Brilliant. A truly expert representation of a pirate nation if there was one

well i gotta say this is great, i hope to read more of it soon,

i also am curious as to how long it will take for the ambassador to get his head chopped off.

After nearly three months, I've finally come to repay you for your review! Sorry that it has taken so long... It normally wouldn't have been such a long wait, but for the forces beyond my control. (There are lots of them. Very demanding.)

I really enjoyed this first chapter. You immediately pique the reader's interest with a vaguely mentioned crazy scheme and keep it interesting with the taking of the ambassador's ship. At the end, you enticed the reader into the next chapter with the unfinished confrontation between Shon and his cousin. (I'll admit it. I went on to the next chapter.) I really like the idea of a nation of pirates and look forward to reading more about it, as well as about Shon's struggle.

I had a couple of little hang-ups... the first one being the only technical error I could find. 'The first mate entered with Segani on his heals.' I think you want 'heels' instead. The first mate also swivels on his heals in a following line.

The next problem I have is this; if the pirates rule a region called the Pirate Islands and it's generally known that there are pirates in the Pirate Islands, who would pass through to act as victims for piracy? Maybe it's a dumb question... It's just the base, isn't it? They go out and plunder in other people's waters - but how could that not cause a war?

...well, I hope you're going to explain how it all works later - I'd certainly like to know.

I don't know if I like the way they react to the assassination of the 'no-name' pirate. The whole incident just seems very conspicuous - like that sort of thing happens all the time, yet not often enough for Shon to be used to it. Maybe that was your intent, though.

And, last thing, I don't like it that Shon grabbed his rapier AND his towel. The towel seems like it should be an afterthought in a life or death situation. Unless he's a very modest pirate.

Well, I'm off to read more!