Chapter 310. Isle of Whereto
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The dark waters near the docks of the Isle of Whereto blazed red with flames. The battle had reached its climax, with every participant brimming with intense killing intent. The gun barrels never cooled, and the fervor of power dominance burned unceasingly.
In the heat of battle, warships crashed into each other. Before the vessels could steady themselves, their crews had already grabbed the ropes and swung themselves onto the enemy's deck.
With various weapons, they tore at their opponents with unchecked savagery. At this moment, the primal ferocity within them had reached an all-time high.
Arthur, the new governor of the Isle of Whereto, was seated on a leather sofa. He stroked his white beard with a solemn expression as he stared at the chaotic skirmish unfolding before him.
Hours had passed, but Arthur still couldn't comprehend the intention of this battle. The Isle of Whereto was over a thousand nautical miles away from Hope Island. If Governor Charles' goal was territorial expansion, they should be targeting closer islands first and not the Isle of Whereto.
Why is Hope Island's navy attacking my island all of a sudden? Has going to the sea to seek death constantly had finally driven that guy crazy? thought Arthur.
Boom!
Another cannonball flew past and landed in the nearby water with a thundering explosion and shot up a massive white water spout.
The saltwater, heavy with the scent of gunpowder, cascaded toward the docks like a torrential downpour. Arthur's subordinates cried out in alarm as they scrambled to escape, but Arthur immediately called them back.
"It's just water; why are you running?! All of you, stay here and watch the battle!"
The cascading seawater fell on Arthur's bald head that shone under the light. His face grew a shade darker with every passing moment.
After observing the battle a while longer, he bellowed, "Deputy!!"
"Yes, sir!"
"The battle's dragging on for too long. Deploy the reserve forces. Annihilate these audacious intruders who dare to encroach on my island!" Arthur instructed.
"As you command, Governor!"
Accompanied by the sound of ship horns, the reserve ships at the docks entered the fray.
With the fresh influx of forces, the dynamics on the battlefield swiftly changed. Backed by numerical superiority, the Whereto's Navy slowly gained the upper hand.
Witnessing the battle's change in tide, a smug smile played upon Arthur's lips.
With Swann gone, I have the largest fleet among the Albion Isles' Navy. The biggest island should rightfully be mine. Arthur thought to himself.
He then stood up and walked toward the nearby steam carriage.
"Deputy, give me a detailed report of the battle later," Arthur instructed.
Just as he bent down to enter the carriage, the sound of an abrupt earth-shattering explosion started him into a cold sweat.
"What the hell?!" He quickly looked up and fixed his gaze on the sea. His eyes widened in disbelief, and his mouth gradually mirrored it.
"What in the world is that? That's... That's Sottom!" Arthur exclaimed.
To the left of the battlefield, a colossal fortress, pieced together from various discarded steamships, was slowly making its way into the fray.
Three giant cannons protruded from Sottom's body. They roared incessantly as they hurled cannonballs the size of small boats at Whereto's naval forces.
With the new monstrous addition, the tide of the battle instantly turned. Screams and explosions rang out incessantly.
"How... How is this possible?" Arthur mumbled in disbelief, "Didn't Sottom drift to the Western Seas? Why did they suddenly appear here?"
Arthur's face contorted with panic. The fleet from Hope Island alone was nothing to be feared, but the presence of Sottom was a completely different situation. What truly haunted everyone was not the pirate crew but their "King."
The pirates based in Sottom could plunder far and wide not only because of Sottom's elusive movements but also because of their "King's" overpowering strength.
Arthur did a swift evaluation of the battle and realized that resistance was futile. He decisively ordered a retreat. If defeat was inevitable, it was wiser to give up.
Using telegraphs, the Whereto's navy swiftly disengaged with the enemy and retreated eastward.
Arthur believed that as long as his navy fleet remained intact, he could always rise again wherever he went.
But just then, he saw the fleet from Hope Island aggressively advancing toward the docks.
"Move! To the Governor's Mansion! Quick!" Arthur instructed the driver as he settled into his seat.
A convoy of seven to eight cars started and sped away.
The streets had been deserted; there were no other light sources apart from the headlights of the cars. The islanders had sought refuge in their cellars at the sound of the first cannon's roar and were silently waiting for the war to end.
Seated in his car, Arthur wracked his brain for a plan as the streets blitzed past him. Suddenly, a blare of car horns from behind interrupted his thoughts.
He turned around abruptly, and his eyes widened in shock as he saw what greeted him through the rear glass window. A steamship had defied all norms and drove onto land. Moreover, it was now hurtling at breakneck speed toward their car!
How is this possible?!
Before Arthur could react, the amphibious ship had crashed into the car he was in. An explosion erupted, instantly turning the convoy of seven to eight vehicles into a fiery inferno and thick black smoke billowed into the sky.
Thud.
A figure clad in a black robe leaped off the amphibious ship and landed deftly before the raging flames. It was Margaret, The flickering flames illuminated her visages in a non-rhythmic interval.
Whish!
An enormous object suddenly flew out of the fire and headed straight toward Margaret. It was a car's flaming skeleton!
Clank!
Margaret caught it with both hands and hurled it back into the flames.
A light chuckle emerged from within the flames.
"So Daniel's daughter is still alive?!" Arthur said as he emerged from the wreckage with his entire body enveloped in flames. As the flames extinguished, he stood before Margaret, baring his metallic body that had been stained with soot. Most of his physical body was made of gears and prosthetics.
Margaret offered no words. She pushed off the ground with the ball of her right foot and propelled herself toward Arthur like a gray bird in flight.
The two figures, one large and one small collided with a resounding clash of metal. Seeing the dagger aimed at his left arm, Arthur's scorched eyelids squinted slightly.
With a mix of amusement and disdain in his voice, he taunted, "You dare duel me one-on-one? Little girl, do you really think my intelligence was the only reason Swann had put me in charge of his largest territory?"
As soon as Arthur's words fell, the whirring of gears echoed from within him. A dark gun barrel emerged swiftly from his abdomen and immediately unleashed a rapid barrage of fire toward Margaret's chest.
Margaret took a step back with swift agility before she raised her dagger and thrust it straight at Arthur's heart.
Arthur's right prosthetic hand spun to reveal a silver ring on his finger. As the ring emitted a faint light, his body began to rapidly blur out.
Margaret's dagger effortlessly pierced through Arthur and emerged from the other side.
Looking at Margaret, a cold smile surfaced on Arthur's terrifying countenance. A spine bone, with a sickly green glow, extended from the palm of his steel hand. Grabbing it, he lashed it toward Margaret's back.
His smile grew more grotesque as he anticipated his most potent relic making contact with his opponent.
Clank!
The sudden metallic echo froze Arthur's smile in place. He looked down in disbelief to see that his body had reverted from its blurred-out state, and Margaret's dagger was deeply embedded in his chest.
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