The Fox of France

Soon enough, the Ministry of War devised a plan. According to this plan, before the Olympics, the navy would dispatch two separate squadrons comprising twelve warships, including the steam-powered super cruisers like the "Free Trade," "Unified Market," the "Le Havre" steam-powered cruiser, the "Toulon" steam-powered cruiser, the "Fousses" steam-powered cruiser, and so on, towards the North African coastline to provide escort for merchant ships of various nations.

Simultaneously, the French government authorized these warships to inspect any vessels they deemed suspicious. If met with resistance, they were allowed to use force as they saw fit.

Furthermore, in coordination with these military actions, French consuls stationed in the Barbary countries were instructed to immediately demand negotiations, asking these nations to return the missing French sailors, ships, and cargo promptly, offering reasonable compensation to the French citizens.

These demands seemed entirely reasonable. However, for the Barbary nations, they were nearly impossible to meet. Firstly, they had no clue who was behind these incidents. Pirates involved in such activities wouldn't confess to attacking a French vessel; instead, they'd hoist Spanish or other Italian state flags on the captured ships.

Naturally, tracing this wouldn't be an insurmountable challenge, but any pirate nation wouldn't dare admit to it. Denial would shift the blame elsewhere; admission would bring about consequences they'd have to bear.

Yet, the most pressing issue was the French demand for the return of the missing sailors. The whereabouts of these vanished sailors were crystal clear to the Pashas. A gang of pirates, seizing ships from countries where pillaging was forbidden, couldn't demand ransom. For the sake of secrecy, the easiest solution would be to swiftly send these sailors to meet Neptune, ensuring silence. So, there was no need to ask—they were undoubtedly all eliminated.

However, revealing this to the French was impossible. Saying, "Hey, French folks, we raided your ship, killed your people, now deal with it," would undoubtedly result in the French fleet dismantling their homes.

So presently, admitting anything was out of the question. Even investigating wasn't viable. If one were investigated, wouldn't that imply they were involved? Currently, the only feasible course was to shift the blame to neighboring pirate nations.

Of course, other pirate nations would unhesitatingly reciprocate, ensuring that no one bore all the blame alone. Moreover, passing the buck also had its perks—ensuring the Barbary nations were collectively tied together. If France indeed decided to turn hostile, everyone would bear the consequences together, which was better than facing it alone.

It's like fish in the ocean. When sensing danger, they'd group together, forming a dense shoal to confront predators. This strategy was usually effective against typical predators. However, if the predator happened to be a trawler, the entire shoal would...

France, now advancing industrially, was that trawler. But what was worse was that the Islamic world was gradually lagging behind. Lagging didn't solely refer to their technological inferiority; it was more about their scientific backwardness, leading to a limited understanding of their own capabilities compared to the advanced world. Sometimes, even if you showcased extraordinary abilities, they couldn't comprehend it. Incomprehension naturally led to fearlessness. Fearlessness rendered intimidation policies futile.

It was akin to humanity in "The Three-Body Problem," who, despite encountering omnipotent and omniscient sophons, still believed their 2,400 star-rated battleships could withstand the paternal affection from the Trisolarian. Their foundational scientific backwardness prevented them from imagining the opponent's true strength, assuming they weren't too far behind.

The Barbary nations were in a similar state. They reckoned that if united, while unable to defeat the French, they could at least inflict substantial damage, hopefully securing a respectable outcome.

Confronted with French demands, several pirate nations swiftly initiated a blame game, affirming to the French that the attacks weren't their doing, claiming they didn't have a habit of assaulting French vessels—it must have been other pirates elsewhere.

While vehemently denying any involvement, these pirate nations also warned their subordinate pirate ships preparing to set sail, instructing them not to attack French vessels anymore.

As for those already at sea, yet to return, all they could do was hope they wouldn't cause any further trouble.

By now, Pauline had successfully lit the Olympic torch, accomplishing a historic task. Then, she wandered aimlessly in Greece, exploring the sites of heroic tales, purchasing some purportedly genuine ancient Greek artifacts, before once again boarding a ship and departing Greece.

The "White Eagle" lingered briefly in Naples, allowing Pauline to go ashore and relax while replenishing some necessities.

Accompanied by a retinue of bodyguards, Pauline roamed Naples, casually purchasing what might be authentic Roman artifacts and local newspapers, intending to pass the time during the journey.

However, as Pauline glanced casually at the newspaper, she immediately spotted a headline: "Barbary Pirates Rampage; French Navy Begins Escorting Merchant Ships."

Seeing this, Pauline's eyes lit up. She turned, her gaze flashing as she smiled at Belladonna, who stood nearby. "Belladonna, if you can convince the captain to take a detour and deal with those Barbary pirates, I'll reward you. What do you say?"

"What kind of reward?" Belladonna hurriedly asked.

"I haven't decided yet," Pauline chuckled. She leaned closer, draping an arm around Belladonna's shoulder, whispering near his ear, "But hey, since we're such good pals, I won't let you work for nothing, will I?"

The breath from Pauline's mouth tickled Belladonna's ear, coupled with an inadvertent soft part brushing against his arm, making him involuntarily flutter with a tinge of excitement.

"Miss Bonaparte," Belladonna tried hard to maintain composure, "I regard you as a brother, you shouldn't..."

....

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