The pirates, their courage shattered by the missile attack, scrambled towards the rear of the island, not daring to linger for even a moment, as if any delay would spell their doom.
Boom, boom, boom…
Explosion after explosion rocked the island, making it seem as if it were perched on a volcano, lurching back and forth.
Viewed from the distant sea, the scene was nothing short of spectacular.
No one would have imagined that the pirate base, which had long terrorized these waters, would suffer such a devastating blow overnight.
Due to its strategic location and the pirates' formidable arsenal, many merchant ships from various nations had been hijacked. Faced with the island's heavy weaponry, some countries had refrained from deploying troops, choosing instead to endure the humiliation.
But now, this cancerous base was being bombed.
It was believed that once this news spread across the globe, people in many countries would erupt in celebration.
The entire world had been watching the ongoing hostage situation, eager to see how Yan Country would respond. Would they, like other nations, swallow their pride?
However, if they could witness the current scene firsthand, they would understand Yan Country's stance.
Yan Country was no longer the Yan Country of the past. Anything that threatened the safety of the Yan Country people would be met with an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, regardless of who the perpetrators were. Those who offended Hua Xia would be punished, no matter how far they fled!
This was Yan Country's unwavering attitude.
At this moment, Qin Feng watched the pirates fleeing in a frenzy. He estimated there were well over two to three hundred of them. Even with the more than one hundred they had already eliminated, the island's armed forces must have numbered over five hundred.
With an armed force exceeding five hundred, equipped with heavy weaponry, helicopters, shore-based artillery, and other armaments, their defensive capabilities were so robust that even a thousand regular troops would struggle to breach their defenses, and any direct assault would result in heavy casualties.
Qin Feng's own team, including himself, numbered only fifteen. The disparity in strength was immense.
If it hadn't been for the Wolf Fang commando unit leading this mission, any other commando unit would have met its end here. After all, everyone in the Wolf Fang commando units had, to some extent, been trained by Qin Feng, and their combat prowess had significantly improved.
With this thought, Qin Feng's expression softened slightly. Without naval support, the subsequent battle would undoubtedly be a hard-fought one.
At this juncture, Lei Zhan's voice, laced with gritted teeth, crackled through the communication system: "Qin Feng, should we pursue and eliminate them?"
Lei Zhan was seething with frustration. The recent battle had nearly cost them dearly, with many of his men sustaining injuries. The thought of letting these scoundrels escape now was unbearable.
Upon hearing this, Qin Feng did not press for an immediate pursuit. Instead, he stated solemnly, "Hold your positions and await the arrival of the naval commando team. Ensure the hostages' safety!"
The number of pirates who had been incapacitated was still considerable. It was unrealistic to annihilate them all. Ensuring the hostages' safety was the utmost priority.
Furthermore, while the personnel from Dark Night and Thunderclap were still capable of fighting, continuing the engagement would only worsen their injuries.
Qin Feng did not want to see any further casualties.
Hearing Qin Feng's command, Lei Zhan could only respond with a reluctant, "Understood!"
He understood that this was the best course of action. Many of his comrades were injured.
Their combat effectiveness had significantly declined, yet Lei Zhan harbored a deep hatred for these pirates and wished to annihilate them in one fell swoop. After all, it was these very pirates who had inflicted their wounds.
However, he was acutely aware of his team's injuries and knew they were not in a condition for further high-intensity combat.
Moreover, their primary objective was rescue, and protecting the hostages was paramount. As for the pirates, they would be dealt with another day.
Little did Lei Zhan know that his words would prove prophetic. In the end, Qin Feng would lead them to completely annihilate these pirates and uncover even larger hidden threats.
It was also worth mentioning that Lei Zhan's status would undergo a transformation, and he would willingly follow Qin Feng.
Naturally, these were matters for later.
For now, Lei Zhan roared at his team members, "All personnel cease pursuit and return to protect the hostages!"
"Yes!" the team members responded.
Yet, as they watched the direction in which the pirates were escaping, a sense of regret washed over them. However, they trusted that Qin Feng's decision had its reasons, and they immediately rose and returned to the location of the hostages.
Whirr, whirr, whirr…
As Lei Zhan and his men departed, the deafening sound of ship horns echoed from the coast behind Qin Feng.
"They're here!"
Qin Feng turned his head, and Captain Gao Yun's voice boomed from the warship.
"Quick! Quick! Quick! Commandos, land first!"
Captain Gao Yun, his face stern, directed the ship's crew.
"Yes!"
The commando team members responded in unison and immediately set off to commence their landing.
This was the most crucial moment. Everyone was eager to be the first to rush ashore and rescue the hostages.
Rustle, rustle, rustle…
Suddenly, a series of firm and powerful footsteps could be heard. One by one, commando team members appeared in formation within Qin Feng's sight.
Following closely behind these commandos were various amphibious assault vehicles. These vehicles charged directly from the sea, and within moments, they reached the beach and began to dock.
Swish, swish, swish…
As Qin Feng observed the vehicles, a sharp sound pierced his ears. Following the sound, he saw hundreds of small landing craft appearing on the sea.
These landing craft carried thousands of Marines, who were also racing against time to land on the island.
Every soldier was in a race against time, for they all knew that many hostages were waiting for their rescue.
Most importantly, Aslia Island was no longer defended by shore-based artillery. The pirate defenses had collapsed, and they could now land smoothly.
This was precisely as Captain Gao Yun had predicted: Qin Feng had already gained control of the island's forces, allowing them to attack without hesitation.
The reality confirmed it; they encountered no resistance upon their arrival.
This was, of course, one of the primary reasons Qin Feng had tasked the most experienced Lei Zhan to neutralize the shore-based artillery.
Once the most threatening weapons were destroyed, the pirates would be like geese without wings. It was highly probable that their cause was lost. Relying on individual combat alone, they could not stand against warships.
Seeing the arrival of the reinforcements, Qin Feng felt a sense of relief.
However, in stark contrast to Qin Feng's sigh of relief, the pirates who witnessed this scene did not share his sense of ease.
A pirate, spotting a large number of Yan Country soldiers landing from a distance, exclaimed in terror, "Fuck! The Yan Country warships have actually arrived!"
Upon hearing this…