The massive fleet of warships, their sturdy metal hulls, and the numerous gun emplacements all exerted an indescribable pressure on Sasha.

He couldn't understand these warships, but his intuition told him that the enemy that had come this time was extremely powerful.

——

"How much further?" Qin Ze asked through binoculars aboard the Dinghai.

"Less than fifteen kilometers, Your Majesty."

"Then we can launch the attack soon." Qin Ze put down the binoculars in his hand.

"Yes, the enemy's artillery range is much shorter than ours, and if we want to use artillery to suppress them most effectively, we should get as close as possible, preferably within seven kilometers."

Qin Ze nodded slightly: "Destroy their turrets and eliminate their ranged capabilities first, and then proceed with the landing."

He narrowed his eyes and then said, "Let us tell the Goths what truth is!"

The fleet sailed in an orderly fashion, arranged in several staggered rows, which would effectively increase the density of the artillery fire.

As they drew closer, the fleet slowed down, as they no longer needed to charge directly to the docks to face enemy fire.

All they need to do is bombard the enemy as relentlessly as possible within artillery range, destroying all their defensive fortifications.

Sasha, atop the tower, had a clear view of this marching formation. Although the shelling had not yet begun, the oppressive pressure had already made him break out in a cold sweat.

He had reason to believe that the other party had come prepared this time.

Indeed, when Sasha saw the enemy fleet slowing down and eventually coming to a complete stop, she leaned back slightly and involuntarily took two steps back.

This was a completely unconscious action, because he was in a very safe position at the moment. It was probably an instinct brought about by his battlefield instincts, just like his heart, which was beating faster and faster.

He shook his head, took two more steps forward, gripped the window tightly, and looked at the enemy fleet that was stuck at sea, and began to mutter to himself.

"I can't say..."

"Are you going to launch an artillery barrage from this distance?"

——

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"This was all said by Marshal Lucate of the Rose Fleet himself; he wouldn't dare to lie to us."

"Our fleet... has truly suffered a devastating blow."

After a grueling two-week journey, during which James slept less than five hours a day, he finally returned to Garnat and arrived at Champagne Palace, where he personally reported the intelligence on the front lines to Isabella.