s face.

Illaoi calmly wiped it away and looked at Sarah with a strangely gentle expression.

"Don’t be afraid. Don’t worry. Accept... Nagakabouros—"

Halfway through, Illaoi suddenly stopped.

Her ear twitched.

Her hearing far surpassed normal people’s, and now she froze, startled, turning her gaze toward a certain direction.

Then Sarah frowned and lifted her head too.

She thought she heard... something strange.

For a moment, she even wondered if this was the Bearded Lady’s trial.

But beside her, Rafen and the others had also lifted their heads, staring up in stunned confusion.

Then Gangplank’s men.

Then the entire plaza.

A powerful burst of music appeared out of nowhere over Bilgewater—starting faint, swelling louder and louder—until a black dot emerged in the distant sky.

Electronic music, riding a feverish drumbeat.

Something shaped like a "ship" hung above the Upper City.

Under that pounding music, Bilgewater’s people finally saw the faces on the sky-ship.

Sarah stared blankly at the blue hair that spilled out from beneath a hood.

A guess formed in her mind—but she didn’t dare believe it.

And then—

She was sure.

Because up in the air, the person at the front controlling the ship abruptly lifted her head. While yanking the controls hard, she looked down at Sarah.

"Hmph."

The hood shook loose and fell back in the violent motion, revealing a clean, cute face. Blue hair whipped in the wind, and a grin curved across her lips.

"Jinx..."

Sarah’s face was filled with disbelief.

From the airship above, Jinx spoke into a megaphone, voice booming over the plaza.

"You guys are pretty bold, huh."

Beside her, Logan could only laugh, helpless.

And Akali—mask still on—had both hands clamped over her ears.

Too loud.

Way too loud.

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