lerbook #448 - Chapter 182: The Devilish Pirate Lair
#448 - Chapter 182: The Devilish Pirate Lair
Euron felt secretly pleased with himself as he recalled those who had once mocked him. Now that he had become the King of the Iron Islands, those people would surely look at him with new respect. However, Euron's ambition did not stop there; he wanted to prove himself with strength, ensuring that no one would ever underestimate him again. He wanted the whole of Westeros to know his name.
Originally, he had planned to deal with his dear nephew and niece after the coronation ceremony. Who would have thought that a small oversight would lead to such serious consequences! Yara and Theon seized the opportunity, leading their supporters to secretly sail away with the best ships of the Iron Islands. These ships were the pride of the Iron Islands! They were the ultimate weapons for naval warfare. Now they had been stolen! This was a nightmare for the Iron Islands.
What was worse, besides the *Iron Victory* and the *Great Kraken*, the entire Iron Islands could not find any other large ships capable of accommodating more than one hundred and fifty warriors. This meant that Euron's fleet had lost its ability to sail far, unable to launch large-scale sea crossings, let alone compete for dominance on the mainland.
Therefore, for the entire two years after Euron's accession, he had to stay put, devoting all his energy to building warships. Although this could slowly restore his strength, he was still unable to send a large army to attack the mainland, only able to send small groups to harass and plunder the coast of the Reach. This made Euron feel very helpless, because he knew that only by participating in the struggle for the mainland could he gain greater benefits.
But now, the situation had finally changed. Euron's efforts had paid off, and he had successfully built a powerful Iron Fleet. This fleet had more than nine hundred warships of various types, mobilizing over 40,000 combat personnel, making it one of the most powerful fleets in the history of the Iron Islands. Euron believed that with this fleet, he would be able to conquer the sea again and become a true sea lord.
Euron gripped the letter in his hand, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, revealing a smug smile. That foolish woman in King's Landing had actually sent him an unexpected gift, a ticket to the pinnacle of power.
Euron looked into the distance, his eyes gleaming with fiery light. He seemed to see himself standing on the Iron Throne, what glory and honor that would be, his heart filled with anticipation and desire.
The Iron Fleet's progress was exceptionally smooth; no one dared to provoke such a large fleet easily. Whether it was the defensive fleets of Dorne or Storm's End, they could only choose to huddle in their ports, defending tightly. However, those innocent merchant ships became victims. The Ironborn warships used a combined oar and sail design, capable of rapidly bursting into high speed in a short time, making ordinary merchant ships unable to catch up.
When Euron led the fleet to the Stepstones, his force had grown to more than seventy ships. And behind these newly joined ships, there was a bloody story hidden—just look at the schools of sharks behind the fleet to understand everything.
According to legend, the Stepstones were once part of the Arm of Dorne, which connected Westeros and Essos like a bridge. When the First Men crossed the land bridge to invade Westeros, the Green Seers used powerful magic to shatter the Arm of Dorne into countless fragments, eventually forming the Stepstones as they are today.
The Stepstones are located between Dorne's Broken Arm and the Disputed Lands, consisting of more than three hundred islands of various sizes. These islands are unevenly distributed, some clustered together, while others are far apart. This place has always been a haven for pirates, who plunder passing ships here, posing a huge threat to maritime trade. In this sea area, only two islands have names: Bloodstone and Grey Gallows.
Euron stood at the bow of the ship, gazing at the desolate Stepstones before him, a surge of pride welling up in his heart. Once, he was also a pirate, wreaking havoc in this sea area. Now, he returned to his old haunt with a fleet, as if returning to the glorious days of the past. He stared into the distance, his eyes flashing with confidence and ambition, as if he had already seen the scene of his conquest of the Stepstones.
With a command from Euron, the fleet docked at Bloodstone. He decided to rest here for a while, replenish supplies, and inquire about the nearby situation. However, when Euron set foot on the island, he was surprised to find it unusually quiet, without any sign of life. He frowned, his heart filled with doubt; had something happened here?
Euron felt quite surprised, as Bloodstone was one of the busiest islands in the Stepstones. Initially, there were more than a dozen pirate gangs entrenched here, competing for territory and often engaging in fierce battles. In addition, black market merchants from all over the world came here to purchase goods, taking various contraband back to their countries. Not only that, but a large number of idle pirates would gather in taverns, waiting for captains to recruit them.
But now, there was not a single person to be seen, which made Euron feel a little uneasy. But he still forced himself to remain calm, leading his men to search everywhere. Soon, they discovered some abandoned houses and damaged ships, which clearly showed that they had not been used for half a year. These signs indicated that the pirates here had left, and it seemed like they had left in a hurry.
Euron's face turned gloomy, and he realized that things might be more complicated than he had imagined. Why did these pirates suddenly leave? Had they encountered some kind of threat or predicament? Or had they found a better habitat? Euron decided to investigate this mystery and find out the truth.
So, he ordered the Iron Fleet to temporarily rest in this sea area and replenish supplies such as fresh water and food. At the same time, he sent a reconnaissance team to search for clues on nearby islands. After some effort, they finally found some pirates.
From the mouths of these pirates, Euron learned that there were very few pirates now entrenched in the Stepstones. In recent years, wars had been fought on both continents, and many important figures needed to hire these desperate outlaws to enhance their strength. And the biggest employer among them was Stannis.
It turned out that Davos had successfully persuaded Salladhor Saan, who had recruited a large number of pirate groups to join Stannis's camp. However, the fate of these pirates was not optimistic. Some were killed in battle, and some were unfortunately killed in the Battle of Blackwater Bay.
In addition, some pirates were attacked by White Walkers at the Crooked Forest in the north, but fortunately, some of them did not die. These survivors were later conscripted by Rickon in the name of Liu Yuan and had been preparing for the upcoming war. And when Liu Yuan went to the Wall, he did not let these pirates return, but gave them a formal establishment to ensure that the Queen's army's logistics supply could be guaranteed.
At the same time, thanks to Illyrio's efforts, some pirates chose to join Viserys's camp. They transformed themselves into the Storm's End Navy, successfully shedding their past identities and enjoying the support of the state.