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"Captain, your map is incomplete." The blank edges of the map must be filled in. |
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- "Never heard of me! I'm only the fiercest captain to ever sail the South China Sea! The Seven Seas, in fact!"
"The fiercest, eh? Then shouldn't you be the Pirate Lord of Singapore and the South China Sea? Last I heard, it was a fellow by the name of Liang Dao." - ―Sao Feng and Jack Sparrow
Liang Dao was the Pirate Lord of Singapore and the South China Sea before being overthrown by his brother, Sao Feng, with the help of Jack Sparrow and the crew of the Black Pearl.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
- "Liang Dao is my older brother. He inherited the title of Pirate Lord from our father."
- ―Sao Feng to Jack Sparrow
At some point in his life, Liang Dao received his father's title as Pirate Lord and cord necklace Piece of Eight. During his time as Pirate Lord, his younger brother, Sao Feng, served under him as captain of the Empress, one of the ships in Liang Dao's fleet.
Deceit of Mistress Ching[]
- "Of course, Liang Dao's foolish idea was to betray Mistress Ching at the meeting, so he could seize control of her fleet. As if a weakling like him could accomplish such a devious plan!"
- ―Sao Feng to Jack Sparrow
As the threat of Benedict Huntington grew stronger in Asian waters, Liang Dao set up a meeting with Mistress Ching under the pretenses that they would discuss forging an alliance to take down their common enemy. Dao's true intent, however, had been to betray his fellow Pirate Lord at their rendezvous so he could take over her fleet. Sao Feng knew of Liang Dao's plan and would later use it to his advantage to settle his debt with Jack Sparrow.
Deep Sea Opal[]
- "Liang Dao is a coward!"
"He wouldn't dare come for the opal himself. He wants brave Sao Feng to steal it for him, so Liang Dao can have all of the power and none of the curse!" - ―Park and Lian to Jack Sparrow
During the time of the Shadow Lord's threat, Liang Dao sent his brother on a mission to steal the Deep Sea Opal, a black gem "as big as a man's fist and shimmering with hidden fire". According to legend, any man who is presented with the mystical opal will earn great fortune, power, and fame. However, the man foolhardy to steal the opal is said to be cursed forever. Dao believed that if his men thought his brother had a curse upon him, they would never consider switching their allegiances to Sao Feng.
Overthrowal[]
- "Fight, any pirate who stands with me—all of you who know that I should be Pirate Lord, not my brother. Not Liang Dao!"
"Never! To me, loyal warriors!" - ―Sao Feng and Liang Dao
When Sao Feng, his men, and the Black Pearl crew arrived together at Liang Dao's palace, Dao expressed faux relief that his brother had returned unharmed, and Sao Feng gleefully revealed that he has been given the Deep Sea Opal, announcing his attention to use it to claim the throne of Pirate Lord. Liang Dao refused to give in without a fight, however, and a massive battle broke out, during which some of Liang Dao's own men switched to his brother's side due to his possession of the Deep Sea Opal. Sao Feng's men and the Black Pearl crew emerged victorious, and Sao Feng ripped a captured Liang Dao's Piece of Eight from around his neck. Dao growled at Feng to kill him so he didn't have to live through the humiliation of that day, but his brother replied that he did not deserve to die, and that he would let him live, but in disgrace.
Alliance with the Huntingtons[]
- "Now let's get on to this meeting-I'm sure our mystery informant doesn't want to be kept waiting."
- ―Benedict Huntington to Barbara Huntington, on their rendezvous with Liang Dao
Shortly after his overthrowal, Liang Dao contacted Benedict and Barbara Huntington. They set up a secret meeting so as to establish a deal in which Dao would give Benedict the location of Sao Feng and Mistress Ching's meeting and Benedict would help Dao reclaim his throne and take control of Ching's fleet. During his rendezvous with the Huntingtons, Dao divulged that Mistress Ching and Sao Feng's meeting would be held at the former's opium den in that very city.
Attack on Mistress Ching's Opium Den[]
- "No...I betrayed you."
"Liang Dao. I was merciful to you. I will not make the same mistake again." - ―Liang Dao and Sao Feng
After Benedict gathered a large group of EITC agents, he and Liang Dao headed into Ching's opium shack before she, Feng, Sparrow, Barbossa, and all their crewmates arrived there. Along with Huntington's agents, Dao pretended to be another one of Ching's opium addicts so that she and the other Pirate Lords wouldn't notice them when they arrived. After Ching and her party showed up and began their meeting in the room adjacent to the smoking den, Dao eavesdropped on their discussion, which revolved around Huntington and the Shadow Lord's threat. When Huntington made his presence known to the Pirate Lords, Dao saw Ching and Feng immediately accuse the other of setting them up, and Dao took advantage of the moment to spitefully reveal himself and the fact that he had been the one to betray the location of the meeting.
Death[]
- "You—but I—we agreed—we made a deal..."
"I do not make deals with pirates." - ―Liang Dao and Benedict Huntington, after Huntington stabs Dao in the back.
When Jack Sparrow unwittingly set the opium den on fire during the battle between his side and the EITC agents, Liang Dao stampeded towards the exit along with Huntington and the rest of his men. As the battle continued in the streets of Hong Kong, Dao came close to stabbing Mistress Ching in the back while she was preoccupied fighting off attacking agents, but was thwarted when the princess-turned-pirate Carolina hurled herself off a nearby roof and kicked him in the head. As he went to pick up his knife, Benedict Huntington came out of the alley behind him and nonchalantly skewered him in the back. As Dao gasped out with his dying breath about their deal, Huntington icily replied that he makes no deal with pirates, and left the former Pirate Lord to die in the street.
Personality and traits[]
Liang Dao looked very much like Sao Feng, even having eyes just as shrewd and calculating as his brother's. However, he had a shorter mustache and beard and more of a paunch around the middle. He was known for wearing long yellow robes, in contrast to his brother's green ones. He wore his Piece of Eight around his neck at all times, until the day he was overthrown as Pirate Lord by Sao Feng.
Behind the scenes[]
- In the "Inside the Brethren Court" feature, it was said that Sao Feng's title of Pirate Lord was passed down to him from his father,[2] while it is revealed Sao Feng took the title from Liang Dao in Legends of the Brethren Court: Rising in the East.
- In Jack Sparrow: Dance of the Hours, Chapter Five, it is stated that Jack Sparrow's worst nightmare involves "a certain Pirate Lord from Singapore and a certain tentacled captain."[3] Since Sao Feng did not become the Pirate Lord of Singapore until he overthrew Liang Dao, at least eight years after the end of the Jack Sparrow series, it is more than likely "a certain Pirate Lord from Singapore" is one of Feng's predecessors. However, whether that predecessor is Liang Dao or his father is currently unknown.
Appearances[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ The timeline established in On Stranger Tides (which takes place in 1750) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (which takes place in 1751) sets the events of Pirates of the Caribbean: Legends of the Brethren Court between 1716 and 1717.
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End "Inside the Brethren Court" featurette
- ↑ Jack Sparrow: Dance of the Hours, p. 51