B8C7/B8C14

The crew were trying to stay above water by climbing on the side as it fell, while Weiss jumped off and managed to catch the bottom of a rope ladder hanging down the side of the pirate galleon. Just like that, our brand spanking new ship began to sink under the water, dragging the badly damaged Shelia with it.

"To be fair, that damage was done before we surrendered," the captain pointed out.

Blake sighed. "Adam…" She looked to me, then to the others on the deck.

—B8C7



"I'll explain more later." I gave the oars another solid swing, propelling us through the waves. It was powerful enough of one that we drifted on toward Adam's ship. Or, more specifically, toward one of the tentacles wrapped about its hull.

[...]

Weiss snorted. "That's obvious. But no, I'm saving my energy for our escape." She nodded to the sails of the main mast, still standing and being flapped about left and right as the winds changed. "I can give us the wind we need, but not so long as this thing holds us in place."

[...]

I slid across the wet deck and under the thing, standing on the other side so that Ren and I could split the work between us. Yang did the same except by jumping over and flipping off it, her and Pyrrha taking opposite sides just as Ren and I did. Up. Down. Up. Down. Our weapons rose and fell in glimmering flashes of steel. The footing was treacherous, and I began to slip back, but I held on to the railing behind with one hand and lashed out with the other. With sweat and sea spray covering my face and filling my mouth, I swung back and hacked into it one final time.

Flesh gave way and the world lurched, the aft of the ship crashing back down into the surf as we were righted. It bounced in the water, throwing me off my feet for a second, though I managed to hold on regardless.

"HOLD ON!" Weiss screamed from further down the deck, drawing Myrtenaster and pointing it up toward the sails. "By the winds," she cried, "Grant us speed!"

The sails suddenly snapped outward, billowed by some unnatural gale that struck it centre-mass and caught the sails. We lurched forward almost drunkenly, freed from the grip of the monster and cutting through the waves with loud crashes of water on wood and a spattering of exhausted cheers. Salt water rushed up over the front as we sailed on, cutting through waves as tall as the ship itself, Adam turning into them so that we wouldn't be struck side-on and capsized.

—B8C14