CHAPTER 533: CHAPTER 482: SMOKE OF GUNPOWDER RISING FROM ALL AROUND

Due to the moving speed of conventional sailing battleships being touchingly slow.

Until 9:12 in the morning, the more nimble battle line of the Alliance Army gained the upper hand, standing across the sea from the left wing of the Hilus Crescent Array.

And utilizing the advantage of their shipborne artillery being more refined (better airtightness and a longer effective range), they initiated the cannon fire first.

"All cannon crews prepare, fire three rapid volleys with solid shot!"

The Gunpowder Chiefs of each battleship repeated the commander’s order, exchanging greetings according to Old Continent’s traditional battlefield etiquette.

Under the skillful operation of the cannoneers, the two heavy cannons on the Tulip battleship capable of delivering devastating blows to enemy ships: the 32-pounders and 24-pounders, could achieve firing rates of 2 rounds/minute and 3 rounds/minute, respectively.

This was a speed that the Hilus People could only dream of.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!...

In an instant, the fiery cannon flames connected into a sea of fire, pale blue smoke formed clouds, and even the entire ocean surface emitted a weary groan under the strain.

The opposing Hilus soldiers, despite not backing down and fiercely retaliating, also clearly saw the unsettlingly motionless head of the Steel Knight at this distance.

Steel Knight Kungang Tita, as the Deputy Commander of the fleet, was known to nearly everyone in the Hilus Fleet.

Seeing that head swaying constantly on the mast, most of the left wing of the Crescent Array was in an uproar. The blow to the soldiers was even more severe than that round of rapid cannon fire, making even their retaliatory cannon shots noticeably disorderly.

The decisive battle was still in the warm-up stage, yet their fleet’s deputy commander had already died at the hands of the enemy. If he were alive, he would indeed be the third figure after Army Commander Ricard and Navy Commander Griffith.

Aboard the Hilus flagship Level 3 battleship "San Juan."

"Commander?"

The adjutant couldn’t help but inquire of the gray-haired highest-ranking fleet commander beside him.

Ricard’s face was equally grim, not for the news of the Steel Knight’s death, but for the negative impact it had on the battle. Even being a fellow member of the Royal Faction, the words from this general’s mouth were merciless:

"That bastard Kungang... Why couldn’t he die a bit farther? Order the San Juan to leave the formation and maneuver independently!"

"But..."

"Execute the order!"

For the convenience of the commander’s directives, the "San Juan" had been patrolling back and forth along the entire Crescent Array composed of forty battleships. In a larger fleet composed of over a hundred ships, multiple deputy commanders along with the commander would typically patrol different segments.

The Level 3 battleship "San Juan," serving as the commander’s flagship, was the largest among the Level 3 battleships in the entire fleet, especially as it bore the fleet commander’s flag, making it extremely conspicuous.

Yet after leaving the formation and maneuvering independently, it lost the fleet’s cover, directly exposing itself to the Alliance battle line.

In the history of naval battles among various countries, there had never been an instance where a solitary ship was surrounded by enemy forces without being boarded and captured. For the side with superior local power, when the target held great value, boarding combat was the only way to ensure the prize was captured intact.

Ricard believed that it would be strange indeed if the Alliance Army could resist approaching such a tempting bait.

By then, once able to hook a single enemy ship with grappling hooks and pull into boarding combat, they could independently hold out until reinforcements arrived. Ultimately dragging the enemy fleet into a grand melee, which was precisely Hilus’s forte in "sea assault".

Then... the combat could conclude.

However, being both Nimansite, the natural talents should be comparable. Why then was the combat power of the Hilus People inherently superior?

Aside from advanced training methods and management concepts, one of the most important reasons was pillaging resources worldwide to nourish their own forces. During the Apprentice Knight stage, the physical growth mainly came from the intake of nutrients, supplemented by the Knight’s Breathing Method and swordsmanship practice.

With ample resource supplies, even if Hilus’s own population base wasn’t advantageous, they could still continuously cultivate a significantly larger number of each level of Extraordinary.

In terms of soldier combat power, there indeed existed an overall disparity between Tulip and Overlord Hilus.

Vice Admiral Elvis had insight into Ricard’s plan, bearing heavy pressure in this war, eliminating the enemy command system was a colossal temptation for him.

However, given the current strength comparison between the sides, he couldn’t afford any mistakes. The dominant Hilus People could act more aggressively, while the Alliance, with a single oversight, could face total defeat.

"May Wind, Albatross, Oak, engage at the tail end, all other ships maintain formation and continue forward."

He resisted the urge for that sweet fruit, abstaining from closing in, instead detaching a sub-fleet from the battle line composed of 33 battleships.

Not seeking merit but only avoiding faults!

To the astounded gaze of the Hilus People, the movements of each battleship in the battle line were as smooth as flowing water.

Every ship knew what it should be doing at any given moment, some turning away from formation, others automatically supplementing, executing the extremely difficult naval ship reformation as if practiced countless times in advance.

"Such a level of naval command technique..."

Vice Admiral Ricard’s seemingly aged yet exceedingly sharp eyes narrowed slightly, even he had to be amazed by Tulip’s artistry.