I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1072: The Battle of Hakodate is launched! The enemy ship suddenly escapes! [5600]

When saying the word "real", Mael emphasized it.

Xilika subconsciously reached out to take it and frowned slightly.

"Real 'Berserker Water'...what does that mean? Are all these 'Berserker Waters' fake?"

As he spoke, he nodded his chin towards the large boxes beside him that were filled with Berserker Water.

Maher smiled and shook his head:

"Xi Li Ka, you misunderstood. These 'Berserker Waters' are of course genuine."

"However, the bottle I gave you has an even more amazing effect! You can think of it as a more advanced version of 'Berserker Water'."

"For the sake of convenience, let's just call it 'Berserker's Essence'."

"Generally, the 'Berserker Water' can only give a person exceptional vitality. Even if they suffer a fatal injury, they will not die easily."

"But the 'Berserker's Essence' is not like that."

"It can make the user possess even more amazing vitality! And greatly improve muscle strength and reaction speed! The tolerance to pain is also greatly increased! Become a true 'berserker'!"

After hearing this, Xilika was shocked.

He subconsciously felt that Mahel was talking nonsense.

Just by drinking a bottle of potion, one can become a superman? This is beyond Xilika's imagination!

But... after witnessing the horror of the "Berserker Water" with his own eyes, the so-called alchemy left him with an extremely deep and indelible impression.

In his eyes, alchemy has become synonymous with "divine magic".

No matter how powerful or terrifying the potion was that Maher took out, he felt it was reasonable.

"...Such a powerful potion, why not make it in large quantities?"

As he asked, he cast a suspicious and disbelieving look at the pale yellow potion in his palm.

"This is naturally because it is extremely difficult to refine, and it will have extremely strong side effects after taking it."

Xilika's eyes narrowed slightly.

"side effect?"

"This is a genuine 'magic potion'. All 'magic potions' will cause harm to the human body to varying degrees."

"Isn't 'Berserker Water' considered a 'potion'?"

Maher spread his hands and shook his head:

"Of course not. Based on the effects of Berserker Water, it certainly isn't a 'potion'."

"After taking 'Berserker Water', the drug's effects will remain in the body for a long time, up to several months."

"Because its efficacy is very limited and can only slightly enhance the vitality of the user, it has almost no side effects."

"If Berserker Water is a mild tonic, then Berserker Essence is a strong medicine."

"The effects of 'Berserker Essence' cannot remain in the human body for a long time. It takes effect immediately after taking it, and then loses its effect soon after."

"The specific duration of its effectiveness varies from person to person."

"When the drug's effects wear off, the user's body will become extremely weak, as if they have suddenly aged several dozen years, without even the strength to stand up."

Xilika's brows furrowed even more tightly, and his tone became lowered:
“…Is this side effect unavoidable?”

Maher said firmly:
“It’s unavoidable.”

Xilika asked:

"So, after the side effects take effect, if I work hard to take care of my body, can I make it recover?"

"If you take good care of yourself, maybe you can recover as before."

Although Maher spoke in a relaxed tone, Xilika was able to keenly detect the word "maybe".

"That means that after taking this 'magic potion', I might become a cripple, right?"

Maher did not play it safe and nodded slightly:

"Yes, you can understand it that way. Opportunities and risks coexist. This is the 'magic potion' that makes countless people crazy."

Xilika's face darkened:
"If it's such a dangerous potion, why did you give it to me?"

Maher smiled slightly:
"It's dangerous, but in a critical moment, it can save your life, or even turn around a battle that would otherwise be lost. Compared to death and defeat, this side effect is really insignificant, isn't it?"

Xilika pursed his lips and said nothing.

Taking advantage of his silence, Maher continued:
"Sirika, the 'Berserker's Essence' is invaluable."

"My alchemists spent countless hours and herbs to finally create this potion."

"Just think of it as a gift from me."

"The Shogunate is about to attack us. It won't hurt to have a bottle of this 'magic potion' with you. It might be able to play a huge role at some point!"

Xilika raised his eyes and looked deeply at Mael, then tightly clenched the medicine bottle in his hand, his facial expression becoming complicated.

……

……

The next morning,

Aomori, the expeditionary camp—

"Run! Everyone, run!"

"Hold on tight! The boat is about to depart!"

"Remember! If you feel seasick and want to vomit, remember to vomit into the sea! Don't vomit on others!"

As soon as the pale white dome light lifted the veil of night, the expeditionary camp in Aomori became extremely noisy.

There was a loud commotion of shouts and footsteps.

Teams of soldiers rushed out of the camp and headed straight for the ships docked on the shore.

In addition to the three main ships, Kanrin Maru, Kanko Maru and Fujisan Maru, there were also a large number of Japanese ships.

Among them were both the "inventory" of the shogunate navy and old ships sent by the Oshu domains for support, totaling 36 ships.

Although they were all old wooden sailing boats, they were still able to carry supplies and transport troops ashore without any problem.

Guns, cannons and other weapons have been brought on board in advance, just waiting for the soldiers to board the ship and Qingdeng to issue the order to "march"!

According to the plan, Kanrin Maru, Kanko Maru and Fujisan Maru will act as guards, intercept enemy ships, and escort this large-scale "beach landing force" to land in Hakodate!
At this moment, on the Xianlin Maru, Qingdeng stood at the bow.

Senior officers cannot be on one ship, otherwise if the ship sinks, there will be a risk of "the entire leadership being wiped out."

Therefore, Aoto and Katsurintaro boarded different battleships, the former on Kanrin Maru and the latter on Kanko Maru.

Qing Deng turned his head and looked at the Kankomaru not far away, and saw Katsurintaro directing the crew on the deck to prepare for sailing.

Katsurintaro sensed Aoto's gaze and turned his head to look...their eyes gently collided.

Katsurintaro nodded, a smile on his face, gestured to Qing Deng, then retracted his gaze and continued to busy himself with his own things as if nothing had happened.

As soon as he saw Katsurintaro, Qing Deng couldn't help but recall the "secret conversation" last night.

The two most powerful ministers of the "Southern Shogunate" were actually seriously discussing the future of the Edo Shogunate and the Kyoto Imperial Court... If this matter were to spread, who knows what kind of terrible storm would erupt.

Eliminate Gong and Wu and create a "new era"... To be honest, Qing Deng has considered this issue.

In the past, he was powerless.

And now, he has the ability to change the world!
Putting aside the question of creating a "new era", with the power he now holds, it is more than enough to end the history of the Edo Shogunate and establish an "Otsu Shogunate"!
However, due to various reasons such as being surrounded by enemies and being concerned about Tokugawa Iemochi, he rarely delved into this issue and did not face up to this "ambition".

Until last night... Katrintaro's sharp words were like an axe hitting his head hard! It exposed his "ambition" hidden deep in his heart, and he could no longer ignore it!
Qing Deng lowered his eyelids, his eyes filled with a thoughtful gleam.

He raised his head and gazed at the sky, his mind drifting towards the invisible distance. Countless thoughts emerged, swirled, and intertwined in his mind.

At this moment, John Manjiro, who was walking quickly, interrupted his thoughts:

"General Tachibana, everything is ready!"

Qing Deng calmed himself down and nodded slightly to indicate "I understand."

We’ll talk about the “new era” or something like that later.

Now, let’s focus on retaking Goryokaku!
Qing Deng took a deep breath and shouted loudly:
"set off!"

A short command spread throughout the ship and the fleet like the wind!

A moment...

woo woo woo woo--!
The whistles of the Kanrin Maru, Kanko Maru and Fujisan Maru blew at the same time.

Thick black smoke then wafted out.

Then, the old ships spread their sails.

The huge fleet was like a giant turtle that had awakened, slowly moving its limbs, preparing to cross the strait and climb onto the opposite side of the house!
In the first year of the Keio era (1865), the Battle of Hakodate began!
……

……

Hakodate, Goryokaku——

"The people are coming to attack us! The people are coming to attack us!"

"Quick! Get on the city wall! Get on the city wall! Get ready to meet the enemy!"

"Where is Kazuto?"

The sudden alarm filled the air in Goryokaku with tension.

Countless Ainu people followed the order and quickly climbed up the south wall.

When they looked towards the sea, they all showed expressions of horror and couldn't help but gasp.

But the vast sea surface was no longer as gentle as usual, but now it was ferocious! Where the water and the sky met, warships pushed away the sea water and created waves!
Even before the fleet arrived, the awe-inspiring murderous aura was already overwhelming!

The Ainu people in Goryokaku—especially those "volunteers" who were inspired by Silika and came to help—were all natives who had just come out of the mountains and forests. They had only seen simple canoes, not a fleet of this size. For a moment, fear was stained on their faces like ink.

Those guys who had just shouted "resist the Japanese" and "kill all the Japanese" now all shut their mouths and dared not say another word.

Suddenly, Xilika came.

He carried the red-scabbarded sword and, along with his trusted aide Hepoi, trotted up the south wall.

When the scene on the sea came into his eyes, his face darkened slightly.

The size of the Shogunate fleet was much larger than he had expected!
He Poyi at the side couldn't wait to ask:

"Xilika, should we fire back?"

Xilika shook his head without hesitation:
"No, it's too far away. We can't hit them. Let's wait until the Shogunate fleet gets closer..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by a series of whistles:
Wuuuuuuuuuu——!
This sudden burst of whistle sound did not come from the Shogunate fleet, but from the nearby Hakodate Bay.

The two ironclad warships under Mahel that were still capable of going to sea - the "Napoleon" and the "Joan of Arc" - spewed black smoke and slowly sailed away from the port.

Seeing this, Xilika slightly raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a faint smile.

As soon as the shogunate arrived, Mael commanded the warships to fight back... Even the serious-minded Silika was moved by such bravery and enthusiasm.

He had never liked Mahel more than he did now.

In order to boost morale, he immediately said loudly:
"Everyone! Don't panic!"

As he shouted, he raised his hand and pointed at the "Napoleon" and "Joan of Arc" in Hakodate Bay.

"Look! Those two armored warships are our allies! They are preparing to go out to sea to fight against the Japanese!"

"The friendly ships are the most advanced ironclad warships in the world today! And the enemy's warships are just simple old ships! They have only numbers, but they are actually vulnerable!"

"Keep your eyes open and watch!"

"Our friendly forces will sink the Japanese ships one by one!"

"These poor Japanese people will surely become food for sea fish!"

Xilika's encouragement had an immediate effect.

The Ainu people on the south wall were all encouraged and the fear on their faces gradually disappeared.

They don't understand naval warfare or ships, but they have eyes.

The warships of the Shogunate were all made of wood, while the warships of the friendly forces were covered with thick iron sheets. Even if you observe with the naked eye, you can intuitively feel the huge gap between the two!
The fighting spirit and morale that had just faded away have returned again.

Xilika took advantage of the situation and ordered:
"Prepare to fire! Once the enemy's ships enter the firing range, open fire immediately! Don't be stingy with your shells!"

……

……

Xianlinwan, the bow——

Qing Deng looked seriously at the "Napoleon" and "Joan of Arc" slowly leaving the port.

On the night of the surprise attack on Hakodate Bay, Qing Deng achieved his greatest military achievement.

The steam engine of the enemy ship he was personally in charge of (the Sun King) was completely destroyed and lost power.

With his support, the weapons depot of the enemy ship (Napoleon) in charge of Fujido Heisuke was detonated.

In comparison, Nagakura Shinpachi made the least contribution, as the enemy ship he was in charge of (Jeanne d'Arc) did not suffer serious damage.

Shinpachi Nagakura specially apologized to Qingdeng for this. He worked all night and only killed a few enemy soldiers but did not cause significant damage to the enemy ships. He felt deeply guilty.

It was indeed a pity that the "Jeanne d'Arc" could not be destroyed, but this was not enough reason to blame Nagakura Shinpachi, so Qing Deng just patted him on the shoulder and asked him to make greater achievements in subsequent battles to make up for the regret.

The only three ships that could fight against the ironclad battleships were the Kanrin Maru, Kanko Maru and Fujisan Maru. Those old sailing ships were absolutely useless.

Although it is 3 against 2, it remains to be seen whether this slight numerical advantage can offset the huge gap in quality.

Qing Deng tilted his head and said solemnly to John Manjiro beside him:

"Manjiro, I'm counting on you."

He knew nothing about naval warfare, so whether he could gain control of the sea depended entirely on the performance of experts such as Katsurintaro and John Manjiro.

John Manjiro smiled slightly and responded loudly:

"General Tachibana, just leave it to me! To be honest, I'm extremely excited right now! I've long wanted to try out the capabilities of the popular ironclad battleships!"

Almost at the same time that the Napoleon and Jeanne d'Arc began to leave the port, the Kanrin Maru, Kanko Maru and Fujisan Maru changed their courses one after another.

The three ships were seen separating from the fleet, with the latter continuing to approach Hakodate Bay, preparing to land; while the former formed a "品" formation and headed straight for the enemy ships!
Kanrin Maru led the way, while Kanko Maru and Fujisan Maru guarded the two wings.

At this moment, the crews of the three ships tightened their facial lines, their expressions were extremely solemn, and they showed the resolute look of "the heroes will never come back".

At this moment, Silika and others in Goryokaku were all looking forward to seeing the shogunate fleet being completely destroyed.

At this moment, the sea was filled with a solemn atmosphere. The seabirds seemed to smell an unusual smell in the air and all fled far away.

The war is about to break out!
Just as the two fleets were about to engage in battle...an unexpected scene happened.

The "Napoleon" and the "Joan of Arc" suddenly turned at a right angle and headed east.

They left so decisively, without any hesitation, and it was obvious that it was planned in advance.

This sudden change not only stunned Xilika and others, but also caught Qingdeng and others by surprise.

The crew looked at each other, sharing disbelief.

John Manjiro couldn't help but ask Qing Deng:

"General Tachibana, what is the enemy doing?"

"..."

Qing Deng remained silent—he didn't know what the other party was doing.

Lure the enemy deeper? No, it doesn't look like that.

Temporarily avoid the sharp edge? The fight hasn't even started yet, what is there to avoid?
In the end, Qing Deng could only think of one answer - they escaped.

The enemy ship escaped!
The chimneys of the "Napoleon" and "Joan of Arc" spewed out cloud after cloud of thick black smoke.

Qing Deng didn't know the speed of the ironclad warships, but judging from the density of the black smoke, even if they were not traveling at full speed, they should be about the same.

Before the war, Qing Deng had imagined various situations.

A complete victory, a small victory, a narrow victory, a narrow defeat, a disastrous defeat... He even considered the extreme situation where all his ships sank but all the enemy warships were intact - if it really came to this, he would swim and attack the enemy ships single-handedly.

However, he never imagined that the enemy ships would flee before fighting!
Even though Qing Deng was well-informed, he was stunned at the moment and couldn't figure out the other party's intention.

If Qingdeng was simply shocked and confused, then the emotional fluctuations that Xilika experienced were much more complex and profound.

After a brief moment of confusion, Xilika suddenly understood something.

His eyes suddenly widened, bloodshot like worms appeared in the whites of his eyes, his face turned pale, his hair and beard stood up, and he growled from between his teeth:

"M.E.L.--!"

……

……

The Napoleon, bow—

Mael turned his head to look at Goryokaku in the distance, and then looked at the Shogunate fleet that was gradually being left behind, with a smile on his face - he was clearly smiling, but it didn't make people feel the slightest warmth:
"Sirika, I never said I would fight with you till the very end. The bottle of 'Berserker's Essence' you gave me yesterday can be regarded as my farewell gift. Try to kill as many people as possible and work hard."

……

……

Xianlin Pill——

"General Tachibana, what should we do now?"

John Manjiro cautiously asked Qing Deng for advice.

The sudden escape of the enemy ships completely disrupted their plans, and the Kanrin Maru, Kanko Maru and Fujisan Maru stayed awkwardly on the sea.

Qing Deng thought for a moment and asked:

"Manjiro, can we catch up with the enemy ship?"

John Manjiro turned his head to look at the "Napoleon" and "Jeanne d'Arc" which were getting farther and farther away. After a moment's thought, he shook his head:
"It's difficult. The enemy ships are much more advanced and their speed is much faster than ours. Even if we sail at full speed, it will be difficult to catch up with them."

After receiving earnest advice from professionals, Qing Deng ordered without hesitation:
"In that case, forget about the enemy ships! Let's recapture Goryokaku first! Send a message to Kanko Maru and Fujisan Maru to march toward Hakodate Bay!"

……

……

Goryokaku——

The Ainu people on the south wall all saw these dramatic scenes clearly.

The friendly warships that we had high hopes for not only failed to fight bravely, but also fled away quickly...

Suddenly, a deathly silence enveloped the place...

Someone not far from Xilika stammered and asked back:
"Xi, Xilika, what's going on here?"

Everyone present - including Xilika's confidant He Poyi - turned their heads one after another, with their eyes focused on Xilika, hoping to get a reassuring answer from him.

Xilika didn't keep everyone waiting for long.

In just a moment, he suppressed his anger and said calmly:

"Don't worry! Our friendly warships are preparing to launch a surprise attack on Kazuto's base! It won't be long before Kazuto's base is turned into a sea of ​​fire!"

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I finally had a good sleep today! (豹再生.jpg)豹子 will continue to update until the end of this month! (豹嗨.jpg)

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(End of this chapter)