While Chen Shouxu was refitting the Tempest on the island of St. Lucia, the Spanish treasure fleet, which had been attacked by them in October last year, finally returned to Spain after more than four months of arduous sailing. After entering the Gulf of Cádiz, the Marquis of La Mina disbanded the fleet. The bulk of the merchant fleet continued to sail towards Seville, while the warships returned to the military port of Cádiz.

During the many years of war with the Netherlands, the Spanish Navy did not gain any superiority. Not so long ago, the Spanish navy was badly damaged by the French, and now it is even less powerful than the Dutch fleet.

In order to prevent the Franco-Dutch fleet from attacking the mainland, the Spaniards began to set up a kind of coastal signal station at key points along the long coastline of the Iberian Peninsula, using sophisticated optical and pyrotechnic communications to provide early warning information about enemy ships from afar. Such coastal signal stations will spread throughout the coastline in the future after Spain loses its sea supremacy.

The warships escorting the treasure fleet rounded the headland of the Cadiz Peninsula, and the fortified batteries fired a gun salute to welcome their comrades home. Cadiz is an ancient city, located on a peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides, and it was the most important naval base on the island of Iberia, starting with Hannibal in the Bushy War, and it was here that Columbus began his great expedition.

Chiron docked the Estellaia and hurriedly disembarked. He had written a report on pirates, and the long voyage had given him plenty of time to refine his ideas, and he now confidently handed it over to the fort's fleet command.

Chiron didn't even return home, anxiously waiting for the outcome in the military port. But the report was like a stone in the sea, and no formal approval came back. A week later, just when Chiron had lost hope in the report, he was summoned by Gravina.

The commander of the disbanded convoy looked at the captain standing straight in front of him with complicated eyes, and Chiron proposed in his report that the pirate den in the Caribbean Sea was located in the Bahamas, and he felt that instead of waiting for the pirate flood, it would be better to build a fleet of three or four cruisers as the main force, supplemented by a number of sloops, and take the initiative to destroy the pirate's lair with Havana as the home port.

After pondering for a while, Gravina said, "Chiron, I have read the report you gave to the fleet command, and the idea is very clear, and I think it is highly feasible. ”

Chiron was overjoyed, "Thank you, sir, for the compliment." Pirates of the Caribbean rely on nothing more than familiarity with wind direction, currents, and islands. Our warships are too large to deal with pirates. Based on the strength of the two viceroyalties of New Spain and Peru, we can form an anti-theft party of schooners, and the kingdom fleet can send a few cruisers as the backbone to suppress the large gunboats in the pirates. With a few more battles, we'll be able to figure out the Bahamas' shipping lanes and the location of pirates' dens, and then we'll be able to wipe them out in one fell swoop. ”

Gravina listened quietly, got up and walked to the large chart of the West Indies, pointed to the vicinity of Havana, and said, "I have only one question. In total, the kingdom's fleet in Havana, Veracruz, and Katanach had only twenty-three warships of more than twenty-three cruisers. Taking into account the maintenance of ships in port and the rest of personnel, there are only a maximum of nine ships that can maintain uninterrupted simultaneous operations at sea. Britain and France were constantly strengthening their maritime power in the New World, while the Netherlands itself was not weak in Brazil. In order to prevent them from breaking into the Gulf of Mexico again, it is already difficult for these cruisers to maintain the existing cruiser chain, and I am afraid that they will not be able to muster the forces to carry out the strike you envisaged on the Bahamas. ”

"Then send a few warships from the mainland."

Gravina shook his head, "You should have heard when you came back that the home fleet had just suffered heavy losses in the battle with France, and it was impossible for the home fleet to send troops to the New World now. ”

There are not enough troops, and there is no way to do it.

"All the Admiralty needs is silver from the New World, and as long as it doesn't affect silver shipments, the Admiralty doesn't care about petty pirates, they don't have the ability to threaten the convoy."

"Sir, but if the pirates continue to grow, they will surely attack the mainland. Drake had plundered our silver-transporting horses on the mainland, and although they could not threaten our convoys at sea, the raids on the mainland would also reduce the kingdom's profits in the New World. ”

What a belligerent captain, Gravina sighed, "you're right. But the Admiralty is still most concerned about the war in Europe right now, and piracy in the New World is not something that needs to be dealt with urgently, so the Fleet Command will not reply to your report. ”

Chiron looked disappointed, "Yes, sir. ”

Gravina didn't want to hit him too hard, so he said his own disposition, "Although the commander of the main fleet in Cadiz didn't say anything after reading your report, I still handed your report to the Indian and other places in Madrid through my own channels. The Admiralty does not agree, and there is not necessarily hope that your idea will be realized. ”

"Thank you, sir, I see, sir." What can this do, Chiron still can't suppress his disappointed look.

"I've asked you for a month's vacation, so go home and rest for a while." I would like to see an energetic captain in a month. ”

"Yes, sir. All for the king. ”

"All for the king."

Watch as the young captain turns and walks out of the office. The current navy of the Kingdom of Spain has lost the vigor of the conquest of the New World, and it has lost the aura of honor of saving Christendom after the great victory at the Battle of Lepanto, and it has no criss-crossing of the Armada to conquer and conquer.

During the protracted wars with England, the Netherlands, and France, the Spanish Admiralty was in the twilight.

Gravina's hierarchy had given him a lot of information, and the Admiralty was currently working on a huge plan for another decisive battle with the Dutch fleet at the right time in the second half of the year. In fact, the Admiralty also intended to transfer some troops from the New World back to the mainland to strengthen the main fleet. But this information cannot be conveyed to the captain of Chiron's class at this time.

In the years of war, the Spanish Navy lost too many brave captains. In fact, Gravina was not optimistic about this decisive battle plan of the Admiralty, and as a soldier, he could only obey orders. But he still intends to do something within his means.

In addition to handing over Chiron's report to Madrid, he intended to present his plans to the Admiralty. A group of patrol ships was dispatched to form the Spanish fleet to intercept and plunder Dutch merchant ships in the area stretching from the Cape of Good Hope in the south, to the English Channel in the north, to the coast of Africa in the east, and to Recife, Brazil in the west.

It takes a group of enterprising captains, and Chiron is one of them.

In addition to preserving some of his forces in a decisive battle that he was not optimistic about, this plan could also train a group of young captains, who perhaps, were the hope for the future of the Spanish navy.