Pirates

When the Templars were disbanded by papal order in 1307, their massive fleet disappeared from its base at La Rochelle. What became of the ships and the famous treasure of the Templars? Lost Cities author David Hatcher Childress maintains that a portion of the fleet became the first pirates to fly the Skull and Crossbones

When I was a boy I strongly desired to be a pirate, and the reason for this was the absolute independence of that sort of life. Restrictions of all sorts had become onerous to me, and in my reading of the adventures of the bold sea-rovers of the main, I had unconsciously selected those portions of a pirate's life which were attractive to me, and had totally disregarded all the rest.