Pirate King Hat
A super unique, unrefinable headgear in Crimson Desert with 3 DEF, Movement Speed Lv.0, zero Abyss Gear slots, and the Detect Treasure passive effect. Found aboard the Singing Catfish pirate ship south of Velawa.
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The Pirate King Hat is a super unique Headgear piece in Crimson Desert. It offers 3 DEF alongside a minor Movement Speed bonus and the Detect Treasure passive effect. When worn, the feather on top of the hat glows whenever a treasure chest is nearby, making it an invaluable exploration tool for players hunting hidden loot across Pywel. Unlike most armor pieces in the game, the Pirate King Hat cannot be refined at a Blacksmith and has no Abyss Gear slots, so its base stats are fixed. Despite these limitations, the Detect Treasure effect makes it one of the most sought-after headgear items for exploration-focused players.
The hat is located aboard the pirate ship known as the Singing Catfish, a fully rigged vessel anchored in the coastal waters south of Velawa fishing village. Reaching the ship requires a rowboat, careful navigation through a minefield, and a pitched battle against the pirate crew on the ship's deck. The reward is well worth the effort, especially for players who enjoy treasure hunting and thorough exploration of Pywel's open world.
Stat | Value |
|---|---|
Type | Super Unique Headgear |
3 | |
Lv.0 | |
Special Effect | Detect Treasure |
0 (cannot socket Abyss Gears) | |
Refinement | Not refinable |
Sell Price | 14.75 Silver |
The Pirate King Hat falls into the "super unique" equipment tier. Items in this category cannot be refined through the standard Refinement system at any Blacksmith, meaning the 3 DEF base stat is permanent. Additionally, the hat provides zero Abyss Gear slots, so players cannot socket Abyss Cores into it for bonus stats. This contrasts with craftable headgear such as the Raccoon Cloth Hat, which provides two Abyss Core slots for stat customization. The trade-off is the Detect Treasure passive, which no other headgear in the game offers.
The Detect Treasure passive is the defining feature of the Pirate King Hat. When the player is within range of a Treasure Chest, the feather on top of the hat begins to glow. This visual indicator is subtle enough to miss if you are not paying attention, but it provides a reliable signal that loot is close by.
There are a few important details to keep in mind about this effect:
The glow is a visual indicator only. It does not provide a compass heading, directional arrow, or on-screen marker pointing toward the chest.
The detection radius appears to cover a moderate area around the player. You will still need to search the immediate surroundings once the feather begins glowing.
The effect works on all types of treasure chests found in the open world, including hidden chests tucked away in caves, ruins, and other hard-to-reach spots.
The hat must be equipped in the Headgear slot for the passive to function. Simply carrying it in your inventory is not enough.
This passive makes the Pirate King Hat especially useful when working through Treasure Maps or exploring new regions for the first time. Many players keep the hat in their inventory and swap it on when entering unexplored territory, then switch back to higher-defense headgear for combat.
The Pirate King Hat is found inside a treasure chest aboard the Singing Catfish, a pirate ship anchored in the waters south of Velawa fishing village. The ship sits far enough offshore that swimming is not an option; you need a rowboat to get there. A full-rigged sailing vessel, the Singing Catfish is visible from the Velawa coastline but cannot be reached from the village docks.
Make your way to Velawa, a small fishing village located along the coast of Pywel. If you have unlocked Fast Travel to this area, use it to save time. Otherwise, follow the coastal roads from the nearest major settlement.
From Velawa, head east along the coast. Follow the shoreline until you reach a small cove and beach area near the Velawa Coast shipwreck marker. On this beach, you will find a small rowboat that you can interact with. This is the only way to reach the Singing Catfish. It is a good idea to bring food and healing items before departing, since you will be fighting pirates once you board the ship.
As you row toward the Singing Catfish, you will encounter sea mines floating in the water. These mines explode when you get too close, dealing significant damage to both your rowboat and your character. Slalom between the mines carefully, giving each one a wide berth. Take your time with this section, because losing the boat means a long swim back to shore.
The Singing Catfish is armed with cannons mounted along its sides. If you approach from the port or starboard (left or right) side of the ship, the cannons will open fire on your rowboat. To avoid being blasted out of the water, approach the ship from either the bow (front) or the stern (back). The cannons cannot target you from these angles. Row under the cannon batteries to reach the ladders on either side of the hull.
Climb up the ladder to board the Singing Catfish. As soon as you reach the deck, you will be attacked by a group of pirates. The fight takes place in the cramped confines of the ship's deck, which makes the encounter trickier than the enemies' individual strength might suggest. Some of the pirates throw grenades, so keep moving to avoid splash damage.
Among the enemies is the ship's vice captain, who is marked with a red star on the minimap. The vice captain is tougher than the regular pirates and hits harder. A recommended strategy is to focus on clearing out the regular pirates first while avoiding the vice captain, then deal with the boss-tier enemy once the deck is clear. This prevents you from being overwhelmed by multiple attackers while tanking the vice captain's heavy strikes.
After defeating the pirates, head to the lower deck. Go down the stairs and proceed straight ahead to find a door. Behind this door is a room containing a treasure chest. Open the chest to claim the Pirate King Hat. While you are below deck, make sure to loot any other containers in the cabins, as the Singing Catfish holds additional loot beyond just the hat.
Bring healing items. The pirate fight is not the hardest encounter in the game, but the cramped space and grenade spam can whittle down your health quickly if you are not careful.
Watch for grenades. Some pirates throw grenades that deal area-of-effect damage. When you see the throw animation or hear the audio cue, dodge away from the blast zone.
Kill the adds first. The vice captain is marked with a red star. Focus on the weaker pirates first so you can fight the vice captain one-on-one without being flanked.
Use the ship's geometry. The masts, barrels, and railings on deck can be used to create distance between yourself and the pirates. Funnel enemies into narrow chokepoints for easier crowd control.
The Pirate King Hat occupies a unique niche among Headgear options. The table below shows how it stacks up against several other headgear pieces available in the game.
Abyss Slots | Special Effect | Refinable | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pirate King Hat | 3 | Lv.0 | 0 | Detect Treasure | No |
3 | Lv.0 | 1 | None | Yes | |
1 | Lv.1 | 2 | None | Yes |
At 3 DEF, the Pirate King Hat actually matches the Ferman Plate Helm in raw defense and exceeds several basic plate helms. However, because it cannot be refined and has no Abyss Gear slots, its defensive value stays fixed while other headgear can be upgraded well beyond their base stats over time. The Pirate King Hat's real value lies entirely in the Detect Treasure passive, which no other piece of headgear provides.
The Pirate King Hat is classified as a "super unique" item. Super unique items are one-of-a-kind pieces with fixed properties that cannot be altered through refinement or Abyss socketing.
The Detect Treasure passive causes the hat's feather to glow when treasure is nearby. This is a visual indicator only and does not provide a compass or directional arrow.
The Movement Speed Lv.0 bonus is minimal but still slightly better than no movement speed bonus at all.
This is an excellent hat to wear while exploring new areas or searching for hidden Treasure Maps rewards. Consider keeping it in your inventory as a situational swap piece.
The sell price of 14.75 Silver is low, which makes sense given that the hat's value comes from its unique passive rather than raw stats. Selling the Pirate King Hat is generally not recommended since it cannot be re-obtained.
The Singing Catfish contains additional loot in its cabins beyond the Pirate King Hat. Make sure to explore thoroughly before leaving the ship.
Players who have already completed the Singing Catfish encounter can return to the ship at any time, though the hat chest does not respawn.
A recent patch expanded the effective range of the hat's Detect Treasure passive, and that single change has turned the Pirate King Hat into the go-to headgear for combing boss arenas after a kill. The expanded range means you no longer have to stand on top of a chest for the feather to react. You can cover a wide area with just a few laps around the arena edges.
When a hidden chest enters the hat's detection radius, the small feather on top of the hat glows a bright yellow. The glow is vivid enough that you cannot miss it in practice, even while the camera is bouncing around in combat. There is no on-screen marker or compass indicator. The feather itself is the entire readout, which is why the hat rewards players who turn the camera to keep it in frame while searching.
After downing a boss, resist the urge to immediately fast travel back to town. Instead, swap to the Pirate King Hat (keep it in your quick equipment loadout if you rotate headgear often) and walk the perimeter of the arena before leaving. Most boss arenas in Crimson Desert contain one to three hidden pickups tucked away along the walls, under drop-down ledges, or behind destructible panels. These extras can include one-handed weapons, Cloak pieces, crafting Recipes, and other collectible loot that is easy to skip in the excitement of the boss reward cutscene.
The recommended routine is: kill the boss, collect the guaranteed drops, swap to the Pirate King Hat, and make a full lap around the outer edge of the arena watching the feather for any glow. Investigate each glow immediately, then circle back toward the center. Only after the perimeter sweep is clean should you fast travel out. This habit catches hidden items in almost every fight.
The Pirate King Hat is obtained at the pirate ship just off the coast of Hernand. You do not need to clear the entire ship to reach it, but you will need to deal with the on-deck pirates. Once you have the hat, keep it in your inventory permanently rather than selling it. There is no better piece of headgear in the game for post-boss loot sweeps, and the expanded detection radius after the patch makes it functionally different from any other Detect Treasure item you might stumble across later.
The Pirate King Hat's design references classic pirate captain imagery, complete with a prominent feather that doubles as the treasure detection indicator.
The Singing Catfish ship itself appears to be named after a type of fish, fitting the nautical theme of the Velawa coastline where several fishing-related activities take place.
The sea mine obstacle course on the approach to the ship is one of the few naval hazard encounters in the game, since most of Crimson Desert's gameplay takes place on land.