Alonzo Batilla

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Alonzo Batilla

Alonzo Batilla was a French pirate, active in the Caribbean, during the early 18th century. Following his career as a pirate, Alonzo befriended the infamous Frenchman Olivier Levasseur, and after Levasseur's execution by the British, searched for his treasure.

Biography

Early life and meeting La Buse

Born in France, Alonzo was a wanted criminal who joined the French Navy under an alias in 1711 in the port of Toulon, in order to escape his pursuers. Serving in the fleet of Admiral Jacques Cassard, Batilla participated in the Battles of Montserrat and Antigua in the Caribbean. In battle, he distinguished himself by being an expert marksman and the first to board the enemy ships, killing half a dozen British sailors by himself. Not wanting to come back to France, Batilla deserted after the war and recruited four other sailors in order to plunder merchant ships in the Caribbean Sea.

In June 1716, he boldly attacked a merchant schooner captained by a Templar named Barnes. Alonzo's crew was killed and Batilla himself was put in irons, in order to be hanged later as an example for the other pirates. While he was imprisoned aboard Barnes' ship, Batilla discovered another prisoner, an escaped slave named Jumao. While sailing near Devil's Rock, the schooner was attacked by the French pirate, Olivier Levasseur, also known as La Buse. Levasseur recruited Alonzo and Jumao, gave Alonzo the command of a gunboat called The Serpent, and told him to meet him at the Scorpion Reef.

Life as a pirate

After battling a British gunboat, Alonzo went to Scorpion Reef to meet Levasseur. There, Alonzo asked him for a bigger ship, feeling disappointed with his own vessel's size. Levasseur agreed and led Alonzo past a British brig, and told him to sink two gunboats and take the schooner, The Wanderer as his own.

Feeling happy with a new ship, Alonzo decided to attack the brig he avoided earlier, though Levasseur advised him not to, warning him about Benjamin Hornigold's rules, but Alonzo ignored him and attacked the ship regardless. After sinking the brig, Levasseur informed Alonzo that the path he chose would lead to pain and misery, and that it was the end of their partnership. Alonzo argued that they both should sail together, and claim the greatest prizes. Levasseur refused however, and left afterward. A discouraged Alonzo began to chase after Levasseur and soon caught up with him. There, Levasseur told Alonzo to meet him near the west of Hispaniola, to test Alonzo's wisdom. Soon, Jumao insisted for Alonzo to recruit new crew for the journey, and to get experience in sailing.

In June 1716, under the advice of Jumao, Alonzo decided to stealthily follow a Portuguese merchant ship. Alonzo battled and captured a Royal Navy schooner, the HMS Drake, to avoid suspicion by the merchant. However, Alonzo was confronted by the pirate hunter, Alvaro, who was paid to capture Jumao, but Alonzo fought the hunter to protect his friend. Unable to damage Alvaro's frigate, Alonzo and his crew successfully fled the scene.

Working with Samuel Bellamy

With an improved ship and crew, Alonzo met Levasseur in Bahía de Guadiana. After a brief conversation about Hornigold and the Royal Navy, they both sailed to the pirate cove. Near the hideout, the pirates discovered three British brigs, which Alonzo sunk one by one. After the battle and avoiding naval mines, he met up with Levasseur in the pirate hideout.

Alonzo and Levasseur went to the pirate assembly, and found Benjamin Hornigold and Samuel Bellamy arguing about Hornigold's code. They decided to put it to a vote, and the pirates voted for Bellamy as the captain, deposing Hornigold. Bellamy then asked for a pirate who could dispose of Hornigold, and Alonzo took this opportunity, and stealthily dropped him off at an island. Hornigold told Alonzo that he was smarter than the other pirates, and he should leave the job if he'd get the chance to. Alonzo declined, with plans of earning a fortune still in his mind. He asked Hornigold what he would do, since he was alone, to which Hornigold simply replied that he had friends in Nassau, and invited Alonzo to come there one day.

At night, Levasseur informed Alonzo that Bellamy was making new plans to earn money. Alonzo claimed that he deserved a share, and rushed off to meet Bellamy, countering winds and avoiding enemy schooners. He eventually met Bellamy, and he agreed to give Alonzo a share of profits. Bellamy told Alonzo about a ship in the north which carried a special cargo, which Alonzo thought to be gold or gems, but Bellamy told him that it was a slave ship. Disappointed, Alonzo told Bellamy that there was no profit in trafficking human cargo, but Bellamy insisted to attack the slave ship regardless. Alonzo agreed to attack the ship, but Jumao warned him not to sink it. As the ship was incapacitated, slaves took the opportunity to escape from it, and were saved by Alonzo, on Jumao's suggestion. Subsequently, Alonzo met with Bellamy, and let the slaves go free. Under Bellamy's advice, Alonzo hired Aaminah, a female slave, into his crew. Bellamy also told Alonzo that pirates were not mere outlaws, but also freedom fighters.

In August 1716, while sailing near Isla de la Juventud, Aaminah told Alonzo that she was detained as a slave in a fort on the island, before being transported to Kingston. Thrilled by the opportunity to plunder a fort, Alonzo decided to see it for himself. Seeing many warships guarding a passage to the fort itself, Alonzo figured something important was stored inside. Approaching the fort, Alonzo encountered a Man O' War and two schooners. While the schooners were destroyed, Alonzo failed to sink the Man O' War, which was captained by Alvaro. He congratulated Alonzo on his accomplishment and departed, saying that they would meet again. As Alonzo liberated the fort and freed the slaves held inside, he considered taking up the cause of ending the slave trade, but Aaminah warned him that more forts would be built soon, and it would be difficult to permanently eliminate slavery.

After three months, Alonzo met with Levasseur and Bellamy in order to attack the Spanish Treasure Fleet. However, the fleet split up when the pirates were noticed. After sinking a pair of schooners which escorted a galleon, the pirates boarded it, only for Bellamy to tell Alonzo and Levasseur that the ship was a decoy, and the treasure was held aboard another galleon. This made Alonzo and Levasseur skeptical, thinking that Bellamy was not after gold. Alonzo caught up with the second galleon afterward, and destroyed its escort ships.

Before the pirates could board the galleon however, they were attacked by Francis Hume and the Royal Navy. Angered by the interference, Alonzo battled Hume, but his ship was able to withstand the attack. After some time, Levasseur appeared and engaged Hume's frigate, giving Alonzo the perfect chance to escape, and was followed soon by Levasseur. The pair decided to retaliate against the Royal Navy by plundering a British fort. After capturing it, Levasseur decided that he has earned enough money from plunder, and decided to settle in a remote place and live freely, while also commenting that gold is more valuable than friendship.

Killing Alvaro and search for the Whydah

The following month, Jumao suggested to hunt a white whale in the Arctic Sea. While searching for a whale to hunt, Alonzo was once again attacked by Alvaro and his fleet. However, Alonzo managed to sink the fleet, and kill Alvaro in the process.

In January of 1717 Alonzo met up with Bellamy, angry that he left him during the previous engagement with the Spanish Treasure Fleet. Bellamy apologized, and told Alonzo that his prize was not aboard the Treasure Fleet, and that their target was Laurens Prins, a wealthy slave trader. Alonzo agreed to find a merchant in Havana who knew the whereabouts of Prins and his ship, the Whydah. Alonzo and his crew sailed to Havana, Cuba. However, a large fleet of Spanish warships were blocking the port, and engaged Alonzo's ship. After the battle, the pirate managed to find another path into Havana's harbor, which was blocked by naval mines, however. Alonzo made it past the mines and Spanish ships, before finally reaching Havana's port.

Alonzo used his spyglass to locate the merchant he was looking for, Captain Barnes. Alonzo met the man who had captured him a few years ago, and forced Barnes to give him information about Prins. After sparing Barnes' life, Alonzo noticed Francis Hume's ship sailing away from Havana. Following it, Alonzo witnessed the frigate pulling alongside a Spanish ship, and eavesdropped on a conversation between Hume and Laureano de Torres y Ayala. Learning that the Templars had sent brigs to attack Bellamy, after he caught their attention after the attack on the Treasure Fleet, Alonzo went off to warn Bellamy, rescuing him from the Templar ships. Unknowingly to Alonzo, he was followed by Hume and engaged him in battle, sparing Francis in the end. After the battle, Alonzo and Bellamy joined forces in order to capture the Whydah.

Legacy

In 2014, Abstergo Entertainment analyzed Alonzo's memories, in order to find the location of Olivier Levasseur's treasures.

Trivia

• Alonzo is a Spanish variant of the Old German name "Alphonse", the meaning of which is either interpreted as "noble and ready" or "ready for battle".

Gallery

• 
  Close-up of Alonzo
• 
  Promotional art of Alonzo

Reference

• Assassin's Creed: Pirates