News of Chiron's defeat spread far and wide as the ships sailed, and the Florida lumberjacks and Cuban indentured slaves, encouraged by the pirate victory, fled to the Bahamas by all means. Black marketeers who smelled of blood also returned to the Bahamas with a wide variety of goods, looking for a chance to make a fortune again.

It took three weeks for Chen Shouxu's fleet to largely complete the repair of the battleship's hull. The pirates demolished the stranded Santa Idfoldo and some of the vacant pirate warships in the Blue Harbor, using the timber to fill the outer planks and bulwarks. The ribs and masts were also strengthened accordingly, and the missing rigging was the use of a braiding machine to twist the fine linen to the right thickness.

The lack of transoms and more complex metal parts is not possible for the time being, and this is only possible in Nassau.

Historically, there has never been the most adequate preparation for combat operations, only more adequate, and logistics will never be sufficient. So after replenishing food and fresh water as much as possible, Chen Shouxu felt that he could act.

After Maiden left, Chen Shouxu hesitated for a long time, and in the end only recruited some sailors, and did not reveal his whereabouts to the pirate captains of Eleuthera Island. But in the last days before setting sail, Philip. Edward docked at the sandbar of Pig Island (the old name of Nassau's paradise island) with his eight-pound sloop Excellence, and the young captain who led the evacuation fleet during the Battle of Eleutera Island went straight to Chen.

Chen Shouxu was very polite, "Captain Edward, may I have anything to do to help you?" ”

Edward made no secret of his purpose, "Captain Orderly, I know you're about to embark on a great voyage, please let me join your team. ”

The glint in Chen Shouxu's eyes flashed, "Oh, how did you know that I was going to have an ocean voyage?" ”

"Don't get me wrong, Captain Order." Edward hurriedly explained, "I don't know the destination and plan of your voyage, I just judged from the supplies you prepared and the time you spent, this time your voyage will definitely be far away." ”

The departure is imminent, and since it has been seen, there is no need for Chen Shouxu to deny it, "Captain Edward is very meticulous in his observation. ”

Edward knew that Chen Shouxuan had acquiesced, and was waiting for him to give a reason, "Captain Shouxu, I have seen the rules of your fleet, and I think it is very good. True freedom can only be achieved if there is the necessary restraint. So I want to join your team. ”

"Do all your crew agree?"

"After the war, I re-recruited the crew, and they were all people who thought the same way as me."

Chen Shouxu looked at Edward's determined and confident expression, "Sailing will be very difficult and dangerous. ”

"Is it going to be harder than a long voyage to Asia? When I was sixteen years old, I went to Madras as a sailor on a merchant ship of the East India Company. ”

Chen Shouxu became interested, "Have you been to India?" ”

"Yes, I served in the East India Company for 8 years, and my last position was Second Officer. During my service, I traveled to Banten, Siam and Pattani. ”

Chen Shouxu asked Edward about his resume again, and he was inclined to agree, but he needed to know more before making a decision. He said, "Captain Edward, I will consider your request, and you can go back to the ship and wait for my news." ”

After Edward left, Chen Shouxu asked some senior pirates in the fleet to inquire about Edward's reputation, and the results made him more satisfied.

The fleet set sail a week before Christmas, with five cruisers, the Long River, the Long Mountain, the Long Wave and the Raphael, and two sloops, the Tempest and the Excellence.

As a year ago, after entering the shipping lanes between Cuba and the Bahamas, it was a journey against the wind and water. In order to save time, Chen Shouxu banned all looting. The voyage of the fleet after sailing into the Windward Strait was smooth and smooth. The merchant ships encountered on the way looked at this huge pirate fleet in horror, and Chen Shouxuan only learned from the English navy and ordered the merchant ships to get out of the way.

In early January, after a voyage of more than 1,200 nautical miles, Chen Shouxu saw the coast of Panama again. The fleet on the voyage of more than 400 nautical miles from Nassau to the Windward Strait took 16 days, while the more than 700 nautical miles from the Windward Strait to Panama took only six days.

The rudder was turned to the wind and the sailing stopped, and the Changshui summoned the commander to the flagship. The captains of the ships participating in the combat meeting sat around a round table in the officer cabin of the Changshui, and the second row was occupied by other officers, and the space was crowded.

Chen Shouxu looked around at his captains, starting with Chen Shouxu, they were Captain Sterling of the Long River, Captain Marmont of the Raphael, Captain Collingwood of the Montañez renamed the Long Mountain, Captain Allem of the Arogonoda renamed the Long Wave, Captain Roberts of the Stormwind, and Captain Edward of the Excellence. Captain Allemand was originally the first mate of the Marmont Raphael, and after Marmont joined the Voyage Fleet, Chen Shouxu made the Raphael the captain of the Long Wave. The crews of Allemand's subordinates were drawn from the entire fleet.

Chen Shouxu said, "Gentlemen, you all know that the fleet is out of money now. And we have 1,000 soldiers to satisfy our appetite, and I have banned all looting on the road for the purpose of this now, Portovello. The gold and silver on ordinary merchant ships is a drop in the bucket for a fleet as large as ours. Only Portovello could meet our needs. ”

Collingwood recalled, "I remember Portovelo as Sir Drake's burial place at sea. ”

Drake was a legend among the English seafarers of his time, not only did he amass a fortune in privateering, he also participated in the Great Patriotic War that devastated the Spanish Armada, and he was a great navigator who successfully sailed the globe.

Sterling also sighed, "44 years ago, Queen Elizabeth sponsored Sir Drake's last voyage, which was a disaster, and Sir himself died in Panama. His coffin was dragged into the bottom of the Gulf of Portovello with lead to the roar of a cannon salute. ”

Chen Shouxu smiled, "Then let's fulfill Sir Drake's will and take Portovello." Mr. Tikal, tell us a little bit about this silver port.

Tikal, a Panamanian Indian, stood up, greeted the captains, and walked over to the map spread out on the round table.

"The city of Portovello is located at the southeastern root of the bay, and the galleon fleet set sail from Seville arrives in Cartanach every year in October or November, where it trades. Some of these ships arrive in Portovello in December. The silver of the Viceroyalty of Lima was brought ashore in Panama and transported on pack horses along the Silver Post Road to Portovello. Commodities from Europe and silver from the Americas converge in Portovello, and merchants from Peru and New Spain and Seville hold a grand trade fair in Portovello, with a turnover of millions of pounds. ”

A million pounds, someone in the back seat of the officer gasped, which could already build 25 first-class battleships.

Chen Shouxu glanced at the officers in the back row, "One million pounds is the silver that the galleon fleet transported back to Europe, and that is the fleet escorted by the large Galen battleship, which is not our target this time." According to the information received by the merchant ships captured today, the trade fair has ended, and the silver fleet has left the port. ”

Some of the officers let out a sigh of pity, and Chen Shouxu said to them, "This is actually good news, the galleon fleet has more than 2,000 armed sailors and soldiers, plus the original city defense army, it will be very difficult for us to take it." ”

Tikal continued, "Portovello usually has more than 5,000 inhabitants, but during the trade season it suddenly increases several times. Although the silver fleet is gone, Portovello is actually very rich locally. The city itself is not large, and the annual trade fairs are suddenly flooded with merchants and sailors, and the locals provide them with wine and accommodation by renting out their warehouses and land, and the city has amassed a lot of wealth over the years. ”

"Sounds good," Roberts asked, "so how many defenses are there?" ”

Tikal pointed to the map, "Portovelo has no walls, and the city's defense depends mainly on three castles. Fort San Felipe was the most powerful, with more than 200 garrisons and more than 30 heavy artillery pieces built on a hillside on the peninsula opposite the city. Fort Santiago had 5 heavy guns, 100 defenders. The bay was 1 nautical mile wide at its widest point, and the heavy artillery of Fort Santiago and Fort San Felipe completely blocked the entire entrance channel to the bay. ”

Roberts said, "With a strong stone fortress, it is impossible for our fleet to attack the city of Portovello from the sea. ”

Chen Shouxu nodded, "So we will land more than ten miles away from the mouth of the bay and attack from land." ”

Tikal pointed to a place southwest of the city of Portobello, "Attacking from the land can ignore the most powerful Fort San Felipe, the guns of Fort Santiago are all pointed at the bay, and there are only 5 guns, and the range cannot cover the city." The biggest influence on us was Grorianople, located southwest of the city. ”

"Fort of Honor?"

"Yes. With more than 200 garrisons, Fort Honor was fortified with fortified forts to cover the Silver Post Road into the city. ”

"It's not easy to fight, there are also Chagres Castle to the southwest of Fort Honor and Fort San Lorenzo that we beat last year."

Chen Shouxu and Tikal glanced at each other and smiled, "So we landed in the northeast of Portovello. On the map, although Portovello is surrounded by jungle, our Tikal guide happened to know a trail that would lead to Portovello. ”

Seeing that the captains were in good spirits, Chen Shouxu said, "It's just that everyone has to work harder, and the trail is tortuous and winding for a total of more than ten miles." ”

The captains said, "It's okay to walk a little, it's nice to avoid the battery." ”

Finally, Chen concluded, "Portovello's Spanish standing army has more than 600 people, and if the militia is mobilized, the number can be doubled, so we need to move quickly." Tonight will be the case, 600 men will be sent to land, and the rest will remain in the fleet. Again, I would like to stress that the goal of the operation is to obtain gold and silver, not to kill people at will, and it is best if you can force the locals to cooperate. ”

After the meeting was adjourned, the captains went back to prepare. After dark, Chen's soldiers boarded the longboat, abandoned the boat and landed on the shore, and led by Tikal into the deep jungle path. The road is lost in the lush rainforest, and without a guide, these outsiders simply can't find a suitable path. Fortunately, it is winter, and it is also the dry season in the region, so there is no way to march in the terrible rainy season.

As they marched, the soldiers used their swords and boarding axes to split branches and rattans that stood in their way, and they crossed several streams. The march was slow, until midnight. Farmland had been cultivated by Indian slaves close to the city, and the soldiers who had lost their shelter were found by the Spaniards three miles from the city.

The messenger ran towards the city.

When the pirates were still 1 mile from the city, Portovello's alarm bell rang and the defenders immediately got up and began to assemble.

Chen Shouxu drew his sword and gave an order to the pirates, "Run forward, rush in." ”

More than half of the pirates formed a queue and rushed to the center of the city with weapons in hand.

Beside Chen Shouxu, there was also a neat queue of 150 people, led by Walter. Among the Spanish infantry captured by Chen Shouxu on the island of Eleuthera were some mercenaries from Germany. After the battle, more than 30 Germans volunteered to join the pirates. Chen Shouxu handed over these German mercenaries to Walter to command, and on this basis he established the Marine Corps of the fleet. The marines were armed with cuirasses, heavy arquebuses and spears, and had an artillery battery. (At this time, the company is very small). There were now 4 4-pounder field guns on board, using field gun mounts designed by Gustavus Adolf from the Thirty Years' War. Of course, Chen Shouxu did not accompany his artillery in this landing.

In addition to landing operations, the soldiers of the Marine Corps are also the core force of broadside warfare, and they also have to undertake picket work on the ship in peacetime. According to the establishment of European navies at this time, the number of marines on the battleship would account for one-third of the total number of ships. Chen Shouxu didn't have so much manpower for the time being, he just set up a shelf first.

The pirates quickly stormed the city. The city of Portovello is divided into two parts by a creek and has four urban districts, which are divided between the rich, the poor, the free blacks, and the slaves. Numerous wooden buildings are separated by intersecting streets, and in the center of the city are the Cathedral of La Merse, the Convent of the Virgin, the Town Hall and the fortified vault. The pirates' targets were the Mercedes district and the city center, where the wealthy were concentrated.

More than 200 Spanish soldiers fought back against the pirates, but their combat effectiveness was very weak in front of the pirates who were dazzled by the silver. Philip. Edward's pirate vanguard soon drove the Spanish defenders into Fort Honor. The Spanish soldiers could only resist the pirate attack under the escort of the forts.

Chen Shouxu led the Marines to immediately take over the buildings in the city center and draw a defensive line.

Walter handed Chen Shouxu an arquebus, "Look at the captured weapon." ”

"It's a rusty burning stick again." Chen Shouxu casually threw the tattered shot aside, "It's the same as we estimated." The terrible rainy season destroyed the weapons and the will to fight of these Spaniards. ”

Seeing that the red-eyed Edward was still attacking Fort of Honor, Chen Shouxu called a herald, "Go and inform Captain Edward that the purpose of our visit to Portovello is to obtain gold and silver, not to compete for the honor of conquering the fortress." Just let him stop the attack and hold down the exit of Fort Honor. ”

After the heralds left, the Marines quickly took the vault in the center of the city with spears and bayonets. At this time, the arquebus bayonet had just appeared, and it was a straight-plug bayonet with the handle inserted into the muzzle. This bayonet was also new in Europe, and there were still disadvantages such as weak attachments, which hindered shooting, so spearmen were still important in the army formation. Chen Shouxu only tentatively equipped some.

"Seal off the vault so no one is allowed to enter." Chen Shouxu called Drape and Cochlin, "Chairman, Quartermaster, you two come with me." ”

The vault is not large, but it is made of granite mixed with red clay and lime, and it is very strong. The money was not too much, which made Chen Shouxu a little disappointed, "A total of 210,000 silver coins of 8 riyals are only more than 50,000 pounds, and the average person is only 50." ”

Chen Shouxu said secretly, "A total of only 200,000 taels of silver." ”

He turned to Drap and Cochlyn and said, "All of them are registered, and the two of you are taking notes." We're going to ship the silver back to the fleet and divide it. ”

Chen Shouxu walked out of the vault quickly, found the pirates who were looting in the city, and said, "Hurry up." Everyone goes to the Mercedes district, where the rich Spaniards put silver in clay pots and bury it under the trees in the garden. Dig them all out, we only have a day. Be fast. ”

"Send a letter to the Spanish mayor of Fort of Honor and ask him to raise another 100,000 silver coins as a ransom for the city by 12 noon tomorrow, or I will burn the city of Portovello and leave them homeless."

The pirates were indeed adept at plundering, and soon the captured rich were imprisoned in the Cathedral of La Merse. There, the pirates will copy out all the information they need, including silver.

Probably due to the disappointment of the spoils of war, in order to appease the pirates, Chen Shouxu decided to relax some military discipline requirements after thinking for a while. Some women from rebellious local families were escorted to the town hall.

When money is not enough, alcohol and a few other things are also a way to celebrate.

Chen Shouxu said to Walter, "Let the soldiers of the Marine Corps control the entrance and prohibit the bombardment of the entrance, and do what you do in the European army, do it here." ”

Walter immediately set about arranging these things.

The people around him had already left to do their own thing, and Chen Shouxu looked around at the city trembling under the pirate butcher's knife. A stone building next to the convent of the Virgin attracted his attention. In general, the Spanish colonial cities are town halls, churches, and warehouses built of stone, and Portovello is a slightly larger city, and it is not surprising that there are many monasteries. What is this building?

He took two guards and walked to the door. He saw a line of writing carved on the wall, and he didn't know Spanish. Summoning a pirate who can read Spanish to him. The text reads, "I will keep my vows and be faithful...... I will never divulge what I see or hear about my private life that should not be disseminated. ”

"The Hippocratic Oath?" Chen Shouxu was overjoyed, and he pushed the door in. Some Spanish doctors and nurses were standing behind the door, watching with fear at the pirates who broke through the door.

"This is the hospital?" Chen Shouxu asked the person standing at the front for verification.

"This is the Portovello Hospital, and I'm the director."

Chen Shouxu was ecstatic, and he immediately ordered the guards around him, "Send people to defend this hospital immediately, and no soldiers are allowed to enter." ”

"Mr. Dean, what do you call it?"

"Giovanni. Tornatore. ”

"Italians?"

"Milanese."

Chen Shouxu knew that Milan was now a royal domain of the Spanish Habsburgs, but this was not Castile after all. He didn't give the dean a chance to refuse, "Dean Tornatore, I'm not going to talk nonsense." I promise to keep hospitals safe, but my fleet needs doctors. Non-Spanish nationality is preferred, you choose. ”