Piltover's excellent legacy means that the person in charge will appear in places where they shouldn't be.
As a captain, abandoning command to board a ship would seem illogical in the normal world, but it's not uncommon on this high seas.
The two ships are too close together, and firing could easily injure friendly forces, so why not just not fire?
Since the birth of naval warfare, boarding operations have been a crucial part of it, but these battles are also much more dangerous.
The marine environment is far more complex than that on land. Sea winds and waves cause turbulence, and differences in ship speed and height increase the risk of boarding.
However, it cannot be denied that on this vast ocean, the upper limit of a ship's ability to board is what ultimately determines the outcome of the battle.
The act of using one's own body to cut through cannonballs is not uncommon in the Grand Line. If the strongest individual on a ship cannot withstand the enemy, then no matter how well the cannon battle is fought, it is of no use.
That's why Kate came here as captain; among all the people who didn't know anything about naval warfare, at least she could fight.
His usual work is relatively relaxed, and due to his personality, he is more suited to leading external operations.
After giving the order, Kate disappeared from the Power Gear.
Although flying isn't one of her skills, she can still cross this distance by jumping, even without equipment.
"Left-hand drive, 5th position, full speed ahead!"
After Kate disappeared, the first mate took over command, and the Power Gear adjusted its course slightly and sped towards the sea ahead.
"Captain! It's the cogwheel flag! Reinforcements have arrived!"
In the sea ahead, an Alabasta ship is being pursued by pirates. Its sails feature a sun pattern made up of a sphere and petal-like flames.
That's the flag of Alabasta, an important symbol that sailors at sea are not considered pirates and directly attacked by the navy.
Without a flag, no one would know whose ship it is. The pirates on this sea are particularly "honest" and they basically never lower their flags, no matter what they do.
If you lower your flag or use someone else's flag, you will be regarded as a "low-class pirate" and ridiculed by the entire pirate community.
Ordinary countries naturally fly their own national flags when they go to sea, but Piltover's flag, derived from gears and machinery, is gradually starting to stand out on this sea, and at least people from neighboring countries can recognize it.
"We've finally arrived. Cheer up! The support ships have come!"
Alabasta's ships were decent, but they weren't as fast as the pirate ship behind them, and the distance between them kept closing.
"That ship is so fast! How can it go that fast without sails?"
The Power Gear gradually grew larger. Wind power is the mainstream in this sea, and even foreign ships are very rare. Naturally, they were curious about a ship like the Power Gear, which has no sails or wheels and is powered by an unknown force.
"Isn't the King of Piltover a scientist? Maybe it's some new invention. Never mind that! Keep going! If we get caught by the pirates now, all our efforts will be in vain!"
The captain of Alabasta roughly estimated the size of the Power Gear. Judging from the size of the ship, even if their men did nothing, they could take down the pirate ships behind them by ramming the ship.
"It's alright, Captain, those pirates have stopped."
"It's stopped?"
When he looked back, the pirate ship that had been chasing him had changed direction, and there seemed to be firelight on the ship, as if something had happened.
The people of Alabasta were filled with doubt and confusion. Even though Piltover's ship had arrived, the pirates shouldn't have given up so easily.
In fact, those pirates were even more puzzled than the people of Alabasta.
Just now, a white figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere and took down half the people on the deck in a single move.
"Aren't there any people with special abilities on your ship?"
Kate surveyed the pirates on the ship. According to common sense, if there were people with abilities on the ship, they would usually step forward and introduce their abilities to the enemy after using them once.
Perhaps pirates think this behavior is cool and can increase their intimidation factor.
However, for Kate, pirates with special abilities are just raw material for Oran. Ordinary pirates are simply killed, troublesome pirates are handed over to the Navy for bounties, and the arrangements for those with special abilities are determined based on the strength of their abilities.
However, the crew on this ship consisted of ordinary pirates, and there were no Devil Fruit users, since Devil Fruit users are still quite rare.
Even the monster pirate crews of the New World can't equip all their officers, big and small, with Devil Fruits.
Obtaining a Devil Fruit can make a name for you in the world of pirates, no matter how small.
After standing on the ship for a while without receiving any response from the pirates or even suffering any effective attacks, Kate did not continue her attack. Instead, she turned around and returned to her Power Gear.
"Is that guy some kind of cat demon?"
"What is an ability user? Who is she looking for?"
Some newbies who have just entered the Grand Line have no idea what Devil Fruits are, let alone Devil Fruit users, but even these pirates can still pose a considerable threat to ordinary people.
"No wonder they say the Grand Line is a sea of demons; it turns out it's inhabited by monsters like this. Never mind who she is, that merchant ship is far away now, let's retreat first, in case she suddenly comes back."
Boom! Boom!
Two shells exploded in the sea nearby, creating two splashes. Kate hadn't returned, but the Power Gear's shelling had already begun.
She chose to board the ship to remove Alabasta's vessel from the battle. Now that the ship is in a safe location, it's time for the guerrillas to train.
"What a huge ship!"
"What are you standing there for! Turn the rudder quickly, that's an enemy ship!! A ship that big can't go fast!"
They could openly plunder merchant ships with weak armaments, but they couldn't muster the courage to resist a giant warship armed to the teeth, not to mention the "cat demon" whose whereabouts were unknown.
But the pirates soon realized something was wrong. No matter how hard they tried, the ship could keep up with them, and the cannonballs kept hitting them, putting them under immense psychological pressure.
"Are these bastards messing with us?"
"Fight back! Move our cannons to the stern; even a rabbit will bite when cornered!"
Unbeknownst to these pirates, the atmosphere in the command center aboard the Power Gear was also tense.
Thump!
The pirates retaliated, but their cannons failed to penetrate the ship's armor, leaving only a few stains on the hull without any effect.
After a series of cannon shots, the pirate ship still "luckily" dodged all the cannon fire, and some of the cannonballs even went further than before.
"Missed again. If all else fails, Meow should go back and ask His Majesty Oran for a new batch of artillery."
Kate usually addresses Oran without any embellishments, which is a small privilege she feels is necessary. She feels that using such a form of address in private would create distance between them, so she has maintained the way she addressed him when they first met.
But since everyone here is an outsider, it would be inappropriate to use that form of address.
Missing once or twice could be attributed to adjusting the angle, but the shots that kept going further and further away made her feel something was wrong; she wondered if there was a problem with the crew's skill level.
Right now, they're only dealing with small-time pirates, and the warship's armor keeps them in a completely safe environment.
If they encounter even stronger firepower one day and face the threat of death, the trouble will be even greater.
Even through thick armor, the sound of enemy shells can intensify the pressure.
"Captain, let's give them a few more chances. None of them have ever fought in naval warfare before. They've only practiced with targets. This is their first time fighting in real combat."
Even with moving targets during practice, real combat is still different. Except for a few exceptionally talented individuals, gunners can only be fed shells.
As you shoot more and more and eventually become a veteran, these troubles will disappear.
There are gunners who are born with perfect aim, but such people are one in a million. Kate's threat to replace them was an attempt to put pressure on them, and the first mate's persuasion was a good cop/bad cop situation.
Although there are no royalty on the Power Gear now, it is still considered a royal flagship in Piltover, and the crew members on board were selected through a rigorous process.
If you're asked to leave because you can't hit anyone, you'll lose face big time when you go back home.
"The weather is clear today, but the wind is strong and the waves are high. These pirates are really lucky, but their good luck is about to end!"
Distance 6300, bearing. Main gun fire!
These warships did not operate independently; during free firing, each gunner's observer would calculate the distance themselves, but there was also a person on board in charge of overall control.
boom!
The cannons roared once more, and this time the shells hit the bullseye, sinking the enemy ship completely in flames.
After sinking the pirates, Kate didn't exchange pleasantries with the Alabasta ships. She simply said the crisis was over and continued with her training mission.
Judging from their performance in this battle, these people still have a lot to learn.
"Captain, they just left like that. That's not in accordance with the rules."
On the Alabasta ship, the crew members who had regained their safety were puzzled. According to the default rule, those who were rescued should give their rescuers some financial compensation as a token of gratitude.
"Their ships are too fast. Let's report back to His Majesty the King and let him decide."
These days, ships that go to sea, except for those from the underworld, all need some kind of official background, otherwise they can't get a seafaring permit and would be considered pirates. This ship also has some connection with the royal family of Alabasta.
Ultimately, this message was also delivered to Cobra, the current king of Alabasta.
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