Officers of various ranks on the cruiser, the 'Stern Cruiser,' issued orders throughout the ship.
"All hands to battle stations!"
"Furl the mainsail and prepare for cannonade! Clear all flammable materials from the open decks!"
"Dismantle living facilities on the lower gun deck! Prepare for combat!"
A group of neatly uniformed junior officers and officer candidates, surrounding Lieutenant Colonel Commander Harold and Baron Adonis, ascended to the command position on the quarterdeck.
All eyes were fixed on the pirate ship not far ahead, dark looks on their faces.
Damn pirates, how can they run so fast? The battle should have been over half an hour ago. When I catch them, I'll crush every bone in those bastards' bodies, one by one!
This was what most of them were thinking.
You see, just days ago, the moment the matter of the royal succession was decided, the numerous cruisers of the Strait Fleet had received orders to blockade the coastal waters and retrieve all assets belonging to Lancaster and his vassals.
Apart from the 'Stern Cruiser,' there were many other Level Six and Level Five cruisers in the fleet undertaking the same mission. They were all competitors. You take one more bite, and I only get to eat one less!
It was originally estimated that it would take less than two hours to catch up to the 'Man-Eating Shark.' But due to some unforeseen problem, they had been chasing since 1:35 PM, and it was well past 4:00 PM when they finally came within the one-kilometer range of their cannons, a chase that left many in the Navy agitated and impatient.
The Level 5 Ship, the 'Stern Cruiser,' was 39 meters long with a crew of 200. It had one continuous gun deck equipped with twenty 12-pound cannons and an open deck armed with twelve 6-pound cannons, totaling 32 guns. In both manpower and firepower, they were more than capable of easily crushing their opponents.
They had never taken the mere pirate ship seriously. At this moment, they cast all tactics aside, wanting only to use the most direct and brutal force to show these damned pirates who truly ruled these waters!
"Order to load!"
Under the direction of the gun captains, the gun crews on both the upper and lower decks completed loading all cannons on both broadsides with utmost speed. Then, using gun carriages, they ran the cannons out of the gunports.
Of course, for a Sail Battleship, this large, mobile artillery platform, while its cannons could indeed reach a kilometer, their true effective range was only one to two hundred meters.
The sailors on the two ships could finally make out each other's faces. Only then did Commander Harold suddenly wave his gilded command saber, "Port side, prepare for a broadside! Three, two, one, fire!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!...
White gunsmoke billowed, and the orange muzzle flashes instantly illuminated the sea.
Sixteen scorching cast-iron cannonballs screamed through the air, hurtling towards the 'Man-Eating Shark.'
A large number, thrown off by the rolling waves, plunged into the water, sending up massive white splashes. Only a few smashed viciously onto the pirate ship.
At such close range, the cannonballs brutally pierced the oak hull of the pirate ship's side, carrying countless wooden splinters as they ricocheted across a large section of the lower deck.
Fortunately, the lower deck of the pirate ship housed cargo holds and living quarters, devoid of combatants. However, one cannonball landed right on the edge of the open deck, striking a six-pound Bronze Cannon that had not yet managed to retaliate. It shattered the wooden carriage holding the cannon!
A bronze barrel, weighing a ton, immediately rolled uncontrollably across the deck, crushing the lower bodies of two gunners. Their shrill screams echoed throughout the ship.
"AAAAAHHHH!"
Thankfully, Byron, his senses—including his danger-aware sixth sense—exceptionally acute since awakening his "Spirituality," had already dove to one side well in advance. He not only dodged the cannonballs and flying wood splinters but also avoided the heavy, wildly rolling cannon.
He swiftly snatched a "Rigging Anti-Chafe Patch" from the deck, a piece of high-friction cotton and wool textile. With a skillful throw, he managed to stop the blood-slicked cannon from its rampage.
Several brave pirate gunners rushed forward, using stout ropes to re-secure it, finally subduing the "wild horse." But with its carriage destroyed, the cannon was useless for the remainder of the battle.
The two sailing ships continued to draw closer under the strong breeze.
Seizing the opportunity while the enemy was reloading, Captain Salman, his eyes blazing with a wild, murderous crimson light, finally roared, swinging his scimitar, "Fire!"
It was just like the popular volley fire tactics of the era. Given the loading efficiency of Muzzle-loading Smoothbore Cannons, the most threatening opportunity for a salvo only came once. The closer the range, the higher the hit rate and the more devastating the lethality!
Naval gun battles were not only a contest of equipment and Artillery Skills but also a fierce clash of courage. And individual valor was hardly worth mentioning in the face of the great power of cannon fire.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!...
The volley from the seven 6-pounders was indeed much weaker compared to the opponent's 12-pounders. Only by achieving a higher hit rate did they barely manage to even the score.
One cannonball, as if divinely guided, struck and severed a halyard on the 'Stern Cruiser's' foremast that supported a yardarm. This caused the topsail, already 50% furled, and the heavy yardarm to crash down. Personnel casualties were secondary. The key point was that the 'Stern Cruiser' had lost nearly half its maneuverability, a loss it could not compensate for in the short term.
"Well done! The gun crew that fired that shot gets an extra two barrels of Rum after the battle!"
Cheers erupted on the pirate ship. This single shot had significantly increased their chances of escape.
The next moment, the 'Man-Eating Shark,' in the downwind position, was engulfed by the gunsmoke billowing from both ships' cannons.
But Byron, a graduate of the Royal Naval Academy, understood their current predicament best. Occupying the upwind position means firmly grasping the tactical advantage. Even if the cruiser has lost some maneuverability, blockading the 'Man-Eating Shark' will still not be difficult. A boarding action is inevitable.
What does it mean to hold the weather gage, to have the upwind advantage? The 'Stern Cruiser' at this moment was the perfect example.
In naval combat, there is a tactical maneuver akin to an opening stance in martial arts called "stealing the wind." Whichever ship could secure the upwind position—attacking from the direction the wind was blowing—would gain advantages in every aspect of the battle. Visually, it was easier to hit a downwind opponent's underwater hull with a parabolic trajectory, and the thick gunsmoke would also be blown towards the downwind ship.
The fundamental reason was that occupying the upwind position granted "tactical maneuverability"—the ability to pursue or flee. When the wind blew past the upwind warship, it was disrupted by the ship's forest of masts, yards, and rigging. Like a boulder in a great river, the ship created a large area of chaotic, turbulent 'wake' as the air flowed past it. This turbulent zone typically extended downwind for a distance four to five times the height of the ship's rigging, approximately 200 meters.
During a cannonade, the downwind ship would find itself directly in this turbulence created by the upwind ship, drastically reducing its maneuverability. In other words, the upwind ship received a maneuverability buff, while the downwind ship suffered a maneuverability debuff. Barring a sudden change in wind, a downwind ship caught in this turbulent air would find it impossible to escape, even if it tried.
The battle unfolded exactly as Byron had predicted.
After several more rounds of the gunners' free fire, the 'Stern Cruiser,' now extremely close to the 'Man-Eating Shark,' turned its helm and rammed viciously towards the pirate ship.
"Prepare to board—!"
"Marines, throw grappling hooks!"
Dozens of iron hooks, attached to thick ropes, were hurled forcefully by the Navy sailors, firmly snagging the 'Man-Eating Shark's' bulwark.
Simultaneously, the 'Stern Cruiser's' yardarms, wide enough for dozens of men to stand abreast, were swung over, bridging the gap between the two warships. Many eager sailors, clenching their knives in their teeth, grabbed ropes hanging from the yardarms and swung across like spiders.
Clearly, contrary to what many might imagine, cannons were not the decisive force in naval battles of this era; they were far from possessing the fearsome "god of war" reputation they would gain in the future. Unless a lucky parabolic shot managed to hit the Ammunition Depot below the waterline, causing the entire ship to explode, these solid cast-iron balls could riddle a wooden ship like a honeycomb and still not guarantee it would sink.
Boarding actions were the main course that decided the outcome of battles. Military experts from various nations even referred to naval battles as siege warfare at sea, where the Marines carried aboard were the key to determining victory!
Pirate's Ten Commandments, Article Six: "Those who delay battle or flee in the face of the enemy shall die!"
After the pirates formed a line and fired a volley with their firearms, welcoming the Navy with a storm of hot lead bullets, the bloody melee combat officially began.
"With me, we are invincible!"
"Kill them! Leave no pirate alive!"
Amidst the hail of gunfire, a burly naval lieutenant, clad in silver Chain Mail and wielding a Bright Boarding Axe, leaped over the bulwark from the 'Stern Cruiser.' Like a whirlwind, he charged towards Byron, who was already braced for impact at the edge of the deck.
At this moment, there were ten minutes left before the change in weather predicted by his Weather Intuition!