In the sky, the flashes of lightning and the sound of waves echoed each other, accompanied by the sound of wind and rain, like a majestic symphony.
The strong winds and heavy rains revealed the hideous and ferocious side of the sea.
Under the extremely low clouds, the original calmness of the sea surface has disappeared, and one gust of wind after another has created waves that are higher than the other.
Under the shadow of the gloomy sky, the rising and falling waves looked like black dragons, roaring and rolling on the sea, splashing countless water.
The water splashed high and then fell on the decks of the two ships, Hikari Maru and Hulu Maru.
Toyotomi Nobuhide did not like to wear wakizashi. He usually only carried his favorite sword, Yoshimitsu Hatashi.
It was the katana with a purple handle and a black sheath that Toyotomi Nobuhide always wore on his left waist.
This sword is one of the hidden swords owned by Hideyoshi, the ancestor of their Toyotomi clan.
About a hundred years ago, an ancestor of Toyotomi Nobuhide spent a large sum of money to retrieve the sword that was once owned by their ancestor Hideyoshi, who the Toyotomi clan had always been proud of. Since then, this sword has been passed down from generation to generation as their heirloom, until it was passed down to Toyotomi Nobuhide's generation.
Toyotomi Nobuhide has always been very fond of this Yoshimitsu bone sword.
At the beginning, when Toyotomi Nobuhide was preparing to take away all the property in his home and run away to explore a way to revive Toyotomi, the first thing he took away was the Yoshimitsu Bone Food Sword.
At this moment, Toyotomi Nobuhide, holding Yoshimitsu Kusashi around his waist, stood expressionlessly at the bow of the flagship Hikari Maru. No matter how strong the wind and waves were, he stood still.
Behind Toyotomi Nobuhide were countless sailors who were each in their respective positions and doing their own job.
The sailors on the two ships, Hikari Maru and Kuramaru, were all high-quality talents who were able to skillfully operate ships and were trained strictly by instructors from England invited by Toyotomi Nobuhide at a large expense.
"Lord Toyotomi."
At this time, his "fleet governor" Kasugabee walked slowly towards Toyotomi Nobuhide from behind him.
"What are you doing here? It's dangerous to stand here. The waves are quite high now. Be careful not to be swept away by the waves."
"I will not be defeated by a mere wave." Toyotomi Nobuhide smiled, "Now... I am just remembering the branded woman who has been confirmed dead, and Soemon who may have died now."
"It has been very busy since noon today."
"And now, I finally have the time to remember them both."
"Although they both have many flaws and shortcomings... they are both veterans who have followed me for a long time."
"What a shame...I won't be able to see them anymore."
Although he said "regret", there was no expression on Toyotomi Nobuhide's face from beginning to end, making it difficult to see Toyotomi Nobuhide's true emotions at the moment.
He Xufeng was stunned at first, and then his expression gradually became sad.
“Zoemon… it’s such a pity…”
As for that crazy woman named Lao Fu, no one in the entire Toyotomi clan, including Kasuga Bee, was close to her except Toyotomi Nobuhide himself.
Although Kasugabee was not familiar with the brand woman, he had a good relationship with Soemon.
Toyotomi Nobuhide took a slow, deep breath, then exhaled the air in one breath.
"Okay, now let's talk business."
He turned his head and looked at He Xufeng behind him.
"What is the current navigation status of the ship?"
"Lord Toyotomi, our luck is a little bad." Kasuho reported to Toyotomi Nobuhide with regret, "The wind is unwilling to cooperate with us. We are now sailing against the wind, and our speed is a little slow."
"It doesn't matter." Toyotomi Nobuhide smiled, "As long as the ship can sail normally."
Although the rain and wind and waves were heavy at this time, they were far from affecting the navigation of the two ships, Hikari Maru and Hulu Maru.
The two ships sailed in an orderly manner towards the depths of the sea following He Xufeng's command.
"Kasuho, I'll leave the voyage to you." Toyotomi Nobuhide, who was standing on the bow, admired the sea view for a while, then put his hands behind his back and said, "I'm going back to the cabin to rest for a while."
"Call me when you reach the waters of Osaka, or when something special happens."
"Yes!" Kasuga Bee, who had been looking forward to using ship cannons to blow up Osaka Castle, responded loudly.
One of the reasons why Kasuga was valued by Toyotomi Nobuhide was that Kasuga's love for artillery shells and bombings made her very popular with Toyotomi Nobuhide.
Although Toyotomi Nobuhide's next goal was to launch the "Edo Battle", the order of doing things could not be messed up.
Before officially heading to Edo, they still had to finish last night's "Osaka Spring Campaign" - using naval guns to bomb Osaka Castle in Osaka into ruins.
Now, Toyotomi's troops have basically withdrawn from Osaka, and the naval guns can be fired at will.
The reason why Toyotomi Nobuhide planned to use naval guns to blow Osaka Castle to pieces was not only because of revenge, he wanted the Edo Shogunate, which destroyed Toyotomi's Osaka Castle two hundred years ago, to lose their Osaka Castle, but also because Toyotomi Nobuhide wanted to show off his muscles.
This was the main reason why Toyotomi Nobuhide decided to destroy Osaka Castle with naval guns.
Let the Edo Shogunate and all the feudal domains across the country see the strength of the Toyotomi clan.
Even the majestic Osaka Castle had only one fate under the barrage of his naval guns: to be torn into pieces like paper.
Osaka is adjacent to Kii, and if the voyage is normal, we will probably arrive there late tonight.
But unfortunately - the wind direction is against us now, and we may have to wait until tomorrow morning to reach the sea area of ​​Osaka.
However, Toyotomi Nobuhide did not care about this - it made no difference to him whether he arrived at the Osaka waters late tonight or tomorrow morning.
After giving the order to Kasugabe, "The voyage is up to you," Toyotomi Nobuhide prepared to turn around and return to the cabin.
But at this moment——
“Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!”
Not far away, there was a sound of vomiting that made people feel physically uncomfortable just by listening to the sound.
Toyotomi Nobuhide looked in the direction of the voice and then smiled.
"Kikutaro, aren't you used to riding on a boat?"
Toyotomi Nobuhide strode towards the ninja who was lying on the side of the ship not far away, with his head sticking out and vomiting all over the place. The ninja he had "taken in" after he was destroyed in the Shiranui.
"Lord Toyotomi..."
Hearing Toyotomi Nobuhide's voice, Kikutaro, who was pale due to seasickness and felt his stomach churning, quickly held back the urge to vomit and prepared to salute Toyotomi Nobuhide.
Toyotomi Nobuhide waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to be polite.
"I'm sorry... Lord Toyotomi... I made you laugh..." Kikutaro smiled at Toyotomi Nobuhide, "I've rarely been on a boat..."
"It's okay, this is normal." Toyotomi Nobuhide waved his hand proudly, "I was also very embarrassed when I first took a boat."
After saying this, Toyotomi Nobuhide lowered his eyes and looked at Kikutaro's face with an intriguing gaze.
"...Kikutaro, you don't seem to be in a particularly good mood."
Toyotomi Nobuhide leaned casually against the railing beside him.
"What? Are you still bothered by my order to lead the people to burn down Mount Koya?"
"No, no, no!" Kikutaro said anxiously, with a look of fear in his eyes, "I have no complaints about your orders!"
Kikutaro explained hurriedly.
After looking at Kikutaro with interest for a while, Toyotomi Nobuhide said leisurely:
"Kikutaro, it's just burning down Mt. Koya. There's no need to feel guilty about that."
"Those so-called Buddha statues are, after all, just a piece of wood."
"I have never seen any gods or Buddhas come out of any Buddha statues in my life."
"I have never seen any divine punishment either."
"God's punishment or something is just to comfort the oppressed weak."
Toyotomi Nobuhide raised his hand, smiled and patted Kikutaro's shoulder.
"Only by telling the oppressed weak that those who have done bad things will one day receive retribution can we soothe the grievances and resentment in the hearts of the weak."
“That’s why there are all these nonsense like ‘divine punishment’, ‘evil people go to hell after death, good people go to paradise after death’.”
After saying that, Toyotomi Nobuhide patted Kikutaro's shoulder again, and then moved away from the railing he had been leaning on.
But he had just stood up -
“Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch—!”
Not far away came the sound of vomiting, which made people feel physically uncomfortable just by listening to it.
"...Master, this isn't your first time on a ship, why do you still get seasick so easily?"
Toyotomi Nobuhide, with his hands behind his back and a wry smile, walked towards Master Sengen, who was lying in the opposite direction of Kikutaro and vomiting towards the sea.
"I'm sorry... Lord Toyotomi." The haggard-looking Xianyuan Shangren wiped his mouth, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you..."
"Don't stay on the deck." Toyotomi Nobuhide said, "You must be tired after escaping death in Koyasan. Go back to the cabin and have a good rest."
"I'm really exhausted trying to escape from Ogata Ittosai's sword... Ugh!" After Master Xianyuan mocked himself bitterly, he stuck his head out of the side of the boat again.
After accidentally meeting Ogata Ittosai in front of the temple gate of Sengen-ji Temple, Master Sengen began a brief escape... a journey that he felt would make him break out in a cold sweat every time he thought about it for the rest of his life.
He relied on his familiarity with Mount Koya and the cover of his followers who were hiding in Sengenji Temple at the time to escape for his life. He escaped for his life...
Should we say it was good luck, or should we say that his efforts paid off... He successfully escaped from Ogata's sword, then smoothly joined up with Toyotomi's troops, and successfully returned to Toyotomi Nobuhide's side.
"If you still feel uncomfortable, go to the doctor and ask for some medicine to take," said Toyotomi Nobuhide. "You should feel better after taking the medicine."
"I feel fine now...I don't need to take medicine yet...Ugh!"
Master Xianyuan stuck his head out of the side of the boat again.
When Master Xianyuan vomited some bile again, then slowly raised and retracted his head that was sticking out of the side of the boat, the corner of his eye suddenly twitched.
"…Lord Toyotomi."
"Hmm? What's up?"
Master Xianyuan stretched out his finger and pointed at the sea in front of him.
"There seems to be something there..."
"Thing?" Toyotomi Nobuhide frowned slowly, and then hurriedly looked in the direction where Master Xianyuan's finger pointed.
All I saw was a black dot floating on the sea between the two ships and the distant coast.
This black spot seemed to be alive, drifting towards the direction of the second ship at a leisurely speed.
The rain was now very dense, and because of the dense dark clouds, the light was extremely poor. Even Toyotomi Nobuhide, who had the "power of immortality" in his body and whose five senses were far superior to those of ordinary people, found it difficult to see what the object floating on the sea was.
At this time, the rest of the people on the ship also discovered this unidentified object.
"Hey! Look, what is that?"
"It seems to be drifting towards us..."
"Is it some dead animal floating on the sea?"
…
Upon hearing the news, "Fleet Governor" He Xufeng also ran to the side of the ship, took out a telescope, and looked carefully at the unidentified object.
However, the heavy rain prevented He Xufeng from seeing the true appearance of the object.
The moving speed of the "unknown object" is slightly faster than the two ships that are currently sailing against the wind.
Thanks to this, the distance between Toyotomi Nobuhide and his men and the object became shorter and shorter.
Toyotomi Nobuhide placed his hands on the railing of the ship's side and looked carefully at the "unknown object" whose shape and appearance became clearer and clearer as the distance between them got closer and closer.
Finally, under the influence of the "immortal power", Toyotomi Nobuhide, who had extraordinary eyesight, was the first to see clearly what this "unknown object" was.
It was a large wooden board being held by several people...
The men were holding the big wooden board and swimming straight towards them...
"……sharp."
Toyotomi Nobuhide's expression suddenly darkened.
“I was able to catch up to here…”
"Hesu Bee!"
"exist!"
Kasu Bee, who was not far away, hurried to Toyotomi Nobuhide's side.
"Send a message to the entire fleet—" Toyotomi Nobuhide pointed at the men in the distance who were swimming towards them holding a wooden board, "Prepare for artillery fire!"
…
…
"Is that the battleship of England..." Makura, holding onto the wooden board with both hands, looked at the two ships that were getting closer and closer with a dazed look. "When I just saw them from afar on the coast, I didn't think they were huge. Now that I'm closer...they are really huge..."
"This size is only considered ordinary in Europe." Genichi, who was lying next to Makimura, said lightly, "If I remember correctly, the largest warship in Europe is the Spanish 'Holy Trinity', which is even larger than these two ships. It has 4 decks and more than 140 guns. It is undoubtedly a mobile 'sea artillery platform'."
"Master Yuanyi, how do you know so much? Could it be that you have seen that ship before when you were traveling in the European continent?"
"No. I heard about these when I traveled in England before."
"If you want to chat, let's do it later." Mamiya said at the side, "The waves are very big now, be careful not to let the waves hit your mouth and cause choking."
Unlike Genichir and Makimura, who held the board with both hands, Mamiya only held the board with his left hand and held a wooden pole that served as a raft in his right hand. He used the pole to stir the sea water behind him with skillful techniques, fine-tuning their direction and assisting their progress.
“Look!” Suddenly, Chu Guang, who was clinging to the center of the wooden board, said coldly, “There’s movement on the ship!”
As soon as Chu Guang finished speaking, Yuan Yi and others quickly raised their hands and looked at the two ships in front.
I saw the neatly arranged gun muzzles at the belly of the two ships being opened one by one.
As the muzzles of the guns were deployed, the dark muzzles revealed their hideous faces...
"Be careful! The artillery fire is coming!" After shouting loudly, Genichi was the first to lower his head as much as possible.
Mamiya and others followed closely behind, lowering their heads and squeezing out the last bit of strength in their bodies to push hard against the sea water behind them, speeding up their swim towards the nearest warship, Hulucan.
As if deliberately cooperating with Genichi's words "the bombardment is coming", as soon as Genichi finished his reminder, the muzzles of the two ships' bellies roared at the same time.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang…
The flames flickered and the smoke spread.
Because the coast where Genichi and his companions were just now was right in front of the belly of the second ship, Genichi and his companions, who urgently needed to walk the shortest distance and reach the second ship as quickly as possible, had to head straight towards the belly of the second ship.
Anyone with a little common sense knows that the two flanks facing the sailing battleship are the most dangerous positions.
Because all the guns of a sailing battleship are neatly installed on the two sides of the ship, if you stand facing the belly of the ship, the guns mounted on the belly can be used to bombard you.
The sound of the shells being fired added a new accompaniment to the symphony currently being performed which was composed of thunder, waves and wind.
One shell after another whistled and hit Yuan Yi and others.
The shells flew towards Genichi and his companions at the footsteps of giants, or flew over their heads and hit them from behind, or hit them in front of or to the sides.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom…
Columns of water were blown up as the shells fell.
The waves and water columns that were stirred up were like ferocious dragons biting towards Yuan Yi and others who were holding the wooden board.
Compared with these dragons, the wooden board beneath Yuan Yi and the others seemed as fragile as a piece of white paper that would tear at a single rip.
Several times, the wooden boards beneath them were nearly overturned.
But every time the board was about to be overturned, Yuan Yi and others would immediately put their weight on it to prevent it from being overturned by the ferocious "dragon".
While trying hard to keep the wooden board from being overturned, Genichi and his companions continued to paddle the water hard, Mamiya continued to use the "raft" to adjust the course, and everyone continued to move straight towards the second ship.
Both the Hikari Maru and the Hulu Maru have 70 guns.
The barrage of artillery fire from 140 guns - such firepower would make anyone who knew a little about artillery feel terrified.
The dense artillery fire gradually suppressed the sound of wind and thunder, becoming the undisputed protagonist of this "symphony".
The black fog stirred up by the burning of more and more gunpowder lingered around the two ships, making them even more terrifying.
Shells fell one after another beside Yuan Yi and his men.
Often a wave would roll in from the east, and before they could even hold the planks steady, a stronger wave would follow from the south.
But despite this, Genichi and his men gritted their teeth, persevered, and continued to swim towards the second ship under the hail of artillery fire.
The artillery of this era was simply incapable of accurate shooting and could only fire in a general direction.
On land, artillery cannot achieve accurate shooting, let alone in rough waves... and it is currently raining heavily on the sea, and the waves are even more turbulent. Using artillery to bombard Yuan Yi and his group is as small as a leaf on the sea compared to the ships.
However, Toyotomi Nobuhide did not hope that the artillery on their ships could accurately hit Genichi and his men.
His original intention was to use the waves caused by the cannon falling into the sea to overturn Yuan Yi and his men into the sea.
Of course - it would be best if we could blow Yuan Yi and his group away with one shot.
Standing on the side of the Hikari Maru, Toyotomi Nobuhide was not in a hurry as he looked at Genichi and his companions who had yet to throw them into the sea.
At this moment, he just frowned silently, staring at the "uninvited guest" on the sea that was getting closer and closer to them.
Even if he used his butt to think, he knew who these people were who suddenly appeared and swam straight towards them.
He was only wondering now - how did Ogata Ittosai and the others know the location of his warship?
After Toyotomi Nobuhide thought about this question carefully for a while, he found the answer.
"So it's you...Xuanzheng..."
A sneer appeared on Toyotomi Nobuhide's cheeks.
"Are you here to seek revenge on me?"
"People who are obsessed with academic research are really hard to please..."
Toyotomi Nobuhide took his hands off the railing of the ship and put them behind his back. The sneer on his face turned into a smile, and he looked at Genichirō and others, who, in his eyes, were struggling under the intensive bombardment, with a look of anticipation.
When Toyotomi Nobuhide first saw these uninvited guests, he was indeed a little surprised.
But after being surprised, he quickly regained his composure - he had full confidence in the two ships and 140 guns he owned.
At such a long distance, with 140 guns bombarding them - there would always be a moment when the waves were big enough to overturn them, or when they were hit by luck and were blown into a pulp.
140 guns took turns bombarding the ships, but in the end they were unable to overturn them into the sea before they reached under the ship - it didn't make sense!
Toyotomi Nobuhide, who thought he was now completely invincible and had a sure win, smiled and said in a somewhat comfortable tone:
"Ogata Ittosai, Uncle... I understand your anxiety to settle accounts with me and to take Xiaolin back."
"But... no matter how anxious you are, you have to stay calm when formulating a strategy."
"Holding a plank, swimming towards two warships with plenty of ammunition - this is really foolish... huh?"
Toyotomi Nobuhide suddenly stopped talking to himself.
The comfortable smile that was originally on his face slowly disappeared.
Surprise and solemnity appeared in his pupils at a speed visible to the naked eye.
As Yuanyi and his companions swam towards the second ship persistently, the distance between them kept getting closer and closer. Just now, Toyotomi Nobuhide finally saw the faces of the people on the wooden board through the layers of rain.
An old man.
A pair of glasses.
A strong man.
A beautiful girl who seems familiar.
The above four people are all the people on the wooden board.
Toyotomi Nobuhide looked around, from left to right, and from right to left, but he could not see the face on the wooden board that he had seen countless times on the wanted poster.
A question was shouted out by Toyotomi Nobuhide in a surprised tone:
——Where is Ogata Ittosai? !
…
…
At this moment——
Gourd ball, under the belly of the boat——
"Ahem! Pah!"
Ogata opened his mouth and spat out the fish that he had accidentally put into his mouth when the waves hit him.
"Ha...ha...ha..." Ogata, who pressed his body against the bottom of the boat to prevent himself from being swept away by the waves, gasped heavily.
"In this kind of weather...swimming such a long distance...it's a bit too much for me right now..."
After making such self-deprecating remarks, Ogata raised his head and looked at the gun muzzles above his head that were still roaring.
A special light flickered in the pupils.