Chapter 53
A wide map spread out in the center of the cabin.
Staring at it,
I,
First Mate Remine,
And Navigator Samir,
All wore cold expressions, lost in deep thought.
“Those bastards from Bennessa… looks like they’ve really made up their minds. I never thought they’d take something this unprofitable so seriously…”
“According to intel collected from the merchant ships, even now, large-scale warships are gathering at Sicily Island. It started with Bennessa, then came the Blue Shark of the Britannian Empire. And most recently, there’s word that the Franz Kingdom has also sent warships.”
“Hmm…”
Their words were filled with concern.
I fixed my gaze on Sicily Island, marked on the map.
It was a place about three days’ distance from where we were on Crete Island.
It wasn’t exactly close, but we couldn’t afford to relax, given that the enemy might move as soon as they finished assembling.
Just from what we could see, over thirty warships were gathering right on our doorstep.
And the fact that the lead force was none other than Bennessa—
Whom we had crushed mercilessly just a month ago, made the meaning behind this very clear.
They wanted a proper showdown this time.
If we were just a typical pirate group,
We would’ve holed up in some nearby island or small port,
Waiting until the enemy gave up after failing to locate us.
There’d be no reason to face them head-on as pirates.
Nothing to gain, only losses.
But that only applied to minor pirate groups.
As the Pirate King,
There was no way I would let those who dared to challenge us walk free.
To uphold the authority of the Pirate King,
And to crush them so thoroughly that they’d never rise again—
Even if that weren’t the case,
There was a more personal reason why I could not avoid this war.
“First, send word to all the pirates across the Mediterranean. Even at the low end, we should be able to rally around twenty ships.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And Remine, I want you to gather more intel on the enemy.
Especially the Franz Kingdom’s navy—
There’s barely any known information about them.
Collect as much as you can.”
“Got it. Just be aware that it might take quite a bit of budget.”
“If I catch you skimming funds this time,
I’ll string you up by the figurehead.
Just so you know.”
“Tch…”
With the assignments hastily sorted,
I silently stared at the map again, face still grim.
Other factions were troublesome too,
But what weighed most heavily on my mind was the recently arrived fleet from the Franz Kingdom.
Currently, the Franz Kingdom was the place most likely to harbor a Transmigrant.
If they’d sent warships to take me down,
Then it was highly likely that powerful figures were among them.
There was even a chance that player characters from the original game had joined the battle.
If they had been properly raised,
We might be facing monsters already at the 9th Rank—or even up to the 11th Rank.
‘I’ll have to be ready to take some losses…’
That said, this could also be a huge opportunity for me.
The original game’s player characters were all ground-combat specialists.
And it was well known that the Franz Kingdom had a weak navy.
The fact that they’d left land and come out to the sea—my home turf—
Was already a sign of their weakness.
This was a chance to cripple them—
Or possibly wipe them out entirely.
‘Good… I was planning to crush them if I got the chance anyway.
Now that it’s come to this, I’ll make sure to annihilate you completely!’
Their numbers were greater, sure,
But if we rallied the pirates,
We could meet them on even ground in terms of military strength.
That said, I had no intention of fighting them in a direct, head-on confrontation.
When strength clashes against strength,
Casualties are inevitable.
And as someone who places the safety of my crew above all else,
Even if we were to win against overwhelming odds—
If more than half my people died or were injured,
There’d be no meaning to that victory.
If the cost of victory was too high,
It might be better to abandon the battle entirely.
However—
In regard to this situation,
I came up with one rather useful tactic.
A way to minimize our losses…
While maximizing the enemy’s.
‘More than thirty warships belonging to different factions have all gathered in one place.
There’s bound to be some friction.
If luck is even slightly on our side…’
***
At last, the allied forces were assembled.
Forty warships—something rarely seen even on the continent—
And nearly 7,000 soldiers.
Their leaders had settled down on Sicily Island and were now devising their battle plan.
“The Pirate King is currently gathering forces near Crete Island. Estimated strength: twenty to thirty ships. Their decision to prepare like this means they’re not planning to avoid the fight.”
Arcroyal spoke in a calm voice.
At that moment,
The navy commander of the Franz Kingdom—Vice Admiral Pierre—grinned broadly and said:
“Ha ha! Only twenty to thirty ships, is that it?
If that’s all, then there’s nothing to worry about.
We’ve got forty warships on our side.
There’s no reason we’d lose!”
“!…”
“…Hmm.”
“Fufu…”
Arcroyal maintained a brief silence at Pierre’s remark,
Blue Queen of the Blue Shark made an expression of utter disbelief,
And then… Alice simply chuckled softly.
Moments later, the three exchanged glances, read each other’s intent, and gave a small nod simultaneously— Just small enough that Pierre wouldn’t notice.
And then—
“You’re right. Even if he’s the Pirate King, we’ve got forty warships on our side.
With that kind of power, we should be able to crush him with ease.”
“War is about force. And the side with the superior power—us—has the clear advantage. That is the truth.”
“There’s no need to overthink it. We’ll strike head-on, shatter the enemy formation, and claim victory.”
The three responded enthusiastically to Pierre’s words.
Feeling slightly thrilled, Pierre turned to the others and said,
“As expected! Everyone here seems to share my thoughts. If that’s the case, then there’s no need to drag this out. Let’s sail out and attack immediately—”
“Of course, we’d love that, but let’s calm down for now.”
“The White Shark just arrived this morning. My subordinates are still completely exhausted. We’ll need at least a few days of rest.”
“Haha, I truly apologize.
We were stationed far off in the Congo until recently, and everyone was completely drained on the journey here.”
“Tch… How pathetic. The enemy is right in front of us and you’re talking about rest? Ridiculous.”
Commander-in-Chief Pierre expressed clear dissatisfaction at Alice’s apology.
Now that victory was practically guaranteed, All he could think about was crushing the enemy and claiming the sweet spoils of war as soon as possible.
And to him— Alice responded with an apologetic voice.
“I truly am sorry. After Franz Kingdom contributed such a significant force… As an apology, may I offer the honor of leading the vanguard to you, Commander-in-Chief?”
“Y-You mean… Allowing me—
No, the Franz Navy to take the vanguard?”
“Hmm…”
“Wait just a minute, Alice. Who said you could decide something that important on your own? The vanguard, of course, should go to Bennessa, since we were the ones who planned this operation—”
Arcroyal objected quickly to the unexpected turn in conversation.
However—
“We already know your plan to rush in first and hog all the loot for yourself.”
“Bennessa has the strongest force. The rest of us would only be extras. We oppose you taking the vanguard.”
Alice and Blue Queen refuted her with sharp expressions.
Then, both of them turned toward Pierre,
Who looked a bit bewildered, and spoke.
“In that case, I would rather the Commander-in-Chief here, Mr. Pierre, lead the vanguard.”
“Agreed. The scale is just right. Not too excessive in force.”
“…Hmph…”
The two pirates from Britannia actively pushed for Pierre to lead the vanguard.
Though Arcroyal was fuming, She couldn’t say another word.
No matter how strong her force was, It was now three votes to one.
In the end, she tried to suppress her frustration and returned to her seat.
And seeing that, Pierre—now appointed to lead the vanguard— felt his already-excited mood soar even higher.
“Very well. If you’re all that insistent, then I shall lead the vanguard.”
Trying his best to suppress the smile creeping across his face, Pierre accepted the role.
At the same time, he thought to himself—
Surely, he must be blessed by the goddess of fortune lately.
Carla Port, A quiet place with not much going on, where he had long served as admiral—
He had been wasting away in boredom, Until one day, through his old connection with Duke Oaklean, He suddenly became the Navy’s Commander-in-Chief.
It was a stroke of luck he hadn’t even dared to hope for.
But his tide of fortune didn’t end there.
Right after that came massive support from Duke Oaklean and many nobles, rapidly expanding Pierre’s naval forces.
The neglected warships were repaired, new soldiers were recruited, and at last, the Franz Kingdom’s navy began to resemble an actual fleet.
And now, Pierre— who had gone from a forgotten admiral of a sleepy harbor to the commanding officer of a grand fleet—
Couldn’t help but tremble with excitement at yet another stroke of fortune on his very first mission.
The vanguard— A position that engages the enemy first and seizes the greatest achievements.
Dangerous, yes, but the rewards were just as great.
There’s a reason why great generals all fought tooth and nail to claim the vanguard role.
Especially in a battle like this, Where victory was practically guaranteed— being the vanguard was a jackpot in itself.
‘They say pumpkins roll in on their own vines…
But to think luck would keep favoring me like this in life!
Good. I’ll seize everything with this chance—
The Pirate King’s head,
And all of his treasures!’
Smiling confidently with deep satisfaction, Commander-in-Chief Pierre brimmed with joy.
Watching him, the other three couldn’t help but feel genuinely grateful.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment