"Have you heard? Tang goods are worth a fortune these days."
The Lai Island pirates were gathered on a small island, whispering among themselves.
"The Nabeshima clan is buying up Tang goods in huge quantities."
"And the Kuroda clan, the Kashima clan… they're all clamoring for Tang goods."
"I heard this batch of Tang goods is really fresh and new. The daimyo are willing to pay top prices."
"Even empty soy sauce bottles are fetching high prices. Some unscrupulous merchants are filling empty Ming dynasty soy sauce bottles with our local brew and selling them specifically to poor samurai who want to put on airs with fake goods. They're making a killing!"
As the Lai Island pirates chatted, their excitement grew.
"Money this easy to make? We can't be left behind, brothers! Let's get to it. We're going to raid the Ming merchant ships!"
The pirates swarmed out like a nest of bees, piloting their small boats to ambush along the inevitable route from Ming territory to Nagasaki Port, awaiting their destined victims.
It wasn't long before a Ming dynasty fleet appeared on the horizon.
The Lai Island pirates rejoiced.
"Charge! Let's grab those Tang goods!"
This Ming fleet belonged to the merchant Yao Xingjuan.
Nagasaki Port was just ahead. Seeing that they were almost at a proper port, Yao Xingjuan had already stowed away the weapons on board, changed into merchant attire, and donned a square turban. He was dressed impeccably, ready to fool the wealthy Japanese.
To his surprise, no sooner had he finished dressing and stepped onto the deck than the lookout on the mast shouted:
"Pirates! The Lai Island pirates are here!"
Yao Xingjuan flew into a rage.
"Damn it all! I just finished my transformation, and they show up? Forcing me to change back, huh? Just you wait!"
With a swift rip, Yao Xingjuan tore off his merchant clothes, revealing a set of robust martial artist attire underneath. He snatched an eye patch and slapped it on, then swept off his square turban, letting his hair fall wildly around his face. In his left hand he gripped a flintlock pistol, and in his right he raised a blade.
Instantly, he transformed into Demon Star Yao, the pirate.
"Damn you all! My transformation is complete! You cursed Lai Island pirates, come on! Let's see who's robbing whom now!"
With a thunderous crash, the two fleets collided.
A Japanese ronin wielding his katana aggressively leaped onto the deck. He raised both hands high, performing a grand overhead strike, ready to cleave down.
Demon Star Yao raised his left hand, and the Western pistol roared.
Boom.
It struck the samurai squarely in the chest, sending him flipping backward into the sea.
Two more Japanese pirates sprang forward.
The pistol was out of ammunition, so Demon Star Yao casually tucked it into his waistband. With his right hand he swung his blade, and with two swift cuts, puff, puff, he chopped the pirates into the sea.
All over the ship, brutal clashes erupted.
In the world of pirates, justice and righteousness existed only where strength decreed it.
Just as the two fleets were locked in fierce battle, another fleet appeared on the distant sea.
A vibrant, multicolored banner flew from the mast of the leading flagship.
It was the Five Color Dao Xuan Tianzun Banner.
On the deck beneath the banner, two adolescent boys were fiddling with a marine chronometer and consulting a globe, arguing about something.
The older boy was Shi Lang.
"We haven't veered off course, have we?"
The younger boy was Zheng Sen.
"I don't think we have. I was young when I sailed from Japan to the Ming, but I still vaguely remember some things."
Shi Lang was overjoyed.
"You remember the route?"
Zheng Sen replied, "I remember a seagull pooped on my face."
Shi Lang was speechless.
That was incredibly frustrating.
He continued adjusting the chronometer.
"This thing has a five li margin of error. We could be five li off our target right now. Who knows where Nagasaki Port might be… oh dear…"
Just then the lookout shouted:
"Someone's fighting ahead! There's a battle going on!"
Everyone's spirits lifted.
"Telescope! Quick, the telescope!" Shi Lang shouted.
Zheng Sen also reached for his telescope.
"It's our Ming countrymen fighting Japanese pirates!"
From their attire, both boys quickly understood what was happening.
"Move closer! Help our people!" Shi Lang ordered without hesitation.
Zheng Sen was still a guest onboard and could not issue commands, so he simply drew a flintlock pistol.
The Gao Family Village fleet instantly went into battle ready status.
The two fleets ahead were already engaged in boarding combat. Cannons were useless in such close quarters, and even flintlock pistols risked friendly fire. The sailors put aside their firearms and drew their blades in synchronized motion.
The difference in skill among the crew quickly became apparent.
The native Gao Family Village sailors, more accustomed to firearms, seemed hesitant in close quarters melee combat. They lacked experience and appeared slightly timid.
The reformed pirate laborers, however, were completely different. They brandished their blades with excitement blazing across their faces. Far from fearing battle, they relished it.
Someone shouted:
"Now's our chance to earn merit!"
"Take down a few enemies and save a Ming life. They'll cut at least a year off my sentence, right?"
"A year? Are you crazy? Dao Xuan Tianzun said saving lives is paramount, more important than any military achievement. If I save even one or two lives, I'm guaranteed release and promotion to regular sailor status!"
"Saving lives is better than cutting people down? Then I'm definitely going for that merit!"
The reformed pirates waved their gleaming blades.
"Here we come!"
The native sailors were impressed.
"You're not afraid of close combat?" they wondered. "A white blade going in and a red blade coming out… that's bloody. Shooting from a hundred meters away with a flintlock is much more comfortable."
The Gao Family Village ships shifted from cruising speed to battle speed.
They surged to over twenty knots, electric motors humming wildly, leaving frothy white wakes behind them.
In a flash, they cut straight into the heart of the battle.
Their ships were massive, swift, and utterly imposing. Their mere arrival dealt a crippling blow to the Lai Island pirates.
Their morale plummeted.
The reformed pirate laborers charged forward, howling wildly, eyes red with battle lust.
"We need to earn merit!"
"We need to clear our names!"
"We want full release!"
Bellowing strange slogans incomprehensible to the enemy, they swung across on ropes from the massive ship.
Demon Star Yao's spirits soared.
"I don't know where these reinforcements came from, but I'm overjoyed they're here! Brothers, cut them down!"
Just as he shouted triumphantly, a native Gao Family Village sailor tried to mimic the reformed pirates. He grabbed a rope and swung across clumsily. When he landed, he went face first into the deck with a humiliating thud.
Everyone stared.
Then the battle cries resumed.
The two sides joined forces and launched a furious assault.
The Lai Island pirates were instantly cut down, bodies strewn across the decks.