In the minds of those who have never seen a pirate ship, such vessels often hoist the pirate flag high and engage in a heart-pounding chase as soon as they spot their prey from afar.
They might even be outfitted with fierce black sails that are vastly different from those of everyday merchant ships or warships, striking terror into the hearts of all who see them.
But in reality, these imaginations are far from the truth.
If piracy truly worked like that, even the most formidable pirates would starve to death.
In fact, many pirate ships do not look any different from ordinary merchant ships on the outside.
They usually fly the flags of any country, especially that of the target merchant ships, an act known as "false colors."
Under normal sailing, other vessels usually fail to identify a pirate ship in advance, mistaking them for friendly merchant ships from the same country.
