A lot of what we think of when we think of pirates is heavily influenced by the "golden age of piracy" which was mainly in the Caribbean region. So it's like a

A lot of what we think of when we think of pirates is heavily influenced by the "golden age of piracy" which was mainly in the Caribbean region. So it's like a second or third order reference, but it's there-ish. Pirate -> Caribbean -> Tropical But there's also likely another explanation that would fit just as well, if not better.