On the command terrace of Bruno Harbor, the sudden shelling sent a shiver down Bernhardt's spine.

"The shelling has begun."

Holding the binoculars, Dingle spoke in a cold tone, followed by an officer beside him:

"The black powder fleet didn't break through the pass, they..." He didn't finish his sentence, but let out a long sigh.

With that sigh, everyone present wore expressions of sorrow.

Bernhardt was even more so; he barely managed to stop trembling by holding onto the railing of the terrace. He was not afraid of the massive bombardment before him, but rather grieving for the Black Powder Fleet.

Regardless of what happened on the way to the Star Islands, at least for now, the Black Powder Fleet was making sacrifices for the Empire. They stopped less than a kilometer in front of the dock and remained at sea in a fully dispersed manner, which obviously hindered the Yan Kingdom fleet behind them.

That is why the Yan Kingdom fleet launched its bombardment at this moment. Only by sinking the black powder fleet blocking their way could they continue to advance.

Meanwhile, the shore defenses also began shelling, with the high gun emplacements unleashing a fierce barrage of firepower into the sea. This was not aimed at the Black Powder Fleet, but rather at the Yan Kingdom fleet closely following behind it.

The Yan Kingdom fleet attempted to follow the Black Powder Fleet into the pass, so they were very close to the Black Powder Fleet, less than 2 kilometers away. At this distance, they were just within the range of the shore artillery.

The black powder fleet, sandwiched in between, formed a buffer zone. Although they were enduring the firepower of the Yan Kingdom, this move undoubtedly provided the defense forces on the shore with an opportunity to launch artillery attacks.

The more tragic the sacrifices made by the Black Powder Fleet, the stronger the hatred for the Yan Kingdom, the culprits. From the gun emplacements along the dock, almost all the long-range cannons were firing at the Yan Kingdom fleet without stopping.

Meanwhile, the Yan Kingdom fleet was focused on destroying the Black Powder Fleet blocking their path. Their original plan to follow was interrupted, and they had no choice but to sink these "roadblocks".

However, amidst the artillery fire, the counterattack from the port of Bruno was indeed upon them. The defenses on the shore were formidable. Although the Goths' cannonballs had a much shorter range than those of the Yan Kingdom and were all solid shells, they were numerous. Moreover, the Yan Kingdom's fleet was now within the range of the shore's artillery fire.

The failed attempt to follow the enemy into the pass has resulted in this outcome: the Yan Kingdom fleet is now under heavy bombardment!

But the Black Powder Fleet, as a sacrifice, is now suffering terrible casualties.

"Boom boom boom!"

Dense shells rained down from extremely close range, the explosions almost incessant. In this confined space, more than three hundred battleships were unable to turn and form a battle line. They were completely on the defensive and could only silently endure the bombardment from the Yan army.

On the flagship in the center of the fleet, Martin had gone mad.

He stood on the stern deck, waving his arms wildly and roaring at the opposing Yan army fleet:

"Come on! Come on!!"

"Fire your shells! Let's see if you have more shells, or we have more!"

"If you want to destroy us, we'll drag you down with us!"

"Let's see who can't take it anymore, who'll die here first! Hahahaha!"

Unlike Martin, who had already resolved to die and descended into madness, Sebastian was like a lost person, running around frantically on the ship.

Staying on the deck meant being vulnerable to shells falling at any moment, with the possibility of being blown up at any instant. Staying in the cabins meant the ship might be blown open, seawater would flood in, and those inside wouldn't be able to escape.

The flagship was large, a first-class battleship, but Sebastian had no idea where the safest place was.

In his frantic escape, Sebastian gradually realized that both the main ship and the entire fleet were within the range of the Yan army's firepower, and no warship could escape the shelling.

It's only a matter of time before we die. Maybe in an hour, maybe in two hours, but in any case, as long as the Yan army keeps shelling, everyone will die here, right at their own doorstep.

With a loud crash, Sebastian, who had run into the ship's corridor, slammed his head against the wall, spurting a large amount of blood from his nose. He paid no heed to the pain, but instead collapsed to the ground in despair.

Just then, a loud "bang" came from above.

Sebastian knew that a shell had hit the main ship, and he didn't know how many people would die from it.

He just sat there, waiting for more and more shells to hit the ship and take his life.

After an unknown amount of time, urgent shouts came from the corridor:

"They're turning around! They're turning around!!!"

Sebastian, who was in despair, suddenly raised his head.

"The attack on the shore has been effective! Those damned Yan people are turning back! They can't hold on any longer!!!" Maniacal laughter gradually filled the air.

Sebastian, supporting himself against the wall, staggered to his feet and then ran quickly, soon bumping into a soldier in the corridor. He grabbed the soldier and asked:

"What's going on now?!"

The soldier laughed maniacally: "The Yan people are being overwhelmed by our attacks! They're turning around; they're retreating!"

"Sir, didn't you notice that the shelling has decreased since it started?"

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