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Many merchant vessels have security teams on them now.I'm certainly not familiar with maritime law but I have to believe that becoming an armed merchant ship under the control of no state has to have implications. This doesn't even consider factors such as training, authority (they're still a 'fishing vessel' until they aren't) and handling storage at port (if you would even be allowed into some ports). Admittedly, the latest Houthi tactics are at a new level. Can't they water cannon a helicopter into sea?
Weapons aren’t generally an issue, when it comes to small arms, and they can be locked away with a customs seal in ports that don’t allow them.
However when talking about missiles, grenades and heavier weapons than a GPMG, very few countries will authorize companies to have them, or even if they will, will not allow the temp export for usage on a vessel. I know of one company that has GAU-19’s and some Mk19’s but they couldn’t get anything larger. But most companies seem to prefer non lethal like LRAD’s and Water Cannons. That way if you are boarded it doesn’t become a no quarter given sort of thing.
Depending where you are going, even 40mm HV and .50 won’t be enough stand-off to do much and you will have just bitten off more than you can chew.
Now the question about UAS usage hasn’t been answered yet AFAIK, I suspect that some enterprising security firm will start that soon, and what some nations will accept from those remains to be seen.