Chapter 5, British Warships

The fifth and sixth levels are cruisers, with a displacement of only a few hundred tons, equipped with 24 to 40 artillery pieces, and a crew ranging from over 100 to 200 personnel. Although the firepower of these warships is not strong, their speed is very fast, and they are often used to attack merchant ships at sea or for sending messages and escorting.

Although Captain Carlos had only one platoon, consisting of over thirty Spanish soldiers, the defensive line formed by these regular troops, who were skilled in handling rifles, was simply insurmountable for the pirates. Any pirate attempting to board the "Black Pearl" was shot dead, without exception

The argument between the two was utterly futile in resolving the issue. When the pirate ship that Long Yufei was on also approached the "Black Pearl," everything came to an end. The pirates, who had the advantage in numbers, killed all the Spanish soldiers who dared to resist. Even Captain Carlos was not spared; the others chose to lay down their weapons and surrender to the pirates, including the captain of the "Black Pearl"

Long Yufei's expression was also not very pleasant. Britain is currently the maritime hegemon, having risen to prominence since defeating the Spanish Armada. Subsequently, several European countries that attempted to challenge Britain's status were defeated. Particularly during the two battles of Cape St. Vincent and the Battle of Trafalgar, France and Spain united but were unable to defeat the British Navy, further solidifying Britain's position as the maritime hegemon. This also curtailed Napoleon Bonaparte's ambitions for expansion at sea, forcing him to focus his efforts on the European continent. More than a decade ago, the victory of the anti-French coalition resolved the issue with France, Britain's old rival, allowing Britain to expand on a large scale across the globe without any concerns. The East has always been a coveted area for the British, so it is not surprising that British warships appeared in the South China Sea. However, their appearance at this time is certainly not good news for the pirates of Diaoyu Island.

Is there any way? asked Luo Sangu.

Although only a Level 6 warship has arrived, and the relationship between Britain and Spain remains tense, if they discover that pirates have attacked a Spanish merchant ship, they will certainly not let these pirates go! Faced with the British warship, there is no possibility for the pirate ship to escape. As for fighting desperately against the British warship, that would be tantamount to seeking death. Although the Level 6 warship is only equipped with 24 cannons, it is already sufficient to easily send any pirate ship to the bottom of the sea!

"Bring the British onto the ship, and then eliminate them!" Long Yufei said

Captain Big Beard seemed to realize something and shouted in panic: "Please, don't kill us! We can redeem our lives with money!"

Long Yufei accurately translated the words of Captain Big Beard. Luo Sangu fell into deep thought, seemingly contemplating whether or not to keep these Spaniards

The pirates, wielding steel knives, seized the opportunity to leap onto the deck of the "Black Pearl" and began to slash at the Spanish soldiers with their blades. Although firearms were more advanced than steel knives, they were no match for these fierce pirates in close combat. As more and more pirates climbed aboard, the Spanish army was pushed back relentlessly, and Captain Carlos lost his initial composure.

Everyone's expression changed drastically! Although they dared to target the Spanish treasure ships, it was because the objective was armed merchant vessels. If the target were a warship, they would certainly flee as far as possible. While the pirates are brave, they also understand that using pirate ships against heavily armed warships is simply like striking a stone with an egg

Captain! Accelerate and shake off those damned pirates!" Lieutenant Carlos burst into the cockpit, shouting at the captain

The British naval warship that has now appeared is indeed a sixth-rate vessel, equipped with 24 cannons and capable of speeds exceeding 12 knots. The possibility of a pirate ship escaping the pursuit of this British warship is virtually nonexistent

The pirates were very brave, but what they faced was the regular army of Spain. The pirates who had just boarded the "Black Pearl" had not yet had the chance to react before they were shot by the Spanish soldiers who were already on high alert.

"Great Chief, we are willing to surrender, please do not kill us!" The bearded captain of the Black Pearl was brought before Rosangu by two pirates. Upon seeing those fierce and menacing pirates, he couldn't help but feel a sense of panic.

"Captain, we have spotted a British warship! What should we do?" a young pirate leader said in panic

The box was opened, revealing it to be filled with gleaming gold. At that moment, the bearded captain said: "Esteemed leader, this is the gold requested by Antonio Pedro, the Governor-General of Spain in Luzon, to be transported back to Spain, totaling two hundred kilograms"

Unable to escape, the head said, a British cruiser is approaching, moving at an extremely high speed, our ship simply cannot outrun it! The small leader who came to deliver the message spoke somewhat dejectedly.

"Where is the treasure on the ship?" asked Luo Sangu. However, the bearded captain could not understand Chinese.

Perhaps due to the close proximity of both parties, a cannonball fired from the pirate ship struck the "Black Pearl." The cannonball landed among the ranks of the Spanish army, killing two Spanish soldiers on the spot and injuring several others. More importantly, this disrupted their deployment, preventing them from timely suppressing the pirates who had boarded the "Black Pearl."

The fourth level consists of warships equipped with two decks of gun armor, armed with 50 to 56 cannons, with a displacement of over 1,000 tons and a crew of approximately 350 personnel. Such warships do not possess particularly strong firepower and lack sufficient agility, thus serving as the flagship of overseas cruiser detachments

At this moment, Long Yufei rode out on horseback. He understood some Spanish and could only speak it, not write it, but this posed no problem for the current situation! Thus, he took on the role of translator for the bearded captain!

The Spanish forces have only a few regular troops left, as the rest have been killed. However, the crew of the "Black Pearl" suffered minimal casualties; they surrendered at the first opportunity, as they are not regular troops and had no need to fight to the end

At this moment, a pirate ship sounded the alarm

Move up! Increase speed! Luo Sangu shouted loudly upon seeing the heavy casualties among her subordinates

The gleaming gold is incredibly alluring, and one by one, the pirates reveal their greedy gazes. Are they not risking their lives for this very gold?

"Captain! I have been trying at https://wwwhetushucom.com! However, the pirates have already boarded the ship!" The captain shouted as well! If he had listened to him earlier, and not engaged with these pirates, but instead used speed to shake them off, perhaps these events could have been avoided

"The boss, the gold is already in hand. These red-haired devils are of no use to us, let's get rid of them and leave quickly!" Chen San suggested

For the first time, Long Yufei felt the brutality of the battlefield and fell silent. Although these pirates were fierce, they were originally just hardworking civilians who, driven by the pressures of life, had no choice but to take the path of piracy. While these Spaniards claimed to be acting in self-defense, they were by no means virtuous; how many people have died at their hands during their plundering of the colonies?

"Boss, we cannot defeat the British, nor can we escape; we can only take the risk and fight for it!" Long Yufei said

"Captain, let us disperse and break through! Whatever we can escape with is what we will take!" said a pirate leader. Whether we can escape or not will depend solely on the mercy of fate

Upon hearing the question about the treasure's location, Captain Big Beard quickly replied that the treasure was in the cabin below. Long Yufei and several pirates, along with Captain Big Beard, moved out two boxes. The boxes were not large, only a few, but they were quite heavy. Fortunately, the pirates were strong and robust; otherwise, Long Yufei, with his small frame, would not have been able to lift them.

"Boss, let's retreat immediately!" Chen San suggested. Even he, who was usually fierce, did not have the courage to confront a regular warship.

The surrendered Spaniards were placed under guard. For the pirates of Flying Fish Island, this victory was entirely a pyrrhic one. Although they achieved victory, the losses they incurred were significant, with over thirty pirates killed and more than ten injured, several of whom were severely wounded. Even if they recover from their injuries, it is likely that they will be left with permanent disabilities. Despite their victory, the toll they paid was considerable, with over thirty pirates killed and more than ten injured, several of whom were severely wounded. Even if they recover from their injuries, it is likely that they will be left with permanent disabilities

Luo Sangu's expression was grim; the joy of having just defeated the Spaniards and obtained two hundred kilograms of gold had long since dissipated. The sudden appearance of the British warship had plunged them from heaven into hell. If not handled properly, these pirates would meet their end here today

Luo Sangu and the others boarded the "Black Pearl". Long Yufei followed suit. However, upon seeing the deck covered in blood, corpses, and severed limbs, he couldn't help but feel a wave of nausea wash over him, causing him to lean over the ship's railing and vomit profusely. The expressions of the other pirates as they looked at Long Yufei were filled with disdain. A person so weak that he couldn't even bear to witness such a scene dared to dream of becoming a pirate; it was simply laughable. The expressions of the other pirates as they looked at Long Yufei were filled with disdain. A person so weak that he couldn't even bear to witness such a scene dared to dream of becoming a pirate; it was simply laughable

During the age of sail, warships were classified into 6 levels. The first level consisted of large warships with three decks of gun ports, equipped with over 100 cannons, a displacement ranging from 2,500 to 3,500 tons, and a crew of more than 875 personnel. The second level featured warships with three decks of gun ports, equipped with 90 to 98 cannons, a displacement of over 2,000 tons, and a crew of approximately 750 personnel. The third level included warships with two to three decks of gun ports, equipped with 64 to 80 cannons, a displacement ranging from 1,300 to 2,000 tons, and a crew of around 490 to 720 personnel. These three levels of warships served as the main naval forces of various countries and were also referred to as battleships, specifically sail battleships