The Swordfish was severely damaged by the bombardment. However, the Jackdaw seized the opportunity to turn around and escape from the predicament of being one-sided.
The cannons on the side of the ship were all activated, and the cannoneers were already in position. With Zhang Heng's command, the Jackdaw began to retaliate.
After two successful plundering missions, the Jackdaw was now in the limelight in Nassau after killing more than two hundred of Wilton's men in one night. This, of course, made it easier for Zhang Heng to recruit more sailors.
If Zhang Heng wanted to, he could easily expand the Jackdaw's crew to the maximum of two hundred in half a day. However, it was pointless to do so. As the number of crew increased, the loot each time they raided the sea would decrease. Compared to increasing the number of sailors, Zhang Heng was more concerned about the quality of the sailors he recruited.
That was why the Jackdaw's recruitment threshold was much higher every time they returned to Nassau. The standard of the cannoneers on the Jackdaw was completely different from the first time they returned to Nassau. On top of that, the Jackdaw was a warship with excellent firepower. As soon as they opened fire, they immediately attracted the attention of the three Spanish ships.
However, the Spanish commander's main focus was on the Swordfish. The Swordfish's hull was severely damaged, and it was the perfect opportunity to take it down in one fell swoop. It would be a waste if they let the Swordfish escape, not to mention changing their target and adjusting the firing angle and distance.
Therefore, the three Spanish ships temporarily ignored the Jackdaw and focused their firepower on the Swordfish.
Brook, on the other hand, was aware of the Spanish's intention. Without any hesitation, he abandoned his original plan. Although the Swordfish had its broadside aimed at the Spanish treasure ship, it did not open fire. Instead, it steered to the left, ready to turn around and flee.
The Swordfish was in dire straits after the previous round of concentrated fire. Not only did it suffer severe damage, but it also lost some of its power. Fortunately, the mainmast was still intact, and Brook's quick reflexes allowed him to turn around and retreat before the next round of gunfire.
His excellent steering skills were on full display. The three Spanish ships fired another two rounds of cannons, but this time, the Swordfish avoided most of the cannonballs with its elegant sailing trajectory. However, the Spanish commander reacted quickly. Realizing the opponent's cunning, he immediately changed his strategy and used a blanket attack.
This time, no matter how good Brook's steering skills were, it was useless. the Swordfish's stern took four shots in a row, but it did not sink. Instead, it managed to put some distance between it and the three Spanish ships.
On the other hand, the Jackdaw's cannons were growing fiercer. Zhang Heng chose a frigate as his target. This time, he did not hold back. The cannoneers on the frigate were furious after being bombarded for so long. The moment, they received the order, they joined the battle. the main gunner aimed and fired.
The main gunner took aim and ignited the match. As the cannonball flew out of the chamber, the assistant gunner immediately reloaded the next round of ammunition. Smoke from the muzzle filled the sea. After two rounds of bombardment, the deck of the frigate was in a mess. The hull of the frigate was also blasted by the 24-pound cannons. Fortunately, it was above the water line, so there was no danger of it sinking.
If this continued, the frigate would not be able to hold on for much longer. The captain of the frigate had already sent a distress signal to the commander of the main ship.
The Spanish commander looked at the wobbling Swordfish in the distance, a look of unwillingness in his eyes. The Swordfish was clearly at the end of its tether. Two more rounds of attacks would be enough to take down this cunning enemy. After that, they could turn around and attack the other pirate ship. Then, they would be able to wipe out all the hateful bandits in one fell swoop.
There was nothing wrong with the plan. However, the commander did not expect the Jackdaw to be so powerful. If this continued, even if they managed to take down the two pirate ships, they would have to sacrifice a frigate.
That was a price he did not want to pay. So, he signaled the other two ships to change their target. They were going to give up on the Swordfish and attack the Jackdaw instead.
By then, Zhang Heng had already achieved his goal. He turned the rudder and steered the Jackdaw away from the battle. However, he changed the direction of his retreat at the last minute. He did not follow his original plan to target Parrot Island.
"Captain?" Billy's face revealed a puzzled expression.
"Their commander is very powerful this time. We only have two ships, and yet, we dare to attack them. If we all escape to Parrot Island, he will definitely be suspicious."
"What if they come after us?"
"The chances of that happening are very low. The Swordfish is much more damaged than we are, and it has lost two masts. If you were them, which ship would you go after?"
As if to prove Zhang Heng's words, the three Spanish ships quickly made their decision. They turned around and gave up on the Jackdaw to chase after the Swordfish.
The Spanish commander was furious. He had been in charge of this route for more than a decade, and not a single pirate had ever dared to provoke them. If he allowed them to retreat without paying any price, they would be letting them off too easily.
The Swordfish used to be the fastest three-masted sailing ship in this area. However, in its current state, it could only move at half its usual speed. Moreover, they were still quite a distance away from Parrot Island. In the past, Brook wouldn't have cared much about this distance, but now, every minute felt like an eternity.
Seeing that the three Spanish ships were closing in on him, Brook couldn't shake them off no matter how hard he tried. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. One of the Spanish ships' bow was about to hit the Swordfish's stern. Just then, the Jackdaw, which had escaped in the other direction, turned around again. The ship's chief gunner fired the cannon at the bow, harassing the Swordfish's warship. This gave the Swordfish some breathing room.
Brook ordered his crew to toss almost all the unnecessary heavy objects into the water. Finally, the Swordfish's speed increased by half a knot.
And this half a knot saved the Swordfish's life. The Spanish commander was furious. Zhang Heng's decision to run in the other direction had, to a large extent, numbed him. In the past, when he encountered islands or other terrain that obstructed his vision, he would subconsciously raise his guard. This time, however, he was in a frenzy of killing. Seeing that the Swordfish was about to sink, he had no time to think.
Said Little Adorkable.
Oh, I'm sorry. That's all for today.
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