Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Half an hour later, in the main castle council chamber.

Old One-Eyed Wolf and Red-Haired Oakwood knelt on the ground and slowly recounted the events surrounding the hijacking of the merchant ship.

Baron, with his volatile temper, rushed forward and began punching and kicking old one-eyed Wolf and red-haired Oakwood: "Damn it, someone's hijacking the ship, and you just stood by and watched?! Why didn't you help them move the cargo?! You're a fucking disgrace to the Iron Citizens!"

King Coron's face turned ashen; the three ships of grain were a minor matter compared to the humiliation of their dignity. Balf grinned wildly, for he could smell the scent of iron and blood. Maester Clergon trembled; how many years had it been since the Iron Islands had been hijacked? This was a slap in the face to the Iron Islands.

This means—war is about to begin!

Euron said calmly, "Baron, what's done is done. Killing them won't change anything! Besides, there are only three merchant ships with a dozen or so guards, while the other side came prepared with ten warships and hundreds of soldiers. Fighting them head-on will only lead to death; it's better to live and come back with news."

A brief, deathly silence fell over the stone hall, broken only by the crackling of the fire in the fireplace and the whistling of the sea breeze through the stone windows. This "restrained" robbery was more humiliating than a bloody massacre. It did not stem from the chaos of greed, but from a condescending, bureaucratic efficiency of expropriation, an arrogant attitude that treated the Iron Islands as a subordinate territory owing taxes.

Euron Greyjoy slowly turned around and looked out the window at the gray-green, turbulent sea.

House Redwyn of Greentree Island possesses one of the most powerful fleets in Westeros, their wines are renowned throughout the Seven Kingdoms, and their wealth is sufficient to support a massive navy. Earl Adrian Redwyn, a loyal and shrewd old nobleman, would never easily commit such a provocative act, unless… he has received some tacit approval, or believes he has seized some opportunity.

The Ice and Fire Merchant Guild… that was the Iron Islands' Achilles' heel, and a crucial part of Euron's ambitious construction and expansion plans. Redwin's move struck precisely where it hurt.

Euron's fingertips tapped unconsciously on the cold stone windowsill: Was he trying to test the mettle of "King of the Iron Islands," "House Greyjoy"? Was he testing the Iron Fleet to see who was the strongest navy? Or had King's Landing really issued some foolish order, giving Redwyn a high-sounding excuse to cripple Iron Islands trade, weaken our power, and curb the rise of the Iron Islands? Or was it because our merchant ships were stealing business from Greentree Island?

Perhaps both are true, but I will pry the reason out of them! What we need to think about now is not the cause of what happened, but our response in the Iron Islands.

Maester Clygon asked, "Lord Coron, what should we do now? Should we send an envoy to King's Landing to protest? Or go to Greenwood to negotiate? Or...?"

King Coron gave the maester a cold glance, and though he didn't speak, it sent a shiver down Clygon's spine.

"Negotiation? Protest?" Euron laughed angrily. "If negotiation and protest were useful, what use would the Ironborn's swords and longships be? Truth always lies on the edge of the sword! If we choose to swallow our anger and let things slide, will King's Landing and Greenbridge be able to detain Iron Islands merchant ships at will with impunity?! Today it's Greenbridge, tomorrow it might be Three Daughters Island, and the day after tomorrow it might be the Lannisters?"

"Does the master mean—to hit?"

"A kind person is often bullied, and a good horse is often ridden!"

Euron slowly turned around. His pale, handsome face, devoid of any furious contortion, held only an extreme, icy coldness. His eyes slowly swept over every Ironborn present: "They stole more than just sacks of wheat and barrels of salted fish. They trampled on the dignity of the Iron Islands, the glory of Greyjoy! They thought we had been lying low for too long, our fangs dulled, forgetting the ancient wisdom that 'force is better than hard work!'"

His voice suddenly rose, like a sword being drawn from its sheath, carrying an unwavering resolve:

"What I meant was never simply 'fighting'!"

He paused for a moment, letting that chilling killing intent seep into everyone's bones.

"What I mean is, kill them! Cripple them!"

"Don't they love that grape emblem on a blue background?" Euron's lips curled into a sinister smile, devoid of any warmth, only a bloodthirsty craving. "Then let them water it with their blood! Let them fertilize it with their bones! I will make every person who sees the grape emblem tremble with fear of the sea, fear of the sails, fear of the name of the Ironborn!"

His eyes burned with an almost insane flame, a desire deeper than plunder—destruction.

"I will personally lead the charge, uprooting their prized vineyards! Smash their cloying cellars and wash them into the sea! Let the coastline of Green Pavilion burn, and let Redwyn's fleet sink into their own harbor as reefs!"

He surveyed the crowd, his voice like a final judgment: "I will make it clear to everyone in the Seven Kingdoms that we, the Iron Islands, now abide by the law, not because we are weak, not because we cannot defeat anyone! But because we have chosen to exist as part of Westeros! But if anyone dares to mistake this choice for weakness, and presume to ride roughshod over us—the only way is war!"

Lord Corren Greyjoy, who had been seated in the main seat, listening silently, slowly rose. His movement was not swift, but it carried the weighty weight of a ruler, instantly drawing everyone's attention. His voice, steady as the rocks beneath Pyke, carried an unquestionable authority as he precisely corrected and characterized Euron's declaration: "Euron's words are the blood of the Ironborn!" He first affirmed his son's sharpness, then, like a seasoned captain adjusting course, added, "But we must make two things clear to all of Westeros:

He held up a thick finger: "First, this is not war. This is the Iron Islands' just retaliation for the despicable plunder and blatant humiliation of the Redwyn family of Green Hill Island! They drew their swords first, and we are merely retaliating!"

Then, he held up a second finger, his gaze sharp: "Secondly, we're attacking Greentree Island, attacking House Redwyn! We're not declaring war on the Iron Throne, nor are we making an enemy of all Westeros. The wronged have their grievances, the debtors their debts! Whoever insults us, we'll smash their head in! Everyone must understand this!"

Upon hearing this, Baron Greyjoy grinned broadly, a smile brimming with the characteristic belligerence and fanaticism of the Greyjoy family. He almost jumped for joy: "Well said! Let those cowards from the Seven Kingdoms, riding their fancy sailing ships, see who the true masters of the sea are! The strongest navy will always be the Iron Fleet of the Iron Islands! What Green Pavilion Fleet, what Royal Fleet—let them all go to feed the fish shit!"

Euron nodded, picking up where his father left off, a chilling glint of calculating light in his eyes: "Father is right, diplomacy first, then force." Turning to Maester Clygon: "Release the ravens. The first one, fly to Green Pavilion Island and write directly to Earl Paxter Redwin—the wording must be 'polite' yet firm: give him three days to return ten times the amount of grain he plundered from us and issue a public apology. If he fails to do so… he will bear the consequences."

"The second wave of ravens, fly to the major castles of the Seven Kingdoms," Euron's lips curled into a cold smile. "Send a copy to House Blassin of Tarth, House Hightower of Oldtown, House Lannister of Casterly Rock, House Tyrell of Highgarden… to every family we can reach. The content of the letter must be consistent: state the facts—that House Redwyn of Greentree disregarded the law, plundered our legitimate merchant ships, and openly provoked the dignity of the Iron Islands. Emphasize our 'sincerity' in seeking a peaceful resolution (demanding they return the grain and apologize), but also clearly state that if House Redwyn refuses to comply, the Iron Islands reserve the right to take all necessary measures to protect their rights."

He knew perfectly well that the proud and powerful Redwin family would never comply with either the tenfold return of grain or the humble admission of wrongdoing.

But this is precisely the key. This move not only seized the moral high ground and pinned the label of "piracy" on the other side, but also shifted potential diplomatic pressure toward Qingting Island. Only by being reasonable can one prevail in the world, even if that "reason" is written with iron and blood.

King Coron nodded in satisfaction; Euron's strategy perfectly aligned with his expectations and the mindset of a ruler. His booming voice rang out again, like a rallying cry: "Excellent! That shall be so! Meanwhile, send ravens to all the vassals of the Iron Islands! Tell them to bring their best longships, their sharpest axes, and their toughest iron, and assemble at Pike Island!"

He suddenly waved his hand, as if he could already see the fleet that blotted out the sky:

"We're going to Greenwood Island! To the Redwin family's doorstep! We'll take back what's rightfully ours! We'll collect this debt in a way they can understand!"