Chapter 12

A Captain Honest Opinion

The sea was a fierce force to be reckon with, the waves were sometimes calm and carry a peaceful breeze that can be consider as paradise to some. But when the sea shows its fury, no man made ship can sail as the waves were monsters and the winds were a hurricane. But not for the Deadpool, it triumphs the force of the sea just like a titan that walks the earth, taming the force with force.

The crew of the Deadpool struggles to do their work, as furious gust and waves hits the decks of the ship. The men that was task to straighten the ropes of the mast would rather flee to lower deck than doing their job. The captain of the ship was controlling the wheel of the ship, having a full view of the deck and also the crew. He was not satisfied.

Gangplank controlled the wheel of the Deadpool, she followed the commands of her captain willingly as she go through the big waves of the sea. The Saltwater Scourge was not flinched by the mere storm, he stand firmly and holds the wheel of the ship as tight as he could. He looked at his crew that was at the deck.

The ones that stayed longer with him had no fear of the waves and storm, fearlessly doing what the captain ordered. The new ones on the other hand was cowering behind cover and refuse to do anything, fearing the sea wrath. Gangplank frowned seeing the new ones.

"Straighten up the lines boys just like the whores at bay!" Ordered Gangplank. "The sea won't kill ya until I say so!"

Quickly the cowards rush to their works, fearing Gangplank would kill them after this.

The sea finally showed her mercy, calming the waves and the storm as night took day place. The crew of the Deadpool was nothing more than exhausted, maintaining the ship so it would sail without any harm. Wet and cold, they could only sleep shivering on their sleeping net that was hung on the lower decks of the ship. The lower decks were meant to be dry so that the black powder would be usable and not get wet, but it doesn't mean it was warmer than the outside.

Tike was a young man, trying to get a better life in a crew and fortunately manage to get himself in the Deadpool. Though Gangplank was not one of his captain of choice, living a life at sea seem to fit him rather than living life at land. Shivering like dying, he tries his best finding a heat source so he could warm himself.

Some of the Deadpool crew was already asleep, snoring as loud as a whale giving a holler. Tike walks through the poorly lighted deck, with the ships creaking filling the silence, besides the snoring of his crew. Then he saw a table, that had a candle lighted on top of it. He walks towards it with a more faster pace, inpatient to get his source of warmth. He sat at the near stool and warm himself by nearing the palm of his hands to the fire.

"Could'ya spare some of the heat" said someone, the man near himself to the fire, showing his presence. "You blocking it."

"Bryan! Sorry lass, I'm shivering to death here" argued Tike.

Bryan was one of Tike friend, he was older than him, probably on his late 40's with a beard to fit. Bryan was the one who vouch him to get into the crew.

"You're not alone in this deck, so please, leave the fire be." gestured the old man.

Suddenly five people then show their presence, with grumpy faces.

"Oh. Sorry" He apologized with an innocent smile.

Six men sat at the table, each and everyone, wet and shivering just like Tike. They did not said anything, just looking at the candle, hoping the heat would warm them. They had nothing better to do, just looking at the shortening candle. Some of them sigh just to fill the silence, other just cough randomly. The creaking sound of the ship and calmed waves somewhat gave a peaceful situation, but the snores of the ship's crew completely spoils it.

"So.. isn't there a story to tell?" suggested Tike "I mean the captain is in his room, we can't sleep and there's a candle."

All six men nodded and agreed with an "Aye".

But then silent struck as nobody had a story to tell, they look at each other hoping the person next to them would have a story.

"Do you want to hear about the Outlaw?"said Bryan. "Rumor has it that he fought 50 people at once and manage to get out clean"

"Nay" one of the men disagreed "That just mere myth"

"Who is this Outlaw?" questioned Tike, he never heard the name.

"Nothing more than a fraud outlaw" said the man before. "People kept telling story 'bout him a lot, like he was somekin' of hero"

"Am I hearing from Seth himself?" teased Bryan. "Didn't know you cared about these measly stories?"

Seth was an old man, similar to Bryan age and had an eye patch to distinct himself from the other crew. He was bald and with a big and bulbous stomach, he also never wear a shirt to show his tattoos.

"I'm telling the truth to the young man. Can we tell another story beside the man, he's just a myth." Seth concluded.

"I was a myth" A voice said, it was not one of them and it took the seven men attention. All of them recognized the voice and hope they were wrong. The man emerges from the darkness and show who he was, it was Gangplank. "Yet I'm right in front of ya' lads.

"Telling stories lads?" Gangplank walk towards the table, slowly. "I thought it was a child thing" With every single step the Captain took, it send chills to their spines. Gangplank was the ruler of Bilgewater and a force that no one should be reckon with.

"Stories are filled with lies and deceit" Gangplank arrived at the table and stand tall in front of the seated men. "But is good time to tell one when the seas are peaceful" He sat at the near chair and get himself comfortable.

All six men went silent and look at their captain, they've never been this close to the Captain. They were mere seamen and had no interaction with captain, except when he gives an order. The men was in awe and also in fear, even for the old timer Seth but Bryan remain composed.

"So you want to know about the Outlaw?" Gangplank look at Tike.

Tike gave a nod, interested on the man.

"Malcolm Graves is one of the most notorious criminals across Runeterra. Known for his ways dealing problems, he's a Bilgewater dog that bites and rarely bark" He took out a knife and an orange from his red coat, he started to skin the fruit. "A card shark that almost never losses, always keen for adventure and fortune. But like a dog he was, his loyalty made him more different than the other cutthroats in Bilgewater"

"He save you from the hanging, didn't he?" said Bryan. "When he was with you and you were caught by the Banditos, they tried to hung you but thanks to the man, you're still alive."

"He help me rather than save my neckfrom the ropes. Sure I might slack a few times but he was not the savior, my neck was thick enough for it to not to break at that time."

"Wait he was one of your crew?" puzzled Tike.

Gangplank look at him and ask "How old are you?"

"26"

"I took him when he was a mere 16 year old lad, he joins my crew and started to show himself. Not long since he join, he'd already make a name for himself by doing a few works that men couldn't even dare to think." Gangplank took effort on skinning the fruit, he made sure that every single cut had the same length "And to my surprise, a young cutthroat became my right hand man "

"But then I recruited a man as bad as Graves, Twisted Fate. A cutpurse, he was not as strong as Graves but his wit just change the game. A man that always had a trick on his sleeves, even at times when you expect you outwit the man" He was halfway skinning the fruit in his hand. "Two different men but get the job done, I never separate the two if I gave an order. They were too good to be together but I know that it wouldn't end good"

"But there was a time I thought myself was the worst nightmare to my enemies, but these lads..." Gangplank gave a serious and threatening glare to the men, striking fear to them. "They were the devils that the Bearded Lady curse us, I order them to burn a village and so they did. I could feel the heat of the fire even though I was looking at the village in my ship. The fire was so big as it was the only thing I could see during the night and the screams of the villagers was the only thing I could hear."

All the men that hear gulped of fear, hearing the story, knowing the destruction that the two capable of was frightening.

"But after that day" Gangplank continue. "Graves and I had a few disagreements and left the crew, so did his friend Twisted Fate" Gangplank wipe his hand that was wet by the juices of the fruit." You see I judge a man by his scar and Graves has to many scars for me to judge. But as much as I want him in my crew, I want to put a bullet in his head more"

"So what happen to him?" ask Tike."He's not just a typical lass that suddenly stop right?"

"Twisted Fate betrays him, he send Graves to one of his enemies, Priggs I recalled. After that, things went bad for him. Dealing with bad men means to endure bad things, that's the reality of it."

"Word is that he still hunting Twisted Fate, last seen was at High Noon, he sure has the resiliency to kill him." Bryan commented.

"Nobody is ready for a betrayal, I don't blame the man." Gangplank finished skinning the orange and eat the juicy fruit, the juices start to flow out a bit from the corner of his mouth but later wipe it."He's a hungry dog that will do everything to get himself a piece meat, but the only problem is that he is caged by his own mistakes."

"What was the disagreement that you had with Graves, Captain." questioned Bryan.

"He saved a girl from the village I order him to burn"

"Was it-" asked Bryan.

"The Bounty Hunter" interrupted Gangplank, he glared at the men at the table and sighed. "Should've kill the girl when I had the chance."

"That's enough story tellin' for you old lads..." Gangplank got up from his seat and start to depart from the place."Sleep while you can lads, because tomorrow we'll go to war with Captain Fortune herself" The captain then vanish into the darkness, leaving the men at the table alone with the sole candle lighting the place.

Hamilton stabs Graves with his knife, deep and quick. Then a few stabs when he could but the strikes prove to be nothing for the man. Graves still stands and gave a few jabs to his face, then a destructive uppercut that sends him back and fall to the ground. Hamilton laid on his back and stunned with the punch, breathing heavy as his muscle was giving up on him. He rolled to his torso and tries to get back up, his nose was bleeding and he was sweating so badly.

He took off his helmet as it was getting heavier for him and tries to endure the pain. He saw his knife that was not far from him, the uppercut resulted him to throw his weapon away. He creep towards the weapon slowly, his hands reaches the weapon but a boot kick the knife away. Then he look up to see Graves, his face was not, at the slightest, in pain.

Graves have some stab wounds and it could be seen that the blood was covering his shirt, incredibly he was still standing. Hamilton could not get up and managed to kneel, he looked at Graves and hopes for mercy. But on Graves face, he had no such intention. Hamilton look at his surrounding, his whole team was dead caused by the man in front of him. He regretted his decision so much, but seeing the man in front has defeated him, the emotion was not useful.

"Come on, I think you can pick up the knife." said Graves, his left hand hold his stab wounds. "Or are you just going to give up?"

Hamilton did not said anything, he looked at the thing that was behind Graves. It was the officer that told him that he was making the wrong decision. The only surviving officer on his team currently, Officer Myers. He was grounded and wounded, but from far away he could tell that he was not seriously injured.

Graves look at where Hamilton was looking, he saw the officer that was still breathing. He thought he had killed him when the whole team attacked him. But seeing he was to weak to get up, the Outlaw denied him for now. Graves walk a few steps to pick up the knife, wipe off the blood and look at the knife. It was sharp.

Walking back to the officer, he brings back not empty handed. Graves stand in front of the officer once again, taunting him once more. "I already picked up the knife, choose wether to fight back or give up?"

Hamilton look to his surrounding, three men died by his irrational decision. He had one desire that was getting Myers the chance to run. He look at Myers once more, the young man raised his head to see his captain. His captain gave a nod, it was a signed for him ready to flee and he was more than ready.

"I'm sorry Myers, it was my fault…" mumbled Hamilton. The man looked at Graves and with all of his remaining energy he leap towards Graves. "DIE MOTHER-"

Graves cuts his throat halfway through his leap, the blood was rushing out just like an opened tap water. Hamilton hold his neck to stop the blood but it was an useless effort. The captain then fell to his side, gurgling till his eyes raised up. Graves then turn his body and throws the knife at the officer that was running away.

"Ahh!" screamed the officer.

The officer then fall to the ground while holding his leg. Graves walked to the man and the man looked at him with eyes that were scared of death. The officer cursed and tried to flee by dragging himself with one hand. Graves realized that the officer had a white band on his shoulders, Graves knew that it meant he was a medic. Good in his situation.

Graves walks to him and kneel down, the officer stopped as Graves hold the knife that was buried at his leg. "You don't want to get paralyzed do ya?"

"What do you want? Just tell me what do you want?" begged the officer.

"A deal."