Chapter 208 - Contest (2/2)

“Not yet. They can’t damage us effectively with this distance. At the same time, it’s going to be hard for us to create problems for them as well. Once they fire their cannons at us, it would be impossible for us to get close to them again. Now that they are allowing us to get closer to them, we should do that.”

Brook shared the same thoughts with Zhang Heng and hence, didn’t slow his vessel down. Seeing two pirate s.h.i.+ps charging at them, the three Spanish boats still refused to fire their cannons. However, once the two pirate vessels were close enough to the point where the Spanish sailors could be seen with the naked eye, Zhang Heng and Brook quickly turned their s.h.i.+ps in different directions and, at the same time, ordered their pirates to prepare for battle.

The commanders of the three Spanish s.h.i.+ps were taken by surprise, frustrated by the fact that the two pirate s.h.i.+ps did not get closer to them. Though both parties hadn’t fired at each other yet, a compet.i.tion of strategies had now commenced. The Spanish commander controlled his urge to fire at them, hoping to trick the two pirate s.h.i.+ps into coming closer. His plan would be successful if they were just a hundred yards closer. The commander was also confident that he would be able to sink the Jackdaw and Swordfish with three consecutive attacks.

However, Zhang Heng and Brook sensed that something wasn’t right. Hence, they instantly stopped their s.h.i.+ps at a critical moment, causing the Spanish commander to miss the perfect window of attack. Seeing that the two pirate s.h.i.+ps were in the process of turning to different directions again, he was done with playing games and ordered his sailors to fire at them.

“Fire all cannons!”

At the command, the three Spanish s.h.i.+ps fired everything they had at the same time. The boom it produced was so deafening, it was as if thunder had stuck that very spot. Some pirates were so terrified that they lost their balance and fell onto the deck.

“Incoming!!! Everyone! Brace yourselves!” shouted Zhang Heng.

The moment he gave the order, flying cannonb.a.l.l.s rained down on them. At least a quarter landed on the Jackdaw and the Swordfish. Even without firing a test round to gauge the accuracy of their shots, they still managed to inflict considerable damage. This proved that the cannoneers on the Spanish s.h.i.+ps were exceptionally skillful.

As compared to the sailors on Scarborough, the sailors on the three Spanish s.h.i.+ps were more a lot more experienced. At least seven or eight cannonb.a.l.l.s landed on the Jackdaw’s deck. It was not a pretty scene to behold, as the unlucky pirate acting as the helmsman had a piece of wood penetrating his neck and killing him instantly. Without the helmsman, the Jackdaw began free sailing and was now headed toward the Spanish s.h.i.+ps. Luckily, Zhang Heng was right beside the dead helmsman. He quickly pushed the body away and attempted to turn the s.h.i.+p around.

The second round of attacks came right after the first ended. This time, the Jackdaw was. .h.i.t by even more cannonb.a.l.l.s. Not only was their deck severely damaged, but their hull began to suffer as well from the continuous onslaught. Immediately, the carpenters jumped into action, fixing the damage as fast and as best as they could. Zhang Heng swept the dust off himself, breathed a sigh, and continued to maneuver the s.h.i.+p. At the same time, he turned around to check the condition of the deck.

It appeared that the firepower of the Spanish vessels wasn’t as powerful as Zhang Heng thought it would be. The scary thing about them, however, was their pinpoint accuracy. If this went on, he might have to consider expediting their retreat. When the third round of attacks commenced, only a few cannonb.a.l.l.s landed on the Jackdaw. This wasn’t the result that Billy and the rest of the pirates expected. Their accuracy couldn’t have dropped so dramatically after witnessing their first two rounds of sharp firing.

Nevertheless, their faces changed when they saw what had become of the Swordfish. The Spaniards were focusing their fire on them. Thanks to Brook’s excellent maneuvering skills, he managed to dodge several attacks. However, flying cannonb.a.l.l.s from three s.h.i.+ps were one too many to emerge unscathed. Besides, the Swordfish had been modified for optimum speed, significantly sacrificing their defensive abilities. When the third round of attack was over, two of their masts had fallen, and their bow was severely damaged.