40: The Flamingo Pirates were destroyed.

Just as Linn achieved a costly victory over Wolfgang on Flamingo Island, the battle situation at Eagle Beak Strait also took a decisive turn due to this distant 'stab in the back'.

Upon learning that their base had been attacked and Wolfgang was forced to return to its defense, Cedric was furious but also had to divert his attention. Baron Nocturne keenly seized this fleeting opportunity. Despite his own injuries, he commanded the allied forces to launch an even more ferocious counterattack. He knew deep down that this was the best chance—perhaps the only one—to crush Cedric.

With the loss of Wolfgang's 'iron wall' support and the diversion of some ships and troops, the offensive of the Flamingo Pirate Group was significantly blunted. Although Cedric himself remained unstoppable, his Gold Rank Battle Intent sweeping all before him, each swing of his sword claiming the lives of several allied soldiers, the numerical advantage of the Nocturne allied forces gradually became apparent.

Seeing the tide of battle turn, Rodney and Barlett finally mustered their courage. They ordered their fleets to intensify their feigned attacks from the direction of the strait's exit, even attempting to close in and attack some damaged, isolated pirate ships, further dispersing the pirates' forces.

The battle entered its most brutal phase of attrition. The waters within the strait were dyed a deep crimson, with shattered wrecks and floating corpses nearly blocking parts of the channel. Fighting for their homeland, the soldiers of Nocturne Territory displayed astonishing courage, charging at Cedric wave after wave, using their lives to wear down his stamina and Battle Intent.

Baron Nocturne personally engaged Cedric, adding several deep, bone-exposing wounds to his own body. His broadsword showed cracks, but the Battle Intent in his eyes burned fiercer than ever. He knew Cedric was worried about his base; a prolonged, indecisive fight would inevitably make him restless and impatient.

'Cedric! Your pirate group is finished! Your base is finished! What do you have left!' Baron Nocturne taunted his opponent while desperately parrying his blows.

'Shut up! I'll kill you first!' Cedric roared like a mad tiger, his flaming longsword swinging with increasing frenzy, yet lacking its former precision. The failure to secure a quick victory, coupled with constant bad news from the rear, unsettled him, and openings in his defense began to appear more frequently.

The brutal siege lasted an entire day. When the setting sun once again bathed the strait in a bloody hue, Cedric was at the end of his rope. The golden Battle Intent swirling around him had grown dim and thin. He was covered in wounds large and small, his breathing ragged and heavy like a broken bellows.

Finally, under the relentless assault piled upon him by Baron Nocturne, several Silver Rank officers, and countless soldiers who paid with their lives, this Gold Rank pirate leader who had dominated the northern seas of the Saru Archipelago for years let out a final roar of defiance. Seizing an opening, Baron Nocturne, in a near-suicidal move, drove his cracked broadsword deep into Cedric's heart!

Cedric was dead.

With Cedric's death, the remaining pirates completely collapsed, throwing down their weapons and surrendering. The Battle of Eagle Beak Strait finally ended in a costly victory for the Nocturne allied forces.

On the smoke-filled battlefield, Baron Nocturne leaned on his broken sword, gazing at the scene of corpses strewn everywhere and shipwrecks standing like a forest. There was no joy on his face, only endless weariness and heaviness. The allied forces had suffered over fifty percent casualties, and his elite troops from Thunderclap Island were severely depleted. It would likely take years to recover their Origin Qi.

'Tend to the battlefield, treat the wounded, and tally our losses,' he ordered hoarsely, his voice carrying an indescribable weight of experience. He looked up towards the southwest, his gaze complex. 'I hope Knight Linn... had a favorable outcome.' His greatest worry now was whether Linn had successfully held off Wolfgang, or perhaps... achieved even more.

After a day of rest, Baron Nocturne left some personnel to handle the aftermath in the strait. He, along with Rodney and Barlett, set sail for Flamingo Island with the remaining, battered fleet.

As their fleet slowly approached Flamingo Island, they saw a scene that had witnessed fierce combat yet was now orderly. The docks had undergone preliminary cleaning and repairs. The flag of Iron Sand Island flew high. Shore-based Ballistae were arrayed menacingly. The soldiers, though weary-faced, had sharp eyes and strict discipline.

What shook them to their core even more was a large, cloth-covered corpse placed conspicuously on the dock. The exposed armor style and the massive tower shield unmistakably revealed its identity—the Gold Knight, the 'iron wall' Wolfgang!

Baron Nocturne, Rodney, and Barlett exchanged glances, seeing shock and disbelief in each other's eyes. Linn... had he truly done it? Not only held the island, but also slain a Gold Rank?!

The fleet docked. As Baron Nocturne and his party stepped onto the pier, Linn, accompanied by Clay, Karl, and others, came forward to meet them. Linn's face was still somewhat pale, but his eyes were clear and steady, carrying the Evil Qi of a great battle and a hint of restrained sharpness.

'Your Excellency Baron, it seems the Battle of Eagle Beak Strait has also been settled,' Linn said calmly, observing the unhealed wounds and weary expression on Baron Nocturne.

Baron Nocturne took a deep breath. His gaze swept over Wolfgang's corpse before returning to Linn, his tone carrying unprecedented gravity. 'Cedric has been executed. Knight Linn, you... truly continue to surprise me. Slaying Wolfgang—for this battle, you deserve the highest credit!'

Rodney and Barlett stood silent and fearful on the side, their gazes towards Linn filled with awe. Previously, they might have looked down upon this young lord, but now, with even a Gold Knight fallen before him, they could summon not the slightest thought of opposing his strength and methods.

Linn gave a slight bow. 'Your Excellency Baron flatters me. It was the united effort and... the sufficient price paid by the entire allied forces.' He glanced at the wounded soldiers behind him, his voice low.

Baron Nocturne nodded, understanding the weight of such losses. He looked around, his heart filled with complex emotions as he surveyed this island, now under new ownership. With this campaign, the Flamingo Pirate Group, that festering threat, was completely eradicated. The power structure of the northern Saru Archipelago had been reshaped. And the names Iron Sand Island and Linn Ellis would surely resonate across the entire sea with this brilliant, yet bloody victory.

'As agreed before the battle, Flamingo Island and its affiliated isles belong to my Nocturne Territory,' Baron Nocturne reiterated, this being his core interest.

'Of course,' Linn nodded. 'The prisoners, Slaves, and most of the grain have already been transported back to Iron Sand Island. The island's treasury is largely intact. Your Excellency Baron can send people to inventory and take possession, distributing according to the agreed proportions.' He did not mention that he had already taken a thousand gold coins and some high-value items, nor did he mention Hogan's ongoing raids on other pirate bases. Some benefits are best kept quiet.

Baron Nocturne had no objection to this. Linn's role in this battle had far exceeded expectations; taking those resources was well-deserved. He was now more concerned with how to quickly digest the gains and stabilize the situation.

The leaders of both sides held a brief post-battle discussion on the dock, essentially finalizing the division of interests and subsequent matters. Watching the backs of Baron Nocturne and the others as they began taking over the island's defenses and inventory work...

Linn took charge of the pirate prisoners from Eagle Beak Strait and some cargo ships, bid farewell to Baron Nocturne and the two lords, and returned to Iron Sand Island. Upon parting, he also formed an alliance with Baron Nocturne to jointly resist any external forces attacking the Saru Archipelago.