Okay, here me out here: King Muhammad ibn Qu of the Mali Empire (the guy in charge before Mansa Musa) is believed to have died attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean from West Africa around 1300 (give or take). I really want someone to write the AU story where he made it. Obviously it's not without its pitfalls (outsiders military forces and diseases and such) but just the idea that he might've passed along his knowledge of European shenanigans or set up trade or both...