Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 282 Cohen: Be my fiancée!
Grace acted quickly and arrived at the waters near Scarlet Island in less than two days.

Just as she was about to contact Cohen, a strange female voice suddenly sounded in her ears:

"Excuse me, is this Her Royal Highness Grace Tang, the eldest princess of the Eastern Territory Empire?"

The sound was so close that it was almost ringing next to my ear.

Grace was shocked. Although her talent was not top-notch, she had cultivated to the seventh level.

The fact that a person could get close to her silently was enough to show his strength.

Grace looked towards the source of the sound, and a slender figure instantly appeared on the sea level.

Grace was slightly surprised by the beauty that was not inferior to hers and the aura that was impossible to sense.

I didn't seem to know this person. Why did the other party recognize me so quickly? It was as if he was waiting for me.

Seeing that Grace didn't answer, Claire chuckled and said:
"Someone told me to wait here for a woman who's prettier than me. I thought it was someone else, but it turned out to be a little succubus!"

A dangerous light flashed in Grace's eyes, and she asked in a deep voice:

"Who is the someone you are talking about?"

Claire said:
"Leader of the Crimson Reavers."

Grace frowned. Had Cohen already informed the mysterious leader of his arrival?
She was a little surprised in her heart. Cohen's relationship with the son of the devil was too good.

How come he told the other party about his arrival so quickly?

The other party actually sent a legendary person to greet them.

Grace had been planning to wait for Cohen near Scarlet Island, but upon arrival, she was discovered by the subordinates of the Scarlet Raiders leader.

Seeing Grace was silent, Claire said:
"Please come in, Your Highness. Our captain has been waiting for you on the island for a long time."

Grace narrowed her eyes and asked:

"Not yet. When your leader's friend arrives, I'll go in with him."

Claire asked:
"What friend?
The leader only told me to pick you up."

Grace said in a deep voice:
"King Effiin, didn't he ask your captain to pick me up?"

Claire smiled playfully and said:

"Your friend has arrived at Scarlet Island. Please come in, Your Highness."

Grace was very alert and contacted Cohen using the communication stone.

Cohen gave a positive answer, and she breathed a sigh of relief and entered Scarlet Island with Claire.

On the way, Claire asked casually:
"Your Highness, Princess, when did you meet King Effiin?

I'm very curious, how could the dignified Princess of the Empire be related to an unknown little king of the Northwest Continent? "

Grace glanced at Claire and said lightly:
"This doesn't seem to concern you."

Claire raised her eyebrows slightly and said with a smile:

"It seems the bards of the continent have underestimated King Effiin's popularity with women. Even the Princess of the Eastern Territory Empire is one of his concubines."

Grace pursed her lips, indifferent to Claire's teasing.

She didn't understand why a legendary mermaid would be so interested in Cohen. She would know everything once she met Cohen.

Grace's mission was top secret, so Claire took Grace directly to Cohen's residence.

After putting Grace in the living room, Claire said:
"The captain is handling official business and will be here soon. Please wait."

Grace immediately became alert, emitting magical fluctuations from her body, and asked coldly:

"Where's Cohen?

I want to see Cohen first!"

Claire's eyes flashed with a smile and she asked:

"Her Royal Highness the Princess truly trusts King Effiin. Don't worry, you will meet him!
I have something else to do, so I won't accompany Your Highness."

After saying that, he disappeared.

Claire was originally sent by Cohen to inspect the various bases and ships of the Scarlet Raiders, but this time she was temporarily recalled by Cohen.

After picking up the person, I naturally went back to do my work as an inspector.

After Claire disappeared, Grace's expression turned cold, and there was a scroll in her hand.

Not long after, footsteps were heard from outside, and a young man wearing a devil mask pushed open the door.

Needless to say, this person is the leader of the Scarlet Reavers.

Grace held the scroll across her chest and asked coldly:
"Where's Cohen?"

Cohen was stunned for a moment, and looked in the direction where Claire disappeared with a headache.

Why didn't this woman tell Grace her identity?

He realized that the scroll in Grace's hand was a long-distance transmission scroll, and quickly changed back to his original accent, saying helplessly:
"Your Highness, are you leaving right after arriving?"

As he said this, he took off his mask.

Grace looked at the familiar handsome face that was revealed, her eyes widened, her face full of disbelief:

"You...you...how come you are the leader of the Scarlet Reavers?

That's not right. Father told me that the leader of the Scarlet Plunderers is the son of the Demon God, and he's at least forty years old!"

Cohen extended his hand to Grace and said with a smile:

"It's a long story. Anyway, it's been a while since we last met. Your Highness, wouldn't you give me a hug?"

Grace spat lightly, and the corners of her lips couldn't suppress the smile:

"How dare you say that, you heartless bastard? I've been working tirelessly for you in the Lost Lands, and yet you're here flirting with some mermaid beauty."

Cohen took the initiative to step forward, grabbed Grace's hand, and said with a smile:

"Thank you for your hard work, Your Highness. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you here!"

The atmosphere between the two gradually became ambiguous. Grace took a deep breath, her eyes regained clarity, she pulled her hand away, and said:

"Hey, let me tell you something serious. Father asked me to negotiate with the leader of the Crimson Reavers. What do you think we should do?"

Grace had a headache. If the leader of the Scarlet Plunderers was a stranger, she could naturally get the manufacturing drawings of the gods and demons' equipment back for the Eastern Territory Empire without any psychological pressure.

But facing Cohen, a man with whom she had made a blood pact and was destined to share honor and disgrace for the rest of her life, she was really in a deep dilemma.

Cohen clearly saw Grace's embarrassment and said with a smile:

"What conditions did His Majesty Eberron ask you to offer?"

Grace said sullenly:

"Help you defend against the attack of the Kingdom of Ceylon Navy."

Cohen spread his hands:
"What if I don't need your Eastern Territory Empire's help?"

Grace was stunned for a moment, then she realized that the current leader of the Scarlet Raiders was Cohen. If the other party was not fully confident, how could they take the initiative to expose the coordinates of the base camp?

Cohen said:

"You can reply directly to your father. Your Eastern Territory Empire's negotiation conditions mean nothing to me. Please ask him to watch in Dragon City how I completely crush the Ceylon Navy's attack."

Grace pondered for a moment and said:
“That’s a valid response, but it’s not a long-term solution.

I can see that my father is determined to get this blueprint.

And in his opinion, this blueprint did not mean much to a pirate group.

Under normal circumstances, without the support of a kingdom, it would be impossible to develop and manufacture the divine and demonic equipment on the blueprint..."

At this point, Grace was stunned for a moment, and she grabbed Cohen's hand in surprise and asked:

"Have you already started crafting your second set of divine and demonic equipment?"

Cohen chuckled and said:
"Your Majesty, the future Empress of the Eastern Territory, your loyal ally, Korn Corleone, will soon build for you a 'special-grade' army equipped with both the 'Star Guardian Armor' and the 'Phantom Dragon Wing Cloak'."

Grace had an intoxicating smile on her face and said angrily:

"You're saying it nicely. Is it for me or for that most beautiful woman on the continent?"

Cohen blinked and said:
"Oh, I was wrong. Let me correct it. It's for you guys!"

Grace's eyes showed a half-smile:
"Your 'we' includes too many women!"

Cohen coughed lightly, his face full of embarrassment.

Grace said seriously:

"Okay, let's get down to business. What if the Emperor asks you for other conditions?
The blueprints will always attract the covetousness of others when they are in your possession. Since you have almost finished your research, you might as well take this opportunity to return the blueprints to the Eastern Territory Empire to avoid being coveted by others.

You can also make a fortune. My father has a lot of good things. You can ask for them at will."

Cohen couldn't help but tut his mouth twice and said:

"Your Highness, you are helping outsiders blackmail your father."

Grace rolled her eyes at Cohen.
"We agreed to live and die together, share honor and disgrace, so why are you calling me an outsider?
You should think carefully about what conditions to propose to my father. By the way, don't ask for too much."

Cohen gathered his thoughts and fell into deep thought.

After thinking for a while, he suddenly looked up at Grace and said firmly:
"I want you!"

Grace's heart beat faster for no apparent reason, her eyes wandering as she asked:

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Cohen stared into Grace's eyes and said in a deep voice:
"I'm not kidding. In the name of the Scarlet Plunderer, I invite the Princess of the Eastern Territory Empire to join me. What do you think?"

Grace patted her plump chest lightly, gave Cohen a look, and said:

"Could you please not say such things in such an ambiguous tone next time?

I don't want to be secretly targeted by the continent's youngest legendary, legendary witch, legendary mermaid, golden elf, golden female killer, dragon warrior, etc."

Cohen's face was filled with black lines. He reached out and pinched Grace's cheeks, stopping her from talking, and said:
"Let's talk business, Your Highness." Grace pushed Cohen's hand away and said unhappily:
"Don't touch me, I'm not like the woman mentioned above."

After a pause, Grace put one finger on her chin and said thoughtfully:

"Are you planning to find a backer for yourself after you have dealt with the Kingdom of Ceylon's North Sea Fleet?"

Cohen nodded:

“My original plan was to use the Western Regions Empire as a backer and let the Kingdom of Ceylon suffer the consequences.

Force them to cooperate with us, the Scarlet Plunderers, to jointly develop the northwest waters.

But now I have a better idea. After all, there is no overt relationship between us Scarlet Plunderers and the Western Region Empire. If we force an alliance, it will easily arouse suspicion."

Cohen secretly told Isabella about this and asked her to add this clause when negotiating with Emperor Monroe next time.

It was claimed to the outside world that the Scarlet Plunderer had shares in the Golden Wing Family.

But now he has a more reasonable means.

Grace nodded and said:

"If I join you, I can help you resist the retaliation from the Kingdom of Ceylon, but... what's the excuse?

It doesn't seem reasonable to hear that a pirate group in the northwest seas has attracted the Imperial Princess to join them."

Cohen fell into thought again. Feeling the succubus aura emanating from Grace, Cohen's eyes lit up and he asked:

"You said... the marriage between the son of the demon god and the daughter of the succubus, isn't this news enough to silence most people?"

Grace opened her red lips slightly. After confirming that Cohen was not joking, her beautiful face quickly flushed and she looked away.

"What do you mean?
Are you trying to take advantage of me?"

Cohen coughed lightly:
"It's just in name only, I won't really do anything to you.

Yes, that’s it, you tell His Majesty Eberron that my condition is you!

I will marry you as the son of the demon god!"

Grace stared into Cohen's eyes for a long time and said:

“You have to understand that even if you are the son of the Demon God, you are now just the leader of a small pirate group.

Why would I, the eldest princess of the empire, fall for you?"

Cohen said confidently:
"What if I, the leader of a pirate group, am also the successor of the ancient Pirate King and the next Pirate King?

Isn't it reasonable for the princess of the empire, who is eager to find an ally for her succession, to choose a Pirate King with a bright future for marriage? "

Grace was surprised and looked at Cohen:

"One Piece?"

Cohen nodded and said:
"I have already built the ghost ship. Wait, the battle with the Kingdom of Ceylon's North Sea Fleet will soon shock the entire continent.

By then everyone will know that I am the successor of the Pirate King. If you announce this news to outsiders, no one will have any suspicions anymore.

I believe that even your Eastern Territory Empire would approve of this marriage."

The more Cohen thought about it, the more wonderful it seemed. Once the news of his marriage with the eldest princess of the Eastern Territory Empire spread, given the Kingdom of Ceylon's usual style, not only would they not retaliate, they might even take the initiative to come to him and seek cooperation!
As for the Eastern Empire, sending an older princess who had little chance of inheriting the throne to befriend the future Pirate King was also a good deal.
Grace lowered her eyes and thought carefully about Cohen's suggestion.

After a long silence, he slowly said:

"You have to explain to Isa for me. I didn't mean to steal her man."

Cohen smiled and said:
"Isa is very understanding and will definitely understand our difficulties. This way, I can help you more openly in the future!"

Grace looked at Cohen, with complicated emotions in her heart. She couldn't help but wonder, how could she sell herself out just for a business trip?
Grace put her thoughts aside and sent a message to Emperor Eberron.

The gist of it is that the leader of the Scarlet Reavers was confident that he could resist the attack of the Ceylon Kingdom Navy and did not agree to the conditions they proposed.

However, it seems that the leader still has something to ask for. She hopes to stay in Scarlet Island for a few more days and do the leader's work again.

Emperor Eberron naturally agreed with both hands, but he was also very curious about how this Scarlet Plunderer would deal with the Ceylon Navy that had dominated the northwest waters for many years.

For a moment, the overlord far away in the Dragon Land also turned his attention to this sea area.

……

According to the estimated route, in another seven days, the vanguard of the Ceylon Navy's North Sea Fleet will reach the Scarlet Island's sphere of influence.

Cohen gathered Flint and others in the war room, including Claire, who was sent out by her as an inspector, and was also called back by him.

Of course, there is also the newly joined Princess Grace. Grace did not hide her appearance, because the news of her stay in Scarlet Island would be leaked sooner or later anyway.

As expected, when everyone saw that there was another stunning beauty of the gold level beside the leader, they were amazed again.

This captain's luck with women is no less than that of King Effiin.

Back to the topic, Flint's shipbuilding plan went very smoothly. In less than ten days, fifteen ghost ships had been upgraded.

Cohen asked him to temporarily stop the shipbuilding work and instead start training sailors and crew members as soon as possible.

The ghost ship must be able to fight within seven days.

Seeing how urgent Cohen's order was, Flint could probably guess that Scarlet Island was about to face a severe test.

As for Claire, after she finished her inspection, she came back with a thick stack of lists.

Seeing Grace standing beside Cohen like a young wife, an inexplicable hint of meaning appeared on her red lips. Then she put her thoughts aside and handed the list to Cohen.

Cohen raised his eyebrows slightly:

"Chief, who are the people on these lists?"

Claire said lightly:
"Disobeying orders, defying laws, and going through the motions.

Well, there were a few who were not very good with their mouths and brains, so I killed them directly. Do you have any objections? "

The corners of Cohen's mouth twitched slightly, and he probably knew what it meant to have a bad mouth and a bad brain.

When a group of pirates who do evil things see a beauty of Claire's level, there will definitely be some fearless ones who will flirt with her or even do it.

Claire is a legendary transcendent and the head of a clan, so of course she won't be polite to them.

Flint, Beckman, Will and others who entered the war room had stiff expressions on their faces.

Most of those pirates were brought out by them, and many of them have a good relationship with them.

Claire handled everything without even saying anything, which made them feel a little embarrassed.

Cohen didn't care about all this. He strongly supported Claire's actions. He sent Claire out to establish his authority.

Therefore, he clearly expressed his support and approval for Claire to everyone.

Flint and others were at a loss for words now.

After listening to their respective work reports, Cohen also announced the intelligence he had to everyone. As expected, this news caused the operations room to fall into an eerie silence.

Because the previous plans were carried out secretly by Cohen and the naval officers from Aifin.

The former deputy captains of the Scarlet Plunderers knew nothing about this, so when they learned that the North Sea Fleet of the Kingdom of Ceylon would be arriving at their doorstep in a few days, they were all horrified.

Their mindset has not changed yet, and they still think of themselves as just a group of plundering pirates who have no ability to resist the regular navy.

Cohen paused and said to the young officer not far away:
"Stevens, please give everyone a brief report on our battle plan."

Everyone followed Cohen's gaze and saw four or five officers in white uniforms standing out among a group of pirates in different costumes.

Everyone knows that these are military talents collected by the commander from various countries on the continent. They were all appointed by Cohen as military advisers, replacing Beckman's former position, and formulating plans for the development and combat of the Scarlet Raiders.

They are the think tank around the leader and are highly valued. Therefore, although Stevens is too young, no one dares to underestimate him.

Stevens calmed himself down and briefed the Crimson Raiders' deputy captains on their previously drawn up battle plan.

After the report, there was a long period of thought and silence. After a while, Captain Flint was the first to speak and ask:
"Captain, there's a very important question. How can we ensure that the Ceylon Kingdom Navy will proactively dispatch troops to rescue the Black Sails when they learn they've been attacked?"

After Flint asked this question, the others looked at Cohen, obviously having the same question in their minds.

Dividing the troops to annihilate the enemy sounds like a perfect plan, but when it comes to implementing it, there are too many unpredictable situations.

Cohen said calmly:

"Don't worry about this problem. I am fully confident that the Ceylon Navy will definitely split its forces when the time comes."

Seeing that Cohen was unwilling to say more, everyone held back even though they still had doubts in their hearts.

Since the other party was able to lead the Scarlet Reavers to wipe out the Banshees in the Weeping Trench, I think he should have a way to deal with the massive invasion of the Ceylon Navy.

After scanning the area, Cohen said:
“Now let’s start the battle arrangements.

The entire plan is divided into four phases and two battlefields.

In the first stage, he led the remaining forces of the Crimson Reavers to defend the main base of Crimson Island with the assistance of the sonic defense wall of the Weeping Trench Banshee and two legendary banshees.

In the second stage, he led the main force of the group, including the fifteen reinforced ghost ships, to besiege the Black Sail Group.

Encircle but do not suppress, waiting for the Kingdom of Ceylon to dispatch troops.

The third stage is to destroy the separate troops of the Kingdom of Ceylon.

In the fourth stage, we will return to Scarlet Island and work together with the remaining personnel on Scarlet Island to wipe out the main force of the North Sea Fleet.

The two battlefields are the Black Sail Group's headquarters and the Scarlet Island's main base. I will lead the team personally at the Black Sail Group's headquarters, and now the key is the Scarlet Island's main base.

Who of you is willing to stay here?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone fell into silence.

Everyone knows that when it comes to mission danger, defending the Scarlet Island main base is undoubtedly the most dangerous.

Not only did they have to withstand the fierce attack of the entire North Sea Fleet of the Kingdom of Ceylon Navy in the early stage, but they also had to hold back the main force of the North Sea Fleet in the later stage, waiting for Cohen to lead his troops to annihilate the separated troops and return to rescue.

It is conceivable that once the main force of the North Sea Fleet learns that its detachment has been destroyed, it will inevitably realize that it has fallen into a trap.

At this moment, the main force of the North Sea Fleet has only two choices: either retreat directly or attack Scarlet Island more fiercely.

If it was the former, there was no doubt that Cohen would ask the remaining personnel at the Scarlet Island main base to delay the main force of the North Sea Fleet that wanted to retreat, and if it was the latter, Scarlet Island would have to bear greater pressure.

After a long silence, Flint said:
"I'll stay and defend the Scarlet Isle!"

(End of this chapter)