Global colonization began with Ming Dynasty pirates.

The crew of the Four Seas Gang happily tallied the results of their volley. But things weren't so easy aboard the Fujian ship.

Although only two cannonballs hit the ship, both of them pierced the planks of the Fujian ship.

Three crew members were killed instantly. Several others were injured by flying wood chips. In particular, one of the twelve-pound cannons fired a shell that entered from the port side and exited from the starboard side, creating a hole in the hull. Fortunately, the shell was above the waterline; otherwise, it would have rendered the ship unsailable.

On the Fujian-style ship, cries of anguish filled the air. However, the shipowner had no time to reprimand his men. For in his despairing gaze, a second ship had arrived beside him, its deck also laden with numerous cannons.

Three single-masted schooners glided gently past the port side of the Fujian ship, like hot knives cutting into butter. A total of 12 six-pound cannons and 6 twelve-pound cannons were unleashed upon the Fujian ship within a mere 200 paces.

In just one volley of fire, the Fujian ship was hit by five cannon shots. If the first volley was a disaster for everyone on board, then after the third volley, the Fujian ship could only be described as hell.

Countless severed limbs lay scattered on the deck. The deck was a blood-red mess. The Fujian-style ship, with its tall hull, was riddled with holes on its port side, and the cries of agony from the sailors echoed continuously from the vessel.

Surprisingly, the ship owner on the Fujian-style ship was unharmed. He stared blankly at the scene before him, still in disbelief.

He couldn't believe that he had encountered such a thing just by going out to sea once.

I've encountered quite a few pirates in previous years, but I've successfully repelled them all.

But these pirates are really acting strangely today; they've actually loaded so many large cannons onto the ship. Each of those cannons must cost at least a hundred taels of silver. A dozen or so would be over a thousand taels! What pirate wastes money like that? Wouldn't it be better to use that silver for drinking and carousing?

"Quick, helmsman, turn the rudder! Don't get entangled with them. Let's run! As long as we run fast enough, they might not be able to catch us." The ship owner, as expected of someone who had seen many storms, instantly sobered up. He kicked the sailors huddled in the corner and got them to work.

The wind was blowing from the northeast, so all they had to do was head south with it. With the wind and current at their backs, they could easily get far ahead by the time the enemy turned around. And ahead was Sansha Bay; they could simply hide there. Surely the enemy couldn't chase them after them once they were inside Sansha Bay.

The ideal was beautiful, but reality was harsh. Under the tense gaze of the Fujian ship owner, he saw the three strange ships that had fired their cannons, in a way beyond his comprehension, make a small bend in the sea, turn around instantly, and then turn their sails and charge straight at him again.

The advantage of escaping first seemed to have no effect whatsoever, as the distance between the two ships was rapidly closing.

"Oh no, we've really messed up this time." The ship owner immediately covered his face and wept. The enemy was so fast; if they got close enough, they could unleash another volley. How many men on his ship would still be standing?

Meanwhile, the bird ship that rushed in with the Fujian ship was already dumbfounded.

The ship owner, surnamed Lin, stared in disbelief at the three ships that were chasing after them.

Although the enemy hadn't targeted him, he clearly witnessed the effect of their artillery barrage on the Fujian ship. The sheer power of that salvo was deeply etched in his mind.

Seeing the three ships turn around and rush towards them again like arrows, the boat owner surnamed Lin felt a chill run down his spine. "Full sails! Quick! Full sails! Escape south! That damned old Zhou, he must have known beforehand, otherwise he wouldn't have escaped so quickly! Damn it, he didn't even call me when he was running for his life, and I even drank with him. What a bastard!"

Urged on by the shipowner surnamed Lin, the bird-shaped ship suddenly accelerated southward as if injected with adrenaline. The bird-shaped ship was already faster than the Fujian-style ship, and this acceleration quickly left the Fujian-style ship far behind.

"Old Lin, you bastard!" The ship owner on the Fu ship was so angry that he jumped up and down when he saw the bird boat running away on its own.

"Master, how about we lower our prices?" someone whispered a suggestion.

"Thud!" A sharp knife plunged into the man's chest and was then twisted violently. A large amount of blood flowed from the mouth of the man who had suggested surrendering. The knife was then pulled out, and the man fell heavily to the ground.

"Anyone who dares to surrender, I'll chop them down! Full speed ahead south! Once we reach Sansha Bay, the enemy won't dare to pursue us. So what if their cannons are powerful? Our ship is big; they can't sink us in a short time. As long as we hold out until there, there's hope. If you escape this time, I'll reward each of you with five taels!" The shipowner, brandishing a blood-stained knife, looked at the other sailors with bloodshot eyes.

The other sailors were frightened by the appearance of the other party and quickly began to maneuver the ship to escape south as much as possible.

However, despite all the sailors’ best efforts to maneuver the ship, the two sides were getting closer and closer.

Not long after, amidst the despairing gazes of the crowd, the enemy's leading ship once again came to roughly parallel to their own.

The sailors on the Fujian ship immediately scattered like ants on a hot plate. No one dared to stay near the ship's side, otherwise, even if they weren't hit, the flying splinters could still kill them.

"Fire!" Li Chengfeng said with high spirits.

Instantly, a deafening roar once again resounded across the entire sea.

A scene resembling hell was once again played out on the Fujian ship.

After the three salvos were completed, the results of all the ships' fire were tallied again and reported to Li Chengfeng. This time, the results were even better than before, with a total of seven hits. Among them were two shots from twelve-pound cannons. That was enough to give the enemy a good beating.

Just as Li Chengfeng ordered the fourth salvo, the enemy's Fujian-style ships suddenly began to lower their sails and then raised a white flag.

"Hmph, surrendering already? I thought you could hold out a little longer. All ships, load ammunition. Surround them and get close." Li Chengfeng shook his head in disappointment, then immediately gave the order to board the ships.

When Li Chengfeng and his men boarded the Fujian ship, even he was shocked by the scene on board. The sailors who followed immediately began vomiting uncontrollably.

The scene on the ship was simply too horrific. The ground was almost entirely covered in blood, so thick and sticky that it was impossible to move.

Li Chengfeng kicked away a severed limb on the ground. Then he shouted, "Where is your ship owner? Let him come up here and talk to me!"

The remaining sailors on board looked at each other, then all turned to look at a mangled corpse on the side of the ship.

Li Chengfeng looked over and saw that the man had been hit directly by a cannonball, his body severed in two, intestines and blood spilling onto the ground. But judging from the silk clothing he wore, this must be the ship's owner. No wonder the other side surrendered immediately; with the ship's owner dead, the remaining sailors naturally had no desire to fight.

A moment later, the sailor who had gone to inspect the cargo ran up excitedly. "Reporting to the master, it's all raw silk down there! We've struck it rich!"