1444, Byzantium Resurrects

The northern shore of the Gulf of Corinth and the port of Nafpaktos.

This was a typical Greek city. While the temples of Apollo and Athena outside the city had been reduced to ruins, some of the buildings within the city still bore faint traces of ancient Greece.

However, the ancient Greek town is now flying the Ottoman crescent flag.

Murad II had decided to punish Constantinople for its usurpation, and the Ottoman army had occupied the area as a logistics base and naval port.

At that moment, inside the mansion of the lord of Nafpaktos, Zagan Pasha was warmly bidding farewell to two men dressed in luxurious attire.

"It's settled then, Zagan Pasha. If you capture Corinth, you must sell the slaves to us first!"

The tall man pretended to be drunk and leaned on Zagan Pasha, putting one hand on his shoulder.

"Of course! You hate those Orthodox Christians too, so you'll remain neutral, right?"

Zagan Pasha pushed the tall man away, took his hand and said affectionately,

"Of course, their business is none of our concern..."

The tall man narrowed one eye and looked at Zagan.

'By the way, you used to be a Greek Orthodox Christian. Don't you want to save your fellow countrymen?'

'I once strayed from the right path, but thankfully Allah saved me from my misery, and the Sultan recognised my talents and gave me a high position. I want nothing more than that."

Zagan bowed his head deeply, as if feeling the will of Allah.

After dismissing the two men, Pasha Zagan took the handkerchief handed to him by his servant, wiped his hands vigorously and took off his outer robe. He ordered his servant to throw it away.

After a while, a strange, sickly smile slowly appeared on Pasha Zagan's cold face.

"Hahahaha..."

His laughter grew louder and louder until his entire face contorted.

The laughter stopped abruptly.

"Tell the transport fleet that the Venetians have been taken care of. Have them transport the military supplies directly to Corinth, and mobilize the Janissaries to get some practice."

"Have the warships set sail and intercept them to the west, to prevent Venice or Genoa from turning against us."

Zagan Pasha regained his usual cold expression.

He stood by the bed for a while, then watched the Ottoman transport fleet slowly set sail from the port.

Perhaps the Greeks would emerge from their shells tomorrow and surrender to the great Sultan.

At this thought, a smile reappeared on Zagan Pasha's face.

...

Not far from the Ottoman fleet, another huge fleet was rapidly approaching.

It was the Mediterranean fleet brought by Isaac.

Departing from the port of Ceuta, Isaac travelled day and night, encountering the Northumbria while it was resting in the Adriatic Sea after completing its mission.

Upon hearing Captain Kelman's report, Isaac immediately grasped the gravity of the situation.

He then travelled for two days, finally arriving at the battlefield at the last moment.

"Your Highness, the Saint Nicholas is signaling that the Ottoman fleet has been spotted ahead. Six paddle-sail warships are escorting them and are on patrol."

"Order Captain Henry to advance at full speed and open fire on the Ottoman fleet as soon as they are encountered."

"Yes, sir!"

The Grand Duke of Morea signaled with flags, and the message was relayed from ship to ship until it reached the Saint Nicholas.

'Captain! Ottoman warships are closing in on us!'

The sailors who had climbed the masts shouted down to the men below.

Looking at the approaching Ottoman warships, Henry smiled.

"His Highness's orders are to engage the Ottoman fleet immediately upon contact."

"Sailmaster, lower the St. Mark's flag and raise the eagle flag!"

"Gunner, fire!"

To avoid detection and ensure safety, the fleet had always used the Venetian St Mark's flag.

After this battle, the eagle flag would fly once again.

Boom—boom—

Ten cannons on the port side of the St Nicholas fired simultaneously, marking the start of the Battle of Corinth.

At the same time, the Spartan and Gian Marquis galleys alongside the St. Nicholas also opened fire.

In an instant, the sea was filled with smoke and gunfire.

The Ottoman warships that had charged forward were stunned.

They had just received information from Zagan Pasha that Venice would remain neutral, so they were conducting a routine inspection. Why had the St. Nicholas suddenly opened fire?

When the smoke cleared, they looked up at the purple sky, their eyes filled with horror.

"It's the Greek fleet! Quickly notify the flagship!"

The sailors were about to signal, but it was already too late.

The Grand Duke of Morea had arrived with the rest of the fleet.

The Northumbria fired first, and Captain Kelman roared as he shoved a cannonball into the barrel.

The Grand Duke of Morea and the armed corvette Athena followed suit.

The scorching cannonballs traced beautiful arcs through the air, accompanied by piercing screams.

Boom!

An Ottoman galley was hit, a solid lead ball striking the bow and sending an Ottoman sailor flying over the side.

Isaac was slightly disappointed that he had not hit a weak spot.

"All ships, continue reloading! Keep your distance to avoid being surrounded by the Ottomans!"

Captain Fidel ordered, instructing the flag bearer to signal.

"Captain, the Ottomans are reacting quickly. They're charging!"

On the Saint Nicholas Clark galley, the lookout shouted anxiously to Captain Henry.

"Don't panic! Order the Marquis Gian and the Sparta to move closer to our ship. Our ship's sides are twice as high as theirs; they won't be able to board so easily!"

Captain Henry gave the order.

Before the order could be relayed, however, four Ottoman galleys surrounded the Saint Nicholas and charged towards it.

Boom!

Another volley hit one of the Ottoman warships, but only slowed it down slightly.

The enemy commander was clearly experienced and knew that his galleys' cannons were no match for the Byzantine Clark ships. He planned to use their speed to ram us and engage in boarding combat.

Marquis Gian and the Spartan arrived quickly and blocked two of the galleys. The remaining two broke through the encirclement and planned to surround the Saint Nicholas from both sides.

They were getting closer! Henry could even see the smug smile on the commander's face on the enemy flagship.

The two paddle-sail ships had finally completed their mission, trapping the Saint Nicholas.

Bang! Bang!

Several grappling hooks were thrown from the Ottoman flagship and caught on the gunwale of the Saint Nicholas.

The Ottoman sailors gritted their teeth, grasped their curved swords and began to climb up the ropes.

"Fire the muskets!" Seeing that the time had come, Captain Henry gave the order.

Then, the 30 French musketeers who had been positioned in advance poked their muzzles out of the quarterdeck and fired a volley at the paddle-sail ships on the port side.

Puff—thud—

The muskets were inaccurate and lacked power, but at such close range, the unarmoured sailors were easy targets.

Those hit by bullets fell from the ropes into the sea.

"Crossbowmen, fire!"

Twenty Genoese crossbowmen rushed out of the ship's hold, crouched down at the rail and fired a volley at the Ottoman galley below.

Those on the Ottoman galley's deck who were unable to dodge in time fell one after another, clutching their wounds and crying out in pain.

After this initial volley, the Ottoman galleys on the port side were unable to put up much resistance.

"Follow me! Board the ship!"

Sailor Owen shouted and slid down the grappling hook first.

A dozen brave sailors followed him.

Owen cut down several wounded soldiers who tried to block his path and was the first to reach the captain's cabin.

The commander of the enemy ship stood behind the door, clutching a curved sword and ready to fight to the death.

'I am Osman Bey! I demand a fair duel!"

the Ottoman captain shouted in broken Greek.

'I am not.'

Owen, the boatswain, pulled a hand crossbow from his sleeve and fired a bolt that pierced Osman Bey's thigh. Taking advantage of his pain as he bent over, Owen then severed his head with a single stroke.

The sailors who had followed him opened the lower hatch and the slaves rowing the oars surrendered immediately.

From then on, the Ottoman flagship changed hands and the fleet lost its unified command.

The Saint Nicholas then followed suit, first firing guns, then crossbows, and finally boarding the ship to capture another paddle-sail ship.

Seeing that the situation was not looking good, the two paddle-sail warships entangled by the Sparta and the Marquis de Gian attempted to escape.

The Sparta and the Marquis de Gian returned fire, eventually sinking one ship and severely damaging another, which escaped.

The perspective then shifted to the Grand Duke of Morea's side. The two Ottoman warships ordered to intercept them were intimidated by the Grand Duke's powerful firepower and could not get close.

They witnessed the fate of the Ottoman flagship and saw the other warships fleeing in panic.

Seeing that Saint Nicholas was free to act, he prepared to encircle them.

One of the Ottoman ships appeared to be in disarray and raised a white flag.

The other ship fled in panic and Isaac had no time to pursue it.

He quickly assembled his fleet and ordered them to join the transport fleet and head straight for the port of Navarino.

...

Navarino port.

Zaghan Pasha smiled as he spoke to the commander of the Second Janissary Legion.

The Second Legion soldiers filed onto the deck of the transport ship, stowed their luggage and claimed their rooms.

They were well equipped, wearing square helmets adorned with long plumes, leather armor, muskets, curved swords and maces. Some also carried round shields and hand crossbows.

The crest on their helmets was painted with a golden throne.

This was the Second Legion of the Janissary Guard, also known as the Golden Throne.

Zaghan Pasha was clearly very pleased and praised the legion commander profusely.

Transport ships set sail one after another from the port, some carrying military provisions, some carrying cannons and some carrying Ottoman soldiers.

The Gulf of Corinth was like a kettle, and Zaghan Pasha had already arranged for six fast paddle ships to guard the spout. As the commander was familiar with naval warfare, Zaghan Pasha could rest easy.

Suddenly, Zaghan Pasha seemed to see something terrifying, and the smile on his face froze.

The legion commander was puzzled and turned his head.

A fleet of warships flying purple double-headed eagle flags was rapidly approaching.

The lead ship, the Saint Nicholas, still bore the bloodstains of Ottoman sailors and had bullet holes on the deck from lead bullets, with the captured Ottoman military flag trailing behind the hull.

To Zaghan Pasha, this warship seemed to have come from hell.

Boom!

Cannons fired, striking sailors bustling on the shore.

Then, one after another, the Eastern Roman warships let out a long-suppressed roar at their centuries-old enemy.

"Evasive maneuver! Evasive maneuver! All legion members, stop boarding the ships and retreat by land!"

As expected of his training, the commander of the Golden Throne legion reacted first, beginning to issue orders while dragging the disoriented Zagan Pasha deeper inland.

Boom!

A lead bullet hit the port's grain storehouse and the scorching cannonball ignited the dry cloth, immediately starting a fire.

The flames ignited the flour particles scattered in the air, causing a huge explosion.

The flames spread quickly, engulfing the entire port in an instant.

The legion soldiers who had not yet boarded the ships demonstrated their high level of training. They lined up with their guns and fired a volley at the fleet, buying time for their commander to escape.

But it was to no avail.

"Run! Don't wait!' shouted the legion commander.

The legion infantry covered each other as they retreated in an orderly manner.

They often hid behind buildings when cannon fire began, waited for the reloading interval, and then ran away quickly.

"Stop firing on the Janissaries and concentrate your fire on the port buildings!"

Isaac ordered.

Whoosh!

A watchtower collapsed with a loud bang, killing several sailors who were hiding underneath it.

In contrast to the soldiers of the Golden Throne's orderly retreat, the dockyard sailors and other troops were in complete disarray. Some soldiers crowded frantically onto transport ships and fled, while others ran in all directions until they were engulfed by the growing flames.

Half an hour later, Isaac called off the bombardment of the dockyard.

The surviving sailors and soldiers knelt down and surrendered, crying.

Isaac dispatched the Conti Knights to receive them, then ordered the fleet to continue eastward.

The entire Gulf of Corinthia was now connected to the Mediterranean Sea to the west, but completely sealed off to the east.

The transport ships that had temporarily escaped thought they were safe, but none of them could actually escape.

The fleet continued east, picking up the surrendered transport ships along the way.

As for the diehards who insisted on dying for Allah, they were allowed to go.

The clean-up of the battlefield continued from the afternoon until midnight, until the last transport ship carrying soldiers loyal to the Golden Throne was thrown into chaos. The lower-ranking soldiers killed their squad leader and surrendered to Isaac.

With that, the Battle of the Corinthian Gulf came to an end, resulting in a resounding victory for the Eastern Roman Empire in the naval battle against the Ottoman Empire.

The storm subsided and the sea returned to calm.

Only the debris of ships and bodies of sailors floating on the surface of the sea told the story of the thrilling naval battle.

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