When Laszlo's touring party entered Zagreb, Vitez and Dujam both brought him good news.
Autonomous commercial cities like Split, Poicika, and Ragusa agreed to provide Laszlo with a large number of warships during the war in exchange for trade privileges and protection.
Since the chain of islands along the Dalmatia coast was still occupied by Venice, and with the Dalmatia pirates now eradicated, Venice became the new Dalmatia pirate. Any vessel belonging to the Emperor's forces was susceptible to attack.
Once war broke out again, these cities along the Adriatic Sea would inevitably face a naval blockade from Venice. Even for their own commercial interests, they had to side with the Emperor.
Laszlo had long wanted to take control of the island chain off the coast of Dalmatia, plus Corfu, which blocked the exit of the Adriatic Sea. However, the Austrian navy still needed some time to develop.
The news brought by Admiral Dujam further shortened the development time Laszlo had anticipated.
The Frankopan family was willing to provide three main galleys to strengthen the Austrian fleet, which meant a further increase in the navy's combat power.
The number of large galleys serving as main warships reached eight. Other light auxiliary ships were cheap and easy to replenish. Although transport ships were not numerous, it would not be difficult to requisition armed merchant ships to serve as transport ships in wartime.
Such strength was already enough to suppress Venice in the Adriatic Sea, especially with the assistance of Genoa.
However, considering that Venice's escort fleet in the Aegean Sea maintained a scale of twenty main warships year-round, Laszlo immediately suppressed the restlessness in his heart.
The heavy losses suffered during the Italian Wars led to Venice's continuous economic decline, so much so that in recent years, the size of Venice's escort fleets in various sea areas had been repeatedly reduced.
Now, under Laszlo's trade barrier policy, Venice's trade costs continued to rise, earning less and less money. Even Venice itself was continuously losing population due to food shortages.
Previously, the late Despot of Morea, Thomas, had also secretly funded and incited Greeks in Crete and Athens to launch revolts against Venice. Although both rebellions were quickly suppressed, they further accelerated Venice's decline.
As for the Ottoman navy, after losing large tracts of European territory, the Ottomans fleet's development quickly stagnated and even declined.
They were now doing their best just to hold the straits with the help of Venice.
Most of the time, under the guidance of Mehmed II's war economics, the Ottoman fleet would break into smaller units and plunder merchant ships from the West in the Aegean Sea.
They engaged in countless small-scale naval battles with escort fleets from Austria, Genoa, Portugal, and even the Teutonic Order, suffering significant losses in the process.
Especially when encountering Portuguese fleets, isolated Ottoman ships almost invariably met the fate of being sunk.
Although Laszlo also chose to have the navy undertake escort duties and raid Venice merchant ships during peacetime to earn military funds, in order to alleviate the financial pressure of maintaining a large number of warships, he generally did not send the fleet beyond the Adriatic Sea.
In this small basin, during peacetime, apart from Venice ships, most of the ships sailing were friendly vessels with a positive attitude towards Austria, so they would not encounter too much danger.
The Ottomans, however, were different. Their fleet deployed in the Aegean Sea could almost be said to be an enemy to all. Even the Papal States' fleet would occasionally come to kick them around, considering it a way to accumulate good deeds.
Under this trend of waxing and waning, Austria's disadvantage at sea would gradually be reversed.
Recently, Laszlo began to consider establishing another "holy alliance" at sea.
He had previously signed an agreement with several important Imperial princes at the Regensburg Imperial Conference to jointly resist the Ottomans.
Laszlo's scribes called the common defense zone established by this agreement the "holy Alliance."
Recently, Laszlo had become increasingly focused on naval development. Inspired by this holy Alliance within the Empire, Laszlo hoped to establish a holy Alliance at sea targeting the Ottomans and Venice.
Although without the official endorsement of the Pope, this alliance was not as holy as imagined, Laszlo was absolutely sincere in resisting infidels.
He quickly began to search the Mediterranean for allies who could help Austria counter Venice and Ottoman naval power. In reality, no matter how he chose, it always came down to a few.
Genoa, Naples, and even Portugal were all countries with very close ties to him, and fortunately, their naval strength was quite good.
The rest were the many vassal states under Laszlo's rule. The Black Sea fleets of Bulgaria and Moldavia were extremely weak, but they could at least cause some trouble for the Ottomans.
Moreover, Bulgaria had several Portuguese and Genoa ports along the Black Sea coast, linking their interests, which was very crucial. As for other vassal states, Serbia had not developed much naval power, and the fleets of Croatia and Austria had already merged. Afterward, Dujam would lead the navy to Morea to merge the navies of the three countries to form the Habsburg Joint Fleet.
Although the name sounded a bit strange, this was Habsburg.
In addition to these naval forces, Laszlo also planned to try to win over powers such as the Papal States and the Teutonic Order.
Although Paul II favored his homeland Venice, the great cause of resisting infidels was something he could not resist.
As for the Teutonic Order, they had been plundering the Ottomans as pirates for over a hundred years, so they would likely not refuse Laszlo's invitation.
If this alliance could truly be established, then Laszlo's comprehensive advantage over the Ottomans on land and sea could very likely become a reality. The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was feasible. After a hasty inspection of the growing Austrian naval fleet, Laszlo quickly set off back to Vienna.
After discussing with Eyczing and finalizing a feasible plan, Laszlo would begin to build a new naval encirclement targeting the Ottomans.
If the timing was right, Laszlo would even consider organizing a naval Crusade. Even if Constantinople could not be recaptured, he would at least annoy Mehmed II and not let him continue to develop peacefully and annex Karaman to strengthen his power.
Here, Laszlo's grand blueprint was still being conceived, while on the other side, his first plan to create trouble for the Ottomans was also steadily progressing.
Inside the Genoa Governor's Palace, Governor Guido Adorno and Laszlo's representative in Northern Italy, Marquis William of Montferrat, were holding a meeting.
"Marquis, you are a busy man; it's not easy to see you normally.
May I ask what brings you to Genoa so suddenly today?"
Guido greeted his neighbor William with a smiling face.
Montferrat and Genoa had both previously suffered oppression from Milan, then together drove out the French and even gained Savoyan land. Their relationship had always been relatively harmonious.
Guido himself represented Genoa's pro-Imperial forces, and William was the Emperor's representative in Northern Italy, so the atmosphere was naturally quite amicable.
"I come on behalf of the Emperor to discuss a cooperation with the Republic of Genoa."
Although Genoa's ducal system suffered from low administrative efficiency due to internal power struggles, the Imperial faction united around the Adorno family held considerable influence, and they were Laszlo's partners.
"Oh? In recent years, the Emperor has provided us with considerable assistance in Mediterranean trade, and we will try our best to meet His Majesty's demands."
Guido smelled florin and immediately became more enthusiastic.
"How much do you know about the situation in Karaman?"
"Karaman? With all due respect, that's a terrible place.
Prince Ishaq, supported by the White Sheep Dynasty, Prince Suleiman, supported by the Mamluks, and Prince Pir Ahmed, supported by the Ottomans, have been fighting fiercely for the past two years.
Originally, Prince Ishaq and the White Sheep Dynasty behind him had reached some friendly trade agreements with us, but unfortunately, he was killed.
Prince Suleiman was also subsequently defeated by the Ottomans, and the original Pir Ahmed — that is, the current Bey of Karaman —
He promised to lend two ports to Venice and cede five cities to the Ottomans in return for their help in seizing power.
As a result, Mehmed II immediately showed his ambition after gaining the upper hand, attempting to annex the entire Karaman.
This new Bey of Karaman subsequently received support from both the White Sheep Dynasty and the Mamluks, but it was only verbal.
In the past few months, the army he led suffered continuous defeats, losing the key city of Konya, but he still has some power to resist.
His brother, Prince Qasim, was ordered to wage guerrilla warfare behind Ottomans lines, harassing the Ottomans.
These two brothers seem prepared to fight the Ottomans to the death."
William looked at Guido, who was intimately familiar with the situation in Karaman, without concealing his surprise.
"It seems you are also quite concerned about the situation in Karaman."
"Of course, we will not miss any opportunity to strike at Venice's influence, but this time it seems Venice has won." Although Guido said this, he showed no sign of sorrow at being defeated by a rival.
The Black Sea was their home turf, and with the Emperor's support, they had regained the upper hand.
As for the Eastern Mediterranean where Karaman was located, that was Venice's traditional territory, so it was normal not to compete well, especially since Venice was cooperating with the Ottomans.
"It's too early to talk about victory or defeat, Governor."
"What, does the Emperor still intend to interfere in the distant affairs of Anatolia?"
"Like you, His Majesty will not miss any opportunity to strike at the Ottomans's power."
Although Karaman suffered continuous defeats and lost a lot of territory, the Ottomans were also now at the end of their tether. The mountains of Karaman had almost exhausted their last strength.
If Mehmed II truly maintained enough rationality, he should perhaps stop now.
But if he chose to gamble, enduring the risk of domestic explosion to destroy Karaman in one battle, Laszlo would stab him in the back.
"What does the Emperor plan to do?"
Guido was somewhat curious. Did the Emperor plan to cross half the Mediterranean to send troops to aid Karaman against the Ottomans?
"Military aid. The Emperor is willing to provide weapons, even some firearms, to the Bey of Karaman to arm his army. I hear Karaman does not lack soldiers."
"That's right, everyone in Anatolia who doesn't want to accept Ottoman rule has fled to Karaman.
Even with a conservative estimate, Pir Ahmed can probably still mobilize twenty thousand troops. What they lack most are weapons and armor.
The decisive battle that broke out in Konya almost destroyed half of the Janissaries, and the Anatolia Corps probably suffered considerable losses in the subsequent siege of Konya.
The Ottomans probably don't have much strength left. If Karaman can continue to resist, they will only be able to negotiate peace.
However, as a defender of the faith, does the Emperor really intend to cooperate with infidels?"
"To quote His Majesty, this is called 'saving the nation through indirect means.'
Moreover, Governor, as the leader of Genoa merchants, you should be very familiar with how to do business with infidels, shouldn't you?"
Hearing this, Guido put down his wine glass, his expression becoming serious.
"Is His Majesty planning for us to act as an intermediary to do business with the Bey of Karaman?"
"Of course, you will also receive benefits from this, it just depends on whether the Genoa navigators, renowned for their bravery and adventurous spirit, dare to make a bold attempt."
William's words did not make Guido make a decision easily. He calmly analyzed the situation.
"The Eastern Mediterranean is still Venice's territory. Their fleet is not to be underestimated, and they are currently blockading Karaman by sea.
With our strength alone, I'm afraid it won't be enough to complete such a difficult task."
"Don't worry, the Emperor will not let Genoa fight alone. His Majesty is currently integrating his fleet, preparing to build a powerful joint fleet.
If you are willing to join the plan to aid Karaman, the Emperor's fleet will operate alongside the Genoa fleet."
Guido stared at the nautical chart on the table, lost in thought.
The Emperor controlled Morea, and Genoa controlled many islands in the Aegean Sea near Anatolia. These places could all serve as staging points.
As long as they could eventually break Venice's naval blockade in the Eastern Mediterranean, then let alone transporting weapons, it would be no problem for the Emperor to transport his army there.
"Since it's business, there should be a return for the risk. What can we get?"
"The current Bey of Karaman should be in great need of outside assistance. We can take this opportunity to demand some returns.
The Emperor is not interested in trade in the Eastern Mediterranean or anything like that. If possible, he hopes to receive monetary compensation.
As for the right to use Karaman ports and additional trade privileges, you can get as much as you can negotiate."
William felt a clear sense of helplessness just by relaying the Emperor's words.
Austria currently did not have very strong maritime trade capabilities, so commercial privileges and the like would not bring much profit at all.
The weapons and equipment promised for aid to Karaman were basically second-hand, but these things were not worthless.
Finally, Laszlo decided to collect some money from the Bey of Karaman. It would be best if he could recoup the costs. If the Bey of Karaman could not pay immediately, then these weapons could only be provided as a loan to the Karaman.
Anyway, his ultimate goal was not to make money, but to annoy the Ottomans.
"The Genoa fleet is willing to serve the Emperor."
After a moment of thought, Guido gave an affirmative answer.
Soon after, a ship carrying Austrian and Genoa envoys set sail from Trieste, preparing to cross half the Mediterranean to negotiate a deal with the disadvantaged Bey of Karaman.