Kingston, January 4, 1780.

After saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new, Lorraine and his sailors sailed aboard the Cyclops to Port Royal.

Although it has been decided to officially enter the pirate world and declare war on Cottonjack, neither Lorraine nor his seafarers have taken the matter too seriously.

Times are different after all.

The so-called great pirates have long been lost in their golden age, and the pirates who survive today are far from the navies of the great powers of the time in terms of strength and level.

Lorraine and his Golden Hart had gambled life and death at sea with the French, who were second only to the Royal Navy in overall strength.

The battle of Lerobel gave them a first-hand experience of the world's top maritime power, and also made them see their own strength.

With this unadulterated experience and the self-confidence that comes with it, Lorraine dared to hold up in the coming war.

The main focus of the Drake Chamber of Commerce is still on the expansion of commerce.

The Northwest European branch will not join the war, and the main forces of the Caribbean chapter will not be transferred to confrontation.

The Chamber of Commerce's focus is still on lucrative smuggling, and when the fleet is combined, most of the seafarers will disembark from the Crow's Nest, leaving only Henna, Noya, and Acharin with them, and Wang Ye and the Cyclops will also go north to Boston at that time.

So Lorraine also brought Dylan, Hill and Bartow with her this time.

In his plan, the next battle of the Pirate King will be the flagship of the Golden Deer, the Admiral of the Fleet of Lorraine and the captain of the Golden Deer, Henna at the helm, and the Achalin as the gunner.

Noah regulates the sailor's psyche and uses it as a high-end combat force, Dylan is in charge of the second officer and directs the voyage, Hill is in charge of the lookout, and Bartow is the boatswain and leads the stormtroopers.

On the wingmanship, Orvis was in charge of the Eros, Leonard was the lieutenant admiral, and the Three-Eyed Raven was also in charge.

Under the overall arrangement, although the personnel are a little tight, with a large proportion of long-term sailors in the fleet, it is enough to give full play to the potential of the Golden Deer's sailing and combat side, and it is also enough to form a tacit understanding with the two wingmen.

In the captain's room, Lorraine was thinking about the fleet's battle formation and standard changes, and suddenly felt a slight shock under his feet.

"Have you entered the port?"

He put down his pen, pushed the door open, and stretched his waist in the winter sun.

Port Royal is being expanded.

The western part of the wide seawall is densely packed with boats, while the eastern part of the sea is empty, and the cyclops happens to be anchored at the junction of dense and sparse borders, looking left and right, and it is a wonderful feeling of being in the center of the world.

The situation on shore is not much different.

The dock workers on the west side sweated profusely, pushing wagons and carrying goods; The dock workers on the east side sweated like rain, pushing sand and gravel and carrying logs.

Unexpectedly, Lorraine saw a familiar figure among the construction workers, Nelson.

The young admiral, dressed in his new uniform, was discussing something with his colleagues on the high platform, and when he poked his finger down, he really wanted to pierce the drawings on the table.

"Is this fate?"

Lorraine smacked his mouth with a strange face, and informed the seafarers to meet at the Chamber of Commerce at the anchorage of the Golden Deer, and disembarked alone early, swaying all the way to the vicinity of the high platform.

Nelson ...... Colonel, don't come unharmed. ”

Nelson tilted his head in surprise: "Drake! Damn, you escaped from the Mayan curse? ”

……

After a while, Lorraine followed Nelson to a café near the docks.

The two sat opposite each other, each ordering, and Lorraine looked at Nelson's new uniform with a smile, tapped her fingers on the table, and whispered, "I'm really happy to see you get your wish." ”

"You see that?" Nelson scratched his nose shyly, "Actually, the appointment came down at the end of June, but it wasn't officially named until August." I went to Lucy to look for you after the title, but your pretty housekeeper told me that you were going on another adventure in the Amazon. ”

"I'm sorry, I'm an idle person." Lorraine shrugged.

The coffee came up.

Jamaica is the land of coffee, and even the lesser-known cafes on the street have excellent coffee beans, and the smell of the hot air is refreshing.

Lorraine stirred the coffee casually: "Why are you directing the project?" Could it be that because of this promotion in rank, Sir transferred you back to shore? ”

"Jazz wouldn't make such an unpleasant move." Nelson laughed, "The rank of colonel is not suitable for a frigate, so I was transferred out of the Badger." The new ship is HMS Hinchenbrook, a cruiser that has only just been downgraded from the old third class, but due to large-scale renovations, she has just completed sea trials on home soil, and it is estimated that it will be next month to arrive at Port Royal. ”

"A downgraded fourth-tier ship...... It doesn't sound as good as the Badger. Lorraine thought of the Vulcan Mountain and pursed her mouth covertly, "Why don't you let Sir pick a new Tier 5 for you?" ”

"Sir said that the old third rank was the only way to command a battleship. If I want to become the commander of a battleship, I must first get acquainted with the advantages and disadvantages of such old ships. ”

"Old-school thinking......" Lorraine unceremoniously accused, "the new third level can charge closer, can Hinchenbrook do it?" This kind of old-fashioned battleship can only make the commander's mind bound by the old-fashioned battle line, and nothing else will do anything. ”

"Even if we all know that...... But tradition is tradition, and we have no other way but to accept it. ”

The atmosphere of the conversation cooled, and Lorraine and Nelson felt a little unbearable as they drank their coffee.

The two were speaking almost at the same time.

"I said ......"

"Wait until ......"

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Lorraine waved her hand: "You first." ”

Nelson nodded in acknowledgment, "I would like to say that when Hinchin Brook arrives at the port, I would like to renew the patrol of the Mosquito Coast." ”

"Mosquito Coast? Central America? The maritime situation in the Gulf of Mexico is still dominated by the Spaniards, right? Do you think the Royal Navy is ready to make a move against Spain? ”

"It's about the new order of the seas that Jazz is pursuing!" Nelson's voice was full of confidence, "After the Battle of the Windward Islands, the French have lost the ability and qualification to challenge the Royal Navy independently, and the only ones they can rely on are the Spaniards. Spain, on the other hand, are vicious dogs that take care of their families, and they do not risk being used by France except in the Gulf of Mexico. ”

"Fighting Spain in the backyard of the Spaniards?" Lorraine frowned, "I don't think the Jazz will be too willing. ”

Nelson looked a little depressed and a little distressed.

"I know, but that's the sea area where the decisive battle is most likely to happen in the New World, and if I want to get merit, I can only wait there."

"What about North America?"

"Continental fleet?" Nelson groaned in a strange voice, "Your brother's tactics are very restrictive to his subordinates, and if possible, I don't want him to be under his command." The second formation in Newfoundland was freer, but there were no conditions for a big war in the north, and the admiral of the second formation was also an old-school officer......"

"You want to be free and you want to be meritorious, huh?" Lorraine grinned and smiled good-naturedly.

Nelson nodded his head without hesitation: "I hope that the Admiralty will see my ability to command formations and even fleets, otherwise my military brigade will end here, and it is almost impossible to be promoted to general." ”

"Then you can only take the initiative...... If you can't do it at sea, what about land? ”

"You mean to take the initiative to increase regional friction?"

"The risk of initiative is too great." Lorraine smiled and waved her hand, "I mean colonial disputes, such as launching an attack on the Spanish colonies in Central America, which are not under the control of the Sirs, but the right of the Governor of Jamaica. But Jamaica is an island, and if you want to do this, you will need the help of the navy to land, so here's your chance. ”

"The fourth-class ship is a good formation flagship, and the carrying capacity is sufficient, and it is completely possible to transport the landing force with several ships and provide some support. Even if you have a good enough relationship with the Governor, you can juggle the responsibilities of a Marine commander. ”

"Isn't it the best of both worlds to open up territory for His Majesty, and the intensification of friction between England and Spain, and the fact that you who are familiar with the Spaniards will also be relied upon by the Sirs?"

Nelson's eyes grew brighter and brighter: "Will you continue to help me then?" ”

"It's up to you to start it." Lorraine laughed awkwardly, "I just wanted to tell you that I came to Kingston this time to prepare to take the fleet north to Turtle Island and declare war on a certain famous pirate king......