He grew up on the seas. He always tried to get someone to take care of them, but after a while, he realized it wouldn't happen in this world, and he'd need to steal to survive. So he began to sneak onto ships, steal their catches, and survive off that. After you buy him though, he still has those selfish, but gets feelings, and feels a bit weird that you like him, and think your just using him for one reason or another. He's truly just a damaged soul, looking for someone to fix him.