The Curtain Falls

Boom!

As steam warships opened fire one after another, Blackbeard's forces were immediately subjected to a brutal baptism of cannon fire.

One wooden sailing ship after another exploded under the terrifying barrage. Before the pirates could show their valor in boarding combat, the cannon fire blasted them to pieces, sending their corpses to the bottom of the sea.

"Scatter!"

Blackbeard closed his eyes and ordered the Monster Ship to signal with flags: "Break through in all directions!"

In an instant, the pirate armada scattered like a pack of wolves that had lost its head wolf, each group breaking through in a different direction.

Though he knew that choosing this course meant admitting defeat, Blackbeard had no other choice.

After all, if he continued to hold his ground, his entire fleet might be wiped out.

And once they split up to break through, the pirate ships could make full use of their strengths.

Pirates were naturally a freewheeling lot, the complete opposite of a disciplined army.

The large-scale naval battle instantly turned into a series of smaller chases. Every so often, the pirates struck back hard, catching the Royal Navy's outdated Level 1, 2, and 3 sailing battleships off guard and inflicting heavy losses.

In stark contrast, the thirty Steam Ironclad Ships plowed through the waves. Every pirate ship hurried to get out of their way; once targeted, it was doomed to be destroyed, with all hands lost.

As the leader of the Blackbeard Pirate Group, Blackbeard was an obvious target.

A total of seven Steam Ironclad Ships came surging toward him, closing in from every side.

"Full speed!"

As Pirate Governor, Blackbeard wasn't about to surrender without a fight.

He slapped the Monster Ship's deck, and the entire vessel roared, its speed doubling. It dodged a volley of cannon fire