Decisive Battle 3

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

With the help of the waves' undulations, the second round of cannon fire from the Hope hit near the waterline of the pirate ship, causing its bilge to start flooding.

"Hurrah!" Cheers erupted on the Hope as they continued preparing for the third round of cannon fire.

The leading pirate ship, however, was in disarray. The captain shouted, "Seal the leaks!"

People in the bilge tried everything to plug the holes, but with the third round of Alden Navy cannon fire, it became apparent that the task was impossible.

As the seawater surged in, the breaches at the waterline widened, and the bilge flooded even more.

The captain went down to assess the situation personally, realizing that the situation was irredeemable. The Hope, with exceptional luck, scored another hit near the waterline with the third round of cannon fire.

The pirate captain, with a resentful expression, glared at the Hope and reluctantly gave the order: signal nearby ships, we must abandon this vessel.

...

The plight of the leading pirate ship caused confusion among the following vessels. Jaden looked incredulous. "What on earth is happening? Even before laying hands on the enemy fleet, one of our ships is done for."

He shouted through a megaphone, "Speed up, speed up! Get close and board their ship!"

The pirate leader believed that regardless of whatever strange long-range attack methods the Alden Navy possessed, once the boarding commenced, his warriors could slaughter the enemy in a very short time, making the battle as easy as when they absorbed other pirate groups.

The second pirate ship approached the sinking lead ship, and pirates from the first ship began jumping aboard.

The Hope immediately fired at the approaching pirate ship coming to rescue, but unfortunately, this time only one cannonball hit the upper deck.

Although only one cannonball hit, it still caused significant damage, claiming the lives of several pirates and even damaging the not-so-sturdy mast.

The remarkable performance of the Hope drew a considerable amount of hatred. Three more pirate ships rushed towards it.

Commander Austin, personally directing the battle, lowered his telescope and instructed the messenger, "Inform all ships to support the Hope, but try not to hinder the firing of the Hope's cannons."

Under this command, other naval vessels hastened their speed to encircle the pirate ships.

"Load grapeshot!" "Prepare the swivel guns! Cough, cough!"

As enemy vessels closed in, the gunnery officer on the Hope issued orders repeatedly. The deck was filled with thick smoke and the acrid smell of burning gunpowder, making him cough incessantly.

"Ah!" Just as the gunnery officer struggled to observe the enemy through the smoke, a heart-wrenching scream suddenly pierced the air. It turned out that a member of the gun crew, in their panic, had failed to clean the cannon properly before stuffing in new gunpowder, causing the residual spark inside the barrel to ignite the freshly loaded gunpowder, spraying onto the loader's face.

Everyone, including the gunnery officer, encountered this accident for the first time. They hurriedly dragged the injured loader aside to examine his injuries.

"What are you doing? Get back to your gun positions and prepare to fire!"

Captain Quik noticed the situation and immediately ordered the injured crew member to be taken below deck. He commanded the gunners to return to their posts and sternly reminded them, "Strictly follow the firing procedure."

The gunners quickly took their positions. At this point, the nearest pirate ship was only a little over 10 meters away. The gunnery officer roared, "Fire!"

Four 6-pound cannons and two swivel guns unleashed deadly grapeshot, a storm of metal hurtling toward the pirate ship.

The assembled pirates preparing for a boarding action only saw a dark object swiftly flying towards them, and then a large number of people on the deck instantly fell down.

A scene of tragedy unfolded on the deck, with pirates tumbling about, and even the hull riddled with many holes. Cries of agony and moans filled the entire deck.

"My arm! My arm!" A pirate looked in horror at his right arm, which had just been pierced through by a projectile, now devoid of any sensation except pain.

Due to the effect of a recently taken mysterious drug, his heartbeat was faster than usual, and the blood in his body flowed faster than normal, causing the wound on his arm to pump blood out rapidly, almost like a fountain.

"No... no... don't let it be like this..." Fear of death suppressed the intense pain in his right arm. The pirate rambled in panic, clutching his wounded arm tightly with his trembling left hand. However, his efforts were in vain; no matter how hard he tried to cover it, blood continued to gush out from between his fingers.

Soon, his brain started to spin, his vision darkened, and his body became unstable. A wave caused the ship to sway slightly, and with a thud, the pirate fell on the deck, never to rise again.

Many others on the deck faced similar fates. Those with more severe injuries bled profusely, and gradually, their cries and moans grew fainter until they fell silent.

"Lie down! Everyone, lie down!" Among the fortunate few who remained unhurt, a quick-witted individual loudly reminded their companions to lie flat on the deck to avoid the Alden Navy's cannon fire.

The remaining two pirate ships rushing towards the Hope witnessed the grim scene ahead and suddenly slowed down, seemingly afraid of meeting the same fate.

The drug-induced frenzy in their minds was abruptly doused with a bucket of reality. The captains of the two ships quickly regained their composure and carefully weighed whether to risk engaging the strange ship.

"What are they doing?" Jaden observed the hesitation of the two leading ships ahead, his expression turning fiercely grim.

"Don't they know? The other side has powerful long-range attack capabilities. Stopping will only leave us passively getting pounded!"

He stamped forcefully on the deck, possibly due to the drug's effects, losing his usual calm demeanor. He felt restless at the sudden turn of events that didn't favor them.

Beside him, a red-eyed leader suggested bitterly, "Captain Jaden, these newcomers are unreliable. Let's handle this ourselves, wipe out these Blue Stripes, and slowly deal with these scum."

The foremost four ships were from the Eel Gang, recently merged or self-recruited from three smaller groups. This operation was arranged for them to test their loyalty and combat prowess at the forefront. After all, even if the main force of the navy had departed, there would likely still be some forces guarding their lair. It was necessary to have some cannon fodder to spearhead the attack.

Unexpectedly, they ran into the main force of the navy.

Jaden clenched his fists tightly and struck hard on the mast. The not-so-sturdy mast of the sailboat shook under his blow.

"Forget it! While that strange ship is distracted by those wastes up ahead, let's attack those sailboats."

The six pirate ships slightly adjusted their course and rushed towards the other naval vessels.

(End of the chapter)