Or at least do so at your own peril.
I was minding my business collecting cargo on Lone Cove when I spotted a sloop approaching. They were flying the Jolly Roger and I usually attack that on site to teach a lesson that it shouldn't be the default flag but I hopped back on my ship to see what they intended. They anchored and one came aboard and I stared him down with my cutlass out. He was speaking to his mate and me asking if I had a mic. It was unplugged at the time so I just waved. He called over to his mate that I had nothing on board and "wasn't worth the trouble" but to keep the guns loaded just in case. I chuckled to myself but let him continue. It was about to get interesting. He comes up to me and says something along the lines of "You're lucky your boat is empty because you're outnumbered"
Sure.
About that...
I follow him below decks as I assume he's going to take some supplies.
Sword lunge and slash and he's yelling to his mate "fire!" as he dies.
I come up on deck and two balls kill his gunner and they are dead in the water. He managed to get some holes in so I run down and repair. Then I see one respawn and the drop sails and run. Oh no you don't get away that easily. It's time to teach you a lesson for your cheek.
I drop sails (they didn't think to drop my anchor so I'm aware they are amateurs) and start my pursuit. I am in a newly spawned ship and this was my first stop so I don't have a wealth of supplies so I have to make each shot count. When they turn to engage we exchange fire. They score some hits but I hear the music queue of a death. One more direct hit and the boat is crewless. Once again I tend to repairs. If only I had someone to keep the boat afloat while I finish theirs, but such is the price of solo play.
They respawn and reluctantly make another pass. I believe they are now starting to rethink their actions.
Another flash of green and another death. I may have killed both again but I'm not sure. I repair my boat, reef the sail to half and send it on a safe course. Cutlass charge to their boat and board as they respawn again. Lunge one off the boat and kill the other. I now have control of their ship and cut the wheel hard to port and beach it on the nearest shore.
The boat crashes up on the sand and I drop anchor as the dead crew respawns, or mermaids I'm not sure. I make quick work of them and jump ashore to get some bananas as their stocks are empty. I see some activity on the deck but it's too late, the ship is gone. One remaining pirate jumps free of the wreckage and engages me on the beach. He takes a pistol shot and misses with his lunge. I take a slash of his cutlass and dodge away and heal. Turn for a cutlass charge and score a hit and after he draws his gun I hack him down.
I scan the water for mermaids but I only hear the surf and some sea birds. All else is quiet. I casually eat a banana and take MY mermaid back to my ship which is still sailing but is deep in the red sea. As I am out of supplies anyway I scuttle and resume my voyages in the Devil's Roar and never see that sloop cross my path again.
They had no loot on board. But I did walk away with a prize. The knowledge that they now know to fear even the solo pirate, and a great story to tell.
