**Boom!**
Columns of dragonfire rained down like fiery pillars, bombarding the warships of the Amazonian Fleet and erupting into deafening explosions.
"Glutton, attack that ship first!"
Rhaegar's gaze was cold as he locked onto the warship carrying the Amazonian commander.
This ship had been the first to ram into the cargo vessels, and now, pirates were locked in fierce combat with Cole and his men.
**Hiss—Screech!**
Glutton flapped its massive wings and soared toward the warship.
The Amazonian commander noticed the dragon's approach and turned pale with fear. "No! Jump ship, now!"
Facing a dragon was no joke.
A single breath of dragonfire, and everyone on board would be doomed.
**Boom!**
Glutton glided over the ship, spewing emerald-green flames that instantly engulfed the mast and deck.
The Amazonian commander was too shocked to react—she didn't even have time to jump before the flames swallowed her whole, reducing her to a charred, unrecognizable corpse.
Below, Cole was locked in a brutal struggle, swinging his meteor hammer and crushing pirate after pirate.
Blood splattered across his face and hair, but he paid no mind, focused solely on the fight.
He fought for redemption.
By commanding a fleet of merchant ships, he had served as bait, luring in the Amazonian pirates.
Above, four dragons circled the pirate fleet, setting warships ablaze one after another.
"Hahaha! Burn them all!"
Aegon, riding atop Sunfyre, laughed wildly in exhilaration.
He had been banished to King's Landing for days, wasting time on Grey Gallows Island.
Now, his first battle in ages was a complete massacre—he couldn't be happier.
"Aegon, maintain altitude and finish this quickly!"
Rhaenys, flying Meraxes beside him, reprimanded him sharply.
After over a dozen ships had been set ablaze, the pirates finally came to their senses and began retaliating with their scorpion ballistae.
Steel-tipped bolts shot into the sky, aiming for the four dragons.
But their efforts were doomed from the start.
A single dragon might have hesitated before a barrage of ballista bolts.
But they were facing four dragons.
By the time the ballistae were reloaded, the dragons had already burned several more warships to cinders.
After just a few rounds of fire, the pirate fleet was utterly overwhelmed, consumed by dragonfire.
Within minutes, the battle was all but over.
Thousands of pirates were incinerated in the one-sided assault, but Rhaegar remained unfazed. He bellowed, "Finish them quickly! We must reinforce Bloodstone Island!"
"No problem!"
Rhaenys shouted back, guiding Meraxes as she unleashed another fiery barrage.
Aegon shot his older brother a glance and urged Sunfyre to release another blast of dragonfire.
Lannino, his expression filled with excitement, maneuvered Seasmoke alongside Sunfyre in their assault.
Rhaegar said no more. He simply focused on torching every last pirate ship.
Days ago, when he had let that one pirate ship escape, he had already set his plan into motion.
He had feigned preparations for a direct assault on Bloodstone Island.
Then, he had deliberately leaked information about a shipment of supplies, baiting the enemy into intercepting it.
Fresh off their recent victory, the Amazonian Fleet had grown overconfident.
Upon learning the exact time of the cargo fleet's departure, they would never let such an opportunity slip away—they would strike again.
Cole and his merchant ships acted as the perfect bait, drawing in the bulk of the Amazonian forces.
Meanwhile, Rhaegar, Rhaenys, and the others had lain in wait, ready to unleash their dragons and annihilate the enemy fleet.
This was only the first phase of the plan.
---
### Bloodstone Island
More than twenty warships sailed toward the island.
Their sails bore the sigils of the Three-Headed Red Dragon, the Seahorse, and the Blue Banner with Purple Grapes, among others.
"Attack!"
Weymond, clad in armor and wielding a curved blade, roared his command.
The warships swiftly entered the waters surrounding Bloodstone Island.
As they neared the shore, they dropped anchor, and small boats splashed into the sea. Soldiers leaped into them, paddling toward the coast.
Bloodstone Island's defenses had been rebuilt.
The moment the sentries spotted the incoming enemy, they hurriedly blew their war horns.
**Thud!**
An arrow whizzed through the air and struck a pirate sentry directly in the throat.
Several hundred meters away, on one of the approaching boats,
Robb Hawen lowered his longbow and urged his comrades in the Second Sons to row faster.
During the battle at the Stepstones, he had been a nameless soldier.
But in the Riverlands, he had earned himself a reputation.
The greatest marksman in the Riverlands—**"Red Robb" Hawen.**
Moments later,
Dozens of small boats landed on the shore.
Robb led the charge with the Second Sons, while eight hundred Dragon Guards followed closely behind.
"Kill them all!"
Behind them, soldiers from Qingting Island and Crab Island surged forward.
Looking closely, many had bloodstains on their armor.
Before reaching Bloodstone Island, they had encountered a small group of pirates.
But their entire army had been deployed.
The small pirate force was no match for the overwhelming numbers and was swiftly crushed.
"Charge! Reclaim Bloodstone Island!"
Spike of Qingting Island led the charge, slashing through the weakly defended pirates.
Bloodstone Island's main forces had been sent to Wind Howl Point to intercept transport ships.
Half of the remaining troops had attacked Gray Gallows Island, only to be slaughtered by the kingdom's army.
Now, the defensive strength of Bloodstone Island was at its weakest.
Hundreds of pirates poured out of the caves, resisting desperately.
The kingdom's army numbered in the thousands.
The disparity in strength was immense.
In less than half an hour—
Hundreds of pirates lay dead on the beach, without even causing a ripple.
The soldiers began clearing the battlefield, rebuilding defensive fortifications under their officers' commands.
Weimond, with one arm injured, raised the Three-Headed Red Dragon banner once more atop Bloodstone Island's watchtower.
"Hss-kaa…"
A deep, bell-like dragon's roar echoed. The dark silhouette of the Devourer appeared in the sky.
Rhaegar glanced down at the battlefield, immediately understanding that Bloodstone Island was secured.
Robb, carrying a longbow on his back, looked up and shouted, "Prince, everything went as planned!"
The Devourer slowly descended, and Rhaegar slid off the dragon's back.
"What are our casualties? Do we have enough supplies on Bloodstone Island?"
His expression was calm, focusing only on what truly mattered.
He was the mastermind behind this war.
Planning the initial strategy, spreading false intelligence, steadying morale, leading the dragon into battle…
The main forces of the Three Daughters had been burned to cinders at Wind Howl Point.
Bloodstone Island's defenses were bound to be weak.
Weimond and the others had led the full assault, reclaiming control of the island in one decisive strike.
The island's stockpiles would also sustain the army.
Robb grinned. "All supplies are stored in the air-raid shelters—more than we expected!"
The so-called pirates of the Three Daughters were merely mercenaries.
They didn't turn in their loot but instead sold it to free trade city-states after battle.
The spoils they had plundered from Bloodstone Island hadn't yet been sold off.
Hearing this, Rhaegar's brows eased, and a faint smirk appeared. "Good. After this victory, the Three Daughters won't be able to stir up much trouble anymore."
The last time they attacked Bloodstone Island, Rhaegar had burned dozens of their warships upon arriving.
Their main forces had now been all but annihilated at Wind Howl Point.
No matter how wealthy they were, they couldn't withstand back-to-back devastating losses.
The three free trade city-states would also quarrel over their losses.
As they spoke, Weimond and the other commanders gathered around.
Rhaegar scanned their faces, then drew his dragon-claw sword high and declared, "Lords, did you enjoy this battle!?"
The entire war had been orchestrated by him.
If they had failed, the blame would have been his alone. But now—this victory would make his name.
His words spread through the crowd, and the commanders gazed at him with admiration.
Weimond's dark face remained unreadable, but his eyes held a complex look.
Then, slowly, he knelt, raising his curved blade high above his head. His voice was deep and solemn:
"Prince, you are worthy of your place as heir. House Valeryon salutes you!"
Clatter—
The other commanders fell to their knees, lifting their weapons in unison.
All eyes were fixed on Rhaegar.
Silver-gold hair, violet eyes, striking features, an aura of cold resolve…
And beneath it all, the youthful sharpness of a leader just beginning to take shape.
A single thought surfaced in everyone's mind.
Perhaps—this was a true Dragon King.
Then, suddenly, someone shouted:
"Young Dragon King!"
The words spread like wildfire.
"Young Dragon King!"
"Young Dragon King!"
The cry echoed across the beach, reaching the ears of soldiers clearing the battlefield.
One voice turned to ten, ten to a hundred.
Soon, the name "Young Dragon King" resounded through Bloodstone Island.
It carried for miles.
—
That night.
Atop the mountain peak of Bloodstone Island.
Rhaegar sat at the cliff's edge, watching four dragons circle above the island.
"Prince, the inventory report is complete. The supplies will sustain the army for an entire year."
Robb held a scroll, listing every item stored on the island.
"Understood, Robb."
Rhaegar's response was absentminded.
Robb nodded and remained by his side.
Rhaegar closed his eyes and slowly lay back, letting the salty sea breeze brush against his face.
His brows were slightly furrowed—clearly, something weighed on his mind.
"Young Dragon King…"
Murmuring softly, Rhaegar shook his head and chuckled.
He liked the title—it suited him perfectly.
But he didn't like that it had appeared so soon.
"Young Dragon King" was a royal title, a king's title.
Just like his father Viserys' title, "Young and Vigorous King."
His father was in his prime, with plenty of time left to rule.
For Rhaegar to publicly embrace the title of "Young Dragon King" now would be a sign of great disrespect to his father.
If the wrong people heard about it, they would surely find a way to stir up trouble.
Rhaegar rubbed his temples and muttered, "I just hope Father is broad-minded enough not to listen to slander."
On that point, he felt somewhat reassured.
The love his father had for him was unlike what he gave to any of his other siblings.
A mere title shouldn't be enough to anger him.
*Rustle, rustle…*
A heavy, steady set of footsteps echoed.
"Prince, a letter has arrived from King's Landing, sealed with the Princess of Dragonstone's sigil."
Tormund's soft voice drifted into his ears.
Rhaegar opened his eyes and turned his head.
The young giant, Boro, stood at the edge of the cliff, carrying a pale-faced Tormund on his shoulder.
Rhaegar burst into laughter. "Tormund, you have quite the eye for picking mounts!"
"Boro is not a mount! Boro is Tormund's friend!"
The young giant's deep voice carried a stiff, almost offended tone as he defended his identity.
"My apologies, Boro," Rhaegar said, offering a quick apology to soothe the stubborn giant.
Aemond patted Boro's shoulder, signaling him to put him down.
He liked this big guy.
When he was controlling his hawks, Boro was excellent at keeping him safe.
Tormund handed over an unopened letter.
Rhaegar took it, glanced at the red wax seal, and tore it open.
The seal bore the sigil of Rhaenyra, the Princess of Dragonstone—it couldn't be a forgery.
"Could something have happened in King's Landing again?"
As he flipped through the letter, unease crept into his thoughts.
After the turmoil of the past couple of months, he had developed a habit of expecting the worst whenever he received a letter.
Reading the delicate script, Rhaegar murmured, "A Dornish envoy… marriage alliance…"
His voice grew quieter as his eyes narrowed.
By the end, he had crushed the letter into a ball in his hand.
(End of Chapter)