Late Ming Dynasty: The Counterattack Begins with Sea Pirates

After everyone took their positions, they held their breath and waited for the battle to begin.

At this time, the English ships continued to maintain a "mountain"-shaped formation.

As the distance closed, Chi Honghai could see everything that was happening on the other side's deck.

The crew on deck had already picked up their firearms and stood by the ship, ready to fight. The gun ports on the lower deck had been opened.

"What's there to be nervous about?" Chi Honghai asked.

"Sir, there looks suspicious across the street, and I'm really nervous."

"Don't be nervous, we're sure to win," Chi Honghai reassured Pang San.

Chi Honghai carefully observed the situation on the enemy's upper and lower decks. Although the number of gun ports on the enemy's deck was not much different from his own, if they were to engage in a firefight overseas, even if the deaths were not immediate, the number of people who would die later due to lack of effective medical treatment would also skyrocket.

An idea that deviated from the conventional Western path emerged in Chi Honghai's mind.

"Sir! We're almost there. The men below are asking if we should open the gun ports on the lower deck," a crew member reported.

Chi Honghai raised his hand, looked at the English ship, and said, "No rush. Tell the ships behind to keep their gun ports tightly closed and not to open them."

"Sir! If we don't open the gun vents, the brothers can't fire the cannons, or we'll become easy targets for the enemy!" the crew member said anxiously.

"Do as I say! Have the helmsman skim close to their ship, the closer the better. Tell the men on the lower deck to grab their weapons and wait in the cabins, don't go up to the deck yet."

"Yes... sir!"

Once the flag signal was given, the ships behind followed Chi Honghai's orders and did not open their gun ports in advance, but closely followed the path of the ship in front.

But soon Liu Qingjiang and Instructor Lang realized something was wrong.

Liu Qingjiang, in the middle, watched as the course of the ship in front gradually shifted toward the ship opposite.

"What is the master planning? Wasn't he going to rob someone? This distance looks more like a family reunion. Aren't they just going to stand there and get bombed by the other side?"

"No, no!" Instructor Lang shook his head at the last moment. "Sailing like this will cause a collision. We've practiced cannons for so long, are we not using them now? Or has the situation changed? Haven't we received any new instructions?"

The Dutch and Englishmen were also stunned by Chi Honghai's actions.

"Captain! They don't seem to be robbing us! How can they not even open the gun ports in a naval battle! This is clearly defection! Betrayal! Betrayal of the captain!" the first mate shouted from the side.

Meanwhile, the Englishmen on deck were also stunned.

"Captain, the enemy hasn't opened their gun ports. There's a Dutch ship five nautical miles behind them," the first mate reported.

"I see them. These people don't seem to have much fighting spirit. It's like they want to come closer and say something to us?"

"That Dutch captain?"

The captain turned to look at the first mate: "A bunch of beggars. When have we ever been afraid of them? Don't they have to look at our faces when crossing the English Channel?" The captain took off his monocular binoculars and picked up the red tea next to him to drink.

"Tell the guys not to relax too much, let's see what these guys have to say to us."

"But, Captain, at such close range, what if the other side boards the ship..."

"No, no, no, they don't have the courage to withstand artillery fire."

Soon, the lead ships of both sides met.

"Signal to the rear, board the ship!"

"Understood, sir!"

Chi Honghai ordered most of the people on deck to take their weapons and huddle behind the edge of the ship, leaving only a small group of people to take off their outer clothes, revealing their vests, and fumble for the ropes and adjust the sails.

The two lead ships passed each other at a distance of less than three meters, a distance that would have been enough for one person to accelerate and leap onto the other's deck.

Chi Honghai had someone pretend to direct the adjustment of the sails, while he looked at the situation on the opposite deck with an expression as if he had never seen anything like it before—a group of soldiers in bright red uniforms.

After the first ship passed by without incident, the second ship was less vigilant.

If they were going to open fire, they would have done so already. The gun ports on the other side aren't even open, and there aren't many people on deck. What's there to worry about?

The entire English fleet thought the same way, until the second ship encountered Chi Honghai.

When the two ships were only about three meters apart, suddenly, a grappling hook was thrown out from behind the ship's hull, slamming into the other ship's deck and pulling hard.

With a loud bang, the two ships collided.

Suddenly, men wielding muskets appeared from the side of the ship and fired a volley at the other side.

By the time the other side reacted to the swaying from the impact, the people in the cabin had already rushed out, with those carrying thick iron shields leading the way, followed by the others.

The Englishmen picked up the firearms that had been knocked away and aimed again to fire, but to their surprise, the bullets fired from these firearms were deflected by the iron shield, leaving only a mark and some impact force, without causing any damage.

After a round of firepower suppression, the group quickly leaped onto the enemy's deck and engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

"Pang San! Take that tattered flag they're flying on their boat!" Chi Honghai shouted.

"Just you wait, sir!"

Pang San took two steps, leaped, and kicked the other man, crushing him. The man's heavy weight caused him to vomit blood on the spot, and even after Pang San left, he could only roll on the deck, unable to get up.

The people fought the Englishmen in groups of three or five.

The opposing muskets were equipped with bayonets, which put the regular crew members, excluding spearmen, at a distance disadvantage during the fight.

Just as the two sides were about to reach a stalemate and engage in a fierce battle, a corpse was thrown over, knocking down a group of people. Both sides turned to look and saw that Pang San had already grabbed another living person. Clearly, this Englishman was more agitated than the one who had been thrown over earlier.

Before the enemy could regroup, the shield bearers quickly moved closer together and charged forward.

Seeing the heavy shields rushing towards them, the British soldiers retreated one after another, and were instantly separated, their formation completely broken.

Pang San rushed to the stern of the ship, and no one could stop him. He chopped off the military flag at the stern and threw it into the sea, where it was quickly submerged.

At the same time, Chi Honghai also saw the officer standing at the bow of the ship, directing people in all directions. He recognized him as the captain of the ship, a man with a triangular hat and animal feathers.

He picked up a Chinese hard sword, drew it from its sheath, and leaped across the deck towards the man.

Amidst the constant fighting and spatial compression, only the captains of the two ships remained at the bow.

One person was holding a Western sword, and the other was holding a Chinese longsword.

The foreigner was demonstrating fencing moves, but Chi Honghai paid no attention to him. He stepped forward, sidestepped, and rubbed his sword against the opponent's hilt. With a twist, he cut a wound on the opponent's arm, and then with a jerk, he made the weapon slip from the opponent's hand and fall to the ground.

Since the entire battle took place on a merchant ship, although it was equipped with British soldiers, there were also many ordinary merchants and sailors. In terms of overall quality, they were not necessarily a match for Chi Honghai's side.

Shortly after the raid, the remaining crew members on the ship surrendered.

"Get them all onto our ship and tie them up! Quickly!"

Chi Honghai shouted.