Chapter 162

“All units, depart!”

Napoleona and Louis hurriedly urged their horses and carts to move.

The imminent storm was concerning, but they had something even more urgent to attend to.

With Queen Louis’s funeral coming up, news of her death would soon spread across the kingdom and the continent.

The core of this plan relied on the faint remnants of Queen Louis’s authority, and if that happened, the already difficult situation would become even more complex.

With time running short, they began to gallop northward out of Pare, accompanied by a contingent of soldiers.

*

The Brittania Empire Navy was steadily gathering at Gibraltar.

Watching the assembly, Nelson inquired coldly, “How many have gathered?”

“Most of the forces stationed in the South Atlantic have been summoned. The North Atlantic will arrive in due time, so we may have to wait a bit longer. So far, around 40 vessels have assembled. When the northern fleet arrives, we expect it to reach about 70 ships,” Rodney reported.

Nelson nodded slowly.

That number was somewhat less than expected, but it wasn’t insufficient.

The estimated scale of the enemies was around 60 vessels.

Although they were a formidable force, they were no match for their own numbers, and most importantly, there was a significant gap in base performance between pirate ships and Brittania Empire warships.

The average cannon load of a Brittania warship is 70 guns.

Among them, 50 guns are positioned on each side.

There were over 10 massive warships equipped with a total of 100 cannons.

In terms of pure firepower, pirates stood no chance in a direct engagement.

However, Nelson knew very well that he couldn’t be overly confident about the current situation.

“The biggest variable is the Pirate King… And the lieutenants under him who are sharpening their blades for revenge…”

The King of the Sea, possessing Grade 12 powers, was a being whose victory Nelson couldn’t guarantee.

Furthermore, she was still recovering from her recent battle with Lemain.

Even though Nelson was a formidable force on land, her subordinate commanders were somewhat lacking compared to the pirates.

The strongest, Rodney, was Grade 10, with a few others at Grades 7 to 8; that was about it.

Rodney was the only Grand Warrior, and besides Nelson, there were no Grand Magicians.

Given the inherent weaknesses of this island nation compared to its naval strength, this was an unavoidable aspect.

“In this situation, it would certainly be necessary to overwhelm them in terms of forces… but it’s quite regrettable that we couldn’t call in the forces from the Indian Sea…”

A fleet of about 40 ships stationed in the Eastern Indian Sea.

However, moving them would indeed have been excessively burdensome.

Moreover, managing those colonies was a matter of the East India Company’s purview.

Even though Nelson was a Grand Marshal, the dealings of the East India Company were beyond her authority.

While there were somewhat coercive means to make it happen, the burdens she would bear by doing so were still too great.

With the realization that the insufficient military strength meant she had to patch things together with her abilities, Nelson began quietly organizing her strategies for the impending war.

“The most important thing is to stop the Pirate King and his immediate subordinates… If we can tie down their movements, there will be no major variables.”

The accompanying Pirate Lords were also considerable talents not to be disregarded.

However, capturing the King would ultimately end the game.

Knowing that fact well, Nelson started to carefully outline her plans.

Not some flimsy advantage…

But a foolproof plan to secure victory…

*

Over thirty warships were defending the Brittania Empire’s mainland.

General Calder, in charge of their command, calmly read through a letter that had flown in from headquarters.

“What’s the situation, General?”

“Are we going to depart soon?”

Although they were technically a defense force for the mainland, they effectively covered the entire Northern Atlantic region.

However… despite the broad range, Calder and his subordinate troops hadn’t fought in many battles lately.

This was largely because there had been almost no wars in this area for quite some time.

The Northern Kalmar Coalition was half-allied with the Brittania Empire, while the most significant threat, the Kingdom of Frantz, was tied up with internal issues.

Of course, they couldn’t completely ignore preparations, but they had been doing little more than that for several years.

With that said, being a defense force left them in an awkward position, making it difficult to move recklessly to distant regions, so Calder and his subordinates were harboring high hopes for this upcoming war.

Not too far off… if they caught the right winds and currents, they could reach Gibraltar in just two days.

Their target was none other than the Pirate King Ezra Drake, known as the King of the Sea.

After enduring a long period of boredom, the thought of hunting a delicious piece of prey thrilled them in many ways.

And…

With great enthusiasm radiating from his men, General Calder gradually broke into a deep smile as he gazed upon the orders given to him.

“It’s not time yet. However, I have received the date for departure. We will set sail soon.”

“Receiving a date means we need to wait a bit longer, right?”

“Well… I understand some caution is needed, but it’s getting frustrating. The southern forces have already arrived, yet why must we just bide our time?”

“Now, now… let’s not be so impatient. Everything is for the sake of the plan.”

“The plan, you say…?”

“Ah, indeed, it’s the Grand Marshal Nelson. I can’t believe she’s thinking along this line. If this strategy works, we could certainly capture the Pirate King.”

With that comment, General Calder extended the operation report toward the curious subordinates.

As the subordinates accepted the report, their faces began to gleam with anticipation, replacing their earlier dissatisfaction.

“Certainly… if it goes this way, we will have no choice but to move in accordance with the timing.”

“Prepare well. Our roles will be directly tied to the outcome of this war.”

“Understood, General.”

“Let’s get started right away.”

Immediately after the order was given, the subordinates began to move.

Watching them, General Calder was filled with growing anticipation.

“Heh… if all goes well, I might just capture the Pirate King myself… King, huh… I shall cover that grand name with my own!”

*

The one who received the Pirate King’s orders was not just Kangut from the Dark Sea.

In the Northern Atlantic Sea, Pirate Lord Bayoking was also following the Pirate King’s command, leading a fleet of about ten ships heading south.

“Finally, the glorious battle is upon us!”

“Prepare yourselves, island scum! I shall show you the power of Bayoking the Warrior!”

Basic numbers were small due to the sparsely populated Northern region, but their combat strength was commendable, being the descendants of ancient northern warriors; moreover, they possessed a delight for battle unmatched by anyone else.

To them, the request for support in a grand war against the Brittania Empire was akin to receiving an invitation to a magnificent feast.

However… while brimming with excitement, their captain, Bayoking, had no choice but to exercise a bit of restraint.

His pirate fleet was moving toward Gibraltar, curving around the Brittania Empire.

Naturally, should they encounter the Northern fleet here, they would have to engage in combat immediately.

While his subordinates would eagerly dive into battle, it would go against Bayoking’s principles.

What they needed to do was first join up in front of Gibraltar as per the Pirate King’s orders.

With his doggedly loyal personality, executing the command of the Pirate King, to whom he pledged allegiance, was more important than anything else.

So now, suppressing his desire for combat, Bayoking and his men continued their journey, vigilantly watching for any signs of the Brittania fleet that might appear.

Then…

“Captain! They’ve appeared! The Brittania fleet!”

“What? What’s their scale? What’s their course?”

“There’s light mist, so it’s hard to see. But… judging by the flickering lights, it looks like at least several dozen vessels!”

The murky mist surrounding the Brittania Empire fleet.

From the light seen through it and the shadows faintly illuminated, Bayoking’s fleet could discern that they were facing a formidable army.

“Damn… the Northern fleet… prepare for battle. If they attack, retaliate!”

He wanted to avoid combat as much as possible before completing his mission, but if they discovered him and moved, he had no choice but to respond.

With his sword drawn, Bayoking mentally prepared himself for action.

But then…

“However, Captain, something seems… odd. Their course seems to be…”

“Hmm?”

It was his subordinate’s observation that made Bayoking’s face fill with deep confusion.