The Fox of France

Perhaps it was Pauline's "reward" that spurred Belladonna's motivation. After she boarded the ship, she spent quite some time in discussion with the captain in his cabin. Finally, the captain agreed to deviate and sail towards the area most frequented by pirates.

"However, Captain Opoinou thinks we won't likely encounter pirates. Because we're a steamship, when we sail, we emit tall columns of smoke. Those pirates can see us from afar. Then they'll disguise themselves as peaceful merchant ships." That night, in Pauline's room, Belladonna sat earnestly on a chair by Pauline's bed, conversing through the curtain while Pauline bathed.

"Would it be better at night then?" Pauline said casually as she bathed. The bathroom light cast her silhouette on the curtain, making Belladonna slightly uneasy.

"Maybe, perhaps. But at night, it's not certain we'd spot them," Belladonna stuttered, feeling an unusual dryness in her mouth.

At that moment, the curtain moved, and Pauline, draped in a towel with her hair loose, walked out, passing by Belladonna, her long hair brushing past her face.

Pauline sat on the large bed in front of Belladonna, the distance between them less than half a meter. She bent slightly, looking into Belladonna's eyes, and said with a smile, "Why are you just sitting there? Go on, take a bath."

"I..." Belladonna started.

"We're like siblings, your room doesn't have a bathroom or hot water. We're siblings, after all. Besides, didn't I say I'd reward you? My bath is delightful, consider it a reward for you to take a hot bath. Hurry, inside, there's a towel for you," Pauline urged.

Belladonna slowly stood up, and Pauline reclined, leaning comfortably on the large pillow, disregarding the loosely wrapped towel.

Belladonna entered the bathroom. Despite being a luxurious suite, space was limited on the ship. Belladonna began bathing while Pauline, leaning against the pillow, chatted with her absentmindedly.

After a while, Belladonna emerged, wrapped in a towel. Pauline glanced at her and suddenly said, "Belladonna, come lie down, let's talk some more..."

So, Belladonna lay beside Pauline. It wasn't clear who touched the switch, but the room's lights suddenly went out, creating some commotion in the darkness. Then came Pauline's dissatisfied voice, "I treat you like a sister, and you want to oppress me... Either way, it's time I oppress you..."

Early the next morning, Pauline unusually dressed in women's attire, holding a parasol with an ivory handle, gazed at Belladonna and together they headed to the ship's bow.

"Lucky you, Belladonna. You managed to get such a good hand," Pauline said, taking the spyglass handed by Belladonna, "But those clothes of mine, you probably wouldn't fit. You're a bit too tall. But if we make a custom outfit for you and prepare a wig, haha, you'd surely captivate a group of young men."

Belladonna was momentarily at a loss for words.

"I wonder if we'll encounter pirates today," Pauline added.

However, just as Captain Opoinou predicted earlier, the smoke columns of the 'White Lady' scared off the pirate ships or perhaps scared them into momentarily behaving as law-abiding citizens. The 'White Lady' saw a few ships that day at sea, but none were pirates. Initially excited, Pauline soon grew bored of the sea and dragged Belladonna along, bringing her girlfriend Eva to their room to play cards.

Pauline hadn't encountered a pirate ship, but the newly cruising French fleet in the area soon had a catch.

The brand-new super cruiser 'Free Trade' intercepted a Spanish-flagged merchant ship, reaching speeds of up to twenty knots. Using a loudspeaker, they identified themselves as the French Navy and demanded the ship to halt for boarding inspection, warning of potential force if ignored.

"Captain, is there a problem with this ship?" in the captain's quarters, First Officer Darlan asked Captain Berthier.

"Yes, let's bet on it. I'm certain this is a pirate ship. Look at how they've hung the Spanish flag the wrong way," Berthier replied.

The 'Spanish ship' obediently lowered its sails and anchored. The speed demonstrated by the 'Free Trade' made it clear to everyone on the ship that escape was futile. Although they could reach shallows where French ships seldom ventured in half a day's run, considering the speed difference, they couldn't make it. As for resisting, facing the enormous opposing ship, the 'Spanish ship' lacked the courage.

Seeing the 'Spanish ship' halt, the 'Free Trade' slowed down and deployed small boats. Each boat carried fifteen marines armed with pump-action shotguns, tasked with swiftly controlling key points of the ship and conducting an inspection.

The boats neared the 'Spanish ship,' dropping down rope ladders. The soldiers climbed aboard.

The first to board was marine Jacques. As soon as he landed, he spotted several bearded men. Raising his shotgun, Jacques shouted, "Don't move, step back, all of you!"

The bearded men might not understand French, but facing the barrels, they understood the implication. They raised their hands, stepping back. More marines quickly climbed aboard.

The soldiers swiftly secured critical positions. A brief search revealed that the entire crew consisted of non-Christian sailors; not a single person spoke Spanish or professed Catholicism. Most importantly, the cargo hold was empty.

A merchant ship wouldn't sail empty. Whether from Spain to Italy or back, they'd maximize cargo, never empty. Plus, there was no logbook. It was now certain; this ship was likely a pirate vessel.

However, the issue was the absence of significant weaponry. The North African crew insisted they were merely cruising and hoisting the Spanish flag to avoid tolls on Spanish ships.

In the 21st century, such explanations might hold water. Somali pirates' basic tactic when cornered by warships was to toss AKMs and RPGs into the sea, ceasing to be pirates.

But this era wasn't as civilized. Despite their explanations, they were detained and taken back to Toulon, handed over to the police and courts for judgment. As for evidence, if the Public Security Department couldn't handle this small matter, they'd be quite incompetent.