Chapter 2288 - 1625: Haha! Foolish De La Cosa! (2)

Chapter 2288: Chapter 1625: Haha! Foolish De La Cosa! (2)

After several battles that killed over two hundred natives, Columbus was overwhelmed with weariness, and the gunpowder and arrows on his ship were almost depleted. He simply ordered the sails to be fully opened and began ramming the small boats, knocking them into the sea! This collision yielded remarkable results. Not only did it capsize dozens of small boats but also plunged a hundred or so natives into the sea, struggling, while the Caribbean natives managed to get close and shot several poison arrows!

"Damn Caribbean natives! If my ship had enough gunpowder, I would have turned you ignorant barbarians into sieves and fed you to the sharks!"

Thinking of these Caribbean natives, Columbus was filled with rage and wanted to kill. On his ship, there was half a company of Holy War veterans. Even if they couldn’t defeat the armored and ax-wielding Cipangu barbarians, could they not defeat these naked Caribbean natives without metal weapons? Yet, after two good fights, the ship lost three armored Holy War veterans and ten clothed sailors.

These casualties were caused by the poison arrows of the natives! Even if the Holy War veterans’ armor was intact, just a scratch on the cheek was enough to instantly paralyze them, making them tip over and drown in the sea while still armored, without time to rescue them!

Of course, under such unequal conditions in terms of ships, weapons, and armor, the casualties of the Caribbean natives were much higher, almost ten times that of the Castilians. Columbus subsequently avoided tangling with these Caribbean natives, steering clear when he saw them from a distance, leading him to discover the lone Barbados Island!

"In the name of the Holy Father, Holy Son, and Holy Spirit, we set foot on this land!"

Unpleasant memories flashed by. Columbus stood before the occupied wooden pillar, soon regaining his pride. He drew the commander sword gifted by the Queen, prayed alongside 37 Holy War veterans and dozens of trusted sailors. The company captain, Knight Alonso, stood close to Bartolomeo, evidently already wooed by Columbus’s brother.

"I, the great, wise, brave, and distinguished Great Navigator, Commander of the Castilian Expeditionary Army, Don Christopher Columbus, declare in the name of Her Majesty, the Queen of Castile and Aragon, that this land, water, and people belong forever to Queen Isabella and the Castilian crown granted by the Almighty!"

Thus declared Columbus, claiming the second island in these "Indian Islands" for the Kingdom of Castile. He then stepped forward and carved a cross at the base of the wooden pillar, scattering salt and wine to symbolize "expelling demons and evil spirits." All soldiers and sailors joined him in loud prayers.

"For the Almighty! For the Queen! We bring the light and mercy of the Almighty!"

The prayer of the Castilians reverberated high in the sky. A flock of seabirds swirled and took flight, seemingly bearing silent witness for this never-before-seen white-skinned tribe. Meanwhile, a faint blue smoke rose from the Caribbean native’s village several miles away, unbeknownst that their homeland, inhabited for centuries, had become territories of the Kingdom of Castile.

At this moment, the banyan tree symbolizing the Caribbean tribes was uprooted by the demons, its bark peeled off, and carved into a cross shape. Thereafter, the demons used the foreigners’ language to inscribe their text with sharp iron blades, "planting" a new cross deity! By the coast, the wind raised the flag of the Castilian Royal Family, its red and gold stripes fluttering before the coconut trees. The shadow from the East finally fell upon this beautiful island for the first time, poised to extend in all directions...

Of course, none of this about to happen was known to the hundreds to thousands of Caribbean natives on the island. Nor did the exploration fleet led by Columbus intend to attack these natives immediately. After erecting the conquest pillar and carving his name, Columbus was eager to drive Dracos away.

"Witness by the Almighty! Captain Dracos! I order you, with your sailors... Immediately, at once, now... Return to the Great Island of Puerto Rico to report to Antonio Deputy Commander about this island personally chosen by me!"

"Yes! Now, move, hurry! You ask about your ship’s Holy War veterans? Naturally, they will stay here, following my orders to guard this camp! Go back and report! This is a military order from me as the commander! If the report is delayed, who knows what trouble might arise on the Great Island of Puerto Rico!"

"What? Only allow one ship to return? But? Commander Columbus, you still have three ships here! And also half a company of Holy War veterans..."

Upon hearing such an order, Dracos was taken aback! His keen instinct immediately sensed something amiss. But Columbus gave him no chance to retort, sternly rebuking him.

"Holy Mother bless! My three ships? Naturally, they will continue southward to explore, to find out what islands lie to the south? As for the Holy War veterans, they will be led by Company Captain Knight Alonso, accompanying my fleet! You, a mere captain, only need to circumvent those Caribbean natives and return the way you came. What need do I have for veterans? But I am different, I am the fleet commander, so I should lead these soldiers and discover more islands for the Queen, exploring new routes to the wealthy realms of the East!"

Columbus spoke righteously, while Bartolomeo kept his head down without saying a word. As for Knight Alonso, he smiled and nodded.

"Praise the Almighty! Commander Columbus has the Queen’s decree! As the Queen’s knight, I shall naturally obey his command, loyally serving the Queen!..."

"This..."

Seeing Knight Alonso and the veterans change camps, Dracos was immediately flustered, unable to oppose and lacking the strength to resist. He cast a deep glance at his "trusted confidant" Bartolomeo, who avoided his eyes. After a while, he reluctantly complied with the order.

"Yes! Honorable Lord Columbus... I will set sail immediately, heading to Puerto Rico Island to report to Deputy Commander Antonio! I wonder, where will you meet again with the fleet and bring the veterans and strong men over?"

"Naturally, it’s this Barbados Island! Hmm, but I’m not sure how long this southward exploration will take; when we will return. So, please let Deputy Commander Antonio manage this island well, acting as the Governor, to build a fortress for the Queen! It’s his mission; he must do it well!..."

"...Yes! Lord Columbus..."

The sun slanted westward, the sea surface glistening with golden ripples. A solitary caravel sailed out of the anchored bay, the gold and red royal flag fluttering in the wind, landing on some bird droppings. Dracos gritted his teeth, watching Columbus and others waving on the shore as a vague premonition flickered through his heart.

"Oh Almighty! That cunning Bartolomeo must be his scheme, having turned Columbus from a stupid mule into a hyena... On their next meeting, who knows when it will be?! He’s surely plotting something new! That guy is probably going to..."

The white sails at sea gradually drifted afar, finally disappearing into the northwest horizon. Not until this annoying Captain Dracos, used by Antonio to balance the exploration fleet, vanished... Columbus then laughed triumphantly and spoke to Bartolomeo.

"Haha! That stupid viper! And Antonio, that disgusting hound! Let them continue fighting with the Cipangu barbarians on Puerto Rico Island! Since they do not obey my orders, it’s up to their fate whether they live or die in the west!"

"Hahaha! Bartolomeo, my brother, you truly are my counselor! Let’s go, bring the veterans, abandon this empty camp. Let’s take a detour south, see if there are any small native tribes we can easily crush to seize some wealth and spoils, to gather enough food for the return journey!"

"May the Almighty bless! Once we’ve gathered enough food and seized enough wealth, we’ll directly return! Back to the Kingdom of Castile, report my accomplishments to the Queen, and accuse Antonio of arrogance and chaos! All the losses of the royal fleet arose from this guy; it’s his crime!..."