I remember that there should be two Cape Verde in Africa, one on the sea -- on the Cape Verde archipelago in the North Atlantic, and more than 500 kilometers from Cape Verde in Senegal, the westernmost point of the African continent, which is the main point of communication between Europe and South America and South Africa, including 15 large and small islands, including Sant Antang, San Nicolas, Sal, Boavista, Fogu, and Santiago, and has jurisdiction over two groups of Windward Islands in the north and the Leeward Islands in the south.

The other Cape Verde is on land, which is Cape Verde, the capital of Senegal, which is located at the westernmost point of the African continent.

However, whether it is Cape Verde or Senegal, there may not be much known to anyone other than sailing enthusiasts and football enthusiasts. But if you mention the famous location of Dakar on the Cape Verde Peninsula, I am afraid that because of the famous Dakar car rally, almost everyone knows about this place.

Moreover, after decades of development, the Dakar Rally has become not only limited to cars, but has become a comprehensive brand integrating auto parts, luggage, competitions and various peripheral equipment. Trucks, SUVs or motorcycles that can achieve good results in the Dakar Rally will either become famous or overnight, becoming a mecca for countless racing enthusiasts and racing brands.

But today, when our fleet sailed to Dakar – Cape Verde, to be precise, it was a sordid and bloody supply port and a hub for the slave trade. Groups of blacks are bound by ropes, like animals waiting to be trafficked, towed, expelled, and waiting for them to be met with an unknown fate, separation, and suffering.

However, this is the general trend of the times, and even if I can't bear it, I can't confront the whole West. So I can only comfort myself, in the words of some brick families in modern China, this is also the process of promoting the great migration and integration of ethnic groups! Gee!

Before 1671, both Cape Verde were under Portuguese control, serving as outposts and supply stations for Portugal and other Western countries as they traveled south to Africa, east to the Indian Ocean, and west to the New World.

After 1671, the French discovered the strategic importance of overland Cape Verde, "bought" the land from Portugal, and extensively developed it, making Cape Verde – or Dakar the capital of French Africa.

Of course, these are all later words, and when I actually arrived here, I really understood why the reputation of the Dakar in the history of navigation is not as great as that of the Cape of Good Hope, but the actual strategic significance is far greater than that of the Good Cape!

The rows of ocean-going vessels waiting to go out to sea, like fish in parallel in the water, go north or south. Our fleet is quite large, but after sailing into the dock, it is like a scoop of water poured into the sea, which is really insignificant!

I'm also thinking hard about why there are so many thriving places in such remote Africa. After comparison, the answer is clear at a glance -

The Cape of Good Hope, the southernmost point in Africa, is worth it as a stopover on Europe's way to the east coast of Africa and Asia.

But objectively speaking, the Cape of Good Hope is too far, too far away from Europe! All European ships will be resupplied at Dakar, a geographically located and more convenient route before reaching the Cape of Good Hope. But if the destination is the west coast of Africa, or the Caribbean Sea and South America in the New World, you don't need to go to the Cape of Good Hope, you can turn around and cross the Atlantic Ocean directly at Dakar.

After the opening of the Suez Canal, the strategic value of the Cape of Good Hope plummeted, because Europeans no longer had to go around the Indian Ocean by land and sea, and went directly to the Mediterranean Sea and through the Suez Canal to reach the Red Sea. As a result, the volume of trade that needed to bypass the Cape of Good Hope was reduced by ninety, and the Cape of Good Hope was no longer in its glory.

But Dakar was not affected in any way. It is impossible to go from Europe to the Americas via the Suez Canal. So in later generations, the Cape of Good Hope can make a lot of money in Dakar; And the money that Dakar can make, the Cape of Good Hope is basically out of reach. So the Cape of Good Hope has become a former star, a real out-of-fashion Internet celebrity, and all the prosperity has turned into a reminiscence, leaving only the sigh that only the newcomer laughs, and who hears the old cry.

If history is any guide, will the Strait of Malacca in South Asia be the next Cape of Good Hope? Guarding Asia's choke point to Europe, Africa and the Indian Ocean, the port of Malacca has become a "pirate" in modern times. Deeply affected by this, the big East Asian countries resolutely decided to build a Gwadar port across land and sea through Pakistan!

Once the Gwadar port is completed, the total volume of shipping in Malacca is expected to drop by around 80%! Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.. It is conceivable that the decline of Malacca is only tomorrow!

But that was hundreds of years later, and now I am concerned about what I'm going to face. At the Cape Verdean bar, I resorted to my usual "coin scattering method", throwing out a meal of gold coins, and immediately got a lot of news.

Spain is at war with the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean! A large number of troops were concentrated in the waters around Barcelona and Algeria. The main naval force of the Ottoman Empire started from the direction of Istanbul, passed through Athens, and was approaching the waters around Florence and Naples in Italy.

Italy, which is closest to the place of the exchange of fire between the two sides, is surprisingly silent and does not participate in the power struggle between the two sides - the title of the second dog in Europe is indeed not called in vain, and both sides have hit their own doors, and they are still pretending to be virgins there.

Then came the opportunity for the two sides to exchange fire, and Britain and the Netherlands made a lot of money in northwestern Europe, intensifying their plundering of undeveloped lands around the world, grabbing resources and increasing their power. Second-tier seafaring countries such as France are also slowly rising, but there is a clear gap compared to first-tier seafaring powers.

However, no matter how strong or weak, all countries are fighting a dire battle in the division of forces, with open guns and hidden arrows emerging one after another, and the competition for power has reached a white heat!

However, it was also said that while the Fifth Fleet, which was said to have been destroyed by a mysterious force, shook the country, the Spanish king instructed the commander-in-chief of the navy, A. Pérez de Guzmán, to find out the culprit and give an account to the people as soon as possible.

Hearing this, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Tsk, what's the matter? Looking for something? Am I scared?

This little formation wants to scare me? Is my whole Calais clipper a joke?

Can't I run if I can't beat it?

It's ridiculous!

But jokes aside, hearing the news still made me more vigilant. It seems that things are not as simple as I imagined, even the past is alarmed, it seems that there must be a cause and effect behind this matter, otherwise a small fleet with a small name has no reason to cause such a movement.

Just as we were about to leave the bar, a voice suddenly came to our ears: "Have you heard?" That glamorous Spanish female pirate has reappeared! ”

Hearing this, Tucker Sr. and I turned our heads almost at the same time to look at the table of sailors at the edge of the bar.

A sailor in a kudzu shirt held the bottle aloft, shook the last few drops of the bottle into his mouth, and muttered, "Who's to say it's not?" It is said that the little girl was so capable that she didn't know where to amass a whole fleet of Spanish navy near Madeira. ”

The mustache who spoke just now laughed and said, "It seems that I heard that her man was killed by someone from the Spanish Navy and the Portuguese in collusion, and she wants to take revenge." ”

Ge Bushan pouted: "It's not easy! I heard that the Spaniards have ambushed a large number of ships in the Windward Islands, preparing to unite with the fleet of Seville and the nearby female pirates! ”

The drunk man next to him pulled his throat and said, "Fight, fight, fight!" Let's see who's going to knock whomever down at the end! ”

After saying that, several people laughed together.

Old Tucker and I looked at each other, didn't say a word, and immediately left the bar with the staff, and hurried towards the dock at full speed.

As I walked briskly, I asked Old Tucker, "You say, how much can their news count?" ”

Old Tucker walked too fast, and the stump didn't seem to be very comfortable, and he frowned slightly and said, "At least the fleet in the Windward Islands must be true!" It's so close to here, there's no news to hide! ”

I nodded, walked and asked, "What are your plans?" ”

Old Tucker's footsteps seemed to stagnate, and then he quickened his pace, and he whispered, "Captain, I can't let you accompany me on an adventure......"

I patted him on the back and smiled, "Don't talk about this!" As I spoke, I had already arrived at the docks, and I continued: "Let's go! Get on board first! ”

When I arrived at the captain's room, the confidants and backbones gathered, and I immediately explained the situation. The crowd agreed with my decision to send troops to help Tucker Sr.'s granddaughter.

It should be noted here that it is not the great revolutionary friendship that leads everyone to be of one heart and one mind, but that we have fallen out with the Spaniards, and the enemy of our enemies is our friends, not to mention our relatives! There's no reason not to help her!

The ship started slowly, and I could tell that Old Tucker was very excited! After all, this is his only relative in the world, how can he not be excited to get the news that she is close at hand, and have the opportunity to save her life with his own hands?

But excitement alone won't solve the problem, we need a plan!

Will the plan be settled? I thought. My eyes followed Cape Verde all the way north on the sea, and suddenly, my eyes stayed on a chain of islands between Cape Verde and Madeira!

I couldn't help but stand up, slowly stretched out my right hand, and slowly pointed my index finger on the Canary Islands!

Everyone's eyes followed my fingers there, thinking.

Chen Kui was the first to speak: "Captain, I think it's okay!" If there is a real fight, it will be impossible for our ships to sail north, and the further north they go, the closer they can only get to the Spanish forces, so they will definitely retreat to the south! ”

"I've heard that the terrain in that area is quite complicated, and it's definitely a good place to raid!" ”

Hua Mei added: "It is said that the Canary Islands have been at war recently, and the Spaniards and the Portuguese are fighting hotly, and they can be regarded as sleeping in the same bed!" ”

After listening to the news brought by everyone, I thought in my heart, and slowly, a plan came to mind. So I made up my mind, clenched my right hand into a fist, and slammed it on the Canary Islands!

Target! Canary Islands!