Jean-David Nau (a.k.a. François l'Olonnais) was born in Les Sables-d'Olonne, France in 1635 and at an early age was sold as a servant by his family. Taken to the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean which was under the control of Spain where he endured daily harsh conditions of labor and punishment which could possibly have spurned his streak of sadistic behavior in later years. When his term of servitude was complete in 1660 and left the island and traveled to other locations until deciding to become a buccaneer. His plundering began mainly in areas under the control of the Spanish perhaps in retaliation for his previous mistreatment by them. Not long after his ship became inoperable near Mexico and as fate would hate it was set upon by Spanish troops to which most of his crew were decimated and he only escaped by hiding under the dead bodies of his men. When the soldiers were convinced all were defeated left the area and this allowed l'Olonnais to escape and with the help of a few slaves ventured to Tortuga.

It was yet another act by the Spanish against him which fueled his harsh nature toward them even more and when it was found out that he still lived governor of Havana dispatched a ship to capture him. l'Olonnais was able to defeat them and after decapitating all but one of the crew told the survivor to return the message to the governor "I shall never henceforward give quarter to any Spaniard whatsoever". Now with a new crew and ship, he sailed to Maracaibo in 1666 to plunder the town and now with a new companion of Michel le Basque. As they made their way to the town happened across a Spanish treasure ship which was easily captured and looted. Now as they were able to secure Maracaibo, he still was not content with the town's treasure but seized and mistreated the populous until they gave the location of their wealth. After more battles, plunders, and near escapes, he finally beached his ship on an island and was attacked by a tribe of natives who happened to be cannibals and was cut, cooked, and eaten then ending his sadistic reign.


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