Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 408 The Surrender of the Four Islands

The morning light pierced the sea, illuminating both the ruined outline of the Weeping Fortress and the newly built, death-laden Crown of the Sea.

The most elite forces under the pirate king of Axe Island, Toad Island, Claw Island, and Skull Island have all been reduced to ashes in the flames of the war on Tears Island. Their ambition, bravery, and even themselves have now become part of that terrifying crown, silently watching this sea area that has changed hands in the salty sea breeze.

Euron's Iron Islands fleet did not linger. As the first rays of sunlight bathed the ruins of Tear Keep, the black longships in the harbor had already raised their sails. The anchor chains rattled, like a clarion call to a new journey.

Like a giant beast awakening, the fleet left white trails on the calm morning sea, calmly sailing away from the harbor that had just been baptized by blood and fire.

Their swords were aimed directly at their next target—Toad Island.

When the Iron Islands fleet appeared on the horizon of Toad Island, the remaining pirates on the island had already lost all will to resist.

Just as Euron had predicted, no war broke out here.

As the lead warships rammed the shallows, what met the eyes of the Iron People was a scene of surrender.

All the surviving pirates knelt silently on the damp beach, a dark mass. The location they chose was quite symbolic—at the foot of the massive statue known as "Toad Rock."

It was a strange statue carved from oily black stone, forty feet tall, with a rough exterior, resembling a giant, ferocious toad crawling on the ground. It had stood there for countless years, its dark stone gleaming with a slippery sheen from the erosion of the sea wind, and its hollow eye sockets seemed to be looking down at the tiny creatures at its feet.

Beside this ancient and eerie totem, the pirates raised their scimitars, axes, or spears high above their heads, blades facing downwards, as a sign of complete surrender. No one made a sound, no one looked up; only the faint whistling of the sea breeze as it swept across the blades of their weapons filled the air.

With the utmost humility, they declared their complete submission to the Iron Islands, accepting the golden sea monster flag as the new ruler of this sea.

As before, they were placed under the rule of Edwin Ramirez.

Euron stood silently on the beach, his gaze passing over the kneeling surrendered soldiers and fixed on the enormous toad-shaped stone statue.

According to ancient legends, in the distant past, the inhabitants of Toad Island had hideous faces with disturbing, fish-like features and webbed membranes connecting their fingers and toes. Some scholars have speculated that they might be descendants of the mysterious ancient people who carved this toad-shaped stone.

As time passed, those peculiar inhabitants vanished into the dust of time, leaving behind only this silent megalith, enduring thousands of years of wind and waves.

In the silence of surrender, Euron's eyes narrowed slightly. Impossible to ordinary people, but he clearly sensed—from within the rough, dark stone statue, eroded by sea salt, emanated an extremely faint yet incredibly ancient fluctuation.

It was neither magic nor illusion, but a remnant of a deeper, more primordial power, like the slow heartbeat of a sleeping behemoth, as if the statue were not inanimate, but its core still sealed with a wisp of energy from the beginning of creation.

The divinity that has not been completely extinguished.

Euron dismissed his attendants and stood alone before the enormous toad statue. He slowly placed his palm on the cold, rough stone surface, and the ancient power derived from the Gray Sea King's bloodline—"Divine Power Devouring"—was quietly activated.

In an instant, a faint, cold, viscous energy, like a dying leech, tried to emerge from the depths of the statue and coil around his arm. This energy was filled with forgotten resentment and the decaying feeling of ancient times.

As Euron sensed, having lost the offerings and faith of generations of his people, this remaining divinity had long since weakened. It could not even coalesce into the faintest phantom in the real world, and could only emit a silent wail on the spiritual level.

The moment that chilling energy touched Euron's palm, it was like a stream flowing into an abyss, effortlessly swept away, torn apart, and ultimately completely assimilated by the ancient and domineering devouring power within his bloodline. The entire process was so brief it was almost imperceptible; the last faint light inside the statue was extinguished completely.

Euron withdrew his hand, feeling the insignificant yet strangely powerful force merge into his body. The toad-shaped rock before him still stood, but in his perception, it had become nothing more than a huge, ordinary rock; all its mystery and extraordinary nature had vanished.

The last three islands of the Lizard Islands—Claw Island, Skull Island, and Axe Island—had completely given up resistance. When the Iron Islands fleet appeared in their respective waters, the scene was exactly the same as that of Toad Island.

The surviving pirates knelt in a dark mass along their respective coastlines, raising their weapons high above their heads beside the totems and ruins that symbolized the islands' past. There was no anger, no resentment, only a resigned submission.

This is no longer a conquest, but a routine acceptance.

All Euron had to do was sail his longship and make brief stops along the coastlines of each island, like a monarch inspecting his newly acquired territories.

He coldly accepted the kneeling worship, then placed all the surrendered pirates under Edwin Ramirez's command. Brand new golden monstrous flags were forcefully planted by the Ironborn on the highest reefs or fortress ruins of each island; the sea breeze instantly unfurled the flags, letting the grotesque designs flutter wildly in the sunlight.

When the last flag was raised on the cliffs of Axehead Island, fluttering in the sea breeze, it signified the end of centuries of chaotic division and fragmentation in the Lizard Islands.

Of the seven islands, only the golden sea monster flag of the Iron Islands flies.

The war for the unification of the Lizard Islands has now officially come to an end.

This once lawless land now welcomes its sole master—Euron Greyjoy.

The Iron Islands fleet rested like a giant beast in the harbor of the Serpent Islands, undergoing post-battle reorganization.

They will stay here for several days, not idly, but waiting—waiting for the massive fleet belonging to the "Ice and Fire Merchant Guild".

In the past, due to rampant piracy and the dangerous environment of the Snake Lizard Islands, any legitimate merchant fleet would avoid this area.

But from then on, this place was no longer a lawless land fraught with danger, but became an "inland sea" within the Iron Islands territory.

When the sails of the merchant guild finally appeared on the horizon and gradually became more numerous, the harbors of the entire archipelago bustled with activity. These ships brought not only supplies, but also carried two important missions.

The merchant ships of the Chamber of Commerce will pick up the veterans who were too badly wounded in this battle to continue fighting. These Ironborn will be properly sent back to the Iron Islands to recuperate.

One after another, cargo ships slowly approached the shore, ready to transport the mountains of spoils from this campaign—golden dragons, jewels, and rare goods—back to the Iron Islands. This immense wealth, symbolizing the fruits of conquest, needed to be channeled through these reliable shipping routes into the heart of the Iron Islands, supporting the operation of this ever-expanding maritime empire.

While shipping routes and business are undoubtedly long-term benefits, at this moment, the merchant fleet is more like a lifeline connecting the front lines and the rear, fulfilling the responsibility of soothing wounds and delivering sustenance.