Pirate Kingship -
Chapter 61 - 60: Sea Trial, World’s Best!
Chapter 61: Chapter 60: Sea Trial, World’s Best!
WHOOSH—!
The bone-chilling, briny sea wind assaulted their faces.
The midday sun was just right as a pirate ship adorned with a black flag sailed through the milky-white fog wall and back into the expansive North Sea, from which it had been absent for many days.
The emblem on the flag featured the classic design of a skull with crossed swords beneath.
However, this was no ordinary human skull but a dragon skull commonly used by the North Bay Folks, with a knight’s sword crossing a pirate cutlass below it.
Apart from the blood dripping from the dragon skull’s maw, there was nothing particularly groundbreaking about it.
The ship’s distinctive design and sails drew more attention than the flag.
It was none other than the reborn "Golden Deer"!
Byron’s plan to "turn away from the darkness" and infiltrate the enemy was not put into action the next day.
They learned from Uncle Weber, the Sheriff, that yesterday, long before they took down the "Specter," the perfect confidant according to Omnitrix Franklin had already hurried away from Iron Anchor Bay with many privateer ships, destination unknown.
The plan could only be postponed.
Yet, another piece of good news made up for this minor setback.
Under the relentless toil of Old Hans the shipwright, his son, and a crew of sailors, the ship Byron had renamed the "Golden Deer" was finally refurbished and modified after ten days.
Byron cast aside all other concerns and decisively ordered immediate sea trials.
An excellent pirate ship is always a pirate’s most important asset for navigating the vast seas.
With it, they could attack or retreat as needed.
Even if caught up in the Navy Department’s schemes, they wouldn’t be completely compromised in the end.
A fine captain and his sailors must know their vessel’s capabilities inside and out to truly form a combat force. The sea trials could not be delayed.
At that moment, Byron donned a tricorn hat for the first time, taking the varnished beechwood helm of the "Golden Deer" as its Captain.
He couldn’t wait to use his Talent "Weather Intuition," capturing all kinds of weather information above the North Sea.
"Today’s weather is good.
Clear skies with light clouds, a Level Five north wind, wind speed twenty knots, and this breeze will probably last about two hours.
Order: riggers, full sail!"
"Aye, Captain!"
Thomas, the former apprentice Navigator who had now risen to Sailing Master, immediately commanded a team of riggers to maneuver the various white running riggings, adjusting the sails.
No matter what type of sailing ship, the sails installed could be of two kinds: square sails and fore-and-aft sails.
Advantages of square sails: Fast speed with the wind, suitable for voyages with trade winds. They boast a strong structure, multiple sails, good resistance to damage, and suitability for naval battles. Even if one or two sails were torn, the ship could still retain propulsion.
Disadvantages: Complex maneuvers requiring more crew, poor upwind sailing ability, and inflexibility when sailing at angles of six compass points close-hauled.
Advantages of fore-and-aft sails: Simple to handle, fewer hands needed, strong upwind sailing capability, agility, and suitability for coastal navigation or sailing in archipelagoes.
Disadvantages: Lower thrust, making them unusable for large Warships, and inefficiency when sailing downwind. Even a single damaged sail could greatly affect performance, putting them at a disadvantage during sea battles.
The "Golden Deer," after its renovation, had a hybrid rig combining the advantages of both types of sails.
The ship was light, with square sails on the foremast and fore-and-aft sails on the main and mizzen masts.
This significantly reduced the need for crew; only twelve people were needed to operate all the sails onboard.
It was one of the finest privateer ship designs from Byron’s past life.
On Blue Planet, it could dominate the seas until the 19th century, having earned its stripes in various countries’ Breaking Off Engagement Battles.
Without involving Extraordinary Power, it was undoubtedly a pinnacle of design.
Of course, the peak era of Sail Battleships usually featured eight to eleven square sails and eleven fore-and-aft sails, all "soft sails" that altered shape with the wind.
Aerodynamics were incredibly complex, and not entirely replicable or analyzable even with technology from his past life.
Byron couldn’t fully explain the principles, but he knew such sail plans were highly effective. Replicating the design was the sensible approach.
After all, isn’t applied science based on experience still science?
The fully unfurled sails began to capture the north wind.
The wind’s power was transmitted through the sails, ropes, masts, and keel, permeating the entire pirate ship.
Controlled by the helm, it became the force commanded by Captain Byron.
"Course, two points west of south! Wind on the starboard quarter!"
His passive Talent "Mount," dormant since his breakthrough as a Storm Knight, sprang to life, allowing him to effortlessly harness the sea breeze.
Coupled with "Weather Intuition," which allowed for constant sensing and even prediction of weather changes at sea, the combination was like adding wings to a tiger.
Byron felt as if he had returned to the moment his Spirituality reached a new pinnacle of enlightenment. His breathing, heartbeat, touch, and perception all transcended the limits of mere mortals.
Clenching the helm that steered the pirate ship’s course, he allowed the free sea breeze to caress his hair.
He closed his eyes, his Spirituality extending with the wind, little by little.
Just as with his years of daily Cultivation in the Storm Sword Technique, even though he had not yet advanced to a Second Order Professional Rank to truly master the power of wind, he could still become one with it.
He gradually felt the pleasure of the ship cutting through the waves.
At this moment, sails, ship, wind, and sea produced a harmonious resonance within his veins.
It seemed as if the ship had become his steed, an extension of his limbs. Even his Spirituality grew slowly in this state.
This was a realm that ordinary Pirates could never reach.
"Haha, exhilarating!" he exclaimed.
If helmsmen were to be rated on their piloting skills, Byron at this moment would surely deserve at least an "A" grade.
He was second to none compared to any battle-hardened old captain, except for those Tamers who could use their active transcendent abilities.
After entering a stable state of acceleration, Byron gave another order,
"Drop the log line!"
The masked first officer, the Guardian Knight Bruh, standing sword in hand beside Byron, loudly repeated his Captain’s command.
"Drop the log line!"
PLOP! PLOP!...
A series of buoys and knotted ropes were thrown into the sea.
Under a Level Five wind of twenty knots, all the Warship’s sails could be unfurled. With the sea surface not yet overly agitated by strong winds, the ship could reach its maximum speed.
It was also a true test of a ship’s design limits.
Byron fixed his gaze on the Sailing Logbook, eagerly anticipating the moment the ship’s speed would peak.
I hope this world’s first ’Bridgetown’—no, ’Tudor Hybrid Sail Ship’—can make history under my command.
For the sake of greater speed, he had even leveled the forecastle and quarterdeck, making the ship’s deck flush from bow to stern, without any windbreak.
Many people might not believe it.
High-ranking naval officials from many countries had long recognized that tall quarterdecks acted like enormous sails, catching the wind and hindering turns.
A complete disaster for a ship’s maneuverability.
Yet, until now, quarterdecks as high as city walls were still common in the Fleets of navies worldwide.
This was because the officers aboard were lords and nobles who required basic living conditions.
To stay clear of waves, moisture, and ocean spray, they had to live high enough above the water.
They couldn’t live like the lowly sailors, "worse than pigs and dogs."
When Byron had served aboard the "Blue Dragon King," he too had possessed a comfortable and dry room on the upper level of the sterncastle.
The "Golden Deer," however, now featured a flush deck design, with no superstructure.
By significantly reducing the resistance from the forecastle and quarterdeck, its Qiangfeng capability and overall speed were enhanced.
Suddenly, "Eleven knots! Captain, we’ve reached eleven knots!" Parry, a former apprentice Navigator and now the Chief Navigator, excitedly cried out from the stern.
The sailors, who had anticipated this through the feel of the vessel, instantly erupted into a mighty cheer:
"Long live the Captain! Long live the Golden Deer!"
"Long live!"
Each one of them had participated in the ship’s transformation and shared in the glory.
Their morale soared higher than ever before.
To put this into perspective, an ordinary, bulky, wind-powered Battleship could only average two to three knots under normal conditions (one knot equals 1.85 kilometers per hour), and Cruisers were only slightly faster.
But even under optimal conditions, ten knots was a massive threshold looming before all sailing ships.
The fact that the "Man-Eating Shark" and the "Stern Cruiser," during their previous chase, had only managed to desperately push their speed to a maximum of seven knots was telling.
At this moment, the "Golden Deer" wasn’t just momentarily hitting eleven knots but maintaining an average of eleven knots—a clear testament to its exceptional seaworthiness.
At that instant, Byron, as Captain, sensed the "Silver Law" suddenly manifest above his head as a majestic power descended.
An invisible ring of light formed high above the Golden Deer.
Then, inspiring words appeared in the Sailing Logbook:
"Title Recognized: Golden Deer, the world’s fastest three-masted sailing ship! Title effect granted!"
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