Chapter 323 Thor's Hammer

'Thor's Hammer' is not the hammer of 'Thor' in the movie but a series of artifacts including a scepter.

This scepter belonged to Bayezid I, the grandfather of Mokomo II. Bayezid I was nicknamed "Thor's Hammer"! This nickname was used to describe his brave but not reckless style of warfare.

Historians say that Mukhamed II was the real founder of the Ottoman Empire because he destroyed the Byzantines and occupied Istanbul, but this was really thanks to his grandfather Bayezid I who laid a good foundation for him.

Bayezid I, nicknamed "Thor's Hammer," spent his entire life largely at war. Two years after becoming sultan, he launched a massive military campaign, first capturing the Byzantine capital of Adrianople, then conquering all of northern Greece and defeating the combined forces of Serbia, Bulgaria, and Hungary, forcing them to surrender. Later, at the Battle of Nicopolis, he defeated the combined forces of Hungary, France, Germany, and other nations, annexing much of the Balkan Peninsula and capturing nearly 10,000 Crusaders. Ultimately, all but 300 of these captives were killed, with the exception of a large sum of money paid for their ransom. This wealth became the wealth that fueled the rise of the Byzantine Empire!

If it weren't for the sudden rise of the Timurid Empire, the Byzantine Empire would have been destroyed by Bayezid I. When he was about to continue his westward invasion of Europe, the Timurid Empire invaded their east. He personally led his army to fight the enemy, but he lost his integrity and was captured and died in prison.

Because of his death, the Ottoman Empire began to fight for the throne and civil strife broke out. The countries ruled by the Ottoman Empire at that time rose up in rebellion and broke away from Ottoman rule. As a result, when Bayezid I's son Mahomet I ended the civil strife and regained the lost land in the east, his grandson Mahomet II destroyed Byzantium.

However, Mahalles II had great respect for "Thor's Hammer", because in his eyes Bayezid I's military achievements were incomparable. So after losing the "Thor's Hammer" relic, Mahalles II was furious. He sent people to salvage it but to no avail. He beheaded all the survivors who were responsible for escorting it, but he was still not satisfied. In the end, he simply killed all their families and wiped out their clans to quell his anger.

Even so, King Mukhamed II did not forget to ask an artist to paint Bayezid's relics to remind him of him. A portrait of Bayezid I in full uniform can still be seen in Topkapi Palace.

It feels like a crazy fan meeting his idol.

Although Mokomo II had strong military power and repelled the counterattacks of Hungary and Poland in the Battle of Varna, and directly killed the Polish King Jagiellon and Archbishop Cesarini, he still felt that there was a big gap between him and his grandfather, so he continued to fight throughout his life, and the Ottoman Empire entered a long period of government expansion.

What Xiao Peng wants now is to find these two ships.

If I find the scepter of Thor's Hammer, won't I make Türkiye die of anger?

Ugh!

The Ottoman Empire's wealth wouldn't be lost at the bottom of the ocean. They loved two things: gold and gems. Both of these things are incredibly durable and easy to find underwater!

But this boat is so hard to find!

Although the Sea of Marmara is the smallest sea in the world, it was formed by the subsidence of the Eurasian continental fault. Its average depth is nearly 200 meters, with the deepest point exceeding 1,000 meters. Furthermore, only two small straits connect the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. This creates a severe circulation barrier, making oxygen and nutrients extremely scarce. Consequently, life in the Sea of Marmara is also very rare.

Xiao Peng entered the seabed under the cover of night, and here he confirmed one thing: that is, he must never go to the bottom of the Black Sea.

He was already feeling weak, tired, and inattentive, a result of lack of oxygen. Fortunately, it wasn't too serious and he could still handle it, but he really didn't dare go into the oxygen-free zone beneath the Black Sea!

There are indeed many shipwrecks here. During World War I, the British and French forces deployed 62 warships here to start the attack. The "Australian and New Zealand Allied Forces" composed of New Zealand, Australia and India (poor Indians, they didn't even have a name) also attacked together but ended up being defeated. Three British battleships alone sank, and countless small boats sank.

This wasn't what Xiao Peng was looking for. He searched all night, but all the shipwrecks he found were warships. After a busy night, he returned disappointed.

But he doesn't intend to stop there, he must make things difficult for Türkiye!

Although the Sea of Marmara wasn't large, at just over 10,000 square kilometers, smaller than Tianjin, it was difficult for Xiao Peng to search the seabed on his own. However, Xiao Peng wasn't just searching aimlessly. He focused on searching the area between Bursa and Istanbul, which was the shipping route at the time. He planned an initial search area of roughly 30 kilometers by 10 kilometers, expanding it based on the situation. Even this search area would keep Xiao Peng busy for days!

He really missed the sixgill sharks. With them, they could move much faster on the seabed, but they couldn't come here. If they came here, they would probably die!

The deepest part of the Sea of Marmara is right here, and the lack of oxygen is even more severe down there, which adds to Xiao Peng's difficulties. But Xiao Peng is determined this time: Is my money that dirty? This time, he won't leave the Sea of Marmara until he finds these two ships.

Of course, this is a bit of an exaggeration.

The most difficult thing about working here is not the lack of oxygen on the seabed, but that it is so damn busy!

Every year, more than tens of thousands of ships pass through the Turkish Straits, most of which are Russian ships, almost all of which are large ships such as oil tankers and natural gas tankers.

The Black Sea's winter weather is harsh, so many transport ships concentrate their operations in the spring and autumn. These times bring even more ships, hundreds of them daily. If one of these large ships were to encounter Xiao Peng's small boat, it would be shattered to dust. This small rubber boat doesn't have an AIS system. If it sank, Xiao Peng would have to swim back.

Fortunately, his fears didn't materialize. His boat wasn't destroyed, but the other two boats weren't found either. Sleeping during the day and searching for boats at night, Xiao Peng's days were quite fulfilling.

The curiosity of the people on the boat was aroused by Xiao Peng, but because of what Moro said, they also became cautious. If Xiao Peng didn't say anything, they wouldn't ask, and both sides maintained this tacit understanding.

On the morning of the fourth day, a speedboat arrived at the Calyssop. On board were Fabian and Pascal. The matter had finally been resolved, and Fabian had returned.

"Moro, what are you doing here? Where is Xiao?" Fabian asked as soon as he got on the boat.

Moreau replied, "He usually comes back before dawn. Why hasn't he come back yet at this time today?"