socalfunplaces Chapter 211 Reunion of Nemesis
Chapter 211 Reunion of Nemesis
Chapter 211 Reunion of Nemesis
Henry stood at the stern, looking at the rowing sailboats chasing behind.
Two people dressed in armor stood one in front of the other beside the dog-head sculpture.
Even though he couldn't see the faces of the two men under their helmets, Henry was certain that the one standing in front was Loyal Dog.
Henry could feel the cold, sharp gaze directed at him by the loyal dog.
At this moment, Benson also came to Henry's side:
"Boss, was that really Loyal Dog? I clearly remember that Loyal Dog's boat was beige."
Benson had been by Henry's side since the time of the Flying Leap.
He shared with Henry the experience of being chased and fleeing with his tail between his legs by loyal dogs.
Benson wasn't mistaken; the loyal dog's boat was indeed beige, except:
"The colors have been washed away by time, and the ship has thus become dark and dull."
It's not just the ship that's getting old; the loyal dog is certainly getting old too.
Henry, too, was no longer young, already over forty.
Benson reported, "Boss, I've checked, the arrow is through the stern."
Looking at the taut iron chain connecting the two ships across the sea, Henry already knew this would be the outcome.
He just didn't understand: "Both gold coins are reinforced with plates in every direction. Even a giant crossbow should have difficulty penetrating them easily."
"Boss, that's not an ordinary giant arrow, it's a giant steel arrow," Benson replied. "Although it's much smaller than a wooden giant arrow, it weighs just as much."
Henry said, "Then send someone to take it down quickly."
Benson shook his head: "It's impossible. The iron arrow has a very unique structure and can't be removed in one go. I originally wanted to just throw away the wooden plank as well, but because it was reinforced, that method also couldn't be done smoothly."
Upon hearing this, Henry fell into deep thought, and he quickly asked:
"You said the arrow is unique? What kind of arrow is it?"
"Viktor said the arrow was carefully designed and equipped with a clever mechanism. Once it hits the target, it will deploy barbs and trap itself inside the target. As for more details, Viktor is still studying it."
Henry simply nodded upon hearing this. He watched the enemy ship approaching from the end of the chain, feeling it resembled the Two Gold Coins.
It was like being dragged over.
Perhaps, that is indeed the case.
Benson suddenly asked, "Boss, what's going on? Why is the loyal dog here? And why did it attack us without warning?"
"Do righteous people need a reason to attack pirates?" Henry replied calmly. "Like you, who would plunder passing merchant ships without a second thought."
"But I still think it's too much of a coincidence that the people who attacked us were loyal dogs. This isn't the southern seas, but the Weeping Gorge, which is quite a distance from the loyal dog's harbor!"
Benson gestured wildly as he spoke, his expression very excited.
"Boss, why is he here?"
"The answer is simple: they're chasing us."
Benson's eyes widened: "Pursue? But why?"
"Don't forget, we've escaped from him many times."
"But that was over ten years ago," Benson said, his tone utterly incomprehensible. "Boss, those are all past grievances, how could he possibly still remember them!"
"In my mind, a loyal dog is precisely a hunting dog that never lets go."
Moreover, Henry couldn't think of any other reason why the loyal dog had come here.
Henry came for the ghost ship; not many people in the world have that desire.
The helpers who came to capture the ghost were wizards, and Henry could barely be considered a magician.
But a loyal dog is either a lord or a samurai; a mysterious, dark ghost is not what he needs.
More importantly: "This crossbow bolt alone proves that it was designed to snag other ships, therefore the loyal dog's purpose in coming here must be to intercept a ship."
"Hmph!" Benson scoffed. "As soon as our ship picks up speed, that chain will snap in an instant!"
Henry shook his head: "The wind is against us now, and we're still being dragged down by that ship. The Two Gold Coins have no chance to pick up speed at all."
After speaking, he frowned, pondering whether it was really just a coincidence that the loyal dog's boat had come from against the wind.
Henry couldn't see through it all; it all happened so suddenly.
The moment Henry saw the loyal dog ship on the ghost ship, his nerves tightened instantly.
Although Henry didn't care about the empty title of pirate captain, it was proof that most people recognized his strength.
Henry absolutely deserves any title; on the high seas, he fears no one.
Only the loyal dog, the man who had driven Henry to the brink of despair on numerous occasions.
Although Henry wasn't afraid of the loyal dog, it was definitely a worthy adversary for him.
When Henry saw that dog-headed ship again after more than ten years, his first thought was to run away.
He immediately made arrangements for the group of wizards to take the ghost ship away first.
Henry's enchanting experiment ended in failure again, but there might have been some mishap, so Henry had to get the ghost ship out safely.
He then took Cyril and returned to the Two Gold Coins.
Then give the order to turn around, attracting the loyal dog's attention.
Henry was a master of escape; he had narrowly escaped death countless times.
Moreover, the two gold coin ships beneath his feet were undoubtedly among the best in the world.
With the loyal dog's nearly broken ship, there was no way they could catch up with the two gold coins.
In the end, Henry underestimated the loyal dog. He forgot that loyal dogs always prefer to have a complete plan rather than improvise.
This time was no different; that specially designed giant arrow is the best proof of that.
Henry, on the other hand, has always taken a wait-and-see approach.
Despite his journey to this point, Henry has to admit that luck played a significant role.
Today, however, luck doesn't seem to be Henry's friend.
At least the wind direction was making things difficult for Henry.
If the loyal dog came specifically to capture Henry, then his intentions are equally easy to guess.
It's simply a matter of wanting to settle scores about their past.
However, Henry did not expect the loyal dog to be so persistent. Even after so many years, he still couldn't forget about it.
Even in the past, it was Henry who fled from the wolf and fox.
The loyal dog simply failed to catch Henry; he didn't lose at all.
Could it be that the loyal dog is obsessed with "perfection"? Henry couldn't help but wonder if it couldn't tolerate an incomplete victory.
Just then, Benson asked again:
"Boss, there's something that I find strange."
"explain."
"If he came to capture you, why did he only send such an old and dilapidated ship?"
Upon hearing this, Henry realized that something was wrong.
Loyal dogs love to devise perfect strategies, but in Henry's eyes, their current behavior is nothing short of reckless and impulsive.
He pondered for a few seconds and then came up with two possibilities:
"Or perhaps he still has a backup plan, and his current actions are still just part of his plan."
"Or perhaps he really just wants to settle things with me from the past, and therefore only sends one ship, wanting to have a fair and square contest."
Benson chuckled. "He's certainly being aboveboard."
"A decent person cares about justice and puts honor first," Henry replied.
Natalie once asked Henry to find justice for pirates, and more than ten years later, Henry came to the conclusion that pirates have no justice.
He didn't care anymore. Although guilt still filled his chest, Henry was no longer wavering.
He is now a father, and his gaze has never been so firm.
Benson asked, "Boss, the loyal dog is approaching. What are you going to do?"
"When it comes to boarding, no one is better than the pirates."
"Indeed," Benson said, "but I'm afraid the people on the other deck are well-equipped."
“Wearing armor makes it difficult to move between ships,” Henry replied, “and if they dare to board the Two Gold Coins, I guarantee they won’t come back alive.”
"I have no doubt about that, but, boss, what if they don't come up? We'll just keep slowing down our longships and wait for reinforcements to surround them."
"At least in terms of the number of ballistae, the two gold coin ships will definitely not be at a disadvantage."
"But as you can see, they have a way to block our crossbow bolts."
"Don't worry,"
As Benson was speaking, a voice came from behind them.
Henry turned around; it was Cyril.
He asked, "Is there anything you want to say?"
"I have seen it clearly; it was the sword in the loyal dog's hand that blocked the giant arrow."
Upon hearing this, Henry's eyes widened in surprise:
"You mean the loyal dog, relying solely on its own strength, blocked it—"
“Indeed,” Cyril nodded. “Chief, I also think that loyal dog is a truly unfathomable and powerful man, but as long as he is human, his strength cannot be limitless, and he will eventually run out of energy—”
"—And we have plenty of giant arrows!" Benson laughed. "Ha! Boss, in that case, the loyal dog is asking for death!"
Just then, a shrimp came up to Henry:
"Leader, the jellyfish says the ships behind are trying to communicate using flag signals."
Henry frowned. The appetizer of this naval battle hadn't even been served yet, and the loyal dog was already demanding a conversation?
What exactly is this man up to?
Just as Henry was pondering this, Victor also arrived at the stern.
"master-"
Viktor was panting heavily; at his age, he really shouldn't have been running.
But this also indicates the urgency of the situation. Henry asked:
"What's wrong?"
"That giant iron arrow has already separated from the two gold coin ships."
Upon hearing this, Henry immediately turned to gaze at the sea.
The iron chain that was straight just moments ago has now vanished without a trace.
Henry slapped the railing with a laugh: "Well done, Victor!"
"No, sir, this is not our doing—"
Huh? "What do you mean?"
"I hadn't fully figured out the structure of that giant arrow yet, and I was studying it when the barb of the crossbow bolt suddenly broke off, and then the entire giant arrow was pulled away from the ship."
After listening to Victor's description, Henry paused for a moment, then asked:
Do you know why this is happening?
"I'm not sure, but we think those barbs were detached under someone's control."
Henry frowned. According to Victor, the loyal dog had given up pulling the two gold coins.
Benson asked, "What exactly is going on?"
"Perhaps—" Henry slowly uttered his guess, "this is a loyal dog's way of showing affection."
"A gesture of goodwill?"
“That’s right,” Henry nodded. “The moment the loyal dog suggested communicating, the crossbow bolt was released, which shows that he’s taking the initiative to show me his sincerity.”
Cyril nodded: "That makes sense, Chief. What do you plan to do?"
Henry pondered for a long time before finally speaking:
"At this distance, and with the wind at our backs, it would be absolutely impossible for us to shake them off by sailing. This is probably one of the reasons why the loyal dog was so confident in retrieving the iron arrow."
"Since they'll catch up anyway, we might as well go with the flow and agree to his request. That way, we won't lose face."
The others did not object, so Henry sent the shrimp to relay the order to the jellyfish on the crow's nest, instructing it to agree to the loyal dog's proposal using flag signals.
Henry agreed because he wanted to know what the loyal dog wanted to tell him.
The feud between him and the loyal dog was complicated and difficult to resolve, but in fact, the two had only met twice, and their exchanges consisted of only a few words.
Of course, it was also because Henry trusted loyal dogs.
Henry considers the loyal dog's old rival, or even his arch-enemy.
He knew better than anyone that although the loyal dog was persistent and cunning, he was by no means a shameless and treacherous villain.
Otherwise, when he met the loyal dog in Bone Marrow Harbor, he would have captured Henry simply out of suspicion.
Instead of letting Henry go after confirming that his answer was correct.
"Since they've given us a 'gift,' we should return the favor," Henry said as he stepped down. "Tell the ballistae to cease fire and remain on standby."
As the loyal dog slowly approached, a fleeting, almost imperceptible smile crossed Henry's lips.
Even though the loyal dog was the enemy, why was he somewhat looking forward to the upcoming meeting? The boat, with its twenty long oars and the statue at its prow, looked just like a yellow dog splashing around on all fours.
The two ships did not attack each other, and in a peaceful atmosphere, the distance between them gradually closed.
Soon, the loyal dog's ship arrived at the flank of the Two Gold Coins.
The ship began to slow down, keeping pace with the two gold coins as it moved slowly forward.
Henry walked to the side of the gunwale and peered down, where he saw a soldier in olive-colored armor standing in front of the gunwale, looking up at him.
This is the loyal dog; Henry will never forget this armor.
Henry was curious about what the loyal dog planned to do next.
Unexpectedly, the loyal dog began to climb the comb pole and grabbed the rope.
They leaped forward together, swung in the air on the rope, and finally landed on the deck of the Two Gold Coins.
Next, a fully armed soldier who had been following the loyal dog also came aboard the Two Gold Coins.
Apart from that, there was no further activity on the ship.
Two people? Henry frowned in confusion, yet they dared to board the enemy ship?
What exactly is Hubert Peyton, the man who has been chasing Henry for half his life, plotting?
The loyal dog spoke up: "Long time no see, Navigator."
"It's been a long time. I'd like to catch up with you, but I don't know whether to address you as Earl, or—" Henry paused, "...loyal dog?"
"Do as you please."
Henry nodded. "So, loyal dog, what do you want to tell me?"
"That's all I wanted to say—"
Having said that, the loyal dog raised the greatsword—