Don't think that you are restricted to the sea, however. All the islands are populated with NPCs (non-player characters) and full of buildings; you get from important building to important building not by a menu, but by walking. (You can use a menu as a shortcut, but wandering around and looking at the architecture is pretty fun in and of itself.) In an Elder Scrolls-type level of freedom, you are also allowed to draw your saber and hack up any NPCs you see walking the streets. Of course, the city guards may not appreciate it, but hey, they don't call you a pirate because you skip through the streets and give everyone flowers.