Chapter 217: 217

Right until Zhang Heng fired his gun, the incident that happened in Nassau not too long ago wasn’t of the minds of the crowd . Zhang Heng eliminated Wilton and his men of two hundred pirates, leaving unscathed . Those who were on the ship after the massacre described the cabin as a slaughterhouse . The entire floor was awash with blood .

Throughout the entire hunting trip, Zhang Heng had been inconspicuous to the point that most forgot he was a man of his word . In a life-threatening situation like this, Zhang Heng had no interest in playing the Werewolves of Miller Hollow with Jarvis . He had done his part by informing Sam and the rest of the captains about this incident . Having them believe what he said was out of his control altogether .

From the gunshot, Jarvis saw Zhang Heng’s determination, which was why he wasted no time asking his pirates to make way for Anne . He only accepted the pardon after he figured out that he made enough wealth as a pirate . However, he would not be able to return to civilian life since he was a wanted criminal in all the colonies . Hiding from the authorities like a scared kitten, his heart was filled with fear whenever he returned to his hometown .

Now that he finally had the opportunity to clear his name by eliminating all of Nassau’s famous pirates, he could eventually return to his hometown with pride and glory . Before he could do that, though, he had to stay alive until the navy came to rescue him .

Jarvis never once doubted Zhang Heng’s determination . From the beginning, Zhang Heng’s gun stayed glued to Jarvis’ head . Even though Sam and the other captains tried to talk Zhang Heng out of it, he failed to change his mind . Such determination caused alarm bells to ring among the others about what was to happen next . Sam planned to send his people to set up an observation point in the woods, wanting to monitor the ships that sailed toward this island . At the same time, Brook was left in a profound dilemma . Due to previous bad experiences, Jarvis was one that Brook could never ever trust . For this reason, Zhang Heng trusted him most right now .

If Brook chose to leave, he wouldn’t get his hands on the gold bars . Throughout the entire trip, the Swordfish suffered the most damage compared to the rest of the pirate ships . His ship’s hull was in a wreck, and repairing the broken masts wasn’t easy as well . It was hard for him to accept he wouldn’t get a single penny out of an operation that cost him so dearly .

In the end, Brook decided that the value of gold didn’t outweigh the value of his life . Immediately, he sent someone to inform his men about the impending attack . That said, he didn’t plan to stray too far from the island . He would linger nearby and observe the situation . The remaining two captains were still in a dilemma, this especially true for the one getting drunk at the earlier celebrations . Even the wave of a gold bar in front of him wouldn’t make him budge .

Time passed swiftly, and soon, every captain had their own plans . To prevent further chaos, they decided to refrain from telling their men the details of the impending attack . Sam did best, having done a shipload of things with the limited time they had . He first retrieved the cannons he set on the beach before handpicking a few sober pirates to set up an observation post in the woods .

Although setting up a post at this time would be pointless, it was better than sitting there doing nothing nonetheless . The spotters would be able to spot a ship from a distance if it was day, giving enough time to inform the captains about an impending attack . Unfortunately, it was in the dark of night, and visibility was extremely low . The fleet would be too close once spotted, and it would all be too late .

The terrain on Parrot Island granted countless advantages when they ambushed the Spanish treasure ship . Now, it had become their biggest inconvenience . The tall ridge blocked them from viewing the port .

Sam actually sided more with Zhang Heng, having worked with him before, after all . Between Zhang Heng and Jarvis, one of them had to be lying . If Zhang Heng was the one, all they needed to do was to keep an eye on the Jackdaw, and the gold would be safe . However, if Jarvis was the one that betrayed them all, then they were in serious trouble .

Less than half the pirates were in any condition to fight, and those who could, couldn’t think straight . After the massive battle, all their ships suffered a certain extent of damage, not to mention out of ammunition as well . They would lose almost instantly if the navy appeared in front of them right now . Zhang Heng knew that they were in bad shape . That was why he wanted to leave the island as soon as possible .

Sam did not blame Zhang Heng for abandoning them and fleeing on his own . Judging the Jackdaw’s current condition, Zhang Heng barely had enough people to operate the ship, let alone sparing some of his men to fight off the enemies . He was left with no other option but to leave the island .

Meanwhile, all the Jackdaw’s pirates had boarded their ship . Harry and Ramsay did a fantastic job, managing to gather most of the ship’s complement in ten minutes amid the chaos . Unfortunately, two pirates from Jackdaw remained missing .

Zhang Heng couldn’t afford to wait any longer . He was the last to leave the island . Seeing that the ferry was here, he pushed Jarvis onto it before he got on .

Anne and a few other pirates rowed the boat with all their might . As for Dufresne, he had temporarily relieved Billy’s position at the helm and took command of pirates still sober enough to understand a sentence . Releasing the mainsail with a whoosh, they retrieved the anchor and prepared to leave the island . Every second counted if they wanted to stay alive . Once the ferry was well on her way, Jarvis finally dropped the act .

“How did you find my men in the woods?”

“No . Technically, your people found my people in the woods . ”

“What an interesting coincidence . You do know you can’t be running forever, right? Even if you manage to escape this time, there will always be a next time . It’s extremely rare that pirates have good endings . Take a look at Honegg, for instance . He now has power over the cannons set up to protect the island! He said he’s done with risking his life as a pirate . If the Red Coat from Scotland sniffs him out, he would have no place to run . ”

“I agree with you to a certain extent . But, this can’t be the only reason you betrayed the people on the beach . Many saw you as their friend, your brother . ”

“You will need some courage to begin a new life, young man . I shall cut off every garotting of my turbulent past . Only by doing that will I be able to live a better life in the new world . You have not seen the way those people look at us, Zhang Heng! We are like savages, ferocious beasts to them! You see, the letter of pardon isn’t of importance . I have to wipe my slate clean and leave everything behind here . If I do that, then I will be able to become a de… a decent human being . ”

“I hope you get what you want . ”

The ferry finally arrived at the Jackdaw . Zhang Heng kept away his gun and grabbed the rope beside him . Just as the Jackdaw was about to leave, a black shadow appeared near the island .