Chapter 210 Paying Respects to Second Brother
When Qiao Erlang took over the pirate ship, he ran into an acquaintance—Han Kun. Both were second-generation officials, knew each other, and had both applied to the naval academy but failed. Now, with the formation of the pirate fleet, they became the captain and vice-captain of the pirate fleet, and Qiao Erlang suddenly felt no longer alone.
"Han Kun, the furthest I've ever been is Luzon. You've traveled so far. Tell me what the south is like."
"Nothing's different, just further away and hotter. The locals are just as stupid and fat."
Han Kun was a man of few words, but after Qiao Erlang's repeated inquiries, he gave a brief reply.
"That's good, that's good. It would be a waste of this ship if there were no fat sheep. I never thought that a centipede ship could be made so big with so many sails."
Qiao Erlang felt relieved. Since he was going to impersonate a pirate, he had to act like one. Seeing a fat sheep and having eyes that gleamed with greed was a basic pirate skill. If he sailed such a domineering ship and still couldn't find any fat sheep, then his pirate career would be a failure.
Qin Mo's design of the "centipede ship," also known as the Gallese warship or the "Venetian giant oar-powered sailing ship," was the last and most powerful hybrid sailing warship.
The Galleser warship has a long hull with elevated decks at the bow and stern. The middle section features a wide deck and oarsing area. When all 170 oarsmen are rowing at full speed, the warship can reach a speed of nearly 10 knots, which is an absolutely terrifying speed in battle.
Moreover, the Galeser warship has three decks, which can accommodate more combat personnel. After approaching the enemy ship, it can use hooked ramps to attach to the enemy ship, and a large number of marines will swarm on, leaving the enemy completely desperate.
Qiao Shouyi received his first batch of crew members, a group of tanned Japanese. If it weren't for the fact that Qiao Erlang had a Japanese concubine who could understand Japanese, he would have really mistaken them for natives of Southeast Asia.
With all the sails on the three masts raised, the fleet of only eight ships silently sailed toward Singapore. They would test the ships' various problems during the transoceanic voyage, quickly familiarize themselves with the warships' performance, and thus become qualified pirates in no time.
Oar-powered sailing ships are not really suitable for ocean voyages; near-shore lakes are their preferred hunting grounds. Sailing on the open ocean with its high winds and waves is actually a test for Qiao Erlang, Han Kun, and others. Fortunately, the Galeser warship is over fifty meters long, and its massive hull is reasonably stable, but the low midships are frequently battered by waves, which is unavoidable.
The southern part of Singapore is dotted with islands, most of which are uninhabited and desolate. The waters in this area are complex and full of reefs, making it a no-go zone for large ocean-going vessels. Only fishing boats occasionally venture into the area to try their luck.
Han Kun's flagship led the group of novice pirates, stealthily navigating around the reefs and finding a secluded bay—a suitable location he had searched for a long time with his squirm. The island had fresh water, the water depth was just right, and the surrounding waterways were complex, making it an excellent island haven.
"I, Ah Kun, am I really going to stay here for three years? This... is too miserable..."
After landing, Qiao Erlang started nagging Han Kun. He liked liveliness and women, but this den contained nothing but a few caves and a simple thatched hut. He felt that he had not come to carry out the prince's mission, but had been exiled.
"You're craving women? You're craving gold and silver? Then go ahead and rob some! Nobody's stopping you!"
Han Kun looked at the loudly shouting guy and really didn't want to talk to him. Qiao Erlang was such a chatterbox, and he loved wine and women. He couldn't stop talking about fine wine and beautiful women. He was really good material to be a pirate.
"There is a vacation every two months, and you can go ashore for a walk. There are several ports nearby that are quite prosperous, with restaurants and brothels. As long as you have money, you can do whatever you want."
Qiao Erlang immediately beamed with joy and chuckled, "That's good. I won't eat alone. You lead the way, and it'll be my treat."
Han Kun led Qiao Erlang into a stilted thatched hut, poured him a cup of tea, and solemnly said, "It's good that Lion City is our territory, but other ports are full of gossips. If you cause trouble on the shore, you won't have a good outcome. Apart from Lin Yongqian, no one else knows our background. You can have fun if you want, but don't let anyone find out."
"I know, I know. We've beaten people up before, so we'll never let anyone see our true faces," Qiao Erlang immediately assured him, patting his chest.
"I understand now. There's a reason why His Highness assigned you to this job. It's truly making the best use of your talents."
"A ship is coming! Be on alert!"
The sentry in the distance raised his flag, and the officer on duty quickly relayed the warning.
"Damn it, Ah Kun, you've already been found out? How many bad things have you done?" Qiao Erlang yelled, complaining as he put on his armor, his face full of excitement, clearly a greenhorn.
"Don't be nervous, our team hasn't even started yet! It should be one of our own." Han Kun said calmly without moving an inch.
"Good morning! You're so suspicious." Qiao Erlang took off the armor he was only half-wearing and plopped down on the floor.
"Erlang, from now on... we'll be living like this." Han Kun didn't reply, speaking to himself.
The distant sails gradually approached, revealing the slender hull of the Skuna, followed by several tall-masted sailing ships, which appeared to be light galleons.
"It must have been a ship that brought the Marines. Once we're at full strength, no more ships will come from our hometown. We'll have to rely on ourselves for everything." Han Kun poured Qiao Shouyi another cup of tea, his tone calm but his words carrying a cruel meaning.
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