Chapter 344: Shock and Awe

July 10th, 1821, seven o'clock in the morning.

Without warning, the placid morning was shattered by the thunderous roar of cannons. The sleek destroyers of the French Pacific Fleet commenced their assault. Their precise volleys targeted the Japanese junk ships which encircled their formation. Every cannonball that found its mark sent splinters flying, tearing through the age-old wood of the junks with devastating force.

From the coast, the unsuspecting civilians were jolted awake, their homes shaking with the reverberation of the cannon fire. Panic spread like wildfire.

"The French are attacking! To arms!" cried out a military officer, his samurai uniform billowing as he raced toward the coastal defenses.

Samurais, now found themselves thrust into a new age of warfare. They scrambled, manning their dated cannons and clutching their old muskets.