Chapter 7: An Encounter Like Fate

In a not-so-distant stretch of sea,

Current Admiral of the Navy, "Blue Pheasant," was lying on the warship's deck, basking in the sunlight during his leisurely vacation.

"Boom~"

Suddenly!

He heard the resounding echoes of intense cannon fire.

He casually retrieved a pair of binoculars and directed his gaze towards the direction of the firefight!

In that instant, he witnessed an astonishing scene –

Countless cannonballs soared into the sky from the massive fleet adorned with the Phoenix flag.

They rained down densely upon an unknown pirate fleet.

Countless cannonballs struck the pirate fleet, resounding with explosions –

The pirates were rendered utterly defenseless!

"Is the Kata Kingdom's fleet exterminating pirates?"

"Don't they usually pay little attention to these pirates?"

Upon seeing the Phoenix flag flying on the fleet,

Admiral Kuzan on the deck couldn't help but express his doubts.

His adjutant standing beside him was equally puzzled and perplexed.

The Navy Headquarters had also done considerable research on the Kata Kingdom and delved deep into understanding the nation!

The country, under the rule of Aex Cage, had risen rapidly from a state of insignificance within a few years.

It swiftly became the dominant power in the South Sea, surprising major factions that were caught off guard!

Typically.

The Kata Kingdom seldom bothered with these pirate crews.

They were focusing on developing their own technology, enhancing their strength. Unless a pirate crew invaded their territory recklessly, conflicts were rare!

Moreover.

The Kata Kingdom's massive armored fleet was also a major subject of surveillance by the Navy Headquarters.

The technology involved was enough to make Navy leaders envious.

They had once negotiated with the ruler of the Kata Kingdom, Aex Cage, in an attempt to purchase a batch of armored ships to secretly reverse-engineer the technology.

However, Aex Cage had declined, primarily because they couldn't offer him the benefits he desired.

These benefits were intertwined with the fundamental interests of the World Government.

And the Kata Kingdom wasn't a pushover; the Navy Headquarters couldn't act unilaterally.

After that, this matter was never brought up again.

Kuzan hadn't expected to take a casual vacation to the South Sea

and encounter the armored fleet of the Kata Kingdom once more!

Truly, it seemed to be a twist of fate –

As a powerful figure at the rank of Admiral in the Navy Headquarters,

He naturally understood the implications of the technological marvels embodied in these ships for ordinary people.

Although.

For natural-type power users like him, their effects were limited.

But!

The majority of people in this world were just ordinary individuals.

If the Navy Headquarters could outfit their fleet with these ships on a large scale,

The Navy's strength would undoubtedly undergo a revolutionary change!

At that point, eliminating less formidable pirate crews would be as easy as turning one's hand over.

So, this was the reason the Navy Headquarters was so eager for armored ships.

And the World Government also recognized the reasons behind it.

They needed pirates to rampage and they needed the Navy to maintain this peculiar balance among nations.

They didn't require an overly powerful Navy.

Because.

They felt that the Navy Headquarters was gradually slipping out of the control of the Five Elders.

Members of various factions within the Headquarters were seeking power and interests, with dovish members running amok.

They recklessly suppressed hawkish members, creating significant obstacles to the orders issued by the Five Elders.

So –

Those old folks among the Five Elders were unwilling to let the Navy become too dominant.

Meanwhile, Aex Cage, who was on the main deck of his flagship, admiring the "scenery," also sensed the aura of power radiating from Kuzan not far away.

The two figures stood on the decks of their respective ships, locking eyes.

The atmosphere fell into a momentary silence.

For the first time, these colossal powers engaged in an unspoken confrontation.

As time passed,

The warships brushed past each other, their respective crews gazing at one another with an eerie calmness, each sailing towards the distant horizon.

Seeing both sides of the warships sailing farther away on the vast sea, they both let out a sigh of relief –

They were both restraining themselves, doing their best to avoid conflict.

Both forces they represented were renowned and massive military conglomerates!

A slight miscalculation could potentially lead to a massive clash between the two sides.

Furthermore.

On Kuzan's warship, only he had the strength to contend with Aex Cage.

His adjutant and other soldiers were merely ordinary individuals with some strength.

That's all there was to it –

Once a fight broke out between them,

They would immediately notify the other fleets of the Kata Kingdom to come and besiege them.

Except for Kuzan, perhaps none of the others would be able to escape.

"The Kata Kingdom is formidable!"

That was Kuzan's standard assessment of the Kata Kingdom.

The commanders of the three major fleets of the Kata Kingdom were pitted against the Navy's three Admirals!

The First Fleet Admiral, "Aex Cage,"

The Second Fleet Admiral, "Brian Adam,"

And the Third Fleet Admiral, "Kata Rikumel," were all biologically modified individuals of the rank of Admiral.

Aex Cage, however, was worried for his soldiers.

If high-ranking power users fought against each other,

The shockwaves generated by the battle could easily affect their massive fleet.

Therefore!

Both sides were restraining themselves, trying their best to avoid this confrontation.

But –

With the passage of time, any displeasure in the atmosphere would eventually dissipate.

Indeed.

Soon after the encounter, the ship's atmosphere shifted back to one of laughter and joy –

Fishing resumed, feasts and drinking parties continued as if the recent events hadn't even crossed their minds.

As time went on, the news transmitted by the Kata Kingdom reached the leaders of various factions.

Most of them were brimming with excitement.

This was their celebration; the Kata Kingdom intended to buy slaves on a large scale, settling the payment with Beli or advanced weaponry.

They had long coveted the Kata Kingdom's weaponry.

The weapons they sold annually were in such high demand that these factions could make substantial profits just by reselling them.

"Advanced, exquisite, durable, high quality and cost-effective, highly powerful."

This was their most direct appraisal of the weaponry sold by the Kata Kingdom.

Some of the leaders of factions worried for countries that weren't part of the World Government coalition.

But they were helpless –

The tide of events couldn't be stopped. They couldn't instigate the entire coalition to go against the Kata Kingdom and other major powers for their own sake.

As the saying goes –

Blocking someone's fortune is akin to killing their parents.

If they obstructed the prevailing trend, they would undoubtedly face retribution from all the powers.

Some slave traders saw business opportunities and began to take action.

And those large pirate crews, ambitious as they were, directly attacked small towns not part of the World Government coalition.

They continually plundered populations and committed ruthless robberies –

For a while,

The kings of those small countries without Navy soldiers stationed within their borders were utterly miserable. Everyone was full of grievances!

Inside the smoke-filled meeting room at Navy Headquarters, everyone was arguing heatedly.

Some of the dovish members even slammed their hands on the table!

"What the hell is Kaldor doing?"

"He should know full well the consequences his message will have for non-World Government coalition nations."

"People's resentment is boiling, grievances are boundless."

"Countless people have been displaced because of this damn message from that bastard."

Among them, the representative figure of the dovish faction at Navy Headquarters, Monkey D. Cap, was standing in the smoke-filled meeting room, his face red with anger as he spoke loudly.

Spittle flew in all directions, some even landing on the face of "Strategist" Warring States.

His tone was filled with hostility and intense anger.

".........…"