At the highest point of the blood-soaked castle in Red Flower Vale, a brand-new flag unfurled in the sea breeze tinged with the scent of gunpowder. It was the ancient Sunburst sigil of House Xho, with the Golden Kraken symbolizing House Greyjoy embroidered along the edges.
Six years ago, the prince who had been betrayed by his closest kin, burdened with a blood feud, and driven out of the Summer Isles like a stray dog, now stood atop these bloodstained battlements.
Six years of exile, six years of forbearance, six years of torment in hatred and despair. Now, he had returned. He brought back not only long-suppressed rage but also a resolve to thoroughly wash away the accumulated ills of the Summer Isles and end the status quo of enslavement and humiliation, along with the army of tens of thousands of steel warriors from the Iron Islands behind him, surging like the angry waves of the sea god.
Revenge was only the first step.
Under the gaze of thousands, Jalabhar Xho, who had personally thrust the broken spear into his enemy's throat, had shed his last traces of hesitation and gentleness. He looked down at the crowd gathered below with complex expressions, and further out at the boundless archipelago waiting to be conquered. Through a simple speaking trumpet, his voice clearly spread inside and outside the castle, carrying undeniable power:
"The Red Flower Vale returns to its master today!"
"But this is merely a beginning!"
He raised his arm, pointing to the vast sea and sky. His voice was like a war drum, beating on the hearts of every listener:
"I, Jalabhar Xho, declare here—I shall become the sole King of the Summer Isles! No longer the prince of a valley or an island, but the monarch ruling all fifty islands!"
"What we want to end is not just a traitor! We want to end the cowardice, division, and fate of being slaughtered by others that have persisted for too long in these islands! From now on, no foreign pirate, slaver, or so-called merchant will ever again freely step onto our beaches, abduct our sisters, or trample our dignity!"
His declaration was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.
With the help of Lisa's pervasive intelligence network and through the mouths of those intentionally released prisoners, this earth-shattering news swept through the entire Summer Isles like a tsunami, faster than any sail.
From Walano in the north to Jhala in the south, from the bustling Lotus Port to remote fishing villages, everyone passed on the same message in shock:
The returned prince, Jalabhar Xho, killed Desmond and retook the Red Flower Vale. He stuck Desmond's head on a spear and declared before all the people of the Red Flower Vale: I will become the King of the Summer Isles!
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After Jalabhar Xho issued his declaration of kingship in the Red Flower Vale, the Isle of Women, directly north of Walano, became the first power to openly respond.
An emerald flag, embroidered with the silhouette of the warrior queen Nymeria intertwined with the Sunburst sigil of House Xho, rose at the highest point of the Isle of Women. Its edges were similarly adorned with the Golden Kraken symbolizing House Greyjoy.
Queen Alicia declared in a clear, powerful voice to all islands within hearing range: The Isle of Women and all warriors under her command would unreservedly support Jalabhar Xho in becoming the King of a unified and strong Summer Isles!
The declaration was not empty talk; they immediately proved their resolve with action.
Queen Alicia personally donned her armor. Joining forces with Eldred Orkwood of Orkmont and his Ironborn warriors, they formed a special mission combining local prestige and external military force. Steering fast ships, like diligent messengers and determined lobbyists, they shuttled between the scattered small islands.
They explained the stakes and depicted the future—under the alliance of Jalabhar Xho and the Iron Islands, a unified kingdom no longer plagued by pirates or slighted by foreign enemies. Faced with this team composed of legendary descendants and formidable warriors, the rulers or tribal chiefs of most scattered islands, after weighing their options, clearly expressed their support.
Some cautiously chose neutrality, unwilling to declare their stance immediately, but at least promised not to be hostile.
A very small number of islands, either to protect old interests or out of blind confidence, voiced strong opposition.
For these few stubborn holdouts, Queen Alicia and Eldred Orkwood wasted no words.
Before the fortresses of the dissenters, they soon tasted the sharp edge of Alicia's spear, inherited from ancient bloodlines, and witnessed the undying battle madness of Ironborn warriors, akin to demon gods. After several brief and brutal "persuasion" operations, those scattered but determined voices of opposition vanished completely like sandcastles washed away by the tide.
With flags, words, and even more so with sharp spears and decisive actions, the Isle of Women added the first string of solid and brilliant pearls to Jalabhar Xho's crown.
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Isle of Birds
Lord Dunstan Drumm of Old Wyk stood tall at the prow of his flagship. Two thousand Ironborn warriors under his command, like a school of bloodthirsty sharks lurking in longships, locked their gazes dead onto the crescent-like coast on the east side of the Isle of Birds ahead—Turtle Bay.
The defender of Turtle Bay, Aurelio de los Santos, known as "Salt Tongue," was no mediocrity. Having received early warning, he had carefully arranged two rows of sharp cheval de frise behind the white sandy beach. Three hundred "Salt Guards" in bright silver armor held large shields, forming a strict shield wall reflecting blinding white light under the fierce sun.
Dunstan chose the most unexpected moment for his attack. Fifty new-style longships, carrying two thousand Ironborn warriors, rode the maximum momentum of the early morning high tide. Like lethal arrows released from bowstrings, they pounced silently and swiftly onto the beachhead.
CLANG—! CLANG—!
The warning bells had just been struck by the garrison on the cliff watchtower of the Isle of Birds when iron-gray figures leaped onto the beach like ghosts. Before the echo of the first bell could fade, sharp Ironborn short spears accurately and coldly pierced the sentries' throats, stifling subsequent alarms in choking bloody foam.
"For the Drowned God!"
Earth-shaking war cries tore through the coastal tranquility as Ironborn warriors roared and charged up the beach.
Short spears and heavy throwing spears flew like a deadly rain, crisscrossing in the air with light javelins thrown by the Salt Guards from behind their shields. Men fell constantly, struck by spears, blood instantly staining the white sand red.
Aurelio gripped his sword, shouting commands for the Salt Guards to hold the line.
Just as the shield wall and the charging Ironborn were locked in a deadly struggle, a sudden change occurred!
Terrified screams and the fierce clash of blades erupted from the flank and rear of the Turtle Bay garrison!
Those shipwrights on the island long contacted by Eli Sanders to support Jalabhar Xho, along with hundreds of elite soldiers from noble families cleverly turned by Edwin Ramirez, led by a pirate captain, stabbed viciously into the backs of the garrison like an internal plague!
Attacked from both front and back, the Salt Guard's shield formation wavered instantly.
Seizing the moment, Dunstan Drumm let out a thunderous roar, his massive battle-axe chopping down with force enough to split mountains!
CRACK!
A heavy Salt Guard shield shattered at the sound, wood chips and metal fragments flying. The axe's momentum was unabated, cleaving into the neck of the soldier behind the shield, nearly severing half his shoulder.
Stepping over the enemy's corpse, Dunstan's blood-red eyes locked onto Aurelio, who was shouting desperately trying to reorganize his troops.
"'Salt Tongue'! Your salt is salty enough, but the iron of Old Wyk is harder!" His voice boomed like a bell, his battle-axe sweeping horizontally with a flash of cold light!
SNAP!
Aurelio's sword-wielding wrist was severed at the root. His sword fell to the ground along with the severed hand. He let out a wretched howl, stumbling back, but was immediately swamped by surging Ironborn warriors wielding countless axes, instantly hacked into a bloody pulp.
Losing command and attacked from inside and out, the resistance of the Turtle Bay garrison collapsed rapidly.
When Dunstan Drumm, radiating bloody killing intent, stepped into the renowned Pearl Palace, he found it long empty—Seneca Newman, the Prince of the Isle of Birds, was nowhere to be found, leaving only open palace gates symbolizing a flight without a fight.
Dunstan Drumm successfully occupied this strategic location controlling the shipbuilding lifeline of the Summer Isles.
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