Chapter 449 Gunships Roam Freely, Terrifying the Enemy; Blood and Fire Reign Supreme in Ryukyu

Ryukyu waters, dark night, high wind.

The Han vanguard fleet, under the cover of night, arrived at the designated waters like ghosts. Minister of Military Affairs Li Chengfeng stood on the bridge of the "Wave Breaker No. 1," observing the faint lights of Naha Port in the distance through his binoculars, a cold sneer appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Inside the port, the Wokou garrison fleet in Ryukyu was completely unprepared. Their patrol boats were still lazily circling along old routes, never noticing that a force capable of destroying them was already close at hand.

"Signalman." Minister of Military Affairs Li Chengfeng lowered his binoculars, his voice kept very low.

"Here!"

"Order 'Wave Breaker No. 2' and 'Wave Breaker No. 3' to move out five miles outside the port from the left and right flanks, and blockade the channel. Do not open fire without my orders."

"Understood!"

The signal lamp flashed silently in the night using preset codes. The two gunboats, like panthers in the night, quietly detached from the main fleet and split up to encircle the two flanks of the port.

"The remaining Treasure Ships are to stand by in place, ready to intercept any enemy ships that might attempt to escape. The marines are to prepare for landing."

Orders were issued methodically. At that moment, the mind of Minister of Military Affairs Li Chengfeng was like a precise calculator, taking all possible situations into account.

At dawn, the sky was just beginning to lighten. A thin morning mist covered the sea surface.

This was the time when people were most exhausted and their vigilance was at its lowest.

"The time has come." Minister of Military Affairs Li Chengfeng looked at the eastern horizon, which was beginning to show a glimmer of white, and decisively ordered, " 'Wave Breaker No. 1,' Steam Engine at full power! Target, the largest Atakebune in the port! Give them an opening salvo to remember!"

"Woo — —"

The whistle of "Wave Breaker No. 1" let out a roar that tore through the silence. The pressure in the boiler instantly rose to its peak, the huge paddle wheels spun frantically, and the entire warship shot toward Naha Port like an arrow released from a bow.

Inside the port, the Wokou sentries were scared out of their wits by the sudden whistle. Rubbing their sleepy eyes, they looked at the sea, only to see a steel monster emitting black smoke, charging toward them at an incredible speed.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" The shrill sound of the alarm bell finally rang out in the port.

Chaos erupted in the Wokou camp. Countless Wokou soldiers rushed out of their barracks, disheveled, staring blankly at the "monster ship" that was getting closer.

Their commander, a general named Matsushita Goro, hurriedly boarded his flagship, a massive Atakebune. He looked at the Han ship charging alone and revealed an expression of both shock and contempt.

"A single ship dares to assault my port? Is it crazy?" Matsushita Goro drew his katana and shouted sharply, "Pass the order! All warships, set sail immediately, surround it, and tear it to pieces for me!"

More than thirty Wokou warships, like a poked hornet's nest, sailed out of the port in disarray, attempting to form a huge encirclement.

However, they severely underestimated the strength of their opponent.

"Range finding!" The voice of Minister of Military Affairs Li Chengfeng was calm, without a ripple.

"Report, Superintendent, distance to the enemy flagship is six miles!"

"Six miles..." Minister of Military Affairs Li Chengfeng sneered. For the old-fashioned cannons of the Wokou, which had a range of less than two miles, this distance was desperate. But for "Thors Hammer," it was just right.

"Forward main gun, target the enemy flagship, shrapnel shell, one round, calibration shot! Fire!"

"Boom!"

The bow of "Wave Breaker No. 1" jolted violently, and the 75mm main gun let out its first roar of this war. A shell, with a sharp whistle, cut through the six-mile distance and landed precisely in the water in front of Matsushita Goro's flagship.

"Boom!"

The shell exploded the moment it touched the water, kicking up a water column several zhang high, and countless steel balls and shrapnel, like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, swept across the deck of the flagship. Screams erupted instantly on the deck, and several Wokou gunners operating the cannons were torn apart by shrapnel on the spot.

Matsushita Goro was stunned by this unprecedented scene.

Six miles away, a precise hit! And that shell, it actually exploded on the water surface?

"Fire! Return fire! What are you all staring at!" He roared hoarsely.

The Wokou warships turned their cannons one after another and fired blindly in the direction of "Wave Breaker No. 1." However, their shells, without exception, fell helplessly into the sea after flying only one or two miles, not even touching the edge of "Wave Breaker No. 1."

"Superintendent, the enemy's artillery cannot hit us!" The observer reported excitedly.

"As expected." Minister of Military Affairs Li Chengfeng's face was calm as an ancient well. "Pass on my order, the whole ship is to enter 'beat-down' mode. Maintain a distance of five miles, circle their fleet, and fire at will! Let the brothers get some good practice!"

"Beat-down mode" was a tactic created by Minister of Military Affairs Li Chengfeng during training, targeting the advantages of the "Wave Breaker" class gunboats. Using speed and range advantages, they always kept a safe distance where "I can hit you, but you can't hit me," and like flying a kite, they would erode the enemy bit by bit.

The chimney of "Wave Breaker No. 1" spewed thicker black smoke, and it traced a graceful arc, beginning to sail at high speed around the periphery of the Wokou fleet. The two main guns on the ship, like precise markers, began shooting in a leisurely manner.

"Boom!"

An explosive shell hit the side of a Sekibune in the Wokou fleet directly. The thin wooden hull was like paper in the violent explosion, blasted open into a huge hole. Flames, accompanied by thick smoke, gushed out from the cabin. The Wokou on the ship cried and jumped into the icy seawater. In just a few minutes, the warship broke in two and sank slowly.

"Boom! Boom!"

The sound of cannons rang out continuously. Every cannon shot meant that a Wokou warship had suffered a devastating blow.

The Wokou fleet was in complete disarray. Their proud numerical advantage became a joke in the face of this dimensional reduction strike. They wanted to encircle, but they couldn't catch up to the speed of "Wave Breaker No. 1." They wanted to fight back, but they couldn't reach the hull of "Wave Breaker No. 1." They wanted to run, but they found that at some point, two identical "monsters" had appeared on the two flanks of the port, sealing their retreat with precise artillery fire.

This was no longer a naval battle; this was a one-sided slaughter.

Matsushita Goro watched helplessly as his fleet, one after another, turned into wreckage amidst explosions and flames. His pride, his Bushido spirit, were smashed to pieces by the roar of "Thors Hammer."

"Devil... this is a devil's warship..." He knelt on the deck, spiritless, muttering to himself.

When the last Wokou warship was hit in the mast by a shell from "Wave Breaker No. 3," caught fire, and ran helplessly aground on the beach, the entire Ryukyu outer sea had turned into a burning hell.

On the sea, there was wreckage of ships everywhere, and Wokou struggling and calling for help in the water.

Minister of Military Affairs Li Chengfeng raised his binoculars and calmly examined the battlefield.

In this battle, the Han vanguard fleet's three "Wave Breaker" class gunboats were unscathed, and the twenty Treasure Ships didn't even fire a shot. Meanwhile, the Wokou Ryukyu garrison fleet, thirty-seven warships in total, were completely annihilated!