ICS - Chapter 101: Naval Battle

Scarface Karl suddenly straightened and cocked his head to listen.

"Tom, did you hear that?"

Tom tensed as well, straining to pick out the sound.

"The wind, maybe? Or echoes from the gorge? In this damned place, what strange noise don't you hear..."

Even as he said it, his hand had already gone to the cutlass at his waist.

The dense fog still covered everything in silence, swallowing that faint sound until it seemed never to have existed.

Only the cold damp remained, stubbornly seeping into every plank, every piece of canvas, and every pirate's strained nerves.

They did not know that behind the fog's cover, a pair of keen eyes had already locked onto their blurred outline.

And with the fog spreading around them, a carefully planned "hunt" quietly began.

In the next instant, the sudden change erupted.

The fog was no longer a silent screen. It was ripped open by an unseen giant hand.

A massive outline broke through the milky-white chaos without warning, like a beast rising from the deep sea. It came with suffocating pressure and slammed hard into the Bloodclaw's fragile side.

"Enemy attack!"

Scarface Karl's cracked shriek was instantly drowned beneath the deafening crash.

Creak! Boom!

The wooden structure groaned and split, the sound setting teeth on edge.

The Bloodclaw's hull tilted violently. The pirates on deck, caught completely off guard, were thrown and rolled like bowling pins, screams and curses tangling together.

Karl gripped the slick bulwark with all his strength to keep from being flung away. Eyes wide with terror, he finally saw the warship that had appeared out of the fog.

Its streamlined hull resembled their own pirate ship, but its sturdy oak shell was sheathed in polished copper. At the bow, the figurehead of a fierce seabird spread its wings to pounce, its sharp beak gleaming coldly in the dim fog.

"Whose ship is that? Damn it, in fog this heavy, how did they find us?"

Tom's voice twisted with fear. He drew his cutlass, but his arm shook beyond control.

Before the pirates of the Bloodclaw could organize any real resistance, a rain of grappling hooks had already been hurled from the towering side of the Seabird. They whistled through the fog and bit hard into the Bloodclaw's deck and bulwarks.

The ropes snapped taut in an instant, giving off dull hums as they dragged the two ships tightly together.

Immediately afterward, boarding fighters poured onto the deck and swung their weapons at the bewildered pirates.

The most terrifying among them was a slender figure moving with ghostlike speed.

She ignored the fog's obstruction, stepping precisely across taut cables and charging in over them as easily as solid ground.

The rapier in her hand cut cold silver arcs through the mist. Wherever it passed, the pirates who rushed to meet her fell like wheat before a scythe.

"Monster! She's a monster!"

Karl saw a minor leader on his side, a man known for bravery, take that slender figure's thrust through the throat in a single strike.

Fear seized his heart like a cold serpent.

This was not a battle at all.

It was a one-sided slaughter.

Chaos spread like a plague.

Panicked shouts and the clash of weapons also rang out from the neighboring Blackfang and Wavebreaker. Clearly, they had suffered the same thunderous strike.

Screams and clanging steel rose one after another from the dense fog, but there was no way to judge the enemy's exact position or numbers. All the pirates knew was that death was rushing in from every direction.

They scattered like headless flies. Some tried to cut the grappling ropes, only to be nailed to the deck by crossbow bolts.

Some tried to jump into the sea and escape, only to be pierced through by spears stabbing out of the fog.

Even more shoved and trampled one another in despair.

In only a few breaths, most of those on deck brave enough to resist had been cut down. The rest either curled up trembling in corners or had already thrown down their weapons and knelt to beg for mercy.

Roland stood atop the Seabird's towering sterncastle, his voice steady as bedrock.

The sailing knowledge he had painstakingly studied was transforming into real battle strategy at astonishing speed under the [Focus] state.

"Port-side grapples have struck behind the Bloodclaw's mainmast! Boarding team, suppress the mid-deck! Prioritize anyone carrying heavy weapons!"

His voice was not loud, but it pierced the fog clearly and reached the messengers waiting below.

The orders were quickly sent out through specific whistle signals.

"The Wavebreaker is trying to cut the cables and break away!"

The lookout's voice carried urgency.

"Too late."

A cold curve lifted at the corner of Roland's mouth.

The second wave of boarders he had arranged in advance launched their surprise assault from the other side of the Wavebreaker.

While the pirates were busy dealing with the cables, the boarders struck from the enemy's blind spot, the fog-shrouded flank, like leopards that had been gathering strength for a long time.

Screams rang out again, and the resistance on the Wavebreaker's deck was quickly extinguished.

The battle went even more smoothly than expected.

Roland had not even needed to act before the pirates were completely stunned by the assault concealed within the dense fog.

They had no organization, fought on their own, and even trampled one another.

On the Seabird's side, by contrast, Roland's overall command and the leadership of elite fighters such as Teresa made the coordination seamless. Their movements were swift, and every attack struck the enemy's weakest point.

"Report, Captain! The Bloodclaw's deck is clear! A pirate leader on the Blackfang resisted stubbornly and has been wounded and captured! The Wavebreaker has surrendered!"

Hobby's excited voice came through between breaths. His short figure moved nimbly across the deck, his eyes shining with worship.

Roland only nodded slightly and swept his gaze over the battlefield.

The dense fog still spread, but the three pirate ships were already like sea snakes with their venomous fangs pulled, limp on the surface of the sea. Only scattered firelight, the smell of blood in the air, and the suppressed sobbing and groans of prisoners remained.

As for the Seabird's losses, they were almost negligible. Only a few dozen people had suffered light injuries.

"Well done."

Roland's voice carried the lingering edge of battle, but more than that, it held the calm of someone who controlled the entire situation.

"Count the spoils, imprison the captives, treat the wounded, and assign reliable people to guard that pirate leader. There should be quite a few things in his head that we want to know."

"Yes, Mr. Roland!"

Hobby answered loudly. Filled with energy, his short figure quickly turned to relay the orders.

Not long after the sailors began carrying out the finishing work, Roland looked at the occupation panel and finally let out a relieved breath.

In the [Pirate] job-change column, the line that had originally displayed "plunder 0/5 large ships" had now changed to "plunder 3/5 large ships."

"Only two large ships left, and I can officially become a [Pirate]?"

Thinking of this, Roland clenched his fist and turned his gaze toward the depths of Wailing Gorge.

The fog there was even denser and heavier, and the churning gray mist seemed to carry ominous shadows.

According to the intelligence he had gathered during this period, at least eight to ten pirate ships were entrenched deep within Wailing Gorge.

More than enough for him to become a [Pirate].

Roland took a deep breath, pressed down the restlessness in his heart, and restrained the impulse rising within him.

This battle's smooth outcome was no accident.

Using the Extra Buff [Sea Gazing] to predict the dense fog in advance had certainly been one factor, but the experienced sailors aboard the Seabird mattered even more.

Over the past two days, they had worked tirelessly, driving small boats out to scout again and again until they had mapped the movements of the three pirate ships clearly.

It was this detailed intelligence that allowed Roland to create such a careful plan and secure victory.

As for Wailing Gorge...

Teresa and Hobby had roughly described its internal terrain and structure, but before seeing it for himself or obtaining more precise information, Roland was unwilling to make a hasty judgment.

Unlike before, he was no longer a lone wanderer. He was the captain of a ship carrying more than a hundred sailors.

Any rushed decision would not only endanger him, but could also bury those diligent sailors in the sea.

That was something he absolutely did not want to see.

With his thoughts reaching this point, he walked down from the sterncastle and stepped onto the main deck.

The cleanup was nearly complete.

The sailors were chatting excitedly as they moved the spoils back into place.

Even the sailors wounded in battle showed no pain on their faces. Instead, they proudly displayed their injuries and loudly boasted of their bravery.

For these old sailors who had retired from the front lines of navigation, nothing could raise morale more than a clean victory.

"Captain Roland!"

"Captain!"

When Roland appeared, the noisy deck quieted at once.

The sailors looked at him. Their eyes no longer held only the simple admiration born from watching him diligently polish his sailing skills. Now there was a deeper and more sincere respect.

They had seen every detail of the battle just now.

Calm command. Clear orders.

In their eyes, this new captain's coordination and command ability were already not inferior to Trevor's when he had first taken the helm.

"Everyone worked hard!"

Facing the gathered sailors, Roland bowed slightly in thanks, then promised that rewards would follow.

Amid the rising cheers, he walked toward Hobby.

The Halfling was holding a thick stack of parchment, quickly recording notes while issuing concise and efficient orders.

Under his coordination, more than a hundred sailors worked together with tacit understanding, cleaning up the aftermath in perfect order.

"Hobby, how is the cleanup going?"

"Mr. Roland?"

Hobby raised his head at the sound, and excitement immediately came over his face.

"Everything is going smoothly! But these pirates are practically penniless. There is nothing valuable among the captured spoils."

Roland felt no disappointment at the news.

He had not come to clear out these pirates for money in the first place.

"What about the captives?"

"They're all locked up on the Bloodclaw. Miss Teresa is guarding them, so there won't be any trouble."

Thinking of the silver-haired woman's sharp sword techniques earlier, Hobby's face filled with deep admiration.

Although he had spent quite some time with Roland's group, this was the first time he had personally witnessed Teresa fighting.

"If even Miss Teresa is this powerful, then Mr. Roland..."

From Teresa, Avril, and Galvez's usual words and actions, the Halfling had long since noticed that all of them treated Roland as their leader.

Roland paid no attention to the probing curiosity in Hobby's eyes. He only gave a few quiet instructions, then turned and walked toward the bulwark.

The boarding battle just now had used hooks and ropes to pull the two ships tightly together.

He judged the distance, leaped, and landed steadily on the Bloodclaw's deck.

The uncleared bloodstains made the planks sticky beneath his feet, and the pungent smell of blood mixed with the dense fog until the air felt suffocating.

Roland merely frowned, then stepped through the blood and walked forward. Soon he arrived beside Teresa.

The silver-haired woman held her rapier, her cold gaze fixed on the group of pirates crouching on the ground with their hands over their heads.

Even without a word, her aloof presence and the ruthless methods she had shown earlier made dozens of pirates fall silent in terror.

After giving Teresa a brief nod, Roland looked around and asked, "Where is that pirate leader?"

Disgust crossed Teresa's eyes. She lightly raised her rapier and pointed toward a fierce-looking middle-aged man.

A thin wound marked each of the man's wrists, and blood was still welling out.

"Ha! I didn't expect the one commanding this attack to be some wet-behind-the-ears brat!"

Seeing everyone's attitude toward Roland, the pirate leader Barton immediately understood his identity. He snorted and shouted in a rough voice, "Listen! No matter who you are, don't even think of prying half a word out of my mouth! Unless..."

Cunning stirred in his eyes.

"You prepare a small boat for me right now, and let me and..."

He swept his gaze over the other pirates around him.

"my brothers leave this place safely!"

As a pirate who burned, killed, looted, and committed every kind of evil, Barton had no damned brotherly loyalty in his heart.

To him, preserving his own life came first.

Of course, if he could drag these defeated remnants with him and keep some strength for a future comeback, that would be even better.

Since Roland's people had not killed him on the spot, it meant he still had value.

Barton did not mind grabbing this lifeline, even if the price was betraying the captain he had followed for decades.

As long as there was a chance to live, he would do anything.

"Heh... not too stupid, at least."

Seeing that the pirate leader before him had guessed his purpose before he even spoke, Roland laughed softly and turned to the silver-haired woman beside him.

"I'll leave him to you, Teresa."

"Understood, Mr. Roland."

Teresa nodded slightly. Her gaze immediately lost focus, passing through Barton and into the emptiness behind him.

After only a short while, detailed information about the pirates inside Wailing Gorge flowed from her mouth, clear and cold.

As she spoke, the confident expression on Barton's face rapidly collapsed, replaced by uncontrollable fear.

"Captain Harem's temperament changed drastically, causing the pirates in Wailing Gorge to flee one after another. Now..."

Listening to Teresa's account, Roland lightly tapped the hilt at his waist with his knuckle and fell into thought.

"So, excluding the people we've already eliminated, only three ships and... a few dozen pirates remain inside Wailing Gorge?"

"I didn't expect this adventure to go so smoothly. However..."

Recalling the sudden personality change of Harem that Teresa had described, Roland's brow tightened.

Although this infamous captain had committed countless crimes, he had always been known for cunning and schemes.

Otherwise, he would never have been able to rampage across the waters of the River Kingdoms for years and remain safe.

Why would such an old fox suddenly give up his free life of plunder, turn around and pledge himself to the Wolf King of the Misty Lands, then hole up in a godforsaken place like Wailing Gorge that even seabirds despised?

"Mr. Roland..."

The cool voice pulled Roland's thoughts back.

Teresa elegantly returned the rapier to its sheath.

"How should these captives be handled?"

"Them?"

Roland came back to himself, his gaze sweeping over the pirates trembling before him in fear. A cold curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Bind their hands and feet, then..."

His clear voice fell like cracking ice, sending the pirates into an icy abyss.

"Throw them into the sea to feed the fish."