Chapter 60:Home Invasion Maniac Lindemann

"Hmm?!" The navy reinforcements had a significant impact on the battlefield, and this effect was directly reflected in the pirate cadres and crew. [Thunder Lord] Markugai was once again entangled by Onigumo, leaving him no room to support his men.

Initially, there were only seven officers and about twenty lieutenants responsible for this defensive line. Even if each officer were to engage a pirate cadre one-on-one, they would still be short-handed.

Not to mention the fact that these pirate leaders commanded a large number of pirates. Excluding the group that had recklessly charged ahead, the navy soldiers' battle formations had indeed alleviated much of the pressure from the initial assault.

Many pirate cadres were separated by groups of navy soldiers and sergeants, significantly reducing the pressure on the officers who were now free to engage. This allowed them to hold off the pirates while waiting for reinforcements.

With sufficient mid- and low-level combatants joining the fray, the pressure on the trapped pirates increased dramatically.

Within the battle circles, both the frequency of attacks and the intensity of counterattacks escalated. The officers, who had been struggling to hold their ground against the pirate cadres, now shifted from passive defense to active offense.

"To hell with wearing the thickest armor! It's finally our turn to be the hunters!!" The officers sneered as they began targeted assaults on the pirate cadres.

Meanwhile, on the side of the hundred-man assault team, the cunning hunters had encountered a troublesome prey.

As the captain of this special operations sabotage team, the meticulous Lindemann was no reckless fool seeking a head-on charge.

There weren't many pirates left on the ship, only about thirty. Aside from the cautious group observing from the crow's nest, the other pirates were sitting on the gunwale chatting and boasting, while a few others were gathered on the deck playing cards.

Upon reaching the designated location, the colonel didn't immediately attack. Instead, he led his team to hide in the shadows behind the thick roots of the mangrove tree. Lindemann took a telescope handed to him by a soldier and carefully observed the enemy's movements. After a while, he let out a slight sigh of relief. These pirates were quite lax in their vigilance. The only real trouble was the pair of pirates in the crow's nest atop the mast. With their excellent vantage point and the open terrain, any detection would likely turn the sneak attack into a full-on assault, which would inevitably alert the main force of the pirate crew resting in the hotel.

Although there were only about twenty pirates, a direct assault could still succeed. However, Rear Admiral Onigumo's ambush plan would be completely ruined. The importance of the ship was self-evident. Once [Thunder Lord] received word from the pirate ship, he would undoubtedly rush to reinforce it. It would be best if the rear admiral could hold him off, but if he failed, Lindemann's hundred-man special ops team, caught between the enemy, would surely meet a grim fate.

Although he had confidence in his superior, Lindemann didn't dare to stake the lives of his hundred men on someone else's performance.

"Have everyone move along the roots and circle to the distant shoreline. We'll swim over from the water," Lindemann ordered while keeping an eye on the pirates' movements.

The pirate in the crow's nest took out his pocket watch to check the time. At ten-minute intervals, he picked up the telescope beside him and aimed it towards the land.

The scene was no different from ten minutes ago. Their ship was anchored in a spot with a large open area, allowing the lookout to easily spot any approaching enemies from above. If a strong enemy attacked, they could quickly weigh anchor and set sail, making it an excellent mooring location.

The pirate turned the telescope towards the sea. It was still vast and empty, with no sign of anyone. After completing his observation, the pirate sat back down. Meanwhile, at the blind spot near the ship's stern, dark figures began emerging from the water. Lindemann led the charge, using a grappling hook to board the ship. He crouched low to avoid the pirates' line of sight, hiding in an empty spot on the stern deck. Behind him, a navy lieutenant followed suit, climbing aboard drenched in seawater.

"Take twenty men and hide in the crew's quarters. Once we're discovered outside, go and sabotage the rudder," Lindemann whispered as he issued orders.

The lieutenant colonel nodded and made a tactical gesture, signaling his assigned soldiers to stay put.

The experienced colonel glanced at the two pirates nearby who were completely unaware of the danger. With a few men, he crouched and slowly approached the pirates from behind. The pirate leaning against the porthole was chatting idly with his companion to pass the time. Lindemann suddenly sprang into action, covering the pirate's mouth and nose from behind and slitting his throat. The two lieutenants quickly moved past the colonel, grabbing the other pirate who hadn't yet realized what was happening and snapping his neck. The three men supported the falling bodies of the pirates and signaled to the soldiers behind them.

The lieutenant colonel, understanding the plan, led twenty soldiers into the ship's cabin.

After dealing with this isolated pair of pirates, Lindemann frowned as he observed the pirates sitting or lying on the deck playing cards.

The deck was an open area, leaving no possibility for stealth kills. To successfully board the ship, they had swum and dived the entire way, leaving their flintlock rifles behind. All they had now were their combat knives and two rifles taken from the dead pirates.

Lindemann pointed to the pirates on the mast above. Since stealth was no longer an option, they had no choice but to launch a direct assault.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

The hidden rifles suddenly fired, and the pirate adjusting the ropes on the sails fell to the deck. At the same time, the colonel rapidly tapped his feet, using "Soru" to close the distance and deliver several slashes at the pirates.

In an instant, blood blossomed on the bodies of the pirates. Only one burly pirate managed to draw his sword and block the weakened blade.

"Oh? An enemy attack!" The pirate first mate exclaimed in surprise, simultaneously thrusting his sword repeatedly at the navy officer who had dared to strike at him.

More navy soldiers, soaked from the seawater, threw grappling hooks from all sides, latching onto the ship's gunwale and beginning to climb aboard.

The pirate first mate's free hand suddenly drew a short gun from his waist, shooting a navy soldier who had just peeked over the side, sending him tumbling back into the sea. His right hand didn't stop, slashing diagonally. "Hey hey hey, isn't [Thunder Lord] being a bit too cautious? Is it really necessary to have a first mate like you staying here to guard the ship?" Lindemann sidestepped the diagonal slash and countered with a thrust.

"Hmph, otherwise, how would I have run into such a worthy opponent like you?" As the ship's second-in-command, the powerful pirate first mate didn't dodge or retreat, instead flicking his sword to deflect the military blade aimed at him.

The navy had the advantage in numbers and the element of surprise, so there was no prolonged stalemate as spectators might hope for. It would be unreasonable for the navy and pirates to be deadlocked; it was almost a one-sided slaughter. Only Lindemann had encountered a tough opponent.

The first mate's strength was only slightly inferior to [Thunder Lord], but Lindemann was no pushover either.

In the span of a few breaths, the two exchanged attacks and defenses, neither gaining the upper hand.