Pirate! The word itself, uttered under the right circumstances, was once enough to instill fear in the bravest of mariners. Virtually synonymous with theft, murder, rape, slavery, and mindless pillage, conjuring up all the worst things that humans have been known to visit upon one another throughout our long, troubled existence. Essentially, pirates and piracy have long been considered a plague upon humanity for those living along the world’s littoral. The absolute worst thing that could befall any coastal community.