Surpassing Britain was clearly impossible. East Africa's domestically produced dreadnoughts had been launched thanks in no small part to its early preparations. Britain, meanwhile, had reacted swiftly after the Russo-Japanese War, building the world's first dreadnought in just over a year. The depth of its shipbuilding heritage was plain to see.
Even so, the East African Navy still drew the Royal Navy's close attention. Ever since East Africa's first dreadnought had been born, its navy had cast aside its former approach and returned to the path of naval competition. Its number of dreadnoughts now ranked third in the world, behind only Britain and Germany.
That alone made it impossible for Britain not to guard against East Africa. After all, the movements of every nation's navy were a key focus for Britain, with Germany foremost among them. The German Navy's intentions were as obvious as Sima Zhao's ambition—known to every passerby—and East Africa could not possibly be overlooked so easily either.
George said, "East Africa's navy has begun expanding again. It now has four dreadnoughts alone, nearly one launched every year. Among all the nations of the world, aside from us and Germany, only East Africa has made such major moves at sea. Before long, East Africa will be able to form a powerful main battle fleet composed of dreadnoughts, and that will sharply increase the Empire's pressure in the Indian Ocean and the South Atlantic."
"Meanwhile, the European situation is growing ever more tense. If we cannot extricate ourselves, East Africa's influence will likely accelerate its spread into the Indian Ocean and the South Atlantic. Judging by East Africa's current offensive, it may very well destroy our influence in the Persian Gulf and South America."
"And that is not even the most frightening part. On that foundation, East Africa could