Chapter 166

Admiral Beckham and his subordinates were escaping the battlefield aboard small lifeboats.

As a result of specifically ensuring that other injured soldiers and non-combat personnel left with them, the warship they had been on was now left with nothing but pirates.

It was a surprisingly orderly and clean result for the process of seizing a ship.

And this was also the reason Auriel had shown them mercy.

The old saying goes that when cornered, even a mouse will bite a cat.

While they had gained the upper hand by using their military advantage, this was a warship floating above the sea, not on land.

If the Empire Army, in a last-ditch effort, were to go berserk, resulting in a fire or even an explosion on the ship, it could have been a very dangerous situation.

Above all, the order given by the Pirate King to them was not to destroy the enemy’s warship but to capture as many as possible and turn them into allies.

Considering this, it was more realistic to win through coercion rather than defeating all enemies in a bloody battle.

“How’s the condition of the warship?”

“Fortunately, there’s no major damage. Once the Admiral declared a retreat, everyone scattered and left without resistance.”

“I see. Are there any issues with navigation?”

“No, the basic controls are not significantly different. This warship now fully belongs to us.”

After confirming the potential risks, Cheshire delivered her report.

Auriel smiled and immediately issued the next order.

“Well done. Now let’s proceed with the battle at once.”

“Yes, Lady Auriel.”

“Set course east. We must prevent the enemies from converging in the center.”

“Understood.”

Cheshire, Schrödinger, and the other pirates quickly acted according to her orders.

The Victorious—a warship, one of the latest in the Britannia Empire—had become theirs and began approaching the other Empire warships.

And then…

– Bang!!

“What… What’s happening? Why is the Victorious coming for us?”

“Is… is it friendly fire? Admiral Beckham wouldn’t do that…”

– Ka-boom!!!

“Damn it! It’s not friendly fire! The Victorious has switched to the pirates!”

The Victorious was a massive warship equipped with a total of 100 cannons, making its bombardment power among the top of all existing warships.

However, the minimum crew required to fully operate those 100 cannons was a staggering 400 or more.

On the other hand, the number of pirates aboard was only about 300, and over half of them had to be waiting up in the sails for the next takeover.

Originally, among the crew members that had boarded this warship, only about 100 were directly involved in combat, but in reality, many more were needed to make this ship operate.

Due to the staff shortage, the Victorious was currently unable to unleash its full destructive power.

However, even so, as befit the Empire’s latest warship, it began wreaking havoc among the Empire Army with its terrifying firepower.

Thanks to its thick outer armor as hefty as its size, it hardly budged from standard bombardment, and the cannons fired projectiles imbued with the latest magical technology, easily obliterating ordinary medium-sized vessels.

It was a floating fortress that was incredibly difficult to take down without boarding it with pirates to gnaw from the inside.

As Auriel, now the temporary captain of the ship, observed the other Empire warships getting devastated by the attack, a deep smile spread across her face as she continued issuing commands.

“There’s an enemy ship approaching from the three o’clock direction. Keep firing! We must not let them get any closer!”

“Yes, Lady Auriel!”

With her aura, Auriel detected the movements of enemies within a radius of hundreds of meters, acting like a modern radar.

Under her command, the subordinate pirates immediately responded with bombardments, annihilating the enemies.

‘As expected… I felt this before, but surprisingly, it seems this suits me well…’

The sensation of showcasing overwhelming power while trampling down enemies was exhilarating.

Originally living a static life as a cleric, her newfound interest discovered late in life made her relish the moment even more sincerely.

Thus, due to Auriel’s efforts aboard the Victorious, every attempt by the Empire Army to regain their formation and converge in the center failed repeatedly.

Observing this, Auriel felt her emotions boiling over and began to wear a heartfelt smile.

“Wipe them all out! This is true justice!”

*

“Damn it… It’s only been a few minutes, and yet how could it come to this…”

Rodney bit her lip until it bled.

Before her were the Empire soldiers struggling on all sides.

As the battle transitioned from bombardment to close quarters, the situation had turned unfavorable from the start.

A bloody melee ensued between the pirates rushing aboard to seize the ship and the Royal Navy desperately trying to repel them.

Among the chaos, some of the Empire warships that had lost their ships turned on their former comrades, counterattacking against the invading pirates.

In this fiercely chaotic battlefield, Rodney was doing her utmost to turn things around.

“Fire at four o’clock! Aim! Fire!”

– Ka-boom!!!

The cannonballs fired from the flagship, Francis.

Thanks to the skilled bombardier’s precision aiming, the projectiles accurately hit the pirate ships while avoiding friendly forces engaged in combat nearby.

“Keep the fire coming! We must hold our positions until the scheduled time!”

“Yes, General!”

Despite early setbacks, the situation wasn’t entirely lost.

Many pirates were gradually nibbling away at the Empire forces, but the Navy was holding out, keeping their ground.

Considering that time was on their side, Rodney was sure that an opportunity to turn the tide would come soon.

At that moment…

“! G-General!”

“!!”

– Ka-boom!!!

A loud explosion erupted as flames rained down onto the deck.

In the midst of numerous pirates, a woman slowly revealed herself from the smoke.

“…You were with that Lemain back then…”

“…”

The woman bore a terrifying face, as though she had walked straight out of hell.

She was Franklin, one of the Pirate King’s officers.

Brandishing a butchering knife, she approached Rodney, surrounded by intense flames.

The clear murderous intent radiated from her presence.

In response, Rodney tightened her grip on her spear, unleashing flames all around her as she took her stance.

And then…

“Attack!”

Under the command, the Imperial soldiers charged toward the pirates.

Simultaneously, Franklin and her pirates also charged in their direction.

Their target: none other than Rodney herself.

Displaying a motion far beyond that of an ordinary sword, Franklin’s knife swung directly toward the tip of Rodney’s spear.

And then.

– Clang!!!

“Ugh!”

“…”

Rodney’s spear was pushed back with more force than she had anticipated.

Taking advantage of the opening, Franklin’s knife slashed toward Rodney’s chest.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

– Clang!

Rodney, in her unsteady posture, quickly used the shaft of her spear to block it.

She exerted all her strength, pushing against it.

Franklin was pushed back slightly.

However, Franklin, maintaining the momentum, slammed the ground as she swung her knife back toward Rodney.

“Damn it!”

– Crack!!!

The chilling sound of their clash echoed.

As they both wielded the fiery attribute, it became a battle of pure power.

Vicious flames reached out toward their opponent.

That energy, a result of their combined might, failed to easily push the other back as a fierce struggle ensued.

However…

There was one critical fact they both overlooked.

That was…

– Sizzle!!!!

“!!”

“Huh?”

Though they kept their powers under control, the immense output generated heat that the wooden deck of the ship could not withstand.

As a result…

– Crash!!!

“This… This is not good!”

“…”

The deck shattered into pieces, and the two fell down to the lower level but quickly regained their footing as they landed perfectly on the ground.

Instead of taking a moment to catch their breath, they stared at each other’s faces.

Without a word, they both resumed channeling energy into their weapons.

And then…

– Crack!!!

*

The battlefield was in complete disarray.

Looking over it for a while, Nelson descended once more.

However, she didn’t land on an Empire warship or a pirate ship.

Instead, she touched down on a reef protruding from the sea.

From a distance, away from the battlefield, Nelson gazed at the face of the “guest” who was waiting for her.

“It’s been a while, Drake.”

“It has been a while… Nelson.”