From the very beginning, the outcome of the battle was already clear.
The Manchu force that appeared was nothing more than a small flanking unit. Their purpose was to distract and harass, not to win outright. Worse still, they were riding small boats. Against the massive electric-powered warships of Gao Family Village, they stood no real chance.
They could not even overpower Yaoxingjuan's pirate fleet.
The moment the ships collided, the Manchu boats were smashed apart like fragile toys. Wood splintered. Hulls cracked. Men were thrown into the sea.
Then the gunfire began.
The sharp roar of firearms shattered the air, and Aobai's soldiers cried out as they fell one after another.
Zhun Ta, the valiant general, let out a savage roar. He clamped his steel saber between his teeth and leaped forward, grabbing the gunwale of a Gao Family Village ship with both hands. He intended to board it by force.
Before he could pull himself up, a piercing pain shot through his left hand.
A marine had spotted the hand gripping the edge of the ship. Without hesitation, he drove the bayonet fixed to his flintlock straight down.
The blade punched clean through Zhun Ta's hand.
Zhun Ta screamed in agony, but he did not let go.
Instead, with terrifying strength, he hauled himself upward. In one fluid motion, he caught the saber from his mouth with his right hand and swung it in a vicious arc at the marine.
The sheer ferocity of the attack shocked the man.
The marine almost lost his head. At the last instant, relying on his training and physical conditioning, he bent backward with a desperate arch, barely avoiding the slash. He then rolled across the deck, scrambling to widen the distance between them.
Zhun Ta roared and charged after him.
Then he suddenly sensed something wrong.
He lifted his eyes.
All around him stood Gao Family Village marines. Every single one of them had raised a flintlock rifle. Every barrel was aimed directly at him.
Zhun Ta bellowed wildly, "Awoo! Awoo! Awoo!"
The riflemen shouted in unison, "Fire!"
Gunshots erupted.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Bullets tore into Zhun Ta's body from every direction.
He screamed once more, staggered backward, and fell over the side of the ship, splashing into the sea below.
Aobai witnessed everything.
In that instant, he understood. That strange ship was a death trap. Boarding it meant certain death.
His gaze shifted.
He locked onto another vessel nearby.
Yaoxingjuan's ship.
That one looked easier.
Without hesitation, Aobai bit down on his saber just as Zhun Ta had done. As Yaoxingjuan's ship rammed against theirs, he seized the chance. He leaped across and grabbed the gunwale.
Unlike the disciplined marines, the pirates were in chaos. They were busy fighting the Manchu soldiers still on the other side. No one noticed the two powerful hands gripping the edge of their ship.
With a low, beast-like roar, Aobai flipped himself aboard and landed heavily on the deck of Yaoxingjuan's flagship.
The pirates froze for a split second.
Then someone shouted, "A Manchu general has boarded!"
Another yelled, "Kill him! Whoever takes his head earns great merit!"
Two pirates rushed forward, blades raised high.
They did not last a heartbeat.
A flash of steel.
Both men collapsed at the same time, blood spraying across the deck.
Aobai did not slow down. He swung his great saber and charged forward. His eyes were fixed on only one target.
Yaoxingjuan.
More pirates swarmed him from all sides.
But Aobai was no ordinary warrior. Alone, with a single saber, he fought through them like a storm tearing through reeds.
Steel clashed.
"Clang! Clang!"
He parried two blades at once. A shoulder slam. A savage kick. Two pirates were sent flying overboard into the sea.
In moments, he had carved a path straight to Yaoxingjuan.
Yaoxingjuan's face went pale.
With trembling speed, he pulled out a short firearm with his left hand and fired.
"Bang!"
But Aobai was faster.
He ducked low and rolled aside. The shot missed completely.
Yaoxingjuan stared in disbelief.
Before he could react, Aobai lunged forward like a tiger pouncing on prey. Their sabers clashed in a brief, brutal exchange.
Three moves.
That was all it took.
Yaoxingjuan's saber flew from his hand.
Aobai's blade came to rest against his throat.
The entire ship fell silent.
No one dared to move.
Aobai finally had a moment to look around.
Zhun Ta was dead.
Nearly all his men had been wiped out, their bodies floating in the sea. Across the battlefield, not a single Manchu soldier remained standing except him.
He drew in a sharp breath.
"My entire force… elite troops. Fearless warriors. And in such a short time, they're all gone."
That could only mean one thing.
The enemy was even more terrifying than he had imagined.
Breathing heavily, Aobai tightened his grip and shouted, "Let me leave, or I'll kill him!"
The surrounding marines and pirates hesitated.
Then, unexpectedly, it was Yaoxingjuan himself who shouted, "Don't worry about me! Let him kill me! He won't escape anyway. A worthless pirate like me in exchange for a Manchu general? That's a bargain!"
Shi Lang and Zheng Sen exchanged uncertain glances.
At that moment, the Heavenly Lord embroidered on Shi Lang's chest suddenly spoke.
"Engage him in awkward banter."
Shi Lang blinked. "The Heavenly Lord has descended! But… how exactly does one engage in awkward banter?"
The embroidered Heavenly Lord replied calmly, "Figure it out yourself. I'm busy."
And then it fell silent.
Shi Lang swallowed and steadied himself.
"Fine. Awkward banter it is. This is the Heavenly Lord's command. Even if it's embarrassing, I have to do it."
He looked at Aobai and cleared his throat.
"You look quite formidable, brother. May I ask your name?"
Aobai lifted his chin proudly.
"I am Aobai, the foremost warrior of the Manchu."