The sea voyage went smoothly over the next few days.
There wasn't much change out at sea, and Puss resumed his workouts using some improvised equipment—like a bar with several cannonballs attached by chains hanging off the sides.
He had fun watching the crew's shocked and stunned expressions when they saw his powerful muscles—usually hidden by his feline frame—emerge as he effortlessly lifted the super-heavy bar.
During that time, he also quietly observed the crew at work and took notes, slowly learning how to sail on his own.
Jack also proved to be an excellent captain, and everything went relatively well, which reassured Puss and allowed him to enjoy the journey and do his own thing.
It had been six days since they set sail when they heard a sailor shout:
"Land ho!!"
Puss immediately dropped the exercise he was doing and jumped up onto the ship's railing.
Gripping the ship's ropes with one hand, and shading his eyes with the other, he spotted the small speck of land in the distance, slowly growing larger as the ship approached.
Leaping down to the deck, he calmly walked toward the back of the ship, weaving through sailors running to and fro—either doing their jobs or simply excited to see land.
Climbing the starboard stairs, he reached the quarterdeck, where the helm was—and where Jack stood.
Before he could even step up, he heard Jack shout:
"Lower the Jolly Roger—we're stopping for supplies!"
"Are those the Canary Islands you mentioned?" Puss asked Jack, who was also staring at the small dot on the horizon.
"Canary Islands, land of wine and brothels. And our resupply point. Just in time too—the rum was almost gone… I think the food too," Jack said, a small grin growing on his face.
Puss just shook his head with a smile, already used to Jack valuing rum more than food.
"Does the ship have money for the resupply?" Puss asked, hopping onto the rail in front of the helm.
Jack stared at him in silence.
"Despite how it may seem, pirates usually don't have a coin to their name. They're too dumb for things like saving up. Plus, we never know when we'll die—so we don't even try," Jack explained with a shrug.
Puss frowned.
"Then how do you manage to resupply without money?" he asked, confused.
Jack found Puss's innocence amusing.
"The captain's usually in charge of keeping some coin for these situations, or they're already flush with cash after a successful raid. But if they're broke, well… they do what pirates do best when they're out of money…" Jack said with a smile.
"Plunder…" Puss finished, with clear disgust.
"Yes! Plunder! That's the pirate life! If you don't have it, don't worry—someone out there does!" Jack said cheerfully and freely.
But Puss didn't see freedom in that—only immorality.
"Don't the people suffering from those attacks deserve the freedom to live the lives they fought for?" Puss asked coldly.
He had always hated crime and cruelty, but since being reborn and gaining the strength to face evildoers, his stance on criminals had grown even harsher.
Feeling the cold stare, Jack broke into a nervous sweat.
He'd seen what the cat was capable of—and didn't believe he could beat the feline in a duel, even if the crew backed him up.
"Of course they do. I usually rob rich nobles who already stole from the poor, so I don't feel guilty," Jack quickly explained, and Puss's eyes softened slightly.
But then he thought of something.
"That's not how it looked when you stole that old man's boat," Puss said, eyeing Jack with suspicion.
"Well, I am a pirate. Sometimes I just do what I feel like," Jack replied with a mischievous grin.
But the icy glare from a cat made him freeze.
"But in my twelve years as captain, I've never ordered a raid on poor civilians."
Jack quickly clarified, and Puss's eyes returned to normal.
'Jack really didn't come across as a heartless pirate in the movies. On the contrary, he was a rather decent one. Still a pirate… but not all bad,' Puss reflected, gaining a bit more respect for the man who apparently wasn't so terrible.
"Alright then, let's avoid any pillaging. That should be more than enough. Buy decent goods and in proper quantities. Don't skimp—or it's coming out of your cut."
Puss said playfully, removed his boot, took a gold coin from his coin pouch, and tossed it to Jack.
Puss had plenty of money, and he didn't mind spending it—especially since, if needed, he could always follow Jack's lead and rob some rich nobles.
Jack snatched the gold coin out of the air, examined it with shining eyes, and bit it. Nodding in satisfaction, he quickly tucked it into his coat pocket.
"Very well, don't worry—pirates aren't known for knowing how to save money," Jack reassured him with a grin.
"Don't spend too much on rum… and no expensive rum," Puss said, which nearly made Jack fall over in disbelief, staring at him as if he'd just confessed to murdering his mother.
Puss rolled his eyes at Jack's drama, already knowing the man had planned to spend most of it on rum, and turned his gaze toward the island, now much clearer in view.
…
"Canary Islands. Alright, you filthy rats, follow me! We've got a ship to resupply! After that, you get one day on land before we set sail again in search of fortune!!" Jack shouted to the crew with a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"AYE AYE, CAPTAIN!" the pirates cheered.
They didn't have much money, having already spent the loot from their last raid. So one day was more than enough for them to hit the town and spend every last coin. Still, just being on land was reason enough to be happy.
Puss left the matters to them and went off to explore the town. After all, he'd set out to see the world and have his own adventures.
The town was beautiful, though rustic. To Puss, with his modern mindset, it was fascinating to see. The different styles of architecture, clothing, people, and the general atmosphere of an old town—it was all quite interesting.
He could also occasionally hear music being played on street corners throughout the city.
As he walked, unbothered and fearless, Puss smiled in satisfaction.
'This is how an adventure should be. Walking freely, not hiding your face, not afraid of being harassed or hunted across the city,' Puss thought with contentment, noticing the wanted posters on the walls—but none with his face—and savoring the rare freedom to enjoy his journey.
As he wandered, Puss eventually found himself in a different part of town, where women stood in the streets waving at passing men and flashing inviting smiles.
'Brothels…' The word popped into Puss's mind, and he scratched his chin thoughtfully.