Woo!

The wind howled, the rain poured like a note, and the three-masted galleon rose and fell among the wave "peaks" like toys tossed and caught by giants.

Alger Wilson's eyes faded and he found himself still standing on the deck, indistinguishable from before.

Immediately after, he saw the strangely shaped glass bottle in his palm snap and shatter, and the frost and snow melted into the water, blending into the raindrops.

After just two or three seconds, this ancient curiosity completely lost the traces of its existence.

A hexagonal crystal snowflake appeared in the palm of Alger's palm, then quickly faded until it was gone, as if it had shrunk into flesh.

Alger nodded invisibly as if thinking about something, and was silent for a full five minutes.

He turned around and walked towards the entrance of the cabin, and was about to enter when a man came out of him, also dressed in a robe embroidered with lightning bolts.

The man with soft yellow hair paused, looked at Alger, stretched out his right hand, clenched his fist to his chest, and said:

"The storm is with you. ”

"The storm is with you. Alger's rugged and deep face did not carry a trace of excess emotion, and he similarly clenched his right fist and struck his left chest.

After saluting each other, Alger entered the cabin and walked down the aisle towards the captain's quarters in the distance.

Along the way, he didn't even run into a single sailor or crew, and it was as quiet as the inside of a tomb.

The door to the captain's cabin opened, and a soft, thick dark brown carpet appeared before him, flanked by bookshelves and wine cabinets, books with yellowish covers and bottles of dark red wine shimmering strangely in the light of candles.

On the desk where the candles are placed is a bottle of ink, a quill, a black metal telescope, and a sextant made of brass.

Behind the desk, a pale middle-aged man wearing a skeletal captain's hat watched Alger come step by step, gritted his teeth angrily and said:

"I won't give in!"

"I'm sure you can do it. Alger calmly said that the weather was not very good today.

"You ......" The middle-aged man was stunned, as if he didn't expect such an answer.

At this moment, Alger's body arched slightly, and he suddenly rushed forward, instantly closing the distance between the two to only the desk.

Syllable!

His shoulders tightened, and his right hand jerked out, pinching the middle-aged man's throat.

Without giving the other party a chance to react, pieces of illusory fish scales appeared on the back of his hand, and his five fingers were frantically forced.

Click!

In the crisp sound, the middle-aged man's eyes were stunned, and his body was lifted up.

His feet twitched violently, but he quickly regained his composure, his pupils began to drift in a daze, and the crotch of his pants became moist, and a foul smell came out.

Alger lifted the middle-aged man, bent his back, and stepped away with his feet, approaching the wall next to him.

He used the middle-aged man as a shield and slammed it forward, his arms thick as a monster.

The wooden walls shattered in response, and the violent wind and rain swept in with the smell of the sea.

Alger twisted his back and threw the middle-aged man out of the cabin and into the mountain-like waves.

The sky was dark, the wind and rain were howling, and the power of nature buried everything.

Alger took out a white handkerchief, wiped his right palm, and threw it into the sea.

Taking a few steps back, he waited patiently for his companion to enter.

"What's wrong?" In less than ten seconds, the man with soft yellow hair rushed in.

"The 'Captain' fled. Alger gasped and replied in chagrin, "He still retains some extraordinary powers!"

"Damn!" the yellow-haired man cursed in a low voice.

He came to the breach and stared into the distance, but could see nothing but the wind and rain and the waves.

"Forget it, he's just incidental. The yellow-haired man waved his arm, "We will only have credit for finding this Tudor-era ghost ship." ”

Even if he is a friend of the sea, in this weather, he does not dare to dive into the water rashly.

"And if the storm continues, the 'captain' won't last long. Alger nodded, and found that the breach in the wooden wall began to wriggle and heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He took a deep look and subconsciously turned his head to look at the position of the rudder and sails.

Even if he was separated by a heavy plank, he could clearly understand the situation there.

There is no first mate, no second mate, no crew, no sailors, not even a living person!

There was nothing there, and the rudders and sails were eerily adjusting themselves.

The "fool" who was shrouded in gray mist came to his mind, and Alger suddenly sighed.

He turned his head to look at the wind and waves outside, and said in a dreamy tone of anticipation and fear:

"A new era has begun......

............

Beckland, the capital of the Kingdom of Rune, Queens.

Audrey Hall pinched her cheek, unable to believe what had just happened.

On the dresser in front of her, the ancient bronze mirror was shattered piece by piece.

Looking down, Audrey saw a "crimson" circulating on the back of her hand, like a "tattoo" on a star.

The "crimson" gradually fades and eventually disappears into the skin.

It was only at this time that Audrey was sure that she was not dreaming.

Her eyes flowed, the corners of her mouth turned up a little, and she couldn't help but stand up and bend down to lift the hem of her skirt.

Saluting to the air, Audrey walked briskly, turned her body, and danced the most popular "ancient elf dance" in the court at the moment.

The figure was fluttering, and her face was full of bright smiles.

There was a sudden knock on the bedroom door.

"Who?" said Audrey, brushing the floor to a halt and striking an elegant gesture.

"Miss, can you come in? The valet asked outside the door.

Audrey looked sideways at the mirror on the dresser, and quickly retracted her smile, leaving only a shallow touch.

She looked left and right, and only after confirming that there was nothing wrong with the image did she speak softly:

"Come in. ”

With a twist of the handle, her valet Anne pushed the door open.

"Oh, it's broken......" Anne saw at a glance what had happened to the ancient bronze mirror.

Audrey blinked and said slowly:

"Uh, yes, um, Susie came in before, you know, it always likes to sabotage!"

Susie is a big golden retriever with a not-so-pure blood, a gift from her father, Earl Hall, when he bought a foxhound, but is very popular with Audrey.

"You've got to teach it a lesson. Anne skillfully collected the fragments of the bronze mirror, fearing that she would hurt the young lady.

After doing all this, she looked at Audrey, smiled and asked:

"Which dress do you want to wear?"

Audrey thought for a moment and said, "I like the one that Mrs. Genia designed for my seventeenth birthday. ”

"No, others will say that the Hall family is in financial crisis, and a dress is actually worn a second time on a formal occasion!" Anne shook her head in denial.

"But I really like it. Audrey emphasized softly.

"You can wear it at home, on less formal occasions. Anne put on a non-negotiable attitude on the matter.

"Then the one that Mr. Sides sent me the day before yesterday, the cuff is the ruffled one. Audrey took a covert breath, maintaining an elegant, sweet smile.

"Your vision is always so good. Anne smiled and stepped back and shouted out the door, "Cloakroom No. 6, forget it, I'll get it myself." ”

The maids began to get busy, one in charge of the dress, one in charge of the jewelry, one in charge of shoes, one in charge of the gauze hat, one in charge of makeup for Miss Audrey, and one in consideration of hairstyles.

As the preparation drew to a close, Count Hall, dressed in a dark brown waistcoat, appeared at the door.

He wore a topper-hat, two beautiful mustaches, and blue eyes full of smiles, but the loose muscles, bulging belly, and the beginning of obvious nasolabial folds ruthlessly ruined the handsomeness of his youth.

"Beckland's brightest jewel, it's time for us to go. Count Hall stood at the entrance and tapped twice on the open door.

"Dad, don't call me that. Audrey stood up with the help of the maid, deliberately showing a somewhat distressed look.

"Then my beautiful little princess, it's time to go. Count Hall flexed his left arm and motioned for Audrey to pull it.

Audrey smiled and shook her head:

"This is Mrs. Hall, Countess, my dear mother's place. ”

"That way. Earl Hall smiled and bent his right arm, "This is the pride of being a father." ”

............

Port Prieze, Oak Island, Royal Navy Base.

When Audrey took her father's arm and stepped out of the carriage, she was suddenly shocked by the behemoth in front of her.

Not far away, in the military port, there was a majestic ship with a metallic glow, it had no sails, only a lookout, two more towering chimneys, and two more open-air turrets in front and rear.

It was so majestic, so massive, that the sail battleships parked nearby were like newborn dwarves clustering djinn.

"The Storm ...... Up"

"Oh, my lord. ”

"Ironclad!"

......

A low intertwined exclamation, and Audrey also felt the same shock, it was a miracle created by mankind, an unprecedented miracle of the ocean!

It didn't take long for the nobles, ministers, and members of the House of Commons to recover, and at this time, a black dot in the air changed from small to large, gradually occupying a third of the sky, occupying everyone's sight, and making the atmosphere suddenly solemn.

It is a behemoth floating in mid-air, with extremely smooth and graceful lines, painted in dark blue, a strong and light alloy skeleton supporting the cotton cloth containing the hydrogen bag, and the envelope with the muzzle of the machine gun, the bomb muzzle, and the flat-firing muzzle hanging below, the exaggerated hum of the high phlogistin steam engine and the crazy turning of the tail blade form a shocking movement.

The airship in which the king's family was traveling arrived, with the majesty of looking down on everything from above.

A "Sword of Judgment" badge with a ruby crown at the handle reflecting sunlight on either side of the envelope, a symbol of the Augustan family's heritage dating back to the last era.

Audrey is not yet eighteen years old, has not yet participated in the "introduction ceremony", under the guidance of the queen, officially entered the social scene of Beckland, announced adulthood, can only quietly sit in place and watch, can not approach.

However, she didn't care too much, and even felt relaxed because she didn't have to face the princes.

The "miracle" of mankind's conquest of the sky landed steadily, and the first to descend from the escalator were heroic young guards, dressed in red military uniforms, white trousers, sashes, and rifles, lined up in two columns, waiting for King George III and the queen, princes, and princesses to appear.

Audrey was not uninterested in seeing the big man, but instead looked at the two black-armored knights who looked like statues beside the king.

In this age of steel, steam, and guns, there are still guys who insist on wearing full-body armor!

The cold metallic luster, the deep black helmet, all gave people a feeling of heaviness, majesty, and obedience.

"Could it be the 'Punishment Knight' of the higher order......" Audrey's heart flashed through the words of the elders in the family when they were chatting, and she had the knowledge, but she didn't dare to approach.

With the arrival of the King's family, the ceremony finally began, and the current Prime Minister, Lord Aguside Negan, stepped in front of the crowd.

He was a member of the Conservative Party and was so far the only two major figures to become prime minister in a non-aristocratic capacity, and was knighted for his outstanding contributions.

Of course, Audrey knows better, Aguside's brother, a leading supporter of the Conservative Party, called Pallas Negan, the Duke of Negan of this generation!

Aguside was in his fifties, tall and thin, with thinning hair and sharp eyes, and after looking around, he said:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you have seen that this is an ironclad ship, enough to subvert the era, 101 meters long, 21 meters wide, high dry side design, the main armor belt is 457 mm thick, the displacement is 10,060 tons, a total of four 305 mm guns in the front and rear, and there are also 6 rapid-fire guns, 12 6-pounder guns, 18 six-barreled machine guns, 4 torpedo tubes, and the speed can reach 16 knots!"

"It will be the real hegemon, it will conquer the sea!"

There was a commotion among the nobles, ministers and parliamentarians, and the Prime Minister's description alone was enough for them to imagine the horrors of this ironclad ship, not to mention that the real thing was right in front of them!

Aguside smiled a little, gave a few more speeches, and then saluted King George III:

"Your Majesty, please name it. ”

"From the port of Plitze, let's call it the Pritz. George III's expression was quite pleasant.

"Pritz!"

"Pritz!"

......

Beginning with the Lord of the Navy, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy, the name spread in turn, and finally came to the ironclad ship, where the officers and soldiers cheered in unison:

"Pritz!"

In a celebratory atmosphere, salutes were fired, and George III gave the order to set sail for a test launch.

Woo!

The whistle sounded, thick smoke erupted from the chimney, and the movement of machinery was faintly audible.

The behemoth set sail, and everyone was shocked as it sailed out of the harbor and bombarded the uninhabited island ahead with two main guns in the bow.

Boom, boom, boom!

The earth seemed to shake, dust rushed into the air, and hurricanes swept out, setting off waves.

Prime Minister Agukhid turned his head in satisfaction and said to the nobles, ministers and parliamentarians:

"From now on, those seven pirates who call themselves generals, those four pirates who usurp to be kings, can only tremble and wait for the end!"

"Their time is over, and even if they have more or less extraordinary powers, ghosts or cursed ships, they can only crisscross the seas with ironclad ships!"

At this time, Aguside's chief secretary deliberately asked:

"Then they can't build their own ironclads?"

Some aristocrats and parliamentarians nodded secretly, believing that this possibility could not be ruled out.

Aguside immediately smiled, shook his head slowly, and said:

"Impossible, never will! The construction of such an ironclad ship requires three large coal-steel complexes, twenty steel mills of more than twenty scales, sixty scientists and more senior engineers from the Beckland Artillery Research Institute and the Pritz Ship Research Institute, two royal shipyards and nearly a hundred parts factories attached to them, an Admiralty, a shipbuilding committee, a cabinet, a firm king with a remarkable vision, and a great country with an annual output of 12 million tons of steel!"

"The pirates will never be able to do it. ”

At this point, he paused, then raised his arms and shouted passionately:

"Ladies and gentlemen, the time of the great ships and the cannons has come!"