Is the assumption here that the navies, of the various countries that have one, capture commerce ships to bring back to the home country? If so, I have some bad news for you. Hell, even in war they don't capture said ships.

Because they were usually run democratically and that made it too easy to recruit crew from other ships.

The age of piracy existed before anyone had uttered the word "capitalism". It was an age of mercantilism and agrarianism, not capitalism.

Because they didn't pay taxes. You're looking for buccaneers aka licensed and registered pirates.

One set works within a system that they have set up to benefit only themselves.

The other works outside that system either for themselves or a separate collective. Working outside the measured control system is a direct threat to the profits the beneficiaries of that system.

I have a hypothesis that the Nassau pirates were a successful socialist economy. The Flying Gang/Republic of Pirates was founded mostly from former privateers (legally sanctioned and "licensed" marauders). The democratic and socialist nature of the republic was a growing threat to royalty and the American ruling class, especially given that Africans could be full crew members and even captains with all the rights afforded those roles. Furthermore, European royalty and American capitalists were the only ones "allowed" to pillage native lands. The pirates were in turn sacking European and American ships of their ill-gotten and exploitative gains.

Having a socialist, comparatively egalitarian and equitable society amidst the Carribean sugar plantations was too much of a threat to the ruling classes. The pirates were ruthlessly pursued and purged from history. Sure, King George I (and some others? don't recall) first tried to bring the Nassau pirates (back) into the fold with offers of amnesty. This is analogous to offering modern engineers well-paying jobs; most terrorists whose names you know start out as engineers*. The ruling classes first wanted to put the pirates' skills to use for their own gain. Benjamin Hornigold was one who returned, hunting down his former peers.

*think about that the next time you run across a bored, disgruntled engineer

I find it very odd that books on the golden age of piracy all remark how the pirates supposedly kept no records, yet discuss at length how the pirates had healthcare, disability, pensions, equitable wealth distribution... these things all require assiduous record-keeping. And so my bullshitspiration is that there were records. But the campaign to wipe out the pirates was so thorough that we are now led to believe that the pirates were just brigands and chaotic anarchists.

No greater crime in capitalism than to hurt your fellow capitalists. You’re supposed to squeeze the proles

Capitalism by definition runs on legal framework. If you're not adhering to the legal framework, you're not engaging in capitalism

Legalities aside, pirates are stealing from people with more resources, which is why they're pursued by these naval forces. The logic of capitalism dictates that the biggest fish eats all the smaller fish and the wealthy are the big fish while the pirates are not.

I'm not sure what you mean by "worse" but you don't see the US Navy attacking and looting UK ships for example, which is why most people would consider pirates to be "worse."