At present, Marin has a total of 15 500-ton warships and 33 250-class armed merchant ships. It's just that Columbus went to find Daming and took 1 battleship and 2 250-level armed merchant ships. The bald Arben searched for Panama and also took 2 armed merchant ships of the 250 class. As a result, Marin now has only 14 warships and 29 armed merchant ships in his hands.

Of course, as long as there was enough gunpowder, this fleet would be enough to defeat the English fleet. What's more, Marin still has about 30 200-ton Clark galleons purchased from Spain that can house small Furlong rear-loading bronze guns. As for the Kirk galleons that could not be equipped with artillery, there were many.

Although England is now also a maritime power, the number of warships is only a little more than a hundred. Moreover, it was a Kirk galleon that was not equipped with artillery from the people. Even if all the merchant ships were recruited, it would be impossible to get together 200 Kirk galleons of one or two hundred tons. Such strength may be enough to beat France, which has a more frustrated navy. But in the face of Marin's 14 warships, 29 250-class armed merchant ships and 30 200-ton Clark sailboats, it is absolutely not enough. Of course, if Marin's fleet lacked gunpowder, its combat effectiveness would have dropped to the level that it might not be able to defeat the British Navy. After all, Marin's fleet is not very good at jumping ships and slashing traditional naval battles......

Of course, the England mentioned here has more than a hundred warships, at most more than 200, not that the English Navy has such a few ships. This refers to large ships over 100 tons, not including small boats. If you really want to engage in a sea war, you can't just order ships, a seafaring country like England can build hundreds of ships. But "big ships" with a displacement of more than a hundred tons, at most one or two hundred. The rest, are small boats with a displacement of less than a hundred tons. These small boats, in naval battles, can only play the role of troop carriers. If you are facing the warship of Marin, that kind of small ship is basically just a one-shot one-shot goods. However, if you fight with them in a boat jumper's battle, the sailors on these small boats are also very fierce......

It's not that France can't build ships, it's that there aren't as many fierce sailors as England. At one time, France sent hundreds of large ships to besiege the coast of England in an attempt to destroy the English navy. However, England defeated the huge French fleet by drawing 57 merchant ships from the Five Ports Alliance...... In the final analysis, it was the French who lacked good sailors. Don't look at the fact that France can build big ships, but if it really fights, it can't beat the British Navy.

If you have to make an analogy, France is like Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms, although the national strength is strong, most of them are landlubbers and do not practice water warfare. Britain, on the other hand, is like Soochow during the Three Kingdoms, although the army is not good, but the navy is strong. The navy of the French, and the sailors who also thought a little about Cao Cao, all let the landlubber infantry go to board the ship as sailors. It looks like it is violent, but in fact, it can't beat the British navy, and it becomes a soft-footed shrimp as soon as it reaches the sea.

In fact, Marin's navy would not be able to defeat the British if it had fought the traditional naval battle of the ship-hopping gang against the British navy. After all, the Frisian fishermen recruited by Marin were familiar with life at sea and the handling of sailboats. But when it comes to fighting on swaying sailboats, the British are stronger.

So, Marin compensated for this weakness with artillery. No matter how good your balance is on the boat, no matter how agile you jump on the boat as a monkey, I will shoot over, your boat gang will be pierced into the water, and all of you will sink into the sea to feed the fish!

Especially those small boats under 100 tons, even if they are loaded with fierce pirates? The coarse-caliber Karen naval guns, with just one shell, could damage or even sink those small boats. As long as you get away, those boats are scum. Even if it is a large ship, under the platoon of artillery, it is difficult to survive.

Of course, the only drawback is that the cost of gunpowder is too staggering. After a naval battle, the cost of gunpowder is calculated in tons. After a sea battle, the consumption of gunpowder was calculated in hundreds of tons. If it weren't for the opening of the Indian trade route, Marin would not have been able to fight a naval battle......

The French do have cannons, but most of the French artillery is still the rear-loading bronze Franc cannon that is currently popular in Europe, and the caliber is also two or three pounds. It's okay to beat people on land, but it's used to smash boats, and it's a bit unhelpful. As for switching to large-caliber naval guns? Also a galvana salvo? Not to mention that a large amount of copper is needed for early running, and saltpeter alone can't be made up in huge France...... Otherwise, why did France retain a colony like Puducherry in India in later generations? The purchase of saltpeter alone is worth setting up......

For the time being, France does not have so many powerful warships and does not have so many powerful naval crews. Therefore, it was only possible to rely on Marin's fleet to maneuver with the British.

According to the plan of King Louis XII of France, it was to use Marin's fleet to attract the attention of British naval ships such as the Five Ports Alliance, so that Edward's army and the French army could land on the island of England. In addition, the combat effectiveness of Marin's army is also very strong.

As long as the army is on the island of Britain, then the French army can play it well......

In this negotiation, the bottom line of King Louis XII of France was to get Edward to agree in writing that once he gave birth to a prince, he would marry Edward's only daughter Marguerite to his son. And this period is 10 years...... That is to say, within ten years, as long as he gives birth to a son, then Edward's only daughter Margaret will marry his son, even if his son is 10 years younger than Margaret......

Of course, this is ideal. Louis XII did not dare to guarantee that he would be able to give birth to a son. So, this time, Louis XII decided to ask Edward for a county in England as a reward after supporting Edward as king of England. This county is best on the seaside of the English Channel. In addition, the Channel Islands in the English Channel, which are close to the French side, are also to be assigned to France......

The reason for this was that Louis XII was afraid that he would not be able to give birth to a son. At that time, the only way to take over England was to rely on violence. At that time, the county where Edward had been asked to come would become a French foothold in England, so that the French could concentrate their armies and violently occupy all of England......

The French were not afraid to fight England on land, but they were afraid that the army would not reach the island of Britain. With a coastal county as a foothold, the French army could easily land on the island of England and complete the invasion of England......

Marin also guessed what the French were thinking, so he decided to consult with Edward beforehand......

When he arrived in Nantes, Marin's every move must have been monitored by the French, and it was not convenient to discuss things. Therefore, Marin personally led the fleet to the mouth of the Shannon River in the southwest of the island of Ireland and picked up Edward on board. Then, in the secret room of the ship, he began to discuss with Edward in advance how to divide the benefits...... And, how to join forces to deal with the possible lion opening of the French......