Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters-Chapter 947 - 31: The Hunt (Part 2)_4

Chapter 947: Chapter 31: The Hunt (Part 2)_4

On the stern deck, a lean man furiously cursed at another man at the helm: “Are you trying to get us all killed here!!!”

The helmsman’s gaze was steadfast, and his hands gripping the wheel were steady, without the slightest tremble. He ignored his crewmate’s shouting and calmly gave the order: “Maintain one-third of the sails!”

Sailing ships rely on strong winds to travel, but they can also be capsized by them.

People have marveled that “sails” tame the “wind”, yet every captain knows deep down: when facing the true forces of the gods, all you can do is furl the sails and pray.

But now, that was not an option—at least not in the Furious Ocean.

Without sails, the ship could only be carried along by the waves.

And the waves of the Furious Ocean headed straight northwest—toward the direction of the Sand Sea.

Any ship that loses its sails in the Furious Ocean will be mercilessly smashed against the shore, eventually shattered helplessly over the reef-ridden shallows.

Another terrifying bolt of lightning revealed the shape of the rotting wood and wreckage on the Shipwreck Sandbank, like a forest of white bones—these were the remains of ships, the only traces left behind by countless failures.

Now, the only force that could prevent the [Fearless] from suffering the same fate as its predecessors was the “wind”.

The howling, furious wind that vowed to smash the Fearless to pieces.

The helmsman watched the lean man and calmly repeated the order: “Maintain one-third of the sails!”

Maintain one-third of the sails?

Easier said than done!

The Fearless’s capstan was long since destroyed, and the only remaining way to furl the sails was to climb the mast and operate from the top of the yardarm—an act no different from suicide.

Even the bravely selected sailors did not have the courage to climb the mast at this moment.

Their will had already been shattered by the wrath of the sea gods; all the sailors could do, all they were still doing, was praying.

Seeing this, the lean man cursed furiously. In one swift motion, he ripped off his shirt, tossed aside his pants, drew his knife, and bit down on it.

Suddenly, the lean man turned around, delivered a fierce punch to the helmsman, and immediately climbed up the rigging, climbing naked toward the top of the mast.

The helmsman spat out a mouthful of blood-stained spit, still firmly controlling the wheel.

At this moment, on this sailing ship with forty-two sailors, only two were still fulfilling their duties: the helmsman—the captain, and the lean man—the first mate.

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If Winters Montagne had the chance to witness the heroic defiance against the gods of these two men, he would be surprised by the twist of fate.

Because both the captain and the first mate were “old acquaintances” of Winters.

The lean man struggling to climb the mast was none other than the notorious pirate captain, the master of Tanilia Federation sails, who had commanded the Tanilia fleet in the lighthouse port naval battle against Rear Admiral Nalesho—[Frank Drake].

And the man gripping the helm was the one who rescued Drake at the last moment of the lighthouse port battle, also a master of Tanilia Federation sails, captain of the Phoenix—[Edward Kenway].

Nominally, the Tanilia Federation had ceased to exist.

But the reason why these two masters of sails, these two leaders of the Tanilia Federation appeared in the Furious Ocean right now, was to fulfill an important mission entrusted by the Tanilia Federation—if there really is a route leading to the Empire’s Western Colonies south of the Sand Sea, find it!

Find it!

The storm showed no signs of weakening, and the ropes creaked under the critical stress limit.

Finally, one tiny fiber could no longer bear the strain and snapped.

Then the second, the third… A rapid chain reaction caused one of the Fearless’s main cables to be torn apart as if by a tremendous force in an instant.

The accumulated elastic energy within the rope was suddenly released, sweeping through the curtain of rain and aimed straight for Captain Kenway.

In a flash of lightning, Kenway miraculously dodged the fatal blow that could have shattered his skull.

Had he let go of the steering wheel, perhaps the rope would not have had the chance to hit Kenway.

But there were no what-ifs; Captain Kenway secured his hands on the wheel at the price of a severe lash to his left shoulder.

Drake, witnessing this moment of crisis, lost his balance and fell from the mast.

Ignoring the excruciating pain in all his bones, Drake struggled to his feet, grasping the safety rope and crawling toward the stern.

“Edward!” Drake yelled, tears streaming: “You damn well better not die!”

As the ship pitched violently with the waves, Drake climbed into the stern, where Edward Kenway’s hands were still tightly gripped on the rudder.

Captain Kenway’s face was ashen, but his voice revealed no pain: “Are the sails secured?”

“Secured!” Drake bellowed back—had he not, his voice would have been lost in the wind and storm: “What next?!”

“Take the wheel!”

The steering wheel of the Fearless was connected to the rudder via a system of pulleys and levers, transmitting the force of the rudder directly to the wheel.

The moment Drake’s hands took the wheel, he immediately felt the immense counterforce from the rudder and clenched his teeth, holding on for dear life: “What next?!”

Kenway crawled to the railing near the stern and tied himself securely to a wooden post with a rope.

“[Expletive]! I’m going to die here with you!” Drake had become somewhat mad: “Ha ha ha ha!!!”

“No, you won’t! Listen carefully to me!” Kenway’s voice carried an extraordinary clarity that pierced through to Drake’s ears.

Not only that, Kenway seemed to be laughing: “I’ve thought it through! Sailing along the coast, against the wind and the waves! We’ll never get through the Furious Ocean!”

“[Expletive]!!!” Drake used all his strength to fight the wheel, oblivious to Kenway’s words: “Ha ha ha ha!!!”

“There’s always been only one way to get through the Furious Ocean!”

“We’re going to die here!!!”

It was as though the downpour stopped at that moment, and all the noise had vanished.

Edward Kenway delivered the final verdict:

“Go east! Sail to the heart of the ocean! To the center of the storm! Once we break into the open sea, we can make a large detour, circling outside the Furious Sea!!!”

Even the crazed Drake seemed rational in face of Kenway’s wild idea, bellowing with bloodshot eyes: “Do you know what the hell you’re talking about? [Expletive]! For this! For this! You’ve brought us here!!!”

“Are you in or not?”

“Ha ha ha ha!!!” Drake roared and laughed like a beast: “Edward Kenway, turns out you’re the real mad gambler!!!”

“In or not?”

“Ha ha ha! Give the order, Captain!”

“Fearless!” Kenway took one last look at the coastline of the mainland: “Set course southeast! At all costs! Advance! Advance!! Advance!!!”