Chapter 123 - Ambush (1/2)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

On the boundless blue sea, the Royal Scarborough patrolled its territory like a lion.

This second-cla.s.s battles.h.i.+p belonging to the British Navy had a displacement of 2,000 tons with 90 cannons and nearly 700 sailors—the giant of the Caribbean Sea.

Every now and then, the Scarborough would in accordance with the orders of the Admiralty, go out on scheduled patrol to maintain the order of the nearby maritime trade routes. Pirates pa.s.sing by this area would flee. In fact, just hearing the name Scarborough was enough to send unnerve even the most powerful pirate.

Whence, whenever the Scarborough left the port, she would rarely be involved in any battle—unless you count one-sided attacks where the enemy fled h.e.l.l for leather.

At the moment, Captain Elmer was sitting on deck, enjoying his wine and a violin performance. He was only starting to immerse himself in the music when someone suddenly interrupted him. The lookout shouted from above, “An armed merchant s.h.i.+p is spotted in the southwest direction!”

Elmer’s brows furrowed, the expression on his face unpleasant.

The first lieutenant quickly marched to the side of the s.h.i.+p and took the copper telescope that was handed to him. After a while, he said, “The flag on the mast is French, very deep draught, traveling at around three knots. They must be carrying a lot of cargo.”

Captain Elmer finally put down the gla.s.s in his hand and strolled over.

During this time, the War of the Spanish Succession was taking place. In order to prevent the Bourbon kings from annexing Spain, the new Grand Alliance, which included the United Kingdom, united against France and its allies, and the two sides were in a state of war.

The French merchant s.h.i.+p could only blame its terrible luck to have crossed the Scarborough’s path.

Elmer looked at the sailors on the deck below, and saw their eyes were filled with antic.i.p.ation.

The captain broke into a smile and said, “If this is a gift from G.o.d to us, how can we refuse it?”

The sailors cheered. If they wait until their wages were paid, they would have starved to death. The one thing that motivated them to go out into the sea was extracurricular plunders like this. Even if most of it would end up in Elmer’s and the navy marshal’s pockets, they were satisfied just to be able to drink a little bit of soup. The sailors were already used to it.

With the captain’s permission, the Scarborough began to change its course towards the ‘unfortunate’ s.h.i.+p. The gun port’s lid was opened, revealing the dense rows of black cannon muzzles inside, like a shark flas.h.i.+ng its razor teeth.

Although war was about to begin, the atmosphere on the deck was unusually relaxed. The violinist who was performing continued to play his instrument.

The disparity of firepower between the two parties cannot be starker. Had they met each other face to face, the other side would have quickly surrendered and handed their cargo over, so that if Elmer was in a good mood, he might just spare the lives of everyone on the s.h.i.+p.