Game of Thrones: The Red Dragon Lord

Hassan nodded slightly in agreement. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said to Davos, "Can you hand over the pirates you captured earlier to me? If you take them back, Lord Stannis will just hang them."

Davos thought for a moment before replying, "You can take part of them back, but I need to deliver the rest to Lord Stannis. The name of the cruel 'Gavin' has already spread across the straits. Compared to Lord Stannis, those pirates might even consider themselves lucky to be in Gavin's hands."

Hassan grinned and quickly joked, "Sir Gavin doesn't much like the title given to him by these pirates. I saw firsthand how he reorganized them. Those pirates were wild and untamable; they even rioted and tried to flee. If Sir Gavin hadn't… dealt with them through certain means, I doubt anyone could have controlled them."

Davos nodded knowingly. "Lord Stannis does appreciate Gavin's efforts to open up the Stepstones, but he remains critical of the decision to reorganize pirates. Stannis believes they should be hanged according to the law."

Hassan took a sip of wine and responded, "That's certainly in line with Lord Stannis's character. But recruiting pirates is the only viable option. Our population is too small to field enough sailors. Once they board, we train them extensively. After all, these pirates are skilled sailors—better to make use of them than waste them."

The two continued their conversation, discussing the situation at sea, their personal experiences, and future plans. Time passed without notice, and the sky outside gradually darkened.

Davos glanced out the window and remarked, "It's already nightfall."

Hassan stood up and stretched, "Indeed. Time flies when you're in good company. I've enjoyed our chat, but it's time for me to return to my ship."

Davos stood as well. "Be careful on your way back, Commander. Let's meet again another day."

Hassan smiled, nodded, and left the captain's cabin, disappearing into the night.

Hassan's visit was directly connected to Petyr Baelish's visit to the Stepstones over six months ago. Shortly after Petyr returned to King's Landing, Gavin received a letter from him.

Using his extraordinary eloquence, Petyr had managed to convince Stannis—a man known for his stubbornness—to speak on Gavin's behalf at the Royal Council.

In return, Gavin sent a large sum of gold dragons to purchase the so-called dragon bones Petyr had arranged. Additionally, Gavin dispatched his trusted Fleet Commander Hassan with thirty warships to Dragonstone to assist Stannis's naval efforts.

Under Stannis's orders, Hassan and his fleet helped clear major pirate and smuggling routes in the straits. Both sides agreed that captured ships and prisoners would belong to the capturing party. To further demonstrate his loyalty to the kingdom, Gavin also donated 100,000 gold dragons to Stannis's royal fleet.

During the campaign, Stannis assigned Davos Seaworth to accompany Hassan. Despite initial skepticism, the two men grew close during their operations, finding shared experiences in their humble origins.

When Hassan and Davos returned to Dragonstone, Stannis was pleased with the results. He allowed Hassan to lead the fleet back to the Stepstones, marking the end of their cooperation.

The setting sun bathed the sea in golden light as Hassan's fleet finally reached Bloodstone Island after a month-long voyage.

The port bustled with activity—workers loaded and unloaded cargo, masts rose like a forest above the docks, and the air was filled with shouts and the sounds of trumpets.

As Hassan's fleet appeared on the horizon, the entire port erupted into cheers.

Once docked, the sailors secured the ropes with practiced ease, while prisoners were herded off the ships in noisy groups. Soldiers barked orders, trying to maintain order amidst the chaos.

Hassan stood on the bow of his ship, surveying the scene with a slight frown. After ensuring the ships and prisoners were handled properly, he leapt onto the dock and headed straight for the city lord's palace.

The streets smelled of salt and fish, and vendors called out their wares, but Hassan ignored them, intent on reporting the fleet's success to Lord Gavin.

Upon reaching the palace, he found Gavin in his study. Bowing respectfully, Hassan began, "Lord Gavin, our cooperation with Stannis has concluded. Lord Stannis asked me to deliver his gratitude to you personally."

He handed Gavin a letter from Stannis. Gavin opened it, quickly scanning the contents before looking up.

"You've been to Dragonstone. What's your assessment of the Royal Fleet's current strength?" Gavin asked.

Hassan thought for a moment before replying, "Although the Royal Fleet claims to have over a hundred ships, at least thirty are in poor condition and haven't been maintained for years. They're also short on personnel. Many of their ships are old Ironborn longships, and few are actual warships."

Hassan hesitated, then added, "I also noticed that many of their captains lack skill."

Gavin sighed. "That's to be expected. Most of the original pirate captains were executed. The replacements are low-ranking sailors promoted out of necessity—it's no surprise they're unqualified."

After a pause, Gavin continued, "I've been considering establishing a naval academy to train captains, first mates, boatswains, and other key roles. What do you think?"

Hassan's eyes lit up. "That's an excellent idea, my lord. When I was younger, I worked as a sailor with the Braavosi Purple Fleet for two years. They have similar institutions to train their personnel. Perhaps we could hire instructors from Braavos to teach our captains?"

Gavin nodded. "Good. Proceed with that plan. Also, I've been thinking about the manpower shortage. Could we purchase slaves from Slaver's Bay and train them for specific tasks aboard our ships?"

Hassan considered this and replied, "Many ship tasks are repetitive and mechanical. I believe those slaves could handle them efficiently."