Chapter 352 - 344: Devising a Stratagem

Chapter 352: Chapter 344: Devising a Stratagem

In the cavern stronghold, Velin flipped through the field report Kael had presented. The pages, scrawled with charcoal, detailed the gains and losses from the previous night.

"No survivors, but we recovered their gear and their bodies." Kael’s voice was tinged with frustration. "The self-destruct mechanism triggered too quickly. From mental collapse to organ failure, it took less than thirty breaths. The Church’s methods are far more extreme than we imagined."

Velin set down the report, his gaze sweeping over Xiaolan, who was standing off to the side.

The girl’s flaxen hair was neatly combed, no longer disheveled as it used to be.

She still kept her head down, but her eyes, which had always been so evasive, would now occasionally lift to quietly observe her surroundings.

The bloody battle last night had clearly stripped away some of her timidity, revealing the tough core beneath.

Ola, shouldering his great-ax, boomed, "The little lady did good last night. She strikes faster than I do!"

The gruff praise made Xiaolan’s cheeks flush, and she buried her head even lower.

The corners of Kael’s mouth twitched, but he ultimately said nothing. He knew that, coming from Ola, this was the highest of praise.

"It doesn’t matter. Those are just side benefits." Velin stood and walked to the enormous beast-hide map hanging on the cavern wall. Based on the memories of the resistance, it marked every island, reef, and current in the Southern Islands.

"As long as the news that the True Origin Sect is with the resistance hasn’t leaked, we’ve succeeded."

Velin looked to Kael. "How is Mia’s intelligence network coming along?"

"It’s essentially in place," Kael answered. "Our people in Peace Bay have established stable contact with her. As Barbossa’s new favorite, she has access to certain core information. This is the latest deployment map for the Bloodsail Brotherhood’s main fleet. She sent it yesterday."

Kael handed him a sheet of papyrus.

"Excellent." Velin placed the papyrus beside the map. "It’s time to close the net."

He summoned his core members: Gideon, a survivor of the Raging Waves Knight Order; Kael; Ola; and Elias.

Gideon, a traditional Knight from the Duchy, stared at the massive markers on the map representing the three Leviathans, still struggling to compose himself.

He was accustomed to a mode of warfare involving cavalry charges and infantry squares. Tactics centered around colossal beasts were entirely outside his experience.

"My Lord Baron," he said, placing a hand over his heart in a respectful salute. "The Bloodsail Brotherhood’s fleet is enormous. They have at least twelve capital ships, one of which is a retired third-rate ship of the line from the Imperial Navy. If we engage them in a pitched battle, even with the aid of the Leviathans, our casualties will be..."

"A pitched battle? No. We’re laying an ambush," Velin cut him off.

He drew a circle on the map, enclosing a wide expanse of open sea far from any islands or reefs.

This move puzzled Gideon. "My lord, shouldn’t an ambush be set in an area thick with reefs and narrow channels to restrict the mobility of their ships of the line? I thought you would choose Wind Shear Strait..."

"Prey won’t walk into a trap that’s too obvious." Velin explained with a faint smile, "Barbossa is no fool. If we lure him into reef-strewn waters like Wind Shear Strait, he’ll be extremely cautious—he might even abandon the chase altogether."

"But a stretch of open sea is different. It will make him think it’s a battlefield he can enter and leave at will. This maximizes the chance he’ll leave his well-defended harbor to seek a decisive battle with us."

Ola scratched his head and raised another question.

"But in a place like that, even if they fall into our trap, it’d be easy for them to escape, wouldn’t it? It’s wide open. How would we stop them?"

"They can try to run, but it depends on who’s chasing." Velin’s tone was filled with confidence. "Don’t forget, the open sea also means our Leviathans can move without any restriction. Escaping from their hunting ground won’t be so easy."

"A perfect hunting ground." Velin looked at the others. "Now, we need bait with enough pull."

He turned to Kael.

"Contact the Golden Sail Commerce Association and have Caroline dispatch her fleet of armed merchantmen. Twenty-six ships. Tell her to make a show of it—act like a main fleet preparing for a decisive battle and sail for Peace Bay with great fanfare."

"That’s too risky!" Gideon objected with a frown. "The firepower and armor of merchant ships are no match for warships. You’re sending them to their deaths!"

"Their mission isn’t to fight. It’s to ’flee’," Velin explained. "They will lead Barbossa’s fleet straight to the hunting ground we’ve prepared for him."

"He will," Velin said calmly. "Because his greed will triumph over his reason. A pirate can never resist the temptation of swallowing an opponent’s entire fortune in one gulp. And our ’mole’ will help him make that decision."

...

「Peace Bay, aboard the captain’s cabin of the Sea Serpent.」

The opulent cabin was thick with the scent of expensive spices and rum.

Barbossa was bare-chested, his powerful, scar-covered muscles on full display as he polished his cutlass with a piece of buckskin.

Dressed in light silks, Mia was curled up on a velvet sofa like a lazy cat, nibbling on fresh berries from a plate.

For the past few days, she had played the part of a spoiled, naive noblewoman to perfection, completely dispelling Barbossa’s last shred of doubt.

The pirate captain had even sent his men to procure all manner of expensive clothes and desserts for her.

"Dammit, those weirdos just vanished into thin air," Barbossa grumbled, sheathing his cutlass. "We’ve searched all over Peace Bay and haven’t found a damn thing." ℯ

"Captain," Mia began in her seductively sweet voice, holding a plump purple berry to Barbossa’s lips. "Perhaps they really did just complete their ritual and return to the Church. It’s not worth troubling yourself over such a trifle."

Barbossa opened his mouth, accepting the berry. He was just about to grope Mia’s thigh with his rough hand when she, like a nimble butterfly, subtly shifted away, leaving his outstretched hand grasping at empty air.

Just as he was about to say something, his attention was diverted.

A pirate confidant burst in, looking panicked.

"Boss! Trouble! To the east... a fleet’s been spotted to the east! It’s the Klein Clan’s banner!"

A cold glint flashed in Barbossa’s one good eye as he shot to his feet. "How many ships? What’s their complement?"

"Twenty... six! They all look like armed merchantmen, and they’re heading right for us!"

"Heh. So they’ve lost their nerve," his tone dripped with contempt. "Think they can challenge me with a few shoddy merchant ships?"

"My lord," Mia whispered, silently pressing up against his back and wrapping her arms around his waist, her breath warm against his skin. "Do you think that Baron Velin could be plotting something?"

"Plotting?" Barbossa sneered. "Plots are a joke in the face of absolute power. Does he think I don’t know the truth about those big pets of his? Magical Beasts that size require enormous upkeep; they can’t sustain a long campaign. He’s trying to stake everything on a single, decisive battle. He’s coming to fight me to the death."