Chapter 574: If They Can Come, So Can We
The heavens blessed them with good weather, not a cloud in sight.
The Wokou pirates surged in from afar like a pack of sea wolves.
They had realized the threat of Bay Territory and prepared to retake the Fishing Island, severing the latter's reach into the sea.
If the Cole Elf hadn't appeared, even if they realized the threat, they would never have thought of a joint operation.
The scattered and independent pirate groups made it impossible for the Wokou pirates to unite as one.
This was the situation the Cole Elf had tailored for the Wokou pirates.
They were dog-keepers; the more dogs, the better—but never wanted to see a dog king rise.
With Councilor Kaledor's intervention, the Wokou pirates could temporarily set aside their grudges to suppress and eliminate Bay Territory.
Dogs they may be, but they valued their territory dearly!
Upon receiving the news, Fishing Island was hurriedly preparing the battlefield.
Everyone withdrew into cities or strongholds, filled with fear and anxiety about the incoming battle.
But more Bay Territory soldiers continued streaming out of the walls and into the coastal bunkers.
The staff in charge of the situation took this rare opportunity to give everyone a morale-boosting talk:
"The Wokou pirates return with vengeance. They can't stand the good days we've begun to enjoy and intend to turn us back into slaves—into penned-up lambs!"
"We must not compromise, nor should we fear. Bay Territory will protect us, the soldiers will protect us, and we will protect ourselves!"
"The work and efforts we put into battle are also to ensure we are never humiliated again. We must take our fate into our own hands!"
"No matter who they are, no matter how many enemies there are—if they dare to offend Bay Territory, even if far, they shall be slain!"
The slogans echoing everywhere gradually calmed the panicked people.
As people began to reflect and recall the beautiful life they'd had recently, and the dark days before...
Their former grief and fury ignited once more.
The more quick-witted among them busied themselves while speaking up:
"That's right, we have to contribute our own strength."
"If we don't help now, when the blade is at our necks, there'll be no one left to help us."
"Before, we had no choice—now we must cherish this opportunity."
"Kill those Wokou pirates, and we won't need to fear them attacking again."
"Running away solves nothing—it only gets us killed!"
"The Lord once said, learning to fight is for protecting the territory, our families, and ourselves."
"..."
With the pressure from the Wokou pirates, people began to integrate even more deeply into Bay Territory.
"The enemy has a total of 472 warships—12 seven-mast ships and 231 five-mast ships."
"Wokou pirates number approximately 95,000, and there are around 128,000 slave warriors."
"Total enemy force: 223,000!"
"We have 45 warships total—12 magical warships and 33 five-mast ships, with 12,000 personnel for sea battles."
"2 cities, 12 strongholds, 108 defensive bunkers, and 45,000 ground defense personnel."
"Total force: 57,000."
A 4:1 manpower ratio!
Leon stared at the red dots on the magical map, listening to the combat staff's report.
He greatly admired the advisory system the Lord had established.
These senior combat staff, with real combat experience, strategic training, and practical evaluation, were a tremendous help in command.
When facing a battle situation—
They could quickly provide 2 to 3 detailed plans.
Leon only needed to pick the best one, saving a lot of effort.
Leon always remembered what the Lord had taught him:
"As a commander, your job is to lead the overall situation, set objectives, and give orders."
Based on those objectives, advisors would provide plans.
The chosen plan would then be executed by lower-tier troops.
Simple, effective, precise.
Of course, as the supreme commander issuing orders—
Leon could also provide his own ideas and plans for discussion and refinement.
Now, it was time to test their true effectiveness through a major war.
It was also the chance to see whether Leon could become a true independent commander of Bay Territory.
Matthew's so-called "delegation of power" was not true delegation.
His and Yaya's supreme prestige in Bay Territory ensured the loyalty of soldiers and citizens.
As long as the rise of "interest groups" was curbed, Matthew could firmly control the entire territory.
Delegation was merely a means to inspire initiative and free up some of Matthew's time!
Matthew needed time!
A vast fleet of pirate warships advanced toward the eastern sea city of Fishing Island.
Under Councilor Kaledor's command, they prepared to focus all strength into one deadly blow.
Kaledor believed that no one could stand against such overwhelming momentum!
When the pirate ships charged to within 1,200 meters of the shore, the 12 coastal bunkers roared furiously.
Boom!
240 shells launched together, slamming into the approaching warships.
The powerful steel shells instantly destroyed the leading small ships.
In just one round—
Over 30 small warships were sunk, turning into floating debris.
The stunned Wokou pirates flailed in the sea, hoping their fellows would save them.
Unfortunately, the others had no such intentions.
Some pirates even cheered when they saw their enemies fall into the water.
If not for their "master" being present, they would've beaten the drowning dogs to death.
Braving cannon fire, hundreds of Wokou pirate ships surged to the shoreline, heading straight for the sea city's dock.
Then—they were stunned.
Four giant magical concrete piers rose from the sea.
Thick iron chains stretched between them.
All ships were blocked from entering the dock.
Atop the concrete piers, fixed cannons pointed downward.
As soon as Wokou warships approached, they spewed blazing flames.
Ka-cha!
Boom!
Spinning shells slammed into the ships.
The downward angle created devastating destruction, piercing the decks and hulls instantly.
The furious pirate ships tried to counterattack—but their shells only left a faint gray-white mark on the 10-meter-thick concrete piers.
A splash of seawater, and the mark vanished—completely undamaged.
After losing 8 ships, the pirates gave up trying to land at the dock.
They instead targeted the slightly gentler beach nearby.
Braving heavy fire, they returned cannon fire while deploying infantry for landing.
After about half an hour—
The beach was filled with Wokou pirates and wrecked warships.
To their surprise, Bay Territory had laid no traps on the beach and let them approach freely.
"Ignore those scum. Keep firing."
"Aim for the warships still returning fire—take them out first."
"Melee squad ready—maintain formation and prepare to engage."
"Archers ready—prioritize shooting the transport boats!"
"..."
In the 15-meter-high, 300-square-meter bunkers—
Two battalions of warriors had long been awaiting.
Lightly equipped Wokou pirates couldn't bring heavy siege equipment ashore. They had to climb with simple hooks and ropes.
These pirates, unfamiliar with Bay Territory, thought the battle would be over once melee began.
Unfortunately, Bay Territory thought the same!
The veterans of Bay Territory's 2nd Army were the first to engage.
Using their superior formation and strength, they easily suppressed the short-statured pirates.
Pirates kept climbing, only to scream and fall again.
Their average challenge level was mid-tier—
But they lacked strength, and their sharp weapons couldn't penetrate Bay Territory's enchanted shields.
Without breaking through, the narrow walls with no room to dodge became their grave.
Occasionally, a high-tier pirate would hide among them, ready to strike.
But the Thunder-Armored Gray Dwarf Guards would always give them a big surprise.
The flashing thunder crashed down, and those weak in constitution couldn't withstand the shock. Once paralyzed, they were instantly killed.
After nearly ten minutes of siege, the pirates hadn't even breached the first layer of the wall—only leaving behind mangled corpses.
Fighting alone, the pirates were no match for Bay Territory's coordinated troops.
Once their threat level was deemed low, the prepared commander immediately ordered a rotation:
"Assign one-third of new recruits—let them get their first blood."
Some troops from the 3rd and 8th Legions joined the battle.
Under veteran cover, they quickly adapted.
Their tasks were simple—hold shields and thrust spears.
Steady shield grip, stable formation.
Sharp thrusts meant dumb pirate deaths.
New recruits fighting alongside Bay Territory troops soon realized—
The enemy was unusually stupid, always running into their weapons.
Without decent resistance, the pirates fell in droves.
From nervousness to calm, then numbness—
The process of blooding new recruits was complete.
But since they weren't true Bay Territory soldiers, they hadn't grasped the spirit of courageous combat.
So, the temporary commanders gave them another kind of motivation:
"Every enemy you kill adds to the group's combat record—you'll earn real gold and merits."
To these new recruits, the Wokou pirates were now piles of shining gold.
Kill them, and they could buy many great things made in Bay Territory.
Weapons, gear, gourmet food, potions—
All were accessible in Bay Territory, but back at the Blood Fortress, they'd have to fend for themselves.
After training under Bay Territory, their vision and ambition had grown—and so had their hopes for the future.
They understood that in other armies, survival meant not just strength but better preparation.
Naturally, the commander wouldn't let them hog all the gains.
Rotating new recruits also gave veterans a chance to rest.
Time passed, second by second.
The sun tilted westward.
Scattered evening clouds dyed the sky red.
The battlefield thundered with battle cries, corpses littering the ground.
Around the sea and bunkers, bodies piled up.
The bunkers still stood strong.
The Wokou pirates suffered heavy casualties yet hadn't taken even one wall.
Their morale plummeted; dread filled their hearts at the sight of the blood-soaked bunkers.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
More heavy crossbow bolts flew out, striking transport ships dead-on.
"Ah…!"
"The ship's leaking—we can't plug it!"
"Run!"
"Jump in the sea…"
"Help me…"
"Gulp…"
"..."
The heavily damaged ship had a huge hole pierced in its side.
Gurgling seawater poured in, swallowing the fallen transport ship.
Pirates aboard scattered in panic.
With great effort, some barely swam ashore.
Looking back, dozens of transport ships had become wreckage.
Of the pirate ships still firing, less than half remained.
Their heads buzzed—how had things come to this?
Tens of thousands of pirates, and they couldn't even take one little bunker.
Bloodied and battered here—what right did they have to seize the island?
Elsewhere, the battles were just as grim.
When the pirates' cannons couldn't pierce the magical concrete defenses—
They were left with only one option: human waves and numerical advantage.
Sadly, Bay Territory had long been prepared.
No more navy troops? Then more army troops were sent in.
Defenders didn't need to board ships!
Bay Territory's defensive reputation was known far and wide!
"The navy's redeployment was meant to bait them into attacking."
"Who knew they'd be so impatient and charge in headfirst?"
"Seems like the Cole Elf really hates us!"
Matthew smiled faintly, unfazed by the pirates surrounding them.
Annie said nothing, but turned to the long-awaiting Thunder Warriors:
"Attack! Finish them!"