Zandalar -
In his previous life, Galen had spent considerable time traversing various regions of Zandalar—Zuldazar, the Swamps of Nazmir, and the Desert of Vol'dun—all in pursuit of unlocking allied races. However, in his haste to complete the War Drums quest line as swiftly as possible, he had only cast a cursory glance at the terrain, leaving him with little lasting impression. Furthermore, the true world differed from the game, and now Galen found himself essentially navigating blind.
Fortunately, Galen had chosen his magical flying carpet, which required only a mana gem for sustained flight. It took him two full days to soar from the vicinity of the Atal'Aman Pyramid to the southwest coast. Throughout this journey, VanCleef diligently relayed fragments of information about Zandalar to Galen.
From his time developing Pandaria, Galen already knew that Zandalar's current God-King Rastakhan had reigned for over 200 years, once a wise and valiant monarch dedicated to his kingdom. It was Rastakhan's exceptional leadership that had inspired Prophet Zul's unwavering support. However, Zul had not anticipated that such an outstanding ruler was, in fact, a man of profound romance. The queen's death had left Rastakhan utterly devastated, triggering a fierce power struggle within the Zanchuli Council.
VanCleef's intelligence specifically concerned the Zanchuli Council. Not long ago, the combined forces of the Zandalari, Amani, and Gurubashi had suffered a crushing defeat in Stranglethorn Vale. Coupled with the failure of the Pandaria plan, the Zandalari Golden Fleet had incurred heavy losses. Most critically, Dark Prophet Zul's prophecy that the sea would inundate all of Zandalar had failed to materialize! While a tsunami did occur, flooding dozens of kilometers of land along Zandalar's coast, it was far from severe enough to submerge the entire island.
Seizing upon these failures, the council members had launched a concerted attack on Dark Prophet Zul, intending to leverage these shortcomings to oust him from the heart of Zandalari power. Yet, the Dark Prophet proved no easy adversary. He immediately retaliated by announcing that the queen's death was linked to certain individuals within the Zanchuli Council. This successfully roused the depressed God-King. An enraged Rastakhan replaced nearly all members of the Zanchuli Council, sparing only Prophet Zul. All others implicated were executed.
The purge of the Zanchuli Council ushered in a new decision-making echelon for the Zandalari. The council's composition drastically shifted, with some individuals exploiting the opportunity to eliminate dissidents, leading to a significant number of trolls being exiled to Vol'dun. The situation grew increasingly chaotic. Galen noted two names in particular: Princess Talanji and General Zakaze!
Of these two trolls, Talanji was relatively secure as Rastakhan's sole bloodline. Barring unforeseen circumstances, she was destined to become the future Queen of Zandalar. However, Zakaze was not a Zandalari troll; he belonged to the desert trolls. Zul had attempted to reunite the scattered branches of the Troll Empire under the Zandalari banner. As a result, the Amani and Gurubashi had annexed the Drakkari trolls and unilaterally declared an end to their tribute, leaving only the weakest Farraki trolls under Zandalari influence. Operating on the principle that even a small mosquito offered some sustenance, Zul had won over this group of trolls. Among these weak desert trolls, the Dark Prophet had discovered Zakaze and his talents, granting him an important position within the Golden Fleet. Not long ago, Zakaze had also participated in the campaign against Zul'Gurub. Although the war ended in failure, Zakaze had demonstrated considerable tactical and strategic abilities.
Now, with both Talanji and Zakaze simultaneously present in Vol'dun, their presence might pose significant obstacles to Thranduil's actions. However, it would be merely an obstacle. Talanji, though talented, was still young, and Zakaze was simply not on the same level as Thranduil in any aspect; there was no comparison.
The flying carpet soared low over the desert, a living embodiment of the saying, "a horse will die if it runs too fast." Galen could already discern the distant horizon where sea and sky merged, yet he had been flying for two hours at a blistering 310% flying speed!
The southwest coast of Vol'dun was a forbidden zone. Many creatures that ventured there never returned. Over time, despite lingering legends of a pirate king's treasure, no intelligent being dared to approach. As Galen neared the coast, he spotted the sand-buried ruins of a port in the distance. Further out from the port, two fleets were locked in a fierce battle.
One of the colossal fleets consisted of hundreds of warships with black and red sails—it was the Blood Sail Fleet under Galen's command. The other fleet... their warships were an eclectic mix of styles, clearly originating from different races, and appeared quite ancient. Many were corroded and tattered, with only a few Zandalari-style warships looking relatively intact. The most ornate warship among them exuded the grandeur of the Golden Fleet, adorned with various accessories on its wooden hull, its bow shaped like the head of an ancient dragon. The entire warship was painted gold, yet it did not belong to the Golden Fleet. Instead, a skull pirate flag, similar to the Blood Sail Fleet's, fluttered from its mast!
Facing such a ragtag fleet, the Bloodsail Pirates had dispatched only ten warships, one of which was their flagship: the Black Pearl. The remaining warships formed a semicircular formation, tightly encircling the abandoned port on the coast. The naval battle between the two sides was quite fierce, but the Bloodsail side held a clear advantage with its powerful firepower, while the opposing fleet was merely struggling to hold on.
Galen waved his hand, and after the vision spell activated, his perspective shifted, pulling him into the Black Pearl. This warship had been used by Galen to raid Stormwind nobles in the fourth year of the Dark Portal calendar. After 20 years of transformation, it was now utterly unrecognizable. Aside from its inability to fly, it had become a veritable sea fortress.
Soon, the Black Pearl's artillery blasted off the mast of the golden battleship, crippling its wind system, which was followed by a thrilling boarding battle! The Naga thug on the boat held up a golden trident and used a grappling hook to leap onto the opposing vessel. And on that golden warship, there were no ordinary pirates! They were a host of skeletons! Their bodies were composed entirely of bones, devoid of any flesh or blood. The only feature revealing their race was the two protruding fangs at the corners of their mouths! This was a pirate group of Zandalari trolls, and those skeletons were proof of their curse!
Zasj, the first admiral of the Bloodsail Fleet, led the charge, being the first to board the enemy's deck. She raised two of her six arms, pistols in hand, and fired directly into the foreheads of two skeleton pirates. The sheer force of the bullets instantly shattered the skeletons' heads. Then she swung her remaining four arms, her four scimitars creating a blur of flashing steel. In a matter of breaths, all the troll skeleton pirates who rushed her were chopped into pieces, scattering across the deck!
"Ah! You dare to attack the fleet of Pirate King Zem'lan? The endless curse will destroy you!"