Chapter 215 Ships And Pirates

A congregation of ships had encircled a lone vessel, its destruction evident to all who laid their eyes upon it. However, they dared not approach it due to the imposing presence of the Tiger Whale, which halted their progress and rocked their ships relentlessly, making it impossible to advance.

To make matters worse, two familiar spirits summons churned the seas, creating waves of turbulent waters that deterred any attempt to draw near.

All of these obstacles proved to be nothing but a nuisance to him!

All of this caused Jerry, the second in command of the Crimson Black Eye crew, to grit his teeth in anger as the devastating scene unfolded before his very eyes. He had arrived with the intention of taking Annabelle as his bride by force, yet her summoned spirits prevented him from advancing any further.

He should have been angry seeing such a scene, or maybe mad, but strangely, never in his life had he felt such an emotion that urged him to march forward with such ferocity.

Whether she liked it or not, she will be his!

He turned his head back and screamed, "PREPARE THE CANNONS TO FIRE. WE MIGHT NOT BE EQUIPPED TO FIGHT SPIRITS, BUT WE ARE MORE THAN EQUIPPED TO BATTLE A SEA BEAST".

Moments later, he received a reply from one of his crewmen who was positioned atop the crow's nest: "CANNONS ARE LOADED AND READY TO FIRE, SIR."

Jerry nodded, then took one more look at the other fleets he had not summoned behind him. He gritted his teeth in anger and confusion.

By stretching his gaze a little further, he could see his Captain's ship. His Captain, the man he once served, was positioned at his back with every fleet he owned, their banners of war raised to the sky for all to see. He was annoyed because he still couldn't understand the thoughts that were in his captain's mind.

What was he doing here?

Why was he followed?

Wasn't he given the option to do as he pleased? And if so, why did he only discover that he was being followed after he had cornered and begun his attack on the first Prince's ship?

Maybe he no longer possessed the trust of his captain.

A shadow suddenly cast upon his face as one simple thought overshadowed every other thing in his mind.

He smiled.

And then, he chuckled.

Finally, he laughed.

Of course, he was the one being stupid and naive here! Why should a captain trust a crewman who would willingly go against his orders?

Since he no longer had a captain, there was no need for his captain to see him as a crewman.

As his mind processed and delved into this myriad of thoughts, his body calmed down. He released a deep breath and started to approach things logically. As it stood now, he had two enemies, one at his back and the other in front of him. One would not attack if he chose to dispose of the other.

Jerry once more took a deep breath.

"SIR JERRY, CANNONS ARE LOADED AND READY TO FIRE" A crewman shouted.

Jerry raised his right hand, pointing it towards the sky. "ALL CANNONS AIM," he yelled, his voice travelling around the ship as the crow's nest relayed his orders to the other ships.

Every ship under his command readied their cannons, aiming them at the position of the charging sea beast

His right hand fell down as he screamed out his orders, "FIRE!".

"BOOM!!"

"BOOM!!"

"BOOM!!"

"BOOM!!"

"BOO…!!".

The cannons from all seven ships under his command exploded with rage, spewing out fire and metal onto the beast that dwelled beneath the rough seas.

"ROOAARR!!".

If it were any other cannons, their attacks would have been brushed off by the tough hide of a magical beast or repelled away by their magical energy. However, these were not ordinary cannons but enchanted cannons that had been manufactured by top-ranked sorcerers.

As such, when Jerry saw the thick crimson liquid that stained the sea, signifying that their attacks had injured the sea beast, he raised his right hand again. "ALL CANNONS AIM!".

He let his hand fall and gave the command once more, "FIRE!".

"BOOOM!"

Regardless, since he was cornered with such odds stacked against him, he would deal with them one after the other.

...….

This isn't good!

This isn't goi--

"BOOM!"

A thundering sound echoed in her ears as several ships unleashed their cannons into the sea, their target being Toothless, the captain's tamed Tiger Whale.

Although she had the relatively easier task of keeping the ships at bay with her summons, the weight of the battle still weighed heavily on her shoulders.

On one side, she had to protect her captain's ship and those aboard it, or risk facing the wrath of an enraged madman who would stop at nothing to pursue her to the ends of the world if he were to return and see a sinking ship, along with several dead comrades and prisoners.

On the other hand, she faced her former captain, the one who had sent her on this undercover mission, opposing them with his fleet of ships, hell-bent on destroying Prince Wyatt and his vessel. Her mind was torn as she struggled to decide what to do.

There were two decisions waiting for her, but she stood on the fence, uncertain of which one to embrace and which one to reject.

As she stood there, her former captain, a dreadfully intelligent man for whom she would have done anything previously, was now attacking them. Despite her efforts to get close to him in the past, he never acknowledged her, leaving her with nothing but wet dreams.

Not once had he ever made an attempt to do so!

But now, his very presence was being overshadowed by another man - Prince Wyatt. Despite this, she still hesitated to attack, afraid of the unknown consequences that might follow.

She inhaled and exhaled deeply, her mind torn between the two sides.

Nevertheless, she knew that she would have to gather her reins and make a choice at some point.

Suddenly, a deafening "BOOM!" shattered the air, and a ball of fire erupted, hitting the sea and dyeing the surrounding area a deep crimson. The scene caused her to grind her teeth in anger and frustration.

Toothless was bleeding!

Her current captain's tamed beast was bleeding!

If Prince Wyatt were to witness the scene, mere rage would be an understatement to describe his state of mind. She had seen firsthand how much he cared about the things he owned or possessed. As such —

As such —

"KEIA…!!!" She yelled, calling upon the attention of her spirit. "ATTACK AND CRUSH EVERY SHIP IN YOUR PATH!!" She has made her decision. "MOTHER ANDIARA!! PROTECT AND DECIMATE ANY ENEMY THAT TRIES TO GET CLOSE TO US!".

Her decision was clear and loud, a choice made without the need for a second thought. Although it wasn't the decision she was initially sure of, fear ultimately became the deciding factor.

She didn't want to admit it, but she would rather go against Captain Crimson Eye than face the wrath that Prince Wyatt would unleash upon her if she attempted to become his enemy.

As mother Andiara and Keia got into their positions and began carrying out her commands, Annabelle knew that her choices were cemented, and there was no turning back from this point onwards.

Today, she officially became part of Prince Wyatt's crew - a crew led by a madman whose thirst for vengeance knew no bounds.

"You made the right choice" A familiar voice sounded behind her, sending shivers down her spine.

Slowly, Annabelle turned her head backwards, her heart racing with a mix of fear and anxiety.

"Captain!" She blurted out in surprise and dreadfulness, wondering how long he had been standing there behind her without her knowledge.

A million questions flooded her mind as she tried to compose herself.

When did he get back?

How long had he been observing her hesitation from the shadows? Was he waiting for her to make a choice and stick to it?

As Annabelle stared at the chilling figure behind her, saliva travelled down her throat, a reflexive response to the overwhelming fear that engulfed her.

Her eyes met his, and for a brief moment, she saw a glint of approval in them. "You made the right choice, Annabelle" He said, his voice low and controlled. "And I'm glad to have you on my crew".

He walked forward with his mutated ice rat perched on his left shoulder. His footsteps rang like an ominous warning amidst the raging sea. Each sound penetrated her ears amidst the chaos of cannons thundering and spitting out fire and metal.

He halted his steps and stood at the edge of the ship near her position. His eyes were fixated on the tumultuous, bloody sea before him as the wind tousled his hair, and the salty spray of the ocean misted his face. And with the coldest tone she had ever heard from his mouth, he spoke those words, 'I will handle it from here".