One time my crew and I found a vault key sitting on the dock at an outpost. Assuming it was a gift from the Pirate Lord for being such an awesome crew, we naturally took it to the next active fort and purloined all that yummy loot.
Another time, I had just completed soloing a fort, when I got server-merged. When I got to the vault, I found it lying open before me...and I still had a perfectly functional key in hand! What’s a green-blooded pirate to do? Naturally, I made off with the booty! Two forts, one key, and one happy little buckaroo.
I always leave something behind in every vault I loot. I left a little extra in the “free” vault. I’m a greedy scallywag, but I’m not without a heart. 😉
Stuff happens. 🙂