Chapter 5

The pirates were brave, but they faced the regular Spanish army. The pirates who had just climbed aboard the 'Black Pearl' had no time to react before they were shot dead by the Spanish soldiers who were already well-prepared.

Although Captain Carlos had only one platoon, more than thirty Spanish soldiers, the line of defense formed by these skilled riflemen was something the pirates could not withstand. Any pirate who tried to climb aboard the 'Black Pearl' was shot dead, without exception!

"Get closer! Speed up!" Luo Sangu shouted loudly when she saw her subordinates suffering heavy casualties.

Long Yufei, who was experiencing the cruelty of the battlefield for the first time, remained silent. Although these pirates were fierce, they were originally hardworking civilians who had been forced to become pirates due to their circumstances. The Spanish were defending themselves, but they were not good people either. When they plundered the colonies, how many people had died at their hands?

Perhaps because the two sides were very close, a cannonball fired from a pirate ship hit the 'Black Pearl.' The cannonball struck the Spanish soldiers, killing two of them on the spot and injuring several others. More importantly, it disrupted their deployment, preventing them from suppressing the pirates who had climbed aboard the 'Black Pearl.'

The pirates, wielding steel knives, took the opportunity to jump onto the deck of the 'Black Pearl' and began to slash at the Spanish soldiers with their knives. Although muskets were more advanced than steel knives, they were no match for these fierce pirates in close combat. As more and more pirates climbed aboard, the Spanish army was forced to retreat, and Captain Carlos lost his initial composure!

"Captain! Speed up, shake off those damned pirates!" Captain Carlos rushed into the cabin and roared at the captain!

"Captain! I'm doing my best! But the pirates have already boarded the ship!" the captain shouted back! If he had listened to him earlier and used speed to shake off the pirates, this might not have happened!

Their argument did nothing to solve the problem. When Long Yufei's pirate ship also docked at the 'Black Pearl,' it was all over! The pirates, with their numerical advantage, killed all the Spanish soldiers who dared to resist. Even Captain Carlos was not spared. The rest chose to lay down their weapons and surrender to the pirates, including the captain of the 'Black Pearl.'

Luo Sangu and the others boarded the 'Black Pearl,' and Long Yufei followed. However, when he saw the blood, corpses, and severed limbs scattered across the deck, he felt a chill run through his scalp and his stomach churned. He immediately leaned over the side of the ship and vomited. The other pirates looked at Long Yufei with disdain. A man who couldn't even handle such a scene and was so weak was a joke to be a pirate!

The surrendered Spanish were taken into custody. For the pirates of Feiyu Island, this victory was a Pyrrhic one. Although they won, they suffered significant losses, with over thirty pirates killed and more than ten injured, several of whom were severely wounded and would likely be disabled even if they recovered.

The regular Spanish army was reduced to just a few men, the rest having been killed. The crew of the 'Black Pearl,' however, suffered minimal casualties as they surrendered immediately. They were not regular soldiers and had no need to fight to the death!

"Great leader, we are willing to surrender, please do not kill us!" The bearded captain of the 'Black Pearl' was brought to Luo Sangu by two pirates. Seeing the fierce pirates, he was somewhat frightened.

"Where are the treasures on the ship?" Luo Sangu asked. However, the bearded captain did not understand Chinese.

At this moment, Long Yufei stepped in. He knew some Spanish and could speak it, though he couldn't write it. It was enough to handle the current situation! So, he acted as the translator for the bearded captain!

When the bearded captain heard that they were asking about the treasure, he quickly said that the treasure was in the lower hold. Long Yufei and a few pirates accompanied the bearded captain and carried out two chests. The chests were not large but were very heavy. Fortunately, the pirates were strong; otherwise, Long Yufei's small frame would not have been able to carry them.

When the chests were opened, they were filled with gold that glinted in the light. At this moment, the bearded captain said, "Noble leader, this is the gold that the Spanish governor of Luzon, Antonio Pedro, requested to be transported back to Spain, a total of two hundred kilograms."

The glinting gold was very tempting, and the pirates all showed greedy expressions. They had risked their lives for this gold!

"Boss, we have the gold. These red-haired devils are no longer useful. Finish them off, and let's go!" Chen San suggested!

The bearded captain seemed to realize something and shouted in terror, "Please, don't kill us! We can ransom our lives with money!"

Long Yufei translated the bearded captain's words accurately. Luo Sangu fell into deep thought, considering whether to spare the Spanish!

At this moment, a pirate ship gave a warning!

"Boss, we've spotted a British warship! What should we do?" a pirate leader asked in fear.

Everyone's faces changed instantly! They dared to attack the Spanish treasure ship because it was an armed merchant ship. If it were a warship, they would have run as far as possible. Although the pirates were fierce, they knew that using pirate ships to fight against well-armed warships was like hitting a stone with an egg!

"Boss, let's retreat immediately!" Chen San suggested! Even he, who was usually fierce, did not have the courage to fight a regular warship!

"There's no way to run, boss. It's a British cruiser, very fast. Our ships can't outrun it!" the pirate leader who brought the news said dejectedly!

During the age of sail, warships were divided into six classes. The first class had three gun decks, over 100 guns, a displacement of 2,500 to 3,500 tons, and over 875 crew members. The second class had three gun decks, 90 to 98 guns, a displacement of over 2,000 tons, and around 750 crew members. The third class had two to three gun decks, 64 to 80 guns, a displacement of 1,300 to 2,000 tons, and 490 to 720 crew members. These three classes were the main warships of various countries, also known as battleships or line-of-battle ships.

The fourth class had two gun decks, 50 to 56 guns, a displacement of over 1,000 tons, and around 350 crew members. These warships were not very powerful or flexible and served as the flagships of overseas cruiser squadrons.

The fifth and sixth classes were cruisers, with a displacement of a few hundred tons, 24 to 40 guns, and 100 to 200 crew members. These warships, though not very powerful, were very fast and were often used to raid merchant ships or for communication and escort duties.

The British warship that appeared was a sixth-class cruiser, equipped with 24 guns and capable of speeds over 12 knots. It was almost impossible for the pirate ships to escape from this British warship!

Although it was only a sixth-class warship, and the relationship between Britain and Spain was tense, if the British discovered that pirates had attacked a Spanish merchant ship, they would not let the pirates go! Facing a British warship, the pirate ships had no chance of escape. Fighting the British warship would be suicide. Although the sixth-class warship only had 24 guns, it was more than enough to easily sink any pirate ship!

"Boss, let's break through and scatter! We'll see how many can escape!" a pirate leader said. Whether they could escape would depend on the mercy of heaven!

Luo Sangu's face was grim. The joy of defeating the Spanish and obtaining 200 kilograms of gold had long vanished. The sudden appearance of the British warship had plunged them from heaven to hell. If they handled this poorly, all the pirates would be doomed today!

Long Yufei's face was also not good. Britain was the current maritime superpower, having risen after defeating the Spanish Armada. Subsequent attempts by several European countries to challenge Britain's status were all defeated. Especially the two battles of Cape St. Vincent and the Battle of Trafalgar, where France and Spain failed to defeat the British Navy, further solidified Britain's maritime dominance. This also thwarted Napoleon's ambition to expand into the seas, forcing him to focus on Europe. Over a decade ago, the victory of the anti-French coalition eliminated France as a rival, allowing Britain to expand globally without hindrance. The East had always been a coveted region for the British, so the appearance of a British warship in the South China Sea was not surprising. However, for the pirates of Feiyu Island, its appearance at this moment was not good news!

"Boss, we can't fight the British, and we can't run. We have to take a risk!" Long Yufei said.

"Is there a plan?" Luo Sangu asked.

"Draw the British onto the ship and then eliminate them!" Long Yufei said!

PS: Thanks to reader Fei Dong for the support! Request for favorites and recommendations!

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