Therefore, if the landing operation in Pimont fails, the Dutch may take advantage of the fire to loot, and if we succeed, the Dutch will finally maintain their face-saving "friendship" with the Portuguese---- in short, the international politics of this era.

Subsequently, the Macanese and Portuguese joint fleet sailed for ten days before reaching the vicinity of the port of Dili.

It is said that the journey of less than 600 kilometers only takes three days, but Nicole's weather radar detected a large-scale severe tropical storm in front of the fleet, and its scope was so large that it could not be avoided at the speed of those wooden sailing ships in the fleet, so Captain Gu decisively decided to find a relatively safe bay nearby to take refuge, and three hours later, the fleet under the leadership of the Nicole urgently sailed to the east of Ambon, anchored in an unknown bay in the Maluku Islands, and the fleet had just docked when a tropical hurricane swept over the nearby sea, The wind and waves in the bay alone were as high as three meters, and the wind force exceeded eight degrees, and even in this sheltered bay, three of the Caravi galleons were flooded, and their hulls were slightly damaged.

Pimont and Degus were shocked and frightened by this, and they knew that if Captain Gu hadn't brought the fleet into this small bay in time to escape the storm, their own fleet would definitely be more than lucky in the face of this ferocious hurricane.

At this time, the two of them were sincerely thanking God in their hearts, of course, they didn't know that it was because the Nicole was equipped with a marine weather radar, but their admiration for Captain Gu had reached the point of no return, although the two were devout Christians, but at this moment, they remembered the rumors that Australians possessed magic.

So Pimont found Xu Zhi and asked Xu Zhi seriously, you told me that Australians have no magic, only science, but isn't this science magic?

Xu Zhi didn't bother to explain in the end, he had to nod and say, science should be regarded as a kind of magic, but you don't associate this magic with Satan the Devil, just look at Pimont who nodded and left, Xu Zhi suddenly had a terrible idea in his heart - is science really not related to Satan the Devil?

……

The fleet took refuge in that cove for three full days before coming out, then turned due south and made a great circle, finally reaching its destination, the port of Dili.

27 January 1658, off the coast of Dili Port.

It was a calm day, and at 8 a.m., the fog that shrouded the confluence of land and sea in the tropical sea had not yet lifted, and the visibility on the sea was not very good.

Soon after, the soldiers stationed at the fort noticed that a large group of sails had suddenly appeared on the sea almost a mile away from the main pier of Dili Port, and the officers with monoculars soon appeared on the lookout.

Moments later, the officers nervously ordered the soldiers to ring the alarm bell and light the fireworks of the warning, for it was the sailing fleet of Pimont and Degus, as could be seen from the flags of the flotilla in the distance.

Yes, despite the poor visibility, you can barely see it through the telescope, and in the distance, most of the sailing ships have the Portuguese lion flag and various signal flags flying high on the masts.

It's really perseverance...... Obviously, the fugitive Portuguese governor finally came back, but both the officers and the soldiers regained their composure after a moment of nervousness, for the enemy was not very strong in the present situation, but only six small and medium-sized Caravel galleons, well, the hazy shadows in the distance seemed to be the medium-sized galleons of the Princess Casa and the Archangel.

But so what? For farther out on the sea, there were four galleons with the Dutch tricolor flag, four heavy galen, three-decked ships!

Although the scene was obscured by the heavy fog, it was clear that the Portuguese did not have heavy galleons, so that the fleet of the Portuguese governor was no match for the Dutch on this stretch of sea.

Yes, just a few days ago, the Dutch suddenly strengthened their forces outside the port of Dili.

At this time, the Dutch fleet was lined up in a battle line, and the hull gun doors of the three decks were wide open, but all the sails were lowered.

Not far from these four Galen galleons were two medium-sized Galen galleons, the Princess Casa and the Archangel, and these two ships also acted like the Dutch, lowering their sails and opening their gun windows---- which meant that the two sides were not allies, but they were not enemies, and the two sides were wary of each other, a gesture when the two armies of the non-belligerent sides met on the sea, or in other words, a peaceful confrontation.

Despite a two-to-four disadvantage, the Portuguese had no fear.

Neither the Australians nor the Portuguese could have imagined that the Dutch had increased their troops on the island of Timor in the past few days, and it seems that the Dutch were very interested in the half of the island of Timor promised by Orne.

Considering the distance from Batavia to the port of Dili, it was relatively easy for the Dutch to increase their troops, about less than 2,500 kilometers of navigation, for the sea ships of this era, it was only a journey of about ten days, it seems that the Dutch knew in advance that Pimont was coming, and the sudden sea storm made the Dutch rush to Pimont before they sent reinforcements to Dili port.

Although Pimont's fleet had a numerical superiority, it was clear that it was no match for the four heavy Galen ships with three decks, but the Dutch put on a neutral appearance, and as soon as they saw the Portuguese fleet, they immediately lowered the sails, and although the guns were fully opened, the battle flag was not raised on the mast, but the tricolor trade flag was hoisted.

The reason is simple, because not far behind these two Portuguese warships, the Nicole stood there like a hill, the silver-gray, huge and bizarre hull, the smoking chimney and the sudden sound of the whistle, almost slumped the Dutch sailors who had never seen such a scene on the deck, as for the war? Forget it, the Dutch were brave if they didn't run away on the spot.

So a peaceful confrontation was formed on the sea, and the atmosphere on both sides was quiet and strange.

Corresponding to this is the hustle and bustle of the sea off the pier of Dili City in the distance.

At this time, the alarm bell rang in Dili City, and the signal fireworks were also raised in the east and west forts, and the figures on the forts were crowded.

Pimont and Degus were standing on the roof of the Pride's cockpit, binoculars provided by the Australians in their hands, carefully observing the direction of Dili City.

From the binoculars, you can see that the three brand-new cannons on the West Fort are slowly aimed in the direction of the Pride.

At this time, the officers on the battery also soon spotted the Pride suddenly emerging from the dense fog in the telescope, and immediately decided that this strange but beautiful ship was the flagship of the Caravel galleons.

According to the established plan, the task of confronting the Dutch fleet was to be Nicole's, and the Pride was tasked with covering the landing of the mercenaries of Pimont and Degus.

At this time, the Pride was parked on the surface of the sea less than half a mile away, and she was lying sideways to the hull of the ship, silently confronting the entire city of Dili.

Behind her, six Caravel galleons, around the sides of the small galleons, and smaller rowing boats, more than thirty in all, carrying about three hundred heavily armed pikemen and musketeers, the first armed forces to land.

Obviously, at this distance, the artillery on the east and west batteries of Dili City could not be hit, so neither battery fired.