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Chapter 1215 The Unlucky Pirate

"Fuck, it's not like the emperor is leading the army in person again. Wait a minute, explain yourself clearly." But his arm was grabbed by Ma Lun, and he was not allowed to eat unless he answered.

"How can we know for sure? If Your Majesty does not want to lead the fleet to the east, why bother returning to Manila all at once? Wouldn't it be more convenient to invite people to Colombo or Hormuz Island for discussion?"

Tao Daxiang really couldn't get rid of Ma Lun's hand. This guy was a land warfare general, and on land, he, the fleet commander, had to admit defeat.

"Isn't the Western Expedition over yet?" Ma Lun really couldn't understand. If the Western Expedition was over, the communication ship would definitely bring the good news of the emperor's return.

But the most recent arrival also said that the army is still stationed in West Asia, and supplies must still be delivered, saying that they want to negotiate with the Europeans.

It would be most appropriate for the emperor to do such an important matter personally. How could he suddenly abandon the army and run away halfway through the battle, and then lead the navy to fight in the opposite direction?

"Your Majesty, do you need your consent to go east or west? How about we talk while walking? I'm really hungry." Tao Daxiang did not receive the emperor's order to lead the army in person, but he was 90% sure that it was true. He did not guess, but concluded it through analysis of clues.

"This, this is too, too overbearing. Fortunately, there is no mission for the Lu Zhanwei, thank goodness!" Ma Lun, who had just complained about not having the opportunity to gain military merit, was now thankful. If he could choose freely, he would rather not have military merit, not be promoted, and not want to fight with the emperor.

It's not dislike, nor is it fear, but fear. Whenever the emperor appears, whether in the base training ground or on the battlefield, a huge stone will be pressed on the heart, making it difficult to breathe.

I am over 40 years old and I am no longer confident in what I do. I can't help but take a look at the emperor's expression to judge right or wrong. If I can't see his expression, I can't eat or sleep well, and I always feel that I have done something wrong.

"You're such a jerk. If you had five points of Settle's ability, you wouldn't have graduated five years earlier. Now you're stuck at the same level. Okay, get started. I'll open a can and treat you to a drink tonight to celebrate."

Tao Daxiang didn't dare to express his opinion on this statement. It's one thing to know something in your heart, and another to say it out loud. But what Ma Lun said was also what he thought, so he deserved a small reward.

There are two relatively large islands to the east of the main island of the Galapagos Islands. One of them is close to a perfect circle in shape, and there is a pointed protrusion on the north side, which looks like a big turtle, so it is marked as Turtle Island 3 on the map of the Ming Navy.

The terrain of this island is relatively flat, and the coastline is jagged, forming countless small bays. A group of ragged men are pulling a small boat towards the beach in a bay on the south side. Two schooners are quietly anchored in the sea more than 200 meters away.

"Mather, William's ship has returned and didn't find the cunning silver ship. Charles wants to know what to do next. The sailors are getting a little impatient."

Two white European men were standing on the beach, talking in low voices. The taller one was older, with a beard that hadn't been shaved for a long time, and his linen shirt had lost its original color.

The man called Mather was shorter but stronger. His exact age was unknown, but he was estimated to be between thirty and forty, with a thin face and a mustache. His checked jacket was stylish, and it was obvious that it was made by a good tailor, but the elbows and cuffs were worn and the color was old.

"Are the corn and black beans enough?" Hearing the tall man's words, Mather twitched his mouth slightly, without much reaction.

"We have enough food and fresh water. I have sent people to cut trees. If we find suitable wood, we should be able to repair the stern of the Defiance and prepare materials for two masts." "Francisco, you are very thoughtful. We are short of gunpowder and our ship is damaged. We should not attack rashly. Did William tell us the news on the shore? Are there any signs that the Spanish are going out to sea to search for people on a large scale?"

When Mather heard that there was enough food, his tense face relaxed a little, but soon frowned again and began to pace around on the beach, calculating the amount of supplies. He suddenly stopped and asked the tall man very seriously.

“We haven’t received any accurate information yet. As you know, the Spanish have sent in a large number of troops. All our people have gone into hiding, so it will be difficult to contact them for a while.

However, Demi, the proprietress of the Guarquilla Pier Tavern, provided an important piece of news. She heard from the newly arrived Spanish officers that a large force was gathering in Panama City and might arrive next month.

In addition, the Governor ordered the removal of many cannons on the city walls and is installing them on the ships. The three silver ships may also be among the modifications. Mather, do you think this is to attack us?"

Francisco took off his hat, smoothed his messy long hair, and recounted the news he had just received. In addition to a little bit of uneasiness, his eyes were mostly confused.

"Reconstruct a silver transport ship? Mobilize troops from Panama? De Cabrera is not crazy, he is afraid. Remember the troop transport ship we encountered in Panama City a few months ago? William said at the time that they were all wounded by muskets, and he also suspected that there might be a larger-scale rebellion in New Spain.

But until last month, I hadn't heard of a rebellion of this magnitude anywhere. It seems that Governor de Cabrera is in big trouble. He transferred troops from the Isthmus and hurriedly modified the silver-carrying ship not to wipe out the pirates, but to deal with more powerful opponents. "

Compared to Francisco, Mather was not only younger, but also seemed to have a smarter brain. After only a moment of thinking, he gathered all the scattered information together, connected them logically, and came up with an answer that surprised himself.

"More formidable opponents... the British, the French, or the Dutch?"

Francisco fell into deeper confusion. There were only a few families in the New World that were worthy of being considered serious opponents by the Spaniards.

The Portuguese were originally the most powerful, but unfortunately their king was not strong enough. Now even Portugal has been inherited by the King of Spain, so there is no question of them being rivals.

But whether it's worthy or not, the sphere of influence of these countries is on the Atlantic side, and it is impossible for them to infiltrate the Pacific side so quickly.

"Neither is likely, and both are possible... Let's ignore them for now. As long as De Cabrera doesn't want to deal with us, it's a good thing! We will repair the ship in the afternoon and repair everything that can be repaired.

Don't rush to leave here until you have figured out the situation. Tell everyone what I mean and tell them to hold their breath. If something big is going to happen, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We can make a killing and go to the Bahamas together."

Mather couldn't understand Francisco's doubts, so he simply stopped thinking about them and prepared to remain unchanged in the face of all changes. He took advantage of the turbulent wind and clouds to repair the two sailboats, restore them to full health, and then wait for an opportunity to act.

(End of this chapter)