Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 479 The Crown Princess (Part 5)

"Help! There's a shark!"

"Run!"

"Help us!"

Of the remaining three small boats, two had been hit by several cannon shots but could still barely stay afloat, though they could no longer move forward. Only the most dilapidated boat remained intact despite the fierce battle.

The pirates on the small boat were initially gloating over their good fortune, but before they had sailed far, they were astonished to discover that the slaves locked in the bottom of the ship's hold had somehow managed to sneak out! They were even grabbing harpoons and other weapons to fight back! These slaves had been trembling with fear before, not daring to even entertain the thought of resistance, especially after they had beaten a man severely, causing him to vomit blood, in front of everyone; they had been as docile as rabbits. How could they now dare to have any thoughts of rebellion?
The next moment, they saw the man they had beaten unconscious holding a steel fork, who appeared to be the leader! Many then realized they had been fooled! The man who had looked half-dead had been faking it all!

At this moment, a pirate couldn't help but roar loudly, and he was even using the Great Jing language!

"Shameless! Despicable!"

The man from Dajing, who was being loudly rebuked, felt not ashamed at all, but rather quite proud.

He casually brandished the harpoon in his hand, creating a flash of cold light; it was clear at a glance that this man was a trained fighter.

"If I'm despicable and shameless, then what are you, who came to our Great Jing border to burn, kill, and plunder? Aren't you even more despicable and shameless? Forget it, what's the point of talking to a bunch of people who don't know any manners or shame? Since you're here, then leave your lives here!"

Before he finished speaking, he transformed into a ball of silver light and rushed out, the harpoon in his hand like the finest sword in the world, waving it to unleash a dazzling display of cold light!
With each slash of silver light, large plumes of blood mist were created. His bravery greatly inspired the fishermen behind him who were using harpoons as weapons for the first time.

If this brother, who specially disguised himself to rescue them, can be so brave, how can they turn a blind eye? They are protecting their own lives. If they don't do their part now, do they want to wait until they die before they know how to regret it?
Under the incredulous gaze of the pirates, these fishermen, who had previously been as docile as lambs, suddenly displayed unprecedented courage. Before the establishment of the Great Jing Dynasty, how many fishermen living along the coast had suffered the ravages of the Southern Feather Kingdom's people? Time had passed, but they had not forgotten!
Among the men, women, and children abducted back then, there might have been their relatives. Their loved ones had been kidnapped for so long without a trace, and it seemed they would never return. How could they not feel hatred at this thought? Human traffickers are certainly among the most hated people in the hearts of ordinary citizens, but these Southern Feather Kingdom people posing as pirates were far more than just human traffickers to them.
Every swing of the harpoons and fishing gear revealed a deep-seated hatred. In no time, the fishermen had wounded more than half of the pirates. However, the pirates were ruthless and merciless; they had already realized that they used weapons far more often. Especially their longswords, each one gleaming and hard. These longswords, forged using a unique tempering process, could rip off large chunks of flesh with every swing. If the battle dragged on, it would be a huge disadvantage for these fishermen who had never received proper training. Fortunately, the large warships pursuing them had caught up, their massive structures like mountains in the sea, overwhelming the pirates on the small boat with sheer size.

Their Southern Feather Kingdom's shipbuilding technology was already the most advanced among the surrounding countries, given their location surrounded by the sea. The Great Jing Continent, on the other hand, was vast and had previously implemented a policy of isolationism during times of war, resulting in its relatively underdeveloped shipbuilding technology. Under such circumstances, how could Great Jing possess such enormous ships? Everyone knows that the bigger the ship, the better, but how can a massive ship navigate smoothly into the sea and maintain such high speed while remaining stable? These are techniques that each country keeps closely guarded!
Nobody had ever heard of Dajing having such advanced shipbuilding technology!

The reason they dared to plunder the coast as pirates before was because the Great Jing navy was weak, and their warships couldn't catch up with them at all! But now…

As the enormous warship, resembling a celestial mountain on the sea, sailed towards them, the captain and crew of their dilapidated boat were almost too terrified to speak. They were only jolted awake by the horrified screams of the pirate crew behind them, and in a panic, they prepared to cling to their small boat and flee.

However, long before the large ship caught up with them, many incredibly fast small boats were launched from the ship, and these small boats had already surrounded them. On the small boats were many agile warriors, wielding strange tools and doing something in their direction; grappling hooks with ropes attached were then hooked onto their hulls.

Immediately, the soldiers began climbing the rope without hesitation. The pirates were no strangers to these rope-attached grappling hooks, having used them frequently to plunder fishing boats. They were therefore experts at dealing with them, their first instinct being to cut the ropes. Surprisingly, despite their apparent softness, cutting them in one go proved quite difficult.

After several attempts to cut the rope failed, the pirates, realizing what was happening, immediately reached for the grappling hooks embedded in the ship's hull. These hooks, crafted using some unknown casting technique, were firmly embedded in the hull, making them impossible to remove unless the affected plank was completely shattered!
In just a few breaths, the seemingly taciturn but determined warriors nimbly climbed up the ropes, each displaying remarkable skill. Working in tandem with the fishermen, they captured all the rebellious pirates in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

One of the pirates, wearing a black helmet, was tightly bound and pressed to the ground. He was still somewhat defiant and kept struggling. The surrounding big shots were also shouting and forcing him to kneel properly. But as he struggled, he suddenly realized that the surroundings seemed to have abruptly fallen silent.

But this was definitely not a good sign; his intuition was desperately warning him of danger!

"Tattoo..."

A series of steady footsteps sounded, and the young pirate's heart skipped a beat. Judging from the voice, it sounded like a man or...woman who wasn't very strong.