North x Northwest

Chapter 51

As soon as those words left her mouth, Lils crew opened fire.

Pang! Pang!-

Screams transcended the sound of gunfire. Lil, who tried to get herself closer to the mast, was hugged by Ed as he bowed his head.

Because of the long reload time, hand-to-hand battle is next

Lil shook off Eds arms that were tightly wrapped around her body and peered carefully behind the mast. The sailors who came down from the nets were indeed preparing their hooks.

Deck masters from both ships shouted simultaneously.

Throw the hooks!

-Tung! Tung!-

The sound of metal thrown into the air and hitting the railing could be heard from all directions. Lil watched with anguish as some of the Bell Rocks sailors, who were cutting the lines with their axes, were shot by the Western pirates. From both sides, sailors throwing hooks, sailors crossing the ships by hanging from the rigging and sailors cutting the lines, they were all shot and fell into the sea in vain.

We have to move quickly.

However, the upper deck was a complete mess, so moving quickly was going to be hard. There were no gaps as the fight was in full swing. Lil searched for the path that looked the fastest. The stern, where at first glance only corpses were piled up, seemed quiet for now.

Im heading to the stern.

What?

Cover my back.

Before even hearing Eds answer, Lil was about to jump up

Uh-huh, where do you think youre going?

A sharp blade touched Lils nape. She was still half-seated when she lifted her eyes upwards to identify the swords owner. His face was barely visible, but it was clear he was one of the remaining officers. Ed was also spotted and a gun was being pointed at his back. When the enraged officer applied force to the tip of the sword, a stinging pain pierced her flesh.

Youre the cause of this mess, arent you? Huh?

Pang!

A bullet answered instead of Lil.

With a single shot of gunfire, the officers body went down. Lil stared at his bloodied stomach as soon as he collapsed.

Are you okay?

It was a familiar and clear voice amidst the chaos. Before Lil even checked his face, she nodded unconsciously. Cesar lifted her up and immediately pulled her in a tight embrace.

Are you headed toward the stern?

Yes.

Lil, suddenly aware of Ed, pushed Cesar off a little.

What would he think when he sees two men hugging each other?

Well run along the railing on the left. Ill take care of the front, Cesar on the right, and Ed at the back.

Lil quickly grabbed the gun that was aimed at Ed only moments ago. After she also picked up the sword, she ran at full speed toward the stern.

Lil had to shoot a big guy rushing in front of them and jumped over the fallen body. Meanwhile, Ed slashed down a few pirates and even dealt with one that clung to Cesar. Suddenly, a familiar voice pierced her ear, Lil gasped shallowly and glanced around.

Theyre coming to the stern!..

The toothless bastard blocked the stairs to the stern. Judging from his inability to move, he seemed to have broken his leg by the fall earlier.

Theyre on the stern!..

The guy who has my necklace!

Hey!

Thinking it would be the last chance to deal with him, Lil began to speed up. At the same time, large men who heard the voice also looked around the stern.

If they reach this side, it will prolong the fight.

There was nothing but a corpse left between her and him. As Cesar and Ed were both engaged in their own battles, they couldnt help her. After some hesitation, Lil threw away her worries and ran toward the stairs.

Toward the stern! Theyre coming to the stern!..

Her opponent was dragging himself up the stairs by his elbows, all the while giggling at Lil. The strange cracking sound of his laughter mixed with the battle cries. Lil quickly closed the distance with the ugly-faced man. Five more steps. Her right arm that was holding her sword, was already raised high. The guy, who was still laughing with his mouth open, lifted a flute-like thing to his lips. It was a thin and short flute that shed never seen before

Captain!

Hwik!

Her blade, whose trajectory was changed due to someones interference, cut diagonally across the mans abdomen. As a result, a variety of jewels spewed out of the ruptured front pocket. Among the brightly coloured stones, only one stood out. Lil reached out toward the red jewel that soared through the air.

I cant miss it!

After catching it, the mans face became visible behind her clenched fist and the strange flute was directed towards her. Suddenly, the sharp end sprayed some powder. Rooted on her spot, Lil could only look at the blue powder that explodes like fireworks in front of her nose. However, her vision gradually tilted. She didnt know what had happened but she started to fall sideways. Lil glanced at Ed, who had appeared out of nowhere and had pushed her aside. Because of this, her body was now out of the blue powders range. The last thing she saw before banging her head on the deck was the dust blasting into Eds face.

Thud!

Lil, who had no time to break her fall, lifted her head in pain.

Hey!

But Ed didnt answer. Facing the sun, Lil held her hand in front of her forehead and looked up. Standing tall in front of her, Eds back and shoulders staggered as he began coughing. He tried to shake off the dust by waving his hand, but it didnt seem to help. Lil got up on her knees and tried to support Ed who was struggling to even stand upright at this point, but the moment he turned

Pang!

Eds body shook in shock and Lils vision was obscured by his back. Without knowing the reason, she could only watch as the shirt she was holding slowly dyed red. Because she had not yet figured out the situation, Lil let out a futile sound.

What

Eds body, which couldnt support itself anymore, fell towards her and his brown hair brushed her nose. Behind Eds collapsed body, she could see a man pointing a still smoking gun. The guy chuckled as Lil received Ed in her arms and let out a shrill cry.

Ed!

Lil barely managed to catch Ed without falling back. Seeing his trembling eyes, Lil spits out a curse.

You crazy bastard!

Captain The blue powder Didnt you recognize it?.. Its their drug tool

Lil glanced at Ed, who was muttering useless words while the man who shot Ed was busy reloading his gun. Lil immediately got back to her senses and rummaged around her waist for her dagger. In the meantime, a short gust of wind blew past her ear and she reflexively turned her head to the side.

Huh? Is it already in front of me?

Cesar was crossing her view. He jumped up the stairs in an instant and stabbed the man in the chest without hesitation. The trembling body, which was stabbed at a vital point, was unable to counterattack and soon drooped.

Cesar!

Lil wrapped her left arm around Eds back to lift him up.

Captain You wont be able to carry me

Ed, who sounded like he could collapse out any moment, grabbed Lils hand and brought it to his side. Lil noticed that his hand, that was covering hers, was shaking.

Its because hes bleeding out.

Lils hand began to soak in Eds blood as she let herself be guided in the right direction, before pressing hard on the gunshot wound.

Please stop the bleeding

Lil muttered something unconsciously.

Arent you supposed to have passed out by now?..

I Ive been shot often

You idiot, you dont have to answer that.

Cesar, who put his sword back in the sheath, took Eds right arm and wrapped it around his neck.

On the count of three. One, two, three.

Ed leaned almost completely onto Cesar. Because her height didnt fit Eds shoulder, pressing the wound hard to prevent further bleeding was the only thing Lil could do. Lil stepped over the corpse, climbed the stairs and called out to the helmsman on the stern of the Bell Rock.

Joe! Come on, get the plank!

Surprised by the sudden call, Joe turned to them and quickly brought back a longboard. Lil tapped on the crossing between the ship and the Bell Rock as if she was testing it, before she sent Cesar on it first and gave Ed a warning.

Hey, its a crossing board. If you miss a step, youll fall. Keep your feet together.

AlAlright.

Eds hot breath brushed past her ears.

Its truly a miracle hes still conscious. When I was struck by that blue powder back in Marchand, I immediately blacked out Which was the start of all this

Lil crossed the board anxiously, listening to his weakening breath.

My cabin

Were going there. Joe! Take over his right arm. Cesar, take over the front and clear a passage.

Quickly I think Im about to pass out