A Letter of Marque (私掠船免状, Shiryakusen Menjō), also referred to as a Pirate License (海賊免許, Kaizoku Menkyo), is a legal document issued by various governments that allows pirates to operate legally as privateers rather than criminals.
History[]
During the War of Independence, the governments of the Colony Federation, inspired by the pirates of the Galactic Empire [1], issued letters of marque to various pirates to support their fleet. No new letters were given out after the war.
Terms and Conditions[]
These are the terms and conditions for Bentenmaru's Letter of Marque issued by Sea of the Morning Star as an example - other government bodies have different terms and conditions [2].
- If the holder of a letter dies, only their direct descendant can inherit it [3]
- If the holder doesn't commit an act of piracy for 50 days, the letter is revoked [4].
- The letter is attached to one ship and cannot be transferred to another [5].
Example Ships and the Governing Planets[]
- Bentenmaru issued by Sea of the Morning Star
- Barbaroosa issued by Sea of the Forest Star
- Karyoubinga issued by Sinclair D, comes with a noble title "Earl"
Trivia[]
- After the ending credits for each episode of Mouretsu Pirates, a quote from the episode is shown in the style of the Letter of Marque.