As the saying goes, strike a snake at its weak point. On the eastern front, the Italian army amassed two hundred and fifty thousand troops, while Archduke Albert only had eighty thousand at his disposal, so it was normal that Venice could not be pushed.

However, once a breakthrough in the war is achieved, a full-scale advancement is what Archduke Albert desires. On the eastern front, the Austro-Hungarian Empire confronting the Kingdom of Italy with a smaller force is already a victory. Next, it depends on whether the Austro-Hungarian Navy can create a new situation and open a new battlefield.

...

Adriatic Sea.

A large fleet is speeding across the sea, led by the Austro-Hungarian Navy fleet departing from Rijeka, Croatia (formerly Fiume).

"This time it's our turn to counterattack! It has always been a regret in my heart not having pursued and counterattacked the Italian navy after our last victory. This time we must make the Italian navy recognize the Empire Navy's progress once again!" William von Tegetthoff confidently said to his subordinates on the deck.

"This time we will definitely secure victory again!"

"Long live the Empire!..."

This is the confidence that the name William von Tegetthoff brings to the Austro-Hungarian Navy.

After the victory at the Battle of Lissa, William von Tegetthoff became a hero in Austria, and Franz urged him to head south to the Dalmatian coast to ensure the development of the naval base there.

Unlike history, this time William von Tegetthoff carried out a comprehensive and systematic upgrade of the military base at the Dalmatian coast because, in the original history of 1867, he undertook a sorrowful mission to transport the remains of his patron, Emperor Maximiliano, who was executed by Juarez Benito, back to his homeland from Mexico.

Now, Maximiliano I is alive and well and has become the Navy Commander in East Africa, so there was no delay in William von Tegetthoff's time to build the military base at the Dalmatian coast, and the two even exchanged views on the future development of the navy.

In 1868, he became the Minister of the Navy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a member of the Military Commission, and a member of the Upper House, granted the title of Baron, and vigorously promoted a comprehensive reform of the Austro-Hungarian Navy.

Through the development of the past two years, the Austro-Hungarian Navy has rapidly narrowed the gap with the Italian Navy in terms of vessels, much stronger than historically.

Among them, due to East Africa exchanging two old ships from the Austro-Hungarian Navy, the Austro-Hungarian Navy took the opportunity to use this as an excuse to add two new warships, which Franz also agreed to, as it was to cover for his brother, Grand Duke Ferdinand, although Ernst symbolically paid some money, it was basically a giveaway.

However, unfortunately, the two new warships of the Austro-Hungarian Empire are still lying in the shipyard at Trieste, just having completed the deck laying, and cannot participate in this battle.

"Report, Italian warships spotted in the northwest direction."

"Let the Lissa approach!"

In 1867, Austro-Hungary began constructing the Lissa Ironclad Ship. Lissa adopted the recently developed central artillery room design, with a displacement of 7,000 tons, meeting the first-class ironclad ship standard at the time. Lissa is the ancestor of Austro-Hungarian battleships and is currently the flagship of William von Tegetthoff.

Compared to the triumphant Austro-Hungarian Navy, the Italian navy is having a more hard-pressed time. Although they obtained Venice as a new naval base in the last war, a significant reduction in funding has made these days difficult for the Italian navy.

Since 1869, the Kingdom of Italy, slowly emerging from the shadow of the Battle of Lissa, finally plans to start a naval expansion plan.

Because the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 restored the strategic significance of the Mediterranean. Italy also needed a strong fleet to protect its interests and safeguard its trade routes in the region. However, before the plan was drawn up, Austro-Hungary declared war on Italy.

This was another massive blow to the Italian navy. If the war had been postponed for a few years until their upgrades were complete, how great would that be!

"Report, General! Austro-Hungarian navy fleet spotted at southeast 24 degrees, rapidly approaching us!"

...

East Africa, Indian Ocean waters.

Just as the Austro-Hungarian Navy was about to clash with the Italian navy, the East African Kingdom Navy was organizing a cross-sea training, conducted in the nearshore waters of East Africa between Bajamojo and Bemba Island.

"This is Jishui City (now Chuchuck City, Tanzania)! But this name seems a bit strange; was it given by the natives?" Navy Commander of East Africa, Ferdinand, asked while looking at the small town in front of him.

"It was formerly called Chuchuck, a small town of the Zanzibar Sultanate, but the name Jishui City was personally given by His Highness Ernst, although we do not know the exact meaning either," said Linde, the mayor of Jishui City.

A phonetically translated name, naturally sounds quite strange; Jishui, a river that once existed, can be considered Ernst's slight yearning for his homeland from his previous life.

"That aside, the port conditions here are quite good; if modified, it should be excellent." Grand Duke Ferdinand said.

"Jishui City is the capital of Bemba Island, but there are currently over two thousand immigrants on the entire island, which has a little over ten thousand people in total, so it's not easy to transform this place." Linde replied.

"Uh, weren't you allocated any slaves to use?"

"Since we took it from the hands of the Zanzibaris, to maintain stability, at the time a full clearance of the entire Bemba Island was performed, and all the Zanzibar people of Bemba Island were bundled and returned to the Zanzibar Sultanate; not to mention transforming the port, even the mature cloves on the island are left unharvested."

Bemba Island is known for producing cloves, and in the previous life, the clove yield here accounted for forty percent of the world, which combined with Zanzibar Island made up over seventy percent.

"I see! But Bemba Island has such good conditions, it is very suitable as a naval base, it's a pity if we don't utilize the ports on Bemba Island." Grand Duke Ferdinand said.

Grand Duke Ferdinand had already studied Bemba Island's terrain; the entire island mainly consisted of hills and plains, with a winding coastline and many bays suitable for becoming a port, primarily concentrated on the West Coast. The island's west coast faces away from the Indian Ocean, so the bays are calm, and it faces East Africa's mainland with Mombasa and Tanga, both ports acting as horns to each other, making it an ideal place to build a naval base.

"If it's for a naval base, I can recommend a place for your direct use. The basic infrastructure is all complete there, just lacking people." Upon hearing Ferdinand's words, Linde said.

"Oh, where is that?"

"In the southern part of Bemba Island, at Mkani, which is now basically a ghost town but was once the port used by the Zanzibar Sultanate to connect the main island with Bemba Island. After we took over Bemba Island, Mkani ceased to be used to connect with Zanzibar Island, and its residents were also sent back to Zanzibar, but the port has remained empty. Although it's been unmanaged for over two years and might be somewhat neglected."

"Mkani, huh! It indeed has good conditions." Hearing the name, Ferdinand had some impression; Mkani is located in the southwest of Bemba Island. When Ferdinand was on the ship, he had passed by it but, as Linde said, it was indeed almost a ghost town, with over a thousand houses but only more than two hundred Eastern African immigrant households residing there.

"If it's to be used as a naval base, it indeed is excellent, with existing facilities that can be used, and the housing problem solved directly." Ferdinand pondered.

Then why hesitate? It is decided; Mkani will be the future second naval base in East Africa.