Last chapter of the week.
From now on, new chapters will be released on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 12 PM (New York time).
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The next day began with Puss stretching his feline body lazily and comfortably, opening his mouth in a wide yawn that revealed his fangs, then closing it again as his eyes cleared from sleep.
He calmly licked his paw and wiped it over his face, then quickly groomed the rest of his body.
After finishing his quick bath, he lowered his paw and sat on the ship's railing, the wind gently ruffling the fur on his face. Puss was apparently in a much better mood that day.
'I guess all I needed was a little post-nut clarity to think straight and cheer up.' He mused, amused and no longer as gloomy as before.
He stood up on his hind legs, still atop the railing, moved toward the ropes on the side of the ship, and grabbed one with a paw, letting his body hang.
Stretching his left arm and leg toward the sea while holding the rope with his right paw and foot still on the railing, he floated there, almost hovering above the water.
The sea breeze brushed against his face and stirred his fur comfortably, while the sun lazily warmed his body.
'Haah!! Finally, my mood shifted to adventure. The ocean breeze! The warmth of the sun! The smell of… libertad!'
Then he heard birdsong and squawking echoing around him, from canaries and swallows to the ever-noisy seagulls.
People and workers began to bustle about, and noise and life filled the port.
'The sound of birds, the voices of people, the smell of the sea! I must have been so wrapped up in my own thoughts I didn't even notice how lively everything is around me. I want to live and enjoy this world… if I kept being depressed, how could I do that?' He thought, a wide smile growing on his face.
Jumping down from the railing and slipping on his iconic boots, he walked forward with confidence.
Weaving through the sailors, Puss didn't see Jack, so with a shrug, he strolled from the back of the ship to the bow and sat on the railing once more.
Pulling up his status screen, he wanted to see if anything had changed after his first night.
[Host: Puss in Boots
Age: 15 years
Status: 9 Lives Remaining
Talents:
Mutant Cat (Gold): Level 6 (Progress: 99%)
Natural Swordsman (Gold): Level 6 (Progress: 99%)
Furry Lover (Silver): Level 1 (Progress: 0% → 75%)
Lucky Feline (Gold): Level 3 (Progress: 38%)
Equipment: (+)]
'Oh! Progressing through the lower levels is pretty fast. 75% in just one night is great. Though it's fast now, when it gets to Gold, leveling up is going to be a real pain.' Puss raised a brow, pondering.
He then looked bitterly at his waist and gave it a small pat, full of regret.
'Lo siento, buddy… looks like some rough days ahead for you.'
After a short moment of silence for his waist, Puss smiled again.
'Okay, it's not going to be a bad experience leveling up this talent, but I'm not messing with prostitutes again. Last night was a one-time exception, and it's never happening again. Surely, wherever I go, beautiful and pure ladies will be lining up to share a room with me.' He thought narcissistically, removing his hat with one paw while smoothing his head fur with the other and flashing a charming smile.
"What is he doing?"
"Meow!!" Puss jumped in shock, startled by Jack's confused voice.
He looked to the side and saw Jack a short distance away, staring at him strangely.
"Ahem! It was nothing…" Puss coughed into his paw, embarrassed to be caught mid-narcissism, and quickly put his hat back on.
He didn't yet have the thick skin to fully lean into his narcissistic flair when others were watching, so his first instinct was to panic.
Jack just shrugged at the odd cat he'd met, acting even odder than usual.
"Well, I don't really care. We're about to set sail—do you still have anything to do?" Jack asked, somewhat disinterested.
He didn't care much about anything in general, and only bothered asking Puss because he had some quiet respect for this powerful feline swordsman he'd met. Otherwise, he would've sailed off already. He was just that kind of guy.
But Puss rolled his eyes at Jack.
"Why didn't you ask me before telling them to lift the anchor?" Puss asked, amused by Jack's tendency to just do as he pleased.
"Oh, that? Just toss the anchor again if you need. The sailors love doing that." Jack said, as if it were no big deal, leaning on the railing as he gazed at the horizon and the sun-drenched sea.
Puss couldn't help but look helplessly at the man.
'Easy for you to say when you're not the one pulling the anchor!' He thought, but said nothing aloud—there was no need.
So, Puss simply watched as the ship departed, slowly putting distance between itself and the lively island.
'Well, looks like it'll be two long months of the same scenery… the sea! I hope something interesting happens… Hehe!' He thought boldly, deliberately planting a red flag.
'Let's see what the ocean throws at me!'
…
Range!
Puss lay bored on the ship's railing, his tongue slightly sticking out as he listened to the faint creaking of the pirate ship, which calmly sailed across the sea.
The scorching sun beating down on the boat was stifling, leaving him parched and restless under the oppressive heat.
It had already been a month since they'd left the Canary Islands, which meant they were probably past the halfway point of their journey.
The voyage had been peaceful… and very boring for Puss. The only real entertainment was talking with Jack, mainly because of the novelty of chatting with a character he had liked so much in his past life.
But even that had slowly faded during the dull days of sailing. It wasn't that it was bad, but for a cat like Puss, he felt trapped in that space surrounded by water in every direction.
He longed for adventure and epic battles—not the constant rocking of the boat back and forth with the waves under the blazing sun.
Puss's ears twitched slightly at the sound of approaching footsteps.
Rolling his eyes lazily, he saw Jack's figure walking up.
"Bored?" Jack asked as he popped a peanut into his mouth and leaned against the railing.
"Uhm… how do you even manage? It's so boring—I don't get how you could want to stay at sea forever," Puss nodded, though he seemed genuinely puzzled by Jack's love for the ocean.
'No matter how much freedom there is in being at sea... it's still boring...' Puss couldn't help but think.
But Jack clearly didn't see it the same way and just shrugged.
"The sea's not for everyone. Living on land, for me, would be just like what you're describing. A few days is nice, but the longer it goes, the more dull and draining it gets," Jack said plainly, not particularly concerned.
Puss raised an eyebrow at him.
"Makes sense... so... any way to have fun around here?" Puss agreed, finding it reasonable, and also asked, hoping to shake off his boredom.
Jack paused, seemingly remembering something, and the slightest flicker of expression crossed his face. He cast a glance at Puss, pretending to be entirely casual.
"How about a game of cards?" He said, his eyes drifting—purely by chance, of course—to Puss's right boot, where he'd earlier noticed the coin pouch. His tongue brushed over his lips without him even realizing, and his fingers began twitching with that familiar, unconscious rhythm of a man whose hands always had a mind of their own.
Puss was taken aback at first, but when he looked Jack in the eyes and saw that greedy sparkle—poorly hidden beneath an innocent grin—he understood. The scoundrel clearly meant to trick the poor, innocent cat into losing his "hard-earned" coins.
So, trying to hide the mischievous smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, Puss spoke with feigned innocence.
"Sounds fun!"