gnovel Chapter 1924 1395:
Chapter 1924 1395:
"Lord Shu Cat Owl Priest, you asked us to consider the strengths of the Kingdom Fleet... In my view, the Kingdom Fleet has three advantages! First, they're good at close combat, with many warriors; second, they're skilled at setting fires, with numerous small boats... As for the third point, it's our oar-sailed longship, which in short-distance coastal raids, can outpace the Evil Demon's large sailboats before the sailors run out of stamina! Especially along winding, rocky shorelines, the agility and speed of the shallow-bottomed oar-sailed ships become more apparent!""Indeed! Owl Shaman! This time, it's mainly a long-range raid, from Cuba's eastern Iron Bay Town, to the western Marine Department in Haiti, where the oar-sailed longships can't keep up with the sailboats... But if the battle takes place in Cuba's Main Island, we could gather ten oar-sailed longships together, and whether it's a sneak attack or an ambush, the Evil Demon's fleet wouldn't escape!..."
"Yes, boarding for close combat, setting fire to the ships, and the burst speed of the oar-sailed ships... these are indeed the three advantages of the Kingdom Fleet!"
Hearing the two leaders summarize, Shu Cat Owl nodded slowly, making clear the strengths and weaknesses between the enemy and themselves.
Overall, the strategic advantage of the Evil Demon's sailboat fleet is its long-distance mobility. When their fleet suddenly appears at an island, the Kingdom Fleet finds it hard to arrive timely, and even if they do, it's difficult to catch them head-on. The opponent's advantage in battle involves fast sailboats and cannon fire, very proficient in direct combat on open seas, especially in deep waters far from land!
As for the shortcomings of the Evil Demons, naturally, it's the long journey, lack of supply, and limited warriors loaded on their ships. Moreover, they're enticed by gold, like American Vultures attracted by the scent of blood, can be drawn to specific battlefields.
The Kingdom Fleet's strategic advantage lies in fighting on their turf, with support from local Taino tribes, more abundant manpower and resources. In a specific battlefield, gathering large ships and small boats to strike patiently can maximize combat strength! Specifically, the Kingdom Fleet excels in coastal skirmishes, particularly in close-quarters boarding and setting ships ablaze.
Currently, the quickest way to bridge the gap in battle strength between both sides is setting the ships ablaze! Whether it was the previous invasion of Cuba by the Evil Demons or this time's cross-sea raid on Haiti, the Kingdom's incendiary weapons have played a significant role!...
"Chief Divine Blessing! Many tung oil incendiary cans have been produced in Cuba's Iron Bay Town, ready to be thrown by Taino Militia's small boats... The support fleet has also brought many gunpowder arrows, to be fired by the Kingdom's Warriors to set them aflame!"
"Let me think, these two weapons are still somewhat lacking... I remember my brother mentioned a 'inextinguishable spicy flame,' claimed to be made of black oil and pitch from the Totonac Coast to create a 'sea fire' on the waters... Kepili, you're from the Totonac Warriors, have you used the coastal black oil for setting fires?"
"Setting fires with black oil? Ah, I understand now!... Shu Cat Owl Priest, you're talking about the 'undecaying black liquid,' 'Dark God's Paint,' right? After a Noble dies along the coast, their bodies are soaked in this black oil. Previous Fake God Priests also liked using this paint for murals. The tribespeople use this black oil and accompanying soft stones to repair canoes."
Upon hearing the description of black oil, Kepili suddenly realized, and Red-haired Chabo nodded repeatedly. Both were originally trusted aides of the Black Wolf, commanding over sixty percent of the Kingdom's Warriors in Cuba. In this expedition against the Evil Demon, naturally, they would lead the warriors sent by the Black Wolf Army.
Huitu Puapu, however, was rather unlucky; he wasn't a direct subordinate of Black Wolf but a branded warrior put in charge of guarding Iron Bay Town. In reality, as more and more support arrived from the Black Wolf Army, the Prepetcha Warriors under his command had dwindled to less than thirty percent, completely subordinate to the Kingdom's military forces in Cuba...
"Great Chief Divine! This kind of black oil isn't easy to ignite, but once ignited, it truly can't be extinguished by water! There was a village on a semi-mountain that couldn't be captured; Black Wolf Legion Commander got furious, used catapults to throw black oil cans, with gunpowder inside to ignite... cough!"
"Ah! Black oil cans paired with igniting gunpowder, then thrown with a catapult? That's indeed a good idea!... I need to write a document, send it to Tomate Chief Priest in Iron Bay Town... Hopefully, the next batch of support fleet will bring a large amount of black oil!... Hmm... Also, small ship-mounted catapults can be tried, don't need to be particularly complex, just capable of tossing a few pounds of black oil and tung oil cans!"
After this discussion, Shu Cat Owl made up his mind to carefully study incendiary weapons and widely apply them on the Kingdom's warships in response to more and more invading Evil Demons!
In a way, this indeed makes the Kingdom Fleet more akin to Greeks. And the most important raw material for "Greek Fire," lightweight petroleum, is in abundance in the Gulf of Mexico, often freely springing from the ground!...
"Lord Priest! The tribe's pearl gatherers have arrived! Leading them is none other than the most adept diver, Old Turtle! He's been diving since childhood, collecting sea snails for twenty years now..."
"Hmm? A twenty-year-old Old Turtle? Chief Divine Blessing! May His light shine upon you and me!"
Shu Cat Owl whispered a prayer, then reached out to touch Old Turtle's hair. Old Turtle bowed his head, respectfully bowed. He then pointed to his flat ears, muttered "Ah Ba," unsure of what he said.
"Lord Priest! Old Turtle was born deaf, his ears are damaged, he hears nothing! It's both a curse and a blessing from the Sea God. He can only make a living from the sea; can't partake in hunting but dives very deep! Look at his skin, all coarse from soaking in saltwater!"
"Indeed! Lord Priest, Old Turtle is the best diver! Only he can locate the position of that large 'Evil Demon' artifact! The big pink pearl you wanted earlier was extracted from a sea snail collected by Old Turtle!"
Shu Cat Owl's eyes flickered, carefully examining the "Old Turtle" before him. This Taino tribesman in his twenties or thirties appeared to be in his forties, with a face showing signs of weathering. His skin was sun-darkened, cracked and coarse, with thick calluses indicating frequent immersion in water. His most unique aspect was the congenital perforation of his eardrums, seemingly underdeveloped inner ears, with almost no hearing...
In the tribal era, such a defect was almost fatal! Unable to hear, he couldn't speak; excluded from hunting and communal labor, survival and finding a wife were impossible... Fortunately, the Caribbean Sea offered abundant edible sea snails, providing him another path as the tribe's "shell collector" or "pearl gatherer." This natural ear defect coincidentally made him an extraordinary diver, unconcerned about ear pressure equilibrium, accustomed to cochlear damages, able to dive deeper than anyone else!
"Chief Divine Blessing! He is fair, granting a defect yet also an outstanding talent!"
"Old Turtle! Prepare yourself, to dive and locate that 'Evil Demon' large artifact! If you succeed in aiding the fleet to salvage that 'treasure'... I will personally arrange your marriage and witness it under the Chief Divine! Additionally, the Kingdom Fleet will provide you a place for life until your death!"
"Ah Ba... Ah Ba!"
Through the gestures of the Taino Priest Apprentice, Old Turtle grasped the Priest's promise, his expression instantly excited. Kneeling on the deck, he heavily knocked his head a few times, then pointed at his chest, a traditional Taino gesture of heartfelt reverence.
Later, with assistance from sailors, Old Turtle had a long rope tied around his waist, applied some lubricant on his body for quicker water entry. Finally, he picked up a heavy stone from the small boat, and the Dog Descendant Warriors pointed to the designated spot...
"Inhale..."
Old Turtle deeply inhaled, filling his lungs, and with a "boom," leaped into the shallow green sea holding the big stone!