At the first light of dawn, the Vale army poured from the mountains like a flood of silver. Under the banners of Jon Arryn, they surged toward Gulltown with cold, murderous intent.
The first battle of the rebellion had begun.
This wasn't just a military engagement; the morale and prestige of the entire alliance hung in the balance. Every leader knew that this victory had to be absolute. It had to be swift, brutal, and terrifying enough to shake the resolve of anyone still sitting on the fence.
While the Vale forces mustered on land, Euron's fleet had already arrived silently, like a dark tide, in the misty waters near Gulltown.
Long, sleek hulls sliced through the waves as twenty fierce Ironborn longships broke the surface. On every deck, fifty hardened reavers stood ready, their eyes fierce and their axes glinting in the salty air—a thousand warriors hungry for battle.
This small but elite fleet was led by the infamous Dagmer Cleftjaw. They hadn't sailed from the Iron Islands, but had weighed anchor directly from the pirate-infested Stepstones, following ancient reaving routes straight to Gulltown.
When the Royal Fleet, flying the three-headed dragon of House Targaryen, sailed out of Blackwater Bay, its movements were caught by unseen eyes. Through the swiftest channels, a secret report landed in front of Euron Greyjoy.
Euron stood at the prow of his flagship, a cold, knowing smirk slowly curling the corner of his mouth. Sieges on land were necessary, but only here—on this shifting, bottomless blue frontier—was he truly a king. Only the sea allowed his unpredictable tactics, his mastery of wind and tide, and the terrifying destructiveness of the Iron Fleet to be fully unleashed.
Land disputes were just interludes; the vast ocean was the page where Euron wrote his legends in blood.
Euron had cleverly hidden his massive fleet among the jagged reefs surrounding Claw Isle. The black longships lay like dormant sea monsters, lurking in the shadows of the rocks, blending perfectly with the grey water, patiently waiting for their prey.
When the lookout signaled, confirming the arrogant banners of the King's Landing fleet on the horizon, Euron's smirk turned icy. He raised a hand lightly, signaling the start of the naval assault.
From his inventory, Euron pulled out a pouch of green powder and tossed it into the sky.
System Item: "Dance Powder" — Activated!
Instantly, the sea around the Iron Fleet underwent a bizarre and terrifying transformation!
A white fog, thick as wool, surged out of nowhere, swallowing all light and vision. Then, the wind began to howl without warning, whipping up monstrous waves. Rain poured down in torrents, as if the sky itself had cracked open.
In moments, the relatively calm waters turned into a horror show of howling gales, blinding fog, and crashing waves. And Euron's fleet was the only deadly hunter in this maze.
Euron stood at the bow, raising his hand slowly. An eerie light gathered above his palm, as if he were pulling a soul from the void—the terrifying power of the Soru Soru no Mi (Soul-Soul Fruit) to manipulate souls and creation.
A chaotic mass of energy churned in his palm. It wasn't a normal cloud, but a writhing, hissing mass of dark matter, laced with violent purple lightning, as if it imprisoned the essence of a thousand screaming storms. It emitted an ominous hum—a terrifying homie created from his own soul power: the Thundercloud, "Zeus."
He spread his fingers and pushed upward gently. The dark thundercloud, screaming as if alive, shot into the sky and plunged into the low-hanging natural clouds above.
Suddenly, the world lost its color!
Thundercloud "Thor" was like a lethal poison injected into the sky, instantly corrupting the entire cloud layer. Endless snakes of purple lightning bred and darted madly within, turning the heavens into a boiling sea of thunderstorms! Deafening thunder rolled in, and thick bolts of purple lightning fell like the whips of gods, tearing through the fog and rain to smash into the bewildered King's Landing fleet, sowing panic and destruction.
Under the cover of this chaos forged by godlike power, Euron Greyjoy brought his arm down.
"Kill them all!"
At his command, the Ironborn longships shot out from the shadows of the reefs and the cover of the storm like black arrows, launching a fatal charge against the confused enemy.
The sky was torn apart by violent purple lightning, the thunder serving as their war horn. Huge, tentacled shadows swept rapidly beneath the surface—Sea Kings, awakened by Euron, roaring as they rammed the keels of the royal warships.
In this purgatory built of natural disaster and monsters, the Ironborn fleet bared its fangs. The longships, like a school of bloodthirsty sharks, tore through the fog and waves, closing in on the panicked, disorganized Royal Fleet with terrifying speed.
Arrows flew like locusts from the longships. Throwing axes whistled through the air, burying themselves in the chaotic enemy ranks. Worse still, the Ironborn roared their ancient battle cries, throwing grappling hooks as they closed in, swinging onto enemy decks with the agility of apes. Their axes and cutlasses swung ruthlessly at soldiers who, despite their gleaming armor, were already broken by fear.
In that moment, the sea became a slaughterhouse. Thunder was their drum, sea monsters were their allies, and destruction was their tongue. The first direct clash between the Iron Islands and the Iron Throne's Royal Fleet exploded in the most brutal, one-sided fashion imaginable.
Euron's longship sliced through the waves like a phantom, pulling up alongside the largest, most ornately decorated flagship of the King's Landing fleet with precision and speed.
On this main ship stood the Master of Ships and Grand Admiral of the Realm—Lord Lucerys Velaryon, a prize catch indeed.
Just as the hulls were about to collide, Euron moved. He didn't use a grappling hook or a gangplank. Instead, he kicked off the deck, executing the ghostly Geppo (Moon Walk). His body seemed to defy gravity, tracing an elegant yet deadly arc through the air, effortlessly crossing the dizzying gap between the ships.
In the next instant, he landed silently but heavily on the deck of the royal flagship, like impending doom, standing right in front of Lucerys Velaryon and his stunned guards.
Euron landed steadily, the playful smirk on his lips undiminished as he faced the horrified Lord Velaryon. Slowly, he drew the two legendary blades at his waist—the long, sharp "Oto" and the heavy, domineering "Kogarashi." (Note: Keeping the One Piece sword names Shiki uses, or translating them if they are generic. "Sakura Ten" and "Wood Wither" are literal translations, but I'll use the One Piece canonical names if implied, or descriptive ones. "Sakura Ten" = "Cherry Ten" / "Oto"? Actually, Shiki's swords are "Oto" and "Kogarashi". The text says "Ying Shi" (Sakura Ten/Cherry Ten) and "Mu Ku" (Wood Wither/Kogarashi). I will use the canonical One Piece names "Oto" and "Kogarashi" for the cool factor, or "Cherry Ten" and "Wither Wood" if you prefer literal. Let's go with "Cherry Ten" and "Kogarashi" for a balance).
Re-evaluating: The text says "Sakura Ten" (Cherry Ten) and "Wood Wither" (Kogarashi). I will use "Cherry Ten" and "Kogarashi".
As the blades cleared their scabbards, he crossed them gently, grinding the steel together.
The screech of metal on metal sounded like the start of a dark ritual. Accompanying the sound, Euron whispered a name: "Apollo."
Violent flames leaped from Euron's shoulders. The fire seemed to open a mouth, spewing gold-red flames that instantly wrapped around the blades of "Cherry Ten" and "Kogarashi." The fire danced madly, roaring in the wind.
This was no ordinary fire; it was magical flame, imbued with the power to destroy and burn souls. It encased the blades, radiating suffocating heat and unmatched pressure.
Holding his burning dual blades, Euron looked like a god of war stepping out of hell. With a destructive beauty, he looked at his prey.
Facing Euron, who approached step by step with blades wreathed in demon fire, Lucerys Velaryon took a deep breath of the salty, cold air and slowly drew his sword.
Time had long since whitened his temples and slowed his movements. He had seen Euron Greyjoy dominate the melee at the Tourney at Harrenhal and knew well that he was no match for this "Blade of Justice."
However, his pride as the head of House Velaryon and the Master of Ships would not allow him to retreat. A look of resolve flashed in his old eyes. He let out a hoarse but firm war cry and swung his sword, launching a desperate strike at the figure who looked like fire incarnate.
Euron watched the old veteran charge, knowing he was outmatched but giving his all. The mockery in Euron's eyes faded slightly, replaced by a flash of pure respect for a warrior. He didn't taunt him, nor did he rush to end the fight instantly. Instead, he met every strike with precise, cold blade work.
The burning "Cherry Ten" and "Kogarashi" drew fatal arcs of fire in the air, clashing with Lucerys's steel in brilliant, fleeting sparks.
After only a few exchanges, a blazing cold light slashed down with unstoppable force.
The old admiral's head parted from his body. His torso remained in a fighting stance for a moment before collapsing heavily onto the blood-soaked deck.
Euron flicked the boiling blood from his blades. The demon fire faded. He had given this worthy opponent a clean, honorable end.