The Restoration of Rome: In the Name of Augustus

Chapter 53 A Unique Bumper Boat Battle

In early April of 1182 in the Julian calendar, three days after Baldwin led his army out of Jerusalem, a round ship, escorted by two galleys, sailed smoothly toward Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea.

At this moment, Lyon stood on the port side of the galley deck of the round ship, gazing at the endless sea. His uncle, Jacob, dressed in Templar cloak and chainmail, and Count Raymond of Tripoli stood beside him. Around them stood rows of soldiers holding crossbows.

Lyon and Reynald were of the same mind when it came to spending their dinars on the blade. These soldiers were from the garrison of Jerusalem, wearing pointed helmets with chainmail hoods, chainmail neck guards covering their chins and shoulders, short chainmail, leather gloves, and leggings like those of the soldiers of Caleb. They had steel crossbow quivers tied to their right hips, and a flail hanging slightly in the center.

The flail was originally used as a farming tool, but it is also excellent as a weapon. It allows for rapid training and is relatively easy to strike heavily armored targets.

Each of them had a large square shield at their feet, leaning against the ship's side, with movable supports behind the shields.

Unusually, these soldiers did not expose their armor; instead, they wore large linen overcoats that covered almost to their thighs.

At that moment, Robert, the royal architect's chief steward, pleaded from behind Lyon: "My lords, let's go back to our cabins. It's dangerous and easy to be exposed outside!"

Jacob turned around impatiently and muttered, "Lord Robert, we're just taking His Highness out for some fresh air. We'll be back in the cabin soon. What's the rush?"

"I'm in a hurry, I'm in such a hurry..."

Robert was devastated. Since partnering with the Kingdom of Jerusalem, his business had flourished, with merchant ships constantly joining his fleet, shuttling between Sicily and the Levant. However, in recent days, his fleet had been repeatedly attacked by pirates, suffering heavy losses despite his hastily reinforced defenses. He didn't hesitate to appeal to Jerusalem for help, only to find that the wise King Baldwin was not in the Holy City, but had already taken his army to Transjordan. Instead, he was met by a mere ten-year-old boy. He had originally planned to request several lords to accompany him with troops to suppress the pirates, but this little prince insisted on coming along, claiming he wanted to disguise himself as an ordinary merchant ship for a "fishing operation"...

"Let's go back." Leon couldn't bear to look at Robert's bitter face, so he turned around and went back into the cabin, with Jacob and Raymond following closely behind.

At that moment, a sailor on the mast shouted, "Watch out! Right side!"

Robert's face drained of color instantly. Almost instinctively, Jacob and Raymond stepped forward, shielding Lyon behind them. The soldiers on deck maintained the relaxed posture of caravan guards, but every pair of eyes sharply scanned the sea to their right.

On the horizon, a few black dots appeared first, then quickly expanded into an ominous mass of sails. The number of boats far exceeded expectations; they swarmed out from behind a hidden reef area, their hulls nimble and their sails billowing.

Raymond stared intently at the silhouette of the ship, his face grim. "This is bad. These aren't ordinary pirates. There are Arab salandi warships, but even more Venetian galleys. Who are they?" He whirled around, glaring at Robert. "Lord Robert, you didn't say that before!"

"Jesus above..." Robert's voice trembled with tears, "I don't know... how... how there are so many! Maybe it's because... because they expanded their operations after the previous raids?"

Jacob cursed under his breath, "I'm really destined to be at odds with pirates for life..." He closed his visor, drew his longsword, and shouted to the soldiers, "All hands on deck! Crossbowmen, take your positions!"

The soldiers, originally disguised as merchants, sprang into action instantly. They kicked aside the large square shields at their feet, and the supports snapped open, securing the shields firmly to the ship's side, forming a makeshift protective wall. The linen coats covering their chainmail were thrown off, and the cold bolts of their crossbows gleamed in the sunlight as they were aimed at the approaching enemy ship.

The pirate ships, with their superior numbers and agility, quickly completed the encirclement. Although the ships were luxuriously equipped, the pirates on board were by no means elite. They howled, brandishing their scimitars and axes, and arrows began to be fired sporadically at the Calais ship where Lyon was, clanging and clattering against the shields and deck.

The crossbowmen swiftly nocked their arrows, waiting for the enemy's volley to weaken slightly before rising and unleashing a volley. The pirates on the outer perimeter of the pirate ship fell like straw in autumn harvest. The enemy's arrows struck the Jerusalem crossbowmen, piercing their outer linen robes but being deflected by their inner chainmail. After one volley, the crossbowmen immediately knelt, resting their backs against their shields and nocking their arrows.

"We can't let them drag this out!" Earl Raymond frowned, his sword already drawn. "Our ships are stronger than theirs, but we are far outnumbered. If we are boarded at multiple points, even if their weapons can't kill our soldiers, they will inevitably fall into the water. We must find their leader and take down the commander!"

Lyon was tightly protected by Jacob and several guards. His heart was pounding, but his mind was unusually calm. His gaze swept quickly across the restless pirate fleet, past the menacing faces and the tangled flags. There were indeed too many of them. Even if they could severely damage the enemy, there would inevitably be some who escaped. Letting him escape would be a major threat.

Just then, his gaze froze.

Behind several pirate ships attempting to approach and prepare to throw their grappling hooks, a slightly larger, unassuming vessel followed at a leisurely pace. On its prow, an object gleamed dazzlingly in the sunlight—a gilded, oddly shaped statue of the head of a sea goddess!

Lyon's heart skipped a beat, and he nudged Accord. Accord turned his head, curiously following Lyon's gaze, and froze when he saw the familiar gilded goddess head. They exchanged a glance and simultaneously uttered that familiar name:

"Zahir?!"

"What Zahir?" Raymond turned his head in confusion.

"Count!" Lyon's voice pierced the clamor, carrying an undeniable certainty. "Look at that ship! The one with the gilded goddess statue on its prow! That must be the pirate captain's ship!"

Seeing Raymond's still bewildered expression, Leon abruptly pointed at the ship and ordered Earl Raymond, "No time for explanations! Ignore the other vessels, order all our ships to concentrate fire, full speed ahead, ram it! Keep a close watch on it, board it!"

Raymond nodded in understanding, and his order was immediately relayed at the top of his lungs. The horn sounded urgent and high-pitched. The two Calais escort ships, which had been maneuvering around the surrounding pirate ships, and the round ship used as bait, simultaneously changed direction. The oarsmen strained with all their might, the oars cutting through the water, and the three ships, like giant beasts suddenly awakened, ignored the arrows coming from both sides and the smaller pirate ships trying to stop them, and charged toward the pirate ship with the gilded goddess statue.

This sudden, targeted attack clearly threw the pirates into disarray. They cried out in panic, and several nearby pirate ships frantically tried to cut in, using their hulls to block the way, while arrows and javelins became even more concentrated.

The shouts of pirates, a mixture of Latin and Arabic, came from above.

"Protect the leader!"

"Stop them!"

But the Jerusalem soldiers' superior weaponry prevailed. A light pirate ship attempting to block them was rammed by the sturdy bow of the Calais, splinters flying, the hull groaning painfully as it veered to one side.

Jerusalem crossbowmen's crossbow bolts, like the Grim Reaper's arrows, thwarted the pirates' repeated charges against the Calais ship where Lyon was located. After paying the price of several diluted impacts on the side of the ship and countless arrows striking it, they finally forced their way through the last obstacle. With a violent friction and impact sound, the ship slammed into the main ship.

"Board!" Jacob was the first to leap onto the swaying deck, his longsword whistling through the air as he instantly decapitated a charging pirate. Earl Raymond followed closely behind, his sword flashing.

The battle escalated rapidly. The deck transformed into a bloody arena. Jerusalem soldiers, shields raised, led the charge, while crossbowmen wielded their powerful crossbows at close range, their bolts easily piercing the pirates' rudimentary leather and even chainmail armor. The flail, an unconventional weapon, proved its might in the chaos, each swing leaving the pirates helpless. They fought their way through, their target the figure surrounded by a throng of loyal pirates at the stern.

As Accord and Lyon pushed through the soldiers' encirclement and simultaneously gazed upon that familiar bronze-skinned face with a scar running from their left brow bone to their chin, even though they had mentally prepared themselves, they couldn't help but gasp in surprise:

"Zahir!"