38: fierce battle in the Taiwan Strait

Just as Linn was wreaking havoc on the nest of Flamingo Island, the Eagle Beak Strait, over a hundred miles to the northeast, had long been drowned in shouts of killing, explosions, and the sound of clashing metal, turning into a bloody purgatory.

Just as Linn had expected, the determined Cedric personally led the main fleet of the Flamingo Pirate Group, sailing majestically into the treacherous terrain of the Eagle Beak Strait. He stood at the bow of the flagship "Flaming Bird," his red hair like burning flames, and the majestic aura of a Gold Rank powerhouse was released without reservation, oppressing the surrounding waters. Beside him stood a cold-faced, heavily armored middle-aged knight, the very Gold Rank helper he had newly recruited—Wolfgang, known as "iron wall." With two Gold Rank powerhouses in command, Cedric was full of confidence, believing that this battle would surely flatten Nocturne Territory.

However, when most of the fleet had entered the narrowest part of the strait, a sudden change occurred!

"Rumble—!"

On the towering cliffs on both sides, countless boulders were pushed down, smashing towards the pirate fleet below with overwhelming force! At the same time, arrows and javelins soaked in kerosene poured down like a rainstorm, instantly igniting the sails, rigging, and decks of several pirate ships!

"There's an ambush! Watch out!" The pirate ships were immediately thrown into chaos.

"Nocturne! You rat hiding your head and showing your tail, have you finally dared to come out?!" Cedric was both shocked and angry, his roar echoing through the strait. Dazzling golden battle Qi erupted from his body, and with a swing of his sword, a massive crescent-shaped battle Qi slash directly shattered several falling boulders!

Almost at the same time, shouts of killing also came from the direction of the strait's exit. Rodney and Barlett led their limited-scale fleet to launch a feint attack according to the plan. Although they dared not get too close, they successfully attracted the attention of some pirates.

"Form up! Steady! Kill them for me!" Baron Nocturne's steady voice rang out on the cliff. He led by example, holding a broadsword. Although his Gold Novice battle Qi was not as condensed and surging as Cedric's, it carried a sense of heaviness like Bedrock. He commanded the main force of Thunder Island soldiers, using pre-arranged fortifications to tenaciously block the pirates attempting to climb or forcibly storm the beach with crossbows and falling rocks.

The coalition forces indeed had an advantage in numbers and were resting while waiting for the enemy, so the Early Stage ambush caused significant chaos and casualties to the Flamingo Pirate Group.

However, when Cedric and Wolfgang, these two Gold Rank powerhouses, truly exerted their strength, the battle situation began to reverse!

"Wolfgang, charge and crush them with me!" Cedric roared, his figure like a golden bolt of lightning. He leaped directly from the tall "Flaming Bird," landing on the protrusions of the cliff in a few bounds, and fiercely charged towards the main position where Baron Nocturne was located! Wherever he passed, the Thunder Island soldiers were tossed away like straw, unable to block him at all.

"Your opponent is me!" Baron Nocturne's expression was grave, and he had no choice but to step forward to meet him. His broadsword carried a heavy wind pressure as it collided fiercely with Cedric's flaming longsword!

"Clang—!"

A deafening loud noise accompanied by a surging battle Qi shockwave spread out, and the soldiers around the two were shaken into disarray. In a Gold Rank battle, even the mere aftermath was not something ordinary soldiers could withstand.

Although Baron Nocturne fought hard to resist, Cedric had been promoted to Gold Rank for many years, and his battle Qi was more profound and violent. After barely a dozen rounds of combat, Nocturne had already fallen into a disadvantage, and could only barely hold on by relying on experience and the terrain.

The other Gold Knight, Wolfgang, displayed the origin of his nickname, "iron wall." He did not charge forward like Cedric, but instead held his ground on a large warship, holding a huge tower shield. The arrows, crossbow bolts, and even some low-level magic fired by the coalition forces at this ship were easily blocked by his giant shield, which shimmered with a metallic luster. He was like a mobile fortress, protecting this core warship while continuously commanding the pirates to launch fierce attacks on the coalition positions on both banks.

Without any Gold Rank powerhouses to contain him, Wolfgang brought devastating blows to the coalition forces. He would occasionally strike, and a solid beam of battle Qi or a heavy shield bash could easily destroy a section of the defensive line that the coalition had worked hard to build, causing heavy casualties.

Seeing this, Rodney and Barlett were terrified, their souls flying away and spirits scattering. Their feint fleet retreated far away, not daring to approach the area where Wolfgang was, fearing they would be targeted by this Gold Knight.

The huge gap in high-end combat power made the coalition's numerical advantage disappear completely. Although the soldiers of Nocturne Territory fought bravely and occupied the geographical advantage, in the face of the terrifying strength of the two Gold Rank pirates, the defensive line began to be constantly compressed, and the number of casualties rose sharply.

The seawater in the strait had been dyed red, with broken ship planks, flags, and corpses floating on it. Baron Nocturne already had several charred sword marks on his body, his breathing heavy. Looking at his retreating subordinates, his eyes were filled with anxiety and unwillingness. He had originally hoped that Linn's flanking tactic would take effect quickly and contain one Gold Rank powerhouse, but now it seemed, I'm afraid...

Just at this critical moment, a small, charred speedboat with a broken mast, like a headless fly, desperately broke through the coalition's loose blockade line, sailed into the strait, and shouted hoarsely towards Cedric's direction:

"Great Leader! It's bad! The home base! The home base has been raided! Our intelligence speedboat saw flames shooting into the sky on Flamingo Island."

This shrill cry was like a basin of ice water in midwinter, instantly extinguishing Cedric's fanatical Battle Intent, and turning the faces of all the pirate leaders who heard the news deathly pale.

"What?!" Cedric forced Nocturne back with a sword strike, his crimson eyes staring fixedly at the pirate who brought the news, almost spitting fire, "Who! Who dares?!"

The nest was taken, the wealth and grain accumulated over many years, as well as the brothers and Slaves left behind... Thinking of all this, Cedric's heart was bleeding! The morale of the army was instantly shaken, and many pirates began to look back in a panic.

"Could it be the people from Iron Sand Island?" Cedric saw that the ambushing troops did not have Iron Sand Island flags.

Baron Nocturne, on the other hand, was greatly encouraged. Although he was wounded, he couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Hahaha! Cedric, your nest is gone! Knight Linn really didn't let me down!"

Cedric's face was livid, his eyes flickering frantically between Nocturne and the direction of his home base, falling into extreme contradiction. If he continued to fight, he might be able to defeat Nocturne, but his home base would be completely finished! If he went back to rescue it, it would mean all previous efforts would be wasted, and he would also face the risk of being pursued from behind...

In the end, the worry for his nest and the deep-seated hatred for Linn overcame everything.

"Wolfgang!" Cedric roared, almost gritting his teeth, "Iron Sand Island's strength is not strong, take 100 men and the fleet, and immediately return to reinforce Flamingo Island! Tear that damn Linn into pieces for me! Leave this place to me!"

He had to preserve his Foundation!

Wolfgang frowned slightly, but did not refute, just nodded steadily: "Understood." He immediately commanded his warship and began to struggle to turn around in the chaotic strait.

How could Baron Nocturne let this opportunity slip away? "All troops, listen to my command! Entangle them! Don't let them run away easily!" He knew very well that as long as he could drag Cedric down, create time for Linn, or wait for Wolfgang's reinforcement fleet to leave, his pressure would be greatly reduced, and he might even be able to turn defeat into victory!