Rose Tavern was the most popular tavern in the Red Light District.
Aunt Rousi was the tavern's proprietress. She stood two meters tall, with a build as sturdy as a water vat and a face full of stubble. Shaving her leg hair and beard were the first and second things she did every morning after getting up. Not only did she look like a burly middle-aged man, even her voice sounded like one.
But in truth, she was a genuine woman. When she was young, she had been a stunning beauty and had even owned her own Pirate Crew. It was said that she became what she was now after accidentally entering an Ancient Forbidden Zone and getting stung by a legendary Malevolent Bee. Her body produced twenty times more male hormones than a normal man's every day, turning her into a complete macho man.
After that incident, she disbanded her Pirate Crew and came to Deep Sea Star with several underlings who refused to leave her, opening this tavern. The once-famous Rose Pirate Crew had now become the Rose Tavern.
No one knew how much truth there was to that story, but Gu Ding could never see the fierce Aunt Rousi and the legendary beautiful pirate with the terrifyingly high bounty as the same person.
Gu Ding's nightly part-time job was working as a waiter at the tavern, serving dishes to customers. But most people came here only to drink, and few ordered food, so he was usually free.
When he pushed open the tavern door, it was packed as usual.
"Gu Ding, you're late again today. The boss lady isn't in a very good mood..." The bartender at the counter lowered his voice and winked at Gu Ding.
"As far as I remember, she's never been in a good mood." Gu Ding shook his head helplessly and headed straight for the kitchen.
As he passed the restroom and saw that its door was half open, he glanced inside. Aunt Rousi was lifting her skirt with one hand and shaving her leg hair with a razor in the other.
"Never seen a woman shave her legs?" Aunt Rousi raised her eyelids, then slammed the restroom door shut.
Although business was booming that night, as usual, few people ordered food. After serving several dishes, Gu Ding became completely idle. Seeing an empty seat at the bar, he sat down. "A glass of Mirka."
"Right away!" The bartender was called Batengde. He was small and skinny, about the same height as fifteen-year-old Gu Ding. But he was highly skilled at mixing drinks. At least half the reason the tavern had so many returning customers was because of him.
"You like Mirka too?" A young man to Gu Ding's right turned and smiled at him. He looked to be in his early twenties, and his face did not resemble a pirate's at all. He looked more like a young nobleman.
In fact, Mirka was a non-alcoholic drink made from a blend of dairy products and fruit juice. Even female Interstellar Pirates usually disdained to drink it. Gu Ding was allergic to alcohol; even a small sip of Binks with less than ten percent alcohol content could knock him out and send him into a deep sleep.
"You don't look like an Interstellar Pirate." Gu Ding's gaze swept over the young man's wineglass and paused briefly on the deep-blue gemstone ring on his left middle finger. He silently mourned for the other man. In a place like the Red Light District, the first rule was not to flaunt one's wealth. Otherwise, someone could make a move against you, and you would not even know who did it. Young noblemen were especially prone to making that mistake. Being robbed of money was a minor matter; being robbed of one's virtue was also possible. But worse still was being killed.
"You're not the first person to say that." The "young nobleman" smiled faintly and lightly took a sip from his glass.
Several groups in the tavern had already secretly set their sights on the young nobleman.
A glass of Mirka, pale white and purple intertwined, was soon handed over. Gu Ding took the glass and drained it in one gulp. "Another one!"
"Judging by your age, you should still be in school, right?" the "young nobleman" asked with a smile.
"Yeah, I'm at Hai Lan Star Basic Military Academy. I'll be graduating soon." Gu Ding nodded. The young man before him did not have the usual arrogance of a noble, making Gu Ding hesitate over whether to tell him to leave this troublesome place quickly.
"Oh, a military academy..." The "young nobleman" nodded with a smile, but a glint of coldness flashed through his eyes and vanished before anyone noticed. Yet that glint did not seem directed at Gu Ding. It was more like a natural reaction to hearing the words "military academy." He concealed it well and continued, "Are you planning to join the army afterward?"
"No, I want to become an Interstellar Pirate." Gu Ding gave his answer almost without thinking.
The "young nobleman" froze for a moment, then smiled. "Being an Interstellar Pirate isn't easy. Not only will the Federal Army hunt you down, bounty hunters will too, and pirates fight among themselves as well. If you join the Federal Army, you'll never have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of your life. Isn't that good?"
"The Federal Army has too many rules. I still think being an Interstellar Pirate suits me better." Gu Ding shook his head.
"If that's the case, which Pirate Crew do you want to join? Our Pirate Crew is pretty good. Would you consider it?" The "young nobleman" did not reveal the name of the Pirate Crew he belonged to.
"Thank you for the offer, but I want to build my own Pirate Crew." Gu Ding gave his refusal decisively.
"Is that so?" The "young nobleman" did not look disappointed. Instead, he patted Gu Ding's shoulder. "Then you'll need to find some reliable companions. No matter how strong one person is, his power is limited."
The tavern was filled with noise, while something strange was happening elsewhere in the Red Light District.
On a silent street, a female corpse pinned to a wall by a black rod suddenly awoke. After gasping loudly several times, she forcefully pulled the black rod from her chest and casually tossed it aside. Running one hand through her long hair, she suddenly had a black object the size of her little fingernail between two fingers. A look of relief flashed across her face as she stuffed it into her ear.
Inside the tavern, the Smart Watch on the "young nobleman's" hand suddenly flashed, a sign that someone was requesting a call. He put an earpiece into his ear before pressing the answer button.
"Boss, the mission failed. That thing was taken by someone else, but we still don't know which faction it was. I escaped by faking my death, and even my Smart Watch was taken." A woman's voice came clearly through the earpiece into the "young nobleman's" ear.
"I understand. Withdraw. Deep Sea Star is no longer safe to stay on." The "young nobleman" made no effort to conceal his words, and his voice clearly reached everyone present.
After ending the call, the "young nobleman" tossed down two Star Coins and turned to leave.
"Hey, my name is Gu Ding. What's yours?" Gu Ding called out to his retreating figure.
"Judicator Pirate Crew—Koude Bulade." The "young nobleman" paused and turned his head slightly. "I have a feeling we'll meet again."
The noisy tavern instantly fell silent after the "young nobleman" announced his name.
(On the second day after posting the book, I suddenly realized I had forgotten something important. I actually forgot to ask for votes~~ Yes, clicks, favorites, recommendations, and every kind of support I can ask for—I want them all badly enough to roll around on the floor and throw a tantrum~~)