Chapter 1614: Chapter 1614

1614: Chapter 1610: Fleet 1614: Chapter 1610: Fleet “Boom!”

The wooden vessel finally made its way out of the river channel and slowly sailed into the ocean.

The ship’s dark, unadorned hull and its twisted and rudimentary original wood structure made one doubt its suitability for the era’s development…

but the roaring helm engine and support wheels provided it with a powerful drive.

At first glance, it seemed like an antiquated wooden sailing warship enlarged tenfold, then stripped of its sails and fitted with modern components.

Crude and rough, yet remarkably cheap and effective.

This was the fleet’s thirteenth original wood ship.

Such wooden warships, behind the times in both speed and defense capabilities, were unexpectedly well-received by the military region and the warriors…

Not limited to the 3rd Military District, other military districts had also used them and submitted purchase requests.

This certainly wasn’t a bluff…

Warriors often reject weapons and equipment that are harmful to their own lives, yet their evaluation of these simple wooden warships was quite high.

“Their lower halves are solid; those Fishmen cannot penetrate them.”

“Even if they get close to the deck or the bottom of the ship, the plants floating above will attack them, quite effectively.”

“Mine actually got punctured…

But they healed themselves.

And even if they can’t heal, it’s not a problem; they’re multi-layered structures, even if they’re torn apart, they’ll still float on water.”

Wooden materials and steel materials for vessels—while it seems that steel ships have advantages in all aspects, just dropping wood and steel into water speaks for itself…

And the original wood warships provided by Lu Ping’an were so rudimentary it was almost a joke; most of their structure was even solid, which meant they had no fear of being penetrated, and sinking them became highly unrealistic, reducing them at most to a piece of rotten wood floating on water.

This, in the pursuit of mobility in naval battle, is not a good thing.

The excessively large size and total mass put substantial pressure on the propulsion system.

The high consumption and lack of speed in modern naval combat is a joke…

and the fragile wooden structure offered scant protection for the sailors.

But when the opponents are mainly ocean life forms—those Fishmen and Sea Beasts adept at penetrating ships of Terrestrial life—the clumsy “floating graveyard ships” appear exceptionally handy…

Initially, it was to mock their absurd maneuverability and combat configuration, suggesting once they’re besieged, they could only be beaten to death, but now some warriors self-mockingly say, “Dying in a tomb on the ocean is better than sinking to feed the fish.”

Lu Ping’an originally only intended to order ten ships for his base, as tools for his power as an Extraordinary Gardener, already bordering on misappropriation of public resources…

Looking at the data alone, these wooden Arks are trash among trash, with high consumption, slow speed, and no suitable armaments.

However, the gene modules fused with “Lamp Tree” and “Fusang tree,” called “Ark Wood” by the people of Mercury 42, possessed bursting life force and heat sources, which could be fully utilized by Gardeners.

Lu Ping’an’s procurement reasons were justified.

For Gardeners and Beast Tamers, having heat, a life basis, and water means countless life forms and countless weapons.

If strong enough, they could even build a rudimentary ecosystem on the Ark.

Those huge old ships covered with green Vines, moss, and Carnivorous Plants look like floating wreckage from a shipwreck, but they are the Gardeners’ “positions” at sea.

Even on the ocean, they still serve as premium artificial islands, and Lu Ping’an’s team had even developed Parasitic Plants that could be used as food…

These Tree of the Ark, originally intended for saving people and relocation, also a Holy Item of Blessing from the God of Redemption, could float on the ocean and be self-sufficient for a long time.

As a combat warship, its attributes are extremely lacking—mobility is completely inadequate, lacking corresponding military armaments, it doesn’t have much attack power, yet, unexpectedly, it became popular after real combat.

Recently, Lu Ping’an’s “family business” bizarrely received a large number of orders.

“…One can only say that the combat experience from Mercury 42 has come into play again.

Terrestrial life forms clashing with a group of aquatic amphibious life forms don’t actually need sturdy ships and powerful artillery…

those are designed for surface warfare, while past human naval combat was all civil war, with sinking ships to feed opponents to the fish as the target.”

The shipbuilding industry on Earth had clearly not yet been tested by wars from Exotic Realms.

Now facing threats that were mostly underwater rather than on the surface, under such circumstances…

“…a stable platform on the water, an unsinkable island, a defensive position that can be established in front of the opponent’s frontline, a fortress that allows sailors to rotate and heal, that’s the most suitable ship for the battlefield.”

At least judging from the feedback of other military forces, these wooden ships, which aren’t afraid of being sunk, are indeed more useful than metal-hulled ships…

What’s more painful isn’t even the ships themselves but the main weapons like naval guns and bombs, which are extremely ineffective in underwater combat.

If it really comes down to underwater melee again…

Lu Ping’an estimated it would be much worse than Mercury 42.

After all, this world does not have the Divine Grace of Underwater Breathing that can be picked up, and humans under the sea are far inferior to the Long Arm Clan and the Fishman.

“I’m starting to understand the Extreme Faction a bit…”

Those of the Extreme Faction…

including Xiu Yi who also went through the naval battle of Mercury 42, were even more conscious of the absolute disadvantage early on.

If the old-time naval forces of Earth opened hostilities against the Octopus Tribe, it would definitely amount to an annihilation.

So, preferring to turn the ocean into a Life Forbidden Zone, forcing them to come ashore for a land battle, truly is a last resort.

Standing on the bridge, inhaling the sea breeze with a hint of fishy smell, Lu Ping’an sighed.

Not far away was a steel platform raging with fire…

It seemed to be some company’s drilling platform, lucky enough to last until now, also because the foreigners perhaps did not understand the importance of that “Black Oil” to humans.

“Everyday life has collapsed too quickly…”

Just a short month since the war erupted, and everything had changed.

The usual everyday life became memories of the past.

When the form and economy of a nation both shifted towards a war footing, all culture, industries, and even ordinary people’s jobs naturally underwent significant transformation.

A massive mushroom cloud slowly rose above the sea not far away.

This familiar yet strange scene made Lu Ping’an even more helpless.

It seems something exploded not far away?

Judging by the speed at which the waves were coming, not far at all.

Was it one of our own ships that had been completely destroyed?

Or was it the detonation of a last-resort, high-yield bomb?

Either scenario was not good news for him right now.

“Should we go take a look?

It should be friendly forces.”

Lu Ping’an looked back to see the joint fleet, composed of thirty-seven varied warships, moving as slow as turtles (the Ark ships being too slow), and the rescue mission to Sakura Island this time, might as well be doomed to miss.

“…divide into three ships.”

Lu Ping’an gave the order, the combat power of the three ships themselves being unimportant as each had Top Combat Power stationed aboard.

With a slight diversion, most of the warships continued towards the northeast.

This time, it was said that Sakura Island had sent out calls for help repeatedly…

“The threat they are facing is said to be of Nation-destroyer level….”