North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 146 What I love is madness!
"You don't really want to rush up and ram the ship, do you?"

Facing the astonished Brigadier General Paparo Kim, Azu calmly said, "My Taishan is unarmed. We have no choice but to ram them!"

"Don't worry!" Azu smiled calmly at General Jin. "No matter what, we are an ironclad ship, while they are just wooden sailing ships. Our tonnage is at least three times that of theirs. They are the ones who will suffer losses! The advantage is on our side!"

“Li, you’re a fucking madman!” Brigadier General Paparo Kim couldn’t help but curse.

"But we in the navy love madness! Hahaha!"

The "Taishan," sprinting at full speed, was skillfully steered by Captain Kent like a runaway mammoth, its sharp bow cutting through the waves and leaving a long white trail in its wake.

In just a few minutes, the "Taishan" accelerated to its maximum speed.

The "Taishan" cruised at an incredible speed of 28 knots toward the armed merchant ship "Nuhai" which was 2,000 yards away.

At the same time, the two armed merchant ships ahead also spotted the "Taishan" rushing up from behind.

"Captain, that merchant ship behind us is charging at us!"

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Captain Nicholson, still basking in the joy of a successful sneak attack, was taken aback.

"What did you say? Say it again!"

"Captain, I'm telling you, that black merchant ship behind us is charging at us!"

Nicholson grabbed his binoculars, stepped out of the cockpit, and peered behind him: "What's this ship trying to do? Charge in to their deaths?"

Nicholson was absolutely certain that the black steamship behind him was completely unarmed and posed no threat whatsoever.

Therefore, he never paid any attention to the ship, letting it follow him around.

He had originally planned to keep the ship, so that they could serve as witnesses.

But since this ship was determined to come up and die, it's no wonder he was ruthless!
"Pass on my order: Unyielding and Fury of the Sea, turn around and sink that black merchant ship!"

"Yes, Sir...!"

Under Captain Nicholson's orders, the two armed merchant ships began to turn almost simultaneously, attempting to aim their gun-laden hulls at the approaching black ship.

However, the black ship behind them was moving at a speed that completely exceeded their expectations!
"Captain, that black ship is too fast... Oh my God... They're charging at us!"

Amidst a series of exclamations from the lookouts, the massive, dark hull of the "Taishan" rapidly magnified in their view!
"Oh my God, Captain, they're fucking fast! We're too late...!"

It wasn't just the lookout who exclaimed in surprise; almost all the crew members who saw the black ship simultaneously burst into incredulous gasps!
The distance closed so quickly that binoculars were no longer needed. Nicholson put down his binoculars, gritting his teeth as he hissed, "What the hell are these bastards trying to do?"

The distance of just two thousand yards can be covered in just two minutes at the "Taishan" ship's full-speed sprint of twenty-eight knots!

In such a short time, the two sailing armed merchant ships, the "Unyielding" and the "Angry Sea," barely managed to turn around and didn't even have time to aim at the "Taishan" that was charging towards them!
As the dark, sharp bow of the ship drew ever closer, Nicholson instantly understood and couldn't help but roar, "Fuck...! You son of a bitch, they're trying to ram us...!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the "Taishan" had already rushed to within a hundred yards of the "Nuhai"!

At this moment, the "Nuhai" had just completed its turn and aimed its starboard guns precisely at the bow of the "Taishan"!

"Fire! Fire! Sink this damned black ship!!"

Amid Captain Nicholson's furious roar, the Indomitable and the Sea Fury, which had just finished loading their shells, simultaneously unleashed deafening roars from their starboard sides!

"Boom boom boom...!"

More than a dozen cannons simultaneously unleashed their fury, and more than a dozen solid iron projectiles whistled as they bombarded the "Taishan".

Unfortunately, the speed of the "Taishan" at full speed exceeded everyone's expectations, and the hasty firing did not allow for careful aiming!

“Bang, bang, bang…!”

Most of the shells hit the sea behind the "Taishan".

Only two shells hit the stern of the "Taishan".

The shells blasted two holes in the steel hull, but did not cause fatal damage.

At the same time, the "Taishan" ship, which was charging wildly, covered a distance of more than 100 yards in the blink of an eye and slammed into the "Nuhai" ship's waist!

"Boom...!"

The 1,500-ton ironclad ship "Taishan" did not slow down at all, and crashed into the middle of the starboard side of the 400-500-ton wooden ship "Nuhai" at a speed of 28 knots!
The sharp steel bow, almost like a hot knife through butter, rammed the "Angry Sea" in half!

"boom……!"

The violent impact caused everyone on board the "Taishan" to be jolted violently. Even though the impact preparations had been announced, many people still sat down heavily on the deck.

The steel bow of the "Taishan" was also dented by the enormous impact.

The speed of 28 knots suddenly stopped, and the speed dropped by more than half in an instant.

But compared to the "Raging Sea" which was smashed in half, its own damage was limited to this!

"Fuck...Fuck...these sons of bitches...!"

Seeing his other armed merchant ship snapped in half right before his eyes, Nicholson lost his calm and composed demeanor.

Enraged, Nicholson continued, "Aim at that black ship and sink it...!"

Under Nicholson's orders, the captain and crew of the Indomitable scrambled to change course and reload their cannons.

Meanwhile, the Taishan, which had broken the Nuhai in half, showed no intention of stopping and continued to accelerate at full speed.

"Rumble rumble rumble...!"

The black smoke billowing from the "Taishan" was even thicker as it continued its frantic charge across the vast sea.

"What are you waiting for? Aim and fire!!"

Nicholson watched the black ship speed away, and he was so angry that he roared at the captain.

"Captain, that black ship is too fast! We don't even have time to change course, let alone take aim...!"

Enraged, Nicholson drew his Colt revolver from his waist and pressed it firmly against the captain of the Indomitable's forehead.

"Captain, I order you to sink that black ship at all costs...!"

"Yes...yes, Captain...!"

The captain dared not utter another word and could only turn the rudder in his hand rapidly, trying to keep up with the crazy speed of the "Taishan".

Due to the erratic turning, the Indomitable began to list severely!

Barely managing to aim the broadside at the raging "Taishan," and just as it was about to escape the 2,000-yard firing range, the captain shouted into the megaphone without hesitation: "Fire! Fire! Sink that black ship...!"

"Boom boom boom...!"

The starboard side of the "Indomitable" once again spewed out a series of dazzling flashes of fire.

“Swish, swish, swish…!”

The whistling shells chased after the tail of the "Taishan" and bombarded it fiercely.

"Bang bang bang...!"

All the shells landed behind the "Taishan", creating towering columns of water on the sea!
"Damn...!"

Seeing the results of this round of shelling, Nicholson cursed in frustration.

"Reload and aim! We can't let this black ship get away!"

"Captain...!" The captain turned to Nicholson helplessly: "That black ship is beyond the range of our cannons...!"

"Fuck...Fuck...Shit...! You son of a bitch...!"

Nicholson had no idea that his flawless plan, which had been executed almost perfectly, would be executed so well.

All they need to do is lead these two ships back to port, then scuttle the "Indomitable" and "Raging Sea" in the deep sea, and finally quietly dispose of the crew members of these two ships.

Flawless and invincible. Once the plan to sow discord between the Huamei Corporation and the U.S. Navy succeeds, no matter how much that damned Chinese man struggles in his death throes, he will be doomed to collapse!
However, the sudden appearance of this black ship ruined all the plans!

Nicholson's mind raced as he considered how to make amends.

"Captain, rescue all the crew members who have fallen overboard from the 'Raging Sea'! We must return to port as soon as possible!"

As long as the surviving crew members do not fall into the hands of the navy, there is still room for redemption.

"Yes, Captain!!"

Seeing that Nicholson was not fixated on pursuing the black ship, the captain of the Indomitable breathed a slight sigh of relief.

With that black ship's incredible speed, even if my sailboat wanted to catch up, it simply couldn't!

However, before the captain of the Indomitable could finish catching his breath, he couldn't help but exclaim in alarm: "Captain, that damned black ship is coming back again!"

"What……?
Nicholson quickly looked up at the sea to his right.

Sure enough, the black ship, which had just escaped the range of its own cannons, turned around and charged back, seemingly oblivious to its own mortality.

"Captain, that black ship is heading straight for us!"

"Heh heh...!" Nicholson sneered, "This damned black ship, it seems it won't rest until it sinks us all!"

"Captain, what do we do? Should we go into hiding...!"

"What are you hiding for?" Nicholson roared. "Since they dare to come back to their deaths, then bomb them to the ground!"

"However, this black ship is too fast. We only have one chance to fire, and the accuracy of the cannons is too low...!"

Nicholson gritted his teeth and said, "Turn course, stabilize the ship, concentrate all guns on the starboard side, and fire when it gets close!"

"Captain, then we can't escape being sunk either!"

"It doesn't matter, as long as we sink this black ship, it will all be worth it."

In Nicholson's plan, the Indomitable and the Furious were to be scuttled to destroy all evidence, and even the crew of both ships were to be silenced.

Sinking is not the same as sinking, dying is not the same as dying!
In that case, sacrificing two armed merchant ships to sink this crazed black ship is absolutely worthwhile.

As long as this black ship is sunk, most of the evidence and witnesses will be completely destroyed. Even if there are minor flaws in the execution of the plan, the objective can still be achieved.

Thinking of this, Nicholson pressed the Colt revolver he had just lowered back down firmly against the captain's forehead again: "Captain, execute the order!"

"Obey...obey!"

The captain of the "Indomitable" could not utter another word.

He could only follow Nicholson's orders, constantly adjusting the course while desperately trying to stabilize the ship, hoping that the only opportunity to fire a cannon shot would sink that damned black ship in one fell swoop!
"Rumble rumble rumble...!"

The "Taishan" ship, which once again sped up to 28 knots, spewed thick black smoke from its dark hull and rapidly grew larger in the sight of everyone on board the "Indomitable" ship!
Nicholson stared intently at the approaching black ship, brought his mouth to the brass megaphone, and ordered, "All gunners, listen to my command! Hold your ground, hold your ground, hold your ground...!"

Only when the massive, black hull of the "Taishan" was within a hundred yards did Nicholson roar, "Fire...!"

"Boom boom boom...!"

All of the Indomitable's cannons were concentrated on the starboard side, with eight 16-pound cannons simultaneously unleashing dazzling firepower!
“Swish, swish, swish…!”

Eight sixteen-pound shells roared towards the nearby "Taishan".

At a distance of less than 100 yards, even the worst gunner would have an almost impossible time missing!

"Bang bang bang...!"

The dark steel hull of the "Taishan" was pierced by at least seven 16-pound shells, leaving seven large bullet holes in different locations.

The massive hull of the 1,500-ton "Taishan" was shaken violently by the cannon fire!
But the speed of the "Taishan" did not decrease at all, and its black steel bow slammed into the starboard side of the "Buqu".

"Boom...!"

The immense impact force instantly shattered half of the wooden "Indomitable" hull into dust!
Wood chips and debris filled the air, shooting into the sky.

In the collision with the "Nu Hai", the bow of the "Tai Shan" was dented and deformed.

Therefore, in this collision with the "Indomitable", the no longer sharp bow did not cut the "Indomitable" in half.

However, propelled by the enormous kinetic energy of the "Taishan", the "Buqu" ship, weighing four or five hundred tons, was pushed back more than ten meters!

Then, the "Unyielding" ship, which was attached to the steel bow of the "Taishan", was propelled by the powerful engine of the "Taishan" and began to tilt rapidly on the sea!
Then, the bow of the "Taishan" crashed over the badly damaged and completely listing "Buqu" with a thunderous roar!

The 1,500-ton "Taishan" completely crushed the "Buqu" into debris, and along with most of the crew members who were unable to escape, it quickly sank to the dark seabed.

But Captain Nicholson, who was exceptionally agile, was naturally an exception!
The moment the two ships collided with a deafening roar, Nicholson, without hesitation, leaped from the cockpit into the icy November waters!

While the Taishan was crushing the Indomitable into the sea, Nicholson, taking advantage of the Taishan's greatly reduced speed, like a gecko, silently climbed onto the Taishan along its smooth steel hull with a pair of daggers.

Once aboard the "Taishan", Nicholson went straight to the core cockpit!

As a hidden knight of the Solomon Temple, assassination is his true calling!
He wanted to see for himself who the captain of this black ship was and just how audacious he was!

Then, he would personally kill that audacious captain, or anyone who dared to sabotage his plans!
Nicholson stealthily made his way to the outside of the cockpit!
His right hand, which had just fully recovered, gripped the Colt revolver, while his left hand held a poisoned dagger. With his assassin's instincts, as long as he could rush into the cockpit, everything would be settled.

Under the command of this top assassin, no matter how many opponents are in the cockpit, they are nothing to fear and can only become dead souls under his blades!

Especially in a confined environment like the cockpit, it is more conducive for an assassin like him to perform.

So Nicholson turned the cockpit door handle, pushed open the cockpit door, and rushed inside!

"Don't move...!"

Nicholson had just pointed his gun at everyone in the cockpit.

"Click, click, click...!"

Then, he saw at least a dozen dark gun barrels pointed at him.

Upon closer inspection, the small cockpit was crammed with a large group of naval officers!

These naval officers reacted quickly, all drawing their guns and aiming them at themselves!
Then, a flash of white light appeared!
"Pfft...!"

Nicholson felt a strangely familiar, sharp pain in his right palm!
My right hand can no longer grip the Colt revolver!

With a loud clang, the Colt revolver slammed heavily onto the ground.

"This is... such a familiar feeling!"

Nicholson looked up and met Shi Dakai's resolute and calm gaze!
"It's you again...!"

Nicholson exclaimed in utter shock!
"Hmm...? You are... that damned assassin!"

After disguising himself again, Shi Dakai did not immediately recognize the person in front of him as the assassin who had tried to kill him and Azu on the battlefield.

But as soon as the assassin opened his mouth, Shi Dakai recognized the voice!

"Heh heh!" Shi Dakai sneered, "I didn't expect you to run into me again this time!"

Shi Dakai took two steps forward and faced Nicholson head-on. He then moved his hands and feet slightly, and his joints cracked all over his body!
Nicholson's gaze did not fall on Shi Dakai, but swept across the faces of everyone in the cockpit one by one.

"Brigadier General Paparo King, Chief of Staff Wayne Hunter, Li... Zunian...!"

Nicholson practically spat out those three words through gritted teeth!

"Why? Why are you all on this damned ship?"

"Why? Why did I have to run into you all...?"

Nicholson's gaze finally settled on Azu, and he couldn't help but mutter a question.

Standing behind Shi Dakai, Azu said coldly, "Captain Nicholson, put down your weapon and I'll spare your life!"

(End of this chapter)