-"Now that we are in the subjects of pirates."
There were some eager faces on the audience. Those movies on the DustTube revived the genre.
-"Not always an Arc will be a hero. But those who cast their lot with criminals, achieve unparalleled infamy."
She displayed for the whole auditorium to see a woman of eastern descent.
-"Ching Arc, The Queen of the Seas. Greatest pirate the world has ever seen, commanding over eighty thousand sailors. Eighty thousand."
The screen was replaced with a depiction of her flagship leading a staggering armada, covering the horizon.
-"Her crew was casting elections for the next captain when she suggested the unthinkable: create a Code of Piracy."
She displayed the translated copies of the code on the screen.
-"The laureated scholar and hunter, Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck, in charge of Historical research at Beacon Huntsman Academy, suggests that she wanted to avoid the spot. That the Code was her chance to appear serious about it and, at the same time guarantee to lose the election."
On the translated code, there were harsh penalties for all the common activities.
...
Sleep with a female captive, even if consensual? Walk the plank.
Steal from the shared loot? Lashes for the first offense and then walk the plank.
Dare to give your own orders instead of Ching? Beheaded on the spot.
…
-"But even the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. She wanted to avoid leadership and achieved unparalleled power. Other pirates saw her troops and wanted to join her crew. Her sailors were fierce in combat, professional with the loot and gentlemen with the captives."
The Major General on the left of Ironwood mused aloud.
-"It brings some measure of comfort to know that even the Arcs of legend were human and made mistakes."