"Father, can these three Dragon Eggs really hatch?"
The family's fleet finally passed through the Stepstones safely, which made Patirius breathe a sigh of relief. Facing his son's question, he answered confidently,
"Of course, otherwise why would I abandon such a large family fortune and flee to the East with you? As long as the Dragons hatch, the Patriolius Family can rise again!"
"That day won't be too far off; I can feel the stirrings of life within the Dragon Eggs!"
Looking at the three scorching petrified Dragon Eggs on the stove, Patirius's eyes were filled with fervent hope. However, it was clear that his children were deeply skeptical.
But ever since their mother passed away during childbirth, everything in the household had been decided by Patirius, and the young children simply couldn't persuade their obsessed father.
Of course, at the same time, they still held a glimmer of hope. If these three Dragon Eggs could really hatch, then it wouldn't be impossible to replicate the legend of House Targaryen. Didn't they conquer Westeros with just three Dragons?
"My Lord, this is bad! A large number of pirate ships have appeared ahead!"
The panicked voice of the guard captain mercilessly interrupted the family's beautiful fantasy.
"Pirates?!"
Patirius exclaimed in disbelief,
"Haven't we already left the Stepstones? How can we encounter pirates here?"
"My Lord, they are indeed pirate ships. There are eighty to ninety of their warships. Although they don't have as many ships as us, they have the advantage of the wind. Moreover, their ships are much faster and more maneuverable than ours."
"Currently, it seems we have no choice but to fight."
"Order everyone to prepare for battle immediately!"
Patirius also had considerable experience in long-distance voyages, and his own fleet consisted of the most advanced three-masted ships. With a numerical advantage, he refused to believe they couldn't handle those pirates.
"Let those pirates know that Braavos's Purple Fleet is not something they can easily provoke."
The weather at sea always changes unpredictably. The Sunset Sea, which had been relatively clear, suddenly became stormy and turbulent.
The eighty to ninety warships from the Stepstones were all built of sturdy oak, with sharp bows carved with fierce beast heads, as if ready to devour anyone at any moment.
These pirate ships all flew black flags with blood-red crying skulls, and the pirates on board wore various leather armors and wielded a bizarre array of weapons. Yet, they all had fierce eyes, seemingly glowing green when they looked at the Patriolius Family Fleet, and they cheered excitedly.
However, the mercenaries on the Patirius Fleet were not intimidated by these ferocious pirates. They were seasoned veterans who had been employed by the Purple Fleet for many years, having experienced countless battles. Although the formidable reputation of the Purple Fleet meant they rarely encountered pirate raids, their skills had not dulled because of it.
Under the white flag with a red soaring Dragon, these mercenaries, clad in fine chainmail and wielding broadswords, let out shouts, their morale even more magnificent.
"Ready, Fire~"
At the command of the Patirius Fleet commander, the trebuchets on the Purple Fleet launched the first attack, huge stones raining down on the enemy warships.
This naval battle officially began.
"Boom!"
A huge stone accurately hit the hull of a pirate ship flying the skull flag. Wood splinters flew, and several sailors screamed as they fell into the sea. This was just the beginning, followed by wave after wave of massive stones.
This caused the pirates heavy losses for a time, but they were not completely crippled. They quickly raised their oak shields and linked them together, so that even if a huge stone hit, they could use the shields to absorb the impact.
Seeing that his firepower had completely suppressed the pirates opposite, Patirius couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
"Insolent, lowly pirates, daring to set your sights on the Purple Fleet! This time, you'll learn your lesson!"
But just as Patirius was about to order a continued attack, he discovered that over a hundred warships had appeared behind them. From their flags, they were clearly the Three Daughters Kingdom Allied Fleet.
Their posture clearly indicated they were not there to help them.
"My Lord…"
The fleet commander was about to say something to Patirius when a suddenly fired giant crossbow bolt pierced his body, carrying him away and pinning him to the ship's railing, instantly staining the deck with blood.
This terrified Patirius, making his limbs go limp, and he immediately collapsed onto the deck. His personal guards reacted quickly and pulled him into the cabin.
The death of the commander left the Patirius Fleet without overall command, and at this time, Patirius was temporarily unable to personally command due to extreme fear. The captains had no choice but to organize resistance themselves.
Under the dense giant crossbow attacks of the Three Daughters Kingdom Allied Fleet, several Purple Fleet ships had already been severely damaged. Their trebuchets, in particular, were shattered.
Under the effective organization of the captains, the Purple Fleet readjusted its formation. The trebuchets were reloaded and began their counterattack.
While trebuchets might not be as quick as giant crossbows, their destructive power was greater, and their range was longer. Thus, several warships of the Three Daughters Kingdom Allied Fleet were quickly almost sunk.
But at this moment, the Skull Pirate Fleet, using the advantage of the wind, had already reached the Purple Fleet. The trebuchets were no longer effective against them. So, the captains immediately ordered the longbowmen to take their positions.
Once they entered effective range, a deluge of flaming arrows shot towards the Skull Pirate Fleet. A large number of pirate ship sails caught fire, and under the strong wind, the flames quickly spread.
However, due to the strong winds at sea and the overcast sky, the rocking ships severely impacted the lethality of the flaming arrow rain.
Furthermore, the giant crossbows on the Three Daughters Kingdom Allied Fleet were incredibly powerful, completely suppressing the Patirius Fleet's trebuchet attacks.
Half an hour later, the Skull Pirate Fleet was the first to grapple with the Patirius Fleet. The ferocious pirates, armed with sharp blades, easily boarded the Patirius Fleet.
"Haha! Kill these effeminate mercenaries~"
The axes at the pirates' waists seemed to have eyes, each throw precisely hitting the vital points of the mercenaries.
But these mercenaries were not to be trifled with; wielding sharp swords, they skillfully and easily pierced the kidneys of nearby pirates, sending them to the ground in agonizing wails.
For a time, the Patirius Fleet was filled with a cacophony of battle cries and screams, and the deck was completely stained crimson with blood.
A pirate leader roared, burying his axe directly into his opponent's face; at the same time, a mercenary captain swung his broadsword, easily severing a pirate's legs, leaving him to be trampled to death in agonizing wails. Blood splattered in the sea breeze, falling onto the waves, staining the sea surface a deep crimson.
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