Conditions for Joining

"Not cute at all!" Guleiya shot a fierce glare at Zhang Yao, who had stepped back into the shadows, muttered under her breath, then stormed back to her seat and fell silent.

The others in the room also wore different expressions after Zhang Yao's sudden move. The most obvious changes were in Yaliansi the craftsman, Kemuier the helmsman, and Maluk the boatswain. Yaliansi and Kemuier, who had been sitting still all this time, visibly brightened when they saw Zhang Yao act. Rather than merely sitting there, they began studying him with interest. Maluk rubbed his fists in excitement; if Luo De hadn't held him back, he probably would have rushed over to challenge Zhang Yao. As for Amelia the navigator, perhaps she had a young woman's reserve. Although she too watched Zhang Yao curiously, her reaction was nowhere near as exaggerated as the others'.

"Hmm, so our plan to ally with the Sea Wolf Pirates has fallen through!" Captain Wells lightly tapped the table, drawing everyone's attention away from Zhang Yao.

"If the alliance fell through, why did you bring him here, Luo De?" Guleiya clearly held a grudge. The moment Captain Wells finished speaking, she raised a hand and pointed at Zhang Yao. Her tone and expression made it sound as though Zhang Yao had accompanied Luo De here with some dark secret purpose.

"Big Sister Guleiya, I brought Zhang Yao here because I want him to join our Free Pirates! He saved my life, and he's a loyal, stand-up fellow. You've seen his strength yourselves-he's definitely a capable hand! That's why I wanted to recommend him. That fat bastard Doreze tried to recruit him for the Nightglow earlier, even offering him the first mate's position. It took the strength of nine oxen and two tigers to bring Zhang Yao back with me!" Seeing Guleiya refuse to let the matter drop, Luo De hurried forward to speak up for Zhang Yao.

"Really? You should know that joining our Free Pirates isn't so easy! Amelia, explain our conditions for joining to Zhang Yao!" After hearing Luo De's explanation, Guleiya gave a noncommittal response, then handed the conversation over to Amelia, who stood nearby.

This puzzled Zhang Yao. Judging by the temper Guleiya had displayed so far, he had expected her to keep worrying at the issue without end. Yet she had backed down so easily. It was too strange.

Something's off! I need to be careful! Guleiya's unusual behavior made Zhang Yao even more wary, lest she be playing some trick. Standing in the shadows, he turned his gaze toward Amelia, waiting for the lovely girl to explain the conditions for joining the Free Pirates.

"Heehee, Sister Guleiya, you're so mean, always making me play the villain! Your name is Zhang Yao, right, young man? Listen carefully, Zhang Yao. Our Free Pirates aren't like your Sea Wolf Pirates. Our rules are very strict!" Amelia gave Zhang Yao a playful smile as she spoke, making her look all the more youthful and lovely.

"Please go ahead."

Zhang Yao remained motionless, his eyes narrowed, as though he hadn't even noticed Amelia's captivating smile.

Hmph! A rock! A block of ice! A stone-faced man just like my brother! Although Amelia was still young, she had already blossomed into a beauty. She lacked Guleiya's mature, alluring air, but her own youthful liveliness was extraordinarily charming. Many men would look dazed or besotted when they saw her, and even her crewmates, who spent so much time around her, often fell under her spell. The only exception was her brother, Wells.

At first, when other men looked at her with those expressions, Amelia had found it irritating and upsetting! Aside from Amelia and Guleiya, everyone aboard the Freedom was male. How could she confide a girl's troubles to those men? Thus, Amelia could only tell Guleiya what was troubling her.

After hearing her out, Guleiya chuckled and explained to Amelia, "A woman's looks are her greatest weapon. If others stare at you in a daze, utterly enchanted, it means your weapon works! You should be proud! Of course, if certain rotten men really disgust you, use those filthy thoughts of theirs to teach them a good lesson!"

Guleiya's words and example opened Amelia's eyes, and from that day on, the Freedom had another little witch aboard.

As time passed, Amelia grew accustomed to the expressions other men wore when they looked at her, despite her disgust. Now, suddenly confronted with another stone-faced man besides her brother, she couldn't help feeling furious. After all, she felt that her brother could be forgiven for ignoring her beauty because they were family. But how could an outsider like Zhang Yao disregard it? And he had already upset Sister Guleiya earlier!

Thus, Amelia felt she ought to teach Zhang Yao a proper lesson and make him understand what a grave mistake it was to ignore her beauty.

Standing in the shadows with his ears pricked, ready to listen closely to Amelia's explanation of the entry requirements, Zhang Yao naturally had no idea what she was thinking. Had he known, he probably would have sighed: Only women and petty men are difficult to deal with.

"The first requirement for joining our Free Pirates is, needless to say, strength! We focus on an elite crew, and there are only a few dozen people aboard the whole ship, so every one of us has to be able to take on ten opponents! Luo De said you were a member of the Drowned Ghosts, the Sea Wolf Pirates' elite unit, but we still need to test you. As for the second requirement, I'll tell you once you've passed the first!" Clearly driven by that little secret motive of hers, Amelia deliberately kept Zhang Yao dangling.

"All right. What's the test?" After glancing at Amelia, Zhang Yao remained as sparing with his words as ever, conveying his meaning clearly and effectively in just a few words.

"Heehee, it's simple. You just have to fight our boatswain, Maluk. Last ten minutes, and you pass." Amelia pointed at Maluk, then gave a sly smile, looking indescribably pleased with herself.

Practically every pirate was wild and unruly. Which man who could become captain or boatswain among such people would be easy to deal with? And the Freedom focused on an elite crew. The strength of Maluk, who had become boatswain aboard a ship renowned for its elite fighters, was easy enough to imagine.

Thus, Amelia, whose smile nearly squeezed her eyes shut, seemed already to see Zhang Yao getting a thorough thrashing from Maluk.