Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 370 Complex Situation

On August 20, Hadawa arrived at his destination, Toulon, a small port with only a little over a thousand inhabitants.

Not long ago, the Duke of Provence received an order from the Emperor to send a thousand soldiers and three thousand peasants to build stone walls, dry docks, warehouses and other infrastructure in Toulon.

Meanwhile, construction was underway on the cliffs on both sides of the port, with plans to build fortresses and large catapults to block the entrance to Toulon Port and prevent enemy attacks from the sea.

Observing the surrounding terrain, Hadava praised the Admiralty's foresight, noting that the environment here was excellent and could almost be considered the best naval port in Frankish territory.

After resting for more than a week, Hadava received news from Marseille that more than twenty pirate ships had been spotted at the mouth of the Rhône River, and requested naval reinforcements.

This was the Royal Navy's first operation in the western Mediterranean. Hadawat did not underestimate the enemy. He left behind two poorly maintained two-masted sailing ships and set off with the rest of his fleet straight for the target location.

Along the way, the shore outposts used flag signals to communicate with the fleet, informing them of the pirates' specific movements so that Hadawa could launch a pursuit.

On August 30th, the fleet caught up with the pirates in the waters near Montpellier. Because their ship was loaded with looted goods, the pirates were slow, and even with their desperate rowing, they could not escape the pursuit of the Royal Navy.

"Ram them, crush them!"

The three-masted warship had a tall and sturdy hull. Hadawa personally took control of the helm, leaving the warships behind behind, and rushed towards the pirate ships at top speed.

Not long after, the bow of the Blue Parrot rammed into the side of a pirate ship.

In an instant, the ship emitted a tooth-grinding groan, splinters of wood flew everywhere, and the pirate ship's flimsy hull shattered like an eggshell. Seawater rushed into the huge breach, and the ship gradually sank. The pirates screamed in panic and jumped into the water. Some pirates were swept into the whirlpool, while others managed to escape.

Hadawa: "Release the arrows!"

Marines fired from their high positions with crossbows, but all they heard were curses and wails in Frankish.

Franks?

Hadava scratched his head in confusion, then quickly realized. Large numbers of Frankish refugees fled to northern Italy; living in poverty, becoming pirates was quite plausible.

At this moment, two nearby pirate ships were enraged. Instead of retreating, they took advantage of the slight crosswind and frantically rowed closer. Dozens of grappling hooks were thrown at the Blue Parrot's side, and a large number of pirates climbed up the ropes, attempting to seize the ship through boarding action.

On deck, twenty marines, equipped with standard cloth armor, skillfully hunted down the pirates boarding the ship. The Frankish offensive, like a tide crashing against rocks, quickly weakened. As subsequent warships joined the battle, the survivors began to crumble, scrambling to jump back onto the pirate ship or leap directly into the sea.

Hadawat signaled, "Each ship shall proceed with the pursuit!"

He piloted the Blue Parrot, closely following the largest pirate ship, watching helplessly as the enemy discarded grain, barrels of wine, and all sorts of miscellaneous items.

Unbeknownst to them, the pirate ship was getting faster and faster, and the Frankish oarsmen rowed with all their might, gradually moving out of the range of the Blue Parrot's crossbows.

Hadawa did not give up. He continued to pursue the enemy ships, sailing eastward for a day and a night until a vast expanse of land appeared on the sea ahead.

Based on the nautical chart and his own sailing trajectory, Hadawa determined that he was in Corsica. He carefully maneuvered the Blue Parrot in the nearshore area. Two hours later, the sailboat reached the southwest side of the island, where a port stood on the distant coast. Hadawa decided to give way, but a small sailboat approached from the port, seemingly wanting to discuss something with him.

As the small boat drew closer, Hadawa could see the crew's attire clearly and asked in a puzzled tone, "Is this Moorish clothing? They actually have a base on Corsica?"

Soon, a middle-aged Moorish man boarded the deck of the Blue Parrot and inquired about the Vikings' intentions.

Hadava gave an official response: "To eliminate pirates and maintain order in the coastal areas of Provence."

“We haven’t attacked Provence for almost a year. You should go find other pirate groups, or the Franks,” the Moor said, pointing in the direction of Corsica, claiming that his pirate group was busy with land affairs.

"How's the battle going?" To gather intelligence, Hadawa took out his treasured whiskey from the captain's cabin and got the other man half-drunk, obtaining some information that was difficult to verify:

During Charlemagne's reign, Corsica was incorporated into the Frankish Empire, but in reality, the island remained in a very loosely organized state.

For the last half-century, pirates from Iberia and North Africa have been raiding the Corsican coast, with their main objectives being to plunder gold, silver, and supplies, and to capture people as slaves.

Faced with this threat, the Corsicans abandoned the coastal plains and migrated to the inland mountains. As a result, the Moorish pirates successfully established themselves along the coast and gradually infiltrated the interior.

"How about this, we form an alliance, completely conquer Corsica, and then plunder Pisa, Rome, and other places, and we all get rich together."

The Moorish chieftain extended an invitation, but Hadava did not reply. The most active pirates in the Mediterranean were the Moorish pirates; if they were to seize Corsica, the duchies of Provence and Toulouse would never have peace.

After leaving Corsica, the Blue Parrot circled around Sardinia to the south, where it was fortunate enough to capture a fishing boat and obtain information from the fishermen.

Sardinia was nominally territory of the Eastern Roman Empire, but it was controlled by four local powers. Faced with the Moorish threat, they built watchtowers and fortresses along the coast and organized small fleets to patrol the area. Therefore, Sardinia's situation was slightly better than Corsica's.

In September, Hadava returned to Toulon and learned of the results of the operation: two ships were sunk, five were captured, and 260 Franks were taken prisoner.

"Well done! Although we're new here, we must not disgrace the Royal Navy!"

For some time afterward, the Mediterranean Fleet began exploring the western Mediterranean, recording detailed nautical charts and hydrographic data. Based on his observations along the way, Hadawat discovered an interesting fact:

More than twenty years ago, Björn ventured into the Mediterranean in a longship and, upon returning to Britain, claimed to have plundered Rome. However, after investigation by the Mediterranean Fleet, this was undoubtedly Björn's self-aggrandizement; his most likely location for the plunder was Pisa.

In late September, the exploration fleet reached the southernmost tip of Italy. Strangely, scattered dhows drifted in the nearby waters, and occasionally galleys flying the Eastern Roman flag could be seen.

"The two fleets have come together; is a decisive naval battle about to break out?"

Hadawah was unwilling to miss this crucial moment, and his fleet lingered nearby for half a day, learning from the fishermen that the focus of the conflict was on Syracuse, a major town in the eastern part of the island.

(End of this chapter)