There's no doubt that a prize of gold and jewels would have shivered any pirate's timbers, but after most of the treasure of South America's native people was shipped to Europe, hauls of great treasure became less and less frequent for the pirates.

As the prizes changed, the pirate way of life stayed relatively the same. They continued their free spirited ways directly in the face of the world's militaries, which were becoming increasingly vigilant in their initiatives to rid the world of the "pirate problem."