Chapter Thirty-Three: Plundering the Coast
2015-05-23
Author: Floating Tower
Rumbling!
The sound of cannon fire echoed above the towns of the Southern Islands, with pirate ships flying black sails near the harbor in the distance. Hundreds of cannons fired simultaneously at the city walls, creating a breach with just one round of shooting. The ferocious bombardment left the defenders on the walls unable to counterattack, forcing them to seek refuge in corners. The town was filled with cries of fear, as the sudden attack terrified the civilians who usually lived in comfort.
“Damn it!”
A man dressed in noble attire shouted, “Return fire! Quickly!”
“How could there be pirates here?”
“Black Flag!”
“Aren’t those the Executioner’s men? Why are they attacking us? Aren’t they afraid of the kingdom’s retaliation?”
Rumbling.
A second round of cannon fire answered him. As the firepower suppressed the defenders, fast boats were lowered from the pirate ships, and teams of fierce-looking pirates armed with weapons began to land. Some leaped directly into the sea and charged towards the town. A cacophony of bizarre shouts erupted as the pirates swung their weapons at the town’s defenders, launching a near one-sided massacre.
“Attack!”
“Charge!”
A glimmer of cold light appeared in the Cyclops Pirate’s eye as he shouted sternly, “Don’t worry about those ordinary people! Charge into the Governor’s mansion! What do the civilians have that’s worth taking?”
“Quick work! Quick work!”
“There is a garrison of the Southern Islands’ army nearby; we must retreat before they arrive!”
Rumbling.
The Cyclops swung his blade, killing a defender, scanned his surroundings, and said, “Follow me! This is the merchant guild’s headquarters! Rush in!”
A group of pirates screamed as they rushed forward, engaging in battle with the guild’s guards.
The entire town had descended into chaos, but the heart of the fight was centered where the nobles and merchants lived; the slums were largely untouched. No pirate was foolish enough to raid there. There was no wealth to be had; at most, they could grab some stale bread and a few Copper coins from them. Soon, one of the merchant guild’s outposts was breached, and amidst a pile of bloody corpses, two burly pirates carried a chest. Suddenly, the defenders launched a counterattack from the side. They immediately picked up their weapons to fight.
Clang!
The chest they were carrying fell to the ground, spilling a trove of Gind and Silver, with gleaming gold coins attracting the attention of many. Then a few figures that seemed different from the main attacking pirates lunged forward, reaching to grab a handful and stuff it into their pockets.
Clang!
A cold glint flashed by.
The Cyclops swung his blade and killed the looting pirate, then coldly surveyed the area. His gaze lingered on the heads of another group of pirates. He roared, “Have you forgotten Lord Soren’s rules? Whoever dares to act like this will meet the same fate!”
The attacking pirates clearly consisted of two groups.
One group was well-organized and fiercely attacking the warehouses and mansions with plans and arrangements, while the other group was taking whatever they could grab wherever they could.
Needless to say, they were a small band of pirates accompanying the fight.
“Breach!”
“The warehouse has been breached!”
Cheers erupted from the front. Then a storm of battle cries followed. The Cyclops glanced around and told his trusted men, “Follow me!”
Boom!
The warehouse doors were smashed open, and the wealth inside was immediately revealed to everyone.
Boxes of Gind and Silver. Various other goods, along with grains seized as taxes. The Southern Islands were quite wealthy. The entire warehouse was filled to about fifty to sixty percent capacity, and there were many swords and weapons as well.
“Take it away.”
“Get it all out! Hurry!”
The Cyclops grinned with satisfaction and shouted, “Has the Governor’s mansion been captured?”
“No,”
a young pirate answered, “There’s a wizard there! Our casualties are not small! Canado led the men to retreat. Let those guys deal with them.”
A wizard?
The Cyclops narrowed his eyes at the mention and said, “Then let them handle it. Hurry up and take the goods out.”
“It’s estimated that in half a day, the army will come for reinforcements.”
Boom boom boom!
The dull sound of cannons continued. To the east of the town stood a castle built on the hillside; the mansion at the foot of the mountain had been captured, but the nobles who ruled here had retreated to the castle. Without sufficient firepower, it was very difficult to capture this castle. After the first wave was repelled by the defenders, it was clear that a group of pirates had retreated.
“Damn it!”
An elderly noble stood atop the castle and roared, “Where are the reinforcements from Nagg City? Why haven’t they arrived yet?”
“These damned pirates! I will…”
Boom.
A pirate warship adjusted its position and fired a cannon at the castle on the hillside, but it was already beyond the cannon’s range, causing little effect.
The battle continued!
However, some pirates had begun to retreat in an organized manner, transporting boxes of gold, silver, and goods back. In the end, they didn’t even spare the grains from the warehouses, carrying them back to the warships bag by bag. The entire town was in ruins, with many areas ablaze, and cries of despair were everywhere; scattered fighting continued in some corners.
By the time these pirates left, the entire town was nearly reduced to rubble, with only the slums remaining intact, devoid of any wealth. Another area that barely suffered was the temple, as few pirates dared to attack it, making it a refuge for the poor. Many old, weak, women, and children sought shelter there. The power of the deity instilled fear in mortals, and even these fierce and ruthless pirates did not dare to assault the temple.
Boom boom boom!
Cheers erupted aboard the pirate ships as the gunners fired a few more rounds at the town before leaving leisurely.
………………
Similar scenes were unfolding in many places.
The pirate leaders under Soren, along with scattered pirates summoned by the Pirate King, united to plunder the coastal cities of the Southern Islands. The relentless attacks left the Southern Islands’ military exhausted; aside from a few towns that remained untaken, many places were like this, completely looted. Moreover, the navy in the kingdom had been taken out to sea by Prince Hans, so they could not even engage in naval combat, only shrinking back into the towns for passive defense.
The seas had completely fallen into the hands of pirates; everything seemed to be in chaos.
Pirates were rampant.
The Southern Islands had no choice but to issue a retreat order, evacuating populations from all coastal towns. As long as they moved away from the coast, the pirates would have to launch land attacks; once on land, they could never match the regular army. Moreover, as long as they were away from the coast, it wouldn’t be so easy for the pirates to retreat; a heavy cavalry force from the Southern Islands would make them suffer!
However,
It seemed all the pirates had no intention of landing to fight.
…………… (To Be Continued ~^~)
