The title says it all. I got to wave 15 and then I saw a merm. I was a bit frightened, but caught them quickly. Their first wave failed and I survived. So, as a solo against a 3-man brig, I decided to try diplomacy. After a moment, they accepted and we finished the last 3 waves. I let them use my boat to finish the ashen lord. I had the key in my hand. Maybe if I had been quick and buried it in the grass, I could've bought some time. But I believed everything was well in the world. One of them blew the kegs in the vault, dying in the process, and asked if I could res him. I did so willingly. When I got in and saw my very first Chest of Legends, I couldn't believe my eyes. The loot in that vault was more valuable than anything I'd seen before.

But these were reapers. I can't fault them for turning on me. They were chill and not toxic, so I'm glad for that much. I respawned to find my boat neck deep in water and I was vomiting from a cursed cannonball. It didn't take long for it to sink. I came back again not too far and I thought that maybe I could tuck on them. Send my boat off towards a fortress and, if I died, then I could get a ton of kegs and trap the Reaper's Hideout. Well, sometime while I attempted tucking, my ship sunk, and I was found out, stuck in a tower.

Third times the charm. This time, I spawned much further away, but I managed to be significantly closer to a fortress. This was my chance. I hurriedly sailed there and nabbed three kegs. That would have to do as they were on their way to the RH. I quickly adjusted my sails and raised anchor. The fortress, not fully cleared, started firing at me as I sailed away. I hoped, prayed, that the three kegs I stole would remain intact. One stray cannonball was all it took to end that dream. I managed to respawn, bail and repair, accidentally sail into another floating keg, and use the very last piece of wood to remain afloat. It was over. They were at the hideout, surely raking in dough with their level 5 flag. Three hours of grinding the fort, hoping that maybe I would be alright, adjusting my sloop to avoid skelly cannons, and laboriously dodging skeleton guns, gone.

I decided to continue on to the hideout anyways. I was downtrodden, beaten, and exhausted having not slept in order to finish this fort. It was all gone. I sighed and pulled my sails to get the wind and set a course. Upon getting close, I took out my speaking trumpet, changed my flag to plain white, and told them I was coming over. I shot to the island, standing at the far dock behind the hideout itself, and told them I was unarmed. I was here to congratulate them. In all truthfulness, I was one person against three. These were experienced players. They knew how to play me and couldn't believe I came over to say congrats, surely itchy with their trigger fingers.

"It is the name of the game, and I have no hope of beating you. I'm one man against three, and I couldn't sell any of the loot if I tried. I'm just here to say gg before I get off. I spent three hours grinding that fort and I'm too exhausted to try anymore. This is the Sea of Thieves, so I just came to congratulate you on your spoils." They were chill, though still wary. They said they had been planning it since they saw me. One of the kegs I grabbed to blow up the boss was meant for my ship. They had sold all the loot by the time I arrived. In the end, it was just doomed from the start.

I simply smiled, sitting on that old rickety dock, and started playing a choppy rendition of Grogg Mayles. The front man, the only one who spoke to me, walked up. "Maybe next time you set sail you can join us and put on some reaper pajamas." I looked up at him, the barrel of his blunder set on me. "I think I might take you up on that." A blast, and then silence.

If you reapers who beat me are reading this, spend the dough on something nice and shiny for me, will ya? Let the tale of Captain Dewfruit and the Brew O'er Blood not end in defeat, but in celebration over a decisive victory. And drink to the spoils you so swiftly and deftly acquired. Gg, guys.