"Nino, don't get any closer, there are reinforcements from the other side, we can almost retreat now, it'll be troublesome if we get entangled." Seeing another enemy ship approaching, and with the enemy ship in between them almost unable to retaliate, Milo shouted loudly.
But Nino, who was in high spirits, couldn't listen to his old comrade's advice. While directing his crew to continue the attack, he carelessly replied, "Their reinforcements are still only one ship. What's there to be afraid of? If we can sink one ship, we can sink another. If they dare to come, we'll fight them all! I want to see how many ships they can send one by one!"
"Nino, don't underestimate them. If they want to ensure victory against us, they could send several ships at once, or even their entire fleet. Sending ships out one by one now is to make us think we can win and not retreat, to try and tie us down before wiping us out!"
He was advising verbally, but his actions didn't slow down at all. As soon as he finished speaking, a cannonball shot from Milo's ship, hitting the enemy ship's starboard side. The scattered splinters instantly took several more lives.
Nino thought about it and felt it made sense, but he was still unwilling to retreat just like that: "But we haven't figured out the enemy's intentions yet. What will we tell our allies behind us if we just retreat now? Let me go capture a few prisoners, figure out their intentions, and then we'll retreat!"
The enemy found it difficult to organize an effective counterattack; long-range shelling could suppress their firepower. However, if it came to boarding and close combat, the enemy would have to fight to the death. Although it wouldn't turn the tide of battle, if they were tied down and the enemy's reinforcements arrived, they wouldn't be able to leave when they wanted to.
"Cease fire, full speed ahead towards the enemy ship, prepare to board!"
"Absolutely not!" Milo had just shouted, but it was too late; Nino's ship was already charging directly towards the enemy vessel.
Seeing that it was too late to stop him, Milo gritted his teeth and issued the same order: "Full speed ahead towards the enemy ship, assist our allies in boarding!"
Wyatt had just breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the enemy ship stop shelling, but his heart tightened again when he saw them charging straight over.
"They're charging over! Everyone is watching us! All of you, pull yourselves together! If they board, none of us will survive! We just need to hold out until our allies' ships arrive, then our mission will be complete, and we can return as heroes! At that time, the slaves will be freed, and everyone else will receive great rewards!"
At the brink of life and death, Wyatt, without any guarantee, promised everyone a bright future. As for whether it could truly be fulfilled, that was no longer his concern. Slaves were just firewood; soldiers were merely coal.
In fact, a moment's thought would reveal that if such a promise were true, the captain would have certainly said it at the beginning, not waited until now. But the crew on the ship, having just been disoriented by the bombing, suddenly heard not only hope of survival but also the chance to return home in glory, and their morale instantly soared.
Facing the enemy ship, which was motionless in the water, Nino's warship's ram precisely struck it, cutting the already battered warship in half and splitting it apart. The seawater that had just been pumped out immediately poured back in, and it was clear the ship was about to sink.
Several rowing slaves didn't have time to put up any resistance, their strong bodies instantly torn apart by the immense impact, and their floating remains splashed out large gushes of blood onto the sea.
"They destroyed our ship, we have no retreat! Charge onto their ship and fight them to the death!" Wyatt let out his most heartfelt cry. To be precise, he was the only one with absolutely no retreat.
Hearing this, all the remaining Venice soldiers and slaves scrambled to climb up Nino's warship along the oars, engaging in a fierce battle with the Tuscany soldiers. Because the Tuscany rowing slaves did not immediately join the battle, they were at a disadvantage in terms of manpower for a time.
A dozen of the fastest climbing Venice soldiers and slaves were cut down and stabbed to death on the oars, tumbling into the sea, but more immediately swarmed up behind them.
Nino never expected that the Venice soldiers, who had been completely routed, would suddenly become fearless in their instinct for survival.
Understanding the reason for the enemy's desperate fight, Nino immediately reacted and declared loudly, "Lay down your arms and you will not be killed! Venice is not worth your lives!"
Wyatt's lips curved into a bitter smile: In a normal battle, if a ship lost its mobility, surrendering would be fine. Not only would they live, but they would also receive decent treatment.
But this time, it concerned the survival of Venice, and everyone was watching him. If he surrendered, not only would he be forever branded in the Venice Navy's history, but his family members remaining in Venice would also be thrown into the sea by angry citizens and nobles to feed the fish.
"Soldiers, don't believe his words! He's lying to you! Our warship has lost its mobility, yet they are still relentlessly pursuing us. This is to put us to death! Charge forward!" Wyatt shouted to encourage his soldiers, yet he himself remained floating on the sea, clinging to half a ship's plank.
The Venice slaves and soldiers were half-believing, half-doubting, but the long spears and arrows coming at them made them feel that Captain Wyatt's words were not false.
Milo's warship quickly arrived, slowly docking next to Nino's warship. The slaves and soldiers on board used their oars to strike Nino's oars, knocking several Venice soldiers into the sea. The Venice soldiers immediately grabbed an oar to climb back up, but were quickly shot dead.
At this point, the Venice relief ship was getting closer and closer, less than a hundred meters from the battlefield.
"Nino, stop fighting, let's go!" Milo urged.
Nino's face was ashen. Looking at the approaching enemy ship, he said painfully, "I want to too, but they're holding onto the oars, my ship can't move!"
Milo understood. He directed his soldiers to help Nino clear out the remaining enemy forces. Turning, he saw Wyatt clinging to half a plank. With a signal, several soldiers jumped into the sea and quickly swam over, disarming Wyatt and capturing him in no time.
With their captain captured, the Venice crew's morale collapsed. They no longer had the courage to continue charging, but instead swam towards the approaching reinforcements. Nino's warship was instantly surrounded by crimson seawater, and screams and wails filled the air.
"Quick, go!"
Just as Nino was about to retreat, the reinforcing Venice warship, like a ferocious beast, crashed directly into him, deeply embedding itself into Nino's warship's hull. Immediately after, countless grappling hooks were thrown, locking the two ships together.
"No!"
Nino's eyes were bloodshot, but the Venice soldiers swarming in immediately prevented him from being distracted. All the crew and slaves were caught in a fierce struggle.
Seeing that the dispatched warship had succeeded, Lavallette clapped his hands and laughed heartily, immediately ordering: "Full army attack! Capture the soldiers on the ship alive!"
Forty-odd warships then set off, heading straight for Nino.
"Milo, don't mind me, you go quickly, my ship can't move anymore. I was reckless and underestimated them, not listening to your advice, it's my own fault. Dying on the battlefield is my duty. Let's be brothers in our next life!" Nino was filled with remorse, wishing only to atone with his death.