Chapter 124: A Declaration of War

The enormous fish head, flushed a deep red as if boiled, was made all the more terrifying by its bulging, prominent eyes.

He drew a deep breath, expelling a stream of bubbles from his maw.

“Boss, when do we launch our assault?”

A henchman, rubbing their palms together obsequiously, addressed Hern.

“Hmph, we’ll wait a little longer. These fools likely believe no one would dare cross them in these waters. What a pity they’ve encountered me!” Hern declared, his voice laced with fury, his fists clenching into tight knots.

“Understood, Boss!”

The henchman, feigning deference, withdrew to relay the current situation to the soldiers below.

****

At that very moment, Hern’s flagship, the largest warship in his fleet, had fully entered the radar detection range of the Charlotte Family’s armada.

“Hmm? What is this?”

Onboard a Charlotte Family frigate, the crew members couldn’t help but furrow their brows at the dense cluster of contacts appearing on their radar screens. Their navigation routes were meticulously planned, and they had received no intelligence indicating the presence of any other vessels.

The peculiar spiritual fluctuations they had detected earlier had already put them on high alert, prompting them to prepare for evasive maneuvers. However, Ellie Roth Charlotte, the eldest daughter of the Charlotte Family, had made her stance unequivocally clear: they were to proceed directly to the source of the spiritual anomaly and investigate thoroughly.

The crew found themselves with no alternative; as mere employees, they could hardly defy the young mistress’s direct command. Thus, they were compelled to steer their course directly towards the locus of the spiritual disturbance. The unexpected outcome was their encounter with this very fleet.

‘Could this be the fleet responsible for the tsunami?’ a thought arose. ‘Such powerful spiritual fluctuations are certainly not something an ordinary vessel could generate. It’s unlikely to be from large-scale weaponry or wondrous items; more probable is the presence of a high-tier Arcanist.’

And the group now confronting them evidently met all these criteria.

Nevertheless, as a precaution, the Charlotte Family fleet decided to send a telegram to the approaching vessels, seeking to ascertain their intentions. Their mission was solely to pursue the young mistress’s student; they harbored no desire for combat. Ultimately, any casualties would fall upon them, not the high-ranking officials who issued the orders. Such losses would mean little to those in power.

The Charlotte Family fleet’s communications officer promptly dispatched a telegram, requesting to establish a connection with the opposing force.

*Beep beep beep.*

A series of insistent beeps emanated from the command bridge of Fish King Hern’s fleet.

“What’s happening? They actually initiated contact with a telegram! Are they trying to provoke us?” The henchman exclaimed in shock, then quickly clamped their mouth shut, realizing such an outburst might further inflame Hern’s temper.

“Connect them!” Fish King Hern, seething with anger, ignored the henchman’s superfluous chatter.

“Yes, sir!”

The communications officer promptly established the connection.

“To the opposing fleet, greetings. We are the Charlotte Family armada from the United States. Please state your intentions. We harbor no hostility, yet we shall not flinch from any threat!”

The Charlotte Family’s message was unambiguous: they intended to pass through these waters and expected Hern’s fleet to clear their path.

Fish King Hern, standing nearby, overheard every word. Despite the apparent sincerity in their tone, Fish King Hern interpreted their words entirely differently. Having already convinced himself that the Charlotte Family fleet was responsible for his brother’s demise, his perception was irrevocably skewed.

“Heh, no hostility? And our intentions, you ask?” Consumed by boundless rage, Fish King Hern snatched the communication device, then bellowed into it.

“You claim no hostility? *I* do! As for our intentions, they are quite simple: to utterly annihilate every last one of you!” Hern’s voice seethed with fury, so much so that bubbles erupted from his mouth. His fish-like eyes had now turned a terrifying, bloodshot red.

This stark reality sent a wave of unease through the Charlotte fleet. The opposing force was truly targeting them. But why? Were they pirates? Yet, they weren’t a merchant fleet, possessing no valuable cargo. What kind of pirates would be so foolish as to target a battle-ready armada for plunder?

The communications officer, overcome with trepidation, wondered if there might be some grave misunderstanding. They hastily spoke.

“Who exactly are you people? We have no quarrel with you; surely there must be some mistake?”

Upon hearing this, Fish King Hern merely laughed, his enormous fish-like mouth splitting into a wide, menacing grin.

“A misunderstanding? It seems our misunderstandings are quite numerous, indeed. Do you truly not know what you’ve done? Still feigning innocence here!” Fish King Hern was almost driven to laughter by sheer indignation. ‘To command such a formidable fleet in these very waters, isn’t that practically emblazoning “I am the murderer” across your face? And still, they feign ignorance!’

“Wait—”

Before the communications officer could even formulate a response, the connection was abruptly seized by Ellie Roth. As the true commander of the Charlotte Family fleet, it was imperative that she be apprised of such a critical situation. The instant Ellie Roth became aware, she seized control of the communications link. She intended to address their adversary directly.

“Oh, it seems you hold quite a grudge against my family.” Ellie Roth’s voice was sharp and dangerous; she had heard every word Fish King Hern had uttered. Even if there had been no prior animosity, a bitter feud had now been forged. In her eyes, a slight against her family was a slight against her, and a slight against her was an unforgivable offense.

“Heh, and who might *you* be? What insignificant family do you hail from? Prepare to meet your swift demise!” Hearing a young girl’s voice on the other end, Fish King Hern immediately launched into a barrage of wild insults and curses.

*CRACK!* An agonizing crunch echoed through the comms. It was Ellie Roth, who had utterly crushed the telegram communicator in her hand. Its shattered components clattered to the floor.

Her rage had reached its zenith; their every action had struck a nerve, touching her deepest vulnerabilities. Only their demise could possibly quell her fury. There was no longer any room for words or negotiation.

Ellie Roth seized another communication device and bellowed to her entire fleet.

“Full-force assault! Leave no one alive!” Ellie Roth’s heterochromatic eyes gleamed with an eerie, dangerous light. At this very moment, her killing intent had reached its absolute peak, threatening to spill over.

On the opposing side, Fish King Hern merely scoffed at the faint crackle of static that followed from the severed connection. He paid no mind to their adversary’s thoughts; from the very first moment, only one outcome had been inevitable for them: a battle to the death.

“All hands, attack!” Fish King Hern immediately commanded his entire fleet of repurposed fishing vessels to charge forward at full speed.

“And the speedboats? Don’t just sit there! Arm yourselves and charge!” At this juncture, Fish King Hern disregarded any potential casualties; his sole objective was the complete eradication of the opposing fleet. ‘After all, I have endless manpower,’ he reasoned. ‘If we wipe them out entirely, then all their warships will be ours for the taking.’

To wage war to sustain war – this was the fundamental truth that had allowed them to survive and thrive to this day. Thus, Fish King Hern harbored no fear whatsoever.

His subordinates, however, faced a grim predicament. Their path was a dead end: failure to charge meant certain death at Hern’s hands, while charging meant being torn to shreds by the formidable ships and powerful cannons arrayed before them. Yet, they had no choice but to advance. Charging offered a slim hope of survival; refusing to do so guaranteed their demise.

“Charge!”

In that instant, every speedboat and fishing vessel under Fish King Hern’s command surged forward impulsively, hurtling towards their adversaries.