1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 337 Black Mandala

Atlantic Islands, Canary Islands, La Palma Island.

Ever since the Eastern Roman Empire's Agricultural Research Institute successfully grew bananas on the island of La Palma, the plantation economy of the Canary Islands has become increasingly prosperous. The United Fruit Company, which was controlled by the royal family, built many banana plantations on the archipelago and transported hundreds of Muslim slaves and West African slaves here to engage in banana planting. The yellow Gros Michel bananas were then transported to the Mediterranean coast by speedboats and served on the tables of dignitaries.

This banana feast certainly came at a price. Due to the enormous labor pressure and poor living environment on the plantations, a large number of slaves lost their lives every month, and a steady stream of new slaves were transported in. The Eastern Roman Empire was turning its vast colonial plantations into a meat grinder, gradually consuming a large number of Muslims in Anatolia.

The Romans on the Canary Islands certainly had no sympathy for these Turkic Muslims. They gained wealth, achieved revenge, and regained their self-esteem. The Governor of the Canaries, Lothar, also used the profit from the plantations to further expand the La Palma ship repair yard, adding shipbuilding workshops, which were able to build some small ships.

However, Governor Lothair at this time frowned, signed his name on each document, and looked out the window from time to time, looking very worried.

As the Eastern Roman Empire's overseas trade continued to prosper, pirate attacks followed one after another. The conflict in Iberia increased the frequency of pirate attacks, and many merchant ships had already fallen into the hands of pirates.

Pirates are a group of desperate criminals who roam around on the vast ocean. Many regular merchant ships will also engage in piracy activities when no one is around. Once they succeed, they will flee far away and continue to stir up trouble after the situation calms down.

In order to deal with the increasingly rampant pirates near Gibraltar, Governor Lothair worked tirelessly and used the rapidly developing sailors to build many lookout towers and coastal artillery positions among the Canary Islands. He also started the construction of the Canary Lighthouse in an attempt to provide a permanent and safe Atlantic haven for merchant ships.

In addition, after the outbreak of the war, Governor Lothar immediately banned ships from France, Aragon and other countries from entering the port. Even Portuguese and Neapolitan ships had to undergo strict inspections when entering the port to minimize the risk of piracy.

However, these measures were only temporary solutions and not a fundamental solution. In order to combat the increasingly rampant pirate forces, under the emperor's instructions, Canary Governor Lothar, New Rome Governor Columbus and Colonial Minister William jointly formulated a series of plans, trying to use some merchant ships as bait, let the real large fleet follow closely, attract the pirates, try to catch them all in one fell swoop and strike down their arrogance.

However, the unpredictable nature of the sea and the lack of means of information exchange prevented this plan from initially achieving its desired effect. In many cases, a storm was enough to break up the fleet. These single ships that had lost contact with the main force could only sail to the nearest port with the help of a compass and a nautical chart, and naturally became the most ideal target for pirates.

Furthermore, the Age of Exploration had just begun, and the pirates did not dare to attack groups of ships. The bait was put out, but the big fish were unwilling to take the bait.

Therefore, Lothar placed his hopes on the latest American treasure ship. In his opinion, as long as the value of the bait was high enough and tempting enough, there would definitely be pirates who would take the risk for money rather than their lives. Even if the success rate was extremely low, it was totally worth a try.

Such is the nature of pirates, and once upon a time, so were the pirates of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Now, the main ships of the Atlantic Fleet are all hidden in the island chain of the Canary Islands, including four modified large caravels, five small caravels and eight caravels, enough to dominate the entire Atlantic Ocean.

The Canary Islands were the meeting point of the Eastern Roman Empire's West Indian trade and East Indian trade, and were an absolute overseas trade center. All ocean-going ships coming from the west and the south had to dock here. It was one of the few anchor points on the vast ocean. For pirates, it was very difficult to find a small fleet on the vast ocean, but around the Canary Islands, the chances of catching a lone fleet were much greater. This was an opportunity for pirates and also an opportunity for the navy.

In order to strengthen maritime communications, the Prometheus department of the Eastern Roman Empire also introduced the production technology of flares from the East. Various metal fragments and gunpowder projectiles were ignited together and launched into the sky, using different colors to represent different messages. If the weather was clear, observers from a long distance could see the bright fireworks.

Of course, although it is called a flare, it is actually a large-scale firework. Flares with added magnesium powder were invented by the hardworking and wise Oriental people in the Southern Song Dynasty. It is not a rare thing.

The development of the situation also confirmed Lothar's judgment. The news that a new round of treasure ships were setting sail for home reached the East, and the number of merchant ships traveling to and from the Azores and Madeira Islands increased significantly. Among them there must be many bandits who were dazzled by the treasures.

However, just as Lothar was calculating the date and preparing to welcome the arrival of the treasure ship, a sudden change interrupted his plan, catching everyone off guard.

There was a storm in the Canary Islands.

As one of the islands in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Canary Islands are located at the center of the Canary Current. The air currents are chaotic and complex, and they are often affected by tropical storms. However, this does not hinder the beauty and richness of the Canary Islands. The residents living on the islands have long been accustomed to it.

However, this storm was different and caused many people to panic.

In early 1474, abnormal atmospheric changes led to a disaster. A large-scale storm moved southward from the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Due to the influence of air currents, countless yellow sands swept in from the Sahara Desert adjacent to the archipelago, turning into an overwhelming sandstorm and descending over the Canary Islands.

Suddenly, the entire archipelago was filled with wind and sand. The islands closest to the West African mainland were the worst hit. The entire sky was dim, strong winds blew off the roofs, yellow sand blocked the view, and the residents hid in their homes and shivered.

After the incident, Governor Lothar immediately issued a ban order, prohibiting merchant ships from going out to sea, prohibiting residents from going out, and rushing to harvest crops in the plantations.

Of course, this does not require any ban. No ship is willing to take the risk of going out to sea at this time, and not many people dare to challenge the majesty of nature.

In the castle on La Palma Island, Lothar stared at the misty yellow sand outside the window, feeling anxious.

The wooden door opened and footsteps pounded on the floor.

"I told you, I have no business dealing with the plantation! You will have to bear your own losses. Besides, you probably won't lose much from these things, right?"

Lothar put down his pen irritably and turned around.

"Oh, it's you. Sorry."

Lothar pursed his lips and apologized for his previous gaffe.

"Please forgive me, I have been annoyed by those company employees these days."

"I understand. I have never wanted to deal with them."

Colonial Secretary William Palaiologos nodded and walked towards a seat.

"The cost of growing bananas is so low. As you said, they didn't suffer much loss at all. They just want to ask you for more land."

"That's not what I'm worried about."

Lothar poured William a glass of wine.

"I wonder what the situation is with our treasure fleet."

"Based on the time, if it weren't for this annoying sandstorm, they should have arrived long ago."

"Indeed, it has arrived, but it is not here."

William handed a letter to Lothair.

"They were blown south by the wind and have reached the Governorate of St. Nicholas."

"It was delivered by pigeons. They released ten pigeons and this one arrived."

"When the storm subsides, remember to ask the transportation department to send a new batch of pigeons to the St. Nicholas Islands."

The territory of the Eastern Roman Empire was too vast. In order to speed up the exchange of information, in addition to the well-connected post station system, the Imperial Ministry of Transportation also carefully constructed a carrier pigeon system, using the Gomali pigeons, which had been famous since ancient Roman times, to transmit letters. Every major city and every military stronghold had its own carrier pigeon center.

Carrier pigeons cannot find their way. They only rely on their sensitivity to the geomagnetic field to fly back to their hometown. If you want to send letters to the Canary Islands, you have to prepare pigeons born and trained in the Canary Islands in advance.

Lothar nodded and took the letter.

After reading it, Lothar sighed and took out a cigarette.

"The treasure ship lost a ship in the storm, but our plan failed again."

"You mean trapping pirates?"

William asked.

"Yes, according to intelligence, the pirates attach great importance to this treasure ship and have even assembled together."

Lothar said sadly.

"If your plan went well, you can now prepare the gallows to hang the pirates."

"But now, they must have fled to the Azores or Madeira to avoid the storm."

"Why panic? There's still a lot of time."

William shrugged.

"After all, they are just a group of bandits. They can't cause much harm to us."

"We can fail many times, but they can't fail even once."

"I hope so."

Lothar thought.

"The storm will not last long. The Canary Islands are still the most important trade hub of the Eastern Empire in the Atlantic Ocean. Our plan is still feasible."

"How about you wait a little longer?"

"I can't wait. I will return to the Mediterranean as soon as the storm subsides. In addition to me, the West India Fleet must also return to the Mediterranean."

William immediately shook his head.

"Pirates are just a small matter, your majesty's plan is a big deal."

"Your Majesty only gave us 25 days, which was very tight."

"If His Majesty hadn't believed in you and was willing to give you a chance, I would have gone back long ago."

"What's the plan?"

Lothar looked at William, and seeing that he still had no intention of speaking, he curled his lips.

"Forget it. Anyway, I wish you success."

……

The breeze was still blowing, but the sky over the Madeira Islands was already very clear. More than half a month had passed and the storm had stopped. On a remote beach, several pirate ships were stranded in disarray, while several others were anchored on the sea not far away.

The Madeira Islands are also an overseas territory of the Kingdom of Portugal and a sugar cane island, not far from the Canary Islands.

On the largest pirate ship, the pirate leaders gathered together, drunk and noisy.

"If you ask me, we shouldn't have done this. We didn't get anything out of it, and we ended up eating a lot of sand!"

A drunken voice yelled.

"The Red Devil was blown away by the wind and I don't know where it sank to!"

"Yeah, the Greeks must have used some tricks of Satan, because I can't see anything near the Canary Islands!"

The Moors also roared loudly.

"Belivy, you—"

Before the Moor could utter a word, Belive grabbed his throat fiercely.

"On my ship, you have to follow my rules!"

Bellive growled viciously and it took him a while to let the Moor go.

"According to intelligence from the Madeira Islands, the failure of this operation is actually a good thing!"

Belivi glanced at everyone with a gloomy expression.

"As far as I know, after the storm subsided, the Nidhogg immediately led the West India Fleet back north from the St. Nicholas Islands, and did not even stop at the Canary Islands!"

"Then why didn't you tell us? We might be able to stop them at the Madeira line!"

A pirate leader shouted anxiously.

"Isn't this what we originally planned?"

"Hehe, stop them?"

Bellive sneered.

"The West India Fleet didn't return alone. Almost the entire Atlantic Fleet went north with them!"

"Stop it? How? We haven't even repaired the boat yet!"

"So, the Greek Atlantic Fleet has been hiding nearby, waiting for us to take the bait?"

The Moors responded.

"Yes! So I said, we are lucky and escaped a disaster!"

Bellive nodded heavily.

"But...but this is not right. If their purpose is to attack us, they should continue to hide. They have not lost the initiative yet."

The Moor was somewhat puzzled.

"If the Atlantic Fleet had stayed near the Canary Islands, we would have collided with them anyway, and without even knowing it."

"This is where the problem lies."

Bellevi placed his hand on his forehead and fell into deep thought.

"According to my guess, the main purpose of the Atlantic Fleet is not us. Lurking in the Canary Islands for a while is just a side job."

"They are heading north very quickly. They don't look like they are fighting pirates at all."

"I suspect that the Greeks are preparing to launch a major operation in the Mediterranean, so large that they won't even have to worry about the pirates."

"Their target is most likely Sicily, which is closest to Carthage and is also Aragon's most important overseas territory."

"That means... the Greeks currently have no extra fleets in the Atlantic?"

The Moor's eyes lit up, and he had no interest in the Eastern Roman Empire's actions in the Mediterranean.

"Then can't we take this opportunity to plunder?"

"So how are you going to plunder? Or are you going to attack individual merchant ships like before?"

Bellive snorted again.

"We have already attacked enough scattered merchant ships. The Greeks have also learned their lesson. Many civilian merchant ships have begun to seek protection from large chambers of commerce and form joint fleets."

"Our forces are still too weak to defeat even the Guinea Company's fleet."

"If we continue as before, it's not without gain, but it certainly won't satisfy your appetite."

"We must change our thinking and make ourselves stronger quickly, so that we can live better in this bloody sea."

"What do you have in mind?"

asked the Moor.

"You are of noble birth, so you must have more sources of intelligence than we do." "I have a new plan."

Bellevi spread out the map and showed it to everyone.

"We keep robbing scattered merchant ships, so our growth rate is always very slow. Without enough money, we can't recruit enough sailors and buy more ships."

"In this way, when the Greeks are freed from the war in the Mediterranean, our good days will be over."

Bellevi waved his hand.

"I'm going to plunder the commercial port!"

"commercial port?"

Everyone was shocked.

"You mean the Canaries? Governor Lothair is not easy to deal with."

"No, I'm not talking about the Canary Islands. We are not strong enough for now."

Bellive raised his head.

"Our goal is here."

Belliveau tapped on the map.

"Cuba?"

The Moor looked up at Bellive in disbelief.

"Yes, Cuba."

Bellive nodded.

"The Greeks' West Indian Fleet and Atlantic Fleet have been transferred away, and their company fleet is mainly located along the coast of Africa. The western Atlantic is truly a blank."

"Besides, the Greek conquest of the Aztecs has not yet ended, so Cuba must be extremely empty. The wealth of Havana Harbor is constantly accumulating. The previous batch of treasure ships has been gone for two months. It will take at least two months for us to repair the ship and rush to Cuba Harbor."

"In four months' time, Havana will surely be extremely rich."

"You say, is this a gift from God?"

After these words were spoken, the pirates fell silent.

"How about it, do you do it?"

……

On the vast ocean, a fleet was sailing against the wind and waves, with the flag of a double-headed eagle hanging high on its sails.

The leading ship was extremely large, with the cannons on its sides glowing coldly. Sailors were running around on the wide deck, preparing to dock.

This is the Sun of Cairo, the flagship of the Imperial Navy and the emperor's flagship, symbolizing the Eastern Roman Empire's absolute hegemony over the Mediterranean.

The shortcomings of the Cairo's Star are also obvious. Its overly large hull makes it unsuitable for ocean voyages. Its turning is a bit slow and its movements are a bit sluggish. It can only stay in the calm Mediterranean Sea.

On the deck of the Cairo's Sun, Isaac stood facing the wind with a stern face, watching the Carthage Port getting closer and closer.

The Iberian War was still going on. The siege of Malaga was difficult and bloody. The Latin pirates on the Costa del Sol fled. After arranging the war logistics, Isaac handed over the Iberian War to his eldest son Justinian and General Gonzalo who had arrived, and he himself returned to the port of Carthage with the Western Mediterranean Fleet originally stationed in the British Fortress.

During these months, the open and secret struggles between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Barcelona Alliance never stopped. The French successfully occupied Corsica, and the Milanese marched towards La Spezia and Parma, cutting off the Eastern Roman Empire's tentacles reaching into Italy.

The Latin pirates were mainly divided into two waves. One wave was active in the Atlantic Ocean, mainly attacking ocean-going merchant ships in the Canary Islands. The other wave was active in the western Mediterranean, using the Balearics, Sardinia, Sicily and other western Mediterranean islands as bases, harassing merchant ships passing from Gibraltar to Carthage.

In response, the Eastern Mediterranean Fleet of the Eastern Roman Empire stationed in Carthage also continued to harass Aragonese Sicily. Although it had not made a large-scale landing, it had basically figured out the troop deployment and defense situation in Sicily and was able to blockade major ports such as Messina.

Since the French took the initiative, the Treaty of La Spezia signed by Isaac and Charles VII was automatically invalidated, and corresponding revenge was inevitable.

The Aragonese want to take the lead, so let them see how powerful the overlord of the ocean is.

For several months, Sicily, the island closest to Carthage, had no peace at all. The fleet of the Kingdom of Aragon did not dare to come to the rescue, and the French also tried to use this island to slow down the pace of the Eastern Roman Empire. There were crisscrossing mountains here, and even if the Eastern Roman Empire could successfully land, the war on the ground would surely be protracted.

Fighting on multiple fronts, protracted warfare, blocked shipping routes, and frequent harassment, this is the effect that the French and Aragonese wanted to achieve. They tried to use this method to drive the Eastern Roman Empire out of the western Mediterranean and prevent Isaac from interfering in the affairs of Western Europe.

Thinking of this, Isaac sneered and took out a letter.

According to intelligence, Governor Lothair's plan was forced to be shelved due to the wrath of nature. Although Isaac felt regretful, he did not care too much. The golden age of pirates had not yet arrived. They were just front-line fleas of France and other countries. If he really took them seriously, it would play into Louis XI's hands.

If we defeat all the forces behind the scenes, pirates will naturally not be a concern.

To this end, Isaac formulated a bold plan to gather the Atlantic Fleet and the West Indian Fleet to the Mediterranean, preparing to use an unprecedented battle to declare to the world the supreme hegemony of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The port of Carthage was right in front of him. During the war, the port was full of warships coming in and out. The lighthouse keeper gave a welcome signal, but Isaac had no time to hold a port entry ceremony. He found a few naval officers, mounted his horse, and, accompanied by guards, rushed to the naval shipyard on the outskirts of Carthage.

The shipyard was also busy. After initially solving the problem of timber supply, the shipyard worked day and night for several months. Warships were continuously launched for sea trials and incorporated into various fleets.

A launching ceremony was being held in the largest dock. The shipbuilders were overjoyed, and the royal engineer Mansreti, who was in charge of supervising the construction, felt relieved.

"Your Majesty, we are finally done."

In the dock, Mansreti introduced the newly launched ship to Isaac.

"This is the galleon that was rebuilt from the bottom of the carrack according to your request. It is equipped with gun portholes and carries a total of 65 large and small guns. There are also musket points on the side of the ship. The center of gravity is lower, and the navigation is more stable."

Isaac looked at Mansreti's haggard expression and patted him on the shoulder without saying anything.

The sailing ship in front of us is the first galleon of the Eastern Roman Empire. The major shortcomings of the caravel have been relatively improved. Although it is only more than 500 tons, it can play a greater role in naval battles.

The only drawback is that the technology of the galleon cannot be hidden, and many of its ideas are exposed. Once it appears on the sea, other engineers can quickly understand the design concept of the galleon and make corresponding modifications to the existing ship design ideas.

"Thanks, Mansreti."

Isaac nodded.

"When this war is over, you will get one-fifth of the shares of the Carthage Shipyard. If you want, you can also open a private shipyard somewhere else. I will provide you with the initial capital."

"Your Majesty, let's wait until after the war."

Mansreti smiled and shook his head.

"Please give this groundbreaking ship a name."

Isaac looked at the graceful streamlined hull, then looked back at Mansreti.

"I'll leave this honor to you."

Mansreti was stunned and thought.

"This ship was originally built based on the blueprint of a modified caravel, and is part of your fleet expansion plan. The main wood for this ship comes from a logging camp in the Atlas Mountains. I've been there, and the forest is full of datura flowers."

"In that case, how about calling her Mandragora?"

Isaac nodded slightly and looked towards the north.

"Let's change her name and call her Black Mandala."

The flower language of black mandala is endless revenge.

Just as Isaac was thinking about something, Navy Minister Fidel ran over and handed a letter to Isaac.

"Your Majesty, a pigeon has sent a message saying that the West India Fleet and the Atlantic Fleet have arrived at the port of Algiers and are undergoing repairs."

Fidel whispered.

"Very good, almost there."

Isaac turned around, his expression serious.

"Fidel, we have endured for so long, now we are going to start."

"I said, you do it."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Fidel said excitedly, his eyebrows and beard trembling.

"It's really boring to fight pirates all the time!"

"First, the Eastern Mediterranean Fleet will immediately intensify its attacks on Sicily to make them feel scared and terrified."

Isaac commanded.

"Second, after a brief repair, the West Indian Fleet and the Atlantic Fleet immediately arrived at the port of Carthage to join up with the Eastern Mediterranean Fleet and the Western Mediterranean Fleet."

"Third, send a few fast ships to the ports of France and Aragon immediately to deliver some messages for me."

"what news?"

Fidel asked.

Isaac looked up and said calmly.

"Because the French have torn up the Treaty of La Spezia and disrespected the interests of the Eastern Roman Empire, we will sever all relations with the French and their allies, including diplomatic and trade exchanges."

"In the name of Rome, I solemnly swear today."

"Declare war on the Kingdom of France!"

"Declare war on the Kingdom of Aragon!"

"Declare war on the Duchy of Milan!"

"Declare war on the Republic of Florence!"

"Do you understand?"

Isaac was all smiles.

"I understand. The war should have started long ago!"

Fidel patted his chest.

"I'll send a clipper right now!"

"Wait, there's one more thing."

Isaac held him back.

"I demand that the Kingdom of Aragon immediately cede Sicily and Sardinia to us, that the Kingdom of France cede Corsica to us, that the Duchy of Milan cede Milan to us, and that the Republic of Florence cede Florence to us."

"Your Majesty, this..."

Fidel raised his eyebrows.

"Write the letter yourself. Make it as arrogant and irritating as you can."

Isaac waved his hand.

"Tell them that if they don't obey, I will lead all the fleet to launch a large-scale landing in Sicily, then Sardinia and Corsica."

Fidel nodded and pulled away.

……

As time went on, the Mediterranean countries waited anxiously, waiting for the arrogant roar of the Eastern Roman Empire and wave after wave of attacks on Sicily.

After receiving the news, the monarchs of the five countries immediately fell into rage and panic. They did not know whether the declaration of the Eastern Roman Empire was true, but they still made corresponding arrangements.

The fleets of France, Aragon, and Florence began to gather and dock on the coast of Liguria, recruiting mercenaries in the area, ready to provide rescue to Sicily at any time.

The Kingdom of Aragon also borrowed several huge sums of money from the Medici Bank in Florence to provide to the garrison of Sicily to recruit mercenaries and arm militia.

At the same time, the West Indian Fleet and the Atlantic Fleet of the Eastern Roman Empire finally arrived at the port of Carthage. With the help of a large number of transport ships and armed merchant ships, the port of Carthage became extremely prosperous for a while.

There are eight hundred warships and three thousand sea eagles.

Standing on the deck of the Black Mandala, looking at the unprecedented fleet, Isaac was overwhelmed with emotion.

"Your Majesty, everything is ready. The supplies have been loaded, the personnel have been boarded, your orders have been fully conveyed, and the ground defense forces on the North African coast have been successfully mobilized."

Navy Minister Fidel came over.

"Very good, head north."

Isaac commanded.

Fidel hesitated and asked.

"Your Majesty, time is too tight. You haven't told me the specific plan yet. Sicily is a big island. Except for the flat land along the coast, there are mountains everywhere. Which port should we land in?"

"I have already written it and I am giving it to you now."

Isaac handed Fidel a document.

"Tell everyone to head north, around Sicily, into Adria."

"We will go all the way north, straight to Venice."

(End of this chapter)