The alarm had already sounded, and the soldiers in the outpost were in complete disarray. This was the first time in years that they had encountered such an unexpected situation.
Although this sea area is international waters and quite far from the mainland, many islands in this area have outposts of the Sa Ri Kingdom, which are responsible for monitoring maritime movements on a daily basis. Of course, their main focus is on the Delta Federation's navy, because only they will come to this sea area, while the Hungarian and Sheng Lu countries will never suddenly appear.
Within this sea area, Wenban Island is the most remote outpost from the mainland. Therefore, there are not many armed forces on this island, and there are fewer than five warships, which only patrol the nearby sea once a week.
The reason for this is that there is no chance of any unexpected situations in this sea area. However, if we really want to talk about it, the appearance of the Federal Second Fleet more than two months ago can be considered an accident. Even so, they did not increase the number of patrols.
Not long ago, the usual weekly patrol on Wenban Island was changed to daily patrol. This was due to the return of the Unicorn Fleet, which passed by Wenban Island on its return journey and then relayed the situation of the battle at the front to the sentries on the island. Since then, Wenban Island has been on constant alert.
This was certainly a precautionary measure, because even if the Yan people achieved a complete victory in that naval battle, it would be impossible for them to come to the North Sea after fighting such a large-scale battle. No matter how strong they were, they would have to make preparations after the battle, and considering the weather and supply issues, it would be almost impossible for them to sail far away in the middle of winter.
It's always better to be cautious, so the sentries on Wenban Island followed James's orders and increased the number of patrols to once a day, and the island began to be on duty around the clock.
However, due to the small size of the island, all the warships would return to the Wenban Island pier after nightfall, and tonight was no exception. It was already midnight, and apart from two sentries remaining on the lighthouse, everyone on the island had gone to sleep.
However, when one of the sentries inadvertently noticed a large patch of mottled light on the distant sea surface illuminated by starlight, he immediately realized something was wrong.
It was a large and sizable fleet, and most importantly, they were coming from the opposite direction.
Based on the information they had recently learned, the sentry felt a chill run down his spine. After exchanging a few words with his companion, they both came to the same conclusion.
"It should be...it should be a fleet from Yan Kingdom, sir."
At this moment, in the cramped and dimly lit room on the top floor of the watchtower, the soldiers were gathered together, their pale faces filled with panic, and even their voices were trembling. The lieutenant surrounded by them was still looking out the window at the sea through a binocular.
Beneath the night sky, a hazy ball of light stretching for dozens of miles floated on the sea surface, emitting a faint blue glow.
Even though it was winter, a bead of sweat slowly dripped down the lieutenant's brow.
"call--"
He exhaled a puff of white steam, stiffly lowered the binoculars, and said in a deep voice:
"I can't see them clearly, but it can only be them."
"Sir, what should we do?"
“Should we... warn them and drive them away?” A burly soldier looked at the lieutenant.
The words had barely left his mouth when a crisp "snap" sounded.
The lieutenant slapped him on the head, yelling, "Warning? What kind of warning are you giving me?!"
The soldier, who had just been slapped, looked dejected and whispered, "But that's our duty..."
With a "smack," the lieutenant slapped him again, yelling, "Idiot! This is international waters!"
The soldier fell silent.
The lieutenant picked up the binoculars again and looked at the sea. He then said, "Let's wait and see where they're going. From this direction... it doesn't seem like they're heading towards our island."
"Go, prepare the warships; we need to set sail immediately."
Upon hearing this, the soldiers' faces showed surprise, and one of them hurriedly said, "Sir? Are we to conduct surveillance at sea?"
The lieutenant turned to the soldier who had spoken and yelled, "Idiot! Do you think we can do that?!"
"I mean we need to get on the boat and leave Wenban Island as soon as possible to notify the other outposts!"
——
Meanwhile, in the Yan Kingdom's fleet.
Lying on his bunk in the ship's cabin, Qin Ze was listening to a soldier's report:
"Your Majesty, we have entered the North Sea marked on the nautical chart. There are sea outposts set up by the Sauri people here. The closest one to us is Wenban Island to the southeast."
"Can you see the lights on Wenban Island?" Qin Ze asked casually, his hands behind his head.
"No, it's pitch black. You can't even see Wenban Island," the soldier replied.
Upon hearing this, Qin Ze said calmly, "If I remember correctly, the nautical chart marks it as a very small island with no strategic value."
The soldier nodded and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."
"And it's not even in our shipping lanes, but as we sail in this area, we're bound to be watched by the Saurisk."
Qin Ze yawned and said lazily, "Whatever."
"We'll sail southwest along the original route. If the Saurisk sends warships to track and monitor us as we pass through this area..."
He paused, then closed his eyes and said softly:
"Sink them all."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Qin Ze continued, "Although it's winter, the weather here isn't too cold, but we don't know if the weather will get worse soon."
"We need to reach the Brando Strait as soon as possible before the sea freezes over."
"Starting tomorrow, when there is a headwind, we will directly start the boiler and use steam power to drive it."
The soldier nodded and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
"So we should be able to reach the Brando Straits by the end of this month, but before entering the Brando Straits, we will pass through the Star Islands, which are..."
Before he could finish speaking, Qin Ze opened his eyes and said expressionlessly:
“Once we sail there, it will no longer be a Gothic sea fortress.”
"Conquer all the islands, large and small, of the Star Islands, wipe out the Goths, and then advance directly into the Brando Strait. It doesn't matter how many enemy ships come... Destroy them all and completely annihilate their naval power."
"Okay, that's settled then. Go ahead."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After the soldier bowed and left, Qin Ze pursed his lips and murmured, "Fong Palen, your army has always been known for its swift and fierce fighting, but this time..."
"When my army attacks with lightning speed, will you be able to react in time?"
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