Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1761 - 1261: You Will Always Be My Commander!
"Minchia!Cazzo! De La Cosa, what have you been doing these days? Why does the ship first dock and then head out to sea? One moment towards the west, another towards the east, always spinning around aimlessly?…"
"Merda! And what's with the cannon fire? It's been sounding off erratically, could we encounter Berber pirates on the western coast of the Peninsula?!…"
The dim oil lamp was hung on the bulkhead of the hold. Though not bright, the light pierced the men's eyes in the lower deck, making them close their eyes. The narrow cabin was in chaos, a pungent and strong smell filled the air, making them want to cover their noses. This "Commander Suite" converted from a storeroom was quite awful! Even worse was the man with a pale face, as thin as a gaunt donkey, leaning against the filthy deck of the ship. He had only one ear, and his clothes, worn for three months, were speckled and emitted an indescribable odor…
"Diamine! De La Cosa, what's that expression? I don't need your pity! What the hell are you here for? What the hell is happening outside?…"
"… Ah!… Cough!… This smell… Cough!"
De La Cosa sighed long, not approaching Columbus, and kept his hand on the scimitar. The pungent smell made him tear up and involuntarily cough, then he slowly spoke.
"Commander, our ship is too slow, after escaping for several days, we haven't gotten away… they will catch up with us… this time, I'm afraid all of us won't endure…"
"What! What the hell are you guys doing? A bunch of fools!… Vaffanculo! I told you long ago! This damned, worn-out, sluggish ship is like a maggot raised by a giant fly! It only wriggles on the sea like a maggot and can't compare with those two fast ships of Pinzon the stupid goose!…"
"Cazzo! When going to Cipangu, I wished for this wreck to hit the reef and sink, then switch to one of those light ships as the flagship! Only a blind stupid donkey would treat this sluggish maggot ship as a treasure!…"
"Maggot ship? Egg-sized fly, blind stupid donkey?..."
As the owner of the Santa Maria, hearing such blatant and implied ridicule, De La Cosa's face twitched, his originally pitying gaze turned cold. He pressed his lips together, tightened his grip on the scimitar's handle, letting Columbus vent out a round of curses, until the other questioned again. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
"Merda! De La Cosa, I ask you! Who is chasing us? Berber pirate ships with oars and sails, can only last half a day before fizzling out, how could they chase us for several days?"
"Commander, you guessed right… the ones chasing us aren't those ambushing and plundering Berber dogs… it's Portugal's Navy, official Navy…"
At this point, De La Cosa had nothing to hide. He calmly stated the truth, then gripped the sword, stepping closer to Columbus.
"What?! Portugal's Navy? Why are they chasing us? Did the Queen and King João go to war? That's not right… Damn it! De La Cosa, you slippery snake! When we stopped and docked before, did you have the audacity to rob a Portuguese village?…"
"… No. The Kingdom hasn't gone to war with Portugal. We have so few hands, how could we rob a Portuguese village? Actually, I've kept a low profile, even stowed away the Royal Family's flag, pretending to be an ordinary merchant ship…"
De La Cosa shook his head, his eyes showing some pity and some guilt. Silently drawing his sword, he stepped forward again.
"Honored Commander Columbus! Our exploration of the new route seems to have leaked a bit… Perhaps more than a dozen fast Portuguese ships are scouring the Lisbon seas for us… Tomorrow, at the latest by the day after, they will catch us… To ensure the news of the new route doesn't leak, for the sake of the Kingdom and the Queen… every one of us must keep our mouths tightly shut, tightly, securely…"
"What! You put away the Royal Family's flag? Not at war, and haven't done anything, yet what are you fleeing from so guiltily?!"
Columbus tried to keep his eyes wide open, adapting to the rare light seen in captivity. Lacking meat and fruit, his eyesight deteriorated. At this moment, he seemed unable to see De La Cosa's face clearly nor the half-drawn scimitar. His fierce and stubborn gaze was rarely bewildered. His voice started confused, and as he spoke, turned to self-assured fervor.
"Merda! De La Cosa, are you mad? Why hide sneakily from the Portuguese? Why cover up the news of the new route? Such major news, how could it possibly be hidden?…"
"Lord! I was appointed by the Queen herself as the Castilian Admiral! It's me, me! I, Don Christopher Columbus, glorious Castilian nobility, led you brainless fools, discovered the new route to the East!…"
"It is a glory that shakes the entire Catholic World! Since the coming of the Divine Son, a great achievement worthy of being enshrined!… Why should I hide, why should I cover up?! This is my achievement, my work! I want everyone, everyone to know! It's mine! No one can take it, no one can snatch it!… Even the exalted Queen will be proud of my feat!"
"Ah!…"
Seeing Commander Columbus, seemingly unaware even on the brink of doom, daydreaming. De La Cosa sighed again, his gaze complex. He drew out the last section of the scimitar, softly praising.
"Commander, I truly admire you, admire your persistent optimism, your persistent self-confident spirit! You will be my eternal Commander in my heart… Commander, if you were to set sail and return, facing the large-scale Portuguese Navy, you would undoubtedly fearlessly, courageously fight them to the end, right?…"
