This is a brief story about why you should never call a solo player on his "bluff".
Some context, im grinding ashen OoS in the Roar and with ehh.. 15ish skulls on board i see a brig sailing fast toward me. i sail away and shout that im not looking for a fight and want an alliance. as soon as the crew replys to me i know they will never ally with me. their first response is to tell me to stop so they can get closer. (dangerdanger* Kegs incoming! (in my head)) i slow some but im sure to not hit my anchor. i notice one aiming at me and i dodge a musketball as i drop the sails again.
it is at this time I give my ultimatum. "Join the Alliance, get 50% or I WILL sail off the map and you will get NOTHING". the Brig continued to pursue me not believing that i would be so petty to surrender all my treasure to Davy Jones. This my friends was their mistake. I would gladly allied and even split up some of the loot but if i wasnt going to get any loot, neither was anyone else.
I turned to the East and sailed as fast as I could. The brig overtook me once but missed my ladder and i continued towards the Shroud. I knew i could survive longer than them within the Shroud. As the Seas turned to blood and the music swelled the brigantine slowed to a stop and hastily joined my alliance. I have no doubt that this was a ploy to lure me out into the open. I continued on. I sailed until I knew they would only see the top of my mast and stopped bailing. My ship quickly slipped beneath the waves. I remained nearby fighting of sharks until I was sure that the brig would be unable to reclaim mine treasure until it despawned.
I took a mermaid to my new ship and sailed to regroup with the Brigantine (I could see their location do to the alliance). Once I found them I informed them of their folly and of just how much loot they had lost by failing to heed my words. No doubt angry I was murdered and the alliance was disbanded. I sat on the ferry laughing at their salt. i never respawned. I scuttled and left the game still chuckling.
In conclusion if you are solo and are afraid for your loot, remember: despite what people say, you hold the bargaining power, and the Shroud is your friend against bloodthirsty pirates. Some will call me toxic, but I say it is a sea of pirates and no one will profit from my hard earned booty!