Chapter 177: Kaedehara Kazuha: The... General?!

The Alcor!

Just as the pirates were about to board, Hai Long steered the massive ship, charging forward with unstoppable momentum.

It was estimated that in less than a quarter of an hour, they would reach the passenger ship within a thousand-meter radius, aided by the wind.

Beidou was busy calling out to the crew and sailors to get ready and check their weapons and equipment, so they wouldn't falter when the battle began.

"Listen up, brothers, get ready! Today is the last day of our patrol. After this, we'll return to Liyue Harbor for three days of rest. I'll have Sister Xiangling cook for us then—eat your fill of meat and drink your fill of wine! So, keep your spirits up for now!"

Hearing that Sister Xiangling would be cooking for them, the crew's morale instantly soared.

The people of the Crux Fleet had a great relationship with Xiangling; because of her exceptional culinary skills, Beidou had ordered the crew to respectfully address her as "Sister."

So much so that whenever they set sail, they often brought Xiangling along.

"Then I'll have to order a plate of Stir-fried Jueyun Chili! I still can't forget that fragrance from the last time I had it!"

Huixing, the navigator, joked with a smile.

Hearing this, the ship's doctor, Ginkgo, shot him a glance: "Just honestly wait for the battle, don't think about anything else."

Amidst the joking, the group felt none of the tension that usually precedes a fight.

They had experienced similar situations countless times and were long since used to it.

However, as the Alcor drew near, everyone's expressions turned solemn.

Because the pirates had already gathered all the people from the passenger ship onto the deck; one didn't need to look to know what they were planning.

"Trying to use hostages to leverage negotiations?"

Beidou's expression turned cold; she saw through the pirates' scheme at a glance.

With the help of Xu Liushi's observations, the group understood the situation on the passenger ship.

"Kazuha, you and a few brothers sneak over from underwater later."

Although the situation was tricky, it wasn't without a solution. Beidou immediately devised a countermeasure and began making detailed arrangements.

They would use their superior combat power to catch the enemy off guard, then steer the ship in for a hard boarding.

Beidou trusted her brothers implicitly and was confident they wouldn't have any problems.

But soon, just as they were about to act, they noticed something was wrong.

A massive ice fortress suddenly erupted from the previously empty deck, encasing all the civilians within.

Then came a burst of chaotic shouting; the pirates on the deck were suddenly in disarray.

Squinting to look, they discovered the pirates were fighting two figures, and people were being killed from time to time.

Immediately after, the sea surface leading to the passenger ship suddenly froze, and countless sharp ice spears sprouted from it.

Many pirates who jumped off in a panic were impaled like rags, spraying large amounts of blood.

"Hiss! What ruthless people!"

Beidou exclaimed, quickly ordering Hai Long to stop.

If they were to crash straight into the solid ice, the Alcor's fate likely wouldn't be very good.

It must be said that as a top-tier helmsman, Hai Long's ship-steering technique was truly extraordinary; even from a distance, he relied on communication and his powerful ability to stop the Alcor.

The moment they lightly touched the solid ice, the hull vibrated, but fortunately, that was all; it sustained no damage.

Subsequently, there was a shift at the front of the ship's bottom, where iron chisels and machinery appeared, forcibly carving out a path forward.

Only when they were less than a hundred meters from the passenger ship did the Alcor come to a complete stop.

"Brothers, get ready and move out!"

Beidou was the first to shoulder her greatsword and throw out a grappling hook; with a hard pull, she swung across the rope and charged toward the passenger ship.

Seeing their captain act so impulsively, Kaedehara Kazuha sighed and had no choice but to follow closely behind.

Suddenly, it was no different from dumplings being dropped into a pot; a swarm of people flew toward the passenger ship.

Beidou leaped, released the rope, and landed on the deck; the powerful kinetic energy caused the wooden planks to snap.

Shouldering her greatsword, she watched the two young women effortlessly slaughter dozens of pirates alone, her eyes lighting up.

"What capable girls!"

With an exclamation of praise, she joined the battlefield directly, violently bisecting several pirates who were attempting to retreat.

Her sword edge carried lightning, carving an arc in a fan shape in front of her.

The surging lightning leaped and circled, killing ten people in an instant.

Seeing this, Eula gave a soft huff, seemingly sparked by a desire to compete.

The greatsword in her hand instantly extended into a sharp ice blade dozens of meters long, transforming into a giant sword that slashed down from above.

To call it a slash might be less accurate than describing it as a smash.

The last few pirates had looks of terror and regret in their eyes, but they were not given the chance to surrender before they were buried under the giant sword in the next moment.

Thus, when Kaedehara Kazuha and the others arrived on deck, they found the battle had already ended.

"Eula, Reconnaissance Captain of the Mondstadt Favonius Knights, greets Captain Beidou."

Retracting her edge, Eula greeted the hearty, mature woman who had close ties with the Liyue Qixing.

Strictly speaking, she was a person with an official status, although Beidou didn't consider herself as such.

However, just looking at the navigation rights promised by the Qixing, and the three newly built ports specifically for docking the Crux Fleet, one knew that the two sides were as close as thieves.

"I know, the Spindrift Knight of the Favonius Knights, right? I've had the honor of meeting you once before; my memory hasn't aged that quickly yet."

Beidou's smile possessed a quality that made people trust and feel close to her; perhaps this was the secret to how she could gather such a large group of people.

Eula nodded slightly, briefly informing her of the ins and outs of the incident they had encountered, and took the opportunity to introduce Noelle.

Beidou was silent after listening, then said with relief: "It's fortunate that there were knights from Mondstadt accompanying us this time, otherwise I don't know how much more trouble would have followed."

Just at this moment.

"Captain, you guys were too fast; the battle was already over by the time we arrived."

The subsequent Alcor crew members who swung over were stunned; they had expected a fierce battle, but who knew it would turn out like this? They began to complain one after another.

The only one present, Kaedehara Kazuha, was the first to check for any survivors feigning death, stabbing a blade into the heart of anything he found.

And believe it or not, he actually found a few lucky ones, who were immediately arrested on the spot.

Once everyone had gathered, Beidou laughed and explained the situation to her brothers, telling them to clean up the aftermath.

Kaedehara Kazuha asked calmly: "Are the passengers all right?"

"They are all fine. I will release the ice barrier once the pirate corpses have been cleared away."

Eula understood well; it wasn't good for ordinary people to see the bloody side of things, so it was better to wait until everything was thoroughly handled before lifting the protection.

Beidou agreed with this very much.

After a while, catching a glimpse of Kazuha's attire, Eula's expression shifted, and she took the initiative to ask.

"Judging by your clothing, are you a ronin samurai from Inazuma?"

"That is correct." The handsome youth nodded in admission.

Eula remembered that Luo Li and Raiden Makoto's hometown seemed to be in Inazuma; she had just been thinking about learning something about that place from a local Inazuman, so she could give Luo Li some surprises from his homeland in the future.

Before the words could leave her lips, she saw the figures of Luo Li and Raiden Makoto appear from the damaged cabin door.

The next moment, she saw the youth who had been so calm and indifferent just a moment ago, as if he had no great interest in anything, undergo a drastic change in expression.

"The... General?!" ===== CHAPTER 179 =====