At Haechil Harbor
At Haechil Harbor (海漆浦), the sounds of hammers and work songs rang out day after day.
Every captured Japanese ship was hauled up onto land.
Their hulls were split open, their frames exposed.
Park Seong-jin inspected the work without missing a single day.
To his eyes, the flesh and bones of each vessel were clearly legible.
He thought to himself, briefly: Now I could build a ship even on my own.
"Add another reinforcement beam here. With a heavy impact, it will split."
"Lower the side gun mounts slightly. The recoil is strong."
At first, the shipwrights widened their eyes at Park Seong-jin's precise instructions.
Now they worked with him, calling him a man who could see doctrine itself.
The Japanese ships shed their old shapes.
Little by little, they took on the grain and strength of solid Goryeo warships.
When the Daehan technicians led by Chen Cong erected a small powder magazine and workshops at Haechil Harbor, the rhythm of the camp settled into order.
Artillery masters oversaw cannon construction and maintenance.
Powder masters handled the manufacture and supply of gunpowder.
Gunners controlled firing, angles, and gun mounts.
Repair craftsmen tended to ships and carriages.
A full structure of roles took shape in a remarkably short time.
Goryeo officers stared in disbelief.
"So many men for a single cannon?"
A Daehan artillery master laughed.
"War is completed by people. People fire. People move. People calculate."
Park Seong-jin nodded.
Goryeo's commanders were accustomed to ramming and boarding by instinct.
When Park Seong-jin introduced a new doctrine, many gathered around the ship models, holding their breath.
One commander asked,
"Why do we advance showing our flank instead of facing the enemy head-on?"
Park Seong-jin took up a model ship and slowly turned it.
"There are fewer cannons at the bow. Along the sides, we can mount many more."
He continued,
"Presenting the flank means concentrating firepower."
He aligned the model precisely against an imagined enemy.
"This position lets eight guns fire at once."
The commanders swallowed.
Chen Cong summarized the doctrine.
"Bombardment. Disruption. Approach. Boarding."
Then he added,
"If it breaks, it sinks. There's no need to cling on in prolonged boarding."
At dawn, the first fully converted warship was slowly eased into the sea.
Its provisional name was Haechil (海漆) No. 2.
Two Daehan-style medium cannons sat on its mounts, with eight light cannons lining each side.
Fifty men boarded—from seasoned sailors to novice gunners.
As the mist cleared, Park Seong-jin issued a short order.
"Prepare for test firing."
Three hundred paces offshore, a derelict ship was moored as a target.
The powder master called out,
"Charge three measures. Target assumed enemy vessel. Barrel angle, three degrees."
Park Seong-jin raised his hand.
"Fire."
KWA—AANG!
Flame poured from the harbor, staining the shore red.
One side of the target ship was blown completely away, collapsing as if its waist had snapped.
Daehan and Goryeo soldiers alike froze, breath held.
Someone murmured,
"War has changed."
Park Seong-jin spoke slowly.
"From today on, war at sea is different."
The wind scattered the smoke.
The waves of the southern sea reappeared.
The Crescent Bay Battle
The Crescent Bay (초승달 만) Battle was the first live artillery engagement of the Goryeo–Daehan allied fleet.
The coastline curved like a crescent, cradling the bay.
The inner waters were deep; the outer shallows treacherous—an ideal hiding place for enemy ships, and a terrain well suited for encirclement.
Park Seong-jin seized that rhythm first.
In the briny dawn wind, he and Chen Cong looked down upon the bay from a high ridge.
A scout reported,
"General—five enemy ships. Two large vessels, three light."
Park Seong-jin said curtly,
"They've abandoned retreat. They mean to make this their base."
Chen Cong nodded.
"Our preparations are still settling."
Park Seong-jin lifted his head, eyes cold and clear.
"We need live combat. This place will do."
Formations were finalized.
Haechil Nos. 1 and 2: medium gunships
Haechil Nos. 3 and 4: light-cannon and heavy-crossbow platforms
Daehan Detachment No. 1: long-range heavy artillery ship
Training had been accumulating steadily.
Gunners refined their hands day by day.
Boarding troops adapted their bodies to the sea's motion.
Everyone knew the direction they were headed.
The allied fleet slipped quietly into the mouth of Crescent Bay.
Two large enemy ships noticed first.
"Goryeo ships!"
Japanese archers rushed up, drawing bows.
Park Seong-jin called out first.
"Open gun ports."
The sides of Haechil Nos. 1 and 2 turned toward the enemy.
Gun mounts were revealed.
Gunners rammed in the charges.
Chen Cong's voice rang out.
"Volley fire."
KWA—AANG!
The first shot threw up a towering splash.
The recoil shuddered through the barrels.
Gunners clenched their teeth.
"Angle up three degrees. Half-charge added."
The second blast roared.
KWA—AANG!
The enemy's bow deck vanished in white debris.
When the smoke cleared, the deck had collapsed and the mast was half broken.
Enemy shouts tangled together.
"Cannons!"
The two large ships pulled back.
The three light vessels rushed forward.
Arrows poured down.
Gunners ducked low.
Heavy crossbows and archers returned fire.
Park Seong-jin's commands followed.
"Block approach. Maintain flank. Hold firing angles."
Haechil No. 4 fired its heavy crossbow.
A thick steel bolt pierced straight through a bow.
Two enemy soldiers were skewered at once.
As the distance closed, enemy fighters raised naginata and grappling hooks.
Chen Cong grit his teeth.
"They've read the pattern."
Park Seong-jin raised his hand high.
"Port side—full volley."
KWA—AANG!
One enemy light ship twisted and sank into the waves.
Two remained.
Signals flashed between gunners.
Boarding troops from Haechil Nos. 3 and 4 hurled grappling hooks.
Planks caught.
Battle cries exploded across the water.
"Spears forward. Maintain momentum. Focus on the upper deck."
Former spearmen moved now as warriors of the sea.
Close combat on deck tangled with structures, ropes, and rails.
The line wavered—but trained motions held it together.
When the enemy commander fell, the current broke.
Song I-jeong took the commander's head.
The remaining fighters' grips loosened.
The last large enemy ship tried to flee beyond the bay.
Park Seong-jin extended his hand toward the batteries.
"That ship breaks here."
Three Daehan heavy cannons fired at once.
KWA—AANG!
The shot tore beneath the bow.
The ship listed, then slowly sank into the bay.
"WAAAA—!"
Cheers swept through the Goryeo ranks.
The sensation of sinking enemy ships by artillery alone carved itself into their bodies.
A Daehan gunner explained calmly,
"Hit the flank. Split the waterline, and the sea finishes the work."
Crescent Bay filled with black smoke and the stench of oil.
The allied fleet circled slowly among the wreckage.
After the battle, on a quiet deck, Park Seong-jin gazed out toward the distant sea, one hand resting on the rail.
"We are ready to strike Tsushima."
Chen Cong nodded.
"The sea has tilted in our favor."
Park Seong-jin asked quietly,
"We still need more training."
Chen Cong answered just as briefly.
"Yes."