"Thank you, but there's no need for that. After that battle, I swear I'll never experience that feeling again," said Billy.
"I'm just kidding. Other than us, I plan to contact the captains of the other four powerful families on the island. With six of our ships working together, we stand a good chance of winning," said Black Prince Sam. "After we're done, we'll split all the goods on the ship equally. That's a lot of money. It's equivalent to a year's worth of income for all of us. In other words, if you want to, you can give yourselves a year-long vacation."
"If you're just here to make money, you should be able to find more suitable prey, right? Why are you so interested in a Spanish treasure ship?" asked Zhang Heng.
It was undeniable that the Spanish treasure ship had the highest value. Other than tobacco, silk, gold, silver, and jewelry, Black Prince Sam wasn't bragging when he said that he could take down a ship that was equivalent to a year's worth of income. Even if all six pirate ships were to be split equally, everyone would still get a decent share.
At the same time, however, it was also very dangerous. Unless one wanted revenge like Blackbeard, no one would dare to go head-on against the military.
Besides, the Spanish ships were notoriously difficult to deal with. Even pirates didn't like to rob them because they rarely surrendered. Most of the time, they would rather be sunk than pay the price to avoid disaster. Robbing them would not only mean facing a fierce battle, but there was also the possibility that they would end up empty-handed.
"The main reason is that this is a rare opportunity. Spanish treasure ships usually operate in groups of dozens. Usually, it's hard to rob one. Although there are two navy frigates, this is the best chance we have," said Black Prince Sam excitedly. Black Prince Sam said excitedly. "I've spent a lot of money to get the ship's sailing route from an intelligence dealer I'm familiar with. What do you think? Are you interested in doing this? If we succeed, we'll be the first group of pirates to successfully rob a treasure ship in this area."
"That's what you really care about, right?"
Black Prince Sam did not deny it. Instead, he flashed his signature bright smile. "Well, life always needs a little challenge. If Blackbeard Teach could take down the Scarborough, there's no reason why I can't take down a Spanish treasure ship with so many people on my side.
"What do you think?" Zhang Heng asked Billy.
The helmsman of the Jackdaw looked a little helpless. "I prefer to rob merchant ships and make money in peace. Unfortunately, we don't have any other leads on hand. Besides, I know those bastards on this ship won't let go of a chance to make a fortune. Their appetite is like a bottomless pit that will never be satiated. But since they only have three ships and we have six, I think it's worth a try."
"How's our recruitment going? Will we be ready to set sail in two days?" Zhang Heng asked. When he received the system notification, the Jackdaw had a crew of 70, and the recruitment did not stop. This time, Zhang Heng, Billy, and the others agreed on a target of 90.
Now that the Jackdaw had this many people, boarding battles would no longer be its weakness. Although it was still a long way from being compared to the larger pirate groups, being ambushed underwater would no longer be as dangerous as it was this time.
"As of now, we have a total of 26 people. Four of us died in the previous battle, and two of us were seriously injured. They received their pensions and left the ship. Now, we have 82 people on board. Experienced cannoneers and carpenters are hard to find, but at this stage, we should have enough people." Billy paused for a moment. "Two days should be no problem. It won't take that long to procure supplies. I will immediately organize people to drag those guys out of the brothels and taverns."
"Great! I still have to inform the other families. Let's meet in two days," Black Sam said hurriedly.
He turned around and took a few steps, but he stopped and reached into his coat. "Oh, I almost forgot. This is for you."
"Huh?"
"A joint recommendation letter signed by seven people recommending you to join the island's parliament. I'm sorry, but there was a slight delay. Two of them were arguing over the distribution of a batch of loot. They insisted that as long as one side signed the letter, the other side would not participate. I can find someone else to replace them, but I won't be able to use this matter to resolve the conflict between them."
"Thank you for your hard work." Zhang Heng accepted the recommendation letter.
"You just need to hand this letter to the speaker, Clay. After that, the parliament will organize a vote. As long as you get more than one-third of the votes, you can join the parliament," Black Sam added.
"Clay? Which Clay? The owner of the brothel, Clay King?"
"Hmm, don't take it to heart. The speaker is just a formality. There's nothing much to do for the next two years anyway. The speaker's job is basically to review the applicants. The real important things are voted on together. Clay's popularity in the parliament … you know it. Everyone on this island likes him, and he's willing to give all the members a 30% discount. So, it's hard not to elect him as the speaker."
"Heh."
Zhang Heng followed Black Sam's instructions and arrived at the brothel. Before he could even speak, he was welcomed with open arms.
Recently, the Jackdaw's sailors had been the main spenders of the brothel, spending a large amount of gold coins here. The madam remembered her boss's instructions. When she saw Zhang Heng from afar, her eyes lit up. She immediately called out all the prostitutes who had no customers. She even offered to serve Zhang Heng for free once to thank him for his contribution to the brothel. However, Zhang Heng politely declined.
Suddenly, a skinny old man with a pipe in his hand walked out of the room.
He was the owner of the brothel, Clay King. He was also one of the most well-informed people on this island. He had long heard about Zhang Heng's plans to join the parliament. Smiling, he accepted the recommendation letter and said, "Welcome to the parliament. Actually, even if you didn't come looking for me, I would've looked for you after some time. Captain Zhang Heng, your name has spread all over this island recently. Nassau cannot be built without an outstanding person like you."
"You're too kind, Mr. Clay. But isn't it a little too early to welcome me? Don't we have to vote to join the parliament?" Zhang Heng asked.
"Don't worry about the vote. One-third of the members are in favor of joining. This rule is just to prevent people from messing around. In fact, since the founding of the parliament, the number of people who didn't pass this round can be counted on one hand," Clay said. "Besides, with Captain Sam's signature on it, no one will reject you."
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