British hegemon

Chapter 110 Sea Robbery

Chapter 110 Sea Robbery

The following morning, the Seawolf set sail from St. Patrice Island off the coast of Skellys and headed directly to an area about twenty miles southeast of Lambe Island. It was the off-season for shipping and the area was close to the Dublin Coast Guard, so neither merchant ships nor pirate ships would pass by. It was an excellent hunting ground.

Only a few months had passed since their last ambush, and with a "sailor" familiar with the waterway to guide them, the group easily selected their ambush location, waiting only for the merchant ship to leave port.

Jeffrey's intelligence was accurate. Around four o'clock in the afternoon, the "sailor" who had been observing from the watchtower sent out a signal.

Roger, clad in armor and carrying an axe, arrived at the bow tower and, sure enough, saw a Coke-type merchant ship flying the three lions flag of England slowly approaching.

The crew of the Seawolf had already rehearsed the boarding operation. Now, Roger, wielding a Viking battle axe, personally led the team in a boarding assault. Marne and Olaf each led Donald, Connor, and two other melee soldiers, all armored and armed, crouching on the port side with the gangplank, awaiting Roger's orders. The special envoy "sailor" sent by Jeffrey pulled out a short sword-like dagger from his pocket and held it in his hand, clearly intending to board Roger and the others.

On the towers at both ends of the stern, Bald, Ponytail, Black Dog, and another skilled archer were also hiding under the ship's side in pairs. The four of them were mainly responsible for operating five crossbows and three longbows to inflict some damage on the enemy before close combat or at least provide cover for Roger and the others who boarded the ship.

The young horseman, the weakling, and two newly recruited business assistants hid behind several crossbowmen to help nock and shoot arrows. They had all received some basic training beforehand, but whether they could play a role in a critical moment remained to be seen.

As for Captain Toran, the first mate, the old fisherman, and several fishermen and sailors, they were maneuvering the ship according to Roger's orders. At this time, the northward direction was facing a slight headwind, so all the sailors lowered the sails and rowed forward together.

However, this was not the first time these men had gone to sea with Luo Jie to commit piracy. Having learned from the last naval battle, the fishermen had prepared their own melee weapons such as single-edged swords and daggers before setting sail, which could be of some use when the wind was favorable.

The harp-shaped shield flag hanging on the Seawolf created a fog for the enemy, who, although always on alert, were only on routine defense.

It wasn't until the two ships were about half a mile apart that the other side realized the deadly danger from the towers that were unique to the Seawolf, an armed ship. This type of ship usually belonged to one of two forces: English warships or armed pirates. What ordinary merchant ship would be willing to sacrifice so much space on board to build towers?

As for smuggling merchant ships, they do not want to encounter either warships or pirates.

"The enemy ship has begun to yaw, heading to port and forward," Toran, who was at the stern tower, reported to Roger below.

"Do not change direction, continue in the original direction, and try to make the enemy ships lower their guard." Roger still hoped to confuse the enemy as much as possible.

After driving for another five minutes, the other vehicle veered further and further away, seemingly intending to bypass the Seawolf.

The attempt to feign an approach failed, and Roger decisively ordered the ship to turn around and charge toward the enemy ship to the left.

But even now, the soldiers who had been hiding on the ship's side and under the tower railings had not yet shown themselves; only the sailors and the captain were seen moving about on the deck.

As the Seawolf suddenly turned, the other side realized the danger, and the Three Lions flag boat began to extend its oars and row with the wind to accelerate.

The Three Lions flag ship accelerated, while the Sea Wolf, with the combined efforts of Tolan and the old fisherman, also moved diagonally. The two ships were getting closer and closer, and through the oar holes on the hull, they could even observe the structure of the Three Lions flag ship. The enemy's armed guards had already boarded the stern tower, ready to draw their bows and arrows at any moment.

"We are the Royal English Merchant Marine, and you shall proceed immediately or face severe legal consequences," came a shout from the three-lion-flagged ship, followed by a repetition in Irish.

Roger couldn't help but laugh, but he yelled at the top of his lungs, "We are the Irish Coast Guard, stop immediately for inspection."

Neither side's arguing was of any use; the two boats did not slow down at all.

One hundred steps, fifty steps, thirty steps, twenty steps—as Captain Tolan warned, everyone on the Seawolf grabbed onto something fixed nearby, waiting for the impact.

However, the Three Lions flag boat rowed with the wind and was slightly faster than the Seawolf. Just as the Seawolf was about to crash head-on into the other boat, the other boat suddenly increased its strength and barely avoided the impact. The Seawolf's ramming hammer hit the stern of the Three Lions flag boat.

The impact did not stop the Three Lions flag boat; instead, it caused it to make a sharp U-turn.

In the brief moment after the collision, the Three Lions flag ship had already caught a glimpse of the Seawolf's entirety, and those hiding behind the ship's side could no longer conceal themselves.

Upon discovering that the Seawolf was ambushed by more than a dozen fully armed "pirates," the Three Lions flag ship did not hesitate to accelerate northward. They dared not continue forward, and the wisest course of action was to escape back to the nearest Dublin or Lambe Island for protection.

"They've turned back!" Toran shouted, grabbing the rudder and running desperately to the other side, causing the Seawolf to turn sharply.

Having already revealed their identities, the group simply climbed the tower. The soldiers skilled in archery and crossbows had already taken the strung crossbows from the few who remained behind, ready to shoot from a distance.

The powerful impact on the stern gave the Three Lions ship the momentum to turn around. It almost completed the difficult maneuver of turning around on the spot, while lowering the square sails. All the sailors and guards joined in rowing, and it quickly began to flee north.

The Seawolf, on the other hand, requires a very large and slow turn.

This time difference widened the distance between the two ships by a hundred paces. The sailors and guards were also fighting desperately to survive, and the three-lion flag ship was fleeing at high speed.

At this time, the northerly wind at sea was slight, and the resistance to sailing against the wind was small. The Seawolf's sails against the wind were ineffective, and it did not have as many oars as the enemy, so it was difficult to guarantee that it could catch up with the enemy ship and board it.

"Everyone who can row, go and help the sailors take turns rowing. Catch up as fast as you can." Roger gave the order to the people around him. Marne and Olaf, who could row, went down to the side first to help the exhausted sailors row.

With the help of the energetic soldiers, the Seawolf gradually increased its speed, but the enemy, seeing that they were closely following behind, also accelerated desperately.

"They want to get closer to the main east-west shipping lanes." The special envoy, now armed with a longbow, saw through their intentions.

Although it is currently the off-season for shipping, there is no guarantee that there will be no ships traveling on the waterways, especially on the main east-west waterways, where most of the ships are English.

This matter involved the lives of his uncle's entire family, so Roger dared not take too much risk. He ordered the captain of the ship, Ponytail, through the hull, "Use fire arrows, use fire arrows."

Using rockets is tantamount to giving up the wealth on the Three Lions flag ship.

Although the crew members with ponytails on the ship were unaware of the inside story, they did not disobey Roger's orders and removed the flaming arrows from the bundle of arrows.

The so-called tinder arrow is a type of arrow with a special arrowhead. The tip of this arrowhead is a sharp blade that cuts through the wind, the middle is a cavity for holding tinder, and the back is a slot for connecting the arrow shaft.

Once the tinder inside the cavity is lit, the arrow will definitely be affected by the headwind during its flight, but the wind-breaking tip and the cavity can protect the flame from going out, and it will immediately reignite after hitting the target.

The young horseman had already found the lantern on the ship and taken out a flint and steel to light the tinder.

Perhaps due to excessive tension or the strong wind, the young stable boy was unable to light the flint and steel in his hand for a long time. He snatched the flint and steel from the ponytail, squatted down to block the wind with the tower railing, and struck the steel with a sharp blow. A spark rose up and ignited the tinder at the end of the steel, and a weak flame rose.

"Wind Lantern!"

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The young horseman quickly grabbed the lantern and lit the wick. The special "sailor" who had been waiting nearby lit the tinder by bringing it to the lantern's flame, drew the bowstring, and pointed it diagonally forward. He then released the bow with a sudden burst of speed just as the flame was about to scorch the back of his left hand holding the bow.

The flaming arrow twisted its shaft, flying in a parabolic arc toward a target eighty to one hundred paces away.

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