Pirate Infamy?

[Tiberius Fireskull]

Could be upgrades you can get. Like, if you sink 5 ships in a row you can choose one, and it will, say, make broadsides recharge faster. After 10 ships in a row you get another that increases broadsided damage. At 15 one that increases speed, and so on. Above your ship's name it would show which one's you have, so your opponents know what they are up against.... but I have no idea how that would work in PvP.