Chapter 45 - Raid

Seeing the orchestrated chaos around him, Marcellus felt out of place.

Sailors shouted commands, ropes were pulled taut, and cannons were loaded, each action executed with practised precision, and there he stood, amidst the frenzy, unsure of his role or where to position himself.

He caught the eye of a young deckhand named Finn, who seemed to recognize Marcellus's uncertainty.

Quickly making his way over, Finn shouted over the din, "Stay close! If things get heated, you'll want to be away from the broadsides!"

Grateful for the guidance, Marcellus followed Finn towards the centre of the ship, a relatively safer spot during naval skirmishes.

As they moved, Finn handed him a sabre, "Just in case," he said with a wink.

With the pirate flag flying high and the crew positioned for battle, the tension on the ship was palpable as they approached the unidentified vessel on the horizon.

Marcellus clutched the sabre Finn had given him, his heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and fear.

Marcellus had never been on a raid before.

Captain Crowe's voice rang out, sharp and authoritative. "Prepare to engage!"

The crew stood at the ready, their eyes locked onto the approaching ship. They could now make out the details of the vessel, and it was none other than the fabled treasure galleon, rumoured to be laden with unimaginable wealth.

A murmur of excitement rippled through the crew.

Luck was on their side.

As the distance closed between the two ships, the sheer size of the galleon became evident.

Towering masts, laden with billowing sails, and the intricate woodwork of its hull painted a picture of grandeur. But it wasn't just its opulence that caught the crew's attention; the galleon's cannons, numerous and menacing, gleamed ominously, hinting at the firepower they held.

The wind carried faint sounds from the galleon: orders being shouted, the beating of war drums, and the unmistakable clink of weapons being readied. The treasure ship was prepared, and it wasn't about to be taken easily.

Captain Crowe, ever the strategist, shouted, "Angle the sails! We need to approach from their blind spot!"

The crew, adept and synchronized, hastened to adjust the ship's course, trying to gain a tactical advantage.

Marcellus, still alongside Finn, gripped his borrowed sabre tighter. "Have you ever faced a ship this grand?" he asked, trying to keep the unease from his voice.

Finn grinned, revealing a gold tooth. "Aye, once or twice. But never one this rich. The tales say that whoever captures a galleon will be a legend becoming a true pirate. Think of the stories they'll tell of this day!"

Marcellus nodded, inspired by Finn's fervour. But deep down, he knew that tales and legends came at a price. He just hoped he and his newfound comrades would be around to tell their version of the story.

As the distance closed, the crew could see signs of activity on the galleon. Figures moved about, and a glimmer of hope flickered within them.

Perhaps this encounter would end without bloodshed, and they could secure their treasure without a fight.

The hulk, Andorra La Vella

Captain Crowe flipped his coin, and it landed on tails. An innocuous grin graced his face.

The two ships drew closer, and Captain Crowe bellowed a final command, "Stand down, but stay prepared!" The crew hesitated for a moment, ready to unleash their fury if necessary, but willing to give the treasure galleon a chance to surrender.

Aren't we going to fight the soldier aboard Marcellus pondered?

As the two ships neared engagement range, a single shot rang out from the galleon, a warning to the pirates of the formidable battle that lay ahead. 

BOOM!

The clash for the ages, between the notorious pirates and the legendary treasure galleon, was about to begin.

As the two ships drew ever closer, the galleon's imposing silhouette grew more defined against the horizon.

Its immense size was evident, with three towering masts displaying grand sails that fluttered in the wind. The ship's broadside revealed rows of menacing cannons, and from its elevated decks, crossbowmen took aim, ready to unleash a rain of bolts.

The pirates, sensing the impending onslaught, hastily fortified their positions. Reinforced barricades were quickly erected on the ship's side facing the galleon, and sharpshooters took to the crow's nest, seeking a vantage point.

With a thunderous roar, the galleon fired its first salvo. 

BOOM!!!

Cannons boomed, and the sea around the pirate ship churned with splashes as cannonballs narrowly missed their mark. The pirate ship rocked from near misses, but Captain Crowe's cunning manoeuvring kept them from taking a direct hit.

The obsidian viper was a Brigantine it was small but fast.

"Return fire!" bellowed Captain Crowe. The pirate ship's cannons, already loaded and primed, unleashed their fury. 

BOOM! BOOM!! BOOM!!!

The deafening sound of gunfire filled the air, as thick plumes of smoke rose and obscured the battlefield.

Marcellus, still gripping his sabre, joined a boarding party assembling on the deck. Equipped with grappling hooks and ropes, they waited for the signal. Noah, wielding twin cutlasses, winked at Marcellus, "Ready for some fun?"

Before Marcellus could respond, a series of shouts signalled that their ship had pulled alongside the galleon. Grappling hooks were thrown, latching onto the galleon's railings. Pirates swung aboard, swords and daggers drawn.

CLANG!

The very air seemed electric as the two sides collided on the galleon's sprawling deck. 

CLANG!

BANG! BANG!! BANG!!!

Sunlight gleamed off drawn swords and shimmered through the thick haze of gunpowder. Pirates, with fierce determination in their eyes, engaged the galleon's crew in intense combat. Every inch of the deck became a battleground, every shadow a potential threat.

Marcellus found himself in the thick of it, surrounded by foes. His sabre, seemingly with a mind of its own, danced and weaved, parrying thrusts and delivering swift counters. At one point, he found himself back-to-back with Randy, the two seamlessly covering each other, their combined might a whirlwind of steel.

Marcellus was holding back his strength. 

Not far from them, Finn, with his characteristic agility, darted between adversaries. He'd swing from ropes to gain height, dropping onto unsuspecting defenders with the full force of his momentum. His laughter, amidst the chaos, was both eerie and invigorating.