Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 225 Naval Battle - Son of the Drowning God

On the vast sea, two massive fleets stood facing each other like black and white pieces on a chessboard.

Warships were densely packed, their masts like a forest, and countless flags representing different wills and desires fluttered in the gradually strengthening sea wind. The air was filled with a suffocating smell of rust and a deathly stillness that seemed to foreshadow a storm.

War is imminent.

Beneath the unseen depths of the sea, beyond the sight of all sailors and warriors, another, more ancient and bloodthirsty "army" had already been drawn by the unusual commotion and quietly assembled.

Schools of sharks, like gray ghosts, silently swam and darted through the frigid waters. They keenly sensed the unusual vibrations and sounds coming from the water above, and from the barely perceptible currents, they caught a whiff of something incredibly delicious and exciting—the rich scent of flesh and blood, foreshadowing a grand, deadly feast that was about to unfold.

They lingered patiently in the enormous shadow cast by the warship, waiting.

On the unreachable, deeper, dark seabed, eight enormous, suffocating shadows lurked silently. They were Euron Greyjoy's terrifying pets—eight sea kings of various shapes and ferocious natures.

The ferocious "King of the Near Seas" sways its massive tail covered in bone spurs; the ghostly "Sea Cat" gleams coldly in the darkness with its claws; the "Steelscale Saw Shark," covered in metallic scales, rubs its terrifying jawbone; the "Clown Octopus Pochi" waves its eerie tentacles covered in suckers; the "Lava Giant Turtle," like a moving volcano, emits a faint red glow from the cracks in its shell; the mountain-like "Ironback Whale" stirs up turbulent undercurrents with every breath; the "Giant Sea Spider's" limbs are deeply embedded in the sea mud; the long and deadly "Venomous Sea Serpent" brews purple death in its venom glands.

They remain eerily silent in this ultimate abyss, like sleeping mountains, awaiting only the call from the sole master aboard the Serenity.

Just then, a deep and tremendous sound of war drums, like the beating of a thunderous heart, suddenly pierced down from the sea surface, shaking the water.

The sound of the drum is the command!

On the sea, the Iron Islands fleet took the lead in pressing forward, their black sails billowing in the wind, like a moving wall of death.

The swift speedboats of Dorne and the well-equipped warships of the Redwyn family on both flanks moved in tandem, like the two edges of a sword, firmly protecting the flanks of the main fleet. The entire formation displayed iron discipline and a deadly threat.

Under this orderly progression, the eight pairs of cold, giant eyes in the deep sea slowly opened simultaneously.

The vast ocean was utterly torn apart in the bloodthirsty waters of the Stone Steps Islands.

Hundreds of longships, some painted in the black of the Iron Islands and others flying the various fierce flags of the pirate alliance, clashed together like a raging herd of beasts.

At that moment, the deafening crash of breaking wood drowned out the thunderous shouts and howling wind, as if the very foundations of the world were groaning.

Spears and arrows, like locusts of death, weaved and darted through the narrow waterways between ships. Each dull thud of metal striking shields or piercing flesh added a cruel note to this symphony of carnage.

The blood quickly stained the azure sea, attracting more underwater shadows to gather.

At the start of the battle, the pirate alliance, relying on its numerical superiority and ferocity, launched a fierce charge. Their ships, like a pack of chaotic sharks, attempted to break through the Iron Islands' formation with brute force. Arrows rained down from their hulls, trailing flames, trying to ignite the enemy's sails.

The combined forces of the Iron Islands, Dorne, and Redwyn presented a completely different picture.

Under Euron's cold gaze, under Prince Oberon's precise flag signals, and under Earl Parker's steady command, the combined fleet was like a precise and ruthless war machine.

The Ironmen's longships did not simply engage in brute force. Sometimes they would nimbly sidestep like venomous snakes, avoiding the enemy's desperate charges, and quickly adjust their position by slapping the water with their oars. At other times, they would gather in groups of three or five, suddenly converging to launch a fatal attack on a protruding enemy ship, instantly turning it into a pincushion with concentrated crossbows and javelins, and then quickly disperse, never greedy for merit or lingering in battle.

Dorne's speedboats, like swarms of poisonous bees, moved with incredible speed, darting along the edge of the battlefield and firing precise and cunning poisoned arrows with their unique bows, constantly harassing the flanks and rear of the pirate alliance fleet, leaving it unable to defend itself from both ends.

The Redwin family's large warships formed the backbone of the line. Their towering hulls resembled mobile castles, and their long rams, extending from their sides, fiercely tore apart any smaller pirate ships that tried to approach. The crossbows on the decks roared with a dull thud, hurling flaming oil canisters and boulders at the distant enemy ships, each hit triggering a violent explosion and chaos.

The pirates' attack crashed against this wall of discipline, steel, and fire, leaving them battered and bruised. Their chaotic and disorderly advances were exposed as full of flaws in the face of the well-coordinated movements of the allied forces.

As the pirate alliance's offensive faltered and their formation began to falter and falter, Euron Greyjoy, the man whom many privately called "the son of the drowning god," slowly walked to the figurehead.

There were no shouts, no roars, only a quiet gaze at the boiling sea, and the recitation of ancient and obscure words, the voice deep yet seemingly able to penetrate all the noise and reach the deepest part of the ocean.

An invisible, ancient pressure from the bloodline of the Gray Sea King spread out like ripples on water.

The pirate crew members were horrified to discover that the seawater around their ship had begun to boil unnaturally. Not the kind of boiling stained with blood, but a boiling caused by countless powerful gray dorsal fins tearing through the water!

Hundreds and thousands of sharks, as if hearing a supreme command, went into a frenzy. They were no longer scavengers waiting for those who fell into the sea, but became a killing legion that took the initiative to attack! With their amazing explosive power, they leaped out of the sea, splashing seawater and fangs, and slammed heavily onto the deck of the pirate alliance's warship like cannonballs!

In an instant, the deck transformed into a bloodier hell than the sea itself. These marine predators writhed and tore at the flesh in the confined space, their sharp teeth easily severing sailors' calves and dragging unsuspecting pirates to the ground, tearing out their entrails and intestines. The screams were no longer the roars of battle, but the wails of the hunted. Hot blood and bits of flesh splattered everywhere—masts, ropes, barrels. The pirates, who had been steering, hoisting sails, and firing arrows, were thrown into chaos. Forced to turn and fight these terrifying creatures leaping and thrashing across the deck, they were utterly unable to maintain any semblance of order.

This is merely an appetizer for the grand feast.

As Euron's eyes shone with an intense blue light, the truly terrifying, soul-chilling aura emerged from the abyss.

Eight enormous shadows, large enough to block out the sunlight, slowly rose from the deep sea beneath the warship. The first to break through the surface was the mountain-like head of the "King of the Near Seas," which let out a deafening roar that nearly capsized nearby boats. Then, with a sweep of its massive tail, a medium-sized pirate warship was smashed in half like a child's toy, splinters flying everywhere, and its crew falling into the water like dumplings.

The ghostly "sea cat" slid silently to the bottom of a pirate ship with incredible speed, its sharp claws tearing through the sturdy hull planks as easily as cutting tofu. Seawater rushed in, and the ship began to tilt at a visible speed. The pirates on board cried out and jumped into the sea, only to be immediately swallowed up by the waiting sharks.

The "Steelscale Sawshark," covered in metallic scales, rammed its battering ram-like head into a fleeing pirate speedboat. With a sickening groan of twisting steel, the ship was smashed in half and sank rapidly.

The tentacles of "Clown Octopus Pochi," like giant, sucker-covered pythons, suddenly emerged from the water and tightly coiled around the mast and hull of a large pirate warship. Under the desperate gaze of the crew, the monster began to exert its strength, dragging the ship to its side until it completely capsized and lay upside down on the sea.

Like a moving volcano, the "Lava Turtle" rose to the surface. The molten lava flowing from its shell came into contact with the seawater, instantly generating a large amount of boiling steam, turning the surrounding area into a deathly white fog. A pirate ship that was unfortunate enough to approach it was charred and caught fire by the intense heat, and the sailors screamed as they were steamed or scalded to death.

The mountain-like "Ironback Whale" simply rose from the water, its enormous back lifting three closely packed pirate longships into the air. The ships disintegrated in mid-air, with crew members and debris scattering everywhere before falling like rain.

"The giant sea spider's limbs are like the most terrifying spears in the world. It approaches an enemy ship, its sharp limbs easily piercing the hull and fixing it in place. Then it begins to shake and tear wildly until the ship becomes a pile of floating debris."

The long, deadly "venomous sea serpent" swam at high speed through the water, leaving a trail of purple venom in its wake. A pirate ship attempted to swerve to avoid it, but the venom only slightly touched its hull. The thick wooden planks corroded and melted at an alarming rate, quickly creating a large hole, and sinking became inevitable.

The eight deep-sea monsters each displayed their unique abilities; their very existence was a catastrophe. The pirate alliance's fleet was plunged into utter, indescribable panic and chaos.

Morale?

It has long since vanished without a trace.

Faced with this unimaginable terror, courage became the most laughable thing. They were no longer facing another human fleet, but the rage of the ocean itself, and a world-destroying sea monster straight out of mythology!

"The sea god is angry!"

"It's the Drowning God! The Drowning God has come to punish us!"

"Run!!"

Desperate cries and meaningless screams replaced the battle commands. Many pirate ships began to turn around desperately, trying to escape this hellish sea, even ramming friendly vessels. The formation completely collapsed; they were no longer warriors, but a flock of lambs to the slaughter, struggling to survive in purgatory.

In contrast, the allied forces of the Iron Islands, Dorne, and Redwyn, while equally stunned by this devastating power, knew it belonged to their side. After a brief moment of shock, their morale soared and their fervor reached unprecedented heights!

"For Euron!"

"For the sake of drowning the gods!"

They roared, their morale soaring, and seized the opportunity to launch a full-scale offensive.

Arrows and javelins rained down with even greater precision and ruthlessness upon the chaotic enemy. Warships relentlessly rammed into ships that had lost the will to resist, and warriors nimbly boarded them, easily reaping the lives of pirates whose spirits had been utterly shattered by fear.

The naval battle turned into a one-sided massacre and hunt. The azure sea was completely stained a shocking reddish-brown, and floating wreckage and corpses almost covered the entire battlefield.

On this day, the Stone Steps Archipelago truly felt the fear of being ruled by a new god. And the name of this new god was Euron Greyjoy.