Prior to this voyage to the Atlantic, Isabel Walton and Captain Hawkins had only set their sights on the Spanish American colonies west of the "Papal Meridian". However, after plundering a Portuguese merchant ship laden with black slaves and obtaining a large amount of information about the Portuguese colony, Isabel's instincts told her to take a longer view, a little further ahead. For example, each of the Portuguese colonies east of the meridian.

Isabel stood up and went to the porthole behind the captain's cabin, and pushed open the two windows to look out at the sea at night. At this time, the moon came out, and when the moonlight shone on the deep blue sea, it was like covering the sea with a layer of silver sand. Looking at the rough sea, he suddenly turned to look at the three captains in the candlelight, "Gentlemen, what about the slaves sold to Little Spain?" ”

"Miss, we have by now acquired an unimaginably great fortune, which is enough for your father, Lord Walton, and you and your family, and my Hawkins family, to attain very high fame and honor in the whole kingdom." Captain Hawkins stared at her, stroked his thick beard and said slowly, "So, I'm going to sell this batch of black slaves... Back to Plymouth, what do you think? ”

Isabel leaned against the windowsill with her arms folded, staring intently at Captain Hawkins, who was easily satisfied. After a moment, he shook his head slightly, and looked at the candlelight flickering in the sea breeze, "Captain, do you find yourself satisfied with the riches brought by the sale of 300 black slaves, and the looted hides, spices, cane sugar, treasures, and the best arquebuses in Spain?" ”

"When you return to Plymouth, the great wealth that this voyage has brought you will allow you to walk slowly like a gentleman in any piece of noble territory within the kingdom?"

"Captain, I think the place you want to go most must be the City of London. As you walk through the streets of the City of London, can you still calmly accept the admiring glances of every nobleman and their wives, gentlemen or country man? ”

Finally, she turned her gaze back to the face of Captain Hawkins, who was looking intently at her, "Captain, even if you get everything I say, do you think all this can make you a gentleman?" ”

One of the captains seemed to understand what she meant, smiled and turned his head to look at the two family captains beside him, and then turned his gaze to her, "Miss, do you know that this ocean voyage that you led the Hawkins family fleet on is a major event that has never happened before. Perhaps, this will be a big event that will shake the entire kingdom and the royal family!! ”

Another privateer captain hurriedly complimented her, "Miss Isabel, you were the first to pioneer the slave trade of Plymouth's many seafaring families, and your deeds will be remembered forever. As your followers, the Hawkins family will always be recorded in the history books of the kingdom. ”

Captain Hawkins frowned and glanced at the complimentary-speaking captain. He coughed lightly again, focusing on Isabel's face again, "Miss, I don't know as much about some matters in aristocratic society as you do. However, I believe that you are right, and I also believe that the merchants living in this secular world will not be disgusted with more and more treasures. ”

"So, you can tell us everything you want to say. As the patriarch of the Hawkins family, I will definitely lead the entire family to assist you. ”

Isabel nodded and returned to her desk, smiling lightly as she picked up her glass, "Captain, I think we can go to Little Spain and sell these 300 slaves first." Then the flotilla immediately headed for Portugal's slave trading center in the Gulf of Guinea, the island of São Tomé! ”

"São Tomé...!" Captain Hawkins lowered his head slightly, and couldn't help but mutter. Then, with hopeful eyes, he looked at the aristocratic lady from the north of England, but said hesitantly, "Miss, we have never been to the island of São Tomé. Therefore, the question of the route, the weather and the direction of the wind to São Tomé ......"

Isabel walked back to the window with her glass and looked sideways at the sea at night, "Don't worry, captain, the Portuguese navigator will bring our fleet there safely." ”

"Miss, I believe in you very much. Well, what about the time of the voyage? If you sail to a sea that you have never been to before, I think the sailors may have some bad behavior. ”

Isabelle, who was leaning in front of the windowsill, took a sip of wine from her glass and looked sideways at Captain Hawkins, who looked at Captain Hawkins with a serious expression, "Captain, it will take half a year to return to Plymouth under the condition of a tailwind, including the process of three slave trades. ”

Captain Hawkins felt incredulous again, "Three times? Miss, we... Can you sell black slaves three times? ”

"Yes, Mr. Almeida would not dare lie to me." Isabel looked at the other party calmly and smiled quietly, "Captain, think about it, how much wealth can you and your Hawkins family gain by selling black slaves three times?" ”

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"Boom... Bang... Boom..."With several earth-shattering loud noises on the calm sea, the Portuguese merchant ship moored in the sea less than half a mile away from the "Nemesis" was blown in two by more than a dozen barrels of black powder. The tall bow and stern towers rise upwards into the sea and sink into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean little by little.

Pedro Almeida, a longtime navigator, leaned against the port side fence of the captain's lookout and watched the sinking Portuguese merchant ship with the rest of the ship's crew. It was a long time before he turned around and leaned back in a state of malaise, and when he looked up again, he found Captain Isabel Walton standing at the rudder of the ship watching him.

Hurriedly stood up straight, looked at his new captain with a solemn expression, and spit out a somewhat frustrated sentence, "Captain, do you have any orders?" ”

Isabel walked over to the rear mast behind the helmsman, propped herself up with one hand, and looked at John Hawkins on one side with the other crossed her waist, "John, the fleet is sailing all the way west." ”

"Yes, Captain." Captain John Hawkins replied solemnly and respectfully.

She turned her gaze back to the Portuguese navigator who was waiting for her orders, "Monsieur Almeida, you have the head of a wise navigator, and you should not allow yourself to remain on a merchant ship. ”

"Yes, Captain. Now, I only hope that God can forgive my sins. ”

Isabel looked back at the sea directly ahead and whispered, "If you want to pray, go to the pastor's room of worship now." Don't forget, you'll also need to be educated in English. ”