Chapter 124 - : Ambush II (1/2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Is this why you wanted me to recruit ten French-speaking men back on the island?”
“Yes. We will keep thirty men on deck, pretending to be sailors of a merchant s.h.i.+p. Mm, try to pick those who don’t look aggressive and appear thinner and weaker. The rest will wait in the secret mezzanine. Oh, right, the cannons. We have too many cannons on board, get rid of half of them.”
“Are you serious? Keep only sixteen cannons to battle against the most powerful English wars.h.i.+p on the Caribbean?”
“Trust me, it wouldn’t make a difference even if we had thirty-two cannons—not when you’re up against the Scarborough.” Orff shrugged. He glanced around and asked, “Anymore questions?”
“Even if we do as you say and are lucky enough to be able to trick the people on the Scarborough into believing that we are a French merchant s.h.i.+p, and successfully connect the bridge, we are still at a disadvantage in terms of manpower.” Zhang Heng who had been quiet all along also spoke up.
“Good question. We all know that there are 700 men on the Scarborough. But the number is actually pretty diluted. Captain Elmer is of n.o.ble birth and lives in luxury. This is true even on the Scarborough. He spends his money on musicians, private chefs, and stewards… all kinds of people to ease his boredom, people who are not equipped to fight. Then there’s also the logistics on board. The actual number should be only around 600 men.”
“Like you said, I don’t see how 600 people is any different from 700,” Owen said.
“I’m not done yet. The situation in Marbella is very tense. At the beginning of this year, the navy hired a group of experienced sailors from the New World. Right now, about two-thirds of the Scarborough are new recruits. Most of them are fishermen and farmers from the colony who had undergone only two months of training. Their combat skills are average. As long as we stun them with our first attack, they will very likely break ranks after that. So, our real enemy is only the 200 veterans; everyone on this are real men. One-on-one, I don’t believe that you will lose to anyone. ”
Orff’s last comment successfully stirred the crew, but only a few of them responded.
That was mainly because of the Scarborough’s reputation. She had always been every Caribbean pirate’s nightmare. Just the thought of challenging this behemoth extinguished whatever morale that was roused.
Orff clapped his hands. “Gentlemen, I know what you’re worried about. I’ve already said since the beginning—this is not going to be an easy journey. The treasure will not come looking for us. There is no doubt that on this voyage, we will ego through trails, face challenges, but as long as we work together…”
Owen could not help but interrupt him. “Challenging the Scarborough is not just any kind of trial. This is too dangerous. Even if nothing goes wrong, we don’t know if we’ll really be able to take her. You said that we have to keep the treasure map a secret, and for so long we’ve been obeying your instructions unquestioningly. I’m afraid not this time. If you want us to agree to this, at least tell us why we should do it.”
Owen’s resonated with the other pirates.