The day the Jackdaw sailed out of the harbor was a beautiful day.
The sky was clear, and the sea breeze was gentle. Seagulls circled the top of the mast.
There were also many onlookers at the harbor, a rare sight for a new pirate crew.
Zhang Heng had also heard about the happenings on the island over the past few days. It was said that many casinos had set up bets on him and the Jackdaw's first voyage. They were betting on how many loot he would get on his first voyage. The odds of getting nothing were the lowest, which meant that most people were not optimistic about his first voyage.
After all, a ship's performance and firepower did not mean everything. An excellent captain could win a battle against the wind, but an inexperienced newbie like Zhang Heng would most likely ruin his chances.
Billy was the first to arrive. As the helmsman of the Jackdaw, he had already arranged everyone's tasks and was ready to set sail.
As the captain, Zhang Heng was the last to arrive. Annie was by his side.
Many people whistled when they saw the two of them walking to the dock. If not for Anne's little mischief on the Golden Swallow, there had never been a female pirate in Nassau, let alone an important position like the boatswain. Today could be considered a historic moment for Nassau.
However, considering that the two of them were living in the same house, people could not help but think in a certain direction.
When Zhang Heng and Annie appeared at the same time, people started cursing at them. Humans were such creatures. In fact, many people on the island had suffered at the hands of the red-haired girl before. They knew that she was powerful, but because of some dark thoughts, they were more willing to believe that she sold her body in exchange for the position of boatswain. That was why everyone was excited to see what would happen to her once she boarded the ship.
James stood among the crowd, his eyes red with anger and jealousy. He was the first person to come into contact with Annie. Back then, she was still a naive rich girl living with her mother, dreaming of being a pirate. He was the one who persuaded Annie to escape from her home and come to Nassau with him. Of course, he knew what the situation was like here. When Annie ran out of money and was driven into a dead end, the only option left for her was to marry him.
He had been coveting the red-haired girl for a long time, not only because of her body and appearance, but also because of her father's wealth. Although the father and daughter were in a cold war right now, when the time came and Annie was pregnant, her father would definitely take care of his grandson or granddaughter.
The first half of the plan went smoothly. Although he was kicked in the face after the showdown, and Annie ran away from her place, James was still confident. Like most rebellious boys and girls, they had to bow down to reality no matter where they went. When the penniless red-haired girl became hungry and had nowhere to hide from the rain, she would return.
However, he did not expect Zhang Heng to appear out of nowhere. Not only did Zhang Heng let Annie stay in his place, but he also took care of her food and daily expenses. James did not believe that there was such a good person on this island. There was only one possibility — Zhang Heng had the same idea as him.
When James found out that he had a competitor, he was shocked and angry. He wanted to confront Zhang Heng, but when he found out that Zhang Heng was from the Sea Lion, he gave up. Everyone in Nassau knew about Blackbeard, and anyone who dared to touch his crew would have to consider if they could withstand his wrath.
After that, James only dared to look for Annie secretly after Zhang Heng went out to sea. He tried to persuade her to leave the house and return to his side, but the red-haired girl did not seem to have the intention to do so. After a few times, James could clearly feel that Annie's disgust for him was getting stronger and stronger. In fact, if the two of them had not been companions for a period of time and came to Nassau together, the red-haired girl might have kicked him earlier.
That afternoon, James lay in the field for half an hour before he stood up again. Although he still did not want to give up, he knew that he would not stand a chance in the near future.
Now that the two of them were walking together, James was the most enthusiastic person in the crowd. And unlike the other guys who were just there to watch the show, he was so angry that he even cursed out loud, causing the people around him to look at him.
"I warned you," Zhang Heng said to Annie, "if you walk with me, this kind of thing will happen."
"What's there to be afraid of? Since I dare to make me your boatswain, why would I care about what other people think? Besides, these guys only dare to say a few words. None of them can fight. When we return with a full load, they will naturally shut up. "
"Why are you so confident in me?"
"Because you have the strongest boatswain on the island on your ship."
"…"
At first, Billy and Dufresne were worried that Zhang Heng and Annie would be affected by the people on the shore. But when they saw the look on Zhang Heng and Dufresne's faces, they knew that they were worrying too much.
After the anchor was put away, the sails were raised, and the Jackdaw sailed out of the harbor amidst the gentle sea breeze. Billy stood in the middle of the deck, looking at Zhang Heng.
The latter nodded. The helmsman of the Jackdaw clapped his hands, attracting the attention of the sailors. "I received news from the shore that a Spanish merchant ship is on its way to New York with a cargo of perfume. We all know how popular this stuff is in the New World. That's why we need to set sail immediately. That ship isn't too far away from us. If all goes well, we can catch up with it in less than a week. If we can snatch this cargo, each of us will get at least 100 silver coins. Let's work hard and win this first battle!"
The pirates rubbed their palms together. Nothing could move them more than a juicy prey. The sailors on the ship couldn't wait to join the battle.
Billy was satisfied with the high morale on the ship. However, he had been out at sea many times, and he knew that a ship's morale was at its peak every time it set sail. As time passed, the dull life at sea would quickly become boring, and morale would plummet. Especially when they couldn't find their target for a period of time, anxiety would spread among the crew, and that would be the beginning of trouble.
Billy could only hope that the Jackdaw's first voyage went smoothly.
After setting the course, Zhang Heng returned to the captain's cabin and took out the necklace that Simon gave him from the drawer.
[Name: Hunter's Blessing]
[Grade: F]
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