Tonight, everyone's attention was focused on what was happening on the beach. No one noticed the Jackdaw and the Quidah that had just returned to port.
From the deck, Zhang Heng saw the fire and the crowd on the beach, but he didn't pay much attention to it. After the Jackdaw was anchored, he brought Anne and Billy to the pier. Then, he noticed the Gentle Breeze's strange position and the two unfamiliar three-masted sailboats in the harbor.
Zhang Heng realized that something must have happened. Before the boat docked, he saw the Gentle Breeze's crew members tied up and Booker's tragic death.
Zhang Heng frowned and said a few words to Billy, who nodded. After Zhang Heng and Anne disembarked, Billy and the other two pirates immediately rowed back to the Jackdaw.
Zhang Heng stepped on the soft sand and walked up to the shore. The onlookers made way for him.
Wilton turned around and raised his eyebrows. "I'm sorry. Who are you?"
"Jackdaw's captain, Zhang Heng."
"So," Wilton spread his hands, "does this have anything to do with you?"
"Miss Karina is the Jackdaw's partner on the island. She's also my friend."
"Oh, I see." Wilton nodded. "Then, I'm afraid you'll have to look for a new partner. Miss Karina doesn't have a ship or crew, and she owes me a lot of money. She wants to be our guide and have some fun with us. She wants me to spare her men's lives."
Karina couldn't control her anger anymore. She slapped Wilton across the face.
Wilton touched the spot where she got slapped and looked at Karina. Frightened by his stare, Karina took two steps back. But then, she saw a smile appear on Wilton's face.
However, not only did that smile not make Karina heave a sigh of relief, but it also made her feel a bone-piercing chill.
Wilton turned to his men and said, "It seems that Miss Karina doesn't understand the situation she's in yet."
Immediately, someone removed Booker's body from the wooden plank and dragged the second captive over.
She looked at Zhang Heng for help, but she did not know what else he could do. Although Zhang Heng had returned, he and Anne were the only ones who came ashore from the Jackdaw. More than half of Wilton's crew were still on the beach.
There was a great disparity in strength between the two sides. Under such circumstances, no one could do anything.
Wilton toyed with his knife as he walked towards his second prey. Along the way, he gave Zhang Heng a provocative look. Just as he expected, Zhang Heng could only remain silent after witnessing the scene.
This time, Wilton chose the chest. He used the tip of the knife to poke the chest twice, fully enjoying the look of horror on his prey's face. After that, he raised the knife in his hand again.
However, in the next moment, he suddenly heard two gunshots.
Wilton furrowed his brows. "Who the f * ck is shooting at us? We are here to do business, not to cause trouble. There are some tough guys here. Aside from Honegg, there are also two guys called Black Prince and Blackbeard. We should be more polite in their territory," Wilton said with a frown.
After he finished speaking, his men looked at each other. After a while, one of them said, "Captain, it's not us who fired the cannons. It … it seems like someone is attacking our ship."
Wilton's expression changed, and he looked towards the direction of the port. Sure enough, his flagship, the Skeleton, was being attacked. Although he had left many men on his ship, they did not expect to be attacked. Caught off guard, they did not even have time to open their cannons after the first round of attacks.
"Return the Gentle Breeze and its cargo. Release all the crew, and I will stop the attack," Zhang Heng said.
"What else?"
"Otherwise, I'll sink your flagship," Heng said indifferently.
Wilton's face darkened. "I've been a pirate for so long, and no one has ever threatened me."
"Congratulations. Now you do," Zhang Heng said calmly. "You can continue to hesitate, but I can't guarantee that your ship will still be there in five minutes."
"Aren't you afraid of breaking the island's rules? Attacking ships docked at the port is forbidden in every city."
"You are not a pirate on this island, so it doesn't seem like a problem for me to do this."
Wilton's fingers tapped on the back of his sword faster and faster, as if he was thinking about something.
"By the way, if you are hoping to buy time so that your other ship can attack us, I advise you to give up on that idea. I can guarantee that your other ship will not be able to move at all."
Wilton was a little skeptical at first. However, when he saw the Quidah parked not far away and the densely packed cannons on it, he knew that Zhang Heng wasn't bluffing. Seeing that, his other ship did not dare to act rashly.
Wilton stared into Zhang Heng's eyes, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes. "Are you sure you want to be my enemy?"
"What about you?" Zhang Heng did not avoid Wilton's gaze. In the end, Wilton chose to give in. "Let them go."
Wilton's men cut the ropes that bound the captives. After the Gentle Breeze's sailors regained their freedom, two of them ran to Karina's side. The last one, a middle-aged man, staggered to Booker's corpse and wailed loudly as he hugged his body.
He was Booker's uncle, and he was the one who brought Booker on board. He never thought that he would lead his nephew to a dead end.
Wilton looked at Zhang Heng, but the latter was unmoved.
"Inform our brothers on the ship to release the rest of the captives. Also, return the ship and the cargo to them," he said to Zhang Heng. "Are you satisfied now?"
This time, Zhang Heng finally made a move. He raised his hand and made a gesture. The lookout on the Jackdaw immediately notified Billy through the binoculars.
Half a minute later, the Jackdaw stopped attacking. By then, the Skeleton was riddled with damage. Although it did not sink, it had lost the ability to fight back.
The Jackdaw's firepower was far superior to the average pirate ship's. The cannons on the ship were equipped with warships, and at such close range, not a single shot missed.
Wilton's face turned pale when he heard about the damage the Skeleton had sustained. This time, however, he did not say anything. He gave Zhang Heng a deep look before rushing back to the ship with his men.
"Are we really going to let them go just like that? This guy doesn't look like he's going to be easy to deal with. "
"After all, they have a lot of men on the shore. If we push him too far, he will definitely attack us." Zhang Heng paused for a moment. "But you are right. Once he repairs the ship, he will definitely come back for revenge. So, we have to solve this problem tonight. Inform the crew to prepare for battle."
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