"We're done for, Boss! Just like last time, we can't shake them off at all!"
Bessie looked at the gradually approaching ship and said to Drake in panic.
"F*ck! That damn beard's ship is too foul, right? Why can he run so fast on this sea?"
Drake looked unconvinced.
"Because his ship is a Noble Phantasm. Just like my flag, the performance of a Noble Phantasm ship will be better than our ship."
Takumi also took out his own Noble Phantasm, explaining at the same time.
"Oh~, it's that Servant-something messy stuff you mentioned, right?"
Drake recalled Takumi's popular science lesson yesterday, putting on an "I understand" look.
However, based on Takumi's few words of explanation, we don't know how much Drake actually understood.
But Drake was obviously quite clear about the current situation. After looking around, she decisively ordered:
"Bombay! You steer the helm, call the brothers to find a suitable direction to escape. The rest of you, greet that pestering guy with cannonballs for me!"
"Roger that!"
Bombay ran over in a flash, taking over the helm after Drake let go.
Drake managed to free herself from her position, then held the railing in front, leaped onto the deck, and strode to the side, looking at the warship much larger than her own Golden Wild Hunt.
A rough visual estimation.
At this speed... we'll be caught up in no time!
"Tch! If only there were a gust of strong wind, preferably a storm!"
Drake clicked her tongue.
The opponent's ship was much larger than theirs. Logically speaking, it should be clumsier. She didn't know how the opponent managed to run so fast.
However, it was also related to the current weather. There was no wind right now; otherwise, even if the opponent's ship was strange, Drake was confident that her Golden Wild Hunt wouldn't lose to other ships in the field of speed!
Hearing Drake's words, Takumi looked up at the sky.
Although there were clouds, with the big sun out, it didn't look like a storm was coming anytime soon, right?
"Boss! All our cannonballs bounced off! Completely ineffective!"
Amidst the roaring cannon fire and pungent smoke, a pirate hurriedly said to Drake.
Small black dots streaked across the sky under the power of gunpowder. Although they hit the opponent's ship, no matter where they hit, they bounced off, causing no damage at all.
"Yeah, yeah, I saw it!"
Drake wasn't blind; naturally, she was clear about something so obvious.
"By the way, isn't this Noble Phantasm ship too awesome? Leaving aside running fast, even its defense is so ridiculous!"
Drake bit her lip, actually becoming envious.
You should know that her Golden Wild Hunt wasn't this powerful!
If there was a chance in the future, she must make the Golden Wild Hunt this powerful too—no, even more powerful than that damn beard's ship!
Drake didn't know what Takumi was thinking, but Takumi discovered that the seniors hadn't used a single one of the cannonballs he modified, so he hurriedly reminded:
"Use the cannonballs I drew Runes on; their power is stronger!"
"Runes? Are these the ones?"
A pirate, who thought Takumi was just doodling on the cannonballs, picked up a Rune cannonball at his feet and showed it to Takumi.
"Yes! Use it quickly!"
The pirate didn't doubt him, hurriedly loaded the cannonball into the cannon, then covered his ears and fired it.
The cannonball streaked across the sky again, making a whoosh sound, and accurately hit the opponent's ship.
BOOM!
Unlike before when it bounced off immediately, this cannonball erupted with fierce flames the moment it hit, burning a certain Blackbeard, who was showing off on the deck without dodging, causing him to run all over the deck.
One could see the opponent screaming and cursing, but the distance was too far to hear clearly.
However, one could guess that the opponent must be cursing very nastily.
"Woohoo! Awesome! Beautifully done!"
Drake, who had been staring at that cannonball, cheered and raised her arms in relief upon seeing this.
The other pirates, discovering it actually worked, also cheered one by one.
"Damn, Little Rookie, you don't fight fair! You had such good stuff but didn't take it out for us to use earlier!"
A pirate who liked firing cannons felt itchy seeing the effect of the cannonball and couldn't help complaining.
"Is there a possibility that the cannonballs have been there all along?"
To this, Takumi just silently pointed to the pile of unattended Rune cannonballs over there.
That pirate immediately smiled sheepishly.
Could he say that after the brothers saw the unintelligible doodles on the cannonballs, they all subconsciously skipped them?
"Charge, charge, charge! With such awesome cannonballs, I must blast them fiercely!"
Thoughtful pirates had already run to their cannons holding several cannonballs.
"F*ck! Save some for me!"
Pirates who were a step slower cursed loudly and hurriedly went up to grab cannonballs.
This made Takumi, who wanted to say "Quantity is limited, use sparingly," silently shut his mouth.
Just then.
"Bad news! The enemy's cannonballs are coming too!"
"Take cover quickly!"
The panicked roar penetrated the noisy deck, reaching the ears of everyone with normal hearing.
Before he finished speaking, some pirates standing in dangerous positions skillfully hid behind the nearest cover.
Whoosh——
Accompanied by the whistling wind, several solid cannonballs smashed onto the Golden Wild Hunt, emitting somewhat harsh vibrations.
Making people on the ship feel the ground under their feet shake.
When the commotion disappeared, everyone sneakily poked their heads out from behind cover.
Only then were they surprised to find that their Golden Wild Hunt hadn't suffered much damage under the bombardment just now either!
Only some wooden planks had slight fracture marks.
"Boss! Our Golden Wild Hunt has also become strange!"
Bessie exclaimed upon seeing this.
"Don't look so useless! If their ship can block cannonballs, why can't ours?"
Although she was scolding with her mouth, Drake also looked at her beloved ship with joy.
She could more or less guess it was due to the Runes Takumi spent a lot of effort drawing, so Drake didn't get too smug and continued to command her little brothers.
"Quick! Don't stop, keep blasting them for me! Don't give them a chance to hit us!"
"Oh——" ×N
The group of pirates responded and began firing non-stop.
At the same time, Drake also pulled out her flintlock pistol, ready for battle.
The Rune cannonballs Takumi made were indeed effective, but the effect wasn't that great either. Moreover, the quantity was limited, so sinking the enemy warship was obviously impossible.
Both sides began a mid-range bombardment. The sound of cannons was like setting off firecrackers during the New Year, rising and falling on the sea surface.
Cannonballs were thrown at the opponent's ship as if they cost nothing.
Strangely, the attacks from both sides had little effect.
Rune cannonballs were powerful, but after all, they were inscribed on metal cannonballs, posing little threat to Blackbeard's ship.
Conversely, the opponent's cannonballs, under the defense of Runes and Takumi activating his Noble Phantasm from time to time, basically couldn't pose much threat either.
There was an illusion that both sides were doing useless work.
Not long after, the cannonball reserve on the Golden Wild Hunt ran out first.
"Reporting to Boss, cannonballs are running out. Should we continue firing?"
"...Forget it. Since the opponent can't hurt us either, better save some cannonballs."
Drake looked at the approaching enemy ship and gave up attacking with cannons.
So the cannon fire on the Golden Wild Hunt stopped first.
Seeing this, Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge also gave up useless work and stopped the artillery bombardment.
Both sides ceased fire and got much closer. Blackbeard, who was holding back a bellyful of anger, stood at the very front of his warship.
Roaring at Takumi and the others:
"Which bastard fired the first shot?! F*cking stand out for me!!"
With a lot of his beard and hair burned off, the disheveled Edward Teach was so angry his chest puffed up like an inflator, glaring at the members on the Golden Wild Hunt with fiery eyes.
If it was just the first time, Blackbeard wouldn't be this angry.
But this wasn't just once!
He had encountered Drake only twice in total, and both times started with the same opening.
Both times, a cannonball thrown from who knows where hit his head exactly.
If he weren't a Servant with a powerful physique, he would have been taken out directly!!
Moreover, it was twice!
Twice!
Later, there was even an inexplicable cannonball that burned his beard and hair.
Making him embarrass himself in front of Mary and Anne again!
—Although he didn't care either.
Hearing Blackbeard's roar, a certain Golden Wild Hunt number one gunner whistled, his eyes wandering, and nonchalantly retreated behind everyone.
If he remembered correctly, the three cannonballs that hit Blackbeard all seemed to be fired by him...
Although he showed off, it was better not to claim this credit recklessly.