Inside an unremarkable room aboard the ship, a powerfully built middle-aged man was roasting meat over a bed of smoldering coals.
Thick muscles bunched across the man’s neck and shoulders like those of a bull.
The sleeve on his left arm was rolled up to the elbow, revealing not flesh and blood, but a prosthetic forged from steel.
He sprinkled a pinch of fine salt over a slab of meat from some unknown sea monster, then shoved it straight into his mouth even though blood was still dripping from it.
Several oranges sat on the table beside him.
His iron hand closed around one, crushing it instantly, and he opened his mouth to drink every drop of juice that spilled out.
Gangplank, the Saltwater Scourge.
He had once been the undisputed ruler of these waters, until everything he had built was destroyed by a red-haired woman he had never considered a serious threat.
Gangplank had lost everything, his ship, his territory, and even his left hand.
As he stared at his iron prosthetic, the fire in his heart continued to burn.
The wounds that had long since healed across his body seemed to ache all over again.
Two huge, muscular enforcers covered in tattoos stood guard outside an iron door.
According to the skinny pirate they’d interrogated, Twisted Fate should be imprisoned inside.
“Lights out,” Graves whispered so quietly the words were barely audible.
He pulled something from his belt and tossed it toward the two guards.
A Smoke Screen erupted, instantly engulfing both men in thick clouds and blinding them.
Before either guard could figure out what was happening, two figures burst through the smoke.
They didn’t even have time to react before everything went black and both collapsed unconscious.
Levi searched one of the guards and quickly found a large ring of keys.
“Damn it, which one is it?”
There were so many keys that Levi had to try them one by one.
Just as he was about to lose his mind, the lock finally clicked and the iron door opened.
Graves immediately pushed it open, and there he was.
A thin man had been bound with ropes and suspended upside down in the middle of the room.
“Twisted Fate.”
There was no response.
Graves hurried over while Levi dragged the two unconscious guards inside and carefully shut the door behind them.
Twisted Fate’s back was facing them, so Graves turned him around.
A dirty rag had been stuffed between his dry, cracked lips.
His eyes were tightly shut, and he was clearly in bad shape.
Graves quickly lowered the rope and brought Twisted Fate down from where he had been hanging.
“Wake up, Twisted Fate. Come on, partner, wake up.”
Graves shook him hard, but it did nothing.
So Graves slapped him across the face.
The sharp smack echoed through the room, and Twisted Fate’s already thin cheek quickly began to swell red.
“Graves? How the hell did you find me?”
Twisted Fate finally opened his eyes.
The moment he recognized his partner, relief appeared on his face.
“You can thank him for that. I never would’ve guessed you were being held here.”
Graves jerked his chin toward Levi.
“I’m Levi. I only came looking for you because I want Miss Fortune’s cargo back,” Levi said, studying him.
“How did you know I was the one who took it?”
“What do you think?”
Levi pulled a golden card from his pocket.
Twisted Fate immediately understood.
“Why were you working for him?”
“Gangplank forced me. He poisoned me with something slow-acting, so I didn’t have much choice,” Twisted Fate replied helplessly.
“Where’s the antidote? And what happened to the cargo you stole?” Levi asked.
Gangplank had gone through the trouble of poisoning Twisted Fate instead of killing him outright, which meant there had to be an antidote.
“The antidote is Black Pearl Rum. As for the cargo, it ran away.”
Twisted Fate shook his head helplessly.
Levi stared at him in surprise.
The antidote being something as simple as rum sounded so ridiculous that he almost couldn’t believe it.
“What the hell are you talking about? Cargo doesn’t grow legs and run away,” Graves said, asking exactly what Levi had been thinking.
Twisted Fate nodded solemnly.
“Actually, this one did. It was a Yordle.”
Back in Gangplank’s quarters, the door suddenly flew open as a crewman rushed inside in a panic.
The instant he saw the dark barrel of Gangplank’s pistol pointing at him, the man’s legs nearly gave out.
He dropped to his knees with a thud.
“What is it?”
Gangplank lowered the pistol and stared coldly at the kneeling pirate.
“One of the men patrolling the ship was knocked unconscious. Someone only just found him.”
The pirate swallowed nervously before continuing in a trembling voice.
“He said there were two intruders. One was a young man, and the other was a big bearded bastard carrying a shotgun on his back.”
Gangplank snatched up his coat and hat.
His entire face turned a terrifying shade of red with fury, while the lamplight reflected in his eyes like burning embers.
The kneeling pirate looked as though his soul were about to leave his body.
He was trembling so violently that his whole frame shook.
“Get everyone moving. Head for the cells.”
Gangplank’s voice came out as a low, hoarse growl.
He raised his cup and drained the rum inside in one swallow.
“Y-Yes, sir.”
The pirate scrambled away in relief.
Gangplank picked up his pistol, took the cutlass hanging from the rack, and strode out with an icy expression.
The previously quiet ship gradually erupted into chaos.
The sound of countless hurried footsteps echoed above Levi and the others.
“They found us. Move!” Levi snapped.
If they got trapped down here, there was no question they were finished.
Graves grabbed his shotgun, hauled Twisted Fate onto his back, and hurried after Levi.
The three raced toward the upper deck, but the moment they reached a corner, Levi suddenly darted forward and immediately jumped back.
“What are you scared of?” Graves asked, glancing at him.
Then he raised his head.
A storm of gunfire instantly ripped through the corridor.
Graves nearly jumped out of his skin and scrambled back around the corner, almost dropping Twisted Fate in the process.
He lowered Twisted Fate to the floor, allowing him to lean against the wall and take a long breath.
Levi glanced at Graves.
Graves scratched his head awkwardly and gave him a sheepish grin.
“Partner, got any bright ideas?” Graves asked Twisted Fate.
“I think we need some serious firepower to punch a hole through them,” Twisted Fate replied after assessing the situation.
Levi nodded in agreement.
Then both of them turned to look at Graves.
“What are you two staring at me for?” Graves grumbled.
A second later, he noticed that both Levi and Twisted Fate were pointing at the shotgun in his hands.
Graves nodded.
Looked like it was time to bring out the big stuff.
He pulled out an explosive shell and loaded it into his shotgun.
“Hey, assholes! Try this!”
A deafening boom shook the corridor.
The explosive blast tore through the pirates blocking their path.
The recoil shoved Graves backward several feet, while the men ahead were blown off their feet and sent crashing in every direction.