Chapter 226 - Crossing Paths

The previous battle ended less than a day ago, and now, Jackdaw was already preparing for the next fight. None of the the crew complained, though. The pirates were in deep frustration about the previous battle. Most were drunk silly, and they didn’t know what happened to them. All they knew was that the navy suddenly appeared and started attacking nonstop. Having so many pirates around, the navy and pirate hunters should have had a challenging enemy, but unfortunately, the obscene amount alcohol the pirates consumed rendered them useless.

No one could accept losing such a lopsided battle. That was why everyone snapped out from their misery the moment Zhang Heng said he wanted to attack one of the enemy ships. They were reignited by the prospect of taking all their food and water before returning to Nassau. After witnessing what Zhang Heng had done for them and the ship, Jackdaw’s pirates now had absolute trust and faith in him. They would forge a path ahead even if it meant death awaited them.

Without wasting any time, the pirates doubled their efforts and dismounted all the cannons from the ship in the shortest time possible. Only the chase gun was left on board. Other than the artillery, they moved their entire supply of food and water to the island as well. Some even went around the cabins to dismount everything that could lighten the ship. When everything was done, Zhang Heng kept twenty men with him to operate the vessel.

There was practically nothing left on board, save for some food rations that could last them half a day. In exchange for amenities, the ship’s draft had reduced significantly and was now literally sitting on the very surface of the water.

……..

The target came into sight faster than anticipated. Jackdaw had only departed the island for less than two hours, and already, the watchers spotted a ship from afar heading for them full speed ahead. Zhang Heng’s deductions were right. The navy would leave no stone unturned, making sure that not a single pirate would leave this place alive. Destroying five ships wasn’t enough for Worden. Though they had the upper hand, Jackdaw still managed to escape. Such a humiliating outcome was unacceptable for the likes of Worden.

When the storm was over, Worden instantly sent some men to pursue Jackdaw. Zhang Heng knew these people. They were the two armored ships that came after him earlier, one of them being Miranda. It was the ship that persevered till the very end, not letting up until they were forced to turn around after the storm got worse.

Although Worden didn’t say anything about losing the target, Ford found this an unacceptable outcome as captain. This was his first time letting his prey slip away ever since becoming a pirate hunter. Accordingly, he quickly volunteered to join the hunting team. Ford intended to sink Jackdaw as proof that he was the best pirate hunter around these waters.

However, when he was told that every ship had to choose a different direction, Ford didn’t have much hope that he would cross paths with Jackdaw again. To his surprise, the goddess Fortuna had once again showered her blessings upon him. They had stumbled upon the one that got away. The moment Ford spotted Jackdaw, he quickly ordered his men into a combat-ready status. This time, he swore he would never let his prey escape his sight anymore.

At the same time, Zhang Heng also saw Miranda charging towards them. Putting down his monocular in hand, he declared with confidence, “Let’s stick to the plan.”

After the chase ensued fo a while, Ford noticed that Jackdaw had released their topsail to increase speed. However, that seemed ineffective as there were holes in the fabric. Ford figured their topsail might have been damaged during their previous battle, and wondered why they didn’t fix it. Anyhow, this explained why Miranda caught up with Jackdaw a lot faster than expected. According to Ford’s calculations, he estimated that he would need at least a full day to catch up with them.

This early encounter gave Ford a pleasant surprise. He wasn’t interested in knowing what had happened to Jackdaw. All he wanted to do right now was to destroy them. Since Ford became captain, his Miranda was one of the fastest ships around this area, almost as fast as Jackdaw. Now that it was in a bad shape, it was time for Miranda to shine.

The invincible Jackdaw was now running away from it, and they had become the hunted. Ford instantly noticed the prowess of Jackdaw’s helmsman when they escaped the navy earlier. Just like that time, Jackdaw didn’t disappoint. Only that now, there was a huge difference in speed. Soon, Miranda would catch up with Jackdaw.

Standing at the bow, he could spot Jackdaw’s pirates working nonstop with the naked eye. His blood started boiling with excitement. Like most pirate hunters, Ford used to be in the navy. Not too long after joining the force, he was hired as captain for a merchant ship. Through that, he managed to earn himself a handsome amount of money. Most pirate hunters who chose that line of work had been robbed by pirates before. Their resentment and grudges towards the sea bandits turned them to pirate hunting. They hoped to end the menace for good. Ford was different, though. He had never been plundered by pirates before.

Ford chose the life of a pirate hunter simply because he craved adventure. Other than the bountiful reward and glory that came along with the job, becoming a pirate hunter reminded him of hunting with his father in the woods when he was still a kid. He always enjoyed a good fight with his prey. Words could never descibe the satisfaction gained after killing his victim. All that money aside, this wasn’t something he could experience being a merchant ship captain.

“Captain Ford, there’s an island dead ahead!” said the chief officer.

“Eh?”

“According to the charts, it’s Coral Island.”

The chief officer then paused before continuing.

“Do you think they fled here on purpose?”

“For what?”

The chief officer didn’t know the answer to the question. After the pirates used Parrot Island to ambush the Spanish treasure ship, the chief officer became cautious whenever he saw an island. However, after putting some thought into it, the he realized that Jackdaw couldn’t afford to ambush them. Five out of six pirate ships were destroyed in this operation, with Jackdaw the only survivor. Even if they wanted to ambush them, they had no allies for support.

“On the charts, I see that this area has been marked high-risk. There are many shallow reefs around the entire pleace. Could they, perhaps, intend to lure us there, and run us aground? We’ll be stranded if we hit the shoals.”

“Regarding this… well, I don’t think they had time to explore this area. Unless someone on their ship is familiar with this place, it will be even riskier for them if they run into those reefs. However, it appears we won’t have to test our luck. Have the helmsman follow them closely. We will move directly behind, following their path. If there’s anything to hit, they’ll hit it before us.”

Ford paused a while then harrumphed,

“Previously, they tried to use the storm to make us retreat. This time, they use hidden reefs to scare us off! Do they really think that we are a bunch of cowards? I will quit pirate hunting if they manage to flee from us again!”