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"Sir, Qiongzhou Island is ahead! We've detected an enemy fleet. Are you ready to fight?"
Standing at the bow, Baron Luciano looked at the large island and the enemy ships ahead, frowning: "There are too many enemies. Could it be that the pirates have sent reinforcements?"
Qiongzhou was the territory the Long Whale Gang had recently conquered. They had witnessed the battle and were well aware of the Long Whale Gang's deployment on the island. The main force must have gone with them to attack Panyu, so how could there be so many warships? And they seemed to be on high alert. Could they have heard about the fighting ahead and sent reinforcements? If that was the case, he was in deep trouble.
However, at this point, the fleet had no way out. After several days of sailing, the ships needed to replenish water and food. Furthermore, Qiongzhou was a key route to the South China Sea. Without opening it, the fleet would have no way of returning to the strait, let alone fighting for control of the strait with the remnants of the Long Whale Gang. Baron Luciano wasn't sure if his fleet could withstand another tough battle.
"Send flag signals, have the fleet change its formation, and find a way to bypass it." There was no other way, Baron Luciano gritted his teeth and ordered.
He had misjudged this battle too many times, and now he only wanted to preserve his combat power and recover the losses as much as possible.
Unexpectedly, just as they formed their battle formation, a ship came barreling towards them. Were they here to inquire about the situation? Indeed, they might not be aware that Xisai's contract with the Long Whale Gang had broken down. Just as they were thinking about how to deceive this group and gain an advantage for their fleet, the adjutant beside them suddenly exclaimed, "Sir, those flags aren't the Long Whale Gang's!"
Baron Luciano was startled. He leaned against the side of the ship and squinted his eyes. Sure enough, the flag on that ship was different from the ones he had seen before. The Long Whale Gang's flag was black with a whale pattern on it, and later they also flew the general's flag of the Da Gan official. However, the flag on that ship was cyan and blue with a bird pattern on it.
Baron Luciano's heart skipped a beat as he thought of a possibility. Both sides in this war had allies. The Long Whale Gang chose them, while the Red Flag Gang chose the Green Phoenix Gang.
Could this be the Qingfeng Gang's flag? How did they end up on Qiongzhou Island?
As everyone looked on in confusion, the boat approached, and someone called out, "What's your intention in coming to Qiongzhou?"
They hadn't even revealed their identities. Were they planning a war, or did they have some other agenda? Xisai had previously sent a fleet to attack the Qingfeng Gang, only to suffer a crushing defeat and countless prisoners. If these pirates were to take advantage of this opportunity for revenge, he wouldn't stand much chance.
What's even more terrible is that when he left Luoling Island, the hostess of the Red Flag Gang did not tell him that the Green Phoenix Gang would appear here. Was this a conspiracy set up in advance?
Baron Luciano pondered for a long time, gritted his teeth, and sent a message through the interpreter: "We have terminated our alliance with the Long Whale Gang and now simply wish to return to the South Seas as soon as possible. Please open the shipping lanes and allow us to pass through and replenish our supplies of fresh water and food."
He couldn't be sure of the other party's intentions, but since he was on the side of the Red Flag Gang, it seemed possible to talk to him.
The ship received the reply and quickly sailed back. The Xisai people could only stay on the ship, waiting for the reply in agony.
It seemed as if it was done on purpose. After waiting for a whole day, a ship finally returned with a reply.
"You can go through and you can spend money to buy food and water, but you can't stay in the port. You must leave before dark!"
This deprived them of the right to rest and recuperate, and was likely intended to lure them ashore for an attack. Baron Luciano hesitated for a long time before issuing the order, urging the army to maintain a cautious attack formation and slowly pass Qiongzhou Island, sending two ships to purchase food and fresh water.
This is not necessary. As long as there is no fighting, their food will be enough to last for a few days. However, someone has to go and investigate what happened on the island.
Everyone was on edge, but the expected ambush and attack did not come. The fleet passed Qiongzhou Island safely. After waiting for a few hours, the two ships also hurried back.
"There's been fighting on the island, seemingly an internal rebellion. The docks are badly damaged, and there are quite a few damaged warships docked. The Qingfeng Gang's ships are everywhere. They've likely taken control of the harbor and won."
Hearing these descriptions, Baron Luciano sighed deeply: "It seems she is right. The Red Flag Gang does not need our help."
Before the battle, the lady had planted hidden dangers behind the Long Whale Gang and arranged a surprise attack. Perhaps her goal was never to defeat the enemy on the front line, but to undermine the enemy's foundation and make them taste the bitter fruit of their unauthorized attack.
If arrangements were made on Qiongzhou Island, wouldn't there be any other places? Perhaps corresponding arrangements were made in Hepu and Jiaozhi ahead. Under normal circumstances, these small actions wouldn't hurt the Changjing Gang at all, but after a defeat on the front line and news of a setback on the rear, the situation would be very different.
This battle might really shake the foundation of the Changjing Gang, and he caught this opportunity.
"Hold full sails and rush back to the strait as soon as possible. We must seize control of the strait while the Long Whale Gang is weak!" Baron Luciano ordered sternly.
This is an opportunity to turn the tables, and he can't miss it.
…
"Have those foreigners retreated?" Shen Feng asked, leaning lazily on the back of his chair.
"They've all left. I'm afraid they're rushing to follow the retreat route of the Long Whale Pirates." The subordinate standing nearby immediately replied.
"If I had my hands free, I would really give them a beating." Shen Feng sighed with great regret.
The subordinate didn't dare to say a word, but he was worried in his heart that if a fight really broke out, we would probably be in trouble. That was the foreign gunboat. It would be better to take advantage of it and run away.
"Okay, now that the bandits have all escaped, it's probably time for Boss Cheng to finish his mission. Let's head back. Maybe we can stop the fleeing soldiers of the Long Whale Gang on the way." Shen Feng stood up, stretched out his arms, and laughed. "We can't just reap the benefits this time. We still have to put in some effort."
This was true, as the mission assigned to them by the Red Flag Gang was surprisingly simple. When the Qingfeng Gang's fleet arrived in Qiongzhou via a detour, the island was already in chaos. Rumors arose that the islanders, dissatisfied with the Long Whale Bandits, had risen in rebellion, hoping to retake their homes while the Long Whale Gang was away.
This wasn't a common occurrence. After all, no matter how tough the islanders were, they were afraid of such a large pirate. How could they just rebel? Someone must have instigated the rebellion, offering promises, and the Qingfeng Gang was part of that promise. They weren't here to seize the island, but to eliminate and drive out the Long Whale Pirates' garrison. This wasn't a large-scale battle, but it emboldened the islanders, fueling the rebellion's flames and bringing it to a swift end.
After all, the Long Whale Gang had seized the island only too recently, and their reputation was so bad, and their actions were so brutal, that countless people would have tried to escape if given the chance. As for how much use the title of "General Zhenhai" had in private, no one could say for sure.
The Qingfeng Gang merely added fuel to the fire. If they could disrupt this island, the Changjing Gang would have to expend many times the effort to retake Qiongzhou. Unfortunately, their retreat was likely disrupted in more than one area. Upon seeing the red-haired barbarians, Shen Feng understood Cheng Xi's intentions. Compared to this island, the South China Sea Strait was the lifeblood of the Changjing Gang. This battle would likely force the Changjing Gang to abandon Qiongzhou, withdraw from the South China Sea, and once again fight with the barbarians for ownership of the Strait.
Only then will this South China Sea truly belong to the Red Flag Gang.
Now, he had reaped the benefits and completed his mission. It was impossible for the Qingfeng Gang to occupy Qiongzhou Island, and even the Red Flag Gang couldn't do so for the time being. Why not return it to the natives of the island, or even to the government?
There was nothing for him to do here anymore, so he might as well turn around and join in the fun and see how the battle was going on the front line. Previously, the Ning man sent people to ambush him, almost killing him, and now he had to pay him back.
Following the order from Gang Leader Shen, the Qingfeng Gang's fleet turned around and headed back excitedly.
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