In the evening, Chiron. Glenda Jana. Sierra stood on the aft deck of the Estellea, holding a cane in his hand to support his left leg, which had been wounded in the recent battle.

He looked out to sea, at the blue sky and white clouds reflected in the setting sun, and recalled two hurricanes in a row after the Battle of Tortuga, when his fleet, although all in the harbor, had lost some sail masts, which caused him to delay the attack on the Bahamas until the end of hurricane season. And now, God has blessed him with a continuous stream of good weather.

The faint silhouette of New Providence Island appears a few nautical miles away from the bow of the ship. Chiron's fleet marched in a double column, with the lead ship and flagship of the Estellaea followed by the Sant'Idfonso, Arogonoda, and Montañez. As the deputy commander of the fleet, Azonia was the Arrogonoda in the middle of the queue. In addition to this, four sloops sailed on the starboard side of the cruise fleet, between the cruise fleet and the Bahamas island chain.

Chiron wears his most cherished Red Cross of the Order of Karatvara, which represents his status as a hereditary nobleman. Today's continent also has a tendency to collapse in etiquette, and the sea of silver brought by the Great Voyage has profoundly changed the wealth structure of the whole of Europe, from Rome to Milan, from Sicily to Vienna, from Transylvania to Lisbon, the whole of Europe seems to have lost its integrity. As long as there is enough money, the title of earl and marquis can be exchanged for silver.

Even his native Spain, in order to raise funds to fill the empty treasury, was selling the gowns and titles of the Order. And those hereditary counts, for a small dowry, left behind the ancestral precepts of the noble and the lowly who did not intermarry, and married those butchers, adventurers and nouveau riche women in the name of love, just for the silver coins brought by the dowry.

This is an era of laughing at the poor and not at the prostitute. In his hometown, the last Castilian nobles like him took pride in defecting to the high nobles as servants. In Cuba, the governor of Havana looked at him as if he were a subordinate, and restrained him in every way.

Chiron is not reconciled, he wants to change his fate with the sword in his hand. His birth had set a ceiling above his head, and if he hadn't had a special chance, he would have been in the captain's seat for the rest of his life, or had been blown to pieces by a cannonball in a battle with the fleets of the Great Powers, just like his previous captains.

It's not enough! Chiron clenched his fists, he was still young, and he was so good, he deserved more. Exterminate the pirates of the Caribbean who have plagued Spain for a hundred years, and he can win dazzling feats and mountains of wealth.

God forbid, Chiron's plans were helped by nobles after they got into trouble, allowing him to assemble a formidable fleet. Two big wins in a row, and the invincible pirate was hit hard. Now, as long as he takes the nest of the Bahamian Pirate Gang in front of him, he will return home with honor and money to rebuild the glory of the family.

Only the Bahamas remains.

Chiron leaned on the fence and looked at Chatfield under the stern. Without even threats, the pirate captain surrendered to him after being captured, and volunteered to act as a guide for the Spaniards in their attack on the Bahamas.

"Ahead is the New Providence Island you are talking about?"

Chatfield stooped and replied, "Yes, Your Excellency, Commander." Turn right after New Providence and there is a deep-water passage between Hubble and New Providence where your large warship can reach Eleuthera all the way. ”

"I look at the charts, and if I turn right at this position, I can sail to Eleuthera and have a shorter range."

Chatfield replied respectfully, "I don't recommend that you do that. The east coast of New Providence is full of reefs with many reefs and shoals. It's a hassle for your big ship to get in, and you know pirates are always good at attacking with small boats. Their Pelaga ships with sloops are very suitable for haunting such places, and I am afraid that your fleet will suffer unnecessary losses. ”

Chiron snorted, his tone arrogant, "What can those bandits who have fled from the desert beaten by me do with my fleet?" I can destroy them wherever they are. ”

Chatfield's waist bent even lower, "Your Excellency Commander is so right, these shameless criminals are like ants in front of your fleet, and they can be trampled to death with a single kick. ”

Chiron laughed, "You're very good at talking. Good, good. After eliminating the pirates of the Bahamas, I will consider leaving you a position in the fleet. ”

"Thank you, Commander."

"Shameless!" There was a faint scolding from the side, but it seemed very clear at this time.

Chiron looked at Bellamy, who had his legs broken and was struggling to sit up on the deck.

The soldiers on one side rushed forward, grabbing Bellamy by the hair and forcing him to look up, the instrument of torture in his right hand held high in the air, and a single drop would silence the die-hard pirate.

Chiron waved his hand, "Wait, let him finish." ”

The soldier stopped his movements, and Bellamy spat at Chatfield, "You unconscionable fellow. Without the courage to defend your freedom and wealth, you are now a dog. ”

Chiron began to smile as Bellamy scolded Chatfield and flushed in the face. To be sure, while Chatfield had been a great help to Chiron, Chiron looked at him with a hint of disdain. The badly wounded and captured Captain Bellamy was a tough guy. No matter how he was tortured, he never revealed the information that Chiron needed.

However, the more Bellamy scolded, the more unpleasant it became, making Chiron unbearable, "Enough." You robber, guy. May God forgive these sinners, and thinking of Bellamy's blasphemous words just now, Chiron silently crossed the cross.

Bellamy replied angrily to Chiron, "You slandered us as robbers, and you scoundrel actually called us robbers." The only difference between you and us is that you have taken advantage of the poor under the cloak of the law, while I have done the opposite of you to the rich with my own courage and sword. ”

Chiron was furious, "What do you pirate know! I joined the army at a young age, and I started as a sailor and worked my way up to where I am today with a sword in my hand. Today, I will use my sword to kill you Bahamian pirates. ”

Bellamy sneered, "Don't think you've won, you can't kill all the pirates of the Bahamas." ”

Chiron was slightly surprised, "Even now, do you still think that your former subordinates have a chance to win?" ”

Bellamy laughed, "The Blue Harbor can be captured, and my brotherhood will die in battle." You aristocrats can destroy our flesh, but you can't destroy the desire of the poor to pursue freedom. Behind me, there will be countless others who will continue to fight under the banner of freedom until the crown of tyrants is thrown into the mire and trampled by ten thousand! ”

Chiron's hand slapped heavily on the fence, "Enough! Soldiers, hang this blasphemous heretic on the foremast and let all the Bahamian pirates see the corpse of their leader! ”

Bellamy had a smile on his face as he was dragged away, and he said, "I have survived hundreds of storms, and I am not afraid of being hanged, and my brother will only hate you even more when he sees me." ”

When Bellamy died, several Spanish soldiers placed a bouquet of flowers on his hand. He was like that, holding flowers in his hand, hanging from the foremast of the Estelea.

Seeing that Chiron's face was still ugly, Chatfield said cautiously, "There is a pirate outpost in Nassau Harbor on New Providence Island, do you want to deal with them first?" ”

Chiron waved his hand impatiently, "Hang the signal flag and ask Azonia to send the Montañez and a dhow to destroy the pirates in Nassau." The main forces of the fleet hurry up and continue to move forward, and I am going to block their brigade on the island of Eleutella. "Unlike other warships, the Montañez was a merchant ship converted by Chiron from the booty after the Battle of Tortuga, and was the slowest in the entire fleet. Thinking of this, Chiron's hatred for the Governor of Havana deepened even more. If that guy had cooperated a little, Chiron could have gotten a more powerful fleet.

The Montañez left the queue, and the Spaniards' fleet, under Chiron's orders, still following Chatfield's instructions, bypassed New Providence on the starboard side and sailed directly along the deep-water channel to the Blue Harbor. The fleet was smooth sailing and fast.

Before the Montañez could block the harbor, Nassau's pirates had only time to send a Periaga ship into the reef to report the Spanish attack to Blue Harbor.

Nassau is 60 nautical miles away from Blue Harbor in a straight line, and the actual voyage is only longer to avoid the reef. The sailors of the Peliaga ship sailed and oars and arrived at the Blue Harbour exhausted. In the end, the sailors almost climbed to the bell tower and rang the bell, which represented the enemy attack.

The hurried sound of the bell woke the town from its sleep, and in a state of slight confusion, several captains in the harbor hurried to the captain's chamber in full dress.

At the round table in the center of the hall, only Grover and William were left. Due to the stakes, the captains of several small pirate ships were also invited to the meeting.

The sailors from Nassau were carried into the hall by their arms.

William frowned and commanded, "Get him a beer." ”

The sailor drank the beer in one gulp and regained some of his spirits a little.

"Tell me, what do you see? How many warships did the Spaniards have. ”

The sailor gasped and replied, "Four three-masted battleships, I can't see how many cannons there are." There were also four sloops. ”

"Where's the route?"

"Bypassed New Providence and pounced along the deep-water channel."

Grover asked for some more details, and the sailor got on board the ship to report to the Blue Harbor as soon as he discovered the Spanish fleet, and could not answer much.

William waved his hand and motioned for the sailor to go down and rest.

"Captain Grover, Captain William! Spaniard...... The Spaniards hung Captain Bellamy on the mast! The sailor was already in tears, "I want to fight them, we won't run, right?" ”

Grover nodded heavily, "Kid, you're good." We're going to fight the Spaniards, so you go down and rest first, and you've regained your strength before you can use your guns and knives. ”

When the sailors left, William looked at the empty conference table, wrenched his hand and said, "Bellamy is definitely dead now." Sharp, Harris, Grant...... Damn, how many are there? Marmont's fate is also uncertain. Grover, now it's just the two of us, what do you say? ”

"Since Chiron has come along the deep-water channel, it means that there must be someone on his ship who is familiar with the sea conditions."

William said hatefully, "I'm going to catch that guy and deal with this traitor the way the Bakenians do, this is what he deserves." ”

Grover spread out the charts and beckoned the junior captains in the back row to come around, "The sailors of the Periaga ship departed at 6 p.m., and it's ...... now," Grover looked at the grandfather clock in the hall, "4 a.m." There are still 3 hours left to fully brighten. According to their estimate of the speed of the Spanish fleet, then at dawn we can see the Spanish fleet. ”

"Worst-case scenario, we have three hours before they block the harbor's shipping lanes." Prepare now, we still have time to retreat before they do. ”

Grover shook his head, "We can't withdraw now. ”

"Captain Grover, do you think we still have a chance to defeat the Spaniards?"

Grover looked at the captain who spoke, "Victory or defeat is the result of God's judgment. ”

"Captain Grover, it's hard for me to agree with you. Only by surviving can you take revenge on the Spaniards. ”

William looked coldly at these junior captains, "We people have time to evacuate Blue Harbor, but what about the hundreds of civilians, women and children on the island?" Organize them all to board the ship, and then use the dinghy to tow the boat out of the port, and the rest of the time is simply not enough. Many of your family and friends are still on the island, can you imagine what happened to them being captured by the Spaniards? ”

Grover nodded, "William is right, we have to defend our family. ”

Another young captain said hatefully, "You should have resolutely retreated when the attack on Samar Port failed, but you had to do something to vote on, and the result of the vote was to stay." ”

In fact, the result of this vote has a lot to do with Grover, and his Banshee returned to Blue Harbor loaded with loot before the meeting. The abundant capture reminded everyone of the benefits of being a pirate, after all, the Blue Harbor is a base that has been in operation for decades, and for many people this is home, and it is reluctant to evacuate. After the convention, some of the pirates left the group with their treasures, some civilians left, and the rest remained on the island.

William slapped the table heavily, "Edward, bastard. Voting on such a big decision has been a tradition that the Bahamian Pirate Regiment has adhered to since its inception. Regardless of whether the outcome is correct or not, as a member is to obey. Didn't your master teach you how to be a pirate? ”

William was a veteran of the Bahamian pirates and had a high reputation among ordinary sailors. He scolded Captain Edward so much that he was silent.

"William, don't be angry. It is not surprising that young people think this way, and I remember that in the early years you often flouted the resolutions of the General Assembly. Grover waved his hand, and he reassured, "Edward, the resolutions of the General Assembly are not always correct. Maybe you're right, we should get out as soon as possible. But the Bahamas' forefathers made a sense of such a rule. I joined you late, but I can see that everyone has the right to vote is the key to the survival of the Bahamian pirates. Battles may be lost, sailors may die, but this spirit of resistance to oppression will not be broken, and it will attract people to our team. ”

William said to Grover, "It seems that after the last mutiny, you, the captain of the navy, have figured out a lot of things. ”

"Perhaps." Grover sighed and continued to point to the chart, "The situation is already like this, but don't despair, we still have a chance." You see, the whole island of Eleuthera is a long strip, 110 miles long, and only a few miles wide. If Chiron wants to attack, he will definitely lead the fleet to the Blue Harbor. As long as he was in the Blue Harbor, he sailed 100 nautical miles from either direction to the back of the island. Our opportunity is here. ”

William said, "The inner Australia of the blue port is very wide, but the entrance is very narrow. We are guarding the Inland Australia, so that they cannot enter Hong Kong. Give civilians and women and children time to evacuate from behind the island. ”

Grover nodded, "That's it." There are still five or six schooners in the harbor, including the warships that can be used, and they are ready to go to sea immediately. Chiron's fleet would come from the west, and let our ships go around the back of the island from the east. Regardless of the food and supplies, we drove the boat out as fast as possible, and then loaded it with the people when we reached the back of the island. ”

"That means we're going to have to hold out for at least one day." ”

Grover tapped on the chart, "Yes, a day." We have a battery on each side of the approach channel, and a floating battery at sea, and with my Banshee, that's enough to block the channel. ”

William added, "In order to prevent the Spaniards from landing, the forts in the town were to be kept on guard. There are still more than 400 people on the island who can take up arms, and those schooners can only be driven away with a minimum of manpower, and we draw lots to decide who will drive them. The rest were left to fight, and as long as it dragged on until night, everyone had a chance to evacuate. ”

Grover said, "Captain William, the current supreme commander on the island is you and me. I suggest that I stay in command of the defenders and you lead the evacuated fleet. ”

"No, you're just a privateer owner joining the Bahamian pirates. Or I'll stay behind, and you command the evacuation fleet. ”

"Captain William, I stick to my advice. My gunners are the best, and they are indispensable on floating batteries. I am the best person to command the battle, please leave me the honor of fighting with Spain. ”

"Captain Grover, Blue Harbor is my home, and you are a guest in Blue Harbor. There is no reason to let the guests stay and fight, and the host runs away first. ”

The two argued, neither could convince anyone, and neither agreed to the lottery decision. But time was of the essence, and at last William said, "So be it, Captain Grover. My ship is useless in such a battle, I will command the batteries on the shore, and the warship will be handed over to you. ”

There was no time to fight for the honor of the battle, and Grover agreed.

The young captains were infected by the two old captains, and Edward was a little ashamed of what he had just said.

William patted Edward's shoulder, "Edward, you don't want to participate in the lottery anymore, the evacuated fleet is led by you." ”

"Captain William, I'm ......"

"It's non-negotiable, kid, I'm reassured of your sailing skills. You have to lead the women and children away, and this is a very heavy task. Leave the battle to us old men. ”

Edward was in tears.

Seeing that the discussion was almost over, Grover decided, "Then it's settled." Preparations were made as soon as everyone had adjourned, and time was of the essence. ”

As soon as the meeting was dismissed, the pirate captains rushed to their posts, and the island was mobilized, and everyone, including women, was busy with their work, replenishing the batteries and warships with ammunition.

The highest priority was to evacuate the fleet, and there was no time to load supplies for the voyage, and the junior captains quickly prepared their ships. The Blue Harbour is on the leeward side of Eleuthera Island, which is a great benefit for sheltering from the wind and waves, but now ships that set sail must rely on the sailors to paddle with all their might to leave the port.

William commanded civilians to drag the cannons out of the warehouse and reinforce them to three batteries in the town and Haikou.

As the minutes ticked by, Edward and the sailors who had drawn lots sailed the fleet out of port.

Grover aboard the Dreadnought, a captured Spanish Grand Galen. The sailing speed was slow, and the pirates didn't like it, but it would be a shame to burn it, so they towed the ship into the Blue Harbor to serve as a floating battery. The sails on the ship were in tatters, and there was little ability to navigate autonomously. Floating batteries in the harbor relied mainly on sailors' rowing boats as power.

Sailors are laying wet canvas on the dreadnought's bulwarks for extra protection.

Grover asked First Officer Wilkinson and Boatswain Weeks, "Why don't you participate in the lottery?" ”

"Captain, I've been serving with you for 20 years, haven't I?" After 20 years of ups and downs together, we have never been apart, and this time will certainly be no exception. ”

Wilkinson smiled, "Captain, you know me, how could I miss such a good thing as killing the Spaniards." ”

Grover sighed and stretched out his right hand, "Wilkinson, the Banshee has been handed over to you, and we'll see you after victory." ”

After shaking hands with Grover, Wilkinson put on his three-cornered hat and saluted, "See you in victory." ”

Grover returned the salute, and the first mate turned and descended the gangway.

As the morning sun reflected the sea, Grover stepped up to the stern of the Dreadnought and pulled open his binoculars, Chiron's fleet was pressed out of the harbor, hunting with flags.

"Raise the blood flag and tell everyone that we will fight to the end!"