A fleet of privateers, disguised as Spanish ships, followed two Portuguese slave merchant ships from a distance. It seems that the fleet is also planning to go to the Caribbean or the American continent. However, apart from the more than 140 crew members of several privateers, none of them knew their true purpose.

Just as the Portuguese merchant ship had just reached the sea east of the Azores and Cape Verde Islands in the central Atlantic, the four privateers following behind suddenly changed the angle of inclination of the sails, which were almost parallel to the direction of the wind. As a result, the wind in front of the sail flows rapidly, while the wind behind the sail begins to slow down. Therefore, when the speed of the privateer is getting faster and faster, it is already faster than the wind.

Isabel Walton, the captain of the "Nemesis", once again received an urgent report from the captain that the ship's food supplies had run out. After the last two days of food were consumed, the entire crew, including the captain, would face a danger 100 times more terrible than a hurricane - starvation.

"Boatswain, keep the ship moving at full speed, and be sure to catch up with the Portuguese before sunset." Isabel gave orders to Brady Hawkins as she looked at the two smaller objects on the sea in front of her, the Portuguese merchant ships.

After saying that, she glanced at the maritime adjutant behind her on the right, "Baldwin, go tell Fast to have his gunners ready with iron bullets, stone bullets (which will fly in all directions under the impact of gunpowder, and are an effective anti-personnel weapon, the forerunner of grapeshotfire) and all pieces of broken cast iron that can be used, quickly." ”

After the adjutant of the sea had hurried away from the lookout, she looked at the face of the navigator who was still standing on one side, and smiled faintly, "Don't worry, John, we will have a sumptuous dinner on the Portuguese ship tonight." ”

John Hawkins, believing that his aristocratic captain's mental state was on the verge of madness, frowned and glanced at her, "Captain, you are putting you and your crew in a very dangerous situation. ”

Whatever the danger, the privateer fleet caught up with the two slave ships before sunset that afternoon, faster than the wind. At this time, Isabel urgently ordered the flag bearer to wave the flag to the three privateers behind: "Captain Hawkins follows me, and the other two ships sail to the channel on both sides of the second Portuguese ship, ready to shell!" ”

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The "Nemesis" was like a terrible one, roaring like a beast, spewing smoke like a volcano, drooling and foaming on the water like a dragon, puffing fierce fins, opening its mouth to breathe fire, dragging a thick fog, and rushing towards the Portuguese slave ship.

The seven gun holes on the starboard hull had all been opened, and the seven black hole-like muzzles were aimed at the Portuguese slave ship on the starboard side of the sea. By this time, the sailors of the Portuguese slave ship were in a panic, and some of them grabbed their hand cannons mounted on the port side edge and prepared to return fire on the "Spaniards". Most of the sailors, wielding cold weapons or wielding several arquebuses, stood on the open deck and shouted and cursed.

The adjutant of the sea held the unsheathed saber in his hand and looked at Isabel on the right, "Captain, the artillery is all ready, ready to fire!" ”

Isabel looked at the slave trading ship, which was about 450 feet (about 137 meters) away from her ship on the starboard side, and nodded her head fearlessly, "Well, let the gunners immediately switch to stone shells, and I'm going to make these Portuguese all fucking shut up." ”

Soon, the 7 side guns on the starboard side of the "Nemesis", under Isabel's order, emitted 7 terrifying roars in a row: "Boom... Rumble... Rumble... ......Immediately after that, three other privateers opened fire on the two slave ships almost simultaneously, also using stone bullets used to kill and wound enemy personnel.

The Portuguese modified Clarke, with its low, wide bow and stern and open deck, suffered a heavy loss in the first round of shelling from the privateer. Forty or fifty Portuguese sailors standing on the open decks of two slave ships ready to fight the "Spaniards" were hit by the splinters of stone bullets that flew in all directions after landing on the ground.

"Ahh Yes... Ahh More sailors were hit in different parts of their bodies, and the weapons in their hands "clang... Ding dong... Boom" fell to the ground, followed by a burst of "Boom... Bang... "The sound of a scattered human body falling.

A Portuguese sailor, while being hit in the body, still grabbed the hand cannon on the side of the ship with one hand, intending to fire at the "Spaniards" on the opposite ship. Unfortunately, the battered sailors could no longer allow themselves to shoot while standing in front of the hand cannon. As the sailor gradually fell to the left deck, the hand cannon placed on the stand was pulled horizontally by the sailor, and a small stone projectile was fired into the empty sea on the other side.

There were only a handful of Portuguese sailors who could stand and shout at Isabel and the others, and most of the officers and crew of the two slave ships rushed to the deck with cold weapons or arquebuses ready to fight them to the death. Probably, they always thought that the "Spaniards" would use broadside battles to defeat them next.

"What are they doing? Do you think we're going to jump on their ship and engage in white-knuckle combat? Isabel feigned curiosity and headed for the navigator on her right.

"Captain, the Spaniards are probably still using gang hopping until now. And because we pretend to be Spaniards, so... They are still waiting for us to board the ship. Captain John Hawkins sneered at the Portuguese.

"Well, then I'll fulfill the prayers of these Portuguese." Isabel said with a smirk.

"Captain, we're really... Jumping onto their ship and fighting the Portuguese with a sword or a sword? ”

John was taken aback when he heard her words, and stared at her. Isabel smiled at the young navigator and said, "John, I'm sorry I don't remember saying anything like that. Then, he turned to look at the adjutant in the back, "Baldwin, let Fast's gunners load the pieces of broken cast iron for a second shelling." ”

After some flag communication, the broadside guns of the four privateers were replaced by broken cast iron pieces instead of the previous stone shells. At this time, the gunners were waiting for the order of Isabelle, the captain of the flotilla and captain, to begin a second round of shelling of the Portuguese.

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