I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 549 Landing on the Beach
The salty sea breeze billowed the black vengeance flag on the bridge, and the face of the Shanghai Pirate King was clouded with gloom, as ugly as the leaden gray sky before a storm.

"Holy crap, how can there be so many giant bats?!"

At the edge of the Shanghai Pirate King's vision, the azure sea that should have belonged to the Elf Fleet had been completely swallowed up by a churning, writhing "dark cloud."

Thousands of winged demons flapped their leathery wings, emitting teeth-grinding shrieks, and swarmed down at the twenty or thirty elven warships below, which shimmered with various lights, like a swarm of hungry locusts.

The demonic shadows blotted out the sky, even shattering the sunlight into fragments.

What weighed heavily on his mind was that, even more conspicuous within that "dark cloud" was the abyssal dragon darting among the demons, occasionally spewing out a burst of green dragon breath that crackled and burned the elven ship.

"A large black lizard, a classic abyssal dragon..."

He put down his binoculars and muttered a speechless complaint about the beast's appearance. His complaints couldn't hide his terrible mood, because the beast's existence had made the already bad situation even worse.

However, what made him so grim was not the number of demons or the winged lizard, but rather the fact that the Pirate King suddenly remembered that his fleet didn't seem to have many means of anti-air attacks.

The ship's cannons were very powerful, weighing anywhere from twelve to twenty pounds. A single shot could kill an elephant or sink a small boat without any problem. However, it was impossible to point such cannons at the sky.

As a result, the fleet's only means of anti-aircraft warfare were the flintlock muskets held by the sailors and marines on the deck, and the small, fast-firing but limited-powered swivel guns scattered along the ship's sides.

Use these to fight against the overwhelming winged demons and that demonic dragon that can breathe dragon breath.

It's like using a fork to hunt a whale.

More importantly, among the players in the second phase of the revenge fleet, although there were many veteran players, there was not a single veteran of the Protectorate General's Office.

The Protectorate Veterans is a very special group, referring to veteran players who have played through all the games produced by the "Hundred-Household Studio". They are battle-hardened and especially familiar with demons.

Shanghai Pirate King is aware of this group and has seen their discussion posts on game forums. Unfortunately, most of this group is still concentrated in the old games of Baihu Studio, and only a small number have entered this new game.

If there were a few hundred veteran players from the Protectorate General's fleet right now, the Shanghai Pirate King would be confident in taking down these demons... Unfortunately, there aren't.

What should we do now?
Just as the Shanghai Pirate King was frowning, torn between his inner turmoil and the difficult decision of whether to risk approaching to provide volley fire support or to retreat temporarily to find an opportunity to fight, a calm voice rang out beside him.

"Your Mightiness."

The Shanghai Pirate King turned around and saw Elune.

The advisor's once elegant and composed face was now filled with anxiety and grief, but his gaze was unusually firm, fixed on the distant fleet of his compatriots who were fighting hard and losing manpower.

The winged demon swarm had clearly spotted the newly appeared human fleet. A dark mass of shadows, like a diverted flock of crows, began to swarm towards the Vengeance Fleet with even more piercing shrieks, moving at an astonishing speed.

The elven advisor took a deep breath, quickened his pace, and offered his advice.

"We should rendezvous with the Blue Flame Kingdom's fleet as soon as possible. Although they are currently being overwhelmed by demons, it's only because they previously poured all their spells into supporting the Mooncrown City dock area, causing the magic towers to overload."

If the fleet can hold out for another half hour, they will be able to recover and continue casting spells to maintain the sky's protection.

And if we join forces with them, it will benefit both sides…

"No!"

The Shanghai Pirate King rejected Elune's suggestion.

"We cannot fight demons at sea!"

After saying that, he turned around abruptly and looked at the messenger.

"Go immediately and inform the standard bearers to signal the last twenty armed merchant ships to turn around, raise their sails to full capacity, and return to Bagnia!"

The reason why the Shanghai Pirate King issued this order was simple: those twenty ships carried the fleet's most valuable crew members, including sailors, carpenters, navigators, and all the technical NPCs that maintained the fleet's operation.

Players can be resurrected after dying. If they die, then the third revenge fleet planned by Shanghai Pirate King can forget about being formed.

Based on the main storyline and the current rampant nature of the demons, the second phase of the Vengeance Fleet has virtually no hope of returning to Bagnia.

Therefore, preserving the seeds became necessary.

"Then, tell the brothers on the remaining 130 armed merchant ships to follow the Steel Justice. The target is... the widest beach outside the Elf City dock in the distance. We're going to storm the beach and rush ashore!"

When the Pirate King's orders were transmitted throughout the entire fleet via flags, lights, and offline communication devices, it was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a boiling oil pan, causing it to immediately explode.

After a brief moment of shock, all the players realized what the Shanghai Pirate King was up to, and a frenzied cheer that almost pierced the sky resounded on each ship.

The crew members of the twenty armed merchant ships that were turning around and heading in the same direction heard this. They looked back at the other ships that had been left behind, their faces showing puzzled expressions.

They couldn't understand what was happening.

Under the command of the Shanghai Pirate King, the players' morale soared instantly.

They had overlooked the enormous risks of a beach landing, the potential defenses on the beach, and even the winged demons still closing in from above.

At this moment, all they could see was the coastline that was getting closer and closer in the distance. That would be the battlefield where they could turn the tide of the war, the stage where they could vent their anger and show their bravery!

The Steel Justice took the lead, adjusted its course, and cleaved through the waves with its bow, heading headlong towards the wide beach outside the elven city.

Following closely behind, 130 armed merchant ships also raised their sails to full, like a swarm of sharks that had smelled blood, closely following their flagship, forming a resolute torrent of steel.

For players, this is not a retreat, nor a desperate struggle; it is an offensive launched proactively, full of passion and a predatory desire!
Just as the 130 armed merchant ships were resolutely heading towards the distant coastline like arrows released from a bow, the Winged Demon Vanguard, which had been diverted and resembled a black tide, had already rushed to the forefront of the Revenge Fleet.

"The devil is coming! All ships, open fire freely! Don't let these idiots get close to our ships!"

The Shanghai Pirate King stood at the bow of the Steel Justice, his roar still clearly audible amidst the wind, waves, and screams.

In an instant, the outer ships of the revenge fleet erupted in a dense burst of flashes and roars.

Aside from those who needed to operate the sails and rudder, all the players on deck picked up their flintlock pistols and fired furiously at the swooping shadow.

Lead bullets rained down like a storm, accompanied by a cacophony of gunfire.

The small swivel guns mounted on the ship's side roared upwards as much as possible, spewing out dense volleys that created deadly metal storms in the air.

Winged demons were constantly being hit, letting out shrill screams as they fell from the sky like crows struck by stones, crashing onto the deck or the sea, splashing up murky waves.

Their sharp claws and teeth also caused casualties; some swooped down to grab lone sailors and throw them into the sea, while others directly rammed their bodies into the sails and masts, trying to hinder the voyage.

The battle instantly became intense.

On the sea, the human fleet, leaving long trails, charged desperately toward the shore.

In the sky, black shadows swooped down and tore at the ground, the flashes of guns and the trajectories of the falling monsters creating a tragic yet spectacular scene.

However, the revenge fleet lacked effective anti-aircraft means. The range and power of the flintlock muskets were insufficient when facing a large number of high-speed targets, and the number of swivel guns was far from enough to cover the entire fleet.

The number of Winged Demons was simply too great. As mid-level demons, they were fearless and broke through the firepower, causing continuous harassment and losses to the fleet.

At this rate, before the fleet even reaches the beach, it will likely be skinned alive by these aerial predators.

At this critical moment...

In the distance, on the Emerald Dream, aboard the elven fleet struggling against the combined attacks of the dragons and winged demons, Admiral Lilana noticed the human fleet's near-suicidal charge and the aerial pressure they faced.

She instantly understood the Bagnians' intentions... Although she didn't quite understand their purpose, they had indeed relieved the pressure on her fleet.

"We can't let them be dragged down at sea by these winged demons!"

General Lilana's clear yet powerful voice rang out.

"Order! All mages still capable of casting spells, concentrate your firepower and cover the right flank of the human fleet!"

The order was quickly relayed, and the next moment, several dazzling magical rays shot into the sky from several elven warships, flying towards the vengeful fleet that was flying past the elven fleet.

Scorching flaming arrows rained down on the winged demons chasing the human fleet like a meteor shower, while dazzling arcane missiles struck the diving demons with pinpoint accuracy, blasting them apart in mid-air.

There was even a huge net woven from lightning covering its head, which charred a small winged demon black as it twitched and fell.

The timely fire support from the elven mages quickly relieved the immense pressure on the right flank of the revenge fleet, clearing a relatively safe airspace.

But this timely assistance immediately attracted the attention of an even more terrifying entity.

The abyssal dragon that had been circling above the elven fleet, spewing its dragon breath, suddenly turned its vertical pupils, burning with evil fire, toward the human fleet.

The sudden shift of fire by the elven mages, and the relentless march of the massive human fleet toward the shore, seemed to have enraged it, or rather, made it sense that a new, more threatening target was forming.

"Roar……"

A deafening roar, a furious cry from the abyss, drowned out all other sounds on the battlefield.

With a sudden flap of its massive wings, the dragon whipped up a violent gust of air, twisting its enormous body in mid-air. Abandoning its continued pressure on the core of the elven fleet, it charged straight toward the human fleet like a falling green meteor, its ferocious flames blazing down!

"Damn it, that giant lizard is coming at us!"

The Shanghai Pirate King felt a chill run down his spine, not from fear, but from the physiological instinct to encounter a massive object.

"All swivel guns and muskets, aim at it! Shoot its wings, shoot its eyes! Don't let it get close!"

The order was given quickly, but the dragon was even faster.

It first flew past an armed merchant ship named "Seawolf" on the right flank of the fleet.

The players on the ship were still firing at the few winged demons that were diving down when suddenly, the sky darkened.

They looked up and saw only a gigantic mouth full of fangs, and a chilling, eerie green light churning deep within its throat.

"Damn it!!!"

The player's powerless curses were drowned out by the roar of destruction.

A thick, ghastly green dragon breath cascaded down like a waterfall, striking precisely the midsection of the "Seawolf."

The wooden hull crumbled and vaporized instantly before the corrosive and intensely hot breath. The seawater that came into contact with the dragon's breath boiled violently, emitting a piercing hiss and sending up large plumes of toxic steam.

With a single breath, the Seawolf, along with its two hundred players and sailors, vanished from the sea, leaving behind only burning debris and a ring of bubbling, oily-green scum that continued to spread.

"The Seawolf is gone!"

Someone shouted at the top of their lungs, their voice filled with disbelief.

But this is just the beginning.

The dragon made an elegant yet deadly turn in the air, with the cruelty of a cat hunting a mouse, before pouncing on another ship, the "Stubborn Bull," not far away.

This time, it did not use dragon breath, but instead used its massive body, comparable to a battering ram, to slam into the side of the "Stubborn Bull".

"Crack... Boom!"

The sickening sound of breaking wood was deafening. A huge gap was smashed through the hull of the "Stubborn Bull," the keel groaned under the strain, and seawater rushed in.

The ship began to list at a visible speed, and players and sailors on deck were thrown into the icy sea like dumplings being dropped into a pot, or were hit by broken masts and ropes.

The dragon seemed to revel in the slaughter, easily tearing apart the sails that tried to resist with its claws and snapping the rudders that were trying to turn and escape with its tail.

It was like a wolf charging into a flock of sheep, wantonly ravaging these ships that it considered vulnerable.

"Maintain course, ignore it, charge straight to the beach!"

The Shanghai Pirate King's roar echoed throughout the Steel Justice, and his flag signaled the fleet commander's intentions to nearby ships.

"We have many ships. This giant lizard can only destroy one ship at a time. It won't have time to take us all down!"

Just as the Shanghai Pirate King said, the revenge fleet had too many ships and was too scattered, coupled with the player community's unique madness and tenacity.

Despite their companions being constantly reduced to burning remains under the tyranny of the dragon, and despite the constant harassment from winged demons in the air, not a single ship slowed down, nor did any turn to escape.

Despite the enormous losses, they raised the sails to their limit, the helmsman held the helm tightly, and they raced desperately toward the coastline.

"For Bagnia!"

"Seize the beach! Seize the beach!"

"Let's fight those damn devils!"

All sorts of roars and shouts rang out on the ships, mixed with gunshots, explosions, and the shrieks of demons, creating a tragic symphony.

The Steel Justice charged ahead, and although it was lucky enough to avoid being targeted by the Abyss Dragon, it still faced immense pressure. Hundreds of Winged Demons made it their primary target, and its masts and sails were covered with demons attempting to climb it.

Sailors and players fought them with muskets, scimitars, axes, and any weapon they could get their hands on; the deck was already a river of blood.

Finally, after paying a heavy price—more than twenty armed merchant ships were completely destroyed, and the remaining ships were all damaged—the coastline was within reach.

"Prepare for impact! Hold on tight!"

The captains and bosuns of each ship issued their final warnings.

A series of dull, violent impacts rang out, drowning out all the noise on the battlefield.

The Steel Justice took the lead, its massive bow plunging into the soft sand. The immense inertia caused the entire ship to lurch violently, its hull groaning as if it were about to fall apart at any moment.

The armed merchant ships that followed also disregarded the risk of running aground and, one after another, crashed onto the wide beach from various angles.

Some boats were so powerful that their bows were deeply embedded in the sand, and their sterns even curled up.

Some ships crashed sideways onto the shore, their hulls splitting open with huge gashes, carrying the players on deck out.

Before the roar of the ship hitting the beach had completely subsided, countless eager hands had already grabbed the gunwales of the Steel Justice.

The Shanghai Pirate King was the first to leap off the high ship's side, landing face-first on the damp sand.

He awkwardly got up, then hurriedly brandished his sword and shouted to cover up his minor mishap.

"Quickly, quickly, set up positions and prepare to fight the demons!"

In fact, without any further promotion from One Piece, this beach is now like an anthill that has been breached, with countless players and sailors swarming off the stranded ships.

Unlike the limited deck space at sea, this wide beach gave them unlimited possibilities.

Chaotic, yet efficient. Players displayed astonishing tactical acumen, or perhaps more accurately, honed gaming instincts.

Boxes of ammunition were quickly hauled off the ship, and the boomerangs, which could be carried by one person, were dismantled and thrown directly onto the sand from the ship's side. Passing players picked them up and prepared to set them up.

Some players even dragged long, rectangular wooden crates out of the cargo hold, and when they opened them, they were revealed to be RPG-shaped tiger-shaped rockets!
"There's an empty spot on the left, let's get a few people to claim it..."

"Musketeers, three-volley formation, aim at the sky, don't hold back your bullets!"

"Where's the rocket? Where's my Italian cannon... no, I mean, the Tiger rocket? Bring it over here now!"

Shouts, commands, and the clanging of metal filled the air.

The firepower that could not be fully utilized on the ship due to its limited field of fire and instability was now completely unleashed on solid land.

Just as the players were frantically setting up their beachhead positions, the winged demon in the sky and the abyssal dragon clearly had no intention of giving them a chance to breathe.

The winged demons roared and regrouped, swooping down like a black storm onto the seemingly chaotic crowd that had just landed.

Their sharp claws gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and they emitted bloodthirsty hisses.

However, this time, they were no longer met with the ship's sparse and inaccurate firepower.

"Fire!!!"

Someone shouted at the top of their lungs.

The next moment, the entire beach seemed to transform into an erupting volcano.

The first sound was a dense barrage of flintlock musket fire, like popping beans. Three or four thousand flintlock muskets fired in succession, creating a deadly curtain of lead bullets in the air.

The winged demons swooping down were like hitting an invisible wall, quickly riddled with holes, and fell in droves like birds hit by shotguns, creating shallow craters on the beach.

The spinning cannons, once set up, roared, spraying bullets that covered the low-altitude area, tearing any demons that tried to approach to shreds.

But that's not the most shocking thing.

A piercing whistling sound tore through the sky as dozens of Tiger Descending the Mountain rockets, trailing long, scorching tails, shot into the heavens like vengeful serpents.

They don't need precise aiming, nor can they aim; they can only hit the enemy by overwhelming saturation attacks.

Some rockets missed their target and, pulled by gravity, crashed back to the earth. Others struck unfortunate demons in mid-air, exploding violently. Shrapnel and shockwaves swept across a large area of ​​the airspace, creating a rain of blood as winged demon limbs and severed bodies fell to the ground.

The once arrogant winged demon swarm let out terrified screams under such devastating attacks. They were forced to rise in altitude and dared not easily enter the death zone above the beachhead, composed of lead bullets, shrapnel, and rocket explosions.

"Roar……"

The abyssal dragon was completely enraged by this sudden and exceptionally fierce ground attack.

These tiny humans, instead of trembling under its dragon might, dared to rebel in this way.

It let out a roar full of violence and confusion, and swooped down again, its target the two hundred musketeers lined up on the stall.

A ghastly green dragon breath gathered in its throat, and the light of destruction shone once more.

"They're here! The giant lizard is here!"

Upon witnessing this, the Shanghai Pirate King excitedly brandished his saber, signaling nearby players to open fire.

"Hit it!"

He didn't need to give any specific instructions; the players reacted incredibly quickly.

As the dragon swooped down, the musketeer phalanx it had targeted quickly turned its guns around and, at the lead player's sharp whistle, unleashed a volley.

Instantly, a dense burst of gunfire and smoke rose up, obscuring the musketeer phalanx.

Almost at the same time, two hundred lead bullets clattered and struck the dragon's thick scales. Although most of them could not penetrate, they were enough to make it feel stinging and irritated.

Then came the shrapnel from the swivel guns, which also blasted at its fleshy wings, leaving behind patches of fine blood.

All of this could not stop the abyssal dragon from passing through the smoke, crashing onto the beach and the musketeer formation, crushing a large area of ​​flesh and blood.

The dragon's landing instantly killed over a hundred players, but it also gave players on several large armed merchant ships that were stranded on shallow ground an opportunity. They immediately turned the giant ballistae, originally used to hunt whales, around the dragon.

"Boom! Boom!"

With several muffled and powerful booms, several harpoons as thick as spears and with thick iron chains at their tails shot out with thunderous force, stabbing fiercely at the demonic dragon that was swinging its claws and tearing out waves of blood.

"Pfft!"

The abyssal dragon realized almost immediately that the attack could harm it, and it quickly leaped up, dodging the harpoon's shot in a jump.

However, because it was on the ground, the abyssal dragon was not agile enough to dodge all the attacks. One of the harpoons still accurately hit the edge of its left wing. The specially made barb was deeply embedded in the connection between the membrane and the bone of the dragon's wing, causing it a piercing pain!

"Ow—!"

The dragon let out a miserable howl mixed with pain and rage, its killing movements halting. It frantically flapped its wings, trying to break free from the hateful harpoon, but the barbs were firmly stuck, and the iron chain was taut, making a teeth-grinding creaking sound.

At the same time, nearby players also rushed over. Some of them carried Tiger Descending the Mountain launcher. Amidst the whistling of gunpowder, three Tiger Descending the Mountain arrows, trailing flames, crashed into its relatively vulnerable belly and flanks and exploded.

Although the rocket failed to penetrate the hardest keel protection, the impact and flames of the explosion still caused its scales to roll up and its skin to tear open, leaving it looking utterly wretched.

More importantly, its dragon might, which was enough to crush mortal armies, seemed to have no effect on these humans.

Even though they had caused enough bloodshed, those who had witnessed the dragon's power up close did not flee in fear. Instead, they erupted in even more frenzied cheers and more intense firepower after the dragon was injured.

"Hit it!"

"Tear its wings off!"

"Fire a few more rockets, aim for its eyes!"

Although he couldn't understand what the players were shouting, their excitement caused a flicker of disbelief and astonishment to flash across the dragon's burning vertical pupils for the first time.

These guys...aren't they afraid of dying?
Can't they feel the dragon's might?
Why were they able to maintain such a high, even... excited, fighting spirit after such heavy casualties?

The mountain creature didn't understand what excited these humans, but it knew that the beach below had become a death trap filled with spikes. If it continued to fight on the ground, even as strong as it was, it might be overwhelmed by the sheer number and fearlessness of these crazed and fiercely armed humans.

Out of instinctive fear of the unknown and this mad act, the Abyss Dragon let out a roar full of resentment and venom, and suddenly flapped its wings, forcibly breaking off the harpoon embedded in its fleshy wing, tearing off a large chunk of flesh in the process.

Then, dragging its injured wings, the dragon leaped up with great effort, awkwardly climbing to a great height and flying far away from the area of ​​most intense fire on the beach. It circled in the sky and no longer swooped down easily.

Seeing the dragon temporarily retreat and the winged demons that dared not lower their altitude, a deafening cheer erupted on the beach.

The Shanghai Pirate King wiped the sand off his face and spat fiercely at the sky.

"Pah! So what if you can fly? Now you know how awesome we grandpas are!"

He turned around, looked at the disheveled but high-spirited player army behind him, and at the rapidly consolidating beachhead, and grinned with a murderous intent.

"Brothers, we've held the position. Now, it's time to think about how to pull off an even bigger heist!"

(End of this chapter)