From cute to empress

Chapter 280 The Shadow of the Netherworld Pirates

The wind howled, the waves churned, and the once azure sky darkened to a chilling gloom, as if foreshadowing the coming of a bloody storm. In the distance, the black sails of a ship, like the outstretched wings of a demon, approached us with greed and murder.

"Pirates! It's pirates!" On the lookout tower, the sailor's terrified voice cut through the sky.

My heart instantly leaped into my throat, and I gripped the sword at my waist tightly. The scene before us confirmed our earlier suspicions: this ill-intentioned fleet was led by the infamous Pirate King.

"Your Majesty, the pirate fleet is approaching rapidly, and they are ready for battle!" Zheng He's voice was also solemn.

"Pass the order down, all ships enter level one combat status and prepare for battle!" I took a deep breath and tried to keep myself calm.

The sound of horns echoed across the sea, and all ships prepared for battle. The cannons roared with a deafening roar, and the cannonballs, carrying the breath of death, whistled towards the enemy ships. The pirate ships nimbly dodged the cannonballs, darting across the sea like black ghosts.

"They're coming aboard! Prepare for close combat!" Zhen Youcai's voice came from afar. He led the soldiers, sword in hand, to fend off the pirates who were swarming onto the deck.

The pirates were fierce and brutal, but our soldiers were no pushovers either. The deck suddenly became a bloody battlefield, with flashes of swords and cries of slaughter. I gripped my sword tightly, my gaze firm, and commanded my soldiers to put up a fierce resistance.

I saw with my own eyes a pirate wielding a cutlass and slashing at a young soldier. At that moment, I didn't think about anything else, I just felt my blood boiling, rushed forward, and pierced the pirate's chest with my sword.

"Your Majesty, be careful!" Zhen Youcai's anxious voice sounded in my ears, and he waved his sword to fend off a pirate who tried to sneak attack me.

"I'm fine!" I wiped the blood off my face and continued to fight.

The fierce battle lasted for nearly an hour. The pirates' offensive remained fierce, but our soldiers fought more bravely. At this moment, I noticed that the pirate ships' attack method seemed a little strange. They seemed to be deliberately guiding our fleet in a certain direction...

A sudden foreboding feeling welled up in my heart, and I immediately turned to look at Zheng He. He had a furrowed brow and a deep gaze, as if he had seen through something mysterious. His lips moved slightly, as if he was about to say something, but before he could open his mouth, a huge wave suddenly hit from the distance... "Oh no! It's the 'Wrath of Poseidon'!" Zheng He suddenly shouted, his face suddenly changing color. "The pirates are trying to force us to the 'Raging Waves Reef'!"

"Poseidon's Wrath" is a huge wave unique to this sea area, and "Raging Reef" is a nearby sea area with dense reefs. Once you are swept into the "Raging Reef" by the huge waves, the consequences will be unimaginable!

"Damn it! These pirates are so cunning and treacherous!" I cursed inwardly, and immediately understood the pirates' intentions. They wanted to use the "Wrath of Poseidon" and "Raging Reef" to capture us all in one fell swoop!

"Zheng He, what should we do?" I asked anxiously.

Zheng He's face was solemn, but his eyes were unusually calm. He decisively ordered, "Pass the order down! All ships immediately turn to avoid the direct impact of the huge waves! At the same time, concentrate your firepower on the pirate flagship!"

Zheng He's order was quickly executed, and the fleet began to turn to avoid the huge waves. The pirates seemed to realize our intention and attacked us frantically, trying to prevent us from turning.

"Your Majesty, please take shelter in the cabin with General Zhen!" Zheng He said to me. "Leave this to me!"

"No! I want to fight with you!" I refused. I can't back down at this time.

"Your Majesty, please trust us!" Zheng He insisted. "You are the soul of the fleet. You must be safe!"

Zhen Youcai also advised: "Mengmeng, listen to Master Zheng, this place is too dangerous!"

I looked around. The roar of artillery fire and the flashing of swords and sabers filled the air. The situation was truly critical. Finally, I nodded and, escorted by several soldiers, temporarily retreated into the cabin.

Although the cabin was relatively safe, I could still feel the violent rocking of the ship and the deafening roar of battle outside. I waited anxiously, and every moment seemed to stretch endlessly.

I don't know how long it took, but suddenly there was a deafening cheer outside. I was delighted. Could it be...

I immediately rushed out of the cabin and saw that the pirates' flagship had been engulfed in flames on the sea, with thick smoke billowing. The pirates were either dead or surrendered, and the battle was nearing its end.

"Your Majesty, we won!" Zheng He came to me with a look of victory on his face.

"That's great!" I excitedly shook Zheng He's hand, "This time is all thanks to you!"

At this time, the boatswain also came back with a small team. They were covered in blood, but their faces were filled with smiles of victory.

"Your Majesty, we succeeded!" The boatswain excitedly reported to me, "We sneaked into the pirate ship, rescued the captured crew, and destroyed their command system!"

"Well done!" I patted the boatswain's shoulder in appreciation.

On the sea, the setting sun dyed the sea surface blood red, as if silently telling the story of this tragic battle.

I looked towards the direction where the Pirate King sank, and a sense of doubt suddenly arose in my heart. This battle seemed to be won too easily...

"Zheng He, do you feel..." I turned to look at Zheng He, only to find that he was staring at a broken wooden sign that had been salvaged from the wreckage of the pirate flagship, his brows furrowed.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Is there something wrong with this wooden sign?"

Zheng He did not answer, but handed me the wooden sign, on which a strange pattern could be vaguely seen.

"This pattern..." I looked at it carefully, and an ominous premonition came to my mind, "Why does it feel so familiar..." I tried hard to recall where I had seen this pattern, but it was like a fragment buried deep in my memory that I couldn't piece together.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?" Zhen Youcai asked with concern when he saw that my face looked strange.

"This pattern..." I pointed at the broken wooden plaque, "I seem to have seen it somewhere..."

Zheng He took over the conversation with a serious expression: "Your Majesty, if I remember correctly, this should be..." He paused, as if weighing his words, "It should be the symbol of the 'Netherworld Pirates'."

"'Netherworld Pirates'?!" Zhen Youcai and I exclaimed in unison.

The "Ghost Pirates" are a taboo in this sea area. Legend has it that they are cruel, elusive, and notorious, but no one has ever seen their true faces, and no one knows where their lair is.

"But...hasn't the 'Netherworld Pirates' disappeared for decades?" Zhen Youcai asked in disbelief, with a hint of trembling in his tone.

"Yeah," I echoed doubtfully, "Could it be that..."

Zheng He didn't say anything, but just nodded solemnly, which was considered as his agreement with my guess.

This discovery cast a shadow over my heart. I originally thought it was just an ordinary encounter, but I didn't expect it to involve the "Netherworld Pirates"...

But the victory before me diluted my worries, and looking at the cheering crew members, I temporarily suppressed the uneasiness in my heart.

"Everyone, be quiet!" I raised my hand, signaling everyone to be quiet. "Today, we repelled the pirates and protected our fleet!"

"Long live His Majesty! General Zhen is mighty!" The crew members burst into deafening cheers that lasted for a long time.

Zhen Youcai and I smiled at each other. All the hardships and fatigue along the way disappeared at this moment.

"Pass the order down, everyone will have an extra meal tonight to celebrate the victory!" I announced loudly.

The crew cheered again, their faces filled with the joy of victory.

I stood on the deck, feeling the sea breeze, but my heart was restless. The appearance of the "Nether Pirates" was like an ominous omen, foreshadowing even greater challenges awaiting us in the future...

As night fell, the sea was calm and the sky was bright with stars. I stood alone at the bow, gazing into the distance, with a thousand thoughts in my mind.

"Mengmeng, what are you thinking about?" Zhen Youcai walked to my side and asked softly.

"Nothing," I forced a smile, "Just wondering when we can get back to land."

"It's almost there," Zhen Youcai gently held me in his arms, "In a few days, we'll reach the next supply point."

I leaned in his arms, listening to his strong heartbeat, trying to relax myself.

However, at this moment, I felt the ship suddenly shake violently...

"What's going on?!" I was shocked and quickly looked up at the sea.

The originally calm sea surface had become turbulent without us noticing. In the distance, a large dark cloud was approaching us at an extremely fast speed...

"Oh no! It's a storm!" Zheng He exclaimed from behind, "Everyone! Return to your posts immediately! The storm is coming!"

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