So for those who don't know, I am participating in a H.E.M.A class, or historical European martial arts, and with that I was looking into zweihanders/spadones/montantes, and I found a very peculiar zweihander owned by one "Grutte Pier." And looking into his history, it's VERY interesting and probably the first real successful pirate. Pier Gerlofs Donia, a Frisian villager with a wife and children, and didn't want any violence until the Black Band raided and burned his town down, leaving him no other choice than to take up arms against the Saxons and his oppresors. First off, he formed a group named "Arumer Zwarte Hoop" which took out to sea knowing that's he can't beat the saxon soldiers on foot. In just two years, and after many supply fleets sunk (Including 28 dutch ships sunk in a single day), naval forts, and the town of Medemblik multiple times, he was rather feared and successful. It didn't last though as he retired to a peaceful life and died in peace.
What was interesting to me was his sword, a 7 foot Bidenhander which was as tall as him, and 15 pounds all together, which his strength would be able to use that swiftly, and the weight of the sword bringing power and cleaved through many at once. Which Could be a rather good pirate addition, a long reaching and devastating sword but can easily be avoided bc it may be slower and can didge out of the combo after the first swing.
