Japanese and English Pokmon cards differ in print quality, pack structure, pricing, artwork, and market behavior
Technically, the first Pirate was released in the block right before that with Kari Zev, Skyship Raider, but that was more of a teaser for what was to come
Start with a clear TLDR An MTG token template should make the game easier to read, not turn your board into a tiny administrative department
R&D has always had fond memories of the card and decided to put it into the one color that actually deals direct damage to attackers (specifically), white
Sure, it deals you 2 damage every time, but in cEDH, life is a resource
The cost reduction gives you free equips on lots of strong equipment like the Mirrodin Swords, Umezawa's Jitte, and so on