Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 374 The Capture of Tantou Town and Auburn Island

Tantou Town lies quietly in a natural harbor shaped like a parrot's beak. The long, crescent-shaped coral reef chain at the mouth of the bay, like the arm left behind by the gods, isolates the surging waves of the open sea, leaving only a tranquil waterway half a mile wide.

The bay's waters are so clear you can see colorful fish swimming on the white sandy bottom, and the snow-white beach and swaying palm trees create a tranquil scene. If it weren't for the tense figures of the guards patrolling the city walls with spears, this place would be almost identical to the most perfect resort in legend.

Fifty new-style longships, propelled by a strong southeast wind, sails taut like giant black raven wings, boldly entered this tranquil bay. Two thousand Ironclad warriors stood solemnly on the deck, their armor and leather clothing still damp with seawater stirred up during the charge, fine droplets shimmering with a cold, hard luster under the tropical sun.

Gorde Gubler of Great Wake Island stood at the bow of the lead ship, his gaze sweeping across the seemingly harmless and beautiful bay before finally settling on the majestic fortress at the bottom of the bay.

The commander clearly had a clear understanding of the Iron Islands' absolute dominance at sea, and completely abandoned the idea of ​​blocking them in the waterways or on the beaches, instead concentrating all his forces in the circular fortress called "Saint Coral Fortress".

The fortress is built with huge coral reef blocks and white limestone, and its outer walls are painted with a strong vermilion red, which stands out against the blue sea and sky. It is said to be dedicated to the "sun god" of the Summer Islands.

After landing, without hesitation, Geordo Gubler waved his hand and ordered an attack on the city.

The Iron People's soldiers carried heavy ladders and roared as they charged up the soft white sand, instantly defiling the beautiful beach with messy footprints and a chilling atmosphere.

Gou De took the lead, and two elite warriors quickly placed a ladder against the scorching vermilion fortress wall. He gripped a short spear in his left hand and a battle axe in his right, rapidly climbing the shaky steps.

"Smash them to death!"

The defenders on the wall roared as they pushed out heavy boulders. Geordo jerked his head to the side, and the boulder, whistling through the air, crashed down with a deafening roar. At the same time, he swung his battle axe, cleaving a sharp piece of coral flying towards him with a "bang," sending sparks and fragments of rock flying everywhere.

"Manco, you old dog! Come out and die!" Ge Ou roared like thunder, kicking away the guards who were trying to push down the ladder, and nimbly flipping over and leaping onto the rampart.

The Palm Guards on the fortress walls scrambled to surround them, but Gorde's battle axe had already become a deadly black whirlwind. With left and right slashes, the light rattan armor on three Palm Guards was torn apart as if it were paper, and hot blood splattered onto the vermilion wall, leaving even darker stains.

A breach was opened in the city wall, allowing a steady stream of iron-willed people to climb the wall.

The Ironborn, led by Geord, successfully drew most of the fortress's attention, causing the defenders on the walls to converge upon them.

In the heat of battle, the situation suddenly changed!

Rodrik Harlo, who had completed the conquest of Red Flower Valley, had already arrived with his main force on Harlo Island. Like two iron pincers, they suddenly launched a fierce attack from the left and right sides of the fortress. The defenders were forced to split their forces to resist, and their formation was thrown into chaos.

While being attacked from three sides, the heavy, copper-inlaid wooden door of the fortress slowly opened from the inside with a teeth-grinding creak!

Prince Jalabar Zor, armed with a wooden shield and spear, led his elite warriors in a swarm of soldiers, guided by a group of already turned spies!

Attacked from both inside and outside, the fortress's defenses crumbled instantly.

Saint Coral Castle has fallen.

In the chaotic crowd, Gorde Gubler pinpointed the fleeing commander "Coconut Shell" Manco, and with a swift axe stroke, severed the terrified head from the body. Following his command, the three hundred "Palm Guards" who stubbornly resisted were all slaughtered, without exception.

The vermilion walls of the fortress were repainted with even thicker blood.

Obenlu Island lies like a sleeping giant in the heart of the region between the two main islands, Valano and Zal.

Euron Greyjoy chose it as his target with a clear and ruthless intention—he wanted to precisely sever the main artery connecting the north and south of the Summer Islands, completely paralyzing the connection between the three islands and plunging them into a situation of fighting their own battles.

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The fleet led by the Zhiyuan split in two in the darkness before dawn, like the tongues of a viper quietly parting.

Euron personally oversaw the operation, circling around to the north side of Auburnlou Island and venturing into the "Laughing Sea," a place known for its complex undercurrents, treacherous navigation, and the frequent echoes of laughter from passing merchant ships.

The other route, led by the experienced captain Harold Parker, detoured to the southern tip of the island and sailed into the Indigo Strait, named for its deep, indigo-like waters.

The moment the first golden-red rays of sunrise pierced the horizon and dispelled the morning mist—

Along the long coastline of Aubenlou Island, two pre-selected beaches, one in the north and one in the south, were slammed into by a torrent of steel almost simultaneously!

In the northern sea of ​​laughter, a grey longship, under the cover of the last vestiges of night and the first light of dawn, fiercely crashed onto the beach, its bow scraping heavily against the sand and gravel with a piercing sound. Heavily armored Ironborn warriors roared as they leaped into the knee-deep water, like a death tide from the north, instantly engulfing the tranquil shore.

Almost in no particular order!

In the Indigo Strait to the south, the same number of longships appeared like ghosts, their sharp prows cleaving the calm, mirror-like surface of the indigo sea. More Iron Warriors, like a bloodthirsty swarm of sharks, treaded the waves, brandishing their battle axes, and charged toward another unsuspecting beach.

Two battle flags, at opposite ends of the same island, were raised simultaneously and defiantly, facing the rising sun!

At this moment, the entire island of Obenlu was gripped tightly by the steel jaws of the Iron Islands from both the north and south. The flames of conquest were simultaneously ignited on this central island.

Behind the beachhead, Prince Tony Duke of Auburnlou Island is gripped by unprecedented panic.

He could muster only a few thousand men at his disposal, most of whom were hastily conscripted farmers and fishermen armed with pitchforks and crude harpoons. Only a few hundred guards, clad in leather armor, constituted his regular force. He had initially hoped that his familiarity with the terrain and his numerical advantage (he foolishly overestimated his own strength) would allow him to at least hold out and wait for the slim chance of reinforcements from other islands.

When the Iron Islands' longships crashed ashore like black behemoths, and when those armored warriors with eyes like those of an icy wasteland silently and methodically formed an attack formation through knee-deep water, Tony Duke truly understood what despair meant.

The overwhelming murderous aura almost froze the air.

"Fire! Fire the arrows now!" he roared hoarsely, his voice distorted with fear.

Scattered arrows flew from the sparse ranks of the defenders, most of them weakly striking the Ironborn's heavy shields or falling into the water, failing to create even the slightest ripple.

In response, the Iron Warriors roared like a tsunami, and a denser, deadly barrage of flying axes rose into the air!

"For Greyjoy!"

The flying axes fell with a piercing whistling sound, instantly pinning the front-line defenders to the beach. Before the screams could even begin, the Ironborn's vanguard had already surged into the chaotic ranks of the defenders like a torrent of steel.

The battle instantly turned into a one-sided massacre.

The Ironclad warriors, in groups of three, wielded their battle axes and shields in perfect coordination, like highly efficient killing machines. They cleaved through pitchforks, severed harpoons, and tore through thin leather armor and flesh. The resistance was pitifully weak; the sandy mudflats were quickly stained red, and severed limbs and corpses mingled together, creating a gruesome scene.

A crushing defeat, as easy as slicing melons and cutting vegetables.

Tony Duke watched helplessly as his "army" crumbled in the blink of an eye. The collapsing soldiers cried out and fled, only to be cut down from behind by the pursuing Ironborn like rabbits. Utter terror gripped him instantly.

"Surrender! We surrender!" Tony threw away his sword, which was more decorative than practical, raised his hands, and shouted with all his might, all hope gone.

One of the Ironborn captains saw his movements, slowed his attack, and turned his gaze toward Euron, who was slowly walking behind him.

Euron Greyjoy stepped over the pool of blood and walked to Tony Duke, who lay slumped on the ground. His gaze swept across the beach, where the battle was mostly over, finally settling on the prince's face, contorted with extreme fear.

"Surrender?" Euron's voice was eerily calm, devoid of any joy of victory, only displaying a cold-blooded judgment of fate. "I gave you a chance. One day is enough time for a smart person to make the right choice."

He shook his head slightly.

"It's too late now."

Euron was too lazy to take action himself, and simply gestured to the guards beside him.

A burly Ironborn warrior strode forward, and amidst Tony Duke's desperate cries and struggles, grabbed his hair and cleanly swung his sharp battle axe—severing a head still bearing a horrified expression.

The Iron Warrior skillfully inserted his head into the tip of a bloodstained spear and raised it high.

The distorted head became the bloodiest and most direct declaration of the new order on Aubenlu Island.