Part 8/10:
In a decisive conflict involving Portuguese vessels, Pete demonstrated courage as he participated in a daring plan to set enemy ships ablaze. However, peril paid its toll—the chaos of war did not spare him, and he suffered grave injuries, only surviving due to sheer fortune.
Return Voyage and Consequences
After recuperating, Pete returned to the daily grind aboard the ship, which still bore the scars of conflict and disease. Days blurred into weeks and months, each a test of resolve and endurance. The return voyage witnessed dwindling supplies, a rise in desperation, and a reckoning of his choices. Ultimately, Pete’s brushes with danger led him to drugs for relief—a choice that spiraled into addiction, an emblem of despair amidst the allure of trade and wealth.