Chapter 338 - 258: Bombarding the Flagship, Capsizing the Vessel

Chapter 338: Chapter 258: Bombarding the Flagship, Capsizing the Vessel

But even so, Ichida Keizai still managed to catch someone trying to cut corners.

"Master Wu, this man deliberately mixed up the ammunition types while he was moving them. It’s a clear attempt to sabotage the coming barrage," Ichida Keizai declared, his face a mask of righteous indignation.

The man he had singled out turned pale as dust, repeatedly bowing and begging for mercy.

"Master Wu, spare me! I just accidentally grabbed the wrong type. It wasn’t on purpose, I swear!"

Wu Liangchen ignored him, simply saying to Ichida Keizai, "You deal with him."

He then turned his head to look through the observation window of the fire control room.

Through the glass, he could see several large ships on the distant sea, the most massive of which was positioned right in the center.

That ship was brilliantly lit, illuminating the surrounding sea.

Not daring to disturb him, Ichida Keizai ignored the man’s pleas and viciously dragged him outside.

A bloodcurdling scream followed, and then everything fell silent again.

When Ichida Keizai returned, a few fresh specks of blood dotted his face.

Without turning his head, Wu Liangchen suddenly asked, "You seem to hate these people."

Ichida Keizai was silent for a moment before speaking.

"Yes, I do. I hate them. From the moment they’re born, they’re perched on high, hogging every resource and opportunity. For people like us at the bottom to get ahead, we have to pay an enormous price. And even then, we can barely scrape by to reach a place they get to without even trying."

"All the while, I have to endure their endless scorn and insults. That’s why I’ve always hated them. I wish they would all just die!"

As he spoke the last words, Ichida Keizai’s expression twisted into a savage grimace.

It was a clear sign of just how traumatizing his life had been recently.

If he hadn’t held fast to his grandfather’s words, determined not to betray his family’s struggles, he likely would have buckled under the pressure and completely broken down long ago.

Seemingly sensing his turbulent emotions, Wu Liangchen glanced back at him and offered a faint smile.

"Is the ammunition loaded?"

"All set. I’ve double-checked everything myself. No mistakes, no issues."

"Good. In that case, aim the cannons at it!" Wu Liangchen commanded in a cold voice, pointing to the towering flagship on the distant sea.

The equipment in the fire control room wasn’t complicated. Plus, Ichida Keizai had covered this material during his training at the naval academy, so he got the hang of it quickly.

The few remaining men weren’t idle either. Under Ichida Keizai’s supervision, they operated the controls with long, grim faces, slowly turning the cannons toward the distant behemoth.

Under the cover of darkness, the maneuver went completely unnoticed.

Once everything was in position, Wu Liangchen gave the order without hesitation.

"Fire!"

BOOM!

With a deafening roar, the entire vessel shuddered, its recoil shoving it back a dozen meters and churning the water into a frenzy of white foam.

Immediately, a volley of brilliant "fireworks" shot straight toward the distant ship.

The shells crossed the distance in an instant. Countless fireballs erupted across the enemy vessel, sending thick smoke billowing into the sky.

The stunning spectacle naturally shocked everyone.

Especially the crews on the other massive ships. Some were sound asleep, only to be violently shaken from their bunks.

"What’s happening?"

"Are we at war?"

"Get back to your posts!"

Others, peering through the portholes, saw the flagship engulfed in raging flames and were scared witless, their faces drained of all color.

While these ships descended into chaos, the flagship’s fate was far worse.

The first volley had collapsed nearly half of its superstructure and deck, exposing the cabins and corridors within. Severed limbs, blasted into the open, were clearly visible.

Some victims didn’t die from the initial blast, only to be quickly consumed by the spreading inferno.

Screams and cries of agony echoed across the sea.

As the entire fleet descended into utter chaos, Wu Liangchen’s ship, having completed another round of loading, unleashed a second barrage.

RUMBLE!

This salvo was even more ferocious than the last, and its target was still the flagship.

The resulting destruction was even more terrifying. The entire superstructure was completely sheared away, and all the decks were obliterated.

Furthermore, the ship’s frame suffered irreversible damage. Seawater began to pour in, causing the hull to list.

By now, the other massive ships had finally realized this was no foreign invasion, but a mutiny from within their own fleet.

"What the hell is Tamura doing?!" roared the captain of one of the massive ships.

Not all the captains had gone to the flagship for the banquet.

This captain, for instance, had not attended. He had drunk too much the previous night, and, unable to stomach any more alcohol, had used sickness as an excuse to skip the festivities.

As a result, in a stroke of luck that was a blessing in disguise, he had escaped the catastrophe.

After his outburst, the captain’s mind cleared.

’Wait a minute... Tamura should be on the flagship right now, drinking with His Highness the Prince.’

’So who gave this order?’

Despite his confusion, the captain acted fast. He immediately ordered his men to load the cannons and turn their muzzles, attempting to stop the rogue ship’s madness.

But it was too late. Just then, the third volley arrived right on schedule.

BOOM!

Amidst the towering flames, the already heavily damaged ship’s keel emitted a loud CRACK, and the entire vessel listed rapidly before capsizing, crashing heavily onto the surface of the water.

The massive waves it created rocked the nearby ships.

And it was precisely this that caused the captain’s return fire to go wide.

Only a few shots hit Tamura’s ship; the vast majority splashed harmlessly into the distant sea.

Even so, the power of the cannons that did find their mark made the ship rock violently.

But inside the fire control room, everything was business as usual.

Ichida Keizai’s expression was grim, but he didn’t pause for a second, continuing to load ammunition in preparation for the next volley.

As for Wu Liangchen, he stood as if welded to the floor, perfectly still, his gaze fixed on the half-sunken flagship in the distance. He was particularly focused on the surface of the water, watching for any signs of survivors.

But it was clear the so-called Prince of the East Sea had not been so lucky.

There was still no sign of him. He had likely sunk to the bottom of the sea to feed the fish.

The other captains had probably "died for their country" along with him.

At this thought, Wu Liangchen breathed a small sigh of relief and turned to ask Ichida Keizai,

"Why haven’t we returned fire?"

"Master Wu," Ichida Keizai replied, "the ship’s cannons can only fire three volleys at a time. After that, they need to cool down, or the barrels risk exploding."

The words had barely left his mouth when the opposing ship fired another volley.

With the water now calm, the accuracy of this barrage was much improved.

Although the half-sunken wreck of the flagship still partially obscured the line of fire, most of the shots landed squarely on their hull.

The resulting tremor was far more violent than the last.

Even the fire control room, located in the most fortified part of the hull, couldn’t escape the impact. Ichida Keizai was thrown from his feet, slamming hard against a wall.

Loose shells were sent flying, striking the other crewmen and leaving them bloody and screaming in agony.

Wu Liangchen, however, remained unaffected. He casually snatched a cannonball that was hurtling toward Ichida Keizai’s head and said in a low voice, "You organize the attack. I’m going over to the other side."

With that, Wu Liangchen vanished.

Ichida Keizai’s heart leaped in alarm. He immediately looked at the other men, who were just scrambling to their feet.

’I know what I’ve just done,’ he thought. ’Back in the East Sea Nation, it would be enough to get me sliced to death eight hundred times over.’

’And these men have always looked down on me.’

But just as Ichida Keizai tensed up, he saw the men exchange a look before turning to him with forced smiles.

"Lo... Lord Ichida, what are your orders?"

’Lord Ichida...’

Hearing them use that title, Ichida Keizai was momentarily stunned. But he quickly composed himself, understanding why they were acting this way.

’Even if they were coerced,’ he realized, ’after what’s happened, if word of this ever gets out, they’re dead men for sure.’

’Their only chance of survival is to cooperate with Wu Liangchen, help annihilate this fleet, and then surrender to his side.’

’It’s their only path to survival.’

Realizing this, a surge of confidence filled Ichida Keizai. His expression turned solemn as he commanded, "Aim for that ship! Fire immediately!"