Chapter 250: The Sea God's Trident
[Due to your steadily rising fame and status in the pirate world, from Nassau, New Providence Island, Charleston, Williamsburg, and Newport, all the way north to Boston, more and more pirates with big dreams have flocked to your banner. Among them is the legendary female pirate Anne Bonny. She was the inspiration for "Miss Fortune," the pistol-wielding lady pirate, with long, wavy hair and striking beauty. To win some good luck, you appointed her as your ship's quartermaster.]
[In addition to pirates, many Jacobites from Britain itself have joined your ranks. Queen Anne had just passed away, and by succession, the throne should have gone to her half-brother, James Stuart. However, he was a Catholic, and the Act of Settlement of 1701 forbade Catholics from becoming monarchs. In the end, Buckingham Palace chose a German who couldn't even speak English—George Ludwig—as king. This prompted various Scottish nobles to secretly recruit soldiers and form clandestine societies, aiming to overthrow George I and restore the Stuart line. In the retelling of many, your attacks on British ships gained the ultimate, perfectly legitimate cause—avenging Queen Anne.]
[Quoting from the only newspaper in America at the time, The Boston News-Letter, written by your ardent admirer Benjamin Franklin: Some believe the fall of Nassau heralds the decline of piracy, and that you are the gravedigger of the pirate age. But the truth is entirely the opposite—your arrival heralds the dawn of the Golden Age of Piracy.]
[On your way to Jamaica, you gradually brought southeastern Cuba and western Haiti under your protection. Even before you reached Jamaica, many pirates entrenched in Port Royal had already submitted letters of surrender. Your trusted subordinate Edward Teach played a huge role in this. Before becoming a great pirate, he had spent eleven years in Port Royal, serving as first mate, chief engineer, and boatswain on numerous ships, building a vast network of contacts. Under your instructions, Teach replied to each of them—if they raised a black flag bearing a pineapple when you entered Port Royal, they would be spared.]
[On May 14, 1719, off the southeastern coast of Jamaica, you once again encountered a massive British fleet—this time even reinforced by numerous French warships. The scale was immense. This naval battle would later be remembered as a textbook example in naval history of the weak defeating the strong.]
[Old acquaintances—Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington—crossed paths with you at sea once more. They sought to turn the tide with this battle, to destroy you completely and restore order to the Caribbean. But you disappointed them. Using Cortés' black magic, you summoned a localized storm ahead. Though they braved high winds and rough seas, stubbornly maintaining their crescent formation against the wind, many ships had lost their anchors. In the strong gusts, the fleet was scattered and unable to hold formation. Soon, under your fierce bombardment, the signs of defeat were clear.]
[Although Norrington managed to regroup most of the warships and gather them together, even executing a captain who tried to flee mid-battle, it could not reverse their fate. Their ships were slower than yours, their firepower weaker, their range shorter, and they were fighting against the wind—how could they hope to win? By 6 p.m., Governor Swann led the fleet in retreat, marking the end of the battle. From then on, Britain would never again muster such a large fleet in the Caribbean, nor could they threaten you. Many pirates saw that sudden storm as a sign of God's favor upon you. (You have earned the achievement: The Fall of the Invincible Armada.)]
[On May 20, 1719, you arrived at Port Royal, expecting fierce resistance. But when you set foot on its soil, black flags bearing pineapples hung everywhere, filling your view in a dark sea. These shameless pirates were quite adept at acting as guides—before long, they led you straight to the Governor's Mansion. Jamaica's Governor Weatherby Swann had no time to escape and was captured on the spot. This marked the near-complete fall of the West Indies into your hands, its skies filled with black flags.]
[Captured alongside Weatherby Swann were his wife and daughter. To keep London from responding too quickly, you decided to hold them for now.]
[From May 20, 1719, to May 30, 1721, over more than two years, you united the various native nations of the West Indies to form the "Pineapple Confederacy" under your rule, including thirteen nations such as Jamaica, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and Montserrat. You focused on developing science, technology, and industry. With your prior experience as a king in both the One Piece world and the Apocalypse world, you quickly established a well-functioning economic and political system across these vast islands.]
[Within your Pineapple Confederacy, you began the Industrial Revolution forty years ahead of this world's history, applying the steam engine—once used only on ships—to science and industry. As an inventor, Newton had no resistance to such technology, far beyond its time. At a glance, he grasped the steam engine's principles and quickly proposed numerous applications—such as adapting it for textile machines and other tools.]
[And so, the First Industrial Revolution truly began in the West Indies. As in real history, no one could halt the spread of steam power. In just one or two short years, your Pineapple Confederacy developed at breakneck speed, with waves of immigrants pouring in. Your subordinates transformed from plunderers into protectors, engaging in piracy only beyond national borders, targeting other countries.]
[On June 4, 1721, Britain and France formed another fleet to invade the West Indies. On June 6, your fleet encountered them at sea but failed to engage their main force. Near the Lesser Antilles, your Second Fleet—led by the Diamond Man Sam Bellamy and Honig—met the enemy's main force. Against expectations, with fearless, seemingly invulnerable courage and ferocious firepower, Bellamy crushed their fleet of 18 ships with just 12 of his own. The enemy was nearly annihilated. The British commander, Lord Beckett, fled in panic. You then seized most of Belize and Nicaragua's territory, capturing Managua, the Nicaraguan capital—Britain's last colony in the Caribbean and Central America.]
[On November 9 of the same year, you won two more decisive victories over the Spanish navy near Jamaica and in the Havana naval battle. In the second battle, even the Nine Pirate Lords made their appearance. This victory cemented the Pineapple Confederacy's status as a maritime power and greatly strengthened your rule. Finally, you met with Spanish Governor de Torres-Ayala, and the two sides signed a peace treaty.]
[The peace treaty with Spain was expected. Now you could focus on wars against Britain, France, and other pirates. But before that, spurred on by Cortés, you decided to take one last adventure—to Death Island! To find Mermaid Island, to seek the Sword of Cortés and Cortés' treasure, and, if possible, to claim the Trident of Poseidon itself—your final adventure in this world, purely to satisfy your thirst for excitement.]