Chapter 177 176: Voyage

They were traveling on ten wooden Water Tribe warships.

Each could easily carry over two hundred people, but compared to the Fire Nation's steel battleships, they were as fragile as underdeveloped infants; a head-on confrontation would be like smashing an egg against a rock.

In the past, when Hakkoda led his fleets against the Fire Nation, he could only employ guerrilla tactics and boarding maneuvers. Direct combat was never an option.

However, times were different now. After integrating their new combat power, Hakkoda realized their team seemed unusually strong.

It would take three days to reach their destination—Azulon Bay—from Chameleon Port.

Ideally, they would encounter no Fire Nation fleets along the way and arrive smoothly.

But the more one hopes for smooth sailing, the less likely it is.

After a smooth first day of travel, they inevitably began to encounter Fire Nation battleships on the second day.

"A Fire Nation fleet has appeared to our front left. They're not on our course, but if we continue forward, they might spot us," Kahn reported to Hakkoda after ending his meditation and opening his eyes.

A Spirit Bender could project their soul, allowing it to ascend high into the sky to see farther and detect enemies early—an invaluable ability on the open sea.

He and Aang, being the only Spirit Benders, took turns observing during the voyage.

Hakkoda considered the situation, then ordered:

"Have the Waterbenders raise a thick fog for concealed movement."

"Yes, sir!"

As the order spread, twenty-two Waterbenders—including Katara and Aang—simultaneously bent the sea.

A thick mist surged upward, spreading outward until it formed a massive fog bank stretching for several miles, visibility dropping to less than three hundred meters.

The sea had always been the Water Tribe's domain; this had been a consensus for thousands of years, a testament to the Waterbenders' supremacy at sea.

It was a pity that this consensus was shattered a hundred years ago by the Fire Nation, who transformed the seas into their own territory with hundreds of steel behemoths.

Ten ordinary Waterbenders could sink one steel battleship, but the Fire Nation deployed hundreds at once.

The Water Tribe could not gather a thousand Waterbenders to match such power.

And even if they could, a thousand Waterbenders would not withstand two full rounds of bombardment from a fleet of a hundred steel battleships.

But the invention of torpedoes might finally change that.

Under the cover of the thick fog, the fleet safely brushed past the Fire Nation vessels.

But before they could relax, Kahn reported another Fire Nation battleship. This time, they weren't as lucky—the enemy was directly on their course.

Hakkoda immediately ordered:

"Maintain the thick fog. Prepare the torpedoes. Await my command."

"Yes, sir!"

"Aang, seal off the airspace above so they can't send any messages."

"I understand."

Aang nodded and flew into the sky on Appa.

In preparation for battle, Appa had been outfitted with custom armor, making him look both majestic and intimidating.

Once the enemy approached close enough, Kahn's spirit returned, and he used his Heavenly Eye Vision to pinpoint their location.

"The enemy is approaching: three kilometers… one kilometer… seven hundred meters… five hundred meters…"

"Three hundred meters!"

"Fire torpedoes!"

The moment the outline of the steel battleship pierced the fog, ten torpedoes—guided by Waterbenders—shot through the water and struck the battleship's underside, detonating in a chain of explosions and blasting open ten massive holes.

"Water Tribe fleet spotted!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!—"

"What's happening?!"

"Where did that attack come from?!"

"Our ship has been hit! We're sinking!"

The command room inside the Fire Nation battleship descended into chaos. No one understood what method the enemy had used to sink them so suddenly.

In the panic, the commander shouted desperately:

"Counterattack! Counterattack!"

"Send word of the enemy! Now!"

But the ship was already tilting from the flooding.

Their desperate fire blasts and projectiles were easily blocked by the waiting Earthbenders aboard the Water Tribe ships.

Before the ship went under completely, a messenger hawk burst from the command room, darting toward Fire Nation territory to report the enemy.

But an invisible wall of wind slammed into it mid-air. The hawk spiraled, dizzy, and fell—landing neatly in Aang's arms.

"Sorry, but I can't let you expose our presence."

Aang removed the message tied to its leg, tore it into scraps, and scattered them into the sea before returning to the fleet with the hawk.

The sinking battleship and the intercepted messenger hawk marked their complete victory.

"We won!"

Everyone finally exhaled, triumphant smiles spreading across their faces.

"Hahaha, these torpedoes are really something!" Pari laughed heartily.

The victory itself was gratifying, but what pleased him most was that torpedoes represented the possibility of the Water Tribe's resurgence.

Not everyone was like Kupa or Katara—able to single-handedly unleash tsunamis or slice through steel.

For most ordinary Waterbenders with average talent, piercing steel plating was nearly impossible.

Torpedoes perfectly compensated for this weakness.

They gave ordinary Waterbenders a reliable way to fight steel battleships, making the prospect of reclaiming the seas realistic again.

"Thank you all for your hard work. Everyone cooperated very well," Hakkoda praised.

Sokka, meanwhile, rushed to Aang's side, curiously inspecting the messenger hawk.

"Is this a Fire Nation messenger hawk? So cool! I wish I had my own messenger hawk."

Zuko, standing nearby, reminded him, "Messenger hawks are specially trained. They only fly to specific places. Don't get any ideas."

"Of course I know that!" Sokka said quickly, clearly embarrassed, giving up the idea of asking for it.

"Looks like it's only good for grilling."

"No! That's too cruel! Messenger hawks are important companions to the Fire Nation!"

"It's not my companion. And keeping it is useless. What, are we supposed to feed and water it?"

As Sokka and Zuko argued, Aang casually handed the hawk to Zuko and walked away, his expression dazed and subdued.

Katara noticed Aang's mood and worried, but she didn't know how to comfort him.

They were about to face Ozai, and Aang still hadn't figured out what to do. He had been troubled by it for days.

Honestly, Katara thought killing Ozai would be better, but she was willing to support Aang's choice—and trust him completely.

"Aang, time for your shift!"

"Okay, coming!"

Hearing Kahn's call, Aang snapped out of it, took over Kahn's reconnaissance duty, and let Kahn rest.

Katara's gaze drifted to Kahn.

She didn't know why, but she felt that Kahn was hiding something from them recently.

What could it be?

...

The full completed version of Avatar: Rebirth of the Strongest Firebender —