"Starboard prepare, shot, release!"

　　 At an order, the cannon roared.

　　The blast of cannons sounded over the lake in Nicaragua, setting aside a completely independent and unrelated second battlefield outside the main battlefield on land.

　　 The pirates launched a wild charge on the navy.

　　The one who was attacked was the Brigantin-type gunship San Carlos that had just changed hands tonight, while the attacker was only a 15-meter-class general-purpose Slope ship that was roughly modified at high speed.

　　 The sloop sailing vessel is generally referred to as a sloop schooner. As the name suggests, the whole ship is single-masted and equipped with schooners.

　　 This type of ship has been born for hundreds of years.

In the ignorant Middle Ages when the galleys ruled the western oceans, she was introduced to Europe through the Arab region. Together with the Latin sails, she was favored by the Venetian merchants. Not only was it once used as the core transportation capacity of Mediterranean business, but also favored by the Hanseatic Chamber of Commerce. The Kirk-type sloop combined and evolved, and together became the ancestor source of all sailing designs under the contemporary European system.

　　 Because of this, humanists often take Sloop and Kirk together, praising them as Adam and Eve in the time of the Great Geographical Discovery. However, in the eyes of ship designers, the weight of Adam and Eve is very different.

　　 Karen and Lorraine discussed these two types of sloops, which are like living fossils at sea.

In his argument, Kirk’s ship form has basically lost the development space from the beginning of its shape due to various factors such as wave, force, and keel structure. Its rigidity determines its potential, and its potential is doomed. It will be replaced by a multi-masted full-rigged sailing ship.

　　 In other words, Kirk has long been at dusk, and when it became a historical noun, it only depends on when ships of the same price can reach or approach her cargo warehouse volume.

　　 Slup is completely different from Kirk.

Her designer is obviously a loyal supporter of agnosticism. In order to adapt to the changeable environment that may arise, she uses wind freely and efficiently on the Mediterranean Sea surrounded by land. Her basic structure is full of vitality and flexibility at the beginning of its construction. .

　　 There is nothing that cannot be changed.

The aspect ratio can be increased, the freeboard can be increased, the bottom of the ship can be flat or pointed, and the mast can be forward or backward. As long as the designer can stabilize the center of gravity of the ship, everything else can be negotiated, and the ship can still be built. The general characteristics of the ship type Slup.

　　 This feature is enough to make ship designers all over the world praise her, because she has been the "best choice" for experimental new designs in the manufacturing industry for hundreds of years.

　　 Throughout the entire development process of the Slup ship, it can be roughly divided into three stages.

　　 The first stage is the Mediterranean period. During this period, the Slup ship was introduced into the Mediterranean from Arabia. The Latin sail with the slanted stringer was cumbersome to operate, but it was more adaptable.

　　 The second stage is the offshore period. During this period, the cumbersome Latin sails were gradually replaced by the European mainstream soft sails, single or multiple, with one or several steering trusses to form a new sail structure. Such a ship can control the crew to at least 2 people, and has relatively good adaptability and a commendable sailing speed.

　　 It’s just that too few sailors caused her to be inflexible in dealing with emergencies. Therefore, the Slup ships of this period were generally small and light, and were mostly used for offshore transshipment, short-range trade and shelf fishery.

　　 The third stage is in the near future, specifically in the past five to ten years. Karen made it the Bermuda period.

　　Different from the design thinking of European shipbuilders, North American shipbuilders have always preferred medium-sized boats because of limited conditions.

A high-speed revolution is quietly set off in the three centers of North American shipbuilding. The fluids of Boston, the structure of Baltimore and the sails of Bermuda work together, unknowingly, bred a sailing monster that stunned European teachers—— Bermuda sailing.

The only characteristic of the Bermuda sailboat is its speed. Slup has 18 knots, Skuner and Brigentine 16 knots, and Bermuda Gallen 13-14 knots. Even if it only maintains 70% speed, its sailing performance is far It's superior to those close relatives of the same type who are stiff and bulky in Europe.

　　 These deviant designs have even gradually changed the thinking of the maritime powers in building their military.

Only a few years ago, Slup, who was born weak, couldn’t get into the eyes of admirals at all. Even in the choice of Brigentine and Brig, the navies generally preferred larger calibers and more guns. Brig type.

　　 Brig’s advantage over Brigentine lies in its slightly stronger self-protection and independent combat capabilities. Although these advantages are limited to comparisons at the same level, they are clearly better able to perform scouts and communications in the role of frigate.

　　 But the emergence of Bermuda sailboats completely changed this situation.

　　 Bermuda Brigentine is 50% faster than the traditional Brig. Bermuda Slup’s ultimate speed is almost twice that of Brig, while the cost is only one-tenth to one-fifth of that.

　　 Unbeatable price/performance ratio.

In the vast sea, as long as the absolute speed advantage is enough to avoid most of the battle, this is the self-protection idea of ​​the Bermuda sailing ship, and it also means that the relatively clumsy Brig lost his scout and communication functions in front of them. Superior position.

For the first time, the small Slope entered the purchase list of the powerful navy. In order to effectively distinguish this new type of sloop from the old type of sloop, the old type of Slope has a new and special definition. , "Universal" Slup.

The Slope ship flying the pirate flag and heading towards the San Carlos is a general purpose Slope. The 15-meter class can barely be called a large among them, and it is more stable than the medium and small ones. , But the simple ship material and weak wave resistance are still destined to be unable to possess minions.

　　 Probably... you can consider strengthening the bow and then weighting it on the stern, so that perhaps a four-pound or six-pound short bow gun can be deployed.

　　Who would charge a gunboat with such a ship?

　　 Even though the San Carlos is a Brigantine ship that is not known for combat, she is still a gunboat, and the sixteen artillery on both sides is definitely not a display...

　　Is the black beard crazy?

　　 Lorraine couldn't figure it out.

From the first contact with him, he discovered that Blackbeard’s madness cannot be guessed by common sense. The attack on the Watergate Tower tonight further proves this point. It proves that Blackbeard is a real fanatic, thug, and gambler, and his bet , Is the unparalleled fighting ability between himself and his subordinates.

　　 So... Do you want to take the boat?

　　 Lorraine coldly watched the Slup ship, which was advancing recklessly in the night, and suddenly found that it was meaningless to guess a madman for no reason. Because the reason for the madman to charge is not important, as long as he knows that his ultimate goal is to connect the ship, the way to deal with it is the only and ready-made.

　　 He spoke to the night, as if he was going to talk to the black beard hundreds of meters away.

"You rushed under the shot... Blackbeard, no matter what witchcraft you use to inspire the morale of the pirates under your command, will the witchcraft continue to be effective when the deck is full of pieces of flesh and limbs? Do you want to move forward firmly like this? All it takes is a direct shot..."

　　 "Shot shot reload, front, release!"

　　 Boom boom boom boom!

　　 As if to respond to Lorraine's words, the second round of artillery sounded violently, and the sky full of projectiles spread across the lake on the starboard side.

　　 Slup in the charge was inevitable.

　　The distance between the two sides is already very close. At a distance of more than three hundred meters, even if the night is deep, Lorraine can already see the situation on the deck through the wind lanterns on the opposite ship.

　　 There are only a few sailors on that deck.

　　 Two are in charge of sailing, one is in charge of steering, and three are holding heavy door-like things ~lightnovelpub.net~ to protect in front of the sailor who is operating.

　　 They are actually laughing?

　　 Before Lorraine could see, the sky filled the sky with shot bullets.

　　 Go straight!

　　 I don't know if it was one or two shotguns, or whether it was a six-pound or nine-pound gunfire. The densely packed projectiles were mixed together, and hundreds of iron **** swept across the deck at a time.

The guarding pirates propped up the door panel appreciably, but there was only a moment of silence, the seemingly heavy door panel was torn into fragments by the flying projectiles, and the human figure afterward flew out like a sack, and it had long lost its human form. .

　　 Six pirates, all of them were gone, but the scarred Slup did not intend to shake or turn, only more pirates rushed out from the tightly closed cabin.

　　 Blackbeard walked in front of all the pirates, his fat body held the handwheel himself, and his face showed the same cruel smile as when he was in the villa that night.

　　 "Boys, they thought the shelling would drive us away!"

　　 "Go tell them, it's useless! Go tell them, we will kill them all!"

　　 "Blackbeard Pirates, take the side!"

　　 With an order, all the pirates roared up to the sky.

　　 "Board on the Spanish ship!"

　　 "Avenge the dead brother!"

　　 "Get on the side! Kill them all!"

　　 "Ohhhhhhhhh!"

　　 "Connect the ship!!!"