Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 409 Don't be nervous—I'm really just here to have fun.

The waters around the Lizard Islands have returned to a long-awaited calm, but beneath this calm, undercurrents of a changing order are surging.

The temporary stability signified the official start of governance after the conquest. Edwin Ramirez became the de facto ruler of this new territory, busy with a crucial and demanding task: incorporating the pirates who had flocked to the islands. He dismantled and reorganized these scattered bandits, compiling them into rosters according to Iron Islands rules, attempting to tame these lawless outlaws into an armed force capable of obeying orders.

Another, more symbolic project is also underway simultaneously on each island.

Following Euron Greyjoy's vision that "the sea is the wall," Edwin directed his men to systematically dismantle the walls and castles on the Basilisk Islands that had once symbolized division and defense.

The clanging of hammers and chisels, along with the roar of collapsing stones, replaced the battles of the past and became the new main theme of the archipelago. Fortresses that were once easy to defend were stripped away and leveled from their strategic locations, smoothing away the old edges and thorns of this land.

The Iron Islands are using this almost obsessive method to declare to all survivors that the era of pirates ruling independently is over, and from this day forward, the order and security of this sea will be defined by that golden sea monster flag.

But Euron also knew very well that as long as the vast ocean continued to rise and fall, and as long as the routes for gold and goods continued to gleam with alluring light, the ancient and rock-like profession of piracy would, like the undercurrents deep in the seabed, never truly die out.

Euron's order to dismantle all the islands' fortifications was not only a display of his domineering "the sea is the wall" mentality, but also a pragmatic move. He had no intention of playing the role of a saint who would completely purify the seas, but rather to reshape the rules of these waters in his own way.

The pirates who kneel and submit today may very well raise their skull and crossbones flag again one day. Those easily defensible castles are the perfect breeding ground for betrayal; they are like stubborn lesions rooted in the body of the archipelago, providing ready-made shelter for any potential challenger.

If that's the case, then it's better to completely eradicate it yourself.

He would tear down the walls, demolish the fortresses, and uproot any lairs that might be hiding conspiracies, stockpiling weapons, or gathering forces. He wanted to make this sea "clean"—clean enough that any force that wanted to cause trouble again would lose its anchor and be left naked under the merciless blades of the Iron Islands fleet. He would strip them of their very foundation, ensuring that this sea could never again breed a "malignant tumor" capable of contending with the Golden Sea Monster.

With the Lizard Islands now settled, all the complicated matters of incorporation and post-incident management have been handed over to Edwin Ramirez.

Suddenly, Euren found himself in a rare moment of leisure.

This lord of the sea creatures was inherently at odds with the calm sea. His restless soul could not remain at peace for long. When the first fleet of the Ice and Fire Merchant Guild, preparing to sail to New Gith, was about to set sail, he decided to join them on this maiden voyage to open up new trade routes.

In the end, only the Warrior Queen Alicia accompanied Euron. She neither asked questions nor tried to dissuade him; she simply tidied her belongings as if it were the most natural thing in the world and stood beside him. Her resolute posture declared to everyone that wherever Euron's gaze fell, her mission would be there—she had decided to bear a daughter of Greyjoy blood.

Like a forgotten emerald, Ginn Island lies quietly in the embrace of the Bay of Sorrow.

It is located near the coast of the Giscal region in the southern part of the eastern continent, separated from the mainland only by the turbulent Giscal Strait.

Not far south of Ginn Island, on the sea, a smaller city stands like a loyal guard. On it stands the most important, yet youngest, Ginn people—New Ginn. Though small in size, this city is the westernmost fortress of Ginn civilization, renowned for its harsh system of slavery.

Due to its advantageous geographical location—right on the key sea route connecting the two wealthy cities of Valentes and Qarth—Newgis became an indispensable supply station for countless merchant ships.

Ships on long voyages would stop here to replenish fresh water and food, and repair damage caused by wind and waves, before continuing their long voyages between East and West.

The far-sighted Ice and Fire Merchant Guild has already set its sights on a more distant trade blueprint.

If the golden route connecting Slaver's Bay, Valentis, and Qarth can be successfully opened, then Newgis, which guards this strategic point, will surely become an important hub for the frequent and indispensable passage of merchant fleets in the future.

It is essential to establish relations with the rulers there.

New Gis, this city-state standing on an island, stubbornly continues the core institutions of the ancient Gis Empire.

Its pulse was firmly controlled by the slave-owning aristocracy, who were known as the "benevolent masters."

Any major decision, whether it was to join forces with Qars to wage war against Astapor or to deal with a more distant threat, had to go through the lengthy and calculating negotiations of the Council of Nobles.

Now, in the city's corridors of power and secret council chambers, the only hot topic that touches everyone's nerves is the southern expedition of the Iron Islands.

News arrived like a monsoon carrying the scent of sea salt: the bountiful Summer Islands had raised the golden sea monster flag, the peaceful Nas Island had received the "protection" of the Lord of the Sea Beasts, and the chaotic Serpent Islands had been swiftly and decisively leveled and unified.

The Iron Islands' military might was invincible wherever it went.

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The Iron Islands have not yet returned. Where will their next destination be?

No one knows.

All eyes that scrutinize the map will eventually and inevitably fixate on one name—New Gis.

It was located precisely on the edge of the sea area being swallowed by the Iron Islands, the closest to that greedy sea monster.

A fertile land yet to be touched.

A silent chill was creeping up the back of every benefactor.

A question no one dared to ask aloud, yet which lingered in everyone's heart, haunted the pillars of the council like a ghost:

Could New Gisso be the next target for the Iron Islands?

The messenger ship of the Ice and Fire Merchant Guild was the first to arrive at the bustling port of New Gith, delivering a carefully worded...

Documents stamped with a sea monster wax seal.

The official wording in the document was concise and restrained, only mentioning that the Chamber of Commerce's fleet was about to arrive and that they hoped to establish friendly business relations with New Gisso and conduct mutually beneficial trade.

This news alone was enough to attract the usual attention of merchants and officials in the city.

But another piece of news that followed quietly stirred up huge waves among the philanthropists at the top of the pyramid, like a boulder thrown into a stagnant pool.

That name, accompanied by a series of chilling titles—Lord of the Sea Beasts, Protector of the Summer Islands and Nath, Conqueror of the Serpent Islands—Euron Greyjoy, arrived this time personally with the merchant fleet.

Suddenly, in this young city known for its slavery, undercurrents of power were swirling within its core.

The philanthropists put aside their trivial matters and emerged from their magnificent mansions and heavily guarded estates, gathering unanimously in the council hall.

They exchanged bewildered glances and discussed this unsettling variable in hushed tones.

Euron's arrival has long transcended mere commercial significance. He is a force to be reckoned with, a walking legend, and a huge source of uncertainty. No one knows what this unconventional sea tyrant intends to do here.

It was this sense of unknown pressure that forced all the bigwigs who controlled the fate of New Gis to gather together and be on high alert.

If Euron had known that his arrival had put New Giss on high alert, he would have certainly informed them beforehand, telling them: "Don't worry, I'm just on vacation."