"Who are you calling a wreck?"
Several ship owners stood up almost at the same time.
Their chairs scraped against the floor with a piercing noise.
They glared angrily at the Corinthian merchant who was speaking, their faces full of disdain.
If expressions could eat people, this Collins businessman would have been eaten alive long ago.
"As for your ships that can only sail offshore, don't show them off."
"If we really talk about shipbuilding technology, then the Athenians' own shipyards are the best."
"Are your ships also fit for the service of the Holy Pharaoh of Holy Egypt?"
One of the Corinthian merchants responded sarcastically, and he deliberately shook the money bag with the Holy Egyptian emblem in his hand.
However, no one noticed the purse in his hand at this time.
"Hmph! Arrogant!"
A fat ship owner slammed the table and stood up.
"My ship is the champion of the Athenian naval battle! How dare you say..."
The Corinthian merchant sneered when he heard this.
"The Athenian naval battle was nothing more than a child's game."
"Have you ever seen the ships of Holy Egypt?"
"I have."
After hearing this, the captains just frowned and continued listening.
"Do you know how fast the Holy Egyptian warships are? Their ships can reach unprecedented speeds with a tailwind, and their hulls are three times stronger than ours!"
"Their boats don't even have rowers."
The atmosphere in the tavern froze instantly. The ship owners who had just been mocking the sailors looked at each other, and the smiles on their faces gradually froze.
"Bullshit! How can there be no rowers? Even the best Greek ship needs rowers!"
The old ship owner pretended to be calm and said, "How could the holy Egyptians build a ship like that?"
The Corinthian merchant said no more, but took out a piece of parchment from his pocket and spread it on the table.
It was a detailed sketch depicting the silhouette of a huge warship.
"This was painted by the crew of our ship."
"Look carefully, I'm not talking nonsense."
A boat owner stepped forward and gasped after seeing this scene.
"This! What kind of design is this? What a monstrosity!"
"Impossible! This..."
"How can a ship like this possibly sail?!"
The businessman continued speaking.
"Their ships are as stable as if they were on land."
"You don't know yet, do you? The Holy Egyptian fleet is approaching Greek waters."
"They are heading for Thermopylae now."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the tavern was in an uproar.
The several ship owners who had just laughed at the sailors were now pale and sweating.
Only then did they realize that the sailor's report was true, but they had treated it as a joke.
Of course, the most important thing is that this means that all the ships they had built in advance and the investment they had made were wasted.
It is no longer possible to make a fortune from the Holy Pharaoh.
"Impossible! You're lying! How could Holy Egypt have its own fleet?"
"They don't even have the technology to build ships, how could they possibly..."
The businessman just shrugged.
"How do you know there isn't one?"
"Maybe they have been putting a lot of effort into the shipbuilding industry over the years, but we just don't know about it."
"Look at how smug you are! Their ships are now even better than the best Greek ships!"
A middle-aged ship owner immediately shook his head in denial.
"impossible!"
"Our Greek shipbuilding skills have been passed down for thousands of years. Athenian triremes are world-famous, and many people come to us to buy ships. How could the Holy Egyptians possibly surpass our craftsmanship? How could they possibly surpass ours?"
"If you say so, why hasn't anyone bought Holy Egypt's ships so I can see more of them?"
As soon as these words were spoken, they were immediately recognized by many captains, who nodded in agreement.
But the businessman just continued to speak slowly.
"Yes, your oared warships are indeed good, but compared to those of Holy Egypt, they are no different from toys."
"From what I've seen, their capital ships are more than twice the length of Athens' longest warships and can carry over two hundred men."
However, this statement has attracted a lot of doubts and opposition.
"You're talking nonsense! Haha! Doesn't that reveal your true level?"
"You don't even understand what a ship is, and yet you're talking nonsense here!"
"I'm telling you! No boat can hold so many rowers while maintaining high speed!"
"So, what you said was a lie!"
However, the businessman who heard this was not in a hurry and just smiled.
"Who said their boats were powered by oars? Didn't I just tell you they had no oarsmen?"
"They use a brand new propulsion system with giant sails, which can reach speeds twice as fast as our ships when the wind is strong."
"And their hull design is perfect, with much less resistance than ours."
The tavern was completely silent. It was obvious that this statement was understood and accepted by the captains.
"No, that's not the case..."
"If that's the case, then their sailing speed is not?"
The businessman nodded and said, "According to my observation, it can reach 25-35 nautical miles."
As soon as these words were spoken, several captains were immediately defeated.
"Impossible! Unless they used magic! Witchcraft!"
The businessman just scoffed.
"They use real shipbuilding technology."
"You frogs in the well, wait until the World Conference is held and go there to broaden your horizons."
"Ah, or you can go to Thermopylae and see where the Holy Pharaoh's fleet is heading now."
The captains frowned and continued to speak fiercely.
"What is the Holy Pharaoh doing in those Spartan territories?"
"Could it be that they have some hidden dealings with those Spartans?"
The businessman just shook his head.
"That's not the case."
"His Majesty the Holy Pharaoh told me that they went to Thermopylae because the Persian army had already arrived there."
"Well, it's a waste of time to talk to you again, boss. Just make something simple to eat. After I finish eating, I have to tell the Athenians this news quickly."
As soon as these words were spoken, the captains immediately lost their composure.
They stared with wide eyes, looking a little at a loss for a moment.
"What!?"
"The Persians have reached Thermopylae?!"
"Is this true?"
Several people rushed forward to the merchant, and the merchant slowly took out a few silver coins from the purse.
Although he didn't speak, the captains were able to identify the money bag as belonging to Holy Egypt.
They left the tavern immediately.
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