February 20, 1867.
East African colony.
"His Majesty the Sultan, once you sign this agreement, you and your government will regain your freedom." Von der Leyen held out the treaty to Sultan Majid.
Sultan Majid stared at the agreement before him with a face as black as thunder, having already cursed the East African colony and that traitor Bagash from head to toe in his heart.
What friendly treaty of mutual assistance was this? It was plainly a scheme to turn the Sultanate of Zanzibar into a puppet of the East African colony.
Apart from Zanzibar Island, all its territory was effectively annexed by the East African colony. Other than the Royal Guard, the entire Zanzibar military was disbanded, and even that was permitted to be stationed only on Zanzibar Island.
Even the Sultanate of Zanzibar's few pitiful old warships were taken away by the East African colony. Though a mosquito was small, it was still meat; they could forgo the money, but ships were a rare commodity to the East African colony.
In the past, it had not bordered the coast, so there had been no need to emphasize the role of a navy. Now, through war, Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo, Tanga, Mombasa... all were excellent harbors, and the colony needed a fleet of its own to protect the safety of its coastline.
"Sir Von der Leyen, your country is demanding far too much. For us in Zanzibar, it is truly difficult to fulfill," Sultan Majid said to Von der Leyen, looking utterly aggrieved.
"Your Majesty, this treaty is already extremely lenient toward your country. Look—even when you occupied the East African coastal region, it was for slaves and ivory. Now, our colony will provide both directly to you, so you no longer need the territory along the East