Hirado Castle was Dongying's largest city for foreign trade and also the biggest asset of the Matsuura clan in their battle for supremacy during the Warring States period.
Among its male residents, nearly half were samurai directly loyal to the Matsuura clan, as well as pirates secretly controlled by them… also known as wako pirates.
At that time, the age of great geographical discoveries and maritime adventures had just begun. The seas were still dominated by the law of the jungle; merchant ships spotting weaker prey would change their flags and temporarily become pirates to make a fortune—an ancient art practiced by all seasoned sailors of the era.
As one of the most active seafaring families in Dongying at the time, the Matsuura clan had mastered the skill of switching between merchant and pirate flags.
Their end… was naturally particularly tragic.
