On the high waters, several sh.i.p.s in a triangular formation were quickly storming ahead without a care in the world.

And the other sh.i.p.s that noticed the mighty fleet immediately knew what was going on.

"Goodness!

They all have the same flag and were all swimming as one!

There's no doubt about it, they're definitely marching out to war!"

"Father, I think you're right!

But who could they have beef with?"

"Wait!

From the direction they are sailing towards, either they branch to some parts of Arcadina, or they go straight towards Baymard.

But the chances of them attacking Alec Barn's territory is almost impossible.

After all, while their fleet looks terrifying... a figure like Alec Barn could take down that fleet in no time."

"So there going towards Baymard?

But that's where we are going!"

"Hmm.... let's turn around and head towards Carona."

"But father, we are just a few hours away from Baymard while Carona is a month away."

"True... then let's branch towards one of the neighbouring coastal towns or cities in Arcadina.

From there, we can send some people on horseback to head towards Baymard after a few days... so as to get news regarding the matter fast."

"Yes, father!

All right men.... head towards the closest Arcadinian land around."

"Yes sir!"

Several sh.i.p.s that were sailing behind or alongside the fleet guessed their thoughts and quickly pulled away.

After all, no one would want to be caught between what looked like a fierce battle.

And even though the size of the fleet couldn't do much to larger empires, Baymard was relatively small.

So they couldn't help but wonder if it would be possible for Baymard to attain victory.

Plus, it looked like the enemy might be attacking them in surprise... at least that hadn't heard any news about this.

So the chances of them winning didn't look too good now.

Anyway, almost everyone decided to head on over to Arcadina and wait for news.

It was better to be safe than sorry.

Additionally, they felt that this was the right time to test just how powerful this newly established empire was when it didn't have Carona aiding it.

One should know that some of them were nobles of other empires, who had once thought that their empire should annex Baymard.

But with Carona's protection, things might be a little too hard.

They didn't know which empire or group had decided to attack Baymard... but this would give them a clear picture of just how powerful Baymard really was.

No one had ever seen or heard of Baymard's strength, except the landport taser incidences.

So nobody knew just what these Baymardians had up their sleeves.

But now, they would see how they fared in this upcoming battle.

Sure, they might not be able to witness what went down.

But if the Baymardians win, then that would mean that they did have some hidden skills.

Nonetheless, the place had no sword academy or anything.

So how were they going to win?

This was indeed a mystery that unfortunately wouldn't be solved since they couldn't personally witness the battle.

Sigh...

.

"Captain... in 3 hours, we should be reaching Baymard's shores."

"Good!" Captain Nicodemus said, before climbing up the stairs and walking towards the biggest room in the ship.

All this time, he had been running things.

But he wasn't the one who issued out the commands.

That's right, the person he was going to see was their Fleet Commander... Commander Pirus.

Ever since they left that pirate island, the commander had kept himself locked up within his room.

Of course, the crew only saw a glimpse of the Commander when he typically stood on his private balcony for fresh air or when he practiced his sword marksmanship every morning.

Their Commander was a very proud, arrogant and strong man... who liked proving his point with his sword.

He was someone who had never lost a single battle since he joined Nopline's forces.

That was one of the reasons why he was sent to lead all 68 sh.i.p.s to storm Baymard.

They were so confident in his abilities, that they were positive of nothing else but victory in this upcoming battle.

And because of Pirus' accomplishments and strength, he was even more respected by the men on board.

They looked at him in awe and reverence whenever they were fortunate to get even a glimpse of his hair.

In their eyes, just seeing him alone was akin to gaining some good fortune.

No wonder the man had 7 wives and 11 concubines.

With his credentials, which woman wouldn't fall for him?

Of course, that was their own way of thinking.

Anyway, he had been cooped up within his personal chamber, training and preparing for battle.

He got up as early as 5 A.M and spent 3 hours perfecting his moves on his private balcony.

For sure, while he was focused on readying himself, he allowed his Captains to handle all minor crew related matters.

.

'Knock! Knock! Knock!'

"Commander... it's Captain Nicodemus here."

Nicodemus waited outside for a bit before he heard the wooden bolts on the other side open up.

"Come in!"

"Yes sir!"

Nicodemus quickly followed the shirtless Pirus in and waited for the commander to take his seat.

"Report!"

"Yes, Commander.

3 hours from now, we should be arriving on the shores."

"Wonderful!

Inform the Captains on the other sh.i.p.s to ready the men and station the sh.i.p.s as planned.

I want the formation to be perfect!

Also, make sure that the men have their weapons and anchor ropes.

And don't forget the black powder.

Alright, we're done here.

So go!"

"Yes, commander!" Nicodemus said before exiting the room.

Of course all sailors needed ropes that had head-sized anchors on them.

That way, they could hook on the side of the enemy sh.i.p.s and pull their way up to the enemy's ship deck as fast as they could.

For sure, the archers would also have to be ready... so as to shoot all those who want to take down the anchors.

Right now, all sh.i.p.s needed to be in formation and in sync for their plan to work.

Nicodemus smiled and hastily did as he was told.

Hehehe!

Soon, their Commander would have yet another victory under his belt.

And no doubt about it, with the way Lord Nopline valued this mission.... their Commander would definitely be rewarded handsomely when they emerged victorious.

So how could he not be glad?

The richer their Commander, the double their rewards and salaries.

'Ah, Baymard...

Sorry, but you will just have to be our ticket for the good life.'

And so the incoming intruders all had their own thoughts and ideas on how this battle would actually be.

But while they were thinking about the rewards, Baymard's Coastal guard had already spotted their fleet!