Independent

Independent can refer to the status of a pirate who is not part of a crew or a crew which does not belong to a flag. A pirate or crew must be independent to make a crew or flag, respectively.

All pirates and crews start off as independent, but if a pirate who is officer or higher in a crew has referred a friend, then that friend, if he/she plays on the same ocean, will automatically join that crew as a cabin person.