Chapter 152: Janna and Naga, a battle between two gods?
"Join the Leader?" Sarah knew, of course, that joining the Leader meant losing autonomy and becoming a vassal of others.
Levi wants to annex her pirate group.
If someone else made such an overbearing proposal to her, she would definitely spit in disdain and then raise her guns to let the other person know what a "girl who loves to laugh" is.
But when Levi said this, Sarah hesitated.
"She was recalling her experiences in the Zaun community."
"Oh...it turns out that she has already met Wei, Lina, and Caitlin. Their performance seems to have left Miss Sarah with a very good impression of the Leader."
Seraphine quietly grasped Levi's hand and provided him with "real-time translation " of the negotiations:
"It turns out that Miss Sarah has her own ideals besides revenge."
“She wants to end Gangplank’s brutal rule and restore order to the chaotic Bilgewater. This ideal seems to coincide with what we, the Wind Leaders, pursue.”
"But...she's still hesitant."
It is normal to hesitate. Sarah's understanding of the leader is too shallow. Even if she has a good impression of him, she can't just join.
"You can think about it for a while." Li Wei added at the right time: "We can cooperate for a while and get to know each other better. If you still don't want to join the Leader, we won't force you."
"During this time, you can try to learn our theory." He also joked, "It's free anyway, so it's worth a try, right?"
Sarah thought about it carefully for a moment and agreed that this was a good idea.
Then she asked, "How are we going to work together? What does Windleader need me and my crew to do for you?"
"The Leader is planning to build his own fleet, and I need you to train sailing talents for me," Levi said.
"I see." Sarah also figured it out.
The Leader needed a fleet that could deal with Gangplank, so he specially recruited her to be a navigation instructor despite her rich experience in naval battles and her blood feud with Gangplank.
The two parties have the same goals and there is indeed a basis for cooperation.
Cooperate first. If the leader pleases her, it is not impossible for him to join the other party.
Sarah readily agreed and asked, "How is your fleet going now? How many ships do you have?"
"Including your Siren, there is one." Levi answered honestly.
Sarah: “…”
Wow, this fleet lineup can compete with the Shurima Navy.
So if she didn't have the Siren, the naval commander of the Leader would have to take a fishing boat to find Gangplank?
"Although we don't have ships now, we will have them soon." Levi said calmly: "There are many alchemy barons operating smuggling fleets in Zaun. For example, Baron Takeda Saito——"
"He even owns a world-class shipyard that can produce steam ironclad ships that are as powerful as those of the Noxian Navy."
There are ironclad ships in Runeterra, and the Leviathan that was taken away by Gangplank is one of them. Even ironclad ships can be stolen by pirates, which shows how weak the Noxian Navy is.
"Ironclad ship?" Sarah was excited.
Of course she likes steam-powered battleships with thick armor and many turrets.
But she soon realized that Levi was just exaggerating: "You don't even have a sampan now, and you're already thinking about an ironclad ship?"
"I really admire your imagination."
"Haha." Levi smiled optimistically: "I'm not only thinking about ironclad ships, I'm also thinking about aircraft carriers."
Seriously, Runeterra already has planes. The one that [Heroic Bombardier Corki] flies is one.
Zaun already had the technology to build ships. It was not difficult to build a first-generation aircraft carrier by laying a layer of wood on an ironclad ship.
Moreover, Levi told Victor the radio principles he knew. After trying, Victor confirmed that these principles were still effective in Runeland. Therefore, radio communications and shipborne radars may become a reality in the future.
So according to Levi's prediction, the era of cannons and big ships in Runeterra will probably be over soon.
Alchemical fuel-powered aircraft carriers, hex-powered carrier-based aircraft, ship-borne radars, plus the additional airflow catapults and vertical take-off and landing capabilities provided by the Wind Leader borrowing the power of Janna... The future Wind Leader fleet will definitely be able to defeat the Noxian Navy, which is still using artillery to bombard each other.
"This..." Sarah couldn't understand.
A warship with enough space but not enough guns was a heresy to this old sailor.
"Let's be more pragmatic," she reminded, "You don't even have a ship right now."
"But we have a goddess." Levi's words put her mind at ease.
"There will be ironclad ships, and there will also be aircraft carriers."
That is the real God. If you walk with God, why should you be afraid that your fantasy may not come true?
Sarah thought about it seriously and finally decided to take the offer from Levi.
She made an agreement with Levi, agreeing to accept a group of Wind Leader warriors aboard the Siren to learn navigation knowledge from her;
During this period, her pirate group worked for the Leader's Association as mercenaries, and the Leader's Association needed to pay her and her crew high salaries.
But correspondingly, Sarah and her crew must also be a member of the Leader's armed forces, abide by the Leader's rules and regulations, and receive regular theoretical study and ideological education.
The cooperation was successfully negotiated.
But Levi still had a question: "Ms. Sarah, do you know Nagakabouros?"
"Of course I understand." Sarah answered without hesitation.
Nagakabouros, also known as the Snake Queen, the Sea Beast, or the Bearded Lady - legend has it that she has an enormous sea monster head surrounded by tentacles that look like her "beard".
He is the god of the Serpentine Islands and he really exists.
Whether it is the effective "tithing" law or the powerful priests among the Baru people who can use divine power to summon tentacles, they are the best proof of its existence.
How could the people of Bilgewater not know about Nagakabouros?
"Then, Sarah..." Levi asked again with great concern: "Do you understand the specific teachings of Nagakabouros?"
"This..." This really stumped Sarah.
Bilgewater and Nasana can be said to be closely connected, but also completely unrelated.
Because Nagakabouros is the god of the Baru people, the indigenous inhabitants of the Serpent Islands.
Bilgewater is actually just a port outpost spontaneously opened up by offshore fishermen and pirates on the Serpentine Islands.
So the relationship between Bilgewater and the Serpentine Islands, and the relationship between the people of Bilgewater and the Baru people, to put it inappropriately... is a bit like the relationship between Macau and the Ming Dynasty.
The pirates dared not offend the native Baru people. Although the Baru people despised the pirates, they also allowed these outsiders to build ports and cities here.
But both sides still live their own lives.
Although they are close to each other, each side has its own lifestyle and the exchanges are not frequent.
“Only the Baru people worship Na. There are a few Baru temples in Bilgewater, but we never go near them.”
"But..." Sarah asked in confusion: "President Levi, why are you interested in the faith of Goddess Na?"
"We are going to Bilgewater to develop, so of course we have to understand the temperament of the local gods."
"Don't forget, we have a true God here too."
When two gods meet, nothing good usually happens.
It was because of the conflict of faith that Janna was ordered by the Shurima Empire, which worshipped the giant gods of heaven, to destroy the temple and disband the sect, and her faith inheritance was gradually cut off. As a result, she was reduced from a demigod who could call the wind and rain and move mountains and seas to a "useless bird" who could only be used as an electric fan.
And according to Janna...her relationship with Nagakabouros was actually never very good.
The meaning of Janna's name is "guardian", and her divine power was born to protect mankind.
As long as someone prayed to her, she would do her best to help.
And Nagakabouros seemed to hate Janna's original teachings and her unconditional kindness in protecting humans.
"The Serpent Islands are the territory of Nagakabouros."
"He doesn't like me invading His kingdom. In fact, I even had some unpleasant conflicts with Him because of several sea rescue operations for believers."
Bluebird Janna also added in Levi's heart at this time.
Because Nagakabouros was never willing to live in peace with her, even Janna, who had lived for thousands of years, could not figure out the temper of this "old senior" or understand His teachings.
All Janna knew was that her original teachings of protecting humanity seemed to conflict with the teachings of the goddess Na.
That would be troublesome.
If the gods of the Serpentine Islands do not welcome Janna, then the Wind Leader will have to deal with not just a Gangplank, but a true god.
You should know that Nagakabouros is not an acquired god of belief, but a concept god born from the beginning.
Even though his followers are limited to the Baru people and the spread of his faith is limited, his strength is actually not inferior to that of Janna in her heyday.
"So I want to find out what exactly Nagakabouros's teachings are."
"Why didn't He agree with Goddess Janna's original teachings?"
Levi asked Sarah very seriously.
Sarah thought for a long time, and then said, "I don't really understand it. The beliefs of the Baru people are too obscure to understand..."
"However, there are also Baju people on my ship. I often hear him chanting Na Shen Na Shen, and I can probably repeat some of it."
"In short, according to the Baju people:"
"Nagakabouros is not the god of sea beasts, but the god of life of the Serpent Islands, the storm of the deep sea, and the supreme movement itself!"
Exercise, this is the teaching of Nagakabouros.
The concept was difficult to grasp, and Sarah didn't quite understand it.
She just repeated in a confused manner:
"The Baru people believe that Nagakabouros is the concept of 'movement' itself, and the universe is always surging forward, and everything is moving."
"Just as one cannot step into the same river twice. Everything exists and does not exist at the same time, because everything is flowing, constantly changing, constantly coming into being and disappearing."
"The only thing that never changes is change itself - that is Nagakabouros."
“…”
Sarah was so confused, but seeing Levi's thoughtful and focused look, she had to continue:
"In short, they believed that everything was in constant motion and change, never stopping."
"Dreaming and waking, life and death, day and night, are always the same thing. The latter changes and becomes the former, and the former changes again and becomes the latter."
"Everything exists and does not exist at the same time. Only with this opposition can the world exist. For example, harmony in music is produced by the combination of high and low notes."
"So, God Na likes war."
Nagakabouros is the god of life and movement, which sounds like a kind and benevolent god.
But in fact, everyone in Bilgewater knows that Goddess Nan is actually an extremely cruel "evil god".
Just like the voice of [Sea Beast Priest Illaoi]: "You have learned the true meaning. Now fight, kill, and conquer."
"Nana believes that the world is ruled by struggle. War is the father and king of all things."
“Without struggle and opposition, the world would perish—stagnate or perish. Only when opposition and contradiction are unified can harmony be achieved.”
So God Na likes war.
So in the "future story" that Levi knew, a murderer like Planck, a tyrant who committed many evil deeds, could pass the trial of Nagakabouros, the "God of Life", and become a believer recognized by Nagakabouros.
"President Levi," Sarah said worriedly, "At present, it seems that the way your leaders act is in serious conflict with the teachings of Nagakabouros."
"I don't think the leader will be welcomed by the Baju people."
But Levi just remained silent.
He was worried at first, then thoughtful, and then gradually showed excitement and surprise.
"No, I understand. Nagakabouros is pursuing 'sport', not pure war."
Nagakabouros is the god of sports.
"Movement is contradiction, and contradiction is unity of opposites. Contradiction exists in the development process of all things; contradiction exists from beginning to end in the development process of all things——"
“We leaders also believe that the world is universally connected and is in eternal development.”
Levi understood.
The teachings of Nagakabouros seem to be...
"Naive dialectics?"
No wonder Nagakabouros didn't like the original Janna.
Because the original Goddess Janna was just a mindless sea lifeguard, she was not "athletic" enough.
But now, the situation may be different.
The dialectical materialism in Janna's theory, as updated by Levi, is largely consistent with the teachings of Nagakabouros, and the system is more complete and the theory is more scientific.
Na Shen likes struggle and confrontation, and believes that struggle can bring progress.
When it comes to struggle, who can be more active than the current leader?
“Perhaps, we and the Baru people can become friends.”
Levi pondered secretly in his heart.
But how to verify this guess? Send the leader to the Baru Temple to discuss the truth?
That is the territory of the heretical true god, and sending people there is very risky.
"Seraphini, I'll copy for you... um, write a song called "Sailor" and a song called "Binx's Wine"..."
"In short, we need to hurry up and release a batch of nautical-themed music albums, and export them to Bilgewater at a discount. Of course, each album must come with a copy of 'A Brief Account of Janna's Thought'."
Let’s not go there in person yet, let’s try to convey our ideas first.
"Next, it depends on the reaction of the Baru people."
