OK, I don't have much to do in this but I think you are both right and both wrong.
To me, if a pirate is attacking another, it should be RP.
If you are allied with that pirate or you are in the same faction, it's pretty much only against the rules right? And if pirates can pirate allied pirates, It should be a rule that makes it mandatory to roleplay it.
If you are a pirate in a zone that you're not supposed to pirate in. makes sense other pirates are going to engage you. It's a bit like gangs in cities. They don't go on the territory of another gang or else it ends up with everyone killing each other.
![[Image: shad0wc0rpgamer.png]](http://miniprofile.xfire.com/bg/sf/type/0/shad0wc0rpgamer.png)