Chapter 307: Can War Really Be Fought This Way?

"Adam, are you at peace now?" Gervas's expression remained calm.

Adam looked at him with a complex gaze—this Lord Harry could mobilize a three-masted warship.

Could he be the scion of some duke's family?

The more he thought, the more likely it seemed, for the white sugar the man had produced was not something an ordinary family could possess.

While Adam was lost in speculation, the pirates on the opposite side also noticed the arrival of the three-masted warship.

At first, they panicked, but soon, the pirates realized only one three-masted warship and two single-masted frigates had arrived, and they calmed down.

Then, the pirates reformed their formation.

Eight of their merchant-pirate ships continued advancing toward the three warships of the Austin family, while a full twenty-three warships and merchant vessels turned toward the three-masted warship.

True, the three-masted warship was formidable, but we have fifteen to sixteen single-masted frigates—you should think twice.

After all, ants can overwhelm an elephant.

Adam clearly shared this view: "Gervas, these pirates aren't ordinary—they've been secretly united by someone, daring to ambush even our Austin fleet…"

"Adam, don't worry—there won't be any problems!"

Gervas wore a cold smile, as if utterly confident.

After all, he had already arranged the battle plan.

…

Waves churned, sails billowed.

As time passed, the pirate fleet finally closed to four hundred meters from Gervas's three-masted warship.

At this point, the pirates saw the massive three-masted warship sailing boldly forward, showing no sign of evasive maneuvering, and they excitedly brandished their weapons.

Like jackals waiting to feast on a giant beast.

Especially one single-masted frigate flying a green wolf-head banner, which surged ahead as the vanguard.

This ship was one of the Poison Wolf Gang's vessels.

Green cloth was the most expensive fabric in this medieval setting.

They had seized it after raiding a nobleman's estate.

So they specially crafted their flag from this green cloth, to display the Poison Wolf Gang's ferocity and power.

At this moment, they already imagined how, if they sank a noble's three-masted warship, they would become a milestone in pirate history.

Boom!

Imagination is beautiful; reality is often brutal.

Suddenly, white smoke erupted from the bow of the Black Pearl, followed by a thunderous roar.

Even from over four hundred meters away, the explosion's sound cut through the waves—its force was unimaginable.

The pirates stared in shock, then broke into delighted grins.

"Ha! Look! The noble's three-masted warship exploded by itself!"

"Yes! Those damned nobles are hilarious—maybe the gods are punishing them…"

Splash!

Puff! Puff! Puff!

The pirates on the Poison Wolf Gang's ship were still laughing, but halfway through their jeers, the gunwales and deck before them violently exploded.

Instantly, wooden splinters flew everywhere, and many men were blown apart without warning.

"Ahh! Save me!"

"Oh God! So painful! Help me!"

"Damn it! What the hell just happened?"

Screams and wails rose in chorus.

Because they were preparing for boarding, every man was crammed onto the narrow deck.

This sudden disaster instantly felled at least twenty men.

Half of them were dead on the spot; others lost arms or legs.

Even the luckiest were pierced with countless wooden shards.

The scene left the nearby pirates, unharmed but utterly bewildered.

…

"This… Lord Harry, what just happened?" Not only were the pirates stunned—Adam, watching from afar, was equally astonished.

In his view, he first saw Gervas's three-masted warship explode.

Then, just as he worried for the warship, the pirate vessel suddenly suffered damage—as if struck by magic.

But if it were magic, there should've been visible magical light.

Like fireball or ice spike spells—they always left traces.

"One of my secret weapons!" Gervas smiled faintly, offering no further explanation.

Seeing Gervas wouldn't speak, Adam wisely dropped the matter.

Though the brief incident shocked and confused the pirates, it didn't halt their assault.

After all, only one of over twenty pirate ships had been damaged.

So the pirate charge continued, the two fleets closing the distance.

When they drew within two hundred meters of the Black Pearl.

Cannons fired again.

Boom!

White smoke erupted once more from the Black Pearl's bow.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

This time, the target was still the Poison Wolf Gang's ship.

Wooden splinters flew, screams filled the air, and worse—the mainmast was struck by a cannonball and snapped clean in half.

Because the pirate ships were packed so tightly, the twenty-five-meter mast crashed onto the deck of the neighboring vessel, killing four or five more unlucky men in the process.

"This… damn it, how are they doing this?"

"Magic—is this magic?"

The surrounding pirates now understood clearly: the Poison Wolf Gang's misfortune wasn't random—it was the work of the three-masted warship.

Every time the Poison Wolf Gang's ship was hit, the three-masted warship had emitted smoke and an explosion.

Still, they dismissed it as magic.

Though the magic was powerful, it didn't frighten them.

The explosion occurred every two hundred meters—so the three-masted warship had only one more shot left!

"Brothers, push faster! Once we close in on that three-masted warship, it's dead!"

"Right! They take minutes to reload—hurry, charge!"

Clearly, the pirates had missed the last two warnings fate had offered them.

"Lord Harry, those pirates…"

"Don't rush, Adam—the real show is just beginning!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As Gervas spoke, five crossbow bolts shot from the Black Pearl.

Each bolt struck a different pirate ship.

Boom! Boom!

The next instant, explosions erupted again within the pirate fleet.

Each crossbow bolt was tied with a "Wrath of the Sea."

Though the "Wrath of the Sea" inflicted less damage to ships than cannons,

the hundreds of stones and iron shards inside were a flesh-reaping nightmare.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

At the moment of detonation, stones shot out in all directions, unimpeded.

Instantly, blood holes riddled the pirates' bodies, and clouds of mist rose from the decks.

Now, the pirates finally panicked!

Just moments ago, they'd assumed explosions occurred every two hundred meters.

Yet in an instant, five ships were struck.

Though the targets differed, the carnage was unmistakable.

The courage they'd mustered from sheer numbers collapsed instantly.

But this wasn't over.

The next instant, the Black Pearl charged straight into the heart of the pirate fleet.

Then, from its towering hull—nearly twice as high as the others—noble soldiers began hurling strange iron tubes.

Each tube was ten centimeters long, as thick as a man's wrist; most peculiarly, one end hissed with white smoke and flame.

"What is this?"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The pirates, moments ago curious, were now engulfed in fire and smoke—and then… nothing more.

"Damn it! Devils! These are devils! Run, everyone, run!"

"That's right, everyone run!"

Collapse happened in an instant.

The pirates not caught in the blast wore faces full of terror.

Because the bloodied, mangled forms of their comrades were simply too horrifying.

Many pirates would rather jump into the sea than stay on the ship any longer.

Though they would still die, it was better than being blown to shreds.

"This... this..."

Adams stared at the distant battlefield; in just seven or eight minutes, the fleet of over twenty pirate ships had collapsed.

Could war really be fought this way?