CHAPTER 617: CHAPTER 608: SAILING THE SEA DEPENDS ON THE HELMSMAN

After the new warship was named "Friendship" by Jerome Bonaparte, he asked Minister Dico if he could enter the inside of the "Friendship" for inspection.

"Your Majesty, the Friendship belongs to you and to the entire French Empire!" Minister Dico replied to Jerome Bonaparte.

Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte and others took a small boat and boarded the deck of the Friendship Ironclad.

The captain in charge of the new ironclad, upon receiving news of Jerome Bonaparte and Minister of the Navy Dico’s arrival, hurriedly assembled the sailors on the deck.

Since the Friendship Ironclad was completed less than two months ago, and the ship has not yet undertaken escort missions, the crew was still understrength at 430 (full strength is 570).

Four hundred sailors stood on the deck looking at Jerome Bonaparte and Dico in front of them, and many had expressions of excitement on their faces, as this was their first close encounter with the Emperor’s nephew.

Gazing at the mass of soldiers, Jerome Bonaparte did not speak, but walked among them, shaking hands and inquiring about their names and residences.

Almost every soldier who shook hands with Jerome Bonaparte relayed this information with a tremulous voice.

After Jerome Bonaparte shook hands with all the soldiers, over an hour had passed.

Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte stood before them again, praising their dedication to France and encouraging them to strive for a naval force not inferior to the Kingdom of Britain.

"We must prove to Britain that we are not only superior in the army, but that our navy is equally not inferior to the British Navy! Building an independent naval fleet is a shared dream between me and Dico! I believe that with such a fleet, France can extend its civilization to every corner of the world! Let the indigenous peoples of the world learn French spontaneously and become part of the French world!" Jerome Bonaparte spoke in a fervent tone.

In front of these newly formed ironclad sailors, Jerome Bonaparte attempted to instill his colonial ideas in a gentle manner.

In his heart, the purpose of the French fleet was not only to challenge Britain’s maritime power but also to expand French colonies.

Thus, a powerful navy was a necessary condition for France!

"Therefore, I hope you can take action as much as possible! Strive to build a strong navy, and I will wholeheartedly support you! I believe with our joint efforts, France will succeed!"

As Jerome Bonaparte finished speaking, the captain of the Friendship Ironclad immediately began to applaud, and the sailors on the ironclad also applauded Jerome Bonaparte.

Thunderous applause filled the ironclad; after a while, on Jerome Bonaparte’s orders, the applause gradually subsided.

Then, Jerome Bonaparte gave the dismissal order to the captain.

"All hands! Dismissed!" the captain said in a loud voice to those standing on the deck.

The sailors on the deck followed the captain’s order and returned to their posts, after which the captain approached Jerome Bonaparte and stood alongside Minister Dico.

"I hope that the Friendship can be my ship for this trip to Constantinople!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Minister Dico.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured! I will ensure that all personnel are fully equipped before departure!" Minister Dico immediately responded.

"Very well!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded, then jokingly said to Minister Dico: "Dico, I’ve requisitioned this warship!"

"Your Majesty, this fleet is yours in the first place!" Dico responded respectfully, then turned to the captain and instructed him on the task of escorting Jerome Bonaparte to Constantinople.

"I will complete it satisfactorily!" the captain responded firmly.

"Since we’re here, why don’t we have a meal here?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Richard Metternich.

Richard Metternich nodded slightly, adding that he had never dined on a battleship before.

"You have to do your best! If Ambassador Richard is not satisfied, don’t blame me for being harsh!" Jerome Bonaparte said teasingly to the captain.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured! Our navy has the best chefs on board. Although they may not compare to the chefs at the Tuileries Palace, they have a unique flavor, and I am confident Mr. Richard will be satisfied!" the captain said eagerly to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Is that so? I’m a bit jealous of the chef your fleet has!" Minister Dico also laughed in agreement.

Historically, the navy’s treatment has always been the most generous among all branches, not only because of the numerous noble officers in the navy but also because the cost of training a qualified navy soldier is almost equivalent to his weight in gold.

Hence, almost all countries would equip their fleets with the best chefs.

Even in countries like Japan, where the army might be on the brink of starvation, the navy still enjoyed top-level treatment.

English meals, Italian pasta, things many Japanese people never see in their lifetime are commonplace for navy soldiers.

Therefore, the future Yamato-class battleship was also playfully called the Great Harmony Restaurant.

Returning to the topic of the Friendship Ironclad, as the first warship made with an iron shell, Deco put in a considerable amount of effort.

Thus, everyone aboard, from the sailors to the cooks, were carefully selected by Deco.

"Well then! I look forward to it!" Jerome Bonaparte said with a smile, "By the way, where is the restaurant?"

"Your Majesty, please follow me!" The captain quickly led the way for Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte entered the interior of the ship and found the officer’s dining room on the first level (the ship’s interior was composed of multiple layers, with the first and second serving as rest and recreation areas for sailors and officers, and the third and fourth housing cannons and steam engines, while the fifth was for storing supplies as ballast).

Entering the dining room, Jerome Bonaparte smiled and greeted the officers inside while walking to a table in the corner and sat down.

After about half an hour, the ship’s chef began serving the dishes.

Looking at the table full of dishes in front of him, Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but start thinking if the budget allocated to the French Navy was a bit too much—foie gras, escargots, steaks... it was truly a lavish display.

Once all the dishes were served, the chef brought two bottles of Bordeaux wine, which seemed to have aged judging by their packaging.

The chef uncorked the bottles and poured the wine into glasses.

Jerome Bonaparte raised his glass, stood up, and said loudly to everyone in the restaurant, "This first glass of wine is to France, may the French Empire grow stronger day by day!"

All the officers present stood up and raised their glasses in response, saying, "May the French Empire grow stronger day by day!"

Jerome Bonaparte and everyone present drained their first glass, then sat back down.

Then, Jerome Bonaparte and the others continued to eat and chat, and this small banquet lasted for almost two hours.

As the last glow of the setting sun lingered over the horizon, night fell, and the light of kerosene lamps replaced the daylight, illuminating the entire ironclad ship.

Jerome Bonaparte and others left the ship under the captain’s escort, and then took a small boat to the port.

Standing on the dock, Jerome Bonaparte gazed at the shimmering sea surface. After a long while, he turned to Minister Dico beside him and asked, "Where is our accommodation?"

"Your Majesty, please follow me!" Minister Dico quickly responded.

Led by Minister Dico, Jerome Bonaparte returned to the gangway. Looking into the distance from the gangway, the port was still brightly lit, with workers tirelessly working there.

After walking to the side of the gangway away from the port, several carriages were parked there.

Jerome Bonaparte entered the carriage just as he had upon arriving. The carriage gradually accelerated under the illumination of kerosene lamps on either side.

About 10 minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of a castle.

"Your Majesty, this is the place!" Minister Dico said to Jerome Bonaparte, pointing at the castle.

Jerome Bonaparte and others entered the castle, and the butler, upon seeing Deco and others arrive, quickly came to greet them.

"This is His Majesty!" Minister Dico introduced to the butler.

"Your Majesty!" The butler, already informed of the Emperor’s arrival, quickly knelt and saluted Jerome Bonaparte.

"Hmm!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded slightly, then commanded the butler to prepare rooms for him and Richard Metternich to rest.

After the two had a good sleep in the castle (Richard Metternich took the opportunity at midnight to write a letter to Prince Metternich, informing him that France possessed a new type of warship), Jerome Bonaparte, accompanied by Minister Dico, proceeded to Toulon City Hall to meet with the senior bureaucrats of the Toulon City Hall.

Richard Metternich, meanwhile, took the time to send the letter to the Austrian Empire.

That evening, a banquet was held at the Toulon Navy Club, where Jerome Bonaparte met all the naval commanders of the Toulon Region.

Jerome Bonaparte also shook hands with them and offered encouragement.

In the following days, Jerome Bonaparte met with some industrial and commercial tycoons from Toulon in the castle to inquire about the progress of their enterprises.

The tycoons all expressed their gratitude, stating that, thanks to his favor, their enterprises were in a phase of rapid development, with many factories having more than doubled in size, and their businesses continued to absorb workers.