Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

Ataka Nobuyasu fought fiercely against the Mori army amidst the flames, and died in battle. Ataka Kiyoyasu suffered half his body burning, but was fortunate enough to be protected by his personal guards, jumped into the water to escape, and transferred to a ship to escape the battlefield.

The Shima Kuki Navy and the Awaji Ataka Navy were almost completely wiped out.

The Mori navy not only successfully delivered large quantities of military rations and weapons to Ishiyama-Osaka Castle, but also, for the first time, broke through the Oda army's siege of a castle with a powerful frontal attack. This was the first such victory in twenty years of warfare since Oda Nobunaga's rise to power, making the Mori clan's reputation known throughout Japan.

According to this, I will build a navy.

Well then, we can only tell the wealthy merchants who came from the east to disperse and go home. Seeing that there's no way the meeting can continue, let's go check on Oda Nobunaga's situation first.

Nobunaga rushed from Kizu Fortress to Sakai Town overnight and learned that both naval forces had collapsed. The Shima navy had lost seven ship commanders, and the Awaji navy had even lost Ataka Nobuyasu. He was so angry that he wanted to draw his sword and kill someone on the spot.

This isn't just moodiness; this is genuine anger.

Anyone in this situation would be furious. They made such good promises before the battle, how did it turn out like this? They thought they could replicate the siege of Long Island, but now they've revealed their weaknesses. It's so embarrassing.

Especially for Oda Nobunaga, who was on the shore, he had been full of confidence watching Kuki Yoshitaka defeat the enemy for him. But in the end, Kuki Yoshitaka was defeated, and badly defeated at that, which was a huge disappointment for him.

Incidentally, they also lost hundreds of samurai foot soldiers who had crossed the Kizu River to attack Kizu Fortress. Because of the disastrous naval defeat, the entire army was terrified, and the Mori navy's small boats and shipwrecks kept arriving, cutting off the waterways. Those hundreds of men had no way to escape.

I hereby command the establishment of a naval force.

When Kuki Yoshitaka knelt before him, Nobunaga asked, "Where is Ataka Nobuyasu?" "Dead," he replied. Not only was Ataka Nobuyasu dead, but his younger brother, Ataka Kiyoyasu, was probably also dead.

lame.

Funakoshi Kagenao, who escaped with Ataka Kiyoyasu, had most of his hair burned off and his arms covered in blisters, but at least he was able to move around without any problems. He knelt before Nobunaga to report back.

Ataka Nobuyasu had no children, and even if Ataka Kiyoyasu were to be saved, he would be crippled. The Ataka family was doomed.

Before the Awa navy could even be deployed, the Ataka navy was already wiped out. Kuki Yoshitaka, who might have been facing a devastating blow from Nobunaga, had half of his navy resting in Shima Province, making it the largest and most organized navy under Nobunaga's command. Saji Kazunari had only a little over a hundred ships, none of which were large, and his fighting strength was far inferior to the two mentioned above.

Nobunaga could only use a folding fan to give Kuki Yoshitaka a big slap on the wrist, ordering him to immediately return and find a way to build a large ship to counter the Mori navy's Hōrōtama. He was then to rejoin the siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple and atone for his sins.

If it still didn't work, hmph, there wouldn't be such a good thing happening today. Kuki Yoshitaka took the blow without uttering a sound. At this point...

Cai repeatedly agreed, indicating that he would do his best to prevent such a thing from happening again.

Want it to happen again? There will absolutely be no next time.

"Shichibei, you and Sanjiro must immediately reorganize the Awa Navy!" Nobunaga gave this order to Shichibei in front of Kuki Yoshitaka.

Because the Ataka navy was practically wiped out, mainly due to the death of the head of the clan and the extinction of his lineage, as well as the loss of all the main fleet commanders, Kuki Yoshitaka managed to save his life, but only by salvaging it.

By openly sending Shichibei to assist Miyoshi Nobutaka in rebuilding the Awa Navy, Nobunaga is clearly preparing for a backup plan. Once a replacement force is available, Nobunaga will certainly retaliate decisively.

"Heh heh." Shichibei didn't look at Kuki Yoshitaka, but simply bowed his head and responded loudly. "..." Kuki Yoshitaka's prostrate body visibly trembled.

But this is Nobunaga's order, who dares to object? Even if you were Sakuma Nobumori, the most senior and powerful retainer in the household, you would only dare to whisper a few words in private. Would you dare to publicly kiss Nobunaga?

Even Oda Nobutada wouldn't dare to exchange a kiss with Nobunaga. How many lives do you have to go against Nobunaga? All those who opposed Nobunaga before him...

A method to find a water army

His ashes were scattered, and Asakura Yoshikage has become a wine glass.

Yoshiyori Takeda? Yoshiyori Takeda's head was first displayed in Kaifu, then carried along the Tokaido, and finally hung in Kyoto for three months. Although it wasn't turned into a wine cup, it wasn't much different.

Then Nobunaga got up and left. This victory against the Mori clan was enough for him to brag about for three years. Even someone as powerful as Nobunaga was defeated by the Mori clan, so of course he had to brag about it.

Once Nobunaga's figure disappeared out of the corridor, Shichibei, along with Kuki Yoshitaka, Funakoshi Kagenao, and the others, stood up. There's not much to say, is there? It's pointless to say more.

Shichibei even stepped forward to pull Kuki Yoshitaka back. Even a pirate daimyo like him was terrified by Nobunaga's furious outburst.

However, Nobunaga's order was indeed a bit difficult to handle. Nobutaka had already replied to Nobunaga, saying that Awa had ships and sailors, but they were not familiar with the hydrography of Osaka Bay and Naruto Strait. They could only lead the bows of warships, let alone be admirals.

Without a commander to lead naval operations, even if you bring in five thousand fishermen and sailors, and build ten or twenty more Atakebune, it's still impossible.

It's completely useless.

Thinking of this, Shichibei quickly turned to look at Funakoshi Kagenao, the admiral of the Ataka navy. Given their family's current predicament, perhaps they could try recruiting him. But judging from his preoccupation with the family head, he probably wouldn't be interested in that anytime soon.

think.

As for Shichibei's own crew? There are a few pilots operating the return ships, mainly from the ship-handling families that inherited the business from the Ito Sojuro family. A new generation has gradually been cultivated, but they can only operate return ships; they lack the ability to command large-scale water stations.

force.

Never mind, I'll write to Miyoshi Nobutaka first.

In the following days, the situation in western Kinai was quite dizzying. First, Ataka Nobuyasu was killed in battle, Ataka Kiyoyasu was seriously wounded, and most of the Awaji navy was wiped out. In order to maintain support for Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple, the Mori army sent 3,500 troops and occupied Awaji Island.

It was a complete collapse. More than two thousand Awaji naval soldiers were fed to the fish in Osaka Bay. They could not resist and could only submit to the rule of the Mori army.

Meanwhile, in the Harima direction, several thousand Mori troops landed in Murozuminato, launching a surprise attack on Hideyoshi's rear. Fortunately, Hideyoshi had received reports from Nobunaga and Shichibei and was prepared, reacting swiftly and decisively.

The offensive on Kozuki Castle was swift, but it was also forced to halt, forcing a retreat to Himeji Castle to secure the Hashiba army's rear in Himeji.

It is said that Kuroda Yoshitaka and Yamanaka Shikanosuke played a significant role in this battle. Kuroda Yoshitaka set up a feint, tying down the Mori army for half a day. Yamanaka Shikanosuke, with his incredible speed, arrived to provide support within half a day and repelled the Mori army's further attack.

However, the Mori army, with Bizen Province as its base, suffered no losses and simply retreated normally. Clearly, they were preparing for a larger-scale attack.

Ukita Naoie had a broader perspective; instead of immediately getting involved in the Harima campaign, he focused on conquering Mimasaka Province. It seemed he intended to dominate both Bizen and Mimasaka.

The country is waiting to be sold.

His stance is quite good; waiting for the right price is better than making a clear stance now.

Having Ukita Nagaie in his hands certainly made Ukita Naoie's actions more...

They added a bit of "independence." They didn't intend to provoke the Oda clan too much, but of course, if the Mori army needed to use Bizen's territory or to allocate military supplies, Ukita Naoie would still assist them.

Who told Oda's army to suffer a defeat at Kizugawa?

Just then, Miyoshi Nobutaka's reply arrived. He had already been dispatched to the Ōuchi County of Zan Province; he truly had no other choice and lacked the necessary resources.

He was determined to help Shichibei choose a ship's admiral and bowman. However, he indicated that he would send his own retainer to communicate with Shichibei about the matter, as it was Nobunaga's instruction and Nobutaka dared not disregard it.

If all else fails, there is a lower-ranking samurai named Morimura Haru, whose salary is only thirty-eight kan. He fought desperately in the previous battle of Awa-katsuzui Castle, but ultimately could not hold out and surrendered when the castle fell.

At that time, Nobutaka was searching for naval talent. This man had volunteered for the army, but he was the only one available, and besides, he was only thirty-eight kan (a unit of currency), so it was hard to be sure of his abilities. Therefore, Nobutaka didn't pay much attention to him. Now that the matter had been brought up again, he could only push this man forward first and see if he was up to the task.

Haru Morimura? That name seems familiar.

Chapter 395 Kyushu's Cleverness

"Greetings to the Regent's Hall."

Kamiya Munezan kowtowed to Oda Nobunaga, his head hitting the floor as a sign of his submission. He had originally come to Sakaimachi for a meeting as the representative of the Hakata-kai coalition.

As a result, the ship was raided by the Murakami navy halfway through the journey, and the entire merchant ship, along with its crew and cargo, was requisitioned by the Mori family. However, Kobayakawa Takakage was a reasonable man, saying that he would only requisition the ship and rice, and that the people and the ship would be released once the rice was transported into Ishiyama Osaka Castle.

After all, Kobayakawa Takakage believed that at the very least, he should become a Kanreidai (a high-ranking official in charge of the administration of the provinces) or Saigoku Tandai (a high-ranking official in the western provinces), and then he would be a respectable person, so he should do less of the lowly things.

"Great ceremony." Nobunaga had a good impression of Kamiya Sōzan.

At least after Kamiya Sōzan was robbed, he didn't focus solely on self-preservation and escape, but instead sent someone to inform Oda. Although the battle was ultimately lost, this contribution was undeniable.

Furthermore, after arriving at Ishiyama to provide reinforcements, Kamiya Sōzan did not immediately retreat to Kyushu. Instead, he chose to visit Oda Nobunaga in Sakai. This was a very good attitude, at least Nobunaga thought so.

"I have failed to pay my respects earlier; this humble monk has been negligent." Kamiya Sōzan knew that...

They've managed to get close to Oda Nobunaga's ship.

(Kamiya Sōzan hadn't actually become a monk at this time; he should still be called Kamiya Sadakiyo, but that name was used for consistency. Anyway, for these people, becoming a monk was as easy as drinking water, and whether he became a monk or not didn't affect the course of history.)

"No need for formalities." Nobunaga summoned Kamiya Sōzan not to hear Kamiya Sōzan flatter him, but to learn about the situation inside Ishiyama.

Sure enough, Kamiya Sōzan observed carefully. Because of the Mori army's reinforcements, the morale of the Ikkō-ikki, which had been somewhat low, was restored.

Last year, Oda Nobunaga's swift and decisive defeat of the Takeda clan had a tremendous impact on the surrounding provinces. Didn't you see the Imperial Court sending Nijō Haruyoshi and Konoe Sakihisa to test Nobunaga, to see if he was preparing to replicate the Taira no Shogun's story, or if he was preparing to assume the position of Shogun?

A military council has erupted within Ishiyama Castle, urging them to seize this opportunity to launch an offensive outwards and break the encirclement painstakingly established by Sakuma Nobumori. This follows the previous encirclement by Hanawa Naomasa.

The siege was broken by Shimoma Yorihiro and Saiga Magoichi, giving Ishiyama Honganji a few good days. Now that there's another chance, they have to give it a try.

When a city is besieged for a long time, the morale of the soldiers and civilians defending the city will inevitably be affected to some extent.

Upon hearing that the Ikko-ikki were going to war again, Nobunaga paused, his folding fan still twitching.

However, if we're going to war, then so be it. Sakuma Nobumori now commands over 30,000 men. If we squeeze Tsutsui Junkei, Matsunaga Hisahide, and others even harder, we could easily reach 40,000 men, enough to face Ishiyama Honganji alone.

Meanwhile, in the Hokuriku region, Azai Nagamasa had already urged his troops to advance and attack the Kaga Ikko-ikki. Given Azai Nagamasa's abilities, the Kaga Ikko-ikki were likely no match for him.

Moreover, Uesugi Kenshin had been launching a fierce attack on Noto last year, and once Noto was pacified, the main focus of the Uesugi army's attack would inevitably shift to Kaga. At this point, Uesugi Kenshin had finally figured it out: if he couldn't manage the Kanto region, he would go and crush the weaker regions in the Hokuriku region.

Kaga Ikko-ikki is incredibly fortunate to have run into Azai Nagamasa head-on and Uesugi Kenshin from behind.

To put it bluntly, the Hokuriku Ikko-ikki is already doomed, and Ishiyama Honganji can no longer rely on the Hokuriku forces to invade the Kinai region. The only way to extricate themselves from this predicament is through self-rescue.

Because the water blockade surrounding Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple was broken.

It wouldn't be difficult for Lu Sen Gobo to organize 20,000 men. If he could really pull 20,000 men from Kishu to Ishiyama all at once, he could create a significant troop advantage at a certain point in Ishiyama.

In addition, the Mori army also sent a large amount of saltpeter to Ishiyama. Previously, some of Ishiyama's saltpeter was produced locally, most of it was produced in Kaga in the Hokuriku region and then sent over, and of course, some was purchased from outside. However, after Kaga was conquered by Oda in history, most of Ishiyama's saltpeter supply was cut off, which is one of the reasons why Kennyo surrendered.

After all, if lead ingots were unavailable, iron beads could be used as a substitute. But if saltpeter was unavailable, then it was truly gone. And without saltpeter, the cannon became useless.

Shishan Honganji Temple is now well-equipped with troops and supplies, enough for six months. It would be unreasonable not to launch a major attack.

"I will travel the lands of Kyushu in the future and repay you in kind." Nobunaga immediately made a promise after hearing this.

Within the Kinai region, Kamiya Sōsō had no interests, and naturally, he couldn't get anything in return. Nobunaga also had nothing to offer, only empty promises about Kyushu. Perhaps, once they conquered Hakata, Kamiya Sōsō...

After saying this, Nobunaga got up and left. Shichibei, who was sitting to the side, also got up quickly, saw Nobunaga off first, and then came back to greet Kamiya Munezan.

After escaping from Ishiyama, Kamiya Sōzan arrived in Sakai and must have first gone to see Shichibei. After confirming with his companion, the two talked. That's how Nobunaga and Kamiya Sōzan met just now.

Kamiya Munezan didn't stand up, but crawled to the door, keeping his head down as he saw Nobunaga off. Only when Shichibei's footsteps returned did he straighten up.

Kamiya Sōzan was very grateful to have been introduced by Shichibei and given the opportunity to speak directly with Nobunaga. He not only repeatedly apologized for not being able to attend the National Alternate Trade Conference on time, but also assured Shichibei that he would definitely arrive early next year.

That's a really good attitude; he's a smart person.

As the two walked back, Shichibei asked him why other merchants from western Kyushu, fearing the outbreak of the Mori-Oda War, had fled back to Kyushu and western Japan as soon as they returned their ships. Even those who didn't flee sold off their goods in Sakai before leaving.

He met with Nobunaga and pledged his loyalty to him.

This actually made Shichibei quite curious. Everyone else had run away, but you stayed behind. Was it just to get the pie Nobunaga had promised?

"Japan has sixty-six provinces, and although the Regent Palace only governs a dozen or so, it holds the right to rule the world."

"Middle. Although the Mori also has twelve provinces, they are far inferior." Kamiya Sōzan seemed to be dialing a set of ebony abacus beads, exuding the aura of a shrewd calculator.

"Where does it fall short?"

"money!"

When he uttered that word, Kamiya Sōzan looked at Shichibei very seriously, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.