Chapter 773: Blood Javelin Pirates
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West Continent, Tranquil Moon Strait.
The sea surface connecting the southern islands to the mainland was turbulent, with thick clouds rolling in the sky, and lightning striking down occasionally, illuminating the chaotic battlefield below.
Two forces were exchanging fire amidst the storm, continuously bombarding each other’s ships.
The sea was scattered with torn sails, wooden boards, and damaged barrels, which periodically crashed against the sides of the ships, producing various loud noises.
“Fire!”
Holding tightly onto the railing beside him, the commander gripped a wet telescope, struggling to locate the opposing ships through the blurred lens. From the metal insignia on his shoulder, one could faintly discern that these were ships belonging to the Kingdom of Wild Strawberries.
“Sir, we can’t find their direction!” The observer’s anxious voice echoed through the bridge’s copper tubes.
“Damn it! Keep searching!” he shouted, angrily wiping his telescope with his sleeve, then attempting to spot the enemy again amidst the storm and fog.
Since the Crimson Empire and Clancia went to war, many fleets had been mobilized to the frontlines, engaging in attacks and counterattacks, targeting each other’s transport ships and caravans.
Behind the frontlines, in the Tranquil Moon Strait between the southern islands and the mainland, the number of patrolling fleets had significantly decreased, providing pirates with opportunities to become increasingly rampant.
This time, the southern islands took the lead, hastily assembling a new fleet to strike nearby pirates.
Unfortunately, the suppression efforts did not go smoothly. Those previously poorly equipped and weak pirates now had a recognized leader—the Pirate King, Infic, also known as ‘the Blood Javelin of the Breaking Waves.’
This rare Sequence 7 Extraordinary Being had not joined any nation or organization but instead chose to become a pirate.
As he put it, “I trained so hard just for freedom and enjoyment; I won’t work for you. Dream on!”
This Extraordinary Being then engaged in piracy, which was far easier and more enjoyable than working hard for money. With his powerful strength and no one able to control him at sea, he acted like a tyrant. The patrol fleet encountered precisely this Blood Javelin pirate.
The fleet of the Kingdom of Wild Strawberries consisted of about twenty ships, including one flagship, seven ironclad warships, and thirteen sailing warships. On the other side, there were three old ironclad ships and five sailing warships.
Logically, the Kingdom of Wild Strawberries should have won easily, but the actual battle was not as straightforward.
That Ocean Sequence 7 Extraordinary Being could easily raise waves, submerge ships briefly to evade attacks, or accelerate swiftly, making them highly flexible and capable of employing surprising tactics.
Simultaneously, they used the terrible weather, unpredictable winds and heavy rain, to obscure the sight of the Wild Strawberry Kingdom’s fleet, hindering their attacks, and maximizing the environmental advantage.
This was the unique aspect of the Ocean Sequence—while they might not be particularly powerful on land, they excelled on vast seas. High-ranking Ocean Sequence Extraordinary Beings could cause storms and devastate thousands of miles, much like the legendary dragons of the East.
Boom!
Another loud explosion resounded on the ship.
A cannonball struck the deck at the bow, breaking through it. Water poured in through the opening, carried by the rain and waves.
“Report, Sir! The second and third compartments are flooding!” A distressing message came through the bridge’s copper tubes.
“Have the onboard mages bring the water pumps and try to draw out as much water as possible!”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Damn it!” After giving the order, the commander pounded the table in front of him, venting his frustration.
“Signal for retreat,” he picked up another copper tube and declared loudly.
They couldn’t fight anymore; prolonging the battle would only result in unnecessary casualties.
Amidst the heavy rain, strong winds whipped the raindrops, striking the bodies painfully. About ten people struggled against the rain, trying to patch up the breach and prevent more water from entering. Nearby, gun turrets fired in the rain, explosions sending splashing water droplets across the deck.
As the battle turned unfavorable, the ships began hoisting the retreat flag, signaling the rest of the fleet to follow the flagship away.
But unlike usual, this time the enemy was exceptionally bold, even though they were fewer in number than the patrol fleet, they dared to pursue relentlessly.
Thus, the chase continued on the sea.
Cannons and splashes appeared intermittently in the rain, only to vanish into the noisy sound of rain.
In the relentless pursuit, several sailing warships at the rear of the patrol fleet were sunk, scattering wood debris and personnel across the sea. Some called for help loudly, while others clung desperately to wooden planks, drifting with the waves, hoping to survive.
Just as the pirate ship flying the Blood Javelin flag was about to advance, a burst of flame erupted among the pirate fleet, followed by an ironclad ship being split in half, sinking into the water, creating complex whirlpools that sucked in numerous fallen pirates.
At this point, the pirates were bewildered, unsure of where the attack came from.
But this wasn’t over. Another explosion sounded behind, a sailing warship catching fire and beginning to sink.
“Underwater! They’re attacking from beneath!” The panicked pirate shouted into the copper tube.
“Pirate King Infic has found them; they’re attacking from underwater!”
“Turn the ship north, north!” Amidst the chaos, the pirate fleet turned northward, gradually leaving the tumultuous sea.
Watching the retreating ships, after a long while, a black, rounded hull slowly rose from beneath the water. The hatch opened, revealing a figure with dark brown hair standing atop, tracking the fleeing pirates.
“Captain Alena, we’ve run out of water projectiles; we can’t keep up,” the first mate shouted loudly, trying to dissuade her from pursuing further.
“I know, shut up!”
Alena, around 25 years old, wore a white blouse and sturdy trousers, standing on the deck, carefully observing the remnants of the battle and the path of the retreating enemy.
“It seems we can only achieve such results this time. Sigh, if we had taken down a few more ships, we might have earned hundreds of gold coins.”
She lowered the telescope and leaned against the railing. The ship had fully surfaced, and crew members busied themselves checking and rescuing.
The ship she commanded was specially designed and modified by herself, shaped like an ellipse, painted black. It had two short tubes at the front, from which the ‘water projectiles’ were launched.
Undoubtedly, this was a crude and primitive submarine, capable of diving briefly to depths of dozens of meters for about an hour, but prolonged submersion would require surfacing due to lack of oxygen and leakage issues.
Even so, this vessel played a significant role in the battle, thwarting the rampant pirates.
“But next time, if they are prepared, it might not be so easy,” Alena waved, silencing her crew’s praises.
“That Infic is quite formidable. I wonder where he got his skills; he advanced so quickly. I, who graduated from the Academy, am still only Sequence 6. Who taught him?”
After some grumbling, Alena excitedly jumped into the cabin to inspect the launch port of the underwater cannon. The projectiles weren’t ordinary cannonballs but something akin to fish, currently referred to as ‘water projectiles.’
“Sigh, if Father could support me financially, modifying this would be expensive.”
Alena tapped the metal components, listening for any signs of damage or unusual sounds, then stretched lazily. Next to her, several alchemy apprentices curiously watched the launch port, ready to ask questions when she was in a good mood.
“For now, once I earn money, I’ll improve this ‘Black Pig.’ I’ll approach the Kingdom’s Crescent Parliament and see if I can exchange the design for a large sum of money.”
“I want to be a world-renowned alchemist.”
With two pirate ships down, Alena felt elated, planning to take the crew to nearby Polychrome Island for rest.
“Let’s head to Sulis’ tavern for a drink today,” she thought, enjoying the fresh sea breeze after the rain as she leaned against the deck.
(End of Chapter)
