Downpour

Sailing into the wind and rain at full speed toward Rhine Island, Arthur did not respond to the other captains; he answered with action!

A passionate roar echoed across the sea as the Great White Shark charged forward without fear!

"Oh! Damn you, Arthur!"

Captain Rosen watched the sails of the Great White Shark and bellowed, "Full sail!"

"Full sail!"

"Let those damn Lobster Soldiers see what a pirate's scimitar can do!"

Cheers and roars erupted from the Giant Catfish Pirate Ship as a canvas sail rose up the mast, following in the wake of the Great White Shark.

Rhine Island.

Governor Drew extended his left hand, the raindrops pattering against his palm; his expression turned grim at the sight of the light rain.

The greatest reliance for the defense of Rhine Island was the coastal artillery deployed at the island's port, capable of effectively striking ships from afar.

The sudden light rain had soaked the cannons and the gunpowder, making it questionable whether the shells could even be fired.

Now, Governor Drew could only hope that Arthur would turn traitor at the critical moment, using his cannons to heavily damage one or two ships to hold out until Lord Eisen's return.

One hour!

If he could just hold for one hour, Lord Eisen would be able to lead the main force back and trap the pirates in Rhine Port; not a single pirate would be able to escape!

Scanning the distant horizon, a mast appeared in his field of vision, the flag of the Great White Shark fluttering in the wind and rain.

Governor Drew's heart jolted; they had finally arrived.

Immediately, he looked toward the vicinity of the Great White Shark and saw no other pirate ships, a deep sense of doubt rising in his heart:

Why were there no other pirate ships?

Had Arthur deceived him?

Or was the Great White Shark charging at the very front?!

The thick doubt quickly transformed into fear, taking root in his heart as Governor Drew saw, behind the Great White Shark, one pirate ship after another raising their sails.

The sea breeze blew against his face, as if trying to snatch away Arthur's captain's hat; pressing a hand to his head, Arthur laughed loudly:

"The fierce sea wind wants to blow away my hat, a sign that a rainstorm is coming!"

"Brave Sailors! Do not stop! Do not stop!"

"We shall charge onto Rhine Island in the rainstorm, plunder the spices, jewels, and gold, and let the King's dogs howl in regret!"

His passion burned fiercely, and he could not wait to charge onto Rhine Island!

Kaia remained rational, walking to Arthur's side to ask, "Captain, should we not take in the sails? At this speed, if we charge into the port, we will crash into the coastal reefs!"

Arthur looked at the port ahead and shouted back to Kaia:

"No! We shall never slow our pace!"

"We will crash in heroically just like this; the rain will soak their gunpowder, and the scimitar shall be the main melody of this battle!"

"All Sailors, remember Captain Arthur's words! Charge into the warehouses of Rhine Port, kick over those damn Lobster Soldiers! Then take the small boats in the port and get away from the land!"

As if in response to Arthur's words, raindrops gathered together and smashed against the Sailors' faces, the pain igniting their courage.

Gale winds and heavy rain poured from the sky, dousing the gunpowder of the pirate ships, dousing the gunpowder on Rhine Island, and dousing Governor Drew's desire for victory!

Watching the ships that refused to stop for even a moment, Governor Drew could no longer maintain his composure and roared:

"Everyone, prepare for battle! The damn pirates are here!"

"Use your Edge to let the pirates know that the Empire's steel will mercilessly slit their throats!"

Donning thick armor, Governor Drew grabbed a broadsword and stood in the rainstorm to meet the pirate assault.

"Wahahaha! Change direction! Charge the coastal artillery of Rhine Port for me!"

Captain Rosen shouted, slapping the bow of his ship, "I am going to charge into the Governor's Mansion on Rhine Island and leave the mark of a pirate on the Governor's bed!"

The storm was the pirates' bugle call, igniting the courage of the Sailors.

The pirates who followed Arthur had encountered such perfect weather.

One pirate shouted loudly: "Praise the God of Storms! Under your gaze, we shall plunder the King's wealth!"

Eight pirate ships launched their charge toward Rhine Port from different angles.

The Great White Shark did not lower its sails, crashing into the port's pier at maximum speed.

The wooden pier shattered with a roar, the violent vibration sending the Sailors tumbling, but Arthur stood at the bow and raised his scimitar!

"Heroic Sailors! Make the Lobster Soldiers tremble!"

He leaped from the bow, charging toward the port's warehouses; the Royal Navy guarding the port, dressed in red uniforms, raised the bayonets of their long-barreled muskets to intercept Arthur.

Arthur swung his scimitar, easily disarming the Lobster Soldiers, and stepped toward the port's warehouses amidst their cries of alarm.

The Sailors who had recovered their footing leaped from the ships like fish, charging onto the port along ropes and wooden planks.

Scimitars slashed across the throats of the navy, and the pirates reveled in the storm.

Kaia raised the scimitar in his hand and roared, "Show these king's dogs what we're made of!"

As the words fell, he stabbed a navy soldier to death, the blood washing into the sea under the downpour of rain.

Rosen watched the Great White Shark charge directly into the port and suddenly issued an order: "We are sailing straight in as well!"

"Huh?!"

"Captain, have you lost your mind?"

Rosen pointed at the Great White Shark and said in a low voice, "Don't forget, we are plundering a Tudor port!"

"This is a provocation against the Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets!"

"There is still the navy from Rhine Island behind us; they could turn around at any moment to blockade the port and leave us like fish stranded on dry land."

He bellowed, "The free spices and tobacco in the warehouse—every crate is a crate of gold coins!"

"Grab any small boat you can to haul it away; those who leave late will be trapped here!"

"Charge!"

"Heave! Ho!"

The captain of the Poison Needle Pirate Ship, Poison Needle, stood on his vessel gazing out before suddenly turning to his first mate.

"Pass on my order: all sailors are to carry their personal belongings and abandon ship for the shore."

"Captain? Without our cannons, it will be difficult for us to survive on the open sea."

"We will plunder the wealth of Rhine Port and head to the Xiya Empire to purchase new pirate ships; the Xiya royal family will grant us high-level honors!"

"Yes, Captain!"

An enraged Governor Drew commanded the navy to resist the pirate invasion, standing alone in the heavy rain, leaning on his broadsword, not knowing where to turn.

Three pirate ships ignored the damage to their hulls, charging directly into the port to land on Rhine Island.

Five more pirate ships launched an assault on Rhine Island using small boats.

Stagnant in place as he watched the incoming pirates, Governor Drew gritted his teeth, wishing he could tear Arthur to shreds.

"Arthur!"

A heart-wrenching roar echoed out, and Governor Drew strode toward the pirates of the Great White Shark, his body radiating a chilling, murderous aura.

Ruined! Everything was ruined!

His honor, his merits, his status, and his gold coins—the moment the pirates stepped onto Rhine Island, it was all gone!

Arthur arrived at the port warehouse and kicked over a pile of stacked goods, white cane sugar spilling onto the ground to be soaked by the rain.

Governor Drew's roar arrived on the sea breeze.

He continued deeper into the warehouse, kicked open a locked wooden door, and knocked over a wooden barrel.

Rhine Port suddenly descended into chaos as the sailors stationed on Rhine Island received news of the pirate landing.

Their first reaction was disbelief, but the chaotic shouts from the port soon threw the sailors and captains into a panic.

"Sailors of the Oak! Follow me to protect the cargo!"

The sailors without employers stood dazed for a moment before following them out in a steady stream.

The pirates had landed on Rhine Island; surely it wouldn't be a big deal if they grabbed a little cargo for themselves, right?