The absolute insistence on a sail was because Fang Senyan and his crew were a hastily assembled group, and the lifeboat carried no cannons, leaving them with no real capital for a naval bombardment exchange. Therefore, the only recourse was to muddy the waters—to wait for the opportune moment when a Royal Navy vessel and a pirate ship grappled in the chaos of battle, then rapidly close the distance, board the ship, and strike when the enemies were mutually weakened.

This strategy sounded deceptively simple in theory, but in execution, it was fraught with difficulty and countless unpredictable variables.

Fang Senyan’s immediate assurance was the trump card of Reef, who could advance at any moment to become a Colonizer, absorbing enemy fire. Furthermore, the lower world difficulty certainly solidified Fang Senyan's resolve to take this calculated risk. Suddenly, Black, whose eyesight was the keenest, pointed north and shouted:

“There’s a relatively intact lifeboat over there! At least the mast and sail are complete.”

Fang Senyan waved his hand, and the band of pirates immediately sprang into action, yelling as they scavenged a few broken planks, then paddled their makeshift craft toward the target.

However, Fang Senyan’s group was not the only faction eyeing that boat. As the single-masted sailboat drifted closer, several other parties had also fixed their sights on it. Their goal might not necessarily be to join the main fray; securing a nearly complete vessel meant a significantly higher chance of reaching Port Royal ahead of schedule.

Despite the competition, under Fang Senyan’s command, they ultimately reached their objective first, seizing the empty lifeboat. The pirates shouted excitedly and leaped aboard, swiftly rigging the sail and preparing to set off even before Fang Senyan gave the order.

But just then, two longboats crewed by British sailors closed in from the left and right. The red and white uniforms of the Royal Marines aboard them were strikingly conspicuous; these two waves of contractors clearly harbored malicious intent.

Black naturally exhibited his advantages at this critical moment. The Wasp Pistol's superior range and high damage allowed him to inflict crippling blows on the enemy from a great distance, complemented by the overwhelming edge provided by his peak Agility of 49. Although the opposing side also fielded three ranged shooters targeting Morgansa, under Reef's steadfast guard, Morgansa calmly executed precise shots. One lifeboat was effectively crippled when it closed within a hundred meters! Seven or eight of the British sailors aboard were killed outright.

The remaining lifeboat then had to face Morgansa’s sustained volley. The high rate of fire caused the spectral Viper Wolves to constantly materialize around their vessel, presenting a severe nuisance. Yet, the three contractors aboard stubbornly persisted in closing the distance, even managing to return fire. The result was that their boat soon ground to a halt, with no survivors left when they were less than thirty meters from Fang Senyan’s party.

This time, Black did not let them escape, unleashing ferocious lethality and eliminating the three stubborn foes. However, they only yielded a single Bloody Key, which Black casually tossed to Fang Senyan, as Fang Senyan still had an uncompleted mission. Witnessing the formidable power of the trio, the pirates waiting on their own boat erupted in cheers, their morale soaring.

At that moment, Black suddenly noticed that concealed by the thick fog and wreckage, another lifeboat, laden with menacing, fierce-looking pirates, had silently approached like a black phantom, closing to within thirty meters. Although this lifeboat also belonged to the pirate faction, their movements were undeniably hostile.

Morgansa’s pupils instantly constricted, and just as he raised his gun to fire, Fang Senyan restrained him, stating calmly:

“I let them come. Don’t you think we are still a little short-handed?”

When the two boats were about ten meters apart, a sudden roar erupted from the opposing vessel, followed immediately by the launch of at least a dozen grappling hooks that snagged onto the gunwales. Then, a horde of pirates screamed as they prepared to board.

These pirates were clearly a step above Fang Senyan’s own crew. Most were semi-nude, and even those wearing clothes had rags barely covering them, appearing exceptionally robust. They wielded every sharp object in sight, with some even holding small knives between their teeth. Pirates of higher standing had heavy kohl painted around one eye. In the heat of battle, they bared their yellow, rotten teeth, resembling flayed skeletons whose muscles had contracted post-mortem!

Fang Senyan observed these aggressive, uninvited guests. Their quality was undeniably superior to the motley crew he had managed to gather. Based on Fang Senyan's initial assessment, even the quality of these common pirates was comparable to the elite fighters aboard the Bell and Glass they had faced in their previous encounter.

It seemed Fang Senyan was not the only one blessed with fortune and opportunity; this stealthy group of contractors was clearly not greenhorns new to this world, but veterans who had already established a significant foundation here.

He made a gesture to Reef, signaling him to hold the frontline. Then, a glow enveloped Fang Senyan as he peaked his Strength to 49, and he strode directly toward the group of pirates already beginning to grapple onto his ship! A wild-haired pirate shrieked and swung his axe down toward Fang Senyan’s head!

Fang Senyan, lightning-quick, caught the man’s wrist and squeezed! The pirate immediately emitted a piercing scream as a grinding sound—kacha-kacha—came from his wrist, and the axe clattered onto the deck. Fang Senyan grabbed the man by the throat and hurled him toward several nearby pirates, causing immediate pandemonium and a pile-up.

Two other pirates, spotting an opening behind Fang Senyan, shouted and swung their cutlasses. Fang Senyan spun around, and both blades plunged into his chest—only to sink less than an inch deep before being firmly clamped by his hardened muscle, unable to advance further.

The eyes of these two pirates widened as if they had seen a ghost. Screaming in terror, they prepared to drop their weapons and flee, but Fang Senyan’s hands shot out, grabbing both their heads, one on the left and one on the right. With a hard collision, the two men began spinning dizzily in place, like drunkards, before collapsing to the ground.

Meanwhile, Reef, deep within the enemy ranks, let out a soul-shattering cry. Centered on him, a wave swept across the dense cluster of pirates who had boarded, instantly plunging over a dozen pirates into a terrifying Slowed state, making them stagger as if seasick and dizzy.

Fang Senyan’s own pirates, despite their mediocre frontal combat ability, excelled at kicking dogs that had already fallen. They immediately swarmed the slowed foes, employing every undignified tactic—gouging eyes, ripping ears, executing the 'Immortal Plucks Peach' maneuver, kicking, and stomping—utterly overwhelming the unfortunate victims.

The opposing contractors watched, stunned. Many of them had top attributes below forty; they could never have anticipated encountering such a terrifying powerhouse. To use a fitting analogy, Fang Senyan and his two companions were currently occupying the status of Prince Stallo’s group in the previous Avatar world among the contractors in this setting. They held an almost overwhelming advantage in strength!

Seeing the tide turn disastrously, the remaining contractors aboard the enemy vessel suddenly raised their arms and shouted with fervor:

“Where is your courage? Where is your fighting spirit? The valor of the Vikings is with you! I, Lassek, Son of the Vikings, let the names of my enemies tremble!”

Hearing this cry, the pirates roared back with renewed vigor and charged forward. This shout was clearly a potent buff; it seemed this Lassek held considerable prestige among the pirates, likely reaching Revered status and perhaps even possessing a rare title.

Facing this desperate counterattack from Lassek, Fang Senyan sneered coldly. He snatched a leading pirate who was charging toward them, then leaped to a higher vantage point, hoisting the captured pirate captain aloft with one hand, shouting loudly toward his own men:

“Tell these fools who they are fighting??”

Fang Senyan’s pirates immediately shrieked back with exhilarating fervor:

“How dare you offend the majesty of the Flying Dutchman! Davy Jones will wrap his tentacles around your very soul!!”

“The Sailor Yan from the East will gouge out your eyes and stuff your testicles inside, hahahaha!”

“Fools, have you ever heard of legendary warships?”

“……”

Undoubtedly, the prestige of the three legendary pirate ships had long been ingrained in lore and anecdote, made even more terrifying by vivid retellings in taverns! Compared to the glory of the Flying Dutchman, this Lassek, the self-proclaimed Son of the Vikings, was reduced to an obscure clown!

The morale of the pirates who had come to board and seize the ship immediately plummeted further, and a shade of terror began to appear in their eyes. Fang Senyan casually hurled the body of the pirate in his hand toward the densest part of the enemy formation and roared:

“You want to steal from me??? Hahahaha! Do you dare oppose me—the Second Mate of the Flying Dutchman? Do you dare oppose me—Sailor Yan from the East?? Even the Viking warrior Scar Henry died by my hand! Even the Voodoo Cult’s Corrupt Soul died beneath my feet! And you dare to come here seeking death!”

Instantly, the morale of the attacking pirates sank even lower, and furtive whispers broke out among them:

“Look at that yellow skin; he truly is Sailor Yan from the mysterious East!!”

“I heard someone mention it—the Flying Dutchman is under a terrible curse, but they are still half-human and occasionally deal with those on shore… However, the position of Second Mate has always seemed vacant!”