Captain Amand had initially harbored some suspicion toward Fang Senyan, a sailor claiming to hail from the East—though even in the real world, exaggerating one's credentials during a job interview was common practice—but after witnessing his performance, all doubt vanished. No matter how well one might pretend, that stable composure born only from true familiarity with the ocean's might could never be faked!

Poor old Keri, whose leg injury had never fully healed, was suffering horribly on the pitching deck, vomiting until he was utterly wretched, nearly bringing up bile. However, Keri’s previous insistence on his close ties with Fang Senyan proved quite useful now. Ben Morgan, who had suffered the most under Fang Senyan's hand, scurried up and down attending to Keri, clearly aiming for a circuitous path to appeal to Fang Senyan’s good graces, hoping his cousin/savior would put in a good word to avoid another night sleeping exposed outside the cabin.

The sea wind gradually intensified, and the waves began to surge in powerful, rolling crests. Merely observing the overwhelming momentum of their rise and fall conveyed a sense of majesty that the elements between heaven and earth possessed—an irresistible power. Looking down from above, the Bell and Goblet, a six-hundred-ton vessel capable of carrying two hundred souls, resembled a tiny leaf adrift, bobbing and sinking in the vast ocean, seemingly liable to capsize at any moment.

But just then, a colossal flash of light erupted in the distance of the sky! It was as if a blinding lightning bolt had instantaneously ripped through the heavens. In that instant, the skin of everyone looking up was stained with a sheen of light, as if the electricity itself had come alive and danced upon their skin, even causing their pupils to momentarily glaze over. Then, the lookout Baudot in the rigging shouted:

"The Flying Dutchman is signaling!"

"Enemy is to the West, eleven nautical miles out!"

Fang Senyan knew the origin of that recent flash. He had heard in the tavern that Blackbeard, captain of the legendary pirate warship Queen Anne's Revenge, was a master of black magic, and this was the glorious warning beacon he had unleashed. Yet, this magic held no offensive power; it could be considered the Caribbean Pirates version of a massive fireworks display. By the time of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Blackbeard could even shrink the legendary pirate ship Black Pearl into a bottle of rum for his collection, showcasing the profound skill of his black magic.

Upon seeing the flare, Amand stood ramrod straight, a dark black commander's cap settled upon his head at some unknown moment. With a sharp hiss, he drew the rapier at his waist and roared:

"Hard to port! Set the staysail, full speed West!"

At this moment, a dazzling white light emanated from Amand’s entire body. Under the direction of his blade, the entire ship became enveloped in a faint white glow. Clearly, the vessel's unique ability—Slipstream Sailing—had activated, drastically increasing speed while sailing against the wind! The pirate ship accelerated its course westward. By Fang Senyan's estimation, the increase in speed was at least 30%!

Even with the ship accelerating, by the time it reached the combat zone, the fighting was already raging furiously! Undeniably, the Black Pearl, the undisputed speed king of the Caribbean, was the first to arrive and engage. Following closely behind was the Defiant, which also possessed acceleration capabilities. The two warships of the Spanish Armada were forced to meet them. Then, the Flying Dutchman arrived and signaled. As the Bell and Goblet breached a towering wave and plunged into the fray, three merchant vessels lay bare before them, vulnerable as defenseless lambs!

"Ready~~~~ Fire!" Amand raised his silver rapier again! With a forceful downward thrust, the Bell and Goblet heeled sharply to the right, while simultaneously spewing ten tongues of fire from its port side! A thick white mist billowed—the ten curved cannons mounted on the port rail were firing. But the wealthy Spanish merchant Fernandes, infamous early in his career for the slave trade, was no easy mark. His three ships were hardly inferior to warships in draft or tonnage; they were truly armed merchantmen. The ten shots from the Bell and Shell connected with maybe two or three, posing little real threat to those thick-skinned armed vessels!

However, Amand didn't seem to hold high hopes for his ship's artillery anyway. After a symbolic few volleys, he directly ordered a close approach, preparing for boarding! This was the preferred tactic for pirate captains, as a successful boarding not only allowed for the plundering of maximum wealth but also the capture of the entire merchant vessel. Of course, the risks and potential crew losses associated with boarding combat were notoriously high.

Despite the towering waves and churning whitecaps, the Bell and Goblet, relying on its exceptional speed, quickly drew parallel alongside the bulky merchant ship to its port side, the distance rapidly closing! Just as they were about to successfully grapple, Fang Senyan suddenly felt an immense, intangible pressure bearing down from the left. This pressure was formless yet overwhelmingly fierce, not only difficult to resist but giving the sense that even a brush with it would instantly lead to utter disintegration!

Fang Senyan immediately threw himself forward, flattening against the deck. He pulled down the bewildered and clueless Keri beside him. The man had just managed to recover enough to come up from the lower hold for some air, but Fang Senyan seized his ankle and dragged him down, slamming his face into the deck. Blood sprayed violently from his nose, and he nearly knocked out two front teeth. As he whimpered, struggling to raise his head to unleash a torrent of curses, he saw in that moment of terror: the side planking of the merchant ship on their left suddenly burst open with a series of loud cracks, revealing a row of perfectly aligned, pitch-black cannon muzzles aimed directly at them! Before anyone could fully react, thirty-seven brand-new heavy caliber cannons, manufactured at the Seska-Dnieprovirovka Armory, simultaneously spat out terrifying flames!

In that instant, the rapidly moving Bell and Goblet shuddered violently, involuntarily shifting laterally seven or eight meters, as if shoved hard from the left by an invisible giant hand. At least twenty heavy solid shot projectiles successfully struck its hull. One could clearly see large clouds of dust erupting from the Bell and Goblet's starboard side—a gruesome sight composed of shattered wood splinters and even flesh! The owner of that merchant ship, Fernandes, had proven to be incredibly patient, only revealing his trump card at this critical juncture!

This single volley left the Bell and Goblet suffering grievous losses. Because boarding was imminent, over seventy percent of the pirates had gathered excitedly on deck. This carefully planned volley inflicted casualties amounting to at least a third of their crew; some pirates were even thrown into the sea by the blast wave of the cannonballs! Among the fallen was the First Mate, Scarface Henry; the massive, hearty man had been attempting to aid a comrade when he was struck squarely in the head by a high-speed fragment of railing the size of a washbasin. His head instantly bled profusely, and he lapsed into unconsciousness, his fate unknown.

Fortunately, artillery in this era was relatively backward. After firing once, the cannons required complex and tedious procedures like swabbing the bore and recharging the powder. Moreover, Fernandes’s primary profession was merchant, not soldier, and the sailors he hired were hardly expert gunners, causing the firing interval to be significantly prolonged. This delay undoubtedly gave the battle-hardened Amand sufficient time to counterattack!

"Rudder seventy degrees!"

Amand remained perfectly upright, only his hawk-like eyes sharp and venomous. His voice cracked like a whip, driving the pirates beside him to instinctively leap up and execute the command!

"Mizzen sail three! Catch the wind on the starboard side!"

"Strike four sails!"

Following this series of orders, Amand strode to the mainmast, raised his rapier, and gave it a sharp flick and swing. The massive mainsail instantly dropped with a loud whoosh. The silver rapier in Amand's hand emitted a blinding white light, enveloping the entire ship and mirroring the figurehead's ram at the bow. In that instant, the entire Bell and Goblet slewed sideways. When it took fire, it was parallel to the merchant ship; now, this sudden, rapid turn brought it into a T-bone configuration with the enemy vessel!

At this moment, a wave like a wall rushed toward them, but the Bell and Goblet pierced through the giant wave, kicking up a spray of water high into the air. Utilizing the residual momentum from its high speed, it charged madly into the enemy ship!

If the Bell and Goblet had seemed like a resilient, slender willow leaf adrift on the vast ocean before, then in this moment, under the complete command of its captain—this pirate ship transformed into the sharp, keen edge of the silver rapier in his hand! Long, elegant, ruthless, and utterly invincible! It struck toward the enemy's belly with a desperate, reckless madness!

.............. A new week begins, and the new book needs the strong support of your recommendation votes! Ah Tu bows deeply in thanks! (To be continued, please visit: for the latest chapters.)