From Robinson Crusoe

In early June 1665, while the massive iron-hulled ships were still under construction in the shipyard, the third "population increase" operation on the island had already begun.

It was still that sturdy, durable steel-framed sailboat, still led by Sunday.

This time, however, the ship's armed forces were significantly enhanced.

……

Fu Lu Shou and his two companions were busy with various matters and needed to stay on the island to help Chen Zhou manage numerous projects.

The newly trained guards accompanied Sunday on the trip to the island.

After the armed conflict, a guard was formed on the island, and after a second expedition to the archipelago to capture the natives, the guard was further expanded from the initial 8 people to 20 people.

All members of the guard team were trained by Chen Zhou and Sunday.

There is so much new knowledge on the island that it is impossible for the guards to master it all in a short period of time. Therefore, during training, they focus on learning Chinese characters, memorizing and understanding legal codes and weapon use and maintenance guidelines.

In addition, their discipline was also something Chen Zhou valued highly.

Chen Zhou incorporated the marching drills and folding exercises he had experienced during his university military training, as well as other military training methods he had seen in military films and television dramas, into the guard team's training plan as appropriate.

After a period of closed training, although the quality of the guards was far inferior to that of modern armies, Chen Zhou felt that they should be more than capable of dealing with sailors, pirates, and even uncivilized natives of the same period.

……

Chen Zhou's target for capturing the indigenous people this time was 80.

If the mission is successfully completed on Sunday, the island's population will experience a leap in growth.

In fact, given the capabilities of Sunday and the guards and support staff, they could easily capture 80 people, let alone guard one or two hundred.

Unfortunately, the ship had limited carrying capacity. If it couldn't make a round trip on the same day, it would be almost impossible for the captured natives to die during transport, and Chen Zhou's target number might have been even more conservative.

During the period of the Black Trade, far more Black people died on ships than successfully disembarked.

These events are clearly written in textbooks, and behind every description lies a bloody history.

Although Chen Zhou was the de facto "local tyrant" of the island, his purpose in capturing the natives was not simple; he merely wanted to add more labor to the island.

But he still had some conscience and didn't stoop so low as to treat human lives as a numbers game.

……

The sea breeze gently caressed the water's surface, and the dock was bustling with noise.

Ten guards, all dressed in blue overalls and carrying rifles, boarded the ship in neat formation.

The sails were about to be raised, and the islanders in the distance shielded their eyes from the sunlight, squinting as they gazed at the large ship.

Some people recalled the archipelago that seemed to be buried deep in their memories, and the life they once endured.

Some eagerly awaited the arrival of new members; some dreamed of the day they would board a ship and set sail; others looked enviously at the guards' uniforms and the rifles on their shoulders, wishing they could take their place...

……

Lu Si'er stood under the mast, looking up at the gradually rising sails, her gaze drifting to the sea.

The island has seen two population increases, but none of these new inhabitants know the whereabouts of his son.

Ruth thought that if her child did not swim to the other island, he would sink in the bay between the two islands.

Then he remembered the name he had changed to, and what he had said to him on Sunday, and he felt a little dazed again.

……

Everyone who was supposed to board had already boarded. It was the first time that the guards had boarded the ship as sailors. Although they were restricted from moving around due to discipline, their eyes were still darting around, taking in everything on the ship.

On Sunday, standing ramrod straight with a long sword at his waist, he stood at the bow of the ship. Seeing that everyone had finished getting ready, he gave the order to set sail.

The ship rocked slightly, cutting through the waves, and under the command of Kosu, who had been renamed Li Si, it headed towards the archipelago.

The sun was high in the sky. After boarding the ship, Sunday was about to go to the shaded cabin to rest when he saw Ruth standing there in a daze as he passed the mast.

He pursed his lips, fully aware of his old friend's thoughts and intentions on Sunday.

Stopping in his tracks, Sunday patted Ruth on the shoulder and pulled him away from the mast.

"I know what you're thinking."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Lu Si'er's expression darkened on Sunday, as if she had fallen into deeper pain.

After pausing for a moment and making a major decision in his mind, he continued speaking on Sunday.

“You’ve been with me since my first voyage, and we’ve known each other for almost two years now, so we’re practically old friends.”

The leader trusts me and has given me full authority to handle this operation. Within my capabilities, I can do you a favor.

Sunday pointed to the sea where the bow of the ship was facing.

"This time, we'll go to the island your son swam to, capture the natives, and gather information."

Whether your son is alive or dead, I will do my best to give you an answer.

But don't get your hopes up too high. We're all from the archipelago; we know the situation there inside and out. To be honest, the chances of your son still being alive are slim.

"But you and I both know who the real culprit is."

Regardless of whether we find your son or not, you have to promise me that even if you're all alone in the future, you will live a down-to-earth and earnest life.

Furthermore, after this operation, I will consult with the leader and decide whether to leave you on the island next time. You are neither a qualified sailor nor an outstanding warrior.

After saying this, Sunday drew the long sword from his waist and showed Rusil the gleaming blade.

"As for our common enemy, our former leader, he won't live much longer."

I can tell you that the moment that big ship in the shipyard is completed will be the moment he dies.

"Whether you have the guts or not, I will bring him back and personally behead him on the execution platform."

Sunday's tone was exceptionally firm, and his eyes seemed to burn with flames, making Ruth'er ​​unable to look him in the eye.

Still caught up in the memories and thoughts of Sunday's words, before he could reply, he heard a crisp "clang"—

On Sunday, he sheathed his longsword, took a step forward, and swept into the cabin like a sea breeze, leaving only his back, wrapped in camouflage.

……

We had traveled the route to the archipelago more than once, and since it was the dry season, the sea was calm and the view was wide open, so there were no unexpected setbacks along the way.

After the initial tension, the young guards, armed with guns, gradually adapted to the turbulence at sea and the sea breeze, and became relaxed and cheerful.

When the stern-faced officer entered the cabin on Sunday, most of them began to whisper among themselves.

Some of the guards were equipped with monoculars, and taking advantage of the favorable sea conditions, they took out their binoculars and peered into the direction the ship was heading.

The closer they got to the islands, the more exaggerated the reactions of those with binoculars became, making those without binoculars extremely anxious, wishing they could snatch them away and see for themselves what was making them so surprised.

He was in full charge of the operation and did not relax his monitoring of the situation on board, even while inside the cabin on Sunday.

Seeing the silhouettes of the islands distorted by the heat rising into view ahead, and knowing that this time the destination was different from the previous two, he stepped out of the cabin ahead of time, ready to personally correct the course.

The guards who were speaking in hushed tones immediately shut their mouths when they saw Sunday, like mice seeing a cat. The person looking through binoculars also hurriedly put them away, pretending that nothing had happened.

He glared at them, and just as Sunday was about to continue forward, a guard who hadn't yet lowered his binoculars suddenly exclaimed—

"ferry!"

His companion, seeing that he still didn't understand what was going on, quietly gave him a push.

However, the person who exclaimed did not put down the monoculars despite his companion's reminder; instead, he angrily rebuked, "Don't move!"

He adjusted the binoculars slightly, struggling to find his balance amidst the swaying of the ship, his tone much calmer as he repeated—

"A ship, a big ship, I'm not mistaken!"

As he spoke his second sentence, Sunday had already taken out his binoculars and stood shoulder to shoulder with the guard, observing the sea together.

……

The monocular telescope in Sunday's hand was a "high-end" product carefully selected by Chen Zhou, which was much better than the one carried by the guards in terms of both clarity and viewing distance.

The image flashed by on the sparsely wooded beach at the edge of the archipelago, across the azure sea, and on Sunday the ship the guards had mentioned was spotted.

It was a behemoth, even larger than the iron-hulled ships under construction in the shipyard, with a bulky hull and a tall mast.

Compared to it, the ship beneath Sunday's feet is practically a toddler.

The wind and waves at sea could not shake the ship in the slightest, and on its sails billowing in the wind, a peculiar pattern could be seen on Sunday.

Those usually most troublesome cultural classes came in handy at this moment. I vaguely remember that the pattern on Sunday was related to the so-called Spaniards or the Spanish royal family.

Immediately afterward, he recalled the treasure plan on the island that the leader had revealed.

"Was that a Spanish raiding ship that buried treasure on the island?"

Sunday quickly learned the ship's identity.

Without time to consider whether the ship was there to transport treasure or to take it away, he put down his binoculars and quickly ordered the sailors to lower the sails.

If they continue forward at this speed, it won't be long before they encounter that large ship.

On Sundays, I learned about the specifics of naval warfare in the naval warfare and weapons and equipment classes.

If the two ships cannot quickly close in and engage in a dangerous boarding maneuver, then at sea, the battle will basically be decided by cannon fire.

And they didn't have a single cannon on their ship.

Although their spears had a range that was no less than, or even greater than, that of cannons, they could not cause serious damage to the ship's hull and therefore could not truly threaten the large ship.

Moreover, when firing at sea, no matter how well-trained the soldiers are, the accuracy will be greatly reduced due to the unstable hull of the ship.

As for boarding action—

Their ship was too small; even if they got close, it would be a problem if they could climb onto the side of the larger ship, not to mention that there were only a dozen or so soldiers available on board.

They were at a disadvantage in terms of weaponry, manpower, and ship size; to start a war rashly would be tantamount to suicide.

Although he has a bad temper on Sundays, he's still mentally sound.

Taking advantage of the fact that the guards had discovered the large ship in advance, he planned to temporarily avoid confrontation, reduce the ship's speed, and wait for the ship to leave before continuing his actions.

……

The sails on the ship were quickly lowered, and the ship, which was heading at full speed towards the islands, suddenly came to a standstill, and the entire ship stopped on the sea, almost motionless.

Once the sailors and soldiers understood the situation, and considering the formidable enemy they faced and the potential war, they were filled with tension. They sat up straight and unconsciously gripped their spears tightly.

Even Lu Si'er and Li Si, two veterans who were going to sea for the third time, showed unusual expressions of fear.

Whether it was the leader with divine power or the group of brown-haired people whose origins were unknown, they were beings they did not understand very well.

Although they had full confidence in their leader, they were currently at sea and without his support. They felt that their chances of winning were slim if they were to fight that brown-haired man or some Spaniard.

At times like these, the only person who should remain calm and not panic is Sunday.

He frowned, his expression unreadable, and remained firmly planted at the bow of the ship, holding up his binoculars and gazing into the distance without uttering a word.

……

A qualified armed merchant ship must be equipped with a lookout.

Spanish merchant ships, being wealthy and powerful, carried loads of gold and silver treasures and were especially wary of pirates at sea, so they naturally kept a close watch on any unusual activity.

In fact, at the very top of that towering mainmast, there were two lookouts observing in different directions at the same time.

Shortly after the large ship was spotted on Sunday, the lookout on the ship spotted the oddly shaped small boat anchored in the distance.

This unusual information was quickly reported to the captain.

Some people thought it was a sampan thrown off a damaged merchant ship during a storm, but after observation, he dismissed this theory.

They were all veteran sailors who had been sailing the seas for many years. They could get a general idea of ​​the shape of the sampan, whether the hull was damaged, whether the sails were lowered by force or the mast was broken, even if they were far away.

Moreover, the design of their ship on Sunday was unlike any other ship of its time.

Because the ship uses a steel-welded frame inside the hull, the strength of the hull is greatly increased, resulting in a more streamlined and aesthetically pleasing overall shape that reduces drag. This is completely different from galleons or other armed merchant ships that focus on carrying capacity and armed forces.

After observation, the captain concluded that the ship was more like a pirate ship than a merchant caravan's escape ship caught in a storm.

After all, the sea has been calm for the past half month. There haven't been any storms or even heavy rains, so it's impossible for sampans to be available for escape.

But since it was a pirate ship, why didn't it take the initiative to attack? Instead, it lowered its sails and stopped at sea in the far distance.

Moreover, this route is extremely remote, not in the Caribbean region where pirates frequently roam, so how could such a small pirate ship appear?
Where did they get their supplies?
……

On Sunday, the sailors on the Spanish merchant ship were equally bewildered by the mysterious vessel.

The captain, first mate, gunner, and sailors discussed the matter at length, but in the end, no one could come up with the most reasonable guess.

"Then fire a few shots to scare them, and then continue driving."

I think that ship is most likely still pirates, but they didn't attack because they were afraid of our firepower.

Or perhaps they're planning to disguise themselves as a shipwrecked merchant vessel, lowering their sails to conceal their intentions, then boarding us as we approach to catch us off guard. I've seen this kind of thing many times!

Amidst the chaotic sounds of the surrounding market, the bearded captain finally gave his impatient final decision. (End of Chapter)