Enemy ships getting stronger?

[The Commodore]

So, just to be clear, you were on a war galleon, in green hp, and a warlord spawned and killed you in one broadside?

If that's the case, then idk, but last night, I was sailing, and a Harbinger took a quarter of my hp on a WF with like two broadside of fury.

I can only offer this. See if you can replicate the incident, take a screenshot with F9 unless you have another program, then send it to Big D.