CHAPTER 64: CHAPTER 64: DECAPITATION TACTIC

Boom——

As the sailors on the "Silver Wings" were just readying themselves for battle, the sound of intensive cannon fire echoed in the thick fog, with countless solid cannonballs crashing down like torrential rain.

Two pirate ships approached from upwind, cutting off the "Silver Wings" escape route from the front and rear. They opened all the cannons on the side facing the "Silver Wings," eager to unleash their full artillery barrage in a single volley.

Fortunately, Aiven took control of the sails as soon as he noticed something wrong with the fog, collaborating with the helmsman to steer the "Silver Wings" in a large circle, avoiding the perilous situation of being directly caught between the two pirate ships.

Otherwise, once the "Silver Wings" became a sandwich between them, there would hardly be any suspense left in this naval battle.

When the pirates launched their assault,

The dense fog gradually dissipated along with it. Clearly, although the pirate side had means to control the fog, not every pirate was capable of seeing through it.

Nevertheless, even then, the "Silver Wings" had already lost the chance to escape, thoroughly outmaneuvered...

Boom——

Boom——

Under the Gunpowder Chief’s command, the cannoneers fired back fiercely, but they couldn’t alter the disparity of twenty cannons on one side against nearly forty on the opponent’s ships.

"Close the distance and prepare for boarding combat!"

Gel’s order resounded like thunder, clearly reaching every sailor aboard. After the naval battle began in earnest, even though Vice Admiral Snite held the highest military rank, command still belonged to the ship’s captain.

Gel’s tall stature stood firm like a sea cliff at his command position on the stern deck, his confident and steadfast voice greatly encouraging the crew.

Calming them from the sudden panic of the attack.

With a significant firepower disadvantage and no chance to escape, engaging in boarding combat to directly eliminate pirates from the opponent’s ship became the "Silver Wings" only opportunity.

If there were no extraordinary powers in the world, under such circumstances, the "Silver Wings" would virtually have no chance of turning the tide. But in this world, the individual might of the extraordinary provided a slim glimmer of hope.

"Boom... boom..."

Among the dense cannon shots, Aiven’s heart was pounding. Because every now and then, a solid cannonball, carrying immense kinetic energy, would crash onto the ship, easily shattering wooden planks and tearing through flesh. Nobody could guarantee the next cannonball wouldn’t land right atop them...

Although Aiven was already an official extraordinary, on such a cannon-laden battlefield, even a stray shot hitting a vital spot would undoubtedly settle the account then and there!

As the fog cleared, the symbol on the pirate ship’s sail became visible.

"It’s them? Wasn’t the intelligence saying they’re attacking the New Continent shipping routes? How did they come here to ambush us?!" Milan, the self-proclaimed intelligence expert, recognized their identity with just a glance at the two pirate ships, exclaiming in astonishment.

Yet, there wasn’t time to ponder why they, meant to be wild plundering the shipping routes, managed to sneak over here, as Milan swiftly shared the intelligence with the Silver Wings’ combat personnel.

"Listen to me..."

"Shark Tooth Pirates?!"

Although Aiven was the first to see the enemy’s full form, he only now discovered who they really were. It couldn’t be said that Aiven, though having decent knight talents, still lacked some experience and accumulation as a qualified navy, something worth learning from Milan.

Through Milan’s shared intelligence, Aiven and the others learned that it was indeed the flagship "Shark Tooth" of the Shark Tooth Pirate Gang and its main battleship "Sawfish," supposed to be wreaking havoc along the New Continent shipping routes.

The pirate leader was the "White Shark" Skook, who had a bounty of 2,000 Golden Lions in the Phaletis Kingdom alone. Across various nations, his accumulated bounties might even multiply this number!

He was a renowned great pirate for many years, at least an official knight at peak strength. At its zenith, his pirate gang boasted at least seven main pirate ships, even in the mixed-bag New Continent; he wasn’t a minor player.

Years ago, it’s said that "White Shark" was cursed by a black wizard, making him unable to sleep like a shark. Unlike sharks, who can rest alternatingly between brains while swimming, "White Shark" Skook clearly lacked this ability, even with peak extraordinary powers.

Due to severe sleep deprivation, his personality became extremely irritable and cruel. The merchant ships he hunted suffered dire consequences; often, cargo, crew were all blood-washed, reaching the point where sailors heard his name and were petrified.

Intelligence within the navy stated "White Shark" had become so savage that he gradually lost reason, often outright killing within his pirate gang, leading to general dissatisfaction among his crew long ago.

Yet, none dared to flee recklessly from fear of his formidable martial strength and exceedingly brutal punitive methods.

However, signs of unrest had begun to gradually surface. Recently, the "One-Eyed Becky" killed near the shore may have harbored aspirations to branch out alone, albeit unsuccessfully.

Nonetheless, the curse wasn’t without benefits for Skook. Due to its influence, his body underwent shark-like transformations, adopting several shark’s physiological traits, granting him underwater breathing and the ability to enter a frenzy state at will.

Particularly when he lost control, he became an utterly irrational bloodthirsty beast, immensely powerful, dangerous, and unstoppable.

Knowledgeable folks understood this guy wouldn’t need others to kill him; he’d inevitably perish within two or three years in such extreme conditions. During this period, akin to confronting a rabid mad dog, none wished to provoke this almost crazy individual.

On the "Silver Wings," they didn’t dwell on why Skook targeted them; with such an insane individual, nothing surprising about his extraordinary actions. Finding solutions to handle the present crisis was the real focus.

The ship’s three strongest were already gathered together: Colonel Gel at the official knight peak, Junior Official Knight Captain Aiven, and Vice Admiral Snite’s deputy and bodyguard Lieutenant Colonel Laxini.

Objective: Gather forces to decapitate "White Shark" Skook!

"Our firepower is at an absolute disadvantage, and, during the Shark Tooth Pirates’ apex, they had at least six extraordinaries, including the deceased One-Eyed Becky. How many might be aboard these two pirate ships now is unknown.

But as long as we can directly decapitate Skook, any remaining pirates with reason wouldn’t opt for a death fight against us. Our crisis can hence be resolved!"

Gel made a final action summary.