Chapter 159

Islambol.

The capital of the defeated Turk Empire in the Eastern region, it is a massive port city located at the boundary between the Dark Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

Typically guarded by the navy of the Turk Empire, this place was in utter chaos from the early dawn.

-Daeng! Daeng! Daeng!

The loud ringing of bells resounded, shaking the entire port awake. In the midst of this uproar, Admiral Shed Mustafa of the Turk Navy rushed to the command center, hastily donning his uniform while looking at his panicked subordinates.

“What on earth is happening? Did someone invade at this hour?”

“General! It’s pirates! The Pirate Lord Kangut has appeared, leading his crew from the Dark Sea!”

“Kangut? No, you mean he’s invaded Islambol? How could he be so reckless…”

“But it’s true. Look over there! Their warships are crossing the sea even now.”

“…No… what in the world…”

A large fleet of pirates boldly appeared in the waters right in front of the capital of the Empire. Mustafa had managed the navy of the Ottoman Empire for years, but he had never encountered such a sudden and ridiculous situation.

He knew that the pirates of the Dark Sea had considerable military force, but even so, their power clearly had limits compared to the Great Empire of Turk.

They were only capable of quick raids and hasty withdrawals; there was no way they would risk a full-frontal assault like this.

With puzzlement written all over his face at this conventional wisdom-shattering report, the officers cautiously spoke up.

“What should we do, General? Shall we launch the warships right away?”

“That’s the logical course of action… but doesn’t this feel strange?”

“Yes?”

“Look at their ships, there’s no sign of them moving toward us at all. They’re just skirting the firing range of the coastal cannons, racing ahead.”

“Huh? Now that you mention it… it does seem odd. If they were going to attack, they would have come by now, right?”

While they aimed their cannons, the ships of Kangut showed no intention to fight, focusing instead solely on moving forward.

As he pondered this, Mustafa decided to observe them for the time being.

He would need to initiate combat the moment the pirates got close, but deliberately moving toward enemies outside the firing range was an exhausting endeavor.

Above all, the ship was strongest on the sides where cannons were mounted, while the front was the most vulnerable.

Unlike the pirates, navigating in a straight line toward the coastline, if he dispatched warships to attack, they would inevitably have to approach head-on.

That way, they would be bound to take heavy fire and suffer significant damage.

If only the pirates would come within the range of the coastal artillery, that would be another story.

Before then, he certainly didn’t want to create a scenario where they suffered damage first.

Thus, Admiral Mustafa waited, on high alert, for their approach.

However…

“…Um… Admiral? What on earth is going on?”

“…I don’t know. What is happening here?”

Contrary to expectations that the pirates would either launch an attack or have some scheme in mind, they simply passed by smoothly, vanishing far into the distance.

It left a sense of utter disbelief for those who were anticipating some kind of confrontation.

With unresolved questions looming over them, Admiral Mustafa and his valiant Turk troops remained with question marks above their heads all day long.

*

A pirate fleet exiting the Dark Sea and entering the Mediterranean.

A total of 21 warships began to sail calmly toward their promised rendezvous point, following the favorable winds.

At the forefront of the fleet was the largest and most conspicuous warship.

Algae covered various parts of the ship, and green trees and vines flourished, giving the impression that a small forest was moving rather than a warship.

On the deck, a demon with the head of a wolf spoke in a polite voice.

“We passed through Islambol without any damage, Captain.”

“Good job. We sail directly to the appointed location. It would be troublesome if those foolish humans caught up with us later.”

A woman spoke with an air of elegance in her voice. Her pale skin and green-tinted hair, along with a black eye patch over one eye, made her resemble a human female.

However, a pair of black wings on her back indicated that she was anything but human.

Siren.

Although there are legends of her kind being a hybrid of human and angel, they are simply categorized as a type of demon.

As a member of this Siren race and the Pirate Lord reigning over all the pirates of the Dark Sea, Christina Kangut gazed at the emerging sight of the Mediterranean with satisfaction.

A world that she desperately wanted to obtain in her past.

Her attempts to spread her wings and soar beyond the cage of the Dark Sea had ended in tragic failure before a man’s fist.

And now…

She had left that cage to come here to assist that man.

As a lord who pledged allegiance to the Pirate King…

And at the same time, as a bird always ready to seize an opportunity to fly away.

“War with the Brittania Empire… if all goes well, this time might finally be…”

*

Deep within the cabin sat the Pirate King, Ezra Drake.

His demeanor was entirely different from the usual as he faced Samir, who spoke politely.

“Pirate King, we have received responses from the lords. They all conveyed their intent to launch.”

“…I see. Good work.”

A subdued reply carried an air of silence. However, Samir could feel the thick undercurrent of rage lacing the words of the Pirate King.

‘As expected… this is a tough spot…’

Honestly, going to war at this juncture was hardly a wise choice.

The Brittania Empire had already declared war and there had been real conflict, so they were undoubtedly well-prepared for this situation.

Moreover, their leader, Nelson, was certainly no pushover.

A power rivaling that of the Pirate King, he was also an exceptional fleet commander; a truly top-tier navy admiral on the continent.

It was no wonder she was called the Queen of the Sea, making her a daunting opponent in many respects.

Engaging such an adversary head-on would inevitably result in massive losses, regardless of victory or defeat.

In the worst case, the absolute dominance of the Pirate King could be shaken.

On the other hand, the benefits of a hard-fought victory would pale in comparison to the potential losses, which could cost them everything.

As a strategist advising against such conflicts, he should have insisted on avoiding this battle…

However, at this point, doing so was utterly impossible.

The death of Vice-Captain Lemain had incited anger not just in the Pirate King, but virtually everyone aboard the ship.

Samir felt this anger as well, but unlike them, he still retained a fragment of cold composure.

Ultimately, there was only one thing he could do in this situation.

To somehow seize victory while minimizing losses…

This daunting, nearly unrealistic goal was all that he could strive for.

At that moment…

‘…Wait a minute…’

*

-Kang! Kang! Kang! Kang!

In a forge deep within the cabin, she relentlessly hammered away.

-Kang! Kang! Kang! Kang!

The iron glowed red hot as she brought down her firm hammer upon it.

Her entire body was drenched in sweat, and her hands were already blistered.

Yet despite this…

With a cold, hardened expression, she continued to strike the iron in silence.

A thick, pungent smell of smoke and iron filled the air—an aroma that had once brought her peace.

This was the reason she had come this far; the only escape she had during her past, while sitting helplessly on a throne.

However…

The emotions within the heart of the woman wielding the hammer now contained no calmness, solace, or joy.

Only one feeling welled inside her.

Rage.

For the sake of the person who had sacrificed themselves to protect her…

A furious wrath towards that blonde Briton general who had committed such deeds…

Yet sadly, she lacked the power to take the head of that Briton woman now.

She no longer possessed the authority of her past nor the formidable strength common to other pirates.

Even so…

In her weakened state, there was still one thing she could do for revenge.

To strike the iron with the hammer in her hand.

Through that, it would become a weapon that could end up in the hands of the pirates…

And ultimately, perhaps find its way into that woman’s heart.

Thus, with a heart full of venom, the one-time queen of the Kingdom of Frantz endlessly pounded the iron.

For the first time since her birth…

With true, heartfelt murderous intent aimed at someone else.

At that moment.

“…What is happening?”