910: Chapter 96, Annihilation – The Aftermath Ripple 910: Chapter 96, Annihilation – The Aftermath Ripple Upon arriving at Watson Harbor and having a quick breakfast, Hudson immediately convened a meeting with the representatives of various families.
It smacked a little of overstepping his authority, as the powers of the Chief Commander were not explicitly confined to the Army, so he reckoned that occasionally directing the Navy would likely be acceptable to everyone.
“I just took a turn over the sea surface and noticed some Church Fleet ships fleeing in disarray, which suggests some kind of crisis has occurred.
As a part of the Human Alliance, we cannot stand by and watch our allies in distress.
Dispatch people for a full-scale reconnaissance, ascertain the situation as quickly as possible, and then organize a rescue operation.”
Politics is like that; some things can be done but must not be spoken of.
For clarity’s sake, Hudson even emphasized the words “allies” and “rescue.”
“Marshal, the Church’s Top Three Fleets are formidable, and there are few on the Continent who can match their strength.
Furthermore, there are a large number of experts among the fleet; it is almost impossible for accidents to happen under normal circumstances.
Could it be that they encountered a storm that scattered the fleet?”
Byron asked, perplexed.
In the face of nature’s immense power, humans are insignificant.
Humans can’t sink a fleet, but nature can.
Even with the protection of Magic Formations, a significant sea storm would inevitably lead to heavy losses.
Last time, several warships from the Dalton Family sank in the midst of a storm.
“This matter is for the Church to address; the ocean’s winds and clouds are ever-changing—who can say what truly happened?
I’ve heard that in recent times, pirate activities have grown rampant, daring even to target isolated military vessels.
Exercise caution on your search and rescue mission,”
Hudson said nonchalantly.
Kicking someone when they’re down was not something the Navy should be seen doing, at least not under their own flag.
As old hands at sea, Hudson did not believe the major clans were without a few pirate crews to do their dirty work.
Now was the time for pirates to step in.
The enemy’s main battleships were gone; what remained were only smaller naval vessels, probably not even at full crew capacity.
Leaving it to the pirates was the best option.
Even if word got out, it would be the pirates blamed.
Having this fig leaf made it easier to manage the aftermath.
A direct confrontation would be another political storm.
“Captain, are there pirates ahead?”
Following his first mate’s pointing direction, Aude Beau happened to see a fleet flying pirate flags, rapidly closing in on them.
The cannons were already aiming at them when, during Aude Beau’s moment of hesitation, the Magic Crystal Cannons from the other side opened fire.
“Damn pirates, daring to provoke…”
“Immediately organize counter-fire, make them regret coming into this world!”
After a brief exchange, Aude Beau’s warship unfortunately took a hit.
Though it didn’t lose combat ability, the ship’s maneuverability dropped significantly.
“Something’s not right; these are not pirates!
The despicable people of Alpha are masquerading their Navy as pirates…
By the time he realized this, it was already too late.
Ultimately this was Alpha Kingdom’s territory, and from the moment they spotted the pirate ship, they had already lost the best chance to escape.
Similar scenes were unfolding across the high seas.
The swarming “pirates” constantly hunted down the isolated Church Fleet ships.
Even the lucky ones who managed to float upon boards in the sea did not continue their streak of luck.
“Hurry, once we enter the waters of the Black Forest Kingdom, we’ll be safe!”
Powell urged constantly.
As an experienced captain, relying on his extensive experience, he dodged round after round of “pirate” ambushes.
To increase the odds of survival, they picked up two other Church warships along the way, also frantically escaping, and the combined strength of the three ships finally broke through to the border waters of both countries.
Generally, such no-man’s lands are favorites among pirates.
However, for the remnants of the Church Fleet post-ordeal, this was the safest territory.
Real pirates seek only wealth; robbing military ships, a high-risk venture, was never included in the pirates’ line of work.
Unfortunately, Powell had underestimated one detail—the Kingdom of Alpha was not the only one wishing for the Church Fleet’s downfall.
The Kingdom of Alpha and the Church had severe conflicts, and the Black Forest Kingdom, located even closer to the Church, was no less embroiled in strife with the Church.
The difference was that Alexander V was more patient and, even in confrontations with the Church, usually chose to seek peaceful resolutions.
The longer the patience endured, the more ferocious the ensuing outburst.
Once it was confirmed that the Church Fleet had encountered a disaster, the Kingdom of Alpha immediately notified its neighbor, and stone-throwers added up…
Powell, being among the first to rush out, unfortunately became the first victim.
Just as they were about to approach the port for resupply, they were trailed by a “pirate.”
“Captain, these pirates are really blind, daring to all the way here.”
For pirates to be active near a port indicates they don’t regard the port fleet highly.
That such careless pirates hadn’t been eradicated was a marvel.
Suddenly, Powell realized that something was amiss and urgently commanded: “Move away from the port, this place…”
Before his order was carried out, several other pirate ships came from the direction of the port, blocking their escape route.
With careful observation, one could also notice that beneath these pirate flags, the just-retracted flags of the Black Forest Kingdom Navy could still be seen.
The roaring of the Demon Crystal Cannons sounded again, and the three ensnared Church warships, ultimately, could not evade their fate.