On the deck, Gendry gripped the cold hammer handle and lunged forward viciously. He felt like an arrow released from a bow, like the flames of a forge, craving blood and victory.
To capture the thief, first support the king—Gendry figured he needed to take out the golden-toothed pirate first.
The spikes of the mace smashed toward the pirate's temple. The mace was designed to pierce plate armor, but the pirate had no helmet. There was nothing better than smashing a skull to bits for a quick and satisfying kill.
"Thud!" Blood streamed down the pirate's cheek from the shattered wound. Unfortunately, it didn't crush the temple; it just smashed the right cheekbone of the golden-toothed pirate.
The pirate's alertness in the face of death saved his life. He had been wary of the boy in the iron mask, but still underestimated him.
"Damn you, kid! I'm gonna cut you all into eight pieces and throw you into the water!" the golden-toothed pirate roared, his long, wounded bleeding and soaking his palm.
The sound of the hammer striking was so dull, resonating from the pirate's cheek. The pain of shattered bone would have been unbearable if the pirate hadn't dodged a bit.
The kid was still a novice, a bit nervous, and that first strike would have crushed his skull if it had landed properly. But the powerful blow still left the pirate in agony.
Half of the pirate's face seemed smashed to bits, with blood flowing freely—it was terrifying.
"Too bad!" Gendry thought, looking at the pirate. Maybe that first strike should have aimed for the throat; that would have been fatal. Gendry picked up a shield, and the fight got even more brutal.
"Die, kid!" The golden-toothed pirate brandished his dual blades, trying to chop Gendry into mincemeat! In battle, momentum was everything.
The pirates didn't outnumber the sailors on the merchant ship. If they lost their nerve, the rebels would send them to the sea.
The pirate's long blades moved so fast, almost blurring into afterimages. He endured the immense pain on his face, slashing at Gendry's head or throat.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye, before the pirate's accomplices could react. The two were already locked in combat.
Gendry raised his shield. Between life and death, he wasn't without fear, but there was more excitement. He'd never lacked strength or speed; what he lacked was battlefield experience. Blood didn't scare Gendry.
"Dodge and then strike!" Gendry raised his shield and mace. The pirate's facial wound was severe, and the heavy bleeding would blur his vision. Not bandaging it and instead launching a quick attack was a foolish tactic.
The sound of steel clashing was strong and forceful, like an intense dance. The two were evenly matched. The pirate grew more frustrated. Gendry raised his shield and mace, shifting left and right along the deck, wearing him down.
"Move, damn it!" Qyburn shouted. The Myrish sailors realized that if they didn't fight back, the pirates would unleash brutal revenge.
This was their chance, brought by the kid's courage. The Myrish sailors regained their nerve, found their weapons, and re-engaged the pirates.
"Fight me, kid!" The golden-toothed pirate, seeing the tide turn, grew even more agitated and cursed.
"Gendry! Watch out, step back!" Qyburn yelled, tossing a packet of powder from his sleeve. It floated through the air and landed on the pirate. Gendry stepped back as the powder hit.
The pirate was stunned. Not only did the powder get in his eyes, but it also intensified the pain on his wound. He couldn't help but scream in agony.
"Coward! Coward!" The pirate swung his dual blades wildly in the air. His vision was blurred, and he was in a foul, furious mood.
"Thud!" The pirate's blade nicked Gendry's arm, but the wound was shallow and not too long. Blood flowed.
Meanwhile, Gendry's counterattack with the warhammer, whistling through the air, completely shattered the pirate's skull. Blood, brain matter, and bits of skull splattered the deck.
The pirate collapsed like a dead fish. Gendry raised his warhammer and moved on to support other parts of the battle.
"Don't underestimate an old man. I'm still good for something!" Qyburn said, looking at the pirate's corpse.
"Kill!" The remaining pirates were much easier to deal with. They only had leather armor and no helmets. War hammers, crossbows, or daggers were all deadly to them.
"Quick, drop the ladders, cut the ropes!" Captain Dunster shouted. The Myrish sailors, full of adrenaline and fear, threw down the ropes and ladders.
They were a mix of relief and terror—they'd killed so many pirates; it was going to be a fight to the death.
For some reason, blood and pain put Gendry into a strange state, more excited and filled with energy. "I am the blood of the storm, the gale and the tempest of the Narrow Sea, a warrior as terrifying as a storm."
"Die!" Gendry raised his warhammer, grabbed his shield, and moved to support the battle.
Only one sly old pirate remained on the deck, hiding behind the mast and shooting a crossbow. No one dared to approach him. But he'd already been hit by the Myrish sailors' crossbow bolts, slowing him down.
Gendry raised his shield and took advantage of the pirate's moment of reloading. The whistling war hammer, with a powerful swing, smashed right through the pirate's skull, splattering brain matter. The pirate's head was split in half.
The pirates lay dead in disarray on the ship. Gendry sheathed his warhammer, his arm stained with blood, making him look truly fearsome.
The deck battle ended quickly. When the pirates who had fled to the hold heard the shouting and rushed back onto the deck, all they met were arrows, turning them into pincushions.
The two pirate longships were not far from the merchant ship, but they were not as tall. They only heard the sounds of battle and didn't know the details.
Normally, the golden-toothed pirate would have signaled them to take the ship. But seeing the ropes and ladders destroyed, the pirates left behind had a bad feeling.
Their best fighters were dead on the ship, and if they continued the attack, it would only lead to more losses.
"Hold up the golden-toothed pirate's head! Hold it up!" Gendry shouted.
The Myrish sailors got the idea, found a long pole, and hung the pirate's head from it, swaying in the wind.
The two pirate ships saw this horrifying sight—the severed head with half a smashed skull, the golden teeth still intact, and the purple hair.
"Let's go up and avenge our captain!"
"Golden-tooth was ambushed! These damn Myrish people, do they have mercenaries? On a regular merchant ship, there are experts."
"Your brain is filled with seawater, too. So many good fighters are dead. I don't want to get shot by a crossbow. Let's get out of here!" The pirate ships didn't choose revenge but rowed in the opposite direction, leaving the battlefield. Gendry had been the wildcard.
The pirates were very pragmatic. The crew on the black ship was already short-handed, with not enough people to man the oars and ballistae, and they had suffered significant losses in boarding. They couldn't afford another round of casualties.
Climbing from a lower position to a higher one was always risky. The first wave of pirates had underestimated the Myrish, thinking they were weak, and had lost their best fighters.
"Praise the gods!" Captain Dunster was overjoyed, feeling like they'd narrowly escaped death. The sailors didn't have time to clean the deck, but instead sped away from the Stepstones. Neither side had the will to fight to the death.
Gendry let out a sigh of relief. The luck had held. He'd been most afraid that the pirates would go down with the ship, or that more pirates from the Stepstones would come to their aid.
The pirates feared the people on the ship, and Gendry feared a full-on battle with the pirate ships. Fortunately, the pirates were ruthless and decided to leave.
"Thank the gods, the blades weren't poisoned. It's just a flesh wound." Qyburn quickly rolled up his sleeve and applied some medicine to Gendry's arm. "Myrish fireweed powder. It might sting a bit. That's what I threw earlier, too."
"Thanks!" The gray powder felt like flames burning on Gendry's wound, but it had a disinfecting effect.
"You have the makings of a great warrior!" Qyburn said in a low voice. "You have great talent and good mental fortitude. On the battlefield, that's deadly."
"Thank you so much!" Captain Dunster came over to Gendry, and the Myrish sailors and passengers cheered for the Iron-Faced Warrior.