Who Else Is in Your Family?

The dragon's roar swept across the azure sea, the helicopter's roar echoed through the sky, bright lights dotted the dark night sky, and flares launched from the artillery positions illuminated the sea, leaving no place for thieves to hide.

A fierce water-spraying battle is underway.

"Let me have some fun! Let me have some fun!"

The water cannon system, directly removed from the fire truck, was mounted on the Vanguard Fleet's ships. Using magical winds to accelerate the interception, the warships blocked the path of the assault boats. The elves on board let out triumphant hoots, and the glorious and proud naval warriors vied for control of the high-pressure water cannons, screeching as they spun the violent jets, sending snow-white water columns hurtling through the air.

Leonardo DiCaprio showed us that no man can resist a water gun, nobody.

"Hahahaha!" Even the most elegant elves, once they enter the navy, become wanton. Under the night breeze, the elven hunks, with water cannons in hand, swayed their lower bodies back and forth, letting out a series of strange cries unsuitable for children, "By the moon goddess, this thing is even more enjoyable than shooting [beep--]!"

The elf pulled the water cannon, unleashing a furious barrage of water jets that hurtled towards the moon in the sky. He roared, "I can do anything I want!"

The powerful jet of light swept towards the rapidly dodging sampans, and the observer on the mainmast observation platform shouted, "We see it! We see it! They're going to use magic!"

The mages on deck simultaneously lit up their staffs. "Where? Where?"

The battle rules are very clear: if the enemy doesn't use force, we won't use force; if the enemy doesn't use magic, we won't use magic—but we have high-pressure water cannons! Let's spray them!

Amidst the cheers and strange cries of the elves, the sampan, unable to dodge in time, was capsized by the high-pressure water cannon, and the crew members fell into the water with a splash. Immediately, cheers from the pointy-eared creatures rang out on the deck.

"Move closer! Move closer!"

"Prepare the fishing nets!"

"These are all military merit points! Hurry up! Drowning will result in a deduction!"

The wind howled in the sky as the giant dragon swooped down. The enormous and terrifying legendary creature descended from the sky, causing the Azure Fleet's assault team to scream and roar. However, the dragon did not attack. Instead, it flapped its wings and floated in the air, with a thick fire hose extending down its body and falling into the water.

The dragon took a deep breath, its enormous lung capacity propelling the modified high-pressure water gun to extract seawater. Then it let out a fierce roar, and a swift jet of water shot through the air and exploded!

"Find a way to get this thing away from us!"

Several nautical miles out at sea, helicopters hummed, their gusts of air whipping across the surface, and huge searchlights shone directly onto a poor sailboat, making the suicide squad squint.

For the first time, the battle-hardened elite navy felt a sense of powerless fear. This thing stirred up a gale and made an unsettling roar as it flew through the sky, its single eye emitting a bright light that shrouded their forces in an unknown and terrifying glow... Do something quickly!

"--Do not attack!"

The commando officer shouted, "Attack! That will give the enemy an excuse!"

We have to do something!

"A boat is coming! They're so fast!"

The desolate, icy sea was filled with a deafening roar. Speedboats, propelled by modern power systems, possessed far superior maneuverability and agility compared to sailing ships. If the warships of the Vanguard Fleet were slow but powerful fortresses, then the Earth vessels equipped by the Distant Harbor Navy were swift light cavalry. Soldiers mounted heavy machine guns and high-pressure nozzles darted back and forth across the vast sea, unleashing a barrage of water cannon fire that overturned everything in its path.

Screams, curses, and maniacal laughter filled the air as flares continuously illuminated the sea. Reconnaissance equipment repaired and deployed on the islands constantly pinpointed the coordinates of the intruding ships. Although the island defense system, built at great expense by the Broken Isles, suffered severe damage, it has managed to regain some functionality after two days of emergency repairs.

The first system to be restored was the reconnaissance and location system.

The Astolfo, like a god-like warship, lay across the sea and served as the command hub for the entire operation. Its onboard supercomputer continuously gathered intelligence, processed orders, and sent them out. A Fu, located on the bridge, pressed the radar headdress on her hair, her eyes gleaming with the light of the information deluge.

She is directing the navy in precise and swift combat.

The mission objective is to expel and capture.

Assault boats kept crashing in and being sunk, the sailors falling into the icy water, struggling and screaming. In the distance, approaching ships rang out with a loud noise—a familiar shout.

"Brothers of the Azure Fleet! We are from the Azure Fleet! You've been deceived by the Council! These damn council members are just sending you here to die! They're playing with your lives!"

Activists drawn from the navy to which the Azure Fleet belongs formed a task force. They either recorded messages beforehand or went out on board the ships directly, constantly shouting into the cold ocean.

"His Highness Kang De is merciful! At our urging, he is willing to forgive you, as evidenced by the water cannon attack you suffered—his alchemical weapons are far superior to water cannons! If he wanted to kill you, you would be dead long ago! And now, he is willing to mercifully forgive you this once!"

"So don't resist, we will rescue you!"

"This is not surrender, it's merely a visit to the Broken Isles! His Highness Kang De simply wants to assure you that you will no longer serve the selfish interests of those foolish councilors until this is all over!"

"Don't hesitate! The seawater is so cold! The Broken Isles have steaming hot instant noodles! Plenty to go! You have no idea how delicious it is! If you feel bad about it, you can help with mining or clearing the ruins, and you'll get work points!"

"What are you afraid of? Why would His Highness Kang De need to lie to you? Is it so difficult to kill you?"

This "closing the door to beat the dog" operation, a far cry from the brutality of war, was filled with laughter and cheers. The Vanguard Fleet's ships moved about, using fishing nets, binding spells, and towing ropes...

All these methods were created solely to save lives.

The soldiers of the Azure Fleet, shivering in the sea, were pulled onto the ship by the elves' fishing nets, their anxiety quickly replaced by bewilderment.

Because the legendary arrogant and haughty elves actually acted very warmly, after rescuing them, they asked about their well-being, patted their shoulders and backs, and smiled like kind uncles.

The announcement over the loudspeaker quickly moved to a new phase.

"Brothers, the brothers of the Azure Fleet are right! Prince Kang De is indeed merciful! And the instant noodles are delicious! Gods! I have never eaten anything so delicious, listen to this sound!"

Then came the slurping sounds of people eating noodles.

Kang De, who had been observing the battle closely, laughed out loud, "It's going even more smoothly than I expected."

Horus laughed, "Because we have nuclear weapons."

To be fair, the Azure Fleet's overall strength is extremely formidable, a point that has been emphasized by the officers of the Vanguard Fleet. After all, it is the military force that the Arcane Council relies on to protect its interests in the Western Sea. If the Azure Fleet and the Vanguard Fleet were to engage in battle, there would be only one outcome.

--Devastating.

Even if the Vanguard Fleet, composed of warships from three countries, relied on the island defense system of the Broken Isles for defense, or even if A Fu directly participated in the battle, it would still be a difficult task to win cleanly and decisively against the Azure Fleet. In fact, according to Kang De's view, given the Azure Fleet's force configuration, elite combat strength, and the personal qualities of its commanders, the battle might turn into a stalemate and a war of attrition.

... Of course, if Kang De had entered the battlefield and used his unreasonable high-speed maneuvering and the King's Armory to bombard the battlefield with a torrential downpour of tons of mines dropped from the sky, that would have been a different story.

But now, the powerful fleet, elite soldiers, and brilliant commanders—all that the Azure Fleet prides itself on—are no longer reliable. They can only rush into this sea like clumsy pirates, relying on sheer brute force, only to be washed ashore, utterly humiliated, and become a laughingstock.

Kang De sighed.

"Having nuclear weapons does indeed allow one to do whatever one wants."

It was precisely because of the deterrent effect of Kang De's Forbidden Spell that the Council issued a strict order prohibiting the Azure Fleet from using force, escalating the conflict, and engaging in fierce confrontation. As a result, the warriors were forced to surrender, and the proud soldiers acted like thieves, being humiliated without restraint by the high-pressure water cannons. They didn't even dare to open their shields.

"Those idiots on the Council are unfit to lead a fleet like this."

Kang De sighed, "Indeed, I am the one who must save them and persuade them to abandon darkness and embrace the light."

He turned his head and asked, "You've taken pictures of them all?"

"Record the entire thing." Horus gave an OK sign. "It will definitely make the Council look bad."

Building up media power was of paramount importance to the development of the Shogunate. After all, Kang De had already experienced the power of this thing firsthand—it could incite hatred, distort the truth, turn people into dogs, and turn dogs into people. Calling a deer a horse was nothing to it; even Zhao Gao would have to admit he was an expert.

"Send a message back to Distant Harbor to bring over some members of the Ministry of Unity. The process of them doing ideological work with the prisoners should also be recorded on a camera and used as teaching material."

As Kang De spoke, a screen in front of him displayed valuable footage of ideological work within the naval forces. The burly Quilion sat before a quail-like, thin mage, his muscles bulging, his eyes piercing like a leopard's. He forced a kind smile, the scar on his face twitching and twisting like a venomous snake.

"What's your name?" the elf asked kindly. "Who else is in your family?"

Kang De said in a subtle tone, "Doesn't this guy know what he looks like? Even when you're trying to persuade someone, you have to consider their appearance. At least you can't be this scary, okay?"

Horus suggested, "How about we recruit some petite and beautiful elf maidens?"

Kang De retorted, "Why should I? I haven't even had a chance to enjoy it, do these bastards even deserve it? Replace it with a skinny, delicate elf boy!"

The command center of the Azure Fleet flagship was filled with a solemn atmosphere. The signal lights on the elemental sand table went out one after another, which meant that the missions of the suicide squads had failed. The Atmospheric Perspective image transmitted back by the Eagle Eye Officer showed a shameful scene, a disgrace that the Azure Fleet had never suffered before.

They were mocked, humiliated, and captured, treated like playthings.

"Gentlemen, if things continue like this, we will not be able to complete the Council's mission," the envoy said after a moment's thought. "I propose that in the next round of surprise attacks, we use defensive spells to block the water column."

"No!"

Nixiyasi stated firmly, "We can't guarantee that the Broken Isles won't escalate the conflict! If we use defensive spells, they'll use magic in return..."

"They've already used it! Isn't that Kang De's alchemy?" the envoy insisted. "We must take appropriate action, otherwise we won't be able to collect enough samples under these circumstances!"

As he spoke, he looked at Nixiyasi, his eyes containing a threatening glint.

--The father of the Flower of the Navy did not attend this operational meeting.

Fortunately, the middle-aged man who had been promised a high position as a senator still retained some reason and rationality, knowing that he could not scold his daughter or diminish her authority in a public setting such as a fleet meeting. However, it was clear that the spiderweb of being a father still shrouded Nixiyasi's figure, continuously forcing her to do things she did not want to do.

"Or, Commander, do you have a better idea?"

The envoy narrowed his eyes, saying meaningfully, "I heard that you rejected the Dragon of Cathay's demands for negotiations, but Kang De still showed the utmost sincerity and goodwill to your soldiers, actively rescuing them even though it was just a matter of using water jets to overturn them... Perhaps, he's waiting for you, who knows?"

Nixiyasi's eyes were sharp as knives. "You bastard!"

"How rude of you! You are the one who stubbornly insisted on taking confrontational actions, and you are also the one who ignored the negotiations and proposals of the Dragon of Cathay. I am very curious, why are you unwilling to meet with Kang De?" The envoy spread his arms. "You see, most of your subordinates probably share the same thoughts, don't they?"

The beautiful admiral turned her head to look, and the officers awkwardly looked away or lowered their heads. Perhaps they too harbored unrealistic fantasies—that there was a possibility of successfully obtaining enough unknown materials to gain the Council's rewards and honors without having to clash with the terrifying Dragon of Cathay.

This possibility does exist.

All you need is...

"Commander," the envoy said calmly, "The loyal soldiers who obeyed your orders and ventured into the sea, only to be captured, are perhaps shivering in the cold sea winds of the Broken Isles, waiting for you to bring them home."

Her jewel-like, sparkling red eyes reflected a complex and enigmatic light.

Nixiyasi suddenly laughed.

"Okay, okay, okay."

Ten minutes later.

"Father, we've received a meeting request from Commander Nixiyasi of the Azure Fleet," Horus said calmly. "Would you like me to cook you a pot of red bean rice?"

"--Why the hell are you making Japan jokes?!"

"Celebrate! The blue-haired, red-eyed admiral is coming to offer herself!"

"Give your mother a break."

"... You're right."

Kang De waved his hand impatiently, then rubbed his face. "Let me deduce how to break through her psychological defenses, how to provoke her rebellious spirit, how to awaken her anger towards the Council..."

"... Father!"

"Don't talk, don't interrupt, I'm thinking about something important..."

"Father!"

Horus suddenly let out a loud shout, Kang De said with displeasure, "Why are you shouting so loudly!"

"Get back to Earth!"

Iron Son shouted sternly, "Wang Xiaoman's signal generator is on!"

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PS1: The promised second update... 4,000 words, a bit short, but I need to sleep now. I have a sleep doctor's appointment tomorrow morning, so the update might be a little late. Goodnight everyone.