Not far from the YD missile frigate, a mere few hundred meters away, Bawang swiftly approached beneath the imposing warship, brandishing its colossal 50-meter spear.
Unbeknownst to the crew on the warship, they were moments away from launching the small boat and embarking to seize control of the massive oil tanker known as "Shixiong." It was their mission this time—to gain command over at least one vessel from the prestigious Global Shipping Group and sail it, along with its crew, back to a designated seaport in their homeland. The port lay six to seven hundred nautical miles away, a journey that would take approximately two days.
Before long, the first small boat was lowered into the water from the warship, carrying several heavily armed sailors who prepared to disembark and make their way toward the smaller vessel.
Suddenly, an unexpected event unfolded. From the depths of the boat, a muffled [ " bang " ] reverberated, causing the hull to tremble ever so slightly. The shaking became discernible since the ship's displacement was only a little over 3,000 tons. Had it been a larger vessel, weighing tens or hundreds of thousands of tons, such tremors might not have been as noticeable.
This occurrence baffled the fully armed sailors. They exchanged bewildered glances, uncertain of the situation unfolding before them.
[ " What could this be? " ] one sailor pondered aloud while the team captain, recognizing the sailors' confusion, waved his hand dismissively and urged, [ " Ignore it. Let's proceed and board the boat . "]
With hesitant steps, the Captain led the way. Still, before he could take another stride, another muffled sound emanated from the boat's bottom, accompanied by a significantly stronger jolt. The sailors couldn't help but feel the pronounced impact.
[ " What the **** is happening? " ] one of the perplexed sailors exclaimed, prompting further uncertainty among the group.
Should they proceed with boarding the boat or reconsider?
Perhaps due to the distance of a few hundred meters and the interference of the waves, the crew aboard the "Shixiong" remained oblivious to the muffled sounds originating from beneath the opposing warship.
As the onlookers observed the sailors' impending boarding, tension mounted, and some even succumbed to tears.
[ " Captain, what do we do? I don't want to be captured by them, " ] one crew member anxiously implored.
Taking a bolder stance, another sailor suggested, [ " Captain, let's fight back! Turn the ship around at full speed and ram into them with all our might. Let's give those fish a taste of their own medicine! " ]
Colliding with a warship weighing over 3,000 tons, even as a large oil tanker surpassing 100,000 tons, would likely lead to the warship's sinking or, at the very least, severe damage.
However, Captain Jiang Xuyao gently shook his head, burdened with two concerns. Firstly, he dreaded the repercussions of potential crude oil leakage, knowing it would be a major catastrophe. Secondly, the opportunity had slipped away; their chances were virtually non-existent.
His heart brimmed with sorrow and an intense loathing toward these YD individuals.
Suddenly, a crew member's voice rang out in surprise, [ " Look, something's happening to their warship! " ]
Sailors with keen eyesight discerned panic aboard the opposing vessel. Some crew members appeared to be donning life jackets, signalling their imminent plunge into the sea.
Curiosity piqued, Jiang Xuyao reached for his binoculars to gain a clearer view, but even then, he couldn't fathom the perplexing turn of events.
[ " How is this possible? " ] he mumbled, bewildered by the inexplicable situation that had befallen the opposing warship.
[ " Are they experiencing some collective possession? " ]
Gradually, the grief and anger in his heart gave way to surprise as it became evident that a calamity had befallen the enemy warship.
Meanwhile, beneath the water's surface, Bawang, wielding its formidable 50-meter spear, systematically punctured the warship's hull, creating one gaping hole after another. The Overlord found immense pleasure in this task, revelling in the exhilaration of each forceful thrust.
With every piercing strike, a substantial volume of seawater surged into the warship as if it were an extravagant gift pouring in freely. Despite warships typically boasting watertight compartments designed to prevent sinking, such provisions proved futile against the many sizable holes Bawang inflicted upon the vessel.
The entire warship had become a sieve, rendering the watertight compartments useless. In certain instances, the Overlord's mighty spear even pierced through several layers of the warship with each forceful thrust.
Had the warship possessed thinner steel plates, the colossal spear might have cleaved it in half, penetrating from the deck—just as it had during the previous encounter with Al-Shabaab, where the second-hand warship suffered a similar fate.
After a while, the warship, now riddled with holes, began to list noticeably, prompting its occupants to hurriedly abandon ship, diving into the churning sea.
Among them, the Captain proved the most frantic. Even then, he remained oblivious to the cause of the massive breaches plaguing his vessel.
As he witnessed the warship tilt more precariously, his thoughts were consumed not by the mystery of the holes but rather by the urgent need to secure his survival.
Having pierced the ship approximately thirty to forty times, Bawang contentedly departed the scene, relishing in the spectacle from a safe distance of 300 to 400 meters.
Meanwhile, Liu Yong observed the extraordinary events unfold, delighting in a thrilling live broadcast from a third-party vision.
With each passing moment, his anger waned, replaced by a triumphant air. Gazing upon the sinking warship, he taunted, [ " A mere fool! Now they're a bunch of idiots. They actually dreamt of boarding our ship and seizing control. Don't they realize that the entire Indian Ocean bows to my authority? " ] Liu Yong yelled.
The crew aboard the "Shixiong" erupted in cheers. Witnessing the warship succumb to the depths before their eyes, they felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
Everyone revelled in the spectacle, indifferent to the sailors' plight, as their sole intention had been to seize control of the Global Shipping Group's vessel.
After observing the sinking warship for over half an hour, the "Shixiong" and "Shiyue" departed, leaving only a tiny portion of the wreckage barely visible above the water's surface.
One could only imagine the frustration such an experience instilled in the stranded YD sailors.
As the two ships sailed away, their horns resounded in unison, their piercing calls echoing.
The YD sailors, bobbing helplessly on the sea's surface, seething with anger, their desperate hope for rescue betrayed as the ships departed, leaving them to their fate.
Gradually, the vessels moved further apart, while over a hundred YD sailors found themselves scattered across the ocean. It was only a matter of time before some would succumb to the depths, sinking to the bottom of the abyss.
With waters exceeding a thousand meters in depth, any souls consigned to its depths would likely leave no trace behind.
[ " Master, what should we do next? " ] Overlord asked.
Having thoroughly enjoyed the captivating spectacle, Liu Yong's mood had improved considerably. He responded, [ " Take a break for now. If you're hungry, go ahead and eat. " ]
Meanwhile, Myron revelled in his good mood at the YD National Search and Rescue Center. Countermeasures had been implemented to compel the Global Shipping Group to return the stolen cultural relics.
One such measure involved dispatching warships to seize vessels across the globe, effectively pressuring Liu Yong into submission.
Sitting contentedly in his office, Myron sipped his coffee while discussing the matter with Gal.
[ " There's no suspense anymore. Our warships have been deployed and should have boarded their vessel by now. We'll receive good news soon, " ] Myron confidently declared.
Gal, whose position was subordinate to Myron, offered flattery, saying, [ " Leader, you truly have a way with handling things. " ]
Myron responded, [ " We have many methods at our disposal to deal with a mere Global Shipping Group. " ]
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