BooksBarbecue
Back The Ring of Wind Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. CHRIS BRADFORD
  2. Contents
  3. Map: The Japans – 17th Century
  4. The Letter
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. Notes on the Sources
  69. Ninja Pirate Ship Competition
  70. Japanese Glossary
  71. Acknowledgements

The weary oarsmen propelled the Koketsu down the seemingly endless length of the Nihon Maru. All the time musket shot, arrows and cannon battered the crumbling pirate ship. Jack took shelter with Li Ling behind a pile of ropes as shards of wood and lethal projectiles tore through the air. Jack realized their chances of survival were almost nil. The Nihon Maru was proving indestructible and another ramming raid would surely see the Koketsu blasted out of the water. If by some miracle they managed to retreat to the protection of Pirate Island, the Sea Samurai would simply surround them. Daimyo Mori would show no quarter to the Wind Demons – he had a personal vendetta to wipe the pirate clans out forever.

With their downfall assured, Jack thought of Yori, Miyuki and Saburo imprisoned in the citadel. Would they be shown any mercy by the Sea Samurai? It seemed unlikely. His friends would either be killed in the fighting or recognized as his accomplices and put to death for treason. Jack cursed himself for letting them ever come on this journey in the first place. He should have insisted that they left him in Tomo Harbour. Now he was powerless to save his loyal friends.

As the Koketsu rounded the Nihon Maru’s bow and took up position for a fifth and no doubt final run, Jack glanced up at the insurmountable sides of the command ship. Hundreds of armed soldiers lined its battlements, primed to launch a devastating salvo at them. Jack noticed that the Nihon Maru was now listing heavily to starboard. For a moment, he thought that she had been holed. But it was just the weight of the soldiers causing her to tilt, daimyo Mori having mustered the majority of his men to one side for maximum firepower.

Seeing this, Jack smiled to himself. He had found the weak spot.

56

Image Missing
Tug-of-War

‘FIRE!’ ordered Jack to the gunmen.

The Koketsu roared with cannon blasts. Jack watched the daejon arrows arc into the smoke-filled sky.

‘For all our sakes, your plan had better work,’ said Tatsumaki.

Jack could only pray that it would. The Pirate Queen had taken some persuasion to stop her ramming raid, but once he’d pointed out the Nihon Maru’s weak spot she’d understood. Hurried adjustments to every cannon followed, the gunners toiling hard as they shifted their weapons into the steepest possible trajectory. Ropes were lashed together and fed out of the portholes before being secured to the Koketsu’s stern. Every Wind Demon, except the gunnery crews, was assigned to the oars. But the most difficult part of the plan was to ensure the daejon arrows hit their target first time.

There would be no second chance.