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IOTL, the Republic of Salé was a short-lived city state at Salé (modern Morocco), during the 17th Century. After Algiers had concluded peace with several European nations, making it an unsuitable harbor from which to sell captured ships or their cargo, Janszoon and his Salé Rovers moved to the ancient port of Salé in 1619, and began operating from it themselves. The Salé Rovers immediately declared the port to be an independent republic free from the Sultan, set up a government that consisted of 14 pirate leaders, and elected Janszoon as their President. He would also serve as the Grand Admiral of their navy. The Salé fleet totaled about eighteen ships, all small because of the very shallow harbor entrance. Even the Sultan of Morocco, after an unsuccessful siege of the city, was left with no choice but to acknowledge its semi-autonomy. Contrary to popular belief that Sultan Zidan Abu Maali had reclaimed sovereignty over Salé, and appointed Janszoon as its Governor in 1624, the Sultan merely approved Janszoon's election as President, effectively acknowledging his sovereignty.

Under Janszoon's leadership, business in Salé thrived. The main sources of income of this republic remained piracy and its by-trades, shipping and dealing in stolen property. Historians have noted Janszoon's intelligence and courage which reflected in his leadership ability. He was forced to find an assistant to keep up, resulting in the hiring of a fellow countryman from The Netherlands, Mathys van Bostel Oosterlinck, who would serve as his Vice-Admiral. Janszoon had become very wealthy from his income as piratical admiral, payments for anchorage and other harbor dues, and the brokerage of stolen goods. However, the political climate in Salé worsened toward the end of 1627, as the ongoing war of succession in Morocco neared its conclusion, so Janszoon quietly moved his family and his entire piratical operation back to semi-independent Algiers, leaving the Republic of Salé to its fate.

But what if he hadn't gone back to Algiers- what if he'd relocated somewhere else instead? In 1627, Janszoon had also captured the island of Lundy in the Bristol Channel, and IOTL, he'd rule over the island for the next five years, using it as a base for raiding expeditions; most of his expeditions for the next few years would be mounted from here. So, what if he'd moved his family and his entire piratical operation, not back to Algiers, but to the island of Lundy instead, re-establishing his (Islamic) pirate's republic there? How long could it have possibly endured? And how much of an impact might this have had, in the long term?
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