You've always loved the sunrise over the sea.
The perfect reflection of orange and red over the water, the deep navy blue of the sea of stars giving way to the bright blue of morning… You breathe deeply of the briny air from your position at the bow of the Cutting Dagger. The smell of salt in the air tickles your nostrils, and you grin wide. There's not a cloud in sight today, and the sea is beautiful. She beckons to you with the ease of long practice and familiarity. You've loved the sea from those first, early days.
You've loved her, but every sailor knows you can't trust her.
"A storm's coming." You mutter to yourself.
"…Shang-wei?" One of the men asks, glancing up at the cloudless sky. He doesn't say anything but you can feel his confusion.
"Not for a few hours yet." You assure him.
You're pulsing with excitement. You've been fighting for this sort of chance your whole life. The Queen may have brought you on, and she might think of you as a son, but on the sea that doesn't matter. You work or the Storm takes you, and while you managed to make your way through ten times the work of his fellow sailors, it was only now, ten years after you were found that you were given your own ship to command.
Not that anyone would know it from looking at you. You've grown into a full man in that time. Your entire body (save for the very short black hair on your head) has been clean-shaven and smooth your entire life. You've grown into a supremely lithe and athletic man, as if you'd been born for swimming. Sea-blue eyes rake across the watery horizon, drinking in all the day has to offer. You're wearing a black longcoat and a white shirt, with boots that haven't seen a proper shine in years. At your side is the biggest sword the fleet has, which still manages to look like a short cutlass in your hand.
And of course, a navy blue tricorn. What pirate captain doesn't have a big hat? An idiot captain, that's who. You just wish it had a nice feather in it.
After a few minutes of enjoying the breeze you whistle up to the crow's nest. "Seen anything good yet, Han?"
"Nah, boss." The young man calls. "Just some 'gauls. The day just started!"
Well that was disappointing.
For your first raid, you wanted to grab something impressive, something that would show the entire fleet just how worthy you were. So you'd looked over the maps and picked something juicy.
Usually singular ships didn't target this particular route for trade, least of all singular corvettes like yours. But you're good. No, not just good, you're the best, and by the time you're done here everyone else is going to know it too.
At the wheel of the ship is a short redheaded woman whose hair is tied into a singular long braid that falls down her back. She wears a coat as red as her hair, and wields a pair of pistols she apparently took from a dead noblewoman with too much carnal appetite. She glares at you with her one good eye. Caihong is your first mate, and the woman who most likely would have captained this vessel had you never been found.
She also tried to kill you twice, which is why she only has one eye now. Mother was… emphatic, to be polite about it. No matter how many times you apologize.
"Two days." Caihong muttered without preamble. "Not a single vessel on this 'prosperous trade route'."
You shrug. "Keep looking, something'll show up."
"Didn't you just tell Hideyoshi that there's a storm coming?
Hideyoshi. You'll have to remember that.
"Not for a time. We'll be gone long before it breaks proper."
"Or we're on the wrong part of the ocean."
You frown. You know you're in the right place. You've never gotten lost on the sea.
"Look, kid- shang-wei, this is getting us nowhere." she sighs as she turns to you, rubbing her eyepatch. "Let's turn back towards the mainland. Kahng's nearby, and harvest just came in for them. Food would serve the fleet as fine as any booty."
Your frown turns into a death glare. She raises an eyebrow at your look. "You only get angry with me when you know I'm r-"
"Shang-wei!" Han yelled. "Vessel on the horizon! Starboard bow!!"
You pull out your spyglass and smirk at Caihong as she scowls.
You grin at what you see. It's a triple mast galleon, flying the Reaver Queen's jolly roger. Only problem with that is you know every single ship in the queen's fleet. The only one of that size is the Rising Sun, her personal vessel, and this isn't it. You glance at its side. The Rude Awakening.
She's floating slow, too. The wind is full in her sails and yet her movement is sluggish. Whatever she's carrying, it's a lot, and it's big. It's gotta be full up on treasure.
A fat, juicy target ripe for the taking…
You turn to Caihong and grin wide. "You did say you deserved a bigger ship."
She looks something between apprehensive and intrigued. "How much bigger?"
"Ship-of-the-line."
She blanched. "Ship of- kid we've got maybe a hundred men here, that ship's hundreds, maybe a thousand. What're we supposed to do against that?!"
"That's Sun-Sin Shan-Wei." You jab your thumb at yourself. "You've got me and 98 others, that should be more than enough."
"You're mad!"
"You're mad. I'm just crazy."
---
You've seen a target: the Rude Awakening. It's big, but very slow. Your ship, the Cutting Dagger, is more than capable of catching up to it.
This first action of yours will affect how you're seen for the rest of your career with the Reaver Queen. How do you handle your first big act of piracy?
[] – Challenge the captain
The sea is beautiful and the treasure's fine, but what you love more than anything else is the challenge. The swashbuckling. The ring of blade against blade. No one ever defeats you, of course, but some come close to nicking you. Those are fun.
You'll leap from the ship and swim over to challenge their captain to a duel for their ship and crew. Treasure, food, AND men for the plunder; and with no casualties, eh?
(Kill the captain in a straight fight, take the ship and its whole cargo with minimal casualties. Some of their men will no doubt want off, or will be disloyal curs, but it'll be fewer than if you'd come in to fight.)
[] – Make them surrender
You want your enemies to submit to you. You'll let them live, if they surrender, and they'll spread your legend across the seas. This battle will be over quickly, and others against both you and your queen's fleet will as well.
Bring the storm in a little early. Go to them as a devil in man's skin. Let their fear paralyze them, and claim whatever you desire.
(You'll take less plunder now, but once the story of what you've done spreads, all the Queen's crews will have an easier time on their own raids.)
[] – Ram their ship and fight with your men
The most important thing is your crew. You're their boss, they put their trust in you, and you're to bring them the plunder same as any other. There's nothing you love more than getting stuck in with your fellow sailors.
You'll collide your ship with theirs and board the enemy vessel, daring anyone to stop you. It won't take long with you.
(Your crew will take casualties, but you'll have forged a bond in blood with them. They'll see you as one of their own, as will the fleet.)
[] – Write in
