Chapter 878: Chapter 518: Battle for the Stolen Country: The Kingdom of Seapower’s Ultimate Gamble!

The Strait of Dover is located at the southernmost end of the North Sea region, surrounded by Hightins, Iron Anchor Bay, and the Kalmar Union of Three Nations. On one side is the Kingdom of Hightins, and on the other is their century-old rival, the Iris Flower.

Although only about forty kilometers wide and less than a hundred meters deep, it has been the battleground for many famous naval battles throughout history.

Among them was the final decisive battle of the "War of the Red and White Roses," which wiped out the entire Lancaster family overnight.

On March 28, 1473, in this ancient battlefield that has seen countless dead souls and buried numerous warships, it became bustling once again.

Not only did merchant ships and pirate ships keep their distance, but even seabirds and various marine creatures seemed to sense danger, fleeing desperately away from the strait.

At the same time, a large fleet set off from Felixstowe Port near the Royal Capital of Kingston, while another set out from Forkston Port, controlled by the Earl’s Party.

Just moving out of the anchorages took nearly a whole day for both fleets, clearly depleting almost all their resources.

As the entire fleet advanced, countless Kingdom of Hightins flags, fleet flags, nobility flags, and long captain’s pennants fluttered in the sea breeze.

Amidst the vast expanse of white sails, one might even feel dizzy, as if the fleet extended infinitely towards the horizon.

They entered the Dover Sea Area from east and west under the leadership of two flagship quasi-legendary warships: the Earl Party’s [Royal Oak] and the Royalist Party’s [Centaurus].

"Northeast wind, force 4, speed 12 knots, wave height 1.2 meters, full sail ahead for the entire fleet."

The accompanying Fourth Order [Navigator] reported the weather conditions to the entire fleet.

The sailmasters quickly led their sailhandlers to tighten the running rigging, adjusting the number of sails and their wind angles on the warships.

Throughout this period, they would rather take longer routes than have any bold captain propose sailing through the North Sea.

Even now, an avatar of a tentacle of the Sixth Order Old God [Northern Sea Leviathan Kraken] still roams the entire North Sea, punishing all "traitors" according to the Pied Piper’s Shepherd Flute’s killing rules.

And at this time, if asked who is the strongest in treachery? The Island Nation and York find the king!

The White Rose family, who once enslaved the Touch of the Kraken, is definitely using an "octopus luring divine instrument."

If they dare leave the protection of the Silver Code to penetrate the North Sea, they will undoubtedly attract the terrifying Old God lurking in the deep sea.

The two fleets sailed along the coastline, and by the time they reached the Strait of Dover to array their forces, it was already the next morning.

The commanders on both sides were cautious and avoided fighting at night, waiting until the first rays of dawn to see the enemy ships.

The scale of the participating ships was unprecedented, with hundreds of large warships carrying a total of tens of thousands of cannons, making the sea a scene of desolation.

If it had been a few years ago, this level of large-scale battle would have immediately drawn the attention of all the nations on the continent, attracting a multitude of onlookers.

But now, with the Castilia Twin Kings and the Star Moon Empire in chaos, and the Holy Silver Empire engulfed in bloodshed, the civil war in Hightins has become a second-tier event.

Except for the neighboring Iris, which remained on high alert, most forces sent only observers to witness the outcome, ready to adjust their diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Hightins in a timely manner.

In the Strait Fleet of the Kingdom of Hightins Navy, aside from the First Fleet, which had been completely wiped out in Iron Anchor Bay and had yet to be rebuilt, the other fleets were all present.

The Second, Third, and Fourth were the main fleets, the Fifth and Sixth were the Security Fleets, and the Seventh was Byron’s Colonial Fleet.

Except for the Seventh Fleet stationed overseas, the other fleets were suffering continuous losses due to the Touch of the Kraken, with varying degrees of personnel and armament depletion, far from their peak state.

Among them, the Second, Fourth, and Sixth Fleets flew the flags of Earl Warwick and Duke of Clarence, belonging to the Earl’s Party.

The Third, Fifth, and Byron’s Seventh Fleet flew the flag of Edward IV, belonging to the Royalist Party.

On paper, the Earl’s Party, with its two main fleets and a multitude of battleships, undoubtedly had the advantageous position.

This situation wasn’t surprising, as it was simply one of the sequelae from the White Rose family’s shrewd maneuver to seize royal power.

Although, in name, the navy was indeed the king’s private army, and their loyalty should be to the king.

Back then, Byron exploited this point to make the First Fleet that betrayed Lancaster pay for its betrayal.

Yet, after Warwick helped Edward IV ascend to power, he was appointed Naval Marshal (Chapter 98), having ample time to plant his men and cronies within the fleet, transforming the navy into his private army.

Except for the First Fleet’s Fleet Commander Norwich York, a member of the York family who rose to the position due to his blood relations despite being of the Third Order.

The Third Fleet’s Commander was Edward IV’s [Guardian Knight], Fourth Order Artillery Expert [Star Shooter] Robert Barrett.

The Second and Fourth Main Fleets were effectively controlled by [The Kingmaker] Warwick.

The Second Fleet was directly commanded by him, and the Fourth Fleet belonged to his confidant [Furious Fox] Fox Douglas.

With the complete annihilation of the First Fleet, the naval power balance between the two sides visibly tilted, with the Earl’s Party’s maritime strength overshadowing the Royalist Party.