That's possible, too. Doesn't have to be associated with Spain.
I just think it would be really interesting to see how Steve would manage a military based on boarding tactics -- how he'd design the ships, what tactics he'd use, and so forth. He knows the game better than anyone and he always gives good information in these fiction threads. If he were to create a pirate faction, he could try out some of these tactics without throwing Spain into a war that will likely destroy them, and that would give us a chance to see the tactics evolve.