Chapter 571.5: Hunting Wokou Pirates
"Assemble!"
The loud call echoed through the entire military camp.
Soldiers who were training or working instinctively moved toward the central plaza.
Some unprepared new recruits unknowingly followed the veterans.
By the time they realized, they were already standing in formation.
Holding her stance, Li stared curiously at Matthew who had stepped forward. Her mind was mush from all the training these past few days.
ffff
So this was the Arcanist who had been training her all along?
Was he also the lord?
Realizing she might have stumbled upon a secret others didn't know, Li felt a flicker of excitement.
Matthew noticed her gaze but gave no sign, simply surveying each trainee calmly.
Aside from the 3,000 veterans selected from various places, the other 7,000 were new recruits from Fishing Island.
Though Fishing Island wasn't large, it had over 400,000 residents.
Before being enslaved by the Wokou, it had more than 600,000.
They lived off fishing. With the sea's abundant resources, they could easily sustain everyone.
The Wokou's arrival shattered that peace.
Everyone on the island became either slaves or collaborators.
The hatred between both sides was endless.
Only total destruction of one side would end it.
Initially, Leon hoped Bay Territory would send trainers—but eventually, he had to compromise.
Aside from being malnourished from hunger, the residents of Fishing Island were excellent candidates for naval soldiers.
Their agility and familiarity with water gave them exceptional aptitude for ships.
Though training time had been short...
These Fishing Island recruits—raised fighting waves since childhood—showed outstanding discipline and resilience.
Their progress in learning combat skills was slower.
But their proficiency in handling ships and using various weapons grew significantly.
After more than two weeks of training, they were already familiar with the warships.
Now, it was time for longer voyages and real combat.
Only through the tempering of battle could more elites be born.
"Thirty-five years ago, the Wokou pirates arrived on this island."
"They didn't bring peace—they brought slaughter and enslavement."
"These beasts don't deserve to live in this world. I believe everyone is eager to wipe them out."
"Now, the chance has come!"
"Kill every Wokou pirate we encounter."
Every soldier's breathing grew slightly heavier.
Their pupils dilated, and adrenaline surged, stimulating their battle instincts.
The reason for their swift transformation...
Was closely tied to the guidance of veterans and the first impression left by Bay Territory's army.
The once-invincible Wokou pirates were crushed easily by Bay Territory's forces.
Now that they had joined, they naturally shared that same confidence.
Matthew shouted slogans to inspire the soldiers.
It also enhanced his skills like oratory and persuasion.
Once emotions were roused.
Matthew gave the order to depart without hesitation.
Li's gaze drifted slightly.
She didn't know which ship she would be assigned to.
But she had a vague feeling...
The Lord would definitely place her nearby!
And indeed, Matthew naturally brought his convenient "disciple" along.
Her Luck "-5" threat hadn't been resolved yet.
If anything really went wrong, he could quickly intervene.
And time was precious now.
Not a single moment for growth could be wasted.
March 7th.
Edge of the Caribbean island routes.
Clear skies.
Bay Territory's First Fleet.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The swaying spear thrust forward like a serpent flicking its tongue.
Its elusive motion was unnervingly deceptive.
Under pressure, Li didn't retreat.
If she backed off, the spear's erratic motion would grow stronger.
The sudden thrust afterward would carry massive force, breaking her block or guard.
She had failed six times to this move!
Li adjusted her footwork, gripping the spear tightly and generating power from her waist, trying to deflect the thrust.
She aimed to counter the attack through direct collision between spear shafts.
It was a solid tactic.
But Li's technique was still lacking.
The opponent's spear tip bounced slightly, suddenly stabbing toward her forehead.
The unexpected blow disrupted her planned counter.
She had to give up the upward slash and keep retreating.
Though tense, Li moved swiftly.
She took a big step sideways, dodged the stabbing arc, and resumed circling and entangling.
Matthew patiently applied more pressure, forcing her to keep shifting and adjusting her stance.
Greater pressure meant faster growth!
Matthew could clearly feel Li's progress.
She was rapidly absorbing all sorts of melee combat experience and techniques.
The addition of four new Combat Feats clearly reflected Li's improvement.
The intense training provided her Ranger class with plenty of experience.
Her Ranger level surpassed her primary class Fangshi, reaching Level 2.
Only three days of training had passed, and such phenomenal progress made Matthew quite excited.
Just as Li was reaching exhaustion...
Matthew ceased suppressing her and signaled for her to rest and recover.
At the same time, he carefully explained the previous battle and how to respond.
Li felt the Lord's kindness and sincerity—her heart swelled with emotion and determination.
She was determined to grow stronger quickly and help the Lord!
"Yaaah...!"
Yaya, who was sound asleep, suddenly opened her eyes and stretched happily.
She cheerfully pulled out fragrant food from her storage gear and waved excitedly at Li:
"Training more means eating more. Hurry up and eat!"
As she spoke, Yaya nudged the also-snoring Orianna awake.
The little girl yawned, rubbed her eyes, and looked delighted at the food.
She greeted everyone and began eating enthusiastically.
Matthew watched Orianna's illusion clone with great interest.
He never expected Yaya to come up with such a creative trick.
But it truly gave Matthew new inspiration.
If Orianna could learn Illusion Clone, could others in Bay Territory learn it too?
Li was used to Yaya and Orianna's carefree ways, but her heart was racing.
She could vaguely sense a terrifying aura emanating from Yaya.
Just then, from the ship's railing, Leon shouted excitedly:
"Pirate fleet spotted!"
"They have four ships—two warships and two transports, all five-masted."
Hearing this, Matthew smiled and said softly:
"Since they've come to us, let's take care of them right here."
The long-awaiting Leon drew his gleaming longsword and shouted loudly:
"Wokou pirate ships spotted! Raise sails! Set sail!"
The entire fleet sprang into action.
After three days at sea, the soldiers had grown more adept with ship functions and weaponry.
They reached battle stations in record time and entered combat readiness.
The Wokou pirates also noticed Bay Territory's fleet.
They turned and fled without hesitation, unwilling to face five warships head-on.
These Wokou weren't strong—only able to prey on poorly guarded merchant ships.
Against better-equipped navies, they usually chose to flee to preserve numbers.
No one here was stupid!
But these pirates clearly underestimated Bay Territory's resolve.
The magic warships glowed faintly.
The ships became noticeably lighter, and their speed increased.
The sails, engraved with complex spell patterns, billowed as the ship accelerated into a charge.
After just ten minutes, Bay Territory's warships caught up to the fleeing pirates.
The pirates decisively abandoned their two heavy transport ships.
But this "sacrifice" didn't slow Bay Territory.
They didn't even glance at the transports, continuing their chase.
As the pirate warships came within range, Leon shouted loudly:
"Aim! Fire! Concentrate fire below the waterline!"
The soldiers moved quickly, and once ready, received the order to fire.
BOOM!
Thunderous cannon fire echoed over the sea.
The dwarven cannons spewed flame, hurling spinning shells forward.
The synchronized salvo from five ships struck terror into the fleeing pirates.
The ten cannons mounted at the bow showed impressive improvements.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Over 30 shells fired—five hit the enemy ship.
Due to the distance and angle, the damage wasn't critical yet.
Matthew saw the rear of one pirate ship was heavily damaged, with three or four sizable holes.
One of them was below the waterline.
Seawater must be pouring in.
If they patched the holes quickly, they might avoid sinking.
But Bay Territory's soldiers cherished this rare battle chance.
They reloaded swiftly and fired again.
The targeted pirate ship suffered as calibrated shells smashed into its rear.
This time, more than eight shells struck.
With the distance shortened, the shells hit harder.
Some shells previously deflected now smashed through the hull.
The pirate ship's speed dropped significantly.
They couldn't escape!
Desperate, the pirates tried to fire back.
But their cannons were too poor.
At 800 meters, they couldn't reach Bay Territory's ships.
Matthew lit the fuse, gazing at the enchanted runes on the dwarven cannon. He told the excited Li beside him:
"Get ready to follow me soon."
Li sensed the Lord's killing intent and worked swiftly.
She cleared out cannon debris and reloaded fresh powder to ensure peak performance.
Leon eyed the slowing pirate ship, then glanced at the other fleeing ship and ordered:
"Ship 3, handle that one."
"All other ships, continue pursuit—don't let it escape."
The soldiers instantly followed orders.
Matthew and Li's Ship 3 closed in on the slowing pirate vessel.
As they neared, they saw panicked figures and wounded groaning on deck.
Li's golden eyes glowed ever brighter.
Killing Wokou pirates was so satisfying!