A closer look
Chinese prostitute Zheng Yi Sao managed to completely reinvent herself in the early 19th century, eventually rising to become the most successful and terrifying pirate commander in the entire recorded history of the world. At the absolute height of her power, she commanded the notorious Red Flag Fleet, an unbelievable armada consisting of roughly 1,800 ships and an estimated 80,000 ruthless outlaws, effectively making her personal navy larger than most actual countries. She instituted a brutally strict code of laws where anyone caught stealing from the communal treasure pool or disobeying orders was immediately beheaded, establishing a highly efficient corporate structure for maritime theft. When the Chinese government finally realized they could not defeat her in battle, they just offered her total amnesty, allowing her to peacefully retire with all her stolen loot and open a lucrative gambling house, proving that crime genuinely does pay if you are just extremely good at it
