Under the relentless blast of dragonfire, the pirate ship could hold out no longer. Its hull groaned under the strain, and its mast snapped at the base, crashing onto the deck with burning sails and rigging.
The pirates still hiding in the hold, hoping to escape disaster, had no chance to dodge. The falling mast crushed them to pulp before the spreading, ghastly green dragonfire reduced them to charred remains.
The entire ship warped in the dragonfire, from keel to bow. Seawater surged through the cracks burned into its hull, and the vessel slowly began to list.
"Keep burning! Sink the whole ship!" Aegon pressed his advantage, ordering Cannibal to keep breathing dragonfire.
He knew there probably wasn't anyone left alive aboard, but he still wanted to make sure no pirate who had survived by sheer luck could crawl back out among the reefs of this nameless island in the Stepstones.
Thoroughly, without leaving anything to chance-
This would also be his guiding principle from now on when dealing with pirates who, upon seeing him and his dragons, "neither retreated nor surrendered, but actually dared to fight back."
Meanwhile, seeing that the situation here was largely under control and confirming that no hidden dangers nearby could threaten Aegon's safety, Daemon turned his attention to the remaining ships attempting to escape.
While Aegon concentrated his fire on the flagship, those pirate ships were fleeing desperately toward a strait crowded with islands.
One had already lost most of its sails to Caraxes's dragonfire and was struggling across the water, trailing tattered canvas.
"I'll handle the rest. You and Cannibal finish this one off." With that, Daemon patted Caraxes on the side of his neck.
The crimson dragon let out a low hiss. His long, serpentine neck turned in midair, and he sped