( Mental Floss ) -- You can keep your Bluebeards and your Blackbeards . The most successful pirate of all time controlled a fleet of more than 1,500 ships and upwards of 80,000 sailors -- and she did it all without the help of facial hair . Tall ships like the La Boudeuse used to face threats from pirates as they sailed around the world . When a Chinese pirate captain named Cheng married a beautiful prostitute in 1801 , he was n't just getting the girl of his dreams ; he was making the best financial investment of his career . His new bride , known to history as Cheng I Sao , or `` Wife of Cheng , '' agreed to the marriage on one condition -- that she would share equally in his power and would be given the opportunity to help him secure more wealth . Sounded like a deal to Cheng , and for the next six years , the husband and wife teamed up to grow their piracy business along the coast of the South China Sea , as far south as Malaysia . But then , in 1807 , Cheng passed away . Instead of stepping aside like a `` proper '' widow , Cheng I Sao promptly took the reins . Thinking outside the treasure box . Although clearly ahead of her time , Cheng I Sao was shrewd enough to realize that the pirate masses were n't likely as enlightened . So , her first act as leader was to make her husband 's second-in-command , Chang Pao , official captain of the fleet . While Chang Pao led the men into battle , Cheng I Sao focused her attention on business , military strategy , and the enormous task of governing a growing body of ruffians . In the years following her husband 's death , she steadily brought more and more outlaws under the banner of her Red Flag Fleet . In fact , Cheng I Sao was eventually responsible for nearly all the piracy in the region and her fleet exceeded the size of many countries ' navies . She also expanded the scope of the business , branching out from simple attack-and-pillage jobs to protection schemes , blackmail , and extortion . Cheng I Sao 's reach also extended to the mainland , where she set up an extensive spy network and developed economic ties with farmers who would supply her men with food . If Cheng I Sao 's business practices were exemplary , then her system of pirate law was nothing short of revolutionary . The code of conduct she wrote for her men prescribed much harsher punishments than previous pirate laws had . A disobeyed order was cause for beheading ( as was stealing from the common plunder ) , and deserters stood to lose their ears . Ironically , Cheng I Sao 's most famous laws applied to the taking of female prisoners . Ugly women were returned to shore , free of charge . Attractive captives were auctioned off to the crew , unless a pirate personally purchased the captive , in which case they were considered married . Of course , if that pirate cheated on his new bride , Cheng I Sao had him killed . The not-so-bitter end . Murder , thievery , and intricate crime syndicates will eventually garner the full attention of the law , and Cheng I Sao certainly had the authorities on her tail . But , here again , she proved more successful than her male counterparts . Cheng I Sao repelled attack after attack by both the Chinese navy and the many Portuguese and British bounty hunters brought in to help capture her . Then , in 1810 , the Chinese government tried a different tactic -- they offered her universal pirate amnesty in exchange for peace . Cheng I Sao jumped at the opportunity and headed for the negotiating table . There , the pirate queen arranged what was , all told , a killer deal . Fewer than 400 of her men received any punishment , and a mere 126 were executed . The remaining pirates got to keep their booty and were offered military jobs . As for Cheng I Sao , she retired with her loot and her new husband ( former righthand man , Chang Pao ) and opened a gambling house . She died peacefully in 1844 , a 69-year-old grandmother . E-mail to a friend . For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright , Mental Floss LLC . All rights reserved .
Most successful pirate of all time was former prostitute Cheng I Sao . Her code of conduct was harsher than other pirate laws . She would not allow any women to be on the ship with her, and she had a strict rule that no one could leave without permission from her. Pirates who bought pretty captives as wives risked death for adultery .