Black Corporation: Joseon

sailing ship, the sailors chatted amongst themselves.

“The more I look at it, the more it looks like our carrack.”

“Similar? At that point, it’s just the same damn thing!”

“Fucking Spanish thieves!”

Looking at ships that were almost identical to their own, the sailors spat out curses.

It was already widely known that Spain and Genoa were poaching craftsmen to build ships.

And this wasn’t the first time they had seen Spanish ships; it had happened many times before.

Despite this situation, the reason the sailors were cursing now was because they were returning empty-handed due to those Spanish bastards.

As they were venting their frustrations with a stream of curses, some sailors noticed something they had forgotten.

“Wait… If it has the same performance as our ship, there’s no way it should be moving that slowly. Why is it going so slowly?”

“Yeah, you’re right?”

As they watched the approaching Spanish ship with curiosity, the sailors soon realized one thing.

“Looks like they’re loaded to the gills!”

“Are they so loaded that the ship can’t pick up speed?”

“That’s why we’re empty-handed!”

The sailors were getting fired up again, but they immediately fell silent at the words of the most senior sailor.

“I’m really curious about what they’ve loaded and how much.”

“Ah!”

The sailors who let out exclamations immediately rushed to the navigator.

“Navigator!”

“Navigator!”

At the sailors’ clamor, the navigator waved both hands and shouted.

“I get it! I get it! I know what you bastards want to say, so shut up!”

After calming the sailors, the navigator immediately approached the captain.

“Captain.”

“I know what the navigator wants to say. But not now.”

“Are you saying we should just let go of those bastards who definitely intercepted our trade?”

At the navigator’s words, the captain explained, pointing at the sea chart with his finger.

“Half a day more and we’ll reach Santa Anna port, built by those Spanish bastards. If we’re not careful, we could be the ones in trouble. Let’s ambush them after they leave the port.”

The navigator’s face brightened at the captain’s explanation.

“That’s a great idea! As expected of you, Captain!”

Seeing that the navigator, who could move the sailors, seemed to understand, the captain rechecked the ship’s situation.

“Navigator, do we have enough food and water?”

“Plenty!”

“What about the amount and condition of gunpowder? The cannons?”

“They’re fine! But I’ll order an immediate inspection!”

“Do it now!”

“Aye!”

At the captain’s order, the navigator excitedly rushed to the sailors.

Watching the navigator’s back, the captain muttered softly.

“Piracy, huh…”

***

The situation for the officers, including the captain and navigator, was even more urgent than for the sailors.

The sailors basically had fixed wages, with some additional rewards from the profits. However, officers like the captain, first mate, and navigator received a certain share of the profits. If the voyage ended successfully, they could pocket a large sum, but if it went wrong, they wouldn’t receive a single penny. And if this happened repeatedly, they would be kicked out of their positions as captain or first mate.

Therefore, even if the sailors didn’t like it, they had to take the lead in this situation.

***

Meanwhile, tension was high on the Spanish ship San Jose, which was sailing ahead.

“The Portuguese bastards aren’t showing any unusual behavior.”

Upon hearing the first mate’s report confirming the crow’s nest’s observation, the captain of the San Jose still wore a worried expression.

“We can’t let our guard down. That fucking Arab must have had a deal with that ship. If so, they must be boiling with anger. We absolutely can’t relax until we enter Santa Anna. Explain the situation properly to the crew and prepare them for battle.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Having heard the captain’s orders, the first mate headed towards the crew along with the navigator.

Standing on the stern deck and watching the Vendaval chasing them, the captain’s eyes were full of concern.

***

Around sunset, the San Jose was able to enter Santa Anna port.

From the captain to the lowest-ranking sailor, all crew members of the San Jose, having safely entered the port, let out sighs of relief.

“Phew~”

“Now I can breathe a bit easier.”

While the sailors sighed in relief, the captain and officers held a meeting with serious faces.

“Check immediately if we can rent warehouse space or a place to hold slaves. No, check if we can rent a place to hold slaves.”

“Are you going to unload the slaves here?”

The captain nodded at the navigator’s question.

“I’m still worried about those Portuguese bastards.”

“But they didn’t do anything until we entered the port, did they?”

To the first mate’s objection, the captain explained in more detail.

“Unless their eyes are knotholes, they couldn’t have ignored this Santa Anna.”

At the captain’s explanation, the officers finally nodded.

In preparation for the increasingly hostile Portugal, Santa Anna had been built with sturdy coastal walls. And on those walls, large cannons were glaring at the sea.

The captain summarized the situation.

“I’d like to unload all the cargo here and go up, but if I did that, the shipowners would hang me from the mast. So, let’s unload the bulky slaves first and move. Have the crew prepare to be ready for battle as soon as we set sail.”

“Understood.”

***

Two days later, the San Jose left Santa Anna port.

“Stay sharp!”

“Yes!”

“One moment of carelessness and you’ll be shark food! Stay alert!”

“Yes!”

At the shouts of the navigator and boatswain, the sailors responded with tense faces.

The captain, positioned on the stern deck much higher than the main deck, checked the situation.

“Are the cannons ready?”

“All ready!”

“I’ll say it again, don’t open the gun ports until the order is given! It’d be a disaster if the gunpowder gets wet from the waves and misfires!”

“We’re well aware!”

The first mate and navigator immediately responded to the captain’s warning.

A total of 14 cannons were positioned on the upper deck and the two decks directly below. Four on the upper deck, two on each side, and five on each side of the two decks below, totaling 14.

The sailors in charge of operating the cannons were gathered around the loaded guns. All they had to do was open the gun ports, push the muzzles out, and light the fuses when the order was given.

“Come from port or starboard, it doesn’t matter…”

Most of the sailors were hardened veterans from battles with Barbary pirates, so there were hardly any who feared combat.

As the tense moments ticked by, the sailor watching the sea from the mast rang the bell while shouting.

Ding ding ding!

“Portuguese bastards on the port side! Distance about 1 league (about 4.2km)!”

At the lookout’s cry, the captain drew his sword and shouted.

“Battle stations! Wait for my order to fire!”

***

Just as the San Jose was preparing for the upcoming battle, the Vendaval was also closing the distance, ready for combat.

Like the San Jose, the sailors were ready to push out the loaded cannons, with the captain’s shouts continuing behind their backs.

“Don’t fire until the order is given! We can’t give them time to retaliate!”

“Yes!”

“Gunners at the bow and stern, properly manage the fuses and powder pans of the gonnes!”

“Yes!”

At the captain’s order, the soldiers in charge of the matchlock guns responded loudly and rechecked their fuses and powder pans.

The hand cannons used by soldiers at this time had evolved one step further.

They still used a long pole tucked under the armpit instead of a stock. However, they had a primitive firing mechanism using springs and triggers, as well as aiming devices.

After giving orders to the hand cannon gunners, the captain muttered with a face full of regret.

“We should have persuaded the shipowners to get new gonnes…”

Matchlock guns imitating the breech-loading guns carried by Joseon soldiers frequenting Alexandria were just starting to appear here and there. However, matchlock guns weren’t cheap items, so the argument to buy unproven equipment didn’t fly.

“Half a league ahead (about 2.1km)!”

Snapped out of his thoughts by the lookout’s cry, the captain shouted again.

“Don’t fire until we’re right up against the side of the Spanish ship! Wait for my order!”

At the captain’s shout, the sailors swallowed dry saliva as they watched the enemy ship drawing closer.

As the chase continued and the distance between the two ships narrowed to just about 20 cubits (about 9m), both captains shouted simultaneously.

“Fire!”

“Shoot!”

Boom boom boom!

Ratatat!

In an instant, the space between the two ships was filled with gunpowder smoke.

***

The Vendaval and San Jose engaged in a fierce exchange of fire.

Boom!

Ratatat!

The surviving gunners and musketeers desperately reloaded and spewed fire at the enemy.

Every time the cannons blazed, wooden splinters and the broken bodies of unfortunate sailors fell into the sea from the opponent’s ship.

“Die!”

“Kill them!”

The surviving sailors moved desperately, cursing and snarling, to kill their opponents and to survive.

Ratatat!

Bang!

“Reload! Reload!”

“Water’s coming in! Water’s coming in!”

“Go down and plug it!”

“Plug it! I said plug it!”

They fired cannonballs at each other to deliver a fatal blow, but the solid shot cannonballs couldn’t deliver a killing blow.

In the end, in this ongoing battle, it was only the sailors who were dying.

***

The situation became even more intense as ships from both sides, passing nearby and discovering the battle, approached.

“Our comrades are under attack!”

“Kill them!”

As it turned into a 2:2 battle, the fight became even fiercer, ultimately ending in a draw.

The four battered ships nursed their wounds as they headed north.

As the ships arrived at Ceuta and Gibraltar, an intense diplomatic battle broke out between Spain and Portugal.

“This incident absolutely cannot be overlooked!”

“Piracy! How dare they engage in piracy!”

As both sides accused each other of provocation, ships from both countries gathered in the Strait of Gibraltar.

In this tense situation, with ships facing off across the strait and envoys from both countries engaging in verbal battles in the Vatican, things finally came to a head.

The ‘Battle of Gibraltar’ had begun.

The naval battle, which involved about 60 ships from both sides mixed together, ended with both sides losing more than 10 ships each.

As the ships returned to Ceuta and Gibraltar for repairs, both sides claimed victory.

While both sides claimed victory and demanded ‘compensation’, naval commanders and shipbuilders analyzed the battle.

The result of their analysis was simple.

‘Bigger ships with more cannons.’

The technicians reviewing their analysis results tilted their heads.

“Where have I heard this before?”

“Right?”