novelhk Page 3
Page 3
The warship was so close that the neat ranks of the naval soldiers on the deck and the gleaming blades of their weapons could be clearly seen.
The cannon was pointed this way.
Liu Jiu threw the dirty rag into the bucket, straightened up, and rubbed his slightly sore back.
He looked toward the bow of the warship.
A burly figure, clad in a naval justice coat and with a mountain-like build, stood there, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and his anger could be felt even across the sea.
"Roger—!!!"
The roar was like thunder, rolling in.
Roger picked at his ear and laughed, replying, "I heard you! What's all the noise about!"
Liu Jiu looked at the two people shouting at each other from a distance.
He picked up the bucket, ready to move to another spot to continue wiping.
This deck will probably be impossible to clean today.
The cannons suddenly roared.
Not just one sound, but a whole row. The sound made people's eardrums buzz, and thick columns of water were smashed up from the sea, drenching them with a whooshing sound.
The ship rocked violently.
The bucket Liu Jiu had just picked up flew out of his hand, splashing murky seawater all over the deck, rendering his attempt to clean it useless.
He steadied himself by holding onto the gunwale and wiped the water off his face.
The air was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder.
"Fight back! Give them a good beating!"
Roger's roar stood out particularly well during the lulls in the gunfire.
The guns on the broadside of the USS Oro Jackson spewed fire as shells whistled and slammed into the opposing warship. The hit rate was low, with most landing in the sea, but the sheer force of the attack was terrifying.
A piece of blasted wood grazed Liu Jiu's cheek, causing a burning pain.
He raised his hand and touched it; there was a trace of blood on his fingertip.
Real-world artillery battles have no background music, only noise and the risk of death.
A naval grappling hook with a rope precisely gripped the ship's side with a dull thud.
Then came the second, and the third.
"Cut it off! Quickly!" Raleigh's voice commanded calmly.
Several crew members rushed over and slashed at the thick rope with their knives.
On the opposite warship, naval soldiers, knife in their teeth, had already begun climbing down the ropes towards them. They moved with the agility of monkeys.
"Stop them!"
The boarding action has begun.
The sounds of swords clashing suddenly intensified, mixed with roars and screams.
As soon as a naval soldier popped his head out and climbed onto the ship's side, he was punched in the face by the yellow-toothed man, blood spurting from his nose, and he screamed as he fell back into the sea.
The scene was chaotic.
Liu Jiu stood still, without moving.
He looked at his empty hands.
No one gave him any weapons.
He seems to have been forgotten.
A lone naval soldier spotted him, this "easy target," and charged at him with a sinister grin, brandishing his knife. The blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
Liu Jiu watched him rush over.
He sidestepped the slashing blade, and casually hooked his foot.
The soldier charged too fast and couldn't stop. He tripped and fell face-first onto the wet deck, passing out without uttering a sound.
The knife in his hand clattered to the ground at Liu Jiu's feet.
Liu Jiu looked down at the knife.
He looked up again at the crowd fighting in the distance.
Roger was locked in combat with several men dressed as naval officers, wielding his single sword with impenetrable skill, laughing heartily as if playing some amusing game. Garp's massive figure remained at the bow of the warship, arms crossed, motionless for the moment, but his gaze was piercing, fixed intently on Roger.
Liu Jiu bent down and picked up the knife at his feet.
He gripped his knife, but didn't charge forward or assume any stance. He simply walked to a relatively quiet corner, leaned against the mast base, and watched the melee unfold before him.
Like an audience member who has wandered onto a film set by mistake.
Occasionally, stray bullets or human bodies thrown by the wind would hit him, and he would move to a different spot.
The knife in his hand had never been used.
The battle didn't last long.
Thanks to its excellent maneuverability and the crew's fearless fighting style, the Oro Jackson successfully broke free from the entanglement, severed the grappling hooks, and sailed away with full sails.
The dog-headed warship was left behind, and Garp's roar could be faintly heard, but it was quickly dispersed by the sea breeze.
The deck was a mess. Bloodstains, splinters of wood, and unconscious prisoners.
The crew members, panting heavily, began cleaning up the scene and bandaging their wounds. They grumbled and cursed, but their voices were filled with the exhilaration of victory.
Liu Jiu casually leaned the knife in his hand against the mast.
That knife, from beginning to end, was never stained with blood.
He walked to the ship's side and looked at the warship that was gradually getting smaller.
The sea breeze carried the heavy smell of blood and gunpowder.
He stood there for a while.
Then he turned around and went to find the overturned bucket.
The deck still needs to be wiped.
After the storm completely subsided, it was already dark.
The bloodstains on the deck had been roughly washed away, leaving large patches of dark, irregular water stains. The rusty smell in the air, however, lingered stubbornly, mingling with the salty tang of the sea, creating a unique atmosphere of post-war twilight.
Without any orders, the crew spontaneously set up the large pot again in the middle of the deck. Flames licked the bottom of the pot, illuminating their tired but relaxed faces.
No one mentioned the fight that had just taken place, as if it were just an insignificant little episode before afternoon tea.
The food in the pot was more mushy and darker in color than yesterday; it was probably because they had dumped in all the ingredients they could find, including some damaged cured meat.
Liu Jiu remained seated in his usual spot.
This time, someone tossed him half a piece of hard bread. The gesture was casual, like feeding a dog.
Dip bread into the thick broth in the pot and eat it slowly.
It tasted worse than yesterday; it was so salty it tasted bitter, and it also had a burnt smell.
He chewed slowly, one bite at a time.
Several crew members nearby were boasting about how they had just cut down several sailors, spitting as they spoke. The one with the missing front tooth was the most enthusiastic, gesturing wildly.
Nobody noticed Liu Jiu.
After finishing his bread, he wiped his greasy fingers on his trousers. His trousers weren't exactly clean to begin with.
He leaned against the ship's railing, watching the last glimmer of sunlight being swallowed by the dark blue sea.
There are no stars tonight; the clouds are very thick.
Roger sat cross-legged a short distance away, whittling a piece of wood with a small knife, sawdust falling softly. Rayleigh sat opposite him, gently wiping his longsword.
"That old bastard Garp, his fists are still as hard as ever." Roger said without looking up, his tone as if he were discussing the weather.
Rayleigh grunted in response, the flickering firelight reflecting off his glasses.
"I'll have to avoid him next time, he's a nuisance."
Roger paused in his wood-whittling, looked up, and grinned: "Why bother with the deception? Just fight if you run into them! Isn't that more fun!"
Rayleigh didn't refute, but just sighed softly, a hint of indulgence on his lips.
Liu Jiu looked away.
He heard the sound of waves crashing against the hull, rhythmic and monotonous.
He yawned, and a few tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.
Behind them, the crew began singing off-key songs, louder than yesterday, probably to dispel fatigue or to celebrate slipping away from the navy once again.
He stood up, ignoring the noise, and walked to a corner at the stern where miscellaneous items were piled up.
It's relatively quiet here, with only the sounds of the wind and the waves.
He found an empty wooden crate and sat down, leaning against the cold gunwale.
All that remained in my ears were pure, natural sounds.
After an unknown amount of time, footsteps approached.
It was that young sailor who had been pale and chattering earlier. He was holding a wooden bowl filled with steaming porridge, and his eyes were darting around, avoiding Liu Jiu's gaze.
"Um...you didn't eat much tonight...here, take this."
The voice was very soft, and a little timid.
Liu Jiu looked at him.
The young sailor awkwardly handed the bowl back to him.
Liu Jiu then reached out and took it.
"Thank you," he said.
The young sailor, as if he had accomplished some arduous task, immediately turned and ran away, disappearing into the dim light at the other end of the deck.