Well its time to leave the Red Gates, but we have a problem.

If the Ballista and Golden Hind's hull leave the cave together, we risk being seen by one of Lord Vickers' ships, if that happens they'll assume she's chasing me again and engage her. I told this to Hind and she had come up with a plan: I leave first and check if the coast is clear. If it is, then we can leave as normal, if a Royal Navy ship is out here with us, I distract them while Hind sneaks away, we both agreed they'd want to talk to me anyway if that happens so I don't mind that part.

What Hind wouldn't tell me however is how exactly she'd sneak by, its not like you can hide an entire ship the size of a galleon...can you? To be honest with what I've seen Hind pull off so far, I wouldn't be surprised if she could just straight up vanish without a trace. When I tried to ask how she was going to do it, Hind just laughed and said: "And ruin the surprise?" Its annoying how much she likes to toy with me.

Well here I was, at the wheel as I sailed the Ballista out the Red Gates cave, Hind was next to me, intending to jump overboard the moment we saw a navy ship. Fortunately I couldn't see any other ships around our immediate area. However we had a more unexpected problem; I could see another pirate ship on the horizon, heading our way. I looked over at Hind for her reaction, she didn't look worried, and even smiled.

"It seems we have guests, ready to test out your new powers for real Darling?" Hind chuckled as she stepped in front of the wheel. I take a deep breath before nodding to her.

"Yeah I... I'm ready, hopefully I don't screw up and get slaughtered by these guys." I reply, checking my weaponry. I feel one of Hind's tentacles gently wrap around my wrist, I look over at her and she's smiling sympathetically at me.

"I'll be right here if you mess up, but I have faith you can handle these guys easily, trust me~." Her tentacle caressed my palm as she said this, putting a small shiver through me. Then I realised she got a glint in her eye and smirked. "Tell you what; if I DO need to save you, we do a sex act of my choosing, but if you CAN handle these pirates on your own, you get to choose instead; either way I want a good time~" She chuckles again, holding her hand out to shake on it. I groan at the deal, but I got the feeling she wouldn't let me back out of it, so I just shake her hand.

"Fine, you're on." I agree. At least this way I have SOME control over what happens. I turn my attention back to Hind's hull, only to see its not behind us, instead I just see disturbed water, as if something was under the surface...no way... "Hind...is your hull...underwater?" I ask her as Hind places her hands on the side. Hind gasped over-dramatically before replying.

"Oh you figured it out? You ARE smart darling! Yes it is~" Hind giggled. "Its how I normally travel if I'm in dangerous seas, but since I need to keep you safe, I'll stick with you~" She teased, winking at me before jumping into the water. I sigh, focusing on heading out to sea, that pirate ship has definitely seen me, its then I notice its being followed by two smaller war sloops, the first ship being a frigate, much like the Ballista.

In order to not tip off the pirates that I wasn't intimidated by them, I made it look like I was trying to avoid them, they had adjusted course to intercept me. With just a thought, I readied my cannons, while I could easily take the sloops in a fight, the frigate was at a similar power level to the Ballista, so fighting that thing would be very risky. Golden Hind could probably take on all three of these ships no problem, she is a kansen after all, but since that would mean she'd get to fuck me afterwards, I didn't bother to factor Hind into my plans.

Here's how we look: The Ballista is currently crossing the T, The pirate ships have their bows pointing at my ship's side, So unless these ships have bow chasers, cannons that shoot forwards, there is no way for them to return fire, I couldn't see any chasers on the Sloops since all their cannons are on one deck, but the frigate was harder to read since they could be hidden behind trap doors.

Deciding to stand my ground, I aim my cannons at one of the sloops, hoping to take it out of the fight straight away. They were still pretty far away, so I had no idea if I could hit them accurately from here. I catch a glimpse of a black and blue Jolly Rodger flag at the top of the frigate's main mast, with the skull wearing a captain's cap instead of a bandanna or something more...pirate themed. Huh, these guys are part of the Blue Baroness' fleet, shouldn't be too hard to-

BOOM! BOOM!

I see a flash and then two puffs of smoke from the front of the frigate, yep it turned out they DID have bow chasers. Fortunately, it seemed their gunners didn't know how to lead a moving target, since the splashes from the cannonballs were far behind the Ballista. I decided against returning fire right away, we were still too far apart for any kind of accuracy, I knew enough about the more common pirates to know that this was just intimidation, a way to scare their target into making mistakes or herd them into dangerous places.

But sadly for these guys, I'm a heavily armed freelancer, and no stranger to armed conflicts like this. Instead of letting them drive me forward, I turned my ship so I was still crossing the T with them, letting the pirates make the mistake of turning into the arc of my cannons. One of the sloops broke formation with the frigate and turned sharply, taking a parallel course with the Ballista, the other sloop also sped up attempting to get behind me.

I've seen this kind of tactic before: the biggest ship will try to distract me as the other ships will attempt to get right up to my ship. The sloop behind me will probably attack my rudder and sails, the first will simply run interference and the frigate will try to grind me down.

Not today.

I will all the Ballista's port cannons to fire, even with hundreds of feet of water between us, I hear the crew of the first sloop panic as a barrage of cannonballs rip their ship apart. One lucky shot hits the mast and knocks down their main sails. The sloop starts falling behind and I flip them the bird as I pull away.

"Yeah its a lot harder when we shoot back innit?!" I yell to them. I turn my attention to the other sloop. Its directly behind the Ballista, trying hard to keep up with me. I look over at the frigate, it too is focusing more on keeping up with me, it sails right past the stricken wreck of the first sloop, sucks to be them I guess. The frigate's bow chasers fire again, this time they hit me. The Ballista shudders briefly as a cannonball smashes through part of the captain's quarters. The second one misses again, splashing into the water just off the port bow.

I drop the starboard anchor to club-haul the ship around, bring my starboard cannons to bear on the next sloop, I caught a glimpse of the smaller ship's captain's surprised face as I unleashed more steel fury upon his vessel. The sloop's crew screamed as their ship collapsed around them, since it was facing me, less of my cannons could hit the ship, so unfortunately it was still seaworthy...barely.

The frigate moved in front the sloop to defend it, before turning to return fire with its own broadside cannons. Out of reflex, I put a hand to my face as I braced for impact. Fortunately they were terrible shots, most of that barrage went straight into the water just metres from the hull, but two cannonballs did find purchase, and punched through into the lower deck.

I groaned as I willed the rigging and sheets to start plugging the holes with my core, I had a choice as I was staring down the pirate frigate: I could stay here and focus on reloading my cannons, they'd be ready before their guns, but it likely wouldn't sink the ship in one salvo and I'd be vulnerable to a counter attack. I could move away as they saved their allies, but I'd likely run into them again if I didn't deal with them now.

Then I had an idea.

I turn the Ballista to move closer, likely confusing the pirates with my aggressive action. I manoeuvre the ship so that I'll be behind the frigate, the pirates attempt to pull away, but before they can get very far...

I leapt the nearly 30 foot gap between our ships, I had intended to simply jump into onto the water's surface, but since I don't know my new strength yet, I had yeeted myself onto the pirate frigate! I cry out as I crash straight the window of the captain's quarters, scattering glass and splinters of wood across the floor, since they were all outside on deck, no one was inside, but I knew that would change in a matter of seconds.

I get up, brush myself off and draw my sword and gun. I heard clamouring as the crew realised what happened, a few men burst through the door, taking positions around me, growling and shaky from the first fight between me and their fleet. Clearly mad that I could actually fight back.

"Gerroff our ship boy! 'Fore we gut you like a trout!" One of them threatened. I glare back at him and point my own sword at the man who yelled.

"Bold of you to call this scrapheap a ship." I taunt, chuckling a little. Clearly I pissed someone off with that line, as another pirate screamed with inarticulate rage, swinging his cutlass around as he charged me, quickly aiming my pistol, I blast a hole in the berserker's chest, he staggers back as blood leaked through his shirt, gurgling a little before falling over dead. That attack prompted the rest of the pirates to rush me, yelling more insults and taunts as we begin our fight.

Fortunately my improved strength helped me out here, every time I swung my scimitar, I knocked a cutlass from a pirates hand, leaving them scrambling to pick it back up as their friends attacked me. An opening presented itself, and I kicked one of the men in the chest, he cried out as he went flying into a wall, denting the wood as he impacted it before going limp, knocked out most likely. Their were three men left from this group, they'd lost their initial confidence watching me kick that last guy, making less threats and seemed less aggressive in general.

"What? You thought this would be easy assholes?!" I scream before knocking over a table between us, the stuff on top clattering to the floor, I chase the men around the room, clearly they were being more cautious now, since it was obvious I was way stronger than the average man, then as hard as I can, I kick the table. It crashed into all three pirates, smashing them straight through the already broken window, breaking the rest of it and sending the men screaming and falling into the water below.

I hear another yell from behind me as more pirates storm into the room, another group of five. One man duel wielding two pistols, a bigger man swung a chain around like a make-shift whip, chuckling evilly. The rest all held cutlass swords like the first group. I threw my now empty pistol at one of the cutlass men, the thick hilt of the gun bonked him on the head, he groaned for a moment before falling over, knocked out. The big guy with the chain swung it down towards me with a shout, I side step the attack as the chain smashes another table, splitting it in two and denting the wooden floor.

"Whoa...who's gonna explain that to your captain?" I joke as my sword clashes with the swords of the other two pirates. I'm just grinding blades with one of them, when the other takes his chance to attempt a cheap backstab. I smirk as I finally reveal my secret weapons; a water tentacle wraps around his sword, blocking his attack. I look back with a snigger at his shocked face before I yank away his blade.

"W-what is this witchcraft?" He demands in a frightened tone, backing away. I don't reply, instead I simply swing the tentacle across his face, knocking him out. I look back at the remaining pirates in front of me, who all looked just as shocked and scared as the first guy. The pirate who's cutlass I was pressing my sword against, fell to the floor in his fear.

"Every man for himself!" He screamed as he scrambled back to his feet and ran out the room. The big guy growled at his crew-mate's cowardice before sweeping his chain at me, I swung my tentacle at the same time, catching his chain mid-swing. At the same time, I summon another tentacle and slammed it into the gunslinger pirate's side, he cries out, falling to the floor and dropping his guns. With the second tentacle I then harden its tip into ice and slice off the big guy's hands, he screams in pain for a moment, before my tentacle comes round again, this time going for his neck.

His screaming instantly stops, becoming a gurgling death rattle as blood leaked from the new gash in his throat. He fell onto his back, dead before hitting the floor. The gunslinger saw what I did and crawled towards his pistols, whimpering in desperation. But before he could grab them, I wrapped a tentacle around his ankle and pulled him up, he cried out as I held him upside down, waving his limbs madly.

"So who's your captain bilge rat?" I ask, pointing my scimitar at him, he went wide eyed as he realised he had no way out.

"Whoa easy boy! H-hes still on the main deck! Brown dreadlocks and red coat! Can't miss him!" He shouted at me.

"Thank you, have fun in the water!" I chuckle, he starts saying 'no' rapid fire, just before I chuck him out the window with a laugh. I pick up the guns he left behind, holster one of them, and hold the other one in my left hand, while keeping the sword in my right hand. My tentacles hardened their tips in ice as I climbed up the steps to the main deck.

Being this powerful really is as fun as you'd imagine it to be. I wouldn't have even attempted something like this before meeting Hind, but with these abilities, I felt unstoppable! I come out onto the deck, the rest of the pirate crew focusing on rescuing their comrades on the disabled sloops, while I had been fighting in the captain's quarter's, these guys had saved their friends. Guess its time to ruin their day.

"Hes here! GET THAT MANGY WITCH RAT!" I hear a gruff voice from above me. I look up and the captain is up there, dreadlocks and a red coat just like that gunslinger had said. I yelp as I see a bunch of guns point at me, I do a forward roll behind some barrels, evading the incoming bullets, using my tentacles to keep myself in cover, I grab on of the barrels and throw it. I hear a crash and some groans of pain, confirming I knocked some of them down. I look over at the main mast of the ship and with a mighty whip crack, I slice the mast's base with a tentacle.

"Timber~" I mutter, watching with a chuckle as the wood groaned and creaked with the massive mast's slow movement. A few shouts and screams of panic later, the mast crashed down onto the deck, its sails blanketing most of the forward section, causing a lot of confusion as men were trapped under it.

A few more pirates tried to rush me, but acting quickly I managed to single out and defeat each one. I gave a roundhouse kick to one of them, throwing him clean off the ship and into the sea with a scream. Another came at me in a sword swing frenzy, I tentacle whip his hand off, making him shriek in agony as a torrent of blood poured from where his sword hand used to be. With a punch to the head, he was knocked out, probably a mercy for him. One last pirate tried his luck by yelling and charging at me, but I simply shot him in the head with the gun I stole, he was dead before he hit the floor.

But then I myself screamed in pain, feeling a sharp, hot sensation in my back. I fall to my knee for a moment as I turn to look at the captain, he was holding a smoking pistol that he was pointing at me.

"Ye put up a good fight witch boy, but enough is enough." The captain gloated as he threw away the spent pistol and pulled another out from his coat. "Surrender now, or the next shot goes through ye skull." He threatened. His words would have cowed any other person into submission, but as he had been speaking, I felt the pain fade from my back, using a tentacle, I gently prodded the area where the shot hit me, I felt a little wound there, but I could feel it slowly closing...I have healing powers too?

I laugh darkly as I realised I was in no real danger from these guys, standing to my feet and sneering up at the captain, who seemed to realise I was no longer injured, as his cocky smile faded into a look of sheer horror.

"Maybe you should have done that first captain..." I taunt as I coil up one of my water tentacles for an attack. He shoots me again, but I was ready this time, with my new reflexes a second tentacle deflected the shot away from my face, with the first tentacle, in a split second, I rammed it straight through the captain's chest, in his last few seconds alive, the captain gave a gasping scream, slowly looking back over his shoulder to see...his heart skewered along the icy tip of my tentacle. He dropped his pistol and went limp, allowing me to retract my limb.

"The captain...he's dead?" A crew man asked, looking up at the top deck where the captain just was, I turn around and see the remaining crew members watching me, I think they gave up trying to fight me, just holding up their hands in a submissive way.

"Yes, and for the crime of piracy, so are all of you." I reply darkly, I jump up onto the stump that used to be the main mast, I retract the tentacles, and I try something new. I combine the water the tentacles are made of and merge them together, creating two thicker tentacles in the process, I could feel the enormous weight and mass these new limbs had, making them a little unwieldy, but I had a plan.

I jumped almost 20 feet into the air and with a yell, I swing both tentacles down towards the ship itself, cleaving the whole thing in two. The crew all screamed as the two halves groaned and tilted towards each other, using one of the masts, I swing myself back out to the Ballista, which I ordered to come up to the frigate as it started to sink. As I land I de-manifest my water tentacles. I look back at the sinking frigate for a moment, my initial euphoria from the power trip starting to fade as I realised just what I did...

I destroyed a pirate fleet single handedly...well a small one, but still...that is no small achievement. But then I was horrified at what I had done, I had killed several of them, quite brutally too. I don't know how sea worthy those sloops are due to their battle damage, but if they can't help what remains of this frigate crew, they were doomed. What do I do about that? I mean I know they're pirates, but I'm responsible for this...not to mention the Blue Baroness herself will put a price of my head for this. I've been in battles with pirates before, but this was the first time I've utterly destroyed them.

"Darling...wow..." I hear a familiar voice from behind me. Hind had appeared on deck and walked over to me, looking on in awe at the wrecked frigate. "That was...incredible...I wasn't sure you'd learn so fast." She admitted. I sigh and look away as she kept admiring my work.

"Yeah but...all those men...I've never fought back so hard against these guys, I feel a little guilty actually." I lean against one of the Ballista's masts and sigh heavily, I feel a hand on my cheek, and look up to see Hind smiling at me kindly.

"You did well Ken, those men wouldn't have shown you any mercy if you held back, I'm glad you're OK." Hind told me. "Besides, Lord Vickers and his men wouldn't have let them go either, a lot of these pirates are arseholes anyway." She added, she then took my hand and led me to the captain's quarters as I willed the Ballista to sail away.

"Thanks Hind, I...needed that." I tell her.

"Not a problem darling, you can repay by telling me what you'd like me to do to you in bed~" She replied huskily. I roll my eyes, well at least I'll have some semblance of control this time.