Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 91 Drawing a Big Pie in the Sky

As the debate in the hall reached a stalemate, with the pro-war and pro-plunder factions each sticking to their own arguments and refusing to yield, a figure who had been silent all along slowly rose from the shadows.

Euron Greyjoy.

His rise was slow, yet it carried an invisible, chilling pressure. When he stood fully still and his gaze swept across the room, an indescribable, overwhelming, and chilling pressure, like a tangible tsunami, suddenly spread out, enveloping the entire hall!

This was not magic, yet it was more terrifying than any spell. It was the manifestation of a pure, absolute will that transcended all living beings, a kingly majesty seemingly emanating from the deepest recesses of the soul. In an instant, all the clamor of arguments, the excited roars,

Even the heavy breathing sounds seemed to be abruptly cut off by an invisible giant hand!

Conqueror's Haki!

The lords seemed to feel the air become thick and heavy, their chests tight. Some of the weaker or less determined captains even turned pale and subconsciously took a half step back, not daring to look directly into Euron's heterochromatic eyes, which had become incredibly deep at this moment, as if a storm and an abyss were spinning at the same time.

Euron slowly said, "If we choose to occupy it long-term, it means to completely incorporate Greenwood, one of the richest islands in Westeros, into the Iron Islands. We will leave a portion of the fleet and troops to garrison it, establish rule, and transform its wealth—especially the wine trade and taxes—into the lifeblood of the Iron Islands."

"This will maximize the benefits of our Battle of Qingting Island and ensure its sustainability. It will permanently weaken or even eliminate the threat posed by the Redwyn family, expand the Iron Islands' sphere of influence to the south like never before, and truly make them a maritime power that can stand on equal footing with the major kingdoms."

"but-"

Before that, everything else is just empty talk. Euron suddenly thought of this phrase, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips. "Occupation is no longer simple plunder, but conquest and rule. Are we Ironborn skilled at ruling a region after occupying it?"

Baron glared at his younger brother and said, "If you don't know how, you can learn!"

"That's secondary. You can certainly learn it, or even if you don't, it doesn't matter. You can still achieve domination through fear and violence." Euron smiled and said, "Actually, the most troublesome problem is that after occupying Qingting Island, we will directly face enormous pressure from two directions."

"We need to consider: what will King Aerys II of King's Landing and House Tyrell of Highgarden, the lords of Greenbeard, think about this war? And what will their attitude be towards our occupation of Greenbeard?"

Euron held up one finger and said, "First, there's King's Landing. The Mad King Aerys might not immediately offer aid, even knowing their current dire situation, because of the Redwyn family's 'incompetence'—failing to successfully seize the supplies and getting themselves into trouble. He might even feel a twisted sense of satisfaction."

"However, the Iron Islands' long-term occupation of Greenwood is a completely different matter. This is an open tearing apart of the kingdom's territory and an extreme provocation against the authority of the Iron Throne. Even a mad king would never sit idly by. Once he realizes this, he may order other lords, such as the Lannisters of the Westerlands, or forces from the royal domains to quell the rebellion, or even lead an expedition himself. At that time, the Iron Islands will face the risk of becoming enemies of the entire kingdom."

"Of course, the Lannisters are very likely not to obey the Mad King's orders, after all, their relationship is already very strained. But we can't rule out any possible scenarios, such as the Mad King compromising with the Lannisters, or restoring Tywin's position as Hand of the King. We need to calculate the worst-case scenario! Right now, all the lords and nobles of the Seven Kingdoms are watching the show, but that doesn't mean they will watch forever. Once they see an opportunity to gain something, they can turn into hungry wolves at any time and pounce on us, wanting to tear us apart."

"Moreover, before the Battle of Greenwood Island, we sent a message to all the noble lords of the Seven Kingdoms, stating that the battle was a personal feud between Redwin and the Iron Islands. Therefore, the Battle of Greenwood Island was fought, but occupying Greenwood Island escalated the simple revenge into the Iron Islands' unauthorized occupation of kingdom territory, turning it into an enemy of the entire Seven Kingdoms' kings!"

Euron extended his second finger and slowly said, "The Isle of Greenbeard has always been one of House Tyrell's most important vassals, a pillar of their naval power and a significant source of wealth. Furthermore, House Redwyn has close kinship ties with House Tyrell; Olenna Tyrell, Queen of Thorns, was the widow of the late Lord Ross Tyrell, Duke of Highgarden, and the current Lord Mace Tyrell..."

The mother of Lord Tyrell, and sister of Adrian Redwyn, the current Earl of Greenbeard. Paxter Redwyn, the future heir to Greenbeard, is engaged to Mina Tyrell. The Iron Islands' attack on Greenbeard is a direct attack on Highgarden's core.

"Oleena Redwyn, the Queen of Thorns, will not let this go unpunished. House Tyrell possesses a massive army and a still considerable fleet in the Reach; they are undoubtedly the most swift to react and the most fiercely resistant force. If the Iron Islands choose to occupy them, they will face a furious counterattack from House Tyrell, who will spare no effort to remove this fang that is piercing their backyard."

Euron concluded Euron's reaction to the Iron Islands' occupation of Greenwood with an ancient Eastern proverb: "How can one tolerate another's snoring beside one's bed!"

You Lun's analysis was reasonable and logical, and even the most fanatical warmongers had to remain silent and think carefully about the consequences of occupying Qingting Island for a long time.

"Then the only option left is to grab it and leave!"

Greton Gubler roared, "Rob everything! Burn everything! Kill everyone! Take everything you can, burn everything you can't take, and kill everyone to prevent them from opposing us again!"

Euron glared at him and said, "I just promised in the plaza, on behalf of the Grey King and the Greyjoy family, that those who surrender would not be killed, and that the civilians would not be harmed! Are you asking me to break my promise!"

"This is the most traditional way, and the most familiar and direct method for the Ironborn. Move the treasury, granary, wine cellar, and all valuables of Green Pavilion Island, including the captured Redwin father and son and important nobles, onto the longship. Burn the port facilities and ship wreckage that cannot be taken away to the ground, and then set sail before everyone has fully reacted."

"Such an operation is swift and carries the lowest risk. It will yield a full load of wealth and prestige, enough to compensate the wounded and reward the troops, in accordance with war traditions, and will not excessively provoke the seven kingdoms."

He paused, his eyes like the sharpest blades, slowly slicing across the faces of each lord. "But a one-time gain cannot destroy the true potential of Green Pavilion Island. Given time, with the support of House Tyrell and the Iron Throne, House Redwyn is likely to rebuild its fleet and once again become a major threat. It's like a wild beast biting its prey but then retreating, failing to deliver the fatal blow. It will inevitably become a problem in the future!"

"So, this alone is not enough to repay the disgrace the Redwin family has inflicted upon us!"

"And before the war," Euron began slowly, his voice low yet possessing absolute penetrating power, "I said I would uproot every vine in the Redwyn family. You," he asked coldly, with a chilling calm, "did you think I was joking?"

"I'll ask you one more question," his gaze swept across the crowd like a searchlight, "Do you know the foundation of Qingting Island's immense wealth, the reason why nobles from the seven kingdoms flock to it?"

He paused again, letting the question echo in everyone's minds. Then, he answered himself, his voice suddenly taking on a cruel tone: "It's the wine of Greentree. It's the best wine in all of Westeros—no, in the known world."

Euron took a slow step forward, and the invisible pressure moved with him. "The founder of House Redwyn was 'Grapevine' Gilbert, the son of the legendary 'Blue Hand' Garth. So their bloodline, their pride, their sigil, even the air they breathe, are filled with the sweet scent of grapes." His tone was full of sarcasm. "A bunch of deep purple grapes, that's everything to them."

"Therefore," Euron's voice grew even colder and more resolute, "the best way to conquer them is not to kill them;

The greatest humiliation you can inflict on them is not taking away their gold.

"Instead—destroy what they care about most and what is most fundamental to them!"

His words were like a final verdict:

"Uproot all their grapevines! Leave not a single one! Leave their land with nothing but barren soil and broken roots!"

"Then, take all the fine wine stored in their cellar, not a single drop!"

"After doing all this, they won't be able to produce a single decent drop of wine for at least three years! Their treasury can be rebuilt, their warships can be rebuilt, but the vines need time to grow! And time is the most painful punishment we can inflict on them!"

But it didn't end there; his ambitions went far beyond destruction.

"Besides," he added, as if stating a matter of course, "bring all their winemakers, every single master who knows how to grow the best grapes and make the finest wine, back to the Iron Islands. Treat them to the best of conditions, or threaten them with the harshest measures—I don't care what methods you use, I want their people and their craft to belong to Greyjoy!"

Finally, he painted a shocking picture of the future:

"In Westeros from now on, when people raise their glasses, they will no longer praise the fine wines of the Greentree Isle, but the red wines of the Iron Islands!"

It will be the best, the most intense, and the most desirable!

"Not just in Westeros," his voice seemed to pierce through space, "but in every corner of the world! Everyone who has tasted it will only remember one name—Greyjoy!"

"Greyjoy!"

"Greyjoy!"

"Greyjoy!"