Early the next morning, we were ready to leave for the Mediterranean. Because it was deep behind enemy lines, I handed over all the big ships without regrets, and I continued to take the Calais clipper all the way south.

It is the second month of the lunar calendar, and the whole air is filled with the breath of spring. We traveled south along the Iberian Peninsula to the smell of fireworks coming down to Yangzhou in March.

But I dare not be careless, for this will require a complete depth into the Mediterranean, and if the traces are revealed, they will be pursued by a storm.

So you have to be careful, careful, and careful, and in order to be more like a Swedish chamber of commerce, I also found two Swedish guys from the sailors who specialized in teaching the local language and customs.

By the time we arrived in Lisbon, according to the two Swedish sailors, my daily conversation was already very good, and as long as I wasn't a local, I couldn't find any flaws.

I just smiled but didn't say anything, and suddenly I remembered everything from my previous life. If it weren't for the special training that I had to do on a cleaning mission in Sweden, it would not be possible to master a language so easily.

My plan is to replenish some cargo in Lisbon now and head straight to Venice, which is currently the safest route I can think of.

After all, the purpose of our trip is to find people, not trouble.

Everything went smoothly and we sailed very low-key to the Strait of Gibraltar. It's like the throat of the Mediterranean, tightly stuck with the incoming and outgoing currents and boats.

When passing through the narrowest position, I even ordered all the artillery and sailors to be all in position. After all, there is only a width of thirteen kilometers between Mallorqui, the southernmost point of Spain, and Sires in Morocco!

And this distance, almost as long as the ship adds speed, it is a fleeting distance!

Thankfully, however, everything went well, with no one interrogating or looking for trouble, which was almost impossible after the Spanish victory over the Ottomans and their control of the Mediterranean.

This shows that the control of the Spaniards in the Mediterranean has indeed decreased due to the transfer of troops, and of course it also shows that the Swedish merchant fleet provided by Alfred the Elder is very useful.

It wasn't until the channel in front of us became open that my heart was completely relieved, and the fleet was now smoothly sailing into the Alvoran Sea, heading for the Balearic Islands.

From Gibraltar to Venice, people usually pass through Algiers, then through Cagliari in Sardinia, and then through Catania in Sicily to the Adriatic Sea.

Once I'm on the Adriatic Sea, head north to my destination, Venice, the city of water.

However, Algiers was a port built by pirates, so it was naturally a stronghold for pirates, so we chose to make a detour to avoid trouble.

However, what is irritating is that we often come to what we are afraid of, and when we sailed to the south of the Balearic Islands, we found that the fleet was targeted!

It was a fleet of Arabian dhows, which were almost the standard for pirates in the Mediterranean. As we were leaving, they were leaving port from Algiers.

Perhaps with the idea that the fate of the door could not be missed, this team of pirates hurried after them almost without hesitation!

They began to fire three nautical miles from us, but it was clear that these pirates, who were in the business of boarding ships and looting property, did not pay much attention to artillery.

So their shells began to fall when they were still halfway to us, and they fell into the sea "plopping and plopping".

Individually, it may be that captured long-distance cannons hit us nearby, but because the number is so scarce, the probability of hitting is equivalent to winning the lottery, so I still don't have a chance for these hyenas at sea.

"They are demonstrating, hoping to scare us, and it doesn't hurt to stop the ship or to be stopped by them to board it." Old Tucker said.

I squinted at the pirates with teeth and claws, silent.

It stands to reason that a person like me, who can't rub sand in his eyes, sees these scum, and that's absolutely no reason to let go. But given the garbage man law, I can't put myself in a dangerous position for the sake of these social scum.

So I ordered the fleet to abandon the eastward plan and start heading north! My target is Naples, the heart of central Italy.

The pirates did not intend to give up, and when they saw us turn around, they immediately increased their speed and chased them all the way north.

Our ships were fast, but they weren't slow, after all, they sailed pirate ships, spinnakers known for their maneuverability. So with this U-turn, the distance between us has been shortened a little.

Damn it! I looked at the pirates chasing after me and clenched my fists. These damn bed bugs, I don't have any power on Lord Ma, you don't know my three eyes!

Looking at the enemy ships pursuing behind me, I tried several times to use the advantages of the ship's mobility and artillery to destroy or drive them away, so that I could clear my ears.

But I endured it a few times! I can guarantee that if I had done so, no matter which of the above outcomes, in less than five days the whole Mediterranean would have known that the mysterious Swedish merchant fleet had single-handedly driven away or eliminated a horde of pirates!

Then the problem arises - it is impossible for an ordinary merchant fleet, even an armed merchant fleet, to do this. The only possibility is that this fleet is not a merchant fleet at all, but a disguised battle fleet!

This raises new questions – who are they? Where are they? What are they going to do? The three major questions of life will be reflected in the attention of countless pairs of eyes, and finally form a report and be forwarded to relevant people, including the Spanish Navy.

And that's why I'm reluctant to do it. Once fired, the best outcome would be for me to drive them away or eliminate them, and then immediately flee with the battle-damaged fleet, fleeing the Mediterranean, with a hard-won clean identity.

For a moment I even had a childish idea - to give them some money in exchange for the safe passage of our fleet.

But I quickly dismissed the idea. Because according to legend, after encountering pirates at sea, if you voluntarily surrender, you need to pay three-quarters of the ship's property!

Then, if the pirate is in a good mood, he might let you go......

Isn't that a joke? I couldn't help but pout, looking at the fleet chasing after me, I secretly decided - if they don't give up after half a day, then I must let them sink to the bottom of the sea even if their identities are exposed!

Luckily, shortly after we made our way north, thick clouds began to gather in the sky, and it seemed that a heavy rain was approaching. It stands to reason that few people would chase a fleet that was clearly not slow in this weather, except for a deep hatred for each other.

Sure enough, after pursuing thirty nautical miles, they began to retreat when the rain fell, and they were reluctant to go, and before leaving, they did not forget to tell us with the light: next time, we will not be so lucky.

Seeing this situation, everyone on the ship, including me, let out a long breath, fortunately! Lucky!

According to Tucker Sr., the pirate fleet was Blackbeard, the most famous pirate in the Mediterranean. He used to be a Dutch national, then he became a pirate, and he has become a famous and powerful pirate all the way to the present!

Blackbeard? I silently watched the lights looming in the rain and let out a soft sneer. What kind of beard do I care you have, and dare to rob me? I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time......

Rushing to Naples in the rain, we rested for two days, repairing and maintaining the ships, and on the other hand, we had to act like merchants, and went to the merchant union to make a lot of deals.

However, in the final analysis, it is still to sell more and buy less, the share of trade is not much, and Italy does not pay attention to the rules in everything, so our trade is more about selling and giving away, mainly to set friendships and find intelligence.

Unfortunately, Naples searched for business associations and pubs and pubs, but there was no news available. Very few Orientals come here, and even fewer orphans and widows I am talking about, so there is no news.

Of course, this is also expected by me, and if it was really easy to find, it would not have dragged on until now.

So we made a short stop here and got ready to go again, but even so, I was still impressed with the Margarita pizza and Mozzarella cheese.

When I went out to sea again, it was still raining lightly, and the visibility at sea was obviously reduced a lot, but there was still enough warning distance. We followed the coastline south, picking up speed as we approached Sicily, ready to rush across the narrow strait.

I don't need to explain, the Nine Ghosts have already put all the combatants in place. There were two fleets in front, but it was evident that they were both dressed up as merchant fleets. But why don't we pretend to be a merchant fleet? Therefore, the consciousness of fighting at any time must not be lost.

However, the experienced old Tucker carefully observed the two fleets and told me with certainty that they were certainly not pirates. Judging by his many years of seafaring experience, this should be the merchant fleet of the Portuguese royal family, the warfleet that has been escorted by the escort.

As soon as he said this, my heart was completely relieved. This time behind enemy lines, our principle is to minimize the trouble as much as possible, how can we put ourselves in a disadvantageous and dangerous situation for the sake of a group of pirates?

Since the fleet in front of you is not a pirate, that's good, hello and I'm good. I asked the signalman to send out a greeting and blessing flag, and they quickly responded, and then we passed by in the eyes of each other.

It's harmonious, and I love it.

Skirting the Italian peninsula, the fleet turned into the Adriatic via the Ionian Sea, and the weather began to clear, and my heart became more and more depressed.

I don't know why, but the closer I get to the answer, the more worried I become.

There is a synonym to describe it - homesickness, and I am in such a state now. I was worried that I would get nothing when I went, and I was even more afraid of getting bad news.

It's a tangle of the soul that I felt the urge to enter the port of sending as we passed through the ports of Albania and Zadar.

Seeing that I was so entangled and depressed, I was persuaded by the Nine Ghost Zhengxiao, who had been with me for the longest time and knew the whole story, that the ugly daughter-in-law always had to see her in-laws, and it was not a way to escape after all.

What's more, after sailing for so long, encountering so many, and losing so many people and things, wasn't the original purpose of coming to Venice and looking for the children of the second uncle?

I looked him in the eye and didn't speak for a long time. I know what he said, but I'm afraid that once the answer is revealed, I can't give a perfect explanation to the second uncle and ancestor in the heavenly spirit, I am cowardly!

But I also knew that escaping was never the way to go, so in the end, the fleet continued to speed up and headed for the port of Venice at the end of the inland sea!

No matter how it ends, I'm going to do my best!