Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 86 The Winner Takes All

Euron Greyjoy stepped forward slowly, coldly looking down at Earl Adrian Redwin, who was being pressed firmly to the ground but still trying his best to hold his head up.

On the city walls, the Greyjoy golden sea monster flag, a symbol of conquest, fluttered in the wind, replacing Redwin's grape emblem.

"Assess the situation, Lord Adrian." Euron's voice was unusually calm, yet carried an undeniable authority, overshadowing the surrounding fighting and distant explosions. "Starfish Harbor is in my hands. Your fleet is leaderless and attacked from both sides. We have won. Tell your men to stop, lay down their weapons, and surrender. I swear in the name of Greyjoy, those who surrender will not be killed."

Earl Adrian Redwin's face was stained with blood and sweat, his magnificent armor covered in dust, making him look like a wolf or fox.

He may be strategically slow and arrogant, incompetent in command, and weak in martial arts, but at this moment, the stubbornness and pride in the bones of Chief Redwin are revealed in despair, like the hardest reef on Green Pavilion Island.

Earl Adrian Redwin spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and roared, every word filled with unwavering resolve: "You Ironborn scum! You want me to surrender? No way! You can kill me all you want! I, Adrian Redwin, will never bow down to you pirates, you locusts! The Redwin family only has earls who die in battle, not cowards who kneel and beg for mercy! Death is the only outcome!"

His roar echoed on the city wall, carrying a tragic grandeur.

"Pirates? This time, it seems you're the pirate, Lord Adrian Redwin!" Euron's lips curled into a cold smile, seemingly both admiring and despising this stubbornness. "The battle is over. Your refusal to surrender will only prolong the mutual slaughter."

He ignored the defeated man's lament and quickly turned around, coldly uttering a series of commands:

"Open the gate! Lower the drawbridge! Then completely destroy the hinges! Let our men in!"

"Get everyone to my side! Guard the passages between the upper and lower walls! Tie him up tightly, one by one," he pointed at Adrian, "and put him at the very front! Let everyone see what a wolf-fox their lord looks like now!"

The Ironclad warriors moved with lightning speed. The massive city gates were pushed open from the inside, and the heavy drawbridge crashed down, connecting the port to the city. Immediately afterwards, hammers and battle axes slammed into the wooden and metal hinges controlling the drawbridge, sending sparks flying and completely destroying them, cutting off any possibility of the enemy quickly retracting the drawbridge.

The Ironborn warriors, having completed their mission, quickly assembled in the core area where Euron was located, forming a dense defensive formation with swords and axes pointing outwards and crossbows nocked. Earl Adrian Redwin, his hands bound behind his back and a sword pressed against his neck, was roughly pushed to the very front of the line, becoming a humiliating yet incredibly effective human shield.

The Qingting Island garrison, barely recovering from the fire and chaos within the city and attempting to storm the city walls to regain control, witnessed a terrifying scene as soon as they approached: their esteemed Earl, like a lamb to the slaughter, was being led by the enemy, a cold blade pressed against his throat.

"Back off! All of you back off! Otherwise, the Earl will be dead on the spot!" the Ironborn warriors roared fiercely.

The passageway on the city wall was narrow, allowing only two people to pass side by side. At this moment, Earl Adrian Redwin was held down by the shoulders and forced to kneel on the ground, his body swaying from side to side. The Qingting Island garrison, hesitant to act, was immediately plunged into great panic and inner conflict, and their offensive came to an abrupt halt.

They stood around, weapons in hand, extremely anxious, yet none dared to make a move, fearing they might accidentally kill their lord.

Meanwhile, the Redwin fleet, fighting on the waters of Whispering Bay, finally noticed the shocking change above the port castle—the familiar grape flags were no longer fluttering, but rather ferocious golden sea monsters! Some even spotted their supreme commander, Earl Adrian, being held hostage by the enemy on the ramparts, a blade at his throat!

This scene became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

The morale, which was already struggling to hold on under the relentless attacks of the Iron People, collapsed completely in an instant.

"The castle has fallen!"

"The Earl has been captured!"

"It's over! It's all over!"

Desperate cries spread throughout the fleet.

Many soldiers lost their last shred of will to fight. Some threw down their weapons and plunged into the sea like dumplings being dropped into boiling water, desperately swimming towards the shore or in other directions, just to get away from this hopeless battlefield. Some warships that were still organized began to desperately try to break contact, turning their bows and trying to escape back to port, unaware that the port had already changed hands and that an even more terrible fate might await them.

The army was defeated like a mountain.

The Redwin Fleet, once one of the most powerful naval forces in the Seven Kingdoms, has now suffered a crushing defeat and is in complete chaos and flight.

Just as the port area was engulfed in flames and chaos, and the morale of the garrison collapsed due to the change of control of the city walls and the capture of the Earl, with each fighting their own battles or scattering in all directions, the only son and heir of Earl Adrian Redwin, the young Paxter Redwin, was experiencing the most desperate moment of his life.

Perhaps driven by a desire to save his father, or perhaps attempting to rally the fleeing soldiers and reorganize a final line of defense, the young heir stood out among the panicked troops in fine, silver-plated armor bearing the vineyard insignia of House Redwyn. He brandished a magnificent longsword, shouting at the top of his lungs, trying to halt the retreating crowd around him.

However, his efforts were as futile as a sandcastle trying to hold back a tsunami in the face of overwhelming defeat.

Just then, an even more savage and ferocious battle cry came from the other end of the street!

Baron Greyjoy led his elite Ironborn troops, who were in a frenzy of killing, like wolves charging into a flock of sheep, rampaging along the port road, mercilessly hacking down any enemy still armed in their sight, searching for valuable targets and loot.

Baron spotted the richly dressed young nobleman, still trying to give orders, almost instantly. "Grab him! Alive!" Baron roared, his face filled with hunting excitement, and charged forward first.

Hearing the roar, Paxter Redwin turned around sharply and saw a group of Ironborn warriors, covered in blood and looking like madmen, led by a young leader with fierce eyes and wielding a blood-dripping battle axe, charging straight at him like the Grim Reaper! Several of his loyal guards tried to step forward to stop them.

"For Redwin!" An old guard charged forward, shield raised.

Baron didn't even slow down, he just unleashed a powerful sweeping attack!

Rilai!

The wooden shield shattered into pieces, and the old guard screamed as his arm twisted and deformed as he was thrown away.

Another guard thrust his sword at Balon's side, but was struck hard on the helmet by an Iron Warrior with the flat of his axe, and immediately fainted.

The battle was brief and bloody; almost instantly, the last barrier around Parker was wiped out.

Paxter's face was deathly pale, but he inherited his father's fortitude and did not turn to flee. He gripped his longsword tightly, assumed a standard defensive stance, and shouted at the charging Baron, "In Redwin's name, stand back!"

Baron Greyjoy laughed, his steps unwavering, instead accelerating forward. Just as the two were about to make contact, Baron drew another short axe from his waist with lightning speed with his left hand, slashing as he did so, drawing Pexel's attention to parry.

As expected, Parker fell for the trap, instinctively parrying the feint with his longsword.

Just as he opened the middle door!

Baron's true killing move—his heavy, long-handled battle axe in his right hand—was unleashed with a fierce gust of wind, slashing upwards with deadly force! This strike landed precisely on the hilt of Parker's longsword!

Clang! A piercing metallic clang rang out!

Parker felt a tearing pain in his hand, and his entire arm went numb from the shock. He could no longer hold onto the ornate family sword, which flew out of his hand and spun as it fell into the mud.

Before he could react, Baron had already rammed into his arms like a raging bear!

The heavy shoulder armor slammed into Parker's ornate breastplate with a dull thud. Parker felt a tightness in his chest, difficulty breathing, and fell backward to his knees.

Before he could fall, two Ironborn warriors behind Baron pounced on him like hunting dogs, one on each side, twisting his arms tightly and pressing their knees against his lower back, rendering him immobile. Another warrior skillfully looped a thick hemp rope around his neck and quickly wrapped it tightly around his arms and body.

Pexel struggled fiercely, roaring, "Let me go! You pirates! Barbarians!"

An impatient man slammed his knife handle heavily onto his helmet.

Thump! A muffled sound.

Parker's vision went black, his struggles weakened, and he felt dizzy and could only groan in pain.

Baron stepped forward and ripped off Pexel's exquisite helmet, adorned with grapevines, revealing a young, pale face etched with terror and defiance. Baron's rough fingers gripped Pexel's hair, forcing him to meet his cold gaze.

"Do you see clearly, young master?" Baron's voice was tinged with blood. "Your good days with the Redwin family are over. Now, you belong to us."

He loosened his grip and ordered his men, "Tie it up tight! Keep a close eye on it! This is valuable stuff!"

Paxter Redwyn, the future heir to Greenwood, was captured alive by Baron Greyjoy in a desperate battle on the burning streets of his own harbor.

He was roughly dragged by the Ironborn toward the castle, which had become part of the Iron Islands' territory. He became, after his father, another extremely powerful and bloody bargaining chip in the hands of the Iron Islands, enough to make the entire Redwyn family and even Highgarden hesitate to act.

The moment the head and heir of House Redwyn were captured, victory in this war was assured for the Iron Islands.