Chapter 81: Zenith of Art
The flaming cannonballs tore through the air with a piercing shriek, their immense kinetic energy violently impacting the disorganized fleet captained by Redbeard. Their decks, gun ports, and hulls were instantly riddled with countless holes of varying sizes. The heavy cast iron cannonballs rebounded with ferocity on the ships, mercilessly crushing anyone in their path, be they ordinary or supernatural.
The 24-pound cannons mounted on these fourth-rate ships had a range of 1,350 meters at a 4-degree firing angle, extending to 2,250 meters when elevated to 8 degrees. At the ultra-close range of 100 meters, the solid cannonballs fired by the 24-pound cannons could effortlessly penetrate a one-meter-thick oak hull.
The defenses of both third-rate and second-rate ships proved futile against such might.