The British Empire, still thirsty for Chinese trade and territory, was on high alert when the Chinese authorities boarded the British-registered ship, the Arrow, and arrested its crew, citing suspicions of piracy. The British, never ones to back down, claimed the ship was flying the British flag, and thus, its crew was under British protection. But the Chinese had other ideas, sparking a fiery dispute that would soon escalate into the Second Opium War. The war would ravage China, leaving deep scars, and forever change the dynamics between China and the West.