Mysophia is a weakness
While others search for what they can take, a true king searches for what he can give - Mufasa. The entire history of piracy was and is stained with deceit, greed and treachery. It is a line of business associated with nothing positive but the Ji family were a different breed.
From one pirate king to the next they didn't care about the common folk as they weren't their subjects. That was the responsibility of the emperor. What they cared about were their crew and the crew's families. They were willing to sacrifice themselves to protect their people and would never shy away from the front line.
Even when Ji Yao's grandfather faced off with the Nocru, he was at the frontline with his now sunken ship, black trojan, fending off the threat to his territory. Well, that is until he fell in love with one of them and formed an alliance thus Ji Wen was born.