Harbor dock.
Lucian, with his hood removed, showed no expression on his stern, resolute face. Without even looking at the money bag on the ground, he parted his lips slightly and said coldly, "It's only right!"
"That may be true, but we can't let a kind person's good deed be unappreciated!"
Duke bent down, picked up the money bag, and handed it to Lucian. Despite how cold and cool this guy seemed on the surface, he was actually broke. Besides those two guns, he probably only had the pendant with Senna's photo, and the long nails and needles used for the requiem ritual.
As for other things, he probably didn't have any.
Lucian gave up everything to avenge Senna!
As for Duke?
He was so rich he only had money left!
The Ferros Family's two-hundred-year legacy is no joke. This family has existed since Piltover's inception, and the wealth accumulated over two centuries, while not enough to rival a nation, certainly makes them wealthy in their own right.
Duke, who forcibly handed the money bag to Lucian, looked at him with a peculiar smile: "Perhaps we will meet again in the future!"
Lucian looked deeply at Duke, weighed the money bag, and silently put it away. He had exhausted all his travel expenses coming from Demacia to Bilgewater, and sometimes even needed assistance from his fellow Sentinels of Light.
Helping the deceased crew of the Swordfish with the requiem ritual, besides being an act of benevolence as a Sentinel of Light, was also to reduce the number of undead awakened by the Black Mist during The Harrowing.
"Consider it a loan from me!"
"This is just my thanks!"
"Goodbye!" Lucian put his hood back on and turned to leave without delay. As Duke watched Lucian depart, he also kept his gaze on the pair of weapons at his waist.
"If only I could research it, but now is not the time to think about such things. Using some dispensable money to connect with Lucian, this deal is worth it!"
"And..." Duke glanced at the crew's bodies, which had been collected in body bags, "I must also thank him!"
Now that Duke's Swordfish had been sunk, they had no way to leave Bilgewater. Even if Duke started building a ship now, by the time it was finished, it would be the eve of The Harrowing, and leaving then would be even more unsafe.
This meant they had to safely endure The Harrowing in Bilgewater before they could find a way back to Piltover.
The brutally killed crew members underwent a soul-soothing ritual so they would not be Defiled by the Black Mist; their souls would return to their homeland with Duke and his people.
Moreover, as Duke said, making a connection with Lucian through some money now was even a profit. Not to mention the other party's pair of unique weapons, just his combat power alone was worth Duke's investment.
He would deal with Gangplank within three days. Not to mention the goods Gangplank had seized and sold, just everything before his eyes would not allow Duke to give him any more time to live!
However, once Gangplank died, Bilgewater's largest force against The Harrowing would completely collapse. For the past few decades, Gangplank had been at the forefront, resisting the Black Mist's invasion during The Harrowing.
Once he died and his forces collapsed, Bilgewater would instantly disintegrate into a disorganized mess. This was not Duke's worst-case scenario, but something mentioned in the background story.
After Gangplank's Netherworld was sunk, Sarah had not yet fully taken over his remaining territory and forces. The others would fight each other for territory, tearing each other apart.
They might even still be fighting when The Harrowing arrived!
At that time, a chaotic Bilgewater facing The Harrowing's invasion would be like fish on a chopping board, waiting to be slaughtered.
So Duke had to be fully prepared.
He couldn't sacrifice long-term plans for momentary satisfaction.
People cannot be too short-sighted.
"Sir, everything has been collected!"
Captain Lister, with red-rimmed eyes, came behind Duke and said in a low voice, "What should we do next?"
"I will handle Gangplank. Within three days, I will eradicate him. At that time, I will avenge the Swordfish and the fallen crew members."
Duke no longer looked at the Swordfish flag soaking in the seawater. Instead, he turned around and looked at the various crowded pathways, saying, "As for now, let's first deal with these rotten fish and shrimp!"
Captain Lister followed Duke's gaze, and his face immediately turned furious. Grabbing his sidearm, he glared with hatred at the approaching gang members.
"These bastards dare to scheme against us!"
Edith's sunglasses on Duke's face also transmitted a few wanted posters to him via drone. His image was prominently displayed on them, along with a bounty amount—one thousand Golden Krakens.
And this one thousand Golden Krakens did not refer to Duke's life, but to any part of Duke's body.
Whether it was one of Duke's fingers or a leg, it could be exchanged for one thousand Golden Krakens.
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