Francis Drake

From One Piece Encyclopedia

Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540 – 28 January 1596) was an English naval captain and vice admiral who's aggressive nature towards Spanish and Portuguese ships and cities in the new world earned him the title outside of England as a pirate. (Much heralded to this day as a hero on the islands of Great Britain he was named "El Draque" or "The Dragon" by the Spanish)

In One Piece, his name is part of the basis for X. Drake.^[1] and possibly for Marine lieutenant Drake.

[edit] Drake in the New World

Drake, in 1577 was commissioned by the Queen of England to circumnavigate the world. He left with five ships, including his own, The Pelican, and 164 men (later adding "The Mary" which was the English name for the captured "Santa Maria" of Christopher Columbus fame. Unfortunately it had been found to be rotted to a point of disrepair and burned at sea before making it to the Pacific).

By the time Drake had reached the west coast of South America, his fleet had been reduced to only his main flagship, renamed the Golden Hind. The still formidable Drake continued to attack Spanish harbors as well as Spanish vessels, looting any riches as well as their more accurate charts of the region.

Near Lima, Peru, Drake and crew raided a Spanish vessel transporting an unusually bountiful cargo of new world gold. This is especially notable as the Spanish were sailing due West across the Pacific through waters conceded by the Pope of Rome to only be used by the Portuguese. The only option left for the Spanish after they were caught in this action was to forcibly encompass Portugal into the Spanish empire.

[edit] The Spanish Armada

Captain Drake returned to England in 1580 and was awarded knighthood. He was second-in-command against the Spanish Armada in 1588. His strategic, rather than traditional, battle style was responsible for the English victory over the horde of Spanish might. Drake embraced a famous strategy of sending unmanned, ghostly fire ships, floating towards the enemy's massive formations. To avoid collisions, many Spanish battleships veered off course and became easy targets for the British navy. This, as well as other non-traditional strategies, gave the edge to the smaller English fleet.

[edit] Death

Sir Drake died on 28 January 1596 off the coast of Puerto Bello, Panama after further attempts at sacking more Spanish ports. He was buried at sea in a lead coffin.