Reincarnated with the Country System

Chapter 120 Battle of the Burning Seas

Admiral Nicholas stood on the deck of his flagship, the HMS Valor, a vessel that was the pride of the Royal Navy of Britannia. The ship was a marvel of Britannia naval engineering, a three-masted galleon with a sleek, black hull adorned with golden trimmings. The ship's figurehead was a majestic lion, its mane intricately carved and painted in gold, symbolizing the courage and strength of the Britannian fleet. The Valor was armed with 80 cannons, arranged on two gun decks. The ship's crew of 300 men were the best of the best, trained in both naval warfare and hand-to-hand combat. The ship's stern was adorned with the royal crest of Britannia, a octopus outstretched waves, and the ship's name was emblazoned in bold, golden letters.

Nicholas adjusted his spyglass and peered at the horizon. The Latvian navy, a black tide of warships, advanced in a terrifying formation.

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The Latvian navy is advancing towards the ports of Java and Maria in the east north of Britannia. With hundreds of warships, they are opposed by the Royal Navy of Britannia, which has only 270 ships. Of which only 40 Galleons, and another 60 warships of various types. The other ships are civilian ships equipped with cannons, arquebuses, ballistas, trebuchets, harpoons, making them suitable for combat. Because they have already lost many ships to Latvia. Also the soldiers are armed with gaffs, lances, arrows, etc.

"Admiral, we have confirmed that the Latvian fleet has about 300 ships," Edward, his first officer, reported grimly. "Of which 50 are large warships equivalent to our flagships. Their flagships themselves are three times larger than ours."

Nicholas's grip tightened around the spyglass as he focused on the largest ship among them—a monstrous vessel that defied reason.@@@@

The Latvian class flagship, LNS Colossal. The ship was a monstrous behemoth, unlike anything he had ever seen. It was a floating fortress, a hybrid of wood and iron, with a hull that seemed to be reinforced with metal plates, making it nearly impervious to cannon fire. The ship was massive, easily three times the size of the HMS Valor, and it loomed over the water like a small island. Unlike the other ships, The Colossal had no sails. Instead, it was being towed by an enormous sea beast—a serpentine leviathan with scales the color of the abyss, eyes burning with unnatural malice, and jagged fins that sliced through the water like blades.

The ship's deck was a hive of activity, with hundreds of sailors scurrying about, preparing for battle. The Colossal was armed with an array of massive cannons, each one capable of firing a shell the size of a small boulder. The ship's sides were lined with gun ports, and Nicholas could see the glint of metal as the cannons were rolled into position. But what truly set the Colossal apart was its ability to launch aerial attacks. The ship was a dragon carrier, atop the ship stood a towering superstructure, with landing platforms and chains leading to iron cages—the roosts of the beasts that would soon darken the skies.

A deafening boom rolled across the ocean as the Latvian cannons unleashed their fury. The sky turned red with streaks of fire as hundreds of cannonballs, some as large as boulders, soared across the sea.

The first wave struck with terrifying precision. Britannian ships were torn apart, their wooden hulls splintering like kindling. HMS Regal exploded into flames as a shot ignited her gunpowder stores. Another ship, The Emerald Dawn, was split in two, sending sailors screaming into the water.

Admiral Nicholas watched in horror as his fleet was decimated by the Latvian cannons. "Retreat! Retreat!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the chaos. "We need to get out of their range! Spread out, make it harder for them to hit us!"

The Britannian ships began to maneuver, trying to put distance between themselves and Latvian ships. But the Latvian fleet was relentless, their cannons firing volley after volley, each one more devastating than the last. The water was filled with the sounds of splintering wood, the cries of the wounded, and the roar of the cannons.

As the Britannian fleet struggled to retreat, the dragons and wyverns of the Colossal took to the skies. The creatures were a terrifying sight, their massive wings casting shadows over the water as they soared towards the Britannian ships. The wyverns, smaller and more agile than the dragons, were the first to attack. They carried riders armed with bombs, fire lances, and crossbows. They swooped down low, dropping their bombs onto the decks of the ships. The explosions were devastating, the bombs tearing through the wooden hulls and setting the ships ablaze.

The dragons, larger and more powerful, followed close behind. They breathed streams of fire, the flames engulfing the ships and turning them into infernos. The Britannian sailors tried to fight back, firing arrows and ballistas at the creatures, but the dragons' scales were thick and tough, and the arrows bounced off harmlessly. The wyverns, more vulnerable to attack, were targeted by the archers, and several were brought down, their bodies crashing into the water.

Admiral Nicholas watched in despair as his fleet was torn apart by the aerial assault. He knew that they could not withstand the combined might of the Latvian cannons and dragons. But he also knew that they could not retreat, not with the Latvian fleet so close to the ports of Java and Maria.

"Order our ships to pass them by. Let them come in further."

He then fired a flare gun into the sky. Purple smoke billowed into the sky.