How literally should I take the "Man of War" in Pirate King?

Question

I've encountered the following card while playing Pirate King:

"Man of War: Fight ship of equal value: win 1 crew 1 cannon and 500 bronze"

I'm not sure how to interpret it and I haven't really gotten a consensus from my fellow players either.

So far we have two different interpretations:

1. That this is a challenge and the recipient must actually fight a ship of equal value in game combat, and if they win, they receive the stated reward.
2. That this is simply an event that has occurred, like cargo spoiling, and that it has already played out in the recipient's favour.

I can see how both interpretations work, and I'm not sure which one to pick as the "right" answer. The instructions don't provide much guidance on this issue.

Has anyone else come up with a definitive answer for this card? What logic or source did you use to make your decision?

Answer 1

This is a challenge and the recipient must actually fight a ship of equal value in game combat, and if they win, they receive the stated reward.

From the All Hands on Deck (bottom left corner), hand management expansion:

The Commodore's First Mate: Instead of challenging the Commodore, players may challenge the Commodore's First Mate when they land on the Commodore's spot. The First Mate's ship acts like a Man of War card. Player must fight a ship of equal in men and cannons to their own. If they win they gain 500 bronze, 1 crew & 1 cannon, but if they lose normal defeat conditions apply.