Pirates are not authorized by any bureaucracy, which makes them much more difficult to stamp out. Pirates are also known for being much more brutal and indiscri

Pirates are not authorized by any bureaucracy, which makes them much more difficult to stamp out. Pirates are also known for being much more brutal and indiscriminate (hence the Jolly Roger used to advertise that fact). Privateers were not kind either, but they're somewhat comparable to an extension of a navy in its raids on merchant shipping.