Zhang Heng interrogated Miranda's captain, chief officer, and boatswain separately to prevent collusion. After that, he verified their answers with each other to ensure the reliability of the information he collected.
Half an hour later, he received a surprising piece of news. So, he gathered Billy, Anne, and the others together and asked for the ship's chief carpenter.
"You want to return to Parrot Island?" Billy was taken aback by Zhang Heng's bold idea.
"According to the information we received from the captives, only one navy warship, the Kent, is left on Parrot Island. This is when their defense is at its weakest," Zhang Heng said. "Perhaps we can use this opportunity to rescue the survivors on the island. Also … we can retrieve the gold we lost there."
"What should we do? With Jackdaw's current condition, I don't think it can sustain a complete battle. Otherwise, we wouldn't have to go through so much trouble. We had to rely on Pearl Island's terrain to destroy Miranda. Once we reach Parrot Island, there won't be any terrain for us to use. It'll be a tough battle, and we have almost no chance of winning." Although Billy was interested in the idea of rescuing the pirates on the island and retrieving the gold, he felt that it was too risky.
Zhang Heng did not answer the helmsman's question. Instead, he turned to the ship's chief carpenter, Guy. "If we have enough materials, how long will it take for us to repair the ship to a battle-ready state?"
Guy was taken aback. "If we don't lack materials, and everyone helps us, six … no, five days should be enough."
"But where do we get the materials?" Dufresne asked.
Zhang Heng pointed at Miranda, which was stranded on a reef not far away. "Dismantle it and use it as materials."
Guy's eyes lit up, and he nodded. "That's a good idea. But we'll need two more days."
"There's no problem with time. The navy sent five out of six ships to hunt us down, and we killed one of them. Now, there are four ships left. They agreed to return to Parrot Island in two weeks to deal with the remaining pirates. Only one day has passed, and we'll use seven days to repair the ship. The rest of the time is enough for us to return to Parrot Island for another battle."
Billy couldn't help but feel tempted. The navy wasn't being too careless. After all, it was already a feat for the Jackdaw to make it all the way to Nassau in its current state. No one would expect them to turn back halfway. That was why they only left one ship on Parrot Island. It was more than enough to guard the pirates who had lost their ships and supplies.
Zhang Heng's plan sounded bold, but it wasn't impossible. While destroying Miranda allowed them to vent their frustrations and obtain enough food and water, it wasn't enough to make up for the losses they suffered during the voyage.
This time, the pirates of Nassau suffered terribly at the hands of the navy. Not only did they lose both their ships, but the gold they stole from the Spanish treasure ship also ended up in the hands of the navy. If they could get the gold back and save the survivors on Parrot Island, it would be a real counterattack.
"I think this plan will work. Let's prepare for the next battle."
… …
Soon, everyone on the beach knew about Zhang Heng's plan to attack Parrot Island. After that, the crew meeting unanimously approved the plan. The dignity of Nassau's pirates and the ownership of 5,000 pounds of gold was at stake. Without any time to rest, everyone immediately threw themselves into repairing the ship.
It was rare to have so many people at his disposal. Guy decided to take this opportunity to clean the Jackdaw's hull, removing the conches, seaweed, and other debris that stuck to the deck during the voyage. This way, the Jackdaw's speed would increase by half a knot, and they would be ready for the next battle.
However, just when everyone was in full swing, Zhang Heng, the captain of the ship, disappeared.
When Annie found Zhang Heng, he was sitting alone behind a rock, looking at the setting sun that was slowly sinking into the sea.
He was about 200 yards away from the people sitting in front of the bonfire, making him look like someone from another world.
Anne sat down on the sand beside Zhang Heng and handed him the bottle of wine. "The repair work is going well. It should be done by tomorrow morning. Guye said that the Jackdaw will be stronger than before after the repairs." "That's right.
"Very good. We've been on this island for quite some time now. It's about time for us to set off again." Zhang Heng took the bottle and took a sip. After that, Anne took the bottle back from Zhang Heng and took a sip herself.
"Is that so? How are you? Are you alright?"
"Huh?"
"Don't you want to talk about the storm? The crew said that it was a miracle. They said that we were protected by Thetis, the goddess of the sea. But you and I both know that's not true. I've heard Seth's story before. You climbed the mast to carve that name, right? What's her name again, Betty?"
"Oh, don't worry. I won't let the Jackdaw follow in the footsteps of the carrack," Zhang Heng said. "It's just … I can't remember the last time I watched the sunset so peacefully."
At the critical moment, Zhang Heng did use the shell. He did not have any bitter experience, and he was not a so-called angry youth. So in the end, he could only use a trick to bring himself into a literary work. He chose the protagonist of "Les Miserables", Ran Xianghu. Jean, the wretched wretch who had been imprisoned for nineteen years in order to steal bread for the sake of his impoverished sister's seven children, had, because of the series of misfortunes which had befallen him, until he had met Bishop Myriel, an intense wrath against the world in which he lived.
Not only did Zhang Heng successfully summon the storm to help the Jackdaw escape, but he also had his first encounter with the ancient Celtic goddess who called herself Betty.
Zhang Heng now knew that Betty didn't look for him because she didn't want to create a sense of mystery. It was because she was too weak. After she seduced Seth, she didn't have the strength to show up again. It was only after Zhang Heng took over the shell and carved her name on the mast and provided her with a large amount of anger that she regained a small portion of her strength.
According to her, she wasn't as strong as she used to be. She wasn't as strong as she was a thousand years ago. Even a hundred years ago, when she was on the carrack, she was much stronger than she was now. This was also why Zhang Heng couldn't control the storm like the captain of the carrack, speed up the ship, or even use it to attack his enemies. All Zhang Heng could do now was to make sure that the storm didn't damage the Jackdaw.
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