Chapter 227 - Victory (1/2)

A cannonball aiming for Jackdaw flew past the gunwale and landed onto the water. The cannoneer on Miranda was so frustrated that he slapped the bow chaser. This was the fifth time he missed his target. It had never happened to him before. Not only did Jackdaw manage to dodge the attack, but as if taunting them, they also successfully hit Miranda with their chase gun.

Ford could feel that it was going to be a big challenge to deal with them this time. They were like mudskippers that always slipped away from their hands, no matter how hard they tried to grasp it. It was no wonder they were known as one of the best pirate crews in Na.s.sau. They were b.l.o.o.d.y good at what they did. Even in this critical situation, they were still alive and kicking. However, certain things couldn’t be solved by courage alone—things like Jackdaw’s damage. They were also a lot faster, and the moment Miranda pulled up to them, they would be able to fire their side cannons.

By that time, Jackdaw would be greeted by death, whether they wanted it or not. That was why Ford wasn’t too worried when his cannoneer missed their target. The sailors on Miranda started to loosen up as well. Coral Island was different from Parrot Island. It was smaller, and there wasn’t a tall ridge running through it. The land was un.o.bstructed except for a small forest in the middle. After circling half the island, the chief officer was confident that no other pirate s.h.i.+ps were hiding there.

It appeared that Jackdaw and her crew had run out of options, and they were forced to sail into a hidden reef zone. Just like what Ford said, their s.h.i.+p would be safe from sc.r.a.ping the reefs as long as they followed right behind them. A couple of old and experienced sailors were on Miranda, and they had been through many battles with countless pirates. These were cunning and crafty old sea dogs. Defeating so many pirates was enough to prove that they were no ordinary folk. Their experience taught them to be extremely sensitive to any threats that approached them.

Until now, they didn’t notice anything fishy. Victory against Jackdaw was within their grasp. Just as Ford started drowning himself in joy, he felt his s.h.i.+p shudder violently. Many sailors were caught off guard and fell off balance.

“What’s going on?!” asked Ford.

“Captain, I think our s.h.i.+p hit a reef,” said the chief officer.

“Of course, I know we hit something! You don’t need to tell me that. I’m asking, how is it possible that we hit the hidden reef?!”

Ford lost all calm and had started shouting furiously. He then pointed at Jackdaw.

“They just pa.s.sed this place as well! Why didn’t they hit the reef?!”

“About that…”

The chief officer was left speechless. The s.h.i.+p had started taking in water as they were arguing. Having hit a rather high shoal, it sc.r.a.ped open a large gash under the hull. The hole was too big to be fixed, and soon, Miranda started to list before finally stopping at 30 degrees. Just before they could do anything, they heard cannons being fired at them.

The pirates asked to stay on the island had been waiting for this moment for far too long. Miranda colliding with the reef was their signal to open fire.

Lady Fortuna must have missed her mark, and Ford wasn’t in luck today. Cannonb.a.l.l.s rained on Miranda during the first round of attack. Their sailors stumbled again as their s.h.i.+p was pattered by the relentless firing from the sh.o.r.e. The chief officer was shouting orders, attempting to gather all available cannoneers to return fire. Unfortunately, Miranda was at an angle where the beach was out of reach of its cannons. At most, their sh.e.l.ls could only reach the beach. They simply didn’t have the range to attack the enemies that were hiding in the woods, no matter how hard they tried.

At the same time, Ford shouted and ordered his men to adjust the mainsail with the hope of getting his s.h.i.+p away from the place. Unfortunately, it yielded no result. His bulging eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his neck popped out. No matter how hard he screamed, he couldn’t stop Miranda from sinking.