Chapter 88-Pirates

Chapter 88: 88-Pirates

"You have thirty seconds to turn around and leave. I am hungry and not in the mood to play with anyone, okay!"

The pirate ship fell silent and the laughter erupted from its loudspeaker as they found the threat extremely funny like other survivors who tried to act tough Infront of them.

"Did that little girl just threaten us?" One of the pirates asked.

"Is it even a little girl?" Another responded. "Maybe there are more people inside the cruise and they are just putting the girl forward to get us to lower our guard."

Aymara’s smile widened. They were overestimating themselves and underestimating her.

Nathaniel glanced at Aymara, then toward the pirates swarming across the monitors. The cruise ship lurched again, sending another violent tremor through the control room. He tightened his grip on the edge of the console, trying to steady himself as the constant rocking threw his already fragile body off balance.

A strange stuffiness settled in his chest. His breathing gradually grew shallow, and a tight, stabbing pain spread across his chest. He pressed a hand against it, attempting to draw in a deeper breath, but the air seemed unwilling to fill his lungs. The flashing alarms, deafening explosions, and relentless shaking only made matters worse. His face grew pale as he struggled to remain upright, unwilling to distract Aymara while she was dealing with the pirates.

"Mara, what are you planning?" He asked, putting on a brave face so as to not worry her.

She glanced at him. "Teaching them the difference between a victim and a predator. And in this waters, I’m going to one dangerous predator like they’ve never seen."

Outside, the pirate ship’s weapons began rotating toward them, their barrels glinting beneath the searchlights.

Aymara’s eyes turned cold. "Thirty seconds is already too generous and like that general, the are stupid enough to come close."

The first cannon fired. The shell screamed across the water and struck the cruise ship’s barrier in a burst of blue-white light.

The entire vessel rocked. Asecond shell followed and then a third, the barrier indicator dropped from one hundred percent to ninety-six but it helc strongly in place.

Nathaniel stared at the display. "They’re not waiting thirty seconds."

"They never intended to," Aymara seized the controls. "System, lock every surface weapon onto that ship."

[Multiple targets acquired.]

"Do not fire yet," she held back for that moment.

Nathaniel turned toward her. "Why not, M?"

Aymara watched the pirate vessel advance through the smoke. More weapons were being uncovered along its deck. Men crowded the railings, rifles raised, while a smaller boat was lowered into the water.

They weren’t trying to scare her, they were preparing to board. "Because I want them close enough to understand their mistake."

The pirate ship fired again and this time, the shell struck the barrier directly above the control room and the lights went out.

For three seconds, the ship was swallowed by darkness and then the emergency systems came alive in red.

Aymara looked at the radar. The pirate vessel was no longer alone as three fast boats had separated from its hull and were racing toward them.

Each carried armed men and was heading straight for the cruise ship.

Nathaniel’s voice tightened. "They’re boarding us."

Aymara’s hand closed around the microphone. Outside, grappling hooks arced through the darkness and clanged against the cruise ship’s railings.

The pirates began climbing. Aymara looked from the approaching boats to the weapons display, then to the barrier indicator still bleeding power with every impact.

The monsters beneath the ocean had nearly torn them apart and the pirates had chosen to attack while the ship was wounded and that was their first mistake.

Her finger hovered over the firing command. "System," she said softly, "open the armory."

[Armory unlocked.]

Aymara smiled as the surface defenses rotated toward the boarding boats.

"Now let’s see how brave they are when the prey starts shooting back."

The nearest pirate reached the deck. He raised his rifle and before he could settle, he was ejected and as it body was thrown away, lazors formed in the barrier thar cut his body to pieces.

The other pirates who were climbing stopped midway, turning blue with fear.

[Unauthorized personnel detected. Target forcefully and eliminated.] ℯⅇ𝙡.

The system reported.

Aymara pressed her lips into a thin smile. "Did you think my fortress is that easy to take?"

She pressed the button and every weapon on the cruise ship fired at once. The moment Aymara pressed the button, the cruise ship erupted into a storm of firepower.

BOOM! BOOM!

Cannons thundered across the ocean, their deafening roars drowning out the pirates’ triumphant laughter.

Machine guns unleashed a relentless hail of bullets, while automated turrets tracked the approaching speedboats with terrifying precision. Missiles streaked through the darkness, leaving blazing trails across the night sky before slamming into the pirate vessel.

KABOOOOOM!

A massive explosion tore through the enemy ship’s deck. Fire surged into the sky, illuminating the terrified faces of the pirates as the vessel lurched violently to one side.

Men screamed and scrambled for cover. Some abandoned their weapons and threw themselves into the water, while others desperately tried to extinguish the flames spreading across the deck.

The three approaching speedboats fared no better. One was struck by a barrage of bullets, its engine exploding in a shower of sparks.

Another attempted to turn away, only to be intercepted by an automated cannon. The final boat continued forward, its occupants either too stubborn or too frightened to retreat.

Aymara watched the chaos unfold on the monitor, her expression completely unmoved.

"They wanted to board my ship?" she muttered. "How thoughtful of them to deliver themselves straight into my weapons’ firing range."

Nathaniel stared at the screen, momentarily speechless. He had known Aymara was ruthless when protecting what belonged to her, but watching her unleash the full power of the cruise ship was another matter entirely.

"Mara, I think they’ve learned their lesson."

"Have they?" Aymara tilted her head as the damaged pirate vessel continued drifting toward them. "Then why are some of them still pointing their weapons at us?"

Her smile disappeared.

"System, maintain target lock. Anyone who continues attacking is a hostile combatant. Disable their weapons and prevent them from boarding."

[Command confirmed.]

The turrets shifted toward the remaining armed pirates.

Aymara leaned back in her chair, finally allowing herself a tired sigh. "I’m hungry, Nate. I wanted to sit and eat a scrumptious meal in peace, but these idiots had to interrupt me."

Nathaniel glanced at her, then at the burning ship on the monitor. "Should I reheat the leftover food from yesterday?"

Her eyes immediately brightened. "No, I’ll make fresh food. Mine and yours, too. We’re eating together."

Nathaniel’s ears turned faintly red which made him look fine despite his pain. Even with a pirate ship burning outside and the apocalypse growing more dangerous by the hour, Aymara could still surprise him.

She stood and stretched, then pointed toward the monitor. "System, keep monitoring them. If anyone tries anything stupid, deal with them."

[Command confirmed.]

Satisfied, Aymara took Nathaniel’s hand and led him toward the dining room, leaving the system to manage the aftermath.

Behind them, the pirate ship burned against the dark ocean. The pirates had gone hunting for an easy target.

Unfortunately for them, they had chosen a woman who had already died once, returned from the dead, and spent the second chance preparing to survive an apocalypse.

And Aymara Ellington had absolutely no intention of letting anyone steal her food or her ship. Ever again.