Social Opnions on Piracy

Piracy is often a complex subject, and across societies, state and folk attitudes towards the practice may differ. For example, in the Southern Coast Colonies, especially places like Saltmarsh, the wars with the sea princes have left many hating pirates for the immense crimes they committed. On the other hand, smuggling is largely tolerated in these regions, but smuggling and piracy often intermix in the criminal underworld. Meanwhile, the actual governments of these colonies - such as the soldiers in Seaton or the ever-present forces of Emperor Kimberlos Skotti himself - see piracy (and smuggling) as not only a violation of the law, but as consorting with a hostile power.
Different groups, however, have different thoughts. The Sea Princes, being a confederacy of pirates, naturally don't particularly mind the practice - so long as the victims of piracy aren't their own. When pirates pirate from one another, the precarious alliance the Sea Princes rely on is threatened. In order to survive they must have honor among thieves, so to speak. The native inhabitants of the colonies, meanwhile, are largely against piracy; they see it as an extension of the colonialism the empire already brings down upon them, but at least the empire pretends to act as an accountable body that can be reasoned with. Other factions, such as the Tortle see piracy as a waste of time, while still more - like the Kor - live too far from the Cobalt Sea to have much of an opinion (though they certainly still have thoughts on theft in general).
The empire - and other governments - often employ privateers, which are sort of state-sanctioned pirates. This has mixed effects. Some within the government - and populace - think of these privateers as contracted agents, akin to a mercenary army. Others (especially the Sea Princes and other criminals) see them as sellouts; pirates who have betrayed the very idea of piracy. Many within the empire look down upon privateers, and think such rules are tantamount to giving some criminals a free pass, so long as their crimes target imperial enemies and line the emperor's pockets.
The biggest issue with piracy, however, is the slave trade. While the empire was initially very invested in slavery for labor (primarily mining, as ringshadow from the World's Arch makes large agricultural projects difficult), the enslavement of imperial subjects by the Sea Princes made slavery wholesale illegal. Many are against slavery outright, while some are simply against the enslavement of those they deem to be of "superior races". The Sea Princes aren't particularly picky if their slaves are human, dwarf, elf, or hafling. This threatens the social underclasses - already at risk of enslavement - and insults the ruling class, causing overall resentment of pirates. Other peoples, such as those from the Underdark, are more inclined to agree with the pirate's approach. The strong will rule the weak afterall, and if peoples from all different nations are weak enough to be enslaved, then so be it.