This situation is normal for ocean sailing these days. Small-tonnage sailboats only face wind and waves, and their ability to withstand risks is still too poor.

And this also made Xiahoujun firmer in his idea of ​​enlarging merchant ships.

Traveling across the ocean requires facing complex and changeable maritime weather. If a ship is too small, the risks are too great. The shipwreck, loss of life, loss of cargo, etc. are enough to cause huge losses.

If you want to run ocean routes, you need larger ships. A few hundred tons of cargo is the minimum standard, and it is best to be able to carry thousands of tons of cargo.

Even if this new type of large-tonnage sea-going ship is more expensive, the increase in trade costs is still worthwhile.

It is better to go out safely and come back safely with profits than to go to sea and sink directly and come back with nothing!

The fleet went all the way south. Although it encountered a storm and had some accidents along the way, it was generally relatively safe and did not encounter any unsighted pirates.

The fleet successfully arrived in Manila on Luzon Island and conducted trade with the Spaniards who controlled the place.

Then the fleet arrived in the Strait of Malacca. At this time, the entire huge fleet began to separate. Two naval warships escorted two merchant ships from the Nanyang Trading Company and many armed merchant ships from other companies to Bada under the control of the Dutch.

Via, trade with the Dutch.

The remaining ships headed for Malacca, which was controlled by the Portuguese.

However, at this time, the Portuguese's control over Malacca was extremely weak, and the Dutch were also eyeing Malacca.

For example, after the Portuguese failed in Macau, they contracted the power of Southeast Asia to Malacca and strengthened Malacca's defense power.

At the same time, the Chu Empire did not want to see the Dutch control the trade in Southeast Asia alone, so it seemed to secretly provide certain support to the Portuguese, providing some guns and so on.

Therefore, the Portuguese defense force in Malacca is much stronger than in previous years, but it is also limited.

Nowadays, the Portuguese are in the midst of a war of independence at home and are at war with Spain. Without local support, the overseas colonies cannot protect themselves.

If it hadn't been for the strong support of the Chu Empire in recent years, they would have been defeated by the Dutch long ago.

But even so, they probably won't be able to support it for a few years.

Because the Chu Empire has also become interested in Malacca in the past two years, especially after its naval strength has increased significantly.

The only suspense is, whose hands will Malacca fall into?

Is it the Netherlands?
Chapter completed!