The sound of conventional artillery is low and short, like firecrackers muffled under the quilt.
The roar of the magic cannon was extremely loud, explosive, and sharp, like thunder bursting, exploding right beside the ears, and extremely penetrating!
"Is this sound...the captain firing a cannon?"
The sailors who were farther away were still hoping for the best, thinking that it was their captain who launched the magic rapid-fire cannon.
But that column of white water rising into the sky behind the stern...it doesn't lie.
"Bang!!!"
Before anyone else on the boat could react, another thunderous explosion sounded as if right next to their ears, causing everyone to tremble and fall into a momentary trance.
"Crash!..."
At the same time, a white column of water suddenly rose up, this time on the sea surface several dozen meters in front of the bow. The wave column that rushed straight into the sky flew up to a height of ten meters, temporarily obscuring the face of the black ship.
"...Damn it! It's a magic cannon! There's a magic cannon on the other side!"
Now, all the crew members realized the truth. Their eyes, which were originally full of confidence and greed, were instantly filled with panic. Their hands holding their weapons became unstable and began to tremble slightly.
After all, they were not pirates, and their high morale just now was just a short-term burst of bloodiness inspired by huge profits and absolute advantages.
When faced with a real life-and-death crisis, his ordinary prototype immediately emerged.
"What should we do now?"
Qi Ji had already sensed the spiritual fluctuations on the opposite ship, which meant that there were extraordinary people on that ship, and there was a high probability that they were holding magic cannons.
The current situation was basically within her expectations, so she took the initiative to ask Meili, who looked livid:
"Since they have magic cannons, that means they also have extraordinary people... What are you going to do?"
Meili stared at the black ship getting closer and closer with her eyes wide open. After a long while, she moved her lips and said in a trembling voice:
"They won't sink our ship. They are pirates. They want money. They will get nothing by sinking the Challenger..."
The mind of this not-so-experienced female captain was basically a mess at the moment!
She could never have imagined that the pirate ship would be equipped with magic cannons!
How is this possible?! The magic cannon is not just "expensive". You can't just go there and get it. You also need to have a wide range of connections in the black market, society, and port cities, as well as a considerable amount of luck to get it!
Moreover, since they can use magic cannons, it means that the other party has extraordinary members... This is even more incredible! Why would a group with extraordinary people joining, sufficient connections and financial resources become pirates? !
Piracy is not a "profession" and no one would specifically become a pirate.
Just like bandits and gangsters, only those desperate criminals who are desperate, completely bankrupt, and wanted for several murders would choose the doomed path of "piracy".
Now, Meili's mind was almost stagnant due to the huge impact and shock, and her face turned pale and blue.
"So you mean we should surrender?"
Qi Ji raised an eyebrow and looked back at the crew members behind him who were full of fighting spirit a second ago but now in disarray:
"Yeah, it seems like they don't have much will to fight..."
"Bang!!!"
The third gunshot!
This time the shell landed only five or six meters away from the bow of the ship. The rising water was very close, and when it fell, it hit everyone on the deck.
It's not that the other side missed the target, but the black paddle boat on the opposite side was telling us that they had completed the calibration shooting, and if they didn't surrender, the next shell would fall on the ship!
The salt water poured down, and Qi Ji and Mei Li, who were standing at the bow, were the first to be hit. But before being soaked, Qi Ji slowly raised his hand and pointed in the air, condensing a translucent glowing round shield, blocking all the sea water that was falling like rain.
Sniffing the mist and the smell of the sea in the air, she kept a leisurely and indifferent expression, turned her head and said to Meili:
"Or should we pretend to surrender and wait for them to get closer..."
As she said this, she made a beheading gesture.
She did not suggest the option of "escape" because under the current wind conditions, the light sailing ship "Challenger" would definitely not be able to outrun the black pirate ship rowed by humans...under normal circumstances.
"It is impossible to surrender. We absolutely cannot surrender!"
Meili looked down at Qi Ji with an extremely complicated expression. Seeing that the little girl looked so calm, she immediately realized that she did not understand how dangerous and cruel the current situation was, and her understanding of "pirates" and "naval battles" was only at the level of storybooks.
Otherwise...it would be impossible to show such a relaxed expression.
She stood there and thought for a while, then she grabbed Qi Ji's clothes by the shoulders and stepped back a few steps until she was out of sight of the black ship. Then she said in a low voice with an unpleasant look in her eyes:
"One Zero Five... Listen, this is not a game, nor is it a competition in the Mage School! If we surrender... or fail to resist, then our fate will not be as simple as being killed!
"On a merchant ship, the most valuable thing is not the cargo or the money, but the ship itself, and... the people! If we are caught...
"All men will be sold to the southern continent as slaves, and all women will become prostitutes and playthings... It will be a living hell... At that time, death can be said to be the most merciful ending!"
There was no need for anyone to teach these principles. Qi Ji nodded with an unchanged expression and asked calmly:
"So that means we must fight to the end?"
Seeing that Qi Ji's reaction was still so calm, Mei Li became a little anxious. She suddenly took a step forward, put her hands on her shoulders, twisted her so that she was facing her, put her face very close, and spoke in a deep voice with great force:
"You must listen to my instructions later! You must not act on your own without orders! Got it?"
"Ah."
Qi Ji could only smile helplessly.
After giving these instructions, Meili stopped talking to her and stood up and shouted to the frightened sailors:
"Don't panic, everyone! We have the advantage in both numbers and the number of extraordinary people. We are definitely not comparable to a bunch of rabble who rely on burning, killing and looting to make a living!"
As she spoke, she glared at the sailors who looked the most timid and the most willing to surrender:
"Don't even think about surrendering! You know what kind of people pirates are better than me! Don't think you can beg for mercy by kneeling before the devil. We have only one way out: fight to the death and win. Of course, there is a second way, which is death. Death does not belong to us!"
It is much more effective to make people give up their illusions and face the facts than simply motivating them or shouting slogans. After Meili's short "speech", all the sailors realized that they had no choice.
When the odds are against them, even the weakest person can burst out with an unimaginable will to survive.
"Yeah! Fuck it!"
"Who's afraid of who? I'm going to kill them all and throw them into the sea!"
"Yes! This way what's theirs will be ours!"
"Let these beasts see who the real warrior is!"
"..."
At once, twenty or thirty crew members were all shouting in excitement. Although most of them were still filled with fear in their hearts and were only shouting to give themselves courage, at least they would no longer have any illusions.
"Lower the sails and hoist the white flag!"
After the excitement subsided, Meili pressed her hand down, signaling everyone to be quiet, and remained rational as she instructed:
"Get your weapons ready. You, you, you, you, you, stay on the deck. Everyone else hide in the cabins and towers. As soon as they get on board, rush out and chop them all down. Don't fight the extraordinary people head-on. Leave the space to me!"
Without formulating detailed tactics, the seemingly reckless plan is indeed the most effective strategy at this time.
After all, the pirate ship was now within one kilometer, and there was no time to make detailed plans. And... in this situation, the crew's endless will to survive and passion were the most powerful and practical tactics!
"Dong dong dong..."
Amid the sound of chaotic footsteps, the deck that was originally crowded with people suddenly became empty, leaving only a few of the most reliable and trustworthy crew members previously designated by Meili, as well as herself and Qi Ji and a few others.
Meili looked at the deck that had suddenly become cold, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled, turning her head to Qi Ji and said:
"Go to the rear deck and stay there. Don't act rashly. Wait for my order... Remember, your primary goal is to protect yourself. You are the only extraordinary person on the ship besides me, and you may be the key to a comeback."
Qi Ji looked into those deep purple eyes for a few seconds and nodded silently.
A few minutes later, the white sail hoisted high was lowered, and a small white flag was raised, fluttering in the wind at the top of the mast.
Seeing this, the black ship sailing towards the dusk line could no longer slow down. Dozens of rows of oars accelerated their rowing. Soon it broke through the night and entered the dusk, rushing near the Challenger.
Not long after, the black ship, rowing with ten pairs of oars, slammed into the side of the Challenger with a bang, causing the side railing to cave in.
"Bang bang bang!"
Before the two wooden boats of similar size could stabilize, a large group of people swarmed out of the pirate ship that was painted black and jumped onto the deck of the Challenger frantically!
They were neatly dressed and well-armed. They were nothing like the ragged and ugly pirates. Instead, they were more like well-trained mercenaries.
But the slogans they shouted were undoubtedly the style of murderous and arsonist sea robbers...
"The captain has given orders! Whoever grabs it first owns it!"
"I just saw two women, find them out first!"
"There's a magic cannon on the bow, don't break it! Everyone gets a share of the money from selling it!"
"kill!"
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It’s a new week, remember to give a like before going out~!
Chapter 412 Part-time Pirate
Church stood on the deck with his hands on his waist, and the soles of his iron boots tapped the floor again and again, making a dull sound.
This lean man, dressed in a well-tailored close-fitting suit, was in a very good mood, holding a toothpick in his mouth and looking at the two-masted light sailing ship approaching in the distance with the backlight.
"Little ones, let's eat meat today!"
He laughed a few times, drew out the scimitar from his waist, shook it vigorously a few times, and raised it high:
"Everyone, let go and do a great job!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a large number of chaotic shouts erupted behind him, and a large area of cold light flashed - that was a series of swords of similar shapes emitting cold light in the twilight.
On the deck of the galley, there were more than thirty people standing densely, each holding a sharp weapon, with fierce and greedy looks on their faces, like a pack of wolves seeing their prey.
Meili is right, "pirate" is not a profession, just like beggar and tramp are not professions.
But she was still young after all, and failed to realize one thing: many times, there was not much gap between the hateful and vicious pirates and the honest and law-abiding merchant ships.
Pirates are not necessarily desperate criminals with nowhere else to go: when pirates start doing business, they become merchant ships, and when merchant ships start to have evil intentions, they become pirates.
The two can switch seamlessly in the vast ocean where there is no supervision and no law and order.
Moreover, even the most law-abiding merchant ships can often turn into murderous and arsonist villains on "one bad day".
The people on Church's galley were "non-professional" "part-time pirates".
As early as a month ago, they were just a "sea mercenaries" of a decent size, that is, a private armed organization that specialized in escorting various fleets and merchant ships to prevent these merchants from being harassed by pirates and sirens.
Judging from the 76mm caliber light magic cannon on the ship, the almost uniform attire of the crew members, and their relatively sophisticated weapons and armor, this is definitely a very experienced and powerful mercenary team.
However, only a month had passed before the guardians of the merchant ships and the enemies they had once been on guard against day and night had switched positions.
Who could have asked the original owner of this galley to be so careless and unguarded that he allowed all of his crew to stay on board? In that case, Church would never miss the opportunity to earn a ship for free.
Whenever Church thought of that night when he and his men successfully seized control of the ship within five minutes, he couldn't help but smile.
It was too late for those fools to regret now - they were now shackled in the bottom hold, paddling to death!
This is not uncommon at sea.
"Boss, they've hoisted the white flag."
A sailor with good eyesight suddenly shouted, interrupting Church's reverie.
As a warrior in the late stage of mindfulness and the only extraordinary person on the ship, Church's eyesight is certainly the best on the ship. However, as the captain and team leader, how could he personally do such a degrading job as lookout?
Hearing the voice of his men, he came to his senses and looked in the direction of the man's finger. Sure enough, he saw a white flag flying on the top of the ship.
"Hahaha, I said, these sea merchants are all cowards!"
Church's already good mood became even happier - look at what flag they were flying before? The blue, white and yellow tricolor flag to show off their military power! However, after three shots from his side, they were completely limp.
As a captain of maritime mercenaries who dealt with merchant ships all year round, he knew this group of petty and profit-hungry businessmen very well. He knew very well that 99% of them would surrender at the first sign of surrender with just a little threat!
"I'm so lucky today. I've found my target only half a day after setting out to sea...Haha, 'Sea God' Deka really favors me!"
He laughed uncontrollably and immediately ordered the sailors in the lower hold to crack their whips and tell the animals to row faster.
After a while, the speed of the paddle boat suddenly increased, and it rushed towards the side of the light sailboat, like a lion rushing towards an antelope on the grassland.
Soon, he saw the scene on the deck of the light sailing ship: a few dark-skinned, skinny seamen, and a few sturdy and heavy 16-pound muzzle-loading cannons...
"Oh, there's a magic cannon? It seems that the tricolor flag was not just a bluff. Oh, so what? Isn't it a bargain for me?"
