There were few waves on the sea tonight, and the bright moonlight made the water look very clear.
Whoosh~
The calm sea was suddenly parted by the Argo, creating ripples on the clear surface.
The small ship was moving forward at an extremely fast speed.
However, judging from its appearance, no one knows what powers the ship. Its sails are folded up, and there is no steam engine in sight.
Especially at night, it resembles a ghost ship filled with unknowns.
At this moment, in the cockpit of the Argo, Odis was carefully observing the sea surface through a telescope.
They arrived at the waters off Nikkate Island more than half an hour ahead of schedule, but did not encounter the "Red Lion" pirate group en route.
Around noon, after Odis and Rupert brought back the general course of the "Red Lion" pirate crew, Iraiz determined that the "Red Lion" pirate crew was probably going to raid the southern section of the central route.
After all, they had just engaged in a naval battle with other pirate groups, and the repairs to their ships and the purchase of supplies must have cost them a lot. They were definitely going to rob some pirates to make up for their losses and also to let their pirate crew members have some fun.
But we didn't encounter them along the way.
Odis put down his telescope and asked Ilez: "Besides the southern section of the central route, which other sea area nearby is relatively easy to plunder cargo ships or merchant ships?"
Behind Odis were Bazel, Rupert, Ilse, and others.
Yi Lai Zhe pointed to the nautical chart and said, "It's the waters around Gilain Island, but that's quite far from here. It would take ordinary ships several days to get there."
Gilain Island is located in the southern part of the Roside Islands, while the waters around Nikkate Island, where they are currently located, are in the western part of the Roside Islands.
In other words, if you set off from Nicate Island, ordinary seagoing vessels would need to sail westward for two or three days to reach the central route, which is a main shipping lane. Merchant ships, cargo ships, and passenger ships from countries such as Fenneport travel back and forth on that route in an endless stream.
If you are traveling from Nikkat Island to the waters off Gilain Island, you must first sail south and then east, and it would take at least a week for a regular seagoing vessel to reach the island.
According to the intelligence that Odis and Rupert obtained at the shipyard on Nicot Island, the Red Lion pirate fleet had indeed sailed west.
Odis picked up his binoculars again and glanced at the sea before saying, "Change course and head to the waters off Gilain Island!"
He speculated that the Red Lion pirate crew had indeed sailed west, but this was likely a smokescreen put out by the crew's captain, Taylor, to mislead those who wanted to find out the Red Lion pirate crew's whereabouts.
Odis knew very well that the other party was a "schemer," and such tactics were standard practice.
He guessed that the "Red Lion" pirate crew's course was probably west first, then south, and finally east, making a big detour to Gilain Island.
If the "Argo" were an ordinary pirate ship, it would have already been tricked, and since the other side had already set off a day earlier, it would be difficult to catch up with them.
However, the "Argo" is not an ordinary pirate ship. Its speed is about three times the maximum speed of an ordinary pirate ship. If Odis's guess is correct, it will also take a big detour and catch up with the "Red Lion" pirate crew by dawn tomorrow.
The sea is vast, but the shipping routes are fixed.
For example, the route from Nikkate Island to Gilain Island is connected by reefs exposed above the sea, as well as islands, stars, and ocean currents.
So even though the sea is boundless, if you want to catch up with another ship, you can basically catch up with it by following a fixed route.
The error in their navigation was basically within the telescope's field of vision.
If ships do not follow fixed routes, they are more likely to run aground, get lost, or accidentally enter dangerous waters. Therefore, most ships follow such fixed routes.
This is why most pirates prioritize ship speed; they need sufficient speed to close in on merchant ships encountered on fixed routes.
If you encounter the navy, you need to be fast enough to escape.
Of course, some pirate groups also have secret routes, and in some sea areas where the navy or "punishers" frequently appear, the pirates also have alternative routes to choose from.
However, there is no need to worry about the Red Lions pirate crew taking other routes during the first half of the voyage from Nicolás to Gilain, as there are few naval personnel in the area and there is no need for them to do so.
As the night deepened, Odis ordered Rupert and the others to go back and rest, and to summon them again if any situation arose.
Odis and Bazel took turns monitoring the sea.
As the two drank their third pot of coffee, the eastern sky began to lighten, but they still couldn't find any trace of the "Red Lion" pirate crew.
Odis, whose eyes were bloodshot, put down her binoculars and poured herself another cup of coffee.
To facilitate shift duty, a table with an open nautical chart and two chairs fixed to the floor were added to the previously empty cockpit.
Sitting to the side, Bazel, holding a coffee cup, suddenly said, "When I was on the ship 'Finger Severed,' the first mate hated coffee, and he also had a bad habit of drinking alcohol whenever the weather was bad, and he liked to curse when he drank."
"But strangely enough, no matter how much he drank, he always managed to give the right orders at the right time, keeping us constantly battling the storm."
"Once, after he scolded me, I secretly replaced the wine in his flask with coffee."
"He took a sip, then spat it out more than two meters away... Hahaha..."
With tears in his eyes, Bazel said, "It's normal to die at sea. Every one of us who goes out to sea is prepared to die on this crazy and tedious ocean."
"But Taylor shouldn't have let them suffer before they died, to die in agony."
Odis patted the first mate on the shoulder: "We will avenge them. Even if we don't catch Taylor this time, we have the intelligence exchange mechanism, and we will soon be able to get information about them again."
If they haven't caught up with Taylor yet, then this pursuit operation may have failed.
Bazel nodded slowly: "I know, I know."
His eyes hardened once again.
Odis, having finished his coffee, was about to continue observing the sea when, before he could even pick up his telescope, he saw a dark spot on the horizon.
He quickly picked up his binoculars and confirmed that it was a fleet of three ships.
Odis immediately sounded the alarm and used a "megaphone array" to command all crew members: "Prepare for battle!"
Bazel jumped up and rushed to the window. Although he couldn't see the other party's flag clearly yet, it was very likely the "Red Lion" pirate crew.
When Rupert and the others arrived at the cockpit, the situation ahead became much clearer.
First, there was a fleet of three ships on the route. Their flag was a red lion with its head held high; it was the "Red Lion" pirate crew.
In front of the "Red Lion" pirate crew was a fleet of eight ships.
After observing for a while, Bazel made a preliminary judgment that it was a fleet of armed merchant ships heading towards Gilain Island.
However, they were unlucky enough to encounter the "Red Lion" pirate crew.
At this moment, the Red Lions pirate crew was obviously chasing the merchant fleet. According to the normal "procedure" of robbery, after catching up, the Red Lions pirate crew would use their speed advantage to circle around a few times to show off.
During the circling, they would fire cannons at each other. Experienced pirates could usually find the weaker ships in the fleet after circling two or three times and then launch a targeted attack.
In the cockpit of the "Argo," Odis held a brief operational meeting: "After the battle begins, Bazel will rendezvous with the attack squad and be ready to launch an offensive at any time."
"Rupert will lead five 'extraordinary puppets' to hold the deck in case of an enemy counterattack; if I go to support Bazel, Rupert will also be in the cockpit to command and coordinate."
During the pursuit yesterday afternoon and evening, Odis and his team assembled a second batch of 20 "extraordinary puppets" and instilled them with fighting skills using the extraordinary properties of the "fighting scholars" inside the "wisdom helmets".
Furthermore, with Bazel's help, Odis "extracted" techniques for using common weapons such as swords.
These 20 "Extraordinary Puppets" are specific "combat puppets" that are only awakened during battle.
Furthermore, Odis planned to set up an "insurance program" for them when he had time, to prevent them from accidentally injuring his own crew.
Odis glanced at Ilse, who, theoretically, should have returned to the cabin to take shelter by now.
But Iraiz said, "I'll take a look from the cockpit."
He was eager to see how this new ship would fight.
Odis said nothing, but said to the "extraordinary puppet" on the side of the cockpit: "Activate the safety on the Spirit Wave Cannon and the machine gun."
The Argo's rapid pursuit quickly attracted the attention of the Red Lions pirate crew. Bazel, who was observing through binoculars, reported: "The enemy flagship has crew members using flag signals to inquire about our intentions."
Odis, sitting in the captain's seat, said, "Tell them I'm here for their heads. Let them wash their necks and wait."
Bazel smiled helplessly: "Signal can only express some simple meanings, such as fighting, negotiation, and so on."
Odis, who hadn't studied this much, simply said, "Oh: Are there flag signals for 'hunting'?"
"No."
What about the flag signals for 'debt collection'?
"No."
Unable to express his thoughts clearly, Odis said helplessly, "Ignore them and keep going."
At this moment, the "extraordinary puppet" outside, responsible for observing the distance, reported to the leader in an almost monotone tone: "30 kilometers from the target."
In fact, the enemy ships had long since entered the firing range of the "Lingbo Cannon," but Odis delayed in giving the order to fire.
Because firing at the maximum range of the "Lingbo Cannon" would still be a long way from the target, and it would take some time to determine the extent of the attack, this would likely give Taylor enough time to prepare.
Now that we've determined the enemy ship is a regular pirate ship, we might as well get closer before firing.
The sun slowly rose from the east, illuminating this sea area.
At this moment, the atmosphere on the sea had become tense. Not only had the "Argo" entered a state of combat readiness, but the "Red Lion" pirate crew in front had also entered a state of combat readiness.
The pirates prepared the cannons, cleaned the barrels, filled them with gunpowder, and loaded the shells.
Most pirates still use this old-fashioned cannon. Although it doesn't have the range of cannons that use cannonballs with built-in primers, it is more stable.
Generally, only ironclad warships would use new cannons, because wooden ships could not hold the new cannons in place, and the deck would be severely damaged after only a few shots.
Ironclad warships, on the other hand, could use welding and other methods to fix new cannons to the hull, and could also use hydraulic and spring devices to reduce recoil.
The merchant fleet at the front also spotted the Argo, but they didn't take it too seriously because the Argo was too small. Even the two medium-sized pirate ships were much larger than the Argo.
But Taylor's spirituality warned him, making him somewhat uneasy, and he kept taking out his binoculars to observe the Argo.
He noticed, of course, that the small-looking ship was flying the banner of "Elemental Dawn," and below that banner was an unfamiliar one composed of a six-pointed star, a sword, and an eye.
Taylor believed that the ship was not a threat given its size, but since it bore the banner of "Elemental Dawn," there was a very likely powerful figure on board.
Taylor believed that the people on the ship had given his spiritual sense a warning of danger, but he was not panicked because the other party was at most a Sequence 5, and Taylor had a sealed artifact that matched a Sequence 5.
He obtained that sealed item from within the organization using his merits, intending to use it for future promotions.
Once he has accumulated enough merit, he will ask the organization for help to break the seal and use its extraordinary properties to concoct a magic potion.
So Taylor now has the strength of a Sequence 5, and he has already recruited a second mate, who is on his own ship, so dealing with a Sequence 5 shouldn't be a problem.
The only thing to worry about is that the Sequence 5 has a higher-level sealed artifact, but even so, Taylor is confident he can escape.
However, the probability of this happening is not high, because Taylor has never offended the captains of "Element Dawn" and has shown them full respect in public. He believes that "Element Dawn" will not target him.
As Taylor continued his analysis, a small seagoing vessel with the words "Argo" on its port bow approached at a speed that surprised even Taylor.
The crew of the "Red Lion" were still smoking and joking about whether the small ship was planning to ram it and take everyone down with it.
It wasn't that they underestimated their enemy, but generally speaking, wooden ships would only fire at each other to test the waters when they were about seven or eight kilometers apart.
The first few shots would mostly hit the water, because the range of this old-fashioned cannon was only four or five kilometers.
The probing shelling can also be seen as a way for each side to express its determination to fight.
Just then, Taylor noticed that the deck at the bow of the Argo suddenly opened, revealing a mechanical structure that looked very complex and had a strange beauty.
Next, two not-very-thick metal rods extend from the middle of the machine.
Taylor wondered if this was some kind of new and extraordinary weapon. But he still didn't take it too seriously, because in his mind, no matter what kind of weapon it was, it couldn't be very powerful at such a distance.
The next second, the space between the two metal rods became illusory.
This change made Taylor's hand holding the binoculars tremble, and an unprecedented sense of unease washed over him. Almost instinctively, he quickly went to the edge of the deck.
In the perilous "forest," even the "hunter" needs to be vigilant enough to avoid becoming the prey.
When a small ball of light was launched from between the two metal rods, Taylor's eyes narrowed, and he immediately jumped into the sea and tried to dive down.
Boom!
The Red Lion was hit by the Lingbo Cannon, and the ship disappeared in a flash of light.
The violent explosion created huge waves and shockwaves that capsized another medium-sized ship belonging to the "Red Lion" pirate crew.
The only remaining ship was also hit because it was farther away; many cannons and crew members fell into the sea, and the mast broke.
...
At this moment, everyone in the cockpit of the "Argo" except Odis stared wide-eyed at the scene before them, their expressions filled with astonishment.
Bazel even forgot to rejoin the attack team, while Rupert kept rubbing his eyes, wondering if he was dreaming.
This also includes Iraiz, because when testing the weapon system of the new ship in the waters off Shara Island, the ship was first sailed to the open sea before the test firing began.
Only the scholars who participated in setting up the magic array, as well as the ship designers and the high-ranking members of "Elemental Dawn," knew the power of this cannon.
In the quiet cockpit, Odis, holding binoculars, sighed. Because the "Argo" was relatively small, the area for setting up the magic array was also relatively small, and the power of the "Spirit Wave Cannon" was not as great as the "Spirit Wave Cannon" on the large ship built for Bernadette.
Moreover, you can only fire two shots in a row, and then you have to rest for 2 minutes before you can fire another shot.
It's alright, though; it can easily take down an ironclad warship.
Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!
Odis muttered, "Using anti-aircraft guns to kill mosquitoes," then put down his binoculars and ordered the "Extraordinary Puppet," "Prepare the bow cannons and fire on the last remaining enemy ship!"
...
The crew members of the merchant fleet ahead were stunned and rushed to the deck to watch. Many of them knelt on the ground to praise the "Lord of the Storm" or the "Sea God".
They believed that their prayers must have moved the gods, which then sent down divine punishment, blowing up the pirates' flagship.
Only a few people with telescopes saw that the Argo launched a small point of light, which then caused the violent explosion.
Before they could explain to those around them, the bow of the Argo fired a series of shells, and the last pirate ship was immediately engulfed in flames. The flames were probably from a ignited gunpowder magazine, and the entire stern was blown away.
The crew members jumped into the sea amidst the flames.
Almost instantly, the pirate ship began to sink from its stern.
Without needing any explanation, the crew members praying on the ground understood that it was the ship that didn't look very big that had attacked the "Red Lion" pirate crew.
In less than ten seconds, they destroyed one of the pirates' three ships and sank the other two.
Yes, it was "blown up," because not even a few planks of the flagship remained.
The crew members stood there dumbfounded, the scene before them completely beyond their comprehension and beyond their wildest imagination.
...
Whoosh~
Taylor finally surfaced and gasped for breath.
The violent explosion had sent shockwaves that pushed him into the deep sea, and he swam desperately to avoid drowning.
Taylor was already seriously injured, with a small dent in his head, a result of the shockwave.
Taylor also lost an arm and had a wooden board stuck in his back.
Upon seeing the situation on the water, he froze, as if he were in a nightmare.
The Red Lion Pirate Crew is gone. Just a moment ago, his pirate crew was gone!
Of the remaining two ships, one has capsized and the other has begun to sink.
The ship that had begun to sink was now engulfed in flames.
The water was littered with the bodies of the crew members; some had been burned to death, while others had been struck by hard objects and died from the shockwave.
"Captain… Captain…" A hoarse, weak voice brought Taylor back to his senses.
He saw his first mate, Sandra, floating on the sea not far away, her once beautiful face half charred and half severely burned.
Her body was incomplete; she was missing an arm, her abdomen was also missing, and most of the remaining parts were charred, making it impossible to see her former beauty and sexiness.
Taylor could imagine that in the instant of the violent explosion, she must have been constantly using the abilities of various "stand-ins".
However, the power of the explosion was still too great, and even though she kept using her Stand, she still suffered such severe injuries.
Because her body was enhanced by the magic potion, she did not die immediately.
But at this point, the potion's enhancement had become a curse, and it would be better to die quickly.
Taylor seemed to fall back into reality in an instant. His gaze turned gloomy again. He glanced at the "Argo" and, after swimming some distance away, swam to Sandra's side.
Looking into the first mate's eyes, Taylor instantly recalled a series of passionate nights.
He was very self-aware, knowing full well that he was not a good person. He used any despicable means to attack his opponents, and he tortured prisoners of war to death as sacrifices to the great gods.
But at this moment, Taylor felt for the first time that perhaps it was because he had done too many bad things that he had been hit like this.
At the same time, it was the first time he had ever felt despair, because until this moment, he still didn't know what weapon had caused such a violent explosion.
He didn't even know how he had offended them, or why they were attacking him so suddenly.
But this wasn't the time to think about that. Taylor tried to stay calm and placed a hand on Sandra's forehead.
Amidst the First Mate's weak twitching, two flames erupted from her eyes.
Taylor burned her brain, leaving her to die.
Then, without turning his head, Taylor swam in the opposite direction from the Argo.
...
In the cockpit of the Argo, Odis ordered the first and second officers: "Take your binoculars and go to the deck to look for Taylor."
The people in the room seemed to suddenly come to their senses and began to get busy.
However, the shock of the Argo's weaponry hadn't completely subsided. Bazel circled around for a moment before walking towards the telescope. Rupert, on the other hand, reached out twice before finally grasping the telescope.
Odis smiled. This was the first time the "Spirit Wave Cannon" and the "Extraordinary Machine Gun" had been used in actual combat, and the result was quite good.
With the support of this ship, he possessed the full strength of a "pirate general".
But Odis was well aware that although the "Spirit Wave Cannon" was very powerful, it would be difficult to kill a Sequence 6 with it.
If the opponent is a stubborn person, the "Lingbo Cannon" is enough to take down an enemy at Sequence 5.
The problem is that extraordinary individuals are not targets, nor would they be foolish enough to engage in a head-on confrontation with such a powerful cannon.
Their spirituality will surely give them some warning in advance, prompting them to take actions to avoid danger.
Therefore, Odis concluded that Taylor was not dead, or that Sequence 6 and Sequence 5 had time and space to escape.
Taylor didn't find it immediately, but Bazel observed that almost all the members of the "Red Lion" pirate crew were dead, with floating corpses everywhere, and the few survivors struggling aimlessly in the water.
At this moment, Rupert found Taylor, who was frantically wandering around.
Odis immediately ordered a course change to pursue Taylor.
When Taylor realized that the Argo had spotted him, ravens flew out of the sea like bombs and hurtled towards the Argo.
Odis immediately ordered: "Replace the bow machine guns with ice cannons to block the fire crows."
Thump thump thump~
The machine guns at the bow of the ship began firing again, exploding into white "fireworks" in mid-air, forming a curtain of ice and snow.
Some of the fire crows that were hit directly were frozen in the ice and fell into the sea.
Even those that weren't hit quickly shrank and went out after passing through this icy prelude.
"Extend the artillery fire!" Odis immediately ordered, "Attack Taylor!"
Thump thump thump~
Like a death knell, a barrage of cannon fire rained down on Taylor.
Taylor's spiritual senses were once again alerted to the danger, and he summoned several "fire walls" on the sea to obscure his vision, thus narrowly escaping the shelling.
Odis commanded, "Prepare the electromagnetic cannon."
In the middle of the Argo, the sail of the lowest of the three horizontal masts suddenly fell onto the deck, and an "extraordinary puppet" quickly climbed to the junction of the horizontal and vertical masts.
There is a complex mechanical structure here. After pulling out the corresponding safety ring, the mast can be adjusted up, down, left, and right.
Eventually, one end of the mast was roughly aligned with Taylor, and the "extraordinary puppet" immediately jumped down from it.
Almost simultaneously, the erected mast suddenly crackled with electricity, making Bazel and Rupert's hair stand on end on the deck.
However, they are not in danger as long as they are at a safe distance.
A small electric sphere quickly formed on the side of the horizontal mast that was aimed at Taylor.
Inside the cockpit, the "extraordinary puppet" at the control panel reported to the leader: "Power charging complete."
Odis: "Fire!"
The small ball of electricity was shot out and exploded almost instantly not far from Taylor, forming a large ball of electricity on the sea surface with constantly flashing arcs.
For a moment, the white lightning in the sky made the sea surface appear snow-white, and the sunlight seemed to weaken.
When the lightning disappeared, Taylor sank straight into the sea.
But he did not die, because at the crucial moment, he covered his body with a layer of flame, thus avoiding being burned by the electric sparks.
At this point, Taylor was simply paralyzed by the electric shock and could no longer float on the sea.
Odis rose from the captain's seat, went up to the deck, and said to Bazel, who was about to jump into the sea to find Taylor, "Wait a minute."
Bazel, whose eyes were already bloodshot, looked at the captain.
Odis stood at the cockpit door and said, "He may have committed many evils, but you must not become like him."
Bazel nodded, somewhat moved. "Yes, Captain."
Odis then said to the "Extraordinary Puppet," "Pave a path for the First Mate."
Thump thump thump~
The "extraordinary machine guns" at the bow and stern fired simultaneously. This time, they fired "ice cannons," and the white shells exploded on the sea surface, freezing a small patch of seawater.
As the artillery fire extended, a passage was formed leading to the spot where Taylor had just fallen into the water.
The shelling ceased after a small ice platform was "blasted" out near where Taylor fell into the water.
Bazel walked on the ice, the icy water soaking his shoes and trousers, which gradually calmed him down.
The steps toward that ice and snow platform became increasingly steady.
Whoosh~
Just as Bazel arrived at the "Ice and Snow Platform," Taylor finally swam to the surface. He used all his strength to climb onto the platform and lay there panting heavily.
Although the electromagnetic cannon shells didn't burn Taylor, the electric arcs pierced holes in his body.
Furthermore, he had even lost consciousness for a period of time. Even as a Sequence 6, being underwater for such a long time caused him to choke on several mouthfuls of water and nearly suffocate.
After all, he wasn't an extraordinary individual through the "Sailor" pathway.
The will to survive made Taylor swim to the surface, but by then his eyes were unfocused, he was seriously injured, and he was barely alive.
Bazel pulled out a dagger and slit Taylor's throat, who was now completely powerless to resist: "I told you back then, after I escaped from the fire, that I would come back for revenge."
"Now, I'm here."
"This strike was for the first mate, and also for me."
Then, Bazel calmly watched Taylor's feeble death struggle, watched his blood glisten, his body convulse, and watched the extraordinary properties within him begin to emerge.
Bazel smiled through his tears: "First mate, captain, old Cohen, 'Big Butt,' 'Little Rascal'... the feeling of revenge is pretty good."
Suddenly, Bazel felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest, and all his strength seemed to have been drained away. He collapsed onto the "ice platform."