Chapter 367: Section 154: Confrontation
The military situation was urgent, so the Fishman youth immediately hurried back to sit command in the Black Iron demon energy ship.
He stood at the bow, gazing intently, and saw nine warships.
“Three Black Iron Level, four Bronze Level, two ordinary sea ships.”
“Didn’t feel any Gold Level aura, have you found anything?” the Fishman youth inquired to Zi Di beside him.
Zi Di shook her head, “I’ve already used reconnaissance magic, but found nothing. Deep Sea Monster Fish just sent a message, there’s also no sign of the Navy Rear Admiral’s presence.”
The expression of the Fishman youth relaxed slightly, “Looking at the flags opposite, they aren’t an Imperial Navy fleet but three fleets combined together.”
He had quite an understanding of the military structure of the Imperial Navy.
In the navy, only Generals had the authority to command a fleet. Typically, the number of ships in a fleet was at least 50.
At its peak, the Justice Pirate Group had 11 ships, barely qualifying as a fleet.
General Kan Qiao originally had 60 ships, but many were lost in a maritime disaster, and the vast majority of the remaining needed urgent repairs. Thus, when he pursued, he only brought 7 ships. One could say the entire fleet was in very poor condition.
Zi Di pondered, “Speaking of which, there aren’t that many Gold Level powerhouses. Within the Imperial Navy, the number of vice admirals is limited, and spread out over the entire ocean, they become even more scarce.”
“We just encountered General Kan Qiao earlier on, it was merely bad luck.”
“Given the enormity of matters involving alien gods, the Navy would definitely use all their resources to capture us. But, it will take time for them to dispatch sufficient forces to deal with us. These navy ships must be part of a blockade network.”
“It’s quite normal to have no Gold Level in command.”
“Yes.” The Fishman youth nodded, agreeing with Zi Di’s analysis.
The speed of the Navy warships still surpassed that of the Justice Pirate Group, and once the distance between the two sides was reduced to a certain extent, the Justice Pirate Group fired the first cannons.
Bang, bang, bang.
For a moment, the sounds of cannons firing, explosions, and splashes were incessant.
Thick white smoke rose from both sides of the ships.
“The wind is in our favor,” Zi Di had just said, when the wind direction shifted.
The situations of the Justice Pirate Group and the Navy suddenly reversed.
“No enemy warship seems to have a Mage acting; it looks like some kind of magic device,” Zi Di analyzed.
The distance between them no longer closed.
The Fishman Divine Son quickly noticed this, his heart sank slightly, “The wind is in their hands, the Navy is deliberately controlling the distance, attempting to destroy our ships with cannons.”
The sea ships of the Justice Pirate Group had poor performance and limited cannon quality. Thus, despite having alchemical bombs from Mysterious Monster Island, they couldn’t fully exert their power.
In terms of the number of cannons, the Justice Pirate Group was completely outclassed.
Boom!
A bomb exploded on the deck, sending three pirates flying.
Boom!
Another bomb pierced through the sail and fell into the sea, creating a white column of spray.
The pirate ship began to suffer significant damage.
“Revenge moves us to battle!” Zi Di spoke up.
The Fishman youth shook his head, “Have him stand by.”
Di Lou began to cast a spell, a faint silver-white halo enveloped many of the pirates, greatly enhancing their defensive power.
“Should we charge in and board them?” Zi Di gritted her teeth.
For the pirates, this situation was extremely uncomfortable.
The Fishman youth shook his head again: “Our sailor numbers are also far fewer than theirs.”
He was neither panicking nor distressed. Because he didn’t lack options, he had a trump card.
But which trump card should be played?
After some thought, the Fishman youth ordered, “Send out the Deep Sea Monster Fish!”
Zi Di immediately relayed the message.
The Tower Spirit in the Deep Sea Monster Fish received the command and immediately caused the Golden Magic Ship to surface from the deep sea to the shallow sea layer.
Boom!
The next moment, a Gold Level bomb was fired, forging a robust thunder-light electric python.
But the enemy flagship was prepared.
In a critical moment, this Navy flagship suddenly emitted a dazzling white light, then the light shifted, dispersing afterwards, revealing the original Navy flagship hull.
Moved by the white light, the entire ship shifted instantly by five or six ship lengths.
Lightning electrified the python missed, pierced through the seawater, shot into the air, and then slowly dissipated in loneliness.
“Dodged!”
“My God, that was thrilling.”
“The three Captains truly deserve to be of the same clan, their combined efforts are incredible!”
Cheers erupted from the Navy fleet.
In the Captain’s quarters, the three Captains gasped for air. Although exhausted, their faces were flushed with excitement.
The Navy Headquarters had passed on the subsequent intelligence, and naturally, the three Captains received the message.
They knew the enemy had a Golden Magic Ship shaped like a monstrous fish lurking in the water. They were also aware of the two known types of Golden Level Bombs.
Yao Ming said, “Was I not right! Together, we can dodge the attack of the Golden Cannons.”
Yao Wan added, “Although our ships are only of Black Iron Level, as long as they don’t hit us, weak defense doesn’t matter.”
Yao Gui proclaimed, “That is so true! The best defense is evasion!”
All three Captains were visibly excited.
They came from the same noble family, shared the same bloodline, and were relatives, though distantly related.
Seeing the Golden Cannons miss, both the Fishman youth and Zi Di frowned.
“There are Magic Devices on the Deep Sea Monster Fish that can suppress the aura before firing the cannons. Originally, Feng Yao hadn’t detected it in advance, neither had General Kan Qiao’s Silver Level flagship.”
“Could it be that this group of Navy has more powerful scouting tools?” the youth wondered.
Zi Di added, “Not only that, but they also have the ability to swiftly maneuver their ships. No wonder they dared to pursue us after we killed General Kan Qiao.”
The situation was disadvantageous for the Justice Pirate Group.
The Fishman youth revealed the Deep Sea Monster Fish’s card, but it was ineffective.
If Python Flow Bomb was ineffective, the Vortex Bomb naturally would be as well.
Even if the enemy’s flagship was hit, they could utilize their recent ability to break free.
The tactical purpose of the Vortex Bomb was actually towards elite sea beings like Fishmen and Naga, to prevent them from invading the Deep Sea Monster Fish’s hull. Its greatest potential was unleashed underwater; on the surface, it only displayed half of its strength.
Of course, the combat effectiveness of the Vortex Bomb was impressive; even the Golden Level General Kan Qiao got trapped. To some extent, the War Merchant also deserved credit for his death.
Zi Di spoke somberly, “Their tactics are clear now.”
“They mainly want to engage us and use long-range artillery to continuously weaken us. The more they delay, the higher the chance other Navy forces will arrive here, and the likelihood of us being surrounded increases.”
“These ships are truly slow, no match for the Navy warships. The wisest choice now is to charge and initiate a boarding battle!”
The youth fell silent.
Zi Di knew well that in the case of slower speed, enduring cannon fire and violently boarding would cause heavy casualties.
The youth understood the implicit meaning in Zi Di’s words, suggesting sacrificing these ships and the pirates on them, and regathering the true comrades on the Deep Sea Monster Fish to escape using the deep sea’s advantage.
Although Zi Di was not a general like Zong Ge, being a merchant’s daughter, she had a natural sharpness for weighing gains and losses.
However, honestly speaking, the Justice Pirate Group’s commandeered ships were indeed slow and had become a burden to their escape.
After an uneasy silence, the youth spoke, his voice deep, “No matter what, they are our comrades, we cannot abandon them so easily. If we abandon them, how can we face the flag of justice? How can we face our own conscience?”
“The situation is not as bad as it seems. Because, I have not yet made my move.”
The Fishman youth smiled at Zi Di.
“My Lord…” Beneath the mask, Zi Di’s expression was complex.
She understood this was his merciful weakness, his indecisiveness.
But recalling their experiences on Mysterious Monster Island, if not for his kindness and tolerance, how would she have been saved by him?
“Please be very careful, my Lord!” was all Zi Di could wish and encourage him with.
Meanwhile, on another pirate ship.
“This is not good,” Di Lou frowned, his understanding of the morale of his side clear, “Our number of ships is clearly fewer than the Navy’s, and our cannons are also fewer, we are being suppressed by Navy fire. Even more terrifying is that once they entangle us, more and more Navy ships will arrive. Just thinking about this makes everyone inevitably grow anxious and panicked.”
Di Lou was about to cast a spell to boost morale.
Splash.
The Fishman youth leaped down into the sea, splashing small waves.
“Oh! Lord Long Fu has made a move.”
“The opposing side is done for!!”
Seeing this, the pirates cheered loudly, their spirits greatly lifted.
“No need for that,” Di Lou relaxed, exhaling a breath of relief, “Since we cut down General Kan Qiao, the Lord’s prestige has surged too much!”