Being Honored
Although pirates were thieves, there were many that believed their profession was honorable. Many civilizations honored pirates as they were heroes, something that seems a bit odd taking into consideration how cruel pirates were.
For instance, during the golden age of buccaneers, Don Miguel Enríquez (Henríquez) was awarded by the marque of Spain for being one of the “most accomplished” of the Hispanic privateers and even got knighted!