The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 371: Water Gate Pass Lightning Naval Battle (Subscription Requested)

(Large 5000-word chapter, with another chapter tonight)

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Twenty-three Royal Navy warships sailed out of the harbor, heading towards the Blackwater River estuary.

They were going to intercept the enemy ships in the distant sea.

Stannis's warships were sailing against the current, making them very slow.

The estuary's current was turbulent, with hundreds of oars plunged into the water, working together in the rhythm of the drums, yet the warships advanced slowly.

The twenty-three Royal Navy warships sailed downstream, without needing to row; the warships flew. The oarsmen conserved their energy, accumulating their strength.

In the sunlight, the distance between the two sides was still very far.

The upstream of the estuary was very wide, like a sea, but the middle part was full of reefs. When the water level was low, the reefs in the middle would be exposed, forming a very dangerous jagged island. Because of the dense reefs and dangerous currents, even the most experienced captains and sailors could not approach this island.

The reefs, under years of impact, had formed sharp, knife-like spikes. The entire water area only had navigable channels on the left and right sides near the riverbank, and even then, a slight carelessness could cause a ship to be swept out of the channel by the rapids, run aground on the reefs, and be destroyed with all hands lost.

Because there were underwater islands like a gateway across the upstream of the estuary, it was named 'Water Gate Pass'. The water flow at Water Gate Pass was turbulent and powerful, with dense, sharp underwater reefs, as hard as steel, and was called 'Gates of Hell' by the common people.

Stannis's naval commander, Ser Imry Florent, commanded from his flagship, Fury. He ordered the left wing, center, right wing, and rearguard warships to form two columns, passing through 'Water Gate Pass' in single file.

Since setting sail from Storm's End, passing through many straits, all the way to the estuary of King's Landing, and then to the most famous 'Water Gate Pass' of the Blackwater River, Ser Imry Florent had already lost 12 warships, and his mood had become very anxious. Five warships were lost in storms and wrecked on the shore, three warships had their bottoms pierced and destroyed by reefs, and four warships were lost in storms and whirlpools when passing through the Straits of Tarth.

Out of a total of two hundred and twenty-seven warships, two hundred and fifteen warships remained, of which forty warships came from the Lysene pirates, all flat-bottomed boats that could easily pass over reefs, but the Lysene pirates only agreed to provide support at the rear, and were unwilling to fight at the front.

The main warships that truly belonged to Stannis numbered one hundred and seventy-five.

Even so, that was nearly eight times the number of Royal Navy warships.

The Blackwater River estuary reef area, because of the jagged islands that were faintly visible in the water, blocked the smooth flow of water, which doubled the turbulence of the water flow in the channels on both sides. Ships without experienced captains, or those that did not understand the water conditions of 'Water Gate Pass' for the first time, would basically be destroyed with all hands lost.

The first batch of warships carefully passed through the channels of Water Gate Pass. Sailing against the current, the sailors desperately rowed under the encouragement of the drums, and for every three feet they advanced, they would be pushed back two feet by the rapids.

Behind the large number of warships, forty pirate ships from Lys had already anchored in the calm waters of the sea, deciding not to enter this dangerous water area. They were responsible for the rearguard and support, that is, rushing up to pick up cheap advantages when the war was won, and saving some people if the war was lost, and escaping first if they couldn't save them.

Bang!

With a loud noise, a warship deviated a little from its course while passing through the channel, which would not have been a big deal in normal times, and the helmsman would have adjusted it slightly. But in this water area, it was an irreparable disaster.

The warship was suddenly swept out of the channel by the force of the water. All the sailors on board did their best, and the helmsman desperately turned the rudder, but in the rapids, an invisible giant hand wantonly ravaged the warship. The warship was like a child without resistance, and was suddenly rushed into the reef area by a huge wave, with a loud bang, as if a prehistoric beast was lurking at the bottom of the water, and instantly tore the warship into pieces.

Amidst the flying wood chips, all the soldiers fell into the water, shouting for help. However, none of the warships behind dared to rescue them.

The waves were turbulent, and the wood chips and soldiers swirled and sank into the water, and then emerged from a very far place. The planks had become fragments, and the people who reappeared were disfigured and horrible.

Here, as long as you fell into the water, no one dared to save you, and almost no one could survive, unless they were blessed by the Seven Gods.

On the flagship of the center army, orders were issued that all sailors, helmsmen, captains, and soldiers passing through the Water Gate Pass channel must be fully alert.

Many warships were passing through Water Gate Pass for the first time, and had not yet personally experienced its danger.

Learning from the past, the danger of Water Gate Pass made all the captains turn pale, and the soldiers were dumbfounded. Here, there was no way to correct mistakes. The drums, sailors, helmsmen, captain, and first mate cooperated fully, and there could be no mistakes.

As a result, the speed of the warships passing through Water Gate Pass became even slower.

When all the warships of the left wing passed through the water area, the sun had already begun to set in the west, and on the opposite side, the enemy's Royal Navy warships were lined up on the water, becoming larger and larger in sight.

"The left wing will contain the enemy ships, and the center fleet will pass through Water Gate Pass," Naval Commander-in-Chief Ser Imry Florent ordered.

The left wing warships numbered fifty, twice the number of the enemy ships. The left wing warships received the order and immediately divided into left and right wings, slowly approaching the Royal Navy warships.

The left wing warships hoped to buy time for the center fleet to pass through Water Gate Pass.

Although the Royal Navy warships occupied the advantage of terrain: favorable wind and water, the left wing warships had twice the combat power, and a pincer attack from the left and right could achieve a great victory.

The enemy warships also began to slow down, perhaps they were frightened.

Stannis's center warships numbered sixty-two, including the flagship Fury. The soldiers, amidst the roar of the commander-in-chief, accelerated through Water Gate Pass from the left and right channels.

With two loud bangs, two warships made a slight mistake due to rushing for speed. The helmsman turned a little bit in the wrong direction, and the warships were rushed into the reef area, making a loud noise.

As if in the blink of an eye, the two warships were smashed and torn apart by two invisible giant hands. Wood chips and soldiers were swept into the water, and emerged from the water in a very distant place. Whether it was wood or people, all were disfigured and shattered into渣.

After losing two warships, all sixty-two warships of the center army quickly passed through Water Gate Pass. At this time, the sun was setting. The naval fleet still had the right wing of sixty warships that had not passed through Water Gate Pass.

The commander-in-chief of the right wing warships was the famous Onion Knight, Davos Seaworth.

Davos Seaworth was a legendary figure. During the Usurper's War seventeen years ago, he was the one who sailed a small boat in the dark night, fully loaded with onions and other food, and passed through the layers of blockade of the Redwyne family's warships, delivering the onions and food to the water gate of Storm's End, saving Stannis and his last batch of starving soldiers. From then on, he gained Stannis's trust and became Stannis's vassal.

Davos Seaworth was a pirate, and also a smuggler on the sea for decades. He could tell the speed of the other ship, the configuration of the sailors, whether it was a warship or a cargo ship, just by looking at the other ship from a distance on the water. If it was a warship, how many soldiers there were; if it was a cargo ship, how much cargo it could carry, what the full speed could reach, and how fast the sails could be, he knew all of it.

In the Narrow Sea, anywhere, from the Bay of Seals at the top of the Wall to the great ocean surface of the Summer Islands, he was proficient in the water conditions of every place. After taking over the right wing of Stannis's navy with sixty warships, Davos carefully explained the water flow of the Blackwater River's Water Gate Pass to the sixty captains, and taught them all his experience of safely passing through Water Gate Pass in the dark night.

The rearguard of the naval fleet - forty Lysene pirate ships, were also hired through his friendship!

He originally wanted to become Stannis's naval commander-in-chief, commanding more than two hundred warships to attack King's Landing, but his identity as a pirate smuggler was not valued by the nobles around him. In order to achieve balance among the nobles, although Stannis trusted Davos, he still compromised this time and appointed his wife's brother, Ser Imry Florent, as naval commander-in-chief.

Ser Imry Florent was very brave in battle, but he knew nothing about naval warfare. He had three advantages: one was that he was a prominent nobleman, which could make him respected; one was that he was the queen's younger brother, the uncle of King Stannis I; and the other was that he was very fierce in battle.

If a commander-in-chief is only fierce in battle, it is actually not enough; a general can be very fierce, but a commander-in-chief must have a brain. It just so happened that Ser Imry Florent's wisdom had all turned into muscles.

Stannis would learn a very valuable lesson from this lesson of blood and fire: exclude public opinion and insist on using the most suitable person!

As soon as Ser Imry Florent passed through Water Gate Pass, without waiting for the Onion Knight Davos Seaworth of the right wing to pass through, he issued an attack order.

In the sunset, the left wing warships contracted to the left wing, and the center warships spread out on the water, rushing towards the mere twenty or so Royal Navy warships on the opposite side.

The war drums sounded deafeningly on the water. Suddenly, the twenty or so Royal Navy warships that had been slowly approaching also sounded the war drums. The drums were dense, and it was a charge drumbeat.

Standing on the high bridge of the flagship, the opposing twenty-three Royal Navy warships suddenly contracted, clinging tightly together, and crashed into the center army together, as fast as flying arrows.

The Royal Navy warships had two advantages: one was the favorable wind, and the other was the favorable water.

"Encircle!" Ser Imry Florent issued an order, and the drumbeat on the flagship turned into a hunting signal.

The warships against the current were too far apart on the water. By the time they began to encircle, the twenty-three Royal Navy warships had already charged straight in.

Ser Imry Florent was shocked. The other side was adopting a tactic of mutual destruction, and the target was obviously himself.

The captains all saw the enemy's intention. They stuck together, forming a behemoth warship, with favorable wind and water, without the need to row. The Blackwater River became an invisible giant hand, pushing this giant mountain to crash over, directly taking Ser Imry Florent's center flagship.

Boom!

With a loud noise.

The left escort warship that came to protect the flagship was hit. The captain standing on the bridge giving orders was thrown into the air and bit off his tongue.

In the collision of warships, the first rule is to clench your teeth. Any shouting is a fatal mistake. The captain shouted to turn the rudder at the moment of the impact, which caused him to lose his tongue.

Crack!

The left escort warship was broken in the middle, and the soldiers were thrown like ants. Any soldier wearing armor would sink straight to the bottom of the water upon falling into the water, without any chance to struggle.

"Protect the commander-in-chief!" Hundreds of captains were in a flurry, and ordered the helmsmen one after another. The helmsmen desperately turned the rudder, but compared with the behemoth that was charging straight down with the current, it was like a lamb comparing speed and strength with a lion.

Bang!

The right escort warship desperately came to protect its master, but it only grazed the behemoth, and the hull shattered like cheese. Wood chips instantly sprayed into powder, as if a cloud of water mist was floating on the water.

The right escort warship lost control and drifted to one side. With a loud bang, it crashed into the warships behind it that came to protect its master. The two warships veered off course together, unable to control themselves, and went downstream, banging, and continuously crashed into the warships of their comrades.

The soldiers fell into the water one after another, and the scene was chaotic.

After crashing through several warships that came to intercept it, the behemoth, like an unbridled demon, crashed into Ser Imry Florent's flagship Fury.

Amidst the earth-shattering noise, the naval commander-in-chief's flagship suddenly lifted off the water, flew, and then disintegrated in the eyes of thousands of horrified people.

Ser Imry Florent was thrown out, like a stone ball thrown by a child, plop, falling into the rolling water.

Compared with the Water Gate Pass behind him, the water here was wide and the water flow was slightly slower.

Dozens of sailors on the warships jumped into the river one after another, shouting and searching for Commander-in-Chief Imry Florent.

On the Royal Navy flagship, Captain Archibald Warner ordered, disperse and shoot nearby!

Instantly, the twenty-three warships dispersed, forming a huge fan shape. Suddenly, the sound of piercing through the air came whistling. Four thousand six hundred bows, four thousand six hundred arrows, radiated out in a fan shape. The enemy ships that had lost their formation and commander-in-chief had not yet organized a counterattack. The arrows whizzed over, and the soldiers fell one after another.

"Defense!" a general shouted. They were all carrying swords and shields, ready to easily crush the enemy ships and then attack the city. There were no organized archers on the warships.

"Encircle!" a general ordered. The drums beat fiercely. As soon as a single ship rushed up, it immediately encountered fierce arrow fire. Rain-like arrows fell from the sky, instantly turning this warship into a staggering cripple, crashing uncontrollably to the other side.

His comrade warships dodged one after another!

Suddenly, the large number of warships became a disadvantage, not an advantage. They retreated and detoured. There were their own ships in front, behind, left, and right. As long as they accelerated, they would crash into the warships of their comrades.

"Save Ser Imry Florent," a commander shouted.

"Save people, save people! Save the commander-in-chief!" Most of the nobles were eager to protect their master, and directed their warships to shuttle on the river to save people, putting the battle against the enemy ships in a secondary position.

A mere twenty-three warships,渣渣, Commander-in-Chief Imry Florent was the king's brother-in-law. Rescuing the commander-in-chief was the most important thing.

"Retreat!" Royal Navy Fleet Commander Archibald Warner ordered.

So, the sailors who had been conserving their energy exerted their full strength. The warships did not need to turn around, but faced the enemy and rowed backwards. The twenty-three warships retreated against the current in full view of the enemy ships, moving at a rapid speed. Those oarsmen seemed to be incredibly powerful, rowing like flying in the rapid drumbeat, which was unbelievable.

As if under the water, some kind of behemoth was holding these ships and flying backwards.

Desperate soldiers are bound to win!

All the soldiers, including the sailors, came with the determination to die!

Fight to the death! Until we fall!

Several warships charged out from the side to intercept, immediately encountering a barrage of arrows in retaliation. Under the rain of arrows from the rapidly retreating Royal Fleet, several enemy ships halted, the soldiers on their decks falling one after another, struck by arrows. A single volley of arrows caused heavy casualties.

The armor-piercing arrows were specially made, capable of not only piercing armor with a high trajectory shot but also penetrating shields, pinning arms and shields together.

The first round of naval warfare ended when Davos Seaworth's sixty warships had all passed through the Water Gate. The battle started quickly and ended even faster.

As if in the blink of an eye, the Royal Fleet retreated swiftly, and the surface of the water returned to calm.

Commander-in-Chief Imry Florent was rescued aboard a ship, having worn only light leather, he had escaped with his life.

In this lightning strike alone, the Royal Fleet eliminated seven enemy warship commanders, rammed and destroyed seven enemy ships, and damaged eleven enemy ships.

The names of the seven destroyed enemy ships were: Fury, Sea Stag, Old Woman, Seahorse, Brave, Dragon's Bane, and Black Bess.

The Royal Fleet lost none, with only four lightly damaged, and all retreated to the upper reaches of the Blackwater Rush, past the location of the chain, awaiting the enemy to fully enter the chain's waters. This was Lord Mountain's second plan: to lure all enemy ships into the chain's waters, where the shipwrights in the stone towers on both sides would crank the windlasses, raising the heavy chains from the bottom of the water, blocking the surface, and trapping them like rats!

The Mountain's ambition was great; he hoped to annihilate the enemy's naval fleet entirely.

Total annihilation!

However, forty cunning pirate ships refused to enter the Blackwater Rush, anchoring at the mouth of the sea as the army's rearguard.

The Mountain was certain of one thing: Stannis must not sit on the Iron Throne. He was iron-willed, hated evil, and never listened to advice, nor would he pardon his enemies like Robert. Once he sat on the Iron Throne, with power in his hands, the consequences of the Mountain's past stained deeds would be a disaster that had to be endured.

Commander-in-Chief Imry Florent boarded the Duke Steffon, named after Stannis's father.

The Duke Steffon became the new flagship of the navy.

Imry Florent ordered the left, center, and right wings of the navy to advance together, destroy the opposing Royal Fleet, and then transport Stannis's army from the south bank of the Blackwater Rush across the river to capture King's Landing.

Davos Seaworth, on the right wing, stood at the bow of his ship, gazing at King's Landing. The city was ablaze with lights, and the walls were lined with torches, rows of soldiers standing ready like ants.

"What is that?" Davos saw the stone towers on the shore.

The warship continued to advance, and then he saw a hole larger than a man's head beneath the stone tower, through which a huge iron ring passed. Three sections of the iron ring were above the water. Davos threw a torch at it and discovered that the three iron rings were connected to more rings hidden beneath the water.

"What is this?" Davos asked his son, Dale Seaworth, beside him.

"Never mind that, we'll be in King's Landing soon," Dale said excitedly. "Father, put on your armor, we'll be landing to attack the city."

"No, the iron rings and the stone towers must be part of some plot. Littlefinger is in King's Landing, his cunning is known throughout the Seven Kingdoms, we must be careful in everything we do." Davos climbed to a higher point on the warship, but the densely packed warships on the left blocked his view, and he couldn't see if there were any stone towers on the left bank.

If there were stone towers on the left bank, and the iron rings cut across the river, why?

To block the entire river? What if the enemy was waiting for their fleet to fully enter the Blackwater Rush, into the chain's upstream waters, and then raise the chains?

A chill ran through Davos's heart, and cold sweat broke out on his back!

"Notify the fleet commander, the enemy is lying in ambush, send scout ships into the Blackwater Rush first, do not attack rashly!"

And so, his messenger quickly relayed Davos's military report!

"Right wing fleet, halt all advance!" Davos resolutely ordered.