Make France Great Again-Chapter 730 - 721: Toulon Show-off

"Reception?" The mayor of Toulon City was momentarily stunned, then quickly responded excitedly, "Yes! I will immediately send someone to prepare!"

"Remember! Be quick! We don’t have much time left!" Minister Deco once again reminded the mayor of Toulon City, "All welcoming personnel must be in place before the fog lifts!"

"Rest assured! I will ensure that His Majesty sees your enthusiasm, Toulon City!" The mayor of Toulon City replied firmly to Minister Deco.

"Then I’ll go ahead! As soon as you’re ready, head straight to the port!"

After giving his instructions, Minister Deco quickly left the City Hall. As the organizer of the welcoming ceremony, he must not only let Emperor Jerome Bonaparte see the love of the Toulon residents but also the navy’s support for His Majesty.

Otherwise, how would their navy compete with that bunch of army buffoons for the military budget?

Minister Deco had heard that the current acting Chief of Staff of France, Nie’er, was implementing a second military reform targeting the shortcomings of France’s presence on the Crimea Peninsula.

If the navy does not act to show their loyalty to Emperor Jerome Bonaparte, then the next military budget will surely lean towards the reforming army.

After Minister Deco left, the mayor of Toulon City also instructed his subordinates to start taking action.

The whole Toulon City Hall was like a machine that had just started up, operating at high speed.

On the other hand, the fleet stationed outside the military port was quietly drifting on the sea, waiting for the fog to disperse.

After all, entering the military port in foggy conditions is a very dangerous maneuver.

While Jerome Bonaparte and others were waiting for the fog to dissipate, a small boat appeared from the fog, quickly approaching the vicinity of the Friendship Ironclad.

Immediately, the officer on the small boat shouted loudly, he came on the orders of Minister Deco, and his purpose was to meet His Majesty Jerome Bonaparte.

The captain of the Ironclad immediately reported this situation to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Deco, what is that guy up to?" Jerome Bonaparte muttered quietly, then ordered, "Lower the rope, let them come up using the rope!"

"Yes!" The captain promptly threw down a rope to the navy officer on the small boat, who climbed up the side ladder of the Ironclad along the rope, and then onto the deck to meet Jerome Bonaparte.

"Your Majesty!" The navy officer who met Jerome Bonaparte immediately bowed in salute to Jerome Bonaparte.

"What is Deco’s purpose in sending you?" Jerome Bonaparte asked calmly.

The navy officer tactfully told Jerome Bonaparte that Minister Deco hoped His Majesty could wait a little longer at sea so that he could make adequate preparations.

"Preparation! Preparing for what?" Jerome Bonaparte showed a trace of displeasure on his face, having drifted at sea for over a week, he was eager to set foot on land again.

The navy officer, sensing the displeasure in Jerome Bonaparte’s words, hesitantly responded to Jerome Bonaparte, "Minister hopes to let you feel the admiration of the residents of Toulon Military Port for you, Your Majesty! Your majestic presence on the Crimea Peninsula makes every resident of Toulon Port long for you; they sincerely admire and respect you!"

Hearing the navy officer’s words, Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but show a satisfied smile.

"This Deco, always manages to come up with some new tricks for me!" Jerome Bonaparte said with a smile and then pointed at the navy officer, "Go back and tell Deco that, on his account, I’ll wait a little longer!

Remember, don’t make me wait too long!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The navy officer quickly answered Jerome Bonaparte.

Then, the navy officer took his leave from Jerome Bonaparte.

He jumped onto the small boat using the rope and gradually disappeared into the hazy fog.

Time flew by, and after about an hour, the sun slowly peeked over the eastern horizon, and the fog shrouding the city of Toulon gradually dissipated.

The navy officer’s small boat reappeared around Jerome Bonaparte’s Ironclad.

"Your Majesty, the fleet can enter the military port!" the navy officer said to Jerome Bonaparte.

"You work pretty fast!" Jerome Bonaparte praised, seeing the distant, densely packed "black spots" of the military port through his monocular telescope.

The navy officer showed a shy smile.

Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte ordered the Friendship Ironclad and its attached transport and escort ships to proceed towards the military port in sequence.

The "Friendship" restarted, and after about ten minutes of sailing, the ironclad made its way near the Toulon Port.

Jerome Bonaparte only then realized that the warships in Toulon Port were currently arranged in two lines, seemingly as a special preparation to welcome Jerome Bonaparte’s triumphant return.

As soon as Jerome Bonaparte’s ironclad ship entered the port, Minister Dico quickly ordered the flag signal soldiers on shore to issue the command to fire at the two lines of the fleet.

The two lines of warships, upon receiving the flag signal soldiers’ order to fire, swiftly fired to one side.

Amidst the tremendous roar, the "Friendship" and its affiliated fleet passed through the gap between the two lines of warships and reached the port dock.

"Let’s go, everyone!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Valerovsky and Richard Metternich, who were accompanying him.

Valerovsky and Richard Metternich followed Jerome Bonaparte off the ship, descending the gangway on one side of the ironclad ship.

With his feet just touching the land, Jerome Bonaparte once again felt an unprecedented sense of relief. He mumbled softly to himself in a voice only he could hear: "Indeed, life adrift at sea is not quite suited for someone like me."

Just as Jerome Bonaparte finished speaking, the voice of Minister Dico reached his ears: "Your Majesty!"

"Dico, you’ve come!" Jerome Bonaparte said with a smile to Dico and then extended his hand to shake Minister Dico’s hand tightly.

"Your Majesty, welcome home!" Minister Dico responded sincerely to Jerome Bonaparte.

After the monarch and minister exchanged pleasantries for a moment, Jerome Bonaparte turned his gaze to the well-dressed gentleman beside Dico. He pondered for a moment: "If I’m not mistaken, you are Jacob Joy, the mayor of Toulon City?"

The mayor, upon hearing that Jerome Bonaparte still remembered his name, responded to Jerome Bonaparte with a face full of honor: "Your Majesty, I’m honored that you still remember me!"

"The current prosperity of Toulon City is inseparable from the guidance of your Toulon City Hall. How could I forget?" Jerome Bonaparte said, patting Jacob Joy’s shoulder: "As one of the few excellent ports of France, Toulon Port, like Marseille, carries our nation’s hopes for the entire Mediterranean Region. Therefore, I hope that Toulon Port not only becomes a military port but also a trade port connecting Mediterranean countries with France.

Toulon City Hall must continue to strive to build Toulon into the top port of France... no, of the world."

"Your Majesty, please rest assured that our Toulon City Hall will not disappoint your expectations and will strive to make Toulon an international port!" The mayor of Toulon City also assured Jerome Bonaparte.

"With your assurance, I’m relieved!" Jerome Bonaparte replied with a smile to the mayor of Toulon City.

No one knows better than him the future potential of Toulon Port. Once the Suez Canal is completed, the previously declining Mediterranean trade could be revitalized.

(Historically, one reason for the decline in Mediterranean trade was the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope route.)

Toulon Port could also prosper, riding this wave.

Of course, Jerome Bonaparte himself no longer held any hope for France to take ownership of the Suez Canal, as once the canal is completed, it is bound to impact the interests of the Cape of Good Hope route and the Kingdom of Britain’s control over the Mediterranean. As the maritime supremacy holder, Britain would never allow this event to happen.

Though the current concessions of Britain to the French Empire seem numerous, that’s because the French Empire itself has not yet made any moves to seize the "Trident of the Sea God."

Once Britain determines that France is taking action to seize the Trident of the Sea God, it would spare no cost in maintaining its maritime supremacy.

From the Napoleonic Wars to World War I, and then to World War II, Britain has carried out their belief with practical actions.

So unless absolutely necessary, Jerome Bonaparte did not want too great a conflict with Britain.

The topic strayed far, and after encouraging the mayor of Toulon City, Jerome Bonaparte invited Minister Dico and Mayor Jacob to follow on his left and right.

As Jerome Bonaparte moved forward again, the band played the Hymn of Triumph of the First Empire. Amidst the passionate melody, children, like porcelain dolls, appeared to Jerome Bonaparte, holding flowers and wreaths. As if rehearsed, they spoke in unison to Jerome Bonaparte: "Your Majesty, welcome back!"

"Mm!" In front of everyone, Jerome Bonaparte crouched down, gently stroked each child’s head, and said softly: "Thank you all for your hard work!"

Then he pointed to the flowers and crown in the children’s hands and asked them: "Are these for me?"

"Mm!" The children nodded and then said: "But, the adults said we have to wait a while to give them to you!"

"Are you tired?" Jerome Bonaparte asked them again.

"Tired!"

"Not tired!"

Some children followed their parents’ words and answered "Not tired," while others honestly said "Tired!"

"I understand!" Jerome Bonaparte reached out to take the flowers from the children’s hands, then had those bow their heads place the wreaths on his head.

After doing all this, Jerome Bonaparte patted each child’s back and said: "Let’s go! Go home!"