Fang Senyan’s move was ruthless in the extreme; seizing the high ground first, he utilized his advantage of being able to project his voice to all the pirates, cornering the enemy completely.
If Alathon chose to board the ship, would he still be in charge? Even if Fang Senyan couldn't force him to speak, once the ship took on passengers and set sail, the Dingyuan’s capabilities could easily allow it to delay the leaderless Umbar pirates for several hours.
Of course, Fang Senyan absolutely did not believe Alathon was bold enough to dare a direct boarding, so he had already prepared for both eventualities—the contingency for when Alathon refused to come aboard. Seeing that Alathon indeed lacked the courage to approach, Fang Senyan immediately bellowed:
“His Majesty the Dark Lord Sauron sends me to convey his will: All Umbar pirates are to continue the plunder of Pelargir, setting the city ablaze completely, cutting off any supplies Minas Tirith might acquire from here! Set sail for the Pelennor Fields in three hours to reinforce.”
The command Fang Senyan shouted had been thoroughly considered.
Undoubtedly, continuing the plunder of Pelargir served whose interest? Naturally, that of the vast majority of the Umbar pirates. Burning, slaughtering, pillaging, and raping in such a wealthy and prosperous city was akin to enjoying paradise for these cutthroats.
Conversely, Alathon’s order was to set sail immediately for the Pelennor Fields to join the battle!
War meant casualties, and the enemy consisted of the incomparably powerful Knights of Rohan, plus an Elven Prince! Furthermore, they were apparently expected to attack Minas Tirith, the continent's supposedly impregnable fortress… Even the dullest pirate, calculating with their toes, would know which command was most advantageous to them!
What about loyalty, you ask? Are you discussing loyalty among these nearly ten thousand vicious pirates?? Perhaps it existed among a small fraction, but for the Umbar pirates as a whole, loyalty was like the blackened dice or the soiled headcloth—trash fit only to be tossed into the sea.
In truth, if it weren't for the profound fear they held for the might of the Dark Lord Sauron, these scattered riffraff could never have been unified.
Fang Senyan's insight was razor-sharp. He saw clearly that since Alathon’s personal strength was limited, he could hardly possess absolute authority among the pirates—authority among pirates was usually established with cold steel and bloodshed. Thus, the few words Fang Senyan had just spoken clearly challenged Alathon’s authority and severely carved a fissure between Alathon and the common pirates.
If Alathon dared to refuse him, that fissure would transmute into a gaping wound. ---A wound sufficient to cause a total rupture!
But Alathon was the one who truly upheld the will of the Dark Lord Sauron! Did he dare defy Gasmor’s military order?
Of course not! If Alathon possessed such dominating charisma, how would the Umbar pirates have degenerated into the most wretched and marginalized faction?
“So,” Fang Senyan leaned back quite casually in the captain’s cabin, scooping up a handful of gold coins. He listened to the crisp sound of the glittering metal falling from his fingertips onto the wood, speaking languidly, “the only thing Alathon can do is mobilize his confidantes to attack, silence me, and perhaps strip us bare and hang us from the mast to bolster his prestige.”
Saying this, Fang Senyan shrugged, stifled a yawn, and looked at his burly, intensely excited subordinates nearby: “Look, he’s starting to mobilize his ships. Five massive galleys are closing in. Are you scared?”
Immediately, a string of boisterous laughter erupted, shaking the very waters of the Anduin until ripples spread across the surface: “We, the overlords who command the Seven Seas, pirates so mighty that even the Black Pearl and the Endeavour flee at the sight of us—we fear these softlings?”
Fang Senyan looked indifferently at the gold coins in his palm, appearing to study the patterns etched upon them, and said flatly, “It seems you lot have improved while I was away…. But I still have use for these fellows. Fifteen minutes for you all—take down those five ships. Any problem?”
Redbeard and the surrounding pirates glanced at each other, displaying a grimace that suggested they had knives clenched between their teeth!
“Fine. Since the Boss has spoken, let’s open these bastards’ eyes wide!”
Fang Senyan nodded, but added one qualification: “Though their ships are weak, their physical conditioning is excellent; their individual combat prowess is definitely not lacking. Therefore, do not grapple, do not take prisoners, sink them directly. Remember that?”
Old Seadog and Redbeard both discerned the seriousness in Fang Senyan’s tone. Old Seadog was Fang Senyan’s most trusted pirate, and Redbeard had displayed outstanding leadership qualities in the Boss’s absence. Having been given direct orders, they were certain Fang Senyan’s will would be carried out.
Under the flag-signal control of Alathon’s flagship, the five massive galley-oared ships piloted by his confidantes quickly formed up. These vessels utilized lateen sails, featured a triangular hull, and sported two rows of massive oars near the waterline. This allowed for high-speed navigation even in dead calm or headwind conditions; maneuverability was the greatest asset of these ships.
His standard attack formation was deployed, yet the opposing vessel remained utterly unresponsive. This nearly caused Alathon, amidst his intense rage, to feel a sliver of amusement. Did the enemy only know how to boast?
However, one could be shameless, reckless, or ignore a whipping as a pirate, but one organ had to be sound: the eyes! Without eyes, one couldn't spot prey and was doomed to drink seawater aboard ship. So, just as Alathon relaxed, he heard suppressed gasps of astonishment from around him!
In the sunlight, it became clear that what they had mistaken for “ropes” winding around the opponent’s hull were actually stiff, massive blood vessels! The Sea Giant’s tendons began to writhe rapidly. Immediately, several large barrels were pushed out from the opposing ship’s hold, and several savage-looking men raised axes and hacked them open. What spilled out was incredibly thick, viscous blue blood!
While the Dingyuan required human sacrifices previously, the blood now being used was the blood of the Demon Horseshoe Crab, which was far more effective.
Ever since Fang Senyan lured Paul away, an enraged Davy Jones had engaged the Dingyuan in battle several times. But the crew Fang Senyan had assembled had reached maturity, making defeating the Dingyuan easy, though destroying it was difficult. The lonely Davy Jones had subsequently adopted a demonic pet: a terrifying giant horseshoe crab!
These Demon Horseshoe Crabs naturally preyed on the eggs laid by Sea Giants, making their relationship more hostile than that between cats and mice—a mortal enmity, that is. Redbeard seized an opportunity to viciously trick Davy Jones’s new pet, luring the creature onto land, and securing several barrels of its blood for emergency use. Now, bringing out the reserves signaled that they were ready to unleash maximum firepower.
The entire Dingyuan began to creak ominously. The Sea Giant’s vessels greedily sucked down the Demon Horseshoe Crab blood, swelling violently. The Dingyuan’s overall volume seemed to increase by nearly half, its hull apparently coated in an incredibly tough, muscular tissue shield. Simultaneously, a dense, gray mist descended, obscuring the river until it blotted out the sky, accompanied by a heavy, dull heartbeat that struck everyone’s morale like thunder.
“Barbarbos.”
“Barbarbos!!!”
“Who calls upon the great Barbarbos!!”
“Who dares obstruct the great Barbarbos!”
A colossal misty phantom of a Sea Giant materialized above the Dingyuan. Holding a massive anchor, the soul of this Sea Giant named Barbarbos roared silently toward the heavens! Then, he brought the anchor down violently onto the vast Anduin River!
The entire river instantly churned into violent chaos. Alathon’s five pirate ships, relying on their speed, had even managed to close within a hundred yards of the Dingyuan. But now, they were all snagged by massive whirlpools, making holding the helm an impossible luxury, let alone sailing or fighting in this boiling, furiously roaring river!
The “Sea Revelry,” a fearsome ability only legendary warships possessed, was now unleashed upon Middle-earth’s longest river, the Anduin!
Baladin’s blood-red sails snapped taut, and long plumes of smoke seemed to trail from the stern like smokestacks. But a closer look revealed that it wasn't smoke at all—it was thousands of tormented souls screaming as they propelled the ship forward. Within this affected zone, the Dingyuan, which was not naturally fast, experienced a forced speed increase of 100%, while the movement speed of all other ships/creatures was reduced by 50!!
At the same time, Fang Senyan’s eyebrows twitched as he felt an indescribable aura of savage hostility wash over him. He immediately thought of the ram added to the ship—that monstrous prow resembling the head of a vicious sea beast!
Two chilling red lights suddenly flared upon the head of this fierce beast. Then, its mouth slowly opened, spewing forth a torrent of flame several fathoms long, forming a fiercely burning battering ram. It then hurtled forward at high speed, aimed directly at the five or six massive triangular galleys before it!