-250- Nagakabouros
Just as the people of Bilgewater were driving away the sea monsters.
In the vicinity of Bilgewater, in a Buhru temple, a man with a flushed and weak face lay in a corner of the temple, exhausted from drinking.
His hair was messy, resembling a dirty chicken's nest, and his left arm was wrapped in bandages. Judging from the length of his left arm, it could be confirmed that he was a man missing part of his left hand.
A lantern flickered beside him, and with heavy footsteps, he slowly lifted his head.
A tall and strong figure now stood before Plank, like a flesh and blood tower, extremely robust.
"Plank, you look like a pile of dung now."
"Illaoi!" As soon as the words fell, Gangplank sat up straight, attempting to stand up, but being riddled with injuries, he weakly fell back down. Three of his ribs were broken, and his arm wound had only been hastily bandaged. It was a miracle he was alive.
And now, he knelt at the feet of Illaoi.
"It's Miss Fortune, it's all Miss Fortune! It's her and those bastards raised by whores that I ended up like this today!" Gangplank shouted loudly. "A bunch of guys from Zaun, they colluded with Miss Fortune and destroyed my ship!"
"Why should I care? I don't care about your ship," Illaoi said coldly.
She was tall, muscular, and sturdy, even bigger than Gangplank.
Standing there, Illaoi resembled a deity, looking down on the former ruler of Bilgewater.
"You told me to keep moving forward, Illaoi, I will go back and I need a ship," Gangplank exclaimed loudly.
"Back? From here to Bilgewater, you only need a canoe," Illaoi looked at the man before her, the man she had once deeply loved.
Today's Gangplank had lost his direction long ago. He wasn't the one who dared to fight Noxians and be a pirate king on the high seas anymore. Now, he just wanted to be the ruler of Bilgewater, not striving to be the pirate king like his father.
Even now, Illaoi had to admit that she still deeply loved Gangplank. But the true god would not allow it. She was now the truth bearer of the Serpent Isles, the prophet of Nagakabouros.
"Heal first," Illaoi paused for a moment. The true god wanted him to undergo a trial, but the current Gangplank couldn't succeed. He couldn't find his direction, and the lost would die in the trial of Nagakabouros.
"Return, Plank," Illaoi hesitated to speak, doubting herself. By doing this, she was going against Nagakabouros.
No, she was the truth bearer. She should pursue her faith. She should obey the command of Nagakabouros and let Gangplank undergo the trial of the gods.
But.
Just as Illaoi began to doubt herself, Gangplank suddenly shouted in anger.
"It's you, Illaoi!"
"You have to help me, you must help me!" Once a proud and feared man on the sea, now he was roaring like a dying dog:
"Why don't you help me, why don't you fucking help me, Illaoi, that's my city! You have to help me, you just need to say a word to make those bastards support me, help me! Illaoi, you owe me!"
Behind Illaoi, two men slightly shorter than Illaoi both froze at the same time, staring at Gangplank in astonishment, seeing this stupid man who dared to roar in the Buhru temple on the Serpent Isles. How dare he be so arrogant here? And he dared to roar at the strongest generation of truth bearers for hundreds of generations? If it were anyone else, they would have been thrown into the sea with broken knees by now!
However, Illaoi was silent for a moment, then spoke word by word to Gangplank, "I, owe, you?"
Looking into Illaoi's eyes, Gangplank began to stutter.
"What do you want?"
Gangplank lowered his head and whispered, "I need the support of those factions. They all listen to you. As long as you speak, they will help me."
"I said, what do you want?" Illaoi raised her voice, asking again.
This wasn't the man she had loved.
The Gangplank she loved wouldn't be so weak.
Gangplank buried his head in the ground, his voice desperate and low, "What can I do?"
"That girl took my Siren's Wail, and used a gun to blast my arm, and that bearded bastard killed all my people, took my territory. Now, I have nothing left. All I have now is this rotten life."
"I can't see anything anymore."
In Illaoi's mind, a prophecy sounded again, and the Gangplank before her made her no longer hesitate: "Then, I will let you see, Gangplank."
Suddenly raising her foot, Illaoi kicked Gangplank over, then stepped on his chest.
The spirit bell on her shoulder was placed down, and the face of the deity faced Gangplank, Illaoi loudly shouted, "Look!"
Illaoi's eyes radiated with a deep green light, her spiritual power extended, and Illaoi called upon her deity, as the spirit statue swung, a stream of light poured out from the mouth of the statue, then, like a tentacle, drilled into Gangplank's mouth, and the green energy gradually evolved, finally turning into substance.
"No, no!!!" Gangplank struggled in agony, his voice sharp and piercing like a violated girl.
But the tentacle remained unmoved, even morphing into more tentacles, entwining Gangplank like a storm.
"Gangplank, face Nagakabouros!" Illaoi pressed down on Gangplank, her strength overwhelming, preventing Gangplank from struggling. "Prove yourself to be worthy!"
Gangplank's voice became even more desperate.
The two followers behind Illaoi had already closed their eyes.
Countless tentacles lashed at Gangplank, and everything Gangplank had experienced flashed in his mind.
He rolled on the ground, battered and bruised, staggering to avoid the tentacles, but Illaoi couldn't bear to watch.
Every time Gangplank dodged, more tentacles appeared.
He had to face the trial of Nagakabouros, not run away.
Around him, reality had been twisted by Nagakabouros. Suddenly, a large group of tentacles surged toward Gangplank, like waves crashing in the sea, leaving him with nowhere to hide. They pressed him down, deeper and deeper.
Gangplank's soul was pressed out of his body, getting closer and closer to annihilation.
Illaoi couldn't bear to look directly, she wished she could look away, but she still stared fixedly.
She wanted to witness his departure. Gangplank had been a great man, her lover. But now, he had failed.
Suddenly, the pressure from the tentacles eased, and Illaoi saw it, she saw Gangplank slowly, relentlessly, and ruthlessly standing up.
His body was already crumbling, blood spraying onto the ground, but Gangplank forced his incomplete body to resist. He tore his own flesh, broke free from the tentacles' restraint, then, step by bloody step, with painful cries, Gangplank walked toward Illaoi, toward the statue of Nagakabouros.
His eyeballs bulged out, filled with hatred and pain, but also determination.
Gangplank stood in front of Illaoi—
"I, will be king!"
"Clang!"
The deity held by Illaoi emitted a sound, then, the tentacles from all directions dissipated, Nagakabouros was satisfied.
Illaoi looked at Gangplank.
"You've succeeded."
Gangplank stared at Illaoi blankly. The distance between them was only a few inches, yet he was shorter than her, so the captain straightened his back, despite the pain this action caused, he breathed in the fresher air.
Illaoi looked at Gangplank satisfactorily, he had come back, the Gangplank of the past had returned.
"Hmph!"
A grunt, Gangplank turned and left, still bleeding, but Gangplank's steps were agile, and he walked with confidence.
"If I come to ask for your help again, just refuse me directly, there's no need to torture me like this!" Gangplank shouted without looking back.
"Gangplank, your arm isn't healed yet," Illaoi smiled.
"Nice meeting you!" Gangplank grumbled as he walked out of the temple, down the steps, facing the sea.
Illaoi smiled, he had experienced the trial, he had found himself.
Nagakabouros would give people strength to find their true selves, it was the true god.
And at that moment, a horn sounded.
"Woo-woo-woo—"
Gangplank stopped in his tracks, looked up, but he couldn't see anything on the dark sea.
"Old bastard," Illaoi's voice came from behind Gangplank.
She followed up, then loudly said, "It's a distress signal, the people of Bilgewater are seeking my help."
"I think, I can take you along the way."