De acordo com uma cena deletada referenciada na wiki, Will diz a Lord Beckett.
Will: [looks away, thinking] What is the East India Trading Company doing in the Caribbean?
Beckett: Well, we are...east of India, [explaining by moving his hand] just...the long way around. [pours a glass full of some sort of wine] After all, when goods don't cross borders, then armies will. [raises glass]
Além disso, no Guia Visual (atualmente originado no wiki), estados
It began to expand into the Caribbean when the attention of the company's leaders turned to the area's rich plantations. This expansion was led by its Governor/Chairman Lord Cutler Beckett. The company ultimately expanded so much that any threat posed to it was a threat to Great Britain itself.
Isso sugeriria que eles estavam procurando obter mais do que o ouro, a seda e as especiarias que estavam adquirindo atualmente nas Índias Orientais.
Infelizmente, não consegui encontrar cópias das fontes originais, mas não vou desistir.