Chapter 689
Gregor's despicable scheme: treating the merfolk as gifts!
After hearing his eldest son's rather shocking statement, Emperor Wilson turned to look at Dantès.
Dantès stood up and replied:
"Your Highness is right. According to our intelligence analysis, the current Pirate King Yann Hughes and the Mermaid Queen Claire do indeed have a deep relationship."
Hmm...we're more inclined to believe that Claire used her beauty to win over the pirate captain.
Emperor Wilson couldn't help but speak up:
"Isn't he afraid that Aberon will come after him?"
A slight smile tugged at the corner of Dantès's mouth:
"Perhaps it's just an act!"
Emperor Wilson fell silent and continued listening to his eldest son's analysis.
Greg slammed his hand on the table, his voice rising higher and higher:
"A race with the glorious memories of an ancient empire, an ambitious and ruthless current patriarch, and a mysterious and unpredictable current pirate king who is connected to the legacy of an ancient pirate king and may even have some kind of tacit approval from the sea god, and now, with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of the 'Covenant of the Gods' added to the mix."
Father, Prime Minister, everyone..."
His gaze swept over everyone present, and he said, word by word:
"If this Queen Claire uses the historical appeal of the mermaid race, her special relationship with the 'Pirate King,' and the enormous changes and survival pressures brought about by the 'Covenant of the Gods,' then..."
"Stirring up trouble within the Sea Clan Alliance, forging a consensus, raising the banner to rebuild that so-called 'Deep Tide Empire'... I wouldn't be surprised at all!"
Gregor's words silenced everyone in the council chamber.
Mermaids, Claire, the Pirate King, the Covenant of the Gods, the Chosen Nation… these names and factors combined indeed constitute a powder keg that is most dangerous and most likely to ignite the situation that Prime Minister Winston feared.
Emperor Wilson's gaze shifted from Gregor's slightly agitated face to Edmund Dantès in the shadows:
"Claire... I remember you, the queen of the merfolk. I heard your report before, but I don't remember it very well."
Please describe her situation in more detail.
The head of the intelligence bureau who was named nodded slightly, his face still showing no extra expression.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
He closed his notebook and took out a thin file sealed with dark blue sealing wax from an inconspicuous black metal briefcase at his feet.
Unseal the sealing wax and unfold the scroll. It is covered with densely packed yet neat and precise small characters, as well as several miniature images with magical markings, which seem to reveal dynamic images.
Dantès unfolded the image before the crowd, his voice calm and measured:
"Claire Tide, the current ruler of the Pearl Palace of the Merfolk, according to our conclusions drawn over seven years through cross-infiltration, heavy bribery, magical detection, and piecing together historical fragments."
Claire, the current Queen of the Merfolk and the most beautiful woman in the sea, must be a reincarnated being.
In his previous life, he was an outstanding chieftain in the history of the merfolk, active about 370 years ago.
File code name 'Deep Blue Singer'.
In his previous life, he displayed exceptional magical talent, political acumen, and rare ethnic cohesion.
During their reign, the Merfolk briefly suppressed the Naga and proposed a rudimentary concept of the 'Deep Sea Charter' to address the then-loose alliance of sea creatures. Their influence at one point extended to one-third of the sea races.
Dantès's gaze fell on the next line of small print highlighted in red in the dossier:
The reason for its demise has long been a mystery.
But three years ago, according to a key piece of information passed on by our spies in the Pearl Palace, Claire's past life's fall points to an ancient prophecy circulating among the mermaids.
The details of the prophecy are unknown, but we are certain that Claire's choices in her past life were directly related to it.
Her demise in her previous life was likely not an accident or a failure, but rather a meticulously planned return.
"Reborn..."
Emperor Wilson repeated the word in a low voice, as if an undercurrent was swirling rapidly in the depths of his gray-blue eyes.
A ruler carrying the memories and power of her past life poses a completely different threat level than an ordinary genius king.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Dantes continued, "As for the source of her power, we can now confirm that Claire possesses the Trident of Poseidon, the first god of the sea."
Poseidon's Trident!
It was not just a powerful weapon, but a symbol of dominating the ocean, a mythical object that could command some sea creatures and even invoke the primal power of the ocean!
Dantès's voice remained steady, but the content carried immense weight:
"It can now be confirmed that the artifact has been mastered by Claire, and it is very likely that she has already begun to tame or awaken it."
With this item, coupled with her status as a reincarnated being and her skills, she has essentially eliminated all public opposition within the Merfolk clan over the past year, and integrated the three royal clans of the Tide Clan, the Lan Clan, and the Azure Wave Clan.
This elevated the authority of the Pearl Palace to its peak in nearly a thousand years.
The merfolk, one of the oldest and most influential races in the Sea Clan Alliance, can now be said to be speaking with one voice—Claire's voice.
Dantes gently closed the file, ending his account of Claire's personal information, but the content revealed beneath that calm narration made the air in the council chamber so heavy it seemed to freeze.
Prince Gregor promptly took over the conversation, his voice rising slightly with excitement and the confirmation of his analysis:
“Father, Director Dantes’ intelligence confirms that my concerns were not unfounded.”
A reincarnated former patriarch, an ambitious man who has unified his tribe by wielding the artifact of Poseidon, the god of the sea!
Why have I spared no expense all these years, enduring the hostility of other sea creatures and trade losses, to continuously increase my efforts in the 'Boiling Abyss' and 'Splitter Strait', constantly squeezing out the traditional fishing grounds and mineral veins of the Merfolk?
It was because every report from the naval front made me feel more clearly the growing pressure from Pearl Palace.
Claire's threat is real; she's not singing in the deep sea, she's honing her trident!
At this point, Greg suddenly stood up, placed his hands on the edge of the table, leaned forward, and stared intently at his father with a burning, urgent flame of youth in his eyes:
"Moreover, we must not forget history, and we must not forget the source of her bloodline."
Ten thousand years ago, there was the 'Deep Tide Empire' that forcibly brought almost all intelligent races in the Endless Sea under its rule.
That being known as the Sea Emperor is a mermaid.
This memory and ambition to build a unified maritime empire is something etched into their blood!
Now, the times have changed, and the 'Covenant of the Gods' has given all ambitious people the best excuse and stage.
She has the advantage of location; she has an endless sea and a unified mermaid tribe as her base.
As for the people, she has that mysterious 'Pirate King' Yann Hughes as an ally; who knows what secret agreement they've reached?
Not to mention that she also possesses the Trident of Poseidon, a divine artifact whose symbolic significance and actual power are terrifying!
If she were to seize this opportunity, leveraging the ancient prestige of the merfolk, the appeal of the trident, and the fear of the future, she could incite, unite, coerce, and entice within the sea tribe alliance…
Father, it is truly possible that she will once again raise that banner that unites the oceans!
On that day, a 'maritime empire' that unites most of the sea creatures, possesses clearly defined sea borders, and may even have the direct support of some sea gods will appear beyond our coastline…
He paused, allowing the horrific image to take shape in everyone's minds, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"That would be a complete blow to our Southern Empire, to our nation's foundation, which relies on maritime trade, maritime faith, and naval hegemony."
We will be driven from the ocean; our divine favor, our wealth, our source of power will all be taken away by that new and hostile deep-sea empire!
Emperor Wilson shifted his gaze from his eldest son, Greg, who was agitated and whose face practically screamed "threat."
He did not directly respond to Greg's alarmist statement, nor did he show much surprise at the information about "reborn beings," "artifacts," and "unifying the merfolk."
This emperor, who had ruled the southern region for decades, was already accustomed to remaining calm amidst turbulent news.
After a brief moment of thought, Emperor Wilson turned to the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Timothy Henderson, who was sitting at the table:
"Henderson, what's the current situation on the Merfolk front?"
Henderson replied in a loud voice:
"Your Majesty, the situation is somewhat stalemate, but it's not terrible."
A few months ago, we exerted a lot of pressure, and the Merfolk fleet suffered considerable losses. We also destroyed their outer outposts and several rich mining areas.
The merfolk eventually retreated to their Pearl Palace stronghold, relying on the royal court's grand formation, which had been passed down for countless generations, for defense.
That thing is a tortoise shell; if we try to bite into it, we'll suffer a huge loss, and it won't be worth it.
The trouble lies with that damned pirate captain, Yann Hughes, and his elusive 'Crimson Raiders' fleet.
His ghost ships, and his reckless lunatics, are like a swarm of vengeful sharks, specifically targeting our supply lines, lone patrol ships, and even temporary anchorages near the front lines.
They hit and run, disappearing into deep-sea trenches or storm zones, making them impossible to catch.
At this point, the old commander also became agitated, his face turning even redder with anger:
"Our sailors and warships are the pride of the empire, born for a decisive battle to destroy the enemy's main fleet."
It's not like we're going to play hide-and-seek with a bunch of pirates in the reefs and storms.
Not to mention, the area around Pearl Palace is the home ground that the Merfolk have cultivated for thousands of years, with countless undercurrents, whirlpools, sea monster lairs, and ancient traps.
Our people are there, but they can't even use 70% of their full strength, while the merfolk and those pirates are thriving.
Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary losses and to avoid being dragged into the enemy's pre-set battlefield environment, the command unanimously decided that, apart from necessary guard and blockade forces, most of the main warships and marines had withdrawn from the front-line pressing positions.
We have returned to our more secure control of the second and third island chains.
Currently, the main standoff and limited pressure operations in and around the Pearl Palace area are underway…
Henderson glanced at Greg, whose expression wasn't good, and lowered his voice slightly:
"The 'Deep Blue Spear' task force, commanded by His Highness, and several marine regiments under his direct command are in charge."
They were more familiar with that sea area, and...more adapted to this kind of high-intensity, small-scale skirmishes and counter-harassment operations.
Emperor Wilson turned his eyes to his eldest son.
Greg immediately picked up the conversation, his expression turning serious:
“Father, what Commander Henderson said is true.”
Yann Hughes and his Scarlet Raiders were indeed like a swarm of slippery sea snakes; their tactics were dirty but effective, greatly tying down our forces and severely damaging our morale.
Fighting in the waters near Pearl Palace is like a blindfolded giant dancing in a room full of traps, while the merfolk and pirates are the dancers in the dark.
Currently, my 'Deep Blue Spear' task force, along with the land forces assigned to me, is able to maintain the existing standoff and blockade, repel small-scale provocations from pirates and merfolk, and ensure that the island chains and resource points we have occupied are not lost.
However… if I want to break the deadlock, re-apply decisive pressure, or even find an opportunity to breach Pearl Palace's defenses and completely extinguish Claire and the entire merfolk's ambitions, my current strength is far from sufficient.”
He paused, letting the words "far from enough" echo in the silent council chamber, mainly for his father, the emperor.
He then continued speaking:
"Yarn Hughes is not an ordinary pirate who only dares to rob merchant ships. He is the 'Pirate King,' a monster who can make ghost warships sail in the real world."
His 'Crimson Raiders' are seasoned bandits who have roamed the Endless Sea for many years, possessing formidable combat power and unpredictable methods.
Add to that the elite merfolk hiding behind the royal court's grand formation... Father, this is not a battle that can be won easily, nor is it a battle that can be gambled on with our current forces.
We need a stronger fleet, more elite marines, higher-level magical support, and sufficient tactical authorization and resource allocation to suppress pirate raids and break the mermaids' home-field advantage.
Greg finished speaking.
He didn't directly say, "Give me more military power and more resources," but every word he uttered stated a fact:
The existing forces are insufficient to achieve the strategic goals, and more is needed to achieve them.
Emperor Wilson listened in silence, his face remaining as expressionless as a rock covered by a layer of ice.
But everyone present was shrewd, and they could all hear the unspoken yet obvious demand in Greg's words—he wanted more authority and more power to win this war to "eliminate the threat to the country."
Gregor Alvis, the eldest prince of the Southern Empire and one of the most outstanding young talents in the Imperial Navy, was thinking something far more complex than he could say.
In the Southern Empire, the succession to the throne has never been a matter of "firstborn son first."
On this land ravaged by storms and waves, the blood of the Alvis family flows with a more primitive and cruel law: the capable rise, the mediocre fall.
In theory, all of the emperor's sons, regardless of age, have an equal chance to compete for the supreme vortex throne.
Unlike other human nations, the successors of the Southern Empire have no order of succession or designation; there is only naked competition.
It's like throwing a group of ferocious baby sharks into the same pool; only the strongest, most cunning, and most ferocious one will survive and be crowned the new king of the sea.
This is the Southern Empire's "breeding poison" style of succession.
Every prince and princess, from the moment they become aware of the world, finds themselves in this war without gunpowder, yet far more dangerous.
Supporters, the military, resources, achievements... each of these is a bargaining chip they fight for.
Gregor's proactive, even radical, push for strategic pressure on the Endless Sea, especially on the Merfolk, naturally stems from a dual set of considerations.
For his own sake, he firmly believed that the merfolk, especially the ambitious Claire who possessed the divine artifact, posed a fatal threat to the empire's future maritime hegemony and had to be nipped in the bud before they could fully grow in power.
This aligns with the empire's fundamental interests and demonstrates his foresight and responsibility as a contender for the throne.
Personally, this is a high-stakes gamble that cannot be afforded to fail.
Suppressing the merfolk and seizing military power on the front lines of the Endless Sea means he can directly command one of the empire's most elite naval forces and wield the sharpest "sword" in competition with his brothers and sisters.
If successful, plundering the treasures and resources accumulated by the merfolk over thousands of years (those legendary deep-sea magic crystals, rare pearls, and ancient magical materials) would greatly enrich his personal wealth and the strength of his faction.
Whether by bribing allies or building a private army, he can consolidate his position.
Even... the merfolk themselves, those beings renowned for their beauty and magical talent, are excellent political bargaining chips and "gifts".
It can be used to win over powerful nobles, powerful mages, and even allies with peculiar tastes within the empire.
This is a calculated scheme that perfectly combines national strategy with personal ambition.
Gregor needs the Empire's resources to win this war, and victory will, in turn, fuel his ambition, giving him a more advantageous, and perhaps even decisive, position in the brutal competition for the Whirlpool Throne.
His statement to his father and the highest authority in the empire was both a report on the grim military situation and an attempt to secure the crucial authorization for this "high-stakes gamble."
However, Greg didn't want to appear too incompetent in front of his father, so he paused and said:
"The merfolk themselves aren't really a threat; the main problem is that Pirate King Yann Hughes. That pirate captain is a bit troublesome!"
Emperor Wilson frowned slightly.
It wasn't so much worry or fear, but rather the vigilance of an experienced captain discovering an unexpected reef in familiar waters.
“Yarn Hughes…”
Emperor Wilson murmured the name that hung at the top of the Imperial Navy's wanted list, with a bounty enough to buy a wealthy duchy.
His grey-blue eyes turned to Prime Minister Winston:
"Actually, I've always wondered, even if he had a stroke of luck and really found the mantle of the ancient pirate king in some forgotten corner, even if he mastered the secret of the evil power to control ghost ships... where would a pirate captain, even if he was brave enough to split the waves, conjure up the resources to support a fleet and maintain an army?"
I've heard of the legends of the ancient pirate kings; the rare magical materials needed to build a ghost ship are an unbelievable astronomical sum.
In addition, how much gold, food, weapons and armor would be needed to recruit, arm, and train those daredevils who would follow him to challenge the Imperial Navy and risk their lives in storms and reefs?
There's also intelligence. Only accurate intelligence can make him slippery like an eel, specifically targeting our most vulnerable spots... These things can't just be swept away from the sea out of thin air.
Even if a pirate plundered ten of the richest ports, he might not be able to raise enough money to cover the long-term expenses of just one of them.
His development has been too rapid, somewhat illogical.
Prime Minister Winston nodded slightly and replied softly:
"Your Majesty's consideration is very correct. Even if a pirate without any foundation has a miraculous encounter, it would be difficult for him to build up such a large-scale threat in such a short period of time."
The speed at which the Crimson Raiders have risen is indeed defying common sense.
So, after eliminating all the impossibilities, the remaining answer, no matter how unpleasant, is often the truth.
Yann Hughes is more than just the 'Pirate King'.
Don't forget, he also has another identity—Emperor of the Eastern Empire, and son-in-law of Eberron Tang.
As Winston brought up the name, the air in the council chamber seemed to grow even heavier.
The Eastern Empire, this powerful and domineering dragon kingdom, has always been one of the Southern Region's main competitors in maritime trade.
Winston then shared his opinion:
"Although there is no conclusive evidence that can be laid out on the negotiating table to prove that the Eastern Region's treasury or armory has directly opened its doors to the 'Crimson Raiders'."
However, looking at the overall situation on the mainland, there are very few forces that have the capability, the motivation, and the courage to confront our southern region head-on to secretly support such a maritime troublemaker.
The Eastern Empire is undoubtedly the most likely and logical of the three.
Emperor Eberon has never concealed his desire for the endless sea routes and resources, nor has he ever given up any opportunity to weaken my empire's maritime hegemony.
Supporting a pirate who has a blood feud with us and who happens to have gained great power, letting him wedge into our heartland like a poisonous thorn, constantly bleeding us dry, tying down a large portion of our naval forces, and depleting our national strength... this is simply the lowest-cost and highest-profit strategy.
One Piece needs resources, and the Eastern Empire, which rules the Dragon Land, has an inexhaustible supply of all kinds of resources.
The Pirate King needs intelligence, and the Eastern Empire can provide it through its trading posts, spies, and even some treacherous nobles along our coast.
The Pirate King needs secluded ports for selling stolen goods and resupplying, and the islands under the control of the Eastern Empire are no exception.
Winston spread his hands, making an "obvious" gesture:
"Therefore, although we cannot produce funding documents personally signed by Emperor Eberron, there is no doubt that the Crimson Raiders' extraordinary and rapid growth is orchestrated by the Eastern Empire!" (End of Chapter)