I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

In the blink of an eye, he regained... or rather, feigned composure as if nothing had happened, maintaining the demeanor befitting a leader.

Not only did he maintain a calm expression, but he also spoke righteously and solemnly about "friendly forces preparing to flank and launch a surprise attack."

Because his expression and tone were so serious, everyone present was stunned, and even his confidant He Poyi did not notice anything unusual.

As it turns out, the credibility of Xilika is beyond question.

Although everyone still had doubts, they calmed down a bit after hearing Xilika's "explanation".

To cover up the lie and divert the attention of his followers, Xilika waved his hand and shouted repeatedly:

"Prepare the guns! We mustn't let the enemy disturb our friendly forces!"

……

……

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The thunderous roar of cannons echoed from afar.

Wu Lengguo launched a counterattack.

Shells pierced the sky, arcing as they fell toward the enemy ship!

In a matter of seconds, jets of seawater burst and splashed out like fountains.

The dense barrage of cannon fire looked terrifying, but not a single shot hit the warship; they all crashed into the sea.

To hit a warship slowly advancing on the vast ocean from a distance of over a thousand meters... the difficulty is undeniable.

Unless you're an exceptionally skilled gunner, you can only rely on luck.

Thanks to the night raid two days prior, the crew of the Hamrin Maru, Kanko Maru, and Fuji Maru had gained experience in "facing a barrage of cannon fire".

John Manjiro calmly and solemnly gave the order:

"Cannons, prepare!"

The crew of the Hamrin Maru quickly ran to carry out the captain's orders.

Almost simultaneously, the Kanko Maru and Fuji Maru, which were guarding the left and right flanks of the Hamrin Maru, also halted their advance and began preparing to fire.

The three ships turned sideways, revealing rows of cannons mounted on their sides!

John Vanjiro: "Launch!"

The call to "launch" was relayed from one person to another into the ship's cabin.

Then—

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Xianlinwan took the lead in playing a spirited movement entitled "Counterattack".

Immediately afterwards, the flanks of the Kansei Maru and Fuji Maru unleashed a barrage of equally fierce artillery fire.

The blinding flashes of the 24 cannons from the three ships turned the sea surface orange-red.

Due to the distance and lack of experience, the shells fired by the three ships did not cause effective damage to Goryokaku, but they did regain some momentum.

Fortress versus warship... The two sides engaged in a back-and-forth cannon exchange across the vast Hakodate Bay!

Qingdeng remained standing at the bow of the Xianlin Maru, never moving an inch.

At that moment, he suddenly said to Johann Manjiro beside him:

"...Manjiro, prepare a small boat for me."

John Manjiro paused, taken aback:

"General Tachibana, would you like to log in?"

Qingdeng smiled:

“The enemy ships have fled, and there is no point in me staying here. As a swordsman, I still prefer the flat land.”

……

……

Under the cover of the three ships, the massive fleet carrying 6,000 troops raced against time, cutting through the waves and heading straight for Hakodate Bay.

As the distance between them continued to close, the barrage of cannon fire from Goryokaku was no longer just "a sound"—some of the ships began to be hit by shells!

A ship had its mainmast broken by cannon fire, losing power and becoming immobile, leaving it stranded alone on the sea.

Before long, another ship was hit by a cannonball—this ship was in a much worse state, as it was hit directly by the cannonball!

Then a loud "boom" was heard, and the huge cannonball pierced the deck of the ship without missing a beat, causing a violent explosion.

The old wooden sailboat was too fragile to withstand direct hits from cannonballs.

The ship disintegrated on the spot, scattering into a pitiful pile of fragments. The soldiers on board had no chance to escape and all fell into the sea, crying out in agony before being swept away by the surging waves.

Such a scene is truly shocking.

No one wants to become food for sea fish, much less die miserably without even seeing the enemy's face.

The soldiers on the other ships prayed to the gods and Buddhas, secretly hoping that the ships would sail faster and bring them back to the familiar land as soon as possible.

Finally... finally! The "transport fleet" has finally crossed the vast Tsugaru Strait! It has arrived at the shore of Hakodate Bay!

Upon receiving confirmation that they could disembark, the officers and soldiers on the ships rushed out... no, to be precise, they "escaped."

The Tsugaru Strait is relatively calm with low waves, but many people still cannot get used to the ocean's waves.

People who suffer from seasickness and dizziness, people who vomit excessively due to seasickness... the list goes on and on.

Many even fainted, losing their ability to move before even engaging the enemy, thus becoming part of the non-combat casualties.

Besides seasickness, the most unbearable thing was the incessant sound of cannons.

Every time they heard the sound of shells whizzing past, the soldiers felt immense psychological pressure! They were terrified that a shell would fall on their heads!

Finally, they were back on land... The soldiers felt a sense of exhilaration, as if they had been released from prison.

After the successful landing, the lackluster military skills of the Osaka-Uyghur Allied Forces immediately became apparent.

They rushed out of the cabin like a swarm of bees, then ran around in a chaotic mess, with soldiers unable to find their generals and vice versa, creating a scene as noisy as a marketplace.

If it were just a matter of disorder, that would be fine.

The soldiers' unauthorized actions were what truly left people helpless.

A young Oyu warrior, perhaps overconfident in his skills or perhaps having heard too many legendary tales of ancient heroes, mistakenly believed himself to be a "sword saint reborn." The moment he stepped off the ship, he hastily drew his sword from his waist.

"Ezo! Prepare to die!"

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he shouted and rushed out, charging alone towards Wulingguo! No one could stop him!

And then... no more.

Perhaps it was a coincidence, but before he had run far, a shell landed precisely on his head.

With a deafening roar, countless plumes of dust were kicked up.

After the smoke and dust cleared... he was nowhere to be found; all that could be seen were broken limbs scattered on the ground.

The more chaotic and ridiculous the Olympic and Badminton Union teams became, the more it highlighted the orderliness and elite status of the Shinsengumi! The two sides formed a very strong contrast!

The Shinsengumi members immediately and efficiently deployed their troops as soon as they disembarked!

Nomura Risaburo (the vice-captain of the 11th Division) shouted to the members of the 11th Division:

"Stop dawdling! Get all the cannons out here!"

Nagakura Shinpachi shouted loudly:

"Second Division! Spread out!"

Heisuke Todo followed Shinpachi Nagakura:

"Eighth Division! If you don't want to be blasted into the sky by cannonballs, don't stick together!"

One by one, the light blue haori (traditional Japanese clothing) fluttered open, used for tasks such as hauling cannons, finding cover, and observing enemy positions... each performing its duties in an orderly manner.

The captains and vice-captains of the Shinsengumi not only command their respective subordinate units, but also oversee the Olympic Allied Forces.

The Shinsengumi officers, led by Aoto, were the highest leadership in this campaign and had the authority to issue orders to the Oklahoma City Allied Forces, which had no choice but to obey; otherwise, they would be treated as "disobeying orders."

Faced with Nagakura Shinpachi and his ilk who were superior to them, the soldiers of the Ou-Yu Allied Forces were naturally extremely displeased, but they dared not disobey.

The Shinsengumi's formidable reputation is known to all.

The memory of the "Oshu Trial" a few months ago—where the heroes of Oshu took turns but were helpless against the captains of the Shinsengumi—is still vivid in their minds.

Even if they had a hundred times the courage, they wouldn't dare to oppose the Shinsengumi.

Nagakura Shinpachi: "You guys! That's right! I'm talking to you! What are you doing running around like that! Do you want to be targets?! Come back here!"

Toudou Heisuke: "Get down that slope! Quick!"

Under the command of Shinpachi Nagakura, Heisuke Todo, and others, the order of the Ou-Yu Allied Forces was gradually restored, and at least they stopped running around randomly.

Before the Eleventh Division completes its artillery support, attempting to charge into Goryokaku with bare hands would be suicidal.

Therefore, the soldiers of the Second Division, the Eighth Division, and the Ou Alliance could only scatter, each finding cover and waiting for the opportunity to attack.

Just then, a shell landed not far from Nagakura Shinpachi.

Although the shell did not injure Nagakura Shinpachi, the resulting cloud of dust hit his face, filling his mouth with sand.

Nagakura Shinpachi spat several times, repeatedly complaining:

"Tsk... The enemy's artillery is so annoying! Isn't the Eleventh Division's artillery ready yet?!"

Suppressed by enemy artillery fire and unable to launch an attack... For Nagakura Shinpachi, who preferred a direct confrontation, there was nothing more frustrating.

Just then, following the "enemy ships fleeing," another inexplicable thing happened—the artillery fire from Goryokaku suddenly weakened!

If the artillery fire just now was a "torrential rain," then what we're experiencing now is at most a "moderate rain." You can clearly hear this significant difference just by listening with your naked ear.

The sudden turn of events startled Nagakura Shinpachi.

He hurriedly poked half his body out from the slope where he was hiding, looking at the distant Wulingguo with a puzzled expression.

"What happened? What's going on?"