Chapter 230: Extraordinary Pirates
On the calm sea, five ships—two chasing and three fleeing—created a tense atmosphere.
This voyage was already challenging for the young crew, and the sudden appearance of pirates further tested their minds and abilities.
Fortunately, amidst the shouts and reprimands of old-timers like Heck, the greenhorns gradually calmed down and were able to follow orders.
However, their situation remained grim.
Although the three ships seemed to have deftly changed direction twice, the pirates’ ships had the wind at their backs for the most part. The distance between them inevitably closed to less than two hundred meters.
"Don’t panic, lads!"
Heck shouted at the top of his lungs. The passenger ship held the most crew, servants, and Guards, and they were the ones who needed to remain calm the most.
"As long as we keep twenty or thirty meters between us, they won’t be able to board our ship!"
If they couldn’t board, they couldn’t threaten them.
Duane was beginning to understand Heck and the others’ strategy.
’They’re trying to maneuver, to lead the enemy ships into the wind. That would turn this into a simple chase.’
"My Lord, your Shield and Sword!"
Owington brought out Duane’s Shield and weapon.
Duane took the Longsword. "You hold on to the Shield. Jasmine, go hide in your room. There’s nothing for you to do here."
The maid, her face pale with fright but still standing by the Baron’s side, nodded. "Alright, my Lord. Please be careful!"
Just when everyone thought they could maintain the stalemate, a dozen or so Archers appeared on the decks of the two opposing ships.
They drew their bows, their arrowheads wrapped in burning bundles.
Heck’s eyes shot wide, his expression changing drastically.
"They’re using fire to force our surrender! Everyone, grab a Shield and block them! Protect the sails!"
"Jack, have our Archers return fire!"
"Already on it!"
Jack had already organized them, but they were shorthanded. Aside from those holding shields, only five men were left to fire arrows.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH~
Arrows from both sides flew through the air. Although two hundred meters was near the maximum range of an ordinary Longbow, it was just enough to cover both ships.
Duane secretly used his Wind-Held Magic to alter the trajectories of some of the more fatal Arrows, allowing his men to fight back without being injured.
At the same time, for the Arrows aimed at the sails, he directly swung his Sword, sending out a Fighting Qi Slash to cut them out of the air.
The few Arrows that did hit the ship were quickly extinguished by the crew.
Overall, the battle was fierce, but they hadn’t sustained much damage.
The enemy, on the other hand, had already lost two or three Archers to stray Arrows.
"Well done!"
Duane laughed heartily. "Aim a little truer! The first man to kill one of them gets a gold coin!"
Instantly, the men under his command grew even more excited.
Soon, with a THWAP, an arrow struck an enemy Archer between the eyes, drawing first blood.
"Who fired that shot?" Duane asked loudly.
"Me! It was me, my Lord, it was me!"
A young Archer stepped forward. Duane didn’t recognize him; he must have been a local recruit from Black Forest Island’s constabulary.
"Excellent! Find Owington later to collect your reward!"
Duane praised him, adding, "Keep it up! Five silvers for every kill!"
Passion flared amidst the chaos. The new recruits could feel their blood pumping.
After this, their combat mentality would be vastly improved.
After Jack’s men shot down two more enemy Archers, the pirates raised their shields.
By then, the distance between the ships had closed to less than a hundred meters.
WHOOSH!
At that moment, a figure leaped from the enemy ship.
Fighting Qi enveloped his entire body, forming a tight suit of Fighting Qi Armor.
Jack shouted, "Shoot him down!"
Arrows flew toward the man but failed to even pierce his Fighting Qi Armor.
Duane’s pupils constricted. ’A Celestial Tier Warrior!’
Ordinary longbows with ordinary Arrows were completely useless against a Celestial Tier Warrior.
"Everyone, get behind me!" Duane roared.
KABOOM!
An explosion of energy erupted. The soldiers who didn’t retreat in time were knocked down or sent flying by the shockwave from the enemy’s Bursting Impact Combat Technique.
One soldier nearly fell into the sea, saved only by Duane’s timely intervention.
"Heh, I didn’t expect to catch such a big fish today!"
The Celestial Tier pirate licked his lips, laughing excitedly. "A ship from Black Forest Island... You must be that Little Baron, Duane Brian?"
Duane set the soldier down. "Everyone, stay back. The rest of this fight has nothing to do with you."
The pirate gave a playful smile. "What, you plan to take me on by yourself?"
"Heh heh, you can’t even guess my strength?"
The man seemed to want to intimidate everyone. "Then let me tell you. I am the Celestial Tier Warrior they call Death God—Blood Anchor!"
The words "Celestial Tier Warrior" were indeed enough to frighten everyone.
They didn’t know Duane’s true strength.
Kaelon hadn’t come this time, and no one else was a match for a Celestial Tier Warrior.
"Blood Anchor?"
Duane sneered. "’Pirate’ is just a temporary identity, isn’t it? I’m more interested in your real name and your reason for intercepting me."
At first, he too had thought these were just ordinary pirates.
But when a Celestial Tier Warrior leaped from their ship, he changed his mind.
He found it hard to imagine a band of pirates having a Celestial Tier Warrior in their ranks.
As they spoke, the distance between the ships closed to fifty meters.
Just then, two more men leaped from the enemy ship, landing steadily on the deck beside Blood Anchor.
This only served to confirm Duane’s suspicions.
"One Celestial Tier, two Earth Tier. Who ordered you to intercept me here?"
Duane couldn’t understand who hated him so much that they would dispatch such a powerful lineup just to kill him.
And how did they know he would be passing through here at this exact time?
No one had sailed from Black Forest Island recently, and he was the only one with the authority to use the Gale Birds.
He frowned slightly. ’Does High Priestess Sara of the Holy Radiance Court have some special means of communication? Or did Natalia leak my itinerary?’
"No, we’re just ordinary pirates."
Blood Anchor lifted the brim of his Pirate Hat with a finger. "Aside from robbery, our greatest hobby is murder."
"Baron, I’m afraid you and all your men will meet your end in these waters today!"
He snapped his fingers, and the two Earth Tier Warriors beside him instantly charged.
They drew their longswords, flanking him from the left and right, trying to run him through.
Duane extended the index and middle fingers of both hands, catching each of their blades between them.
CLANG!
The vibrating ring of the blades sent a shock through everyone. Their eyes were glued to the young, yet seemingly immense, figure.
"This... is impossible!"
Blood Anchor’s eyes widened in disbelief.
In fact, it wasn’t just him; Jack, Barbossa, and everyone else thought they were seeing things.
A smile played on Duane’s lips as he looked down at the two men before him. "What, surprised?"
The two men’s faces contorted in panic. They hurriedly burst out with their Fighting Qi and tried to pull back their longswords.
But in that instant, Duane yanked, snatching the longswords away. Then, with lightning speed, he flung them back, slitting both their throats.
PSSSH!
Blood sprayed out, staining the deck red.
Blood Anchor was scared out of his wits, feeling as if he’d been plunged into ice-cold water.
’How is this possible? They were both Earth Tier Warriors!’
Two Earth Tier Warriors, weaker than chickens before this young man.
"Now, are you ready to tell me where you’re from and whose orders you’re following?"
Duane stepped forward. His light footsteps struck Blood Anchor’s heart like heavy hammer blows.
A look of terror spread across the pirate’s face. He turned, leaped, and scrambled back to his own ship, roaring in panic:
"Quick, turn the ship around! Get out of here!"
The tables had turned in an instant.
But a Celestial Tier Warrior could easily leap such a short distance, let alone Duane.
He bent his knees and sprang, his body soaring toward the opposite ship like a great, graceful bird.
Arrows flew at him but couldn’t penetrate his Fighting Qi Armor.
Duane threw a punch, his Fighting Qi forming a violent storm that pressed down on the deck. The Archers and crewmen were sent tumbling, and some unlucky ones were blown directly into the sea, with little hope of survival.
Duane landed safely on the deck and gave a cold command: "Stop your ship, or I’ll destroy it."