Global colonization began with Ming Dynasty pirates.

"Boss, we're really on a roll today! We've run into our boss as soon as we stepped out the door. Looks like today is the day we're going to make a fortune," a man with buck teeth flattered Zhou Daye, the boss of Twin Peaks Island.

"Haha, buck teeth, you're right, this is indeed a good omen, but we can't be careless. Give the order to make sure everyone polishes their tools. Those who make the greatest contribution this time will be allowed to choose from the women of the Lin family first."

Zhou Daye was well-versed in how to control these guys. No matter how badly he treated them normally, as long as he gave them a little something from time to time and occasionally gave them something to vent their frustrations on, their morale would immediately soar.

Sure enough, after Zhou Daye's words spread, cheers erupted on both ships. Every time they went hunting, they could have a great time. This time, hearing that it was a wealthy family on land, the henchmen were even more excited.

......

On the Fujian-style ship, a large amount of supplies were unloaded from below the hold.

Javelin, bow and arrow, rocket, gunpowder, machete, sickle, rattan shield, grappling hook, smoke canister, etc., and most importantly, one of the reasons why Lin Hao dared to fight two against one, 20 muskets.

This is not one of those cheap, cheap stuff from the Ming Dynasty's border troops; it's high-quality stuff made with top-notch ingredients.

Lin Hao previously relied entirely on his bow and arrow to dominate Ningde County, but that was just a personal hobby. His requirement for everyone was always to be proficient in using firearms.

In a team of nearly forty people, only a handful were as skilled with bows and arrows as Lin Hao, but all of them were proficient in firing muskets.

"Lin Yi and Lin Er, each of you take seven men. One team will carry rattan shields and swords, and the other team will carry spears, ready for close combat. Lin San, you divide the rest of the men into three teams, select the six with the best shooting scores to be at the front and ready for a volley of fire from the muskets. The rest of you will load the ammunition. A Niu, you will lead your men to be in charge of those two breech-loading cannons. Listen to my orders."

Following Lin Hao's instructions, everyone immediately got busy. Apart from the helmsman and the helmsman who were still in charge of navigation, everyone else found their weapons and prepared to deal with the upcoming battle. Liu Aniu led two people to the two breech-loading cannons on the ship and began to direct the loading.

"Prepare to change the air."

At first, the two ships were due north of Lin Hao and the others. Later, the Fujian ship sailed west for a while and was now to the southwest of the enemy. At that time, a southwest wind was blowing, and the group had unintentionally gained the upwind position.

The advantage of being upwind is that when two ships meet, the ship upwind has a higher speed and can adjust its direction more flexibly. However, the disadvantage is also obvious: it is not conducive to escape.

The enemy has one more ship, so you absolutely cannot get caught between the two ships; otherwise, you'll be badly injured, if not killed.

Under the watchful eyes of the pirates, Lin Hao's ship suddenly abandoned its westward journey and instead sailed southwest against the wind, which the pirates interpreted as an attempt to escape.

"They're running against the wind!"

On the Twin Peaks Island pirate ship, someone couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Boss, they're desperate."

"Hmph, now that we've run into them, escaping won't be so easy. Speed ​​up and chase after them with all your might. Don't let the fat sheep get away!" Zhou Daye shouted excitedly. He had been a little worried about the Lin family before, but now, seeing how they made way for him and even fled, it seemed that what the Jiang family steward said about the Lin family's greatly weakened strength was true.

The two pirate ships immediately began to give chase at full speed. The pirates displayed excellent skills against the wind, which were comparable to those of the Lin family's sailors. Moreover, because their ships were slightly smaller, they were actually faster.

The distance between the two sides did not shorten over time; instead, it became closer.

What the pirates failed to notice was that as time went on, while the distance between the two sides was decreasing, their own two ships were also widening due to their different speeds. However, they were so engrossed in the pursuit that they didn't notice anything amiss.

They chased each other for a full hour. The pirates' lead ship was already not far from Lin Hao and his group, and they could even vaguely see the ferocious-looking pirates on board, but the ship behind them was far behind.

Just then—

The bow of the Fujian-style ship suddenly veered to the side.

"Turn around—!"

Lin Hao remained extremely calm; he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

The people on the ship seemed to have been waiting for this moment.

The mainsail rigging loosened instantly, the secondary sails pulled back, the rudder was suddenly snapped shut, and the bow cut across the wind in the instant the wave crest lifted.

The sail snapped in mid-air with a loud "crack," regaining its crosswind. The massive hull of the Fujian ship was propelled by the wind, and its inertia instantly converted into speed.

This was an extremely risky maneuver. Due to the reverse pressure of the wind, if the coordination was not good, the boat could easily lose its balance and capsize under the influence of the waves. However, thanks to Lin Hao's precise control, the group succeeded.

Before anyone could react, the Fujian ship had already turned, its bow pointing directly at the pirate ship ahead. Its sails billowed, and its speed suddenly increased. At this moment, the Fujian ship had the wind at its back, while the enemy ship was sailing against the wind.

The distance between the two sides was neither too far nor too close, only a few hundred meters. At this point, if the other side wanted to escape, unless they also dared to make a sharp U-turn against the wind, they wouldn't be able to turn around at all. But with the full support of the sea breeze, our side could arrive in no time.

"Charge! Run them over!" Lin Hao ordered fiercely.

Under the terrified gaze of the pirates behind them, the Fujian ship, which had been fleeing like a stray dog, suddenly charged forward like a city wall.

"Boss, they've gone mad! We need to get out of the way!" The ship in front was the one owned by the pirate leader Zhou Daye. His ship was naturally the best, and his sailors were the most elite, which is why he was able to run to the front against the wind.

But at this moment he regretted it immensely. Why did he run so fast? Wouldn't it have been better to let his underlings go first? But despite his regret, he also demonstrated the decisiveness of a pirate leader.

"Damn it, anyone who dares to hide, I'll chop them down!" Zhou Daye pulled out his broadsword and glared fiercely at the person who had just said he was going to hide, scaring the man so much that he immediately wet his pants.

"Useless piece of trash." Zhou Dayan spat at the other party's cowardly appearance, then brandished his knife and shouted, "Charge them! They want to ram us? Let them have their way! Even if we sink them, I still have another one! Charge!"

The two ships then rammed into each other at extremely close range, neither giving way.

"Young Master, they didn't dodge, should we still ram them?" Liu Aniu whispered.

"Hehe, I didn't expect the other side to have some courage. What kind of question is that, Brother Niu? Do you think I'm joking? Raise the sails to full capacity and ram it at full speed!" Under Lin Hao's command, the Fujian ship's speed increased.

The two ships approached rapidly, and everyone on board was so tense they could hardly breathe, with large beads of sweat constantly streaming down their faces.

"boom!"

When they were 4 meters apart, the enemy ship opened fire. This shot startled Lin Hao, but he quickly realized that his own ship was completely undamaged.

The enemy's shells have flown off somewhere; hitting them at this distance is simply wishful thinking.

Lin Hao's ship then continued to accelerate, putting increasing pressure on the opponent. As everyone knows, in a collision, the larger ship always has the advantage.

When they were within 100 meters, the enemy artillery fired again, this time much closer, hitting the sea beside the Fujian ship and splashing up a column of water.

The cannon blast seemed to be a signal; on the enemy ship, a large number of muskets were fired, and arrows were fired wildly as if they were free. The sea was instantly abuzz with activity.

Amidst the swirling smoke, Liu Aniu's keen eye noticed that the other person's direction had shifted.

"Young master, they're scared, they've changed sides."

"Hmph, they overestimate them. Keep the direction unchanged and keep crashing into them!" Lin Hao coldly ordered.

"Yes! Full speed ahead!"