No one had spread word of what had happened in the casino yet. Those who knew had already passed out, and those outside did not dare enter. After all, Charisteas was a big shot here, and ordinary people would never dare defy his orders.
Kazu bought large quantities of fine liquor and ingredients along the way. He had a separate space, so he had to stock up.
If he ever got lost at sea, at least he would not starve to death.
When he came across a clothing store, Kazu bought not only a few sets of well-fitting clothes but also a large piece of black cloth.
After all, he was a pirate. He could not go without a pirate flag of his own.
Kazu planned to make his own pirate flag once he returned to the ship. It was the soul of a pirate crew, not something he could be careless about.
After buying everything he needed, Kazu continued wandering around town.
Before he knew it, Kazu had reached the backstreets, a haven mainly for the service industry.
"What a strong body you have, young man. Want to come in for a massage and relax?"
Kazu had not expected to encounter such a familiar way of soliciting customers, even after coming to the pirate world.
An average-looking young woman in her twenties stood in the doorway, making eyes at Kazu.
Kazu looked up at the sign above the shop-Supreme Beauty.
"Is this place legit?"
Kazu's question stunned the young woman. She had not expected anyone these days to be honest enough to ask that.
"Of course, young man."
"Our establishment is as legitimate as they come. We guarantee a clean experience."
The young woman was quick-witted too. Since this man liked legitimate services, she would give him a legitimate session. Only a fool would turn down money.
"Pah!"
"Not even an idiot would go to a legit place. Don't you know I like close personal service from pretty young ladies?"
With that, Kazu strode away, leaving the young woman standing alone in the doorway, bewildered in the wind.
"You really do meet all sorts these days. What a bizarre way of thinking."
The young woman shook her head, put Kazu out of her mind, and continued looking for her next target, working hard to bring in customers.
As an old hand, Kazu could tell from the shop's name alone that it definitely offered something dirty.
But the young woman soliciting customers was truly average-looking. If even the one bringing in customers was at that level, he could imagine the quality inside.
It was not that ordinary young women were bad, but pretty ones offered better value for money.
The sign of a man's maturity was having the courage to shout, "Bring in another batch!"
Kazu walked on, stopping here and there, his eyes seemingly equipped with a scanning function.
Finally, he stopped outside a lavishly decorated bathhouse.
"This is the one."
From outside, Kazu could already see the pretty face of the young woman at the front desk. What was inside definitely could not be bad.
Once inside, Kazu decisively selected the most expensive package. The receptionist looked as though she had seen God and hurriedly called the manager over.
"Honored guest, please follow me. We'll head to a VIP room on the third floor. It's fully equipped, luxuriously decorated, and has the best soundproofing."
Kazu nodded and followed the manager upstairs. They had barely entered the room when two beautiful women arrived right behind them.
Kazu looked the two women over and could not help nodding inwardly.
Sure enough, you get what you pay for. It's a little pricey, but you really can't fault the quality. Those faces, those figures... tsk, tsk, tsk.
"I'll leave you to it, then. I hope you have a pleasant experience."
The manager bowed and headed downstairs. The room had a full selection of fruit, snacks, and drinks.
There was also a private bathing pool in the room, so he would not have to share one large pool with a crowd like on the first floor.
"Sir, let us help you undress."
The two beauties approached with smiles, and Kazu was not one to be coy.
"Sorry for the trouble, then."
"It's our job. Helping you bathe is part of the service too."
The three of them undressed and stepped into the pool together. After several days at sea, Kazu finally enjoyed a rare chance to relax.
At noon the next day, Kazu pushed aside the thighs draped over him, got dressed, and walked out of the bathhouse feeling refreshed.
This experience had been pretty good. Sure enough, relaxation meant finding the right place.
Kazu planned to continue sailing and get his own ship sorted out first. A trip to Water 7 was a must.
The pirate world was mainly made up of seawater and countless islands. Finding a continent was no easy task.
Kazu bought a few books, including beginner's guides to sailing a ship and reading nautical charts.
He could study them when he was bored aboard the ship. After all, getting started was always hard, and he had to rely on himself for everything right now.
With nothing else he needed to buy, Kazu headed straight for his ship.
When he returned, he discovered that another boat had actually moored beside his ship.
"Hey, friend, is this ship yours?"
"It looks pretty good."
A man who looked around twenty walked off the boat. Wearing a confident smile, he came ashore at an unhurried pace.
"That's right, this ship is mine. Has it caught your eye?"
Kazu wasted no words and asked directly why he had come. The man had been waiting here all this time, so he had clearly planned this in advance.
He was always the one taking advantage of others. If someone robbed him, it would be an utter humiliation.
"Hahaha, it certainly has. After all, my dream is to draw a map of the world with my own hands. I can't do that without a decent ship."
"But I'm not an unreasonable man, so I've been waiting here for you. I'd like to buy this ship. What do you think?"
Kazu looked at the man's little boat. It could carry only a handful of people at most, so it really was not very dependable.
It could not compare with Kazu's large ship. This ship had carried dozens of pirates before. How could it possibly be small?
"So that's it."
"Unfortunately, the timing's a little bad. I like enjoying life too, and I'm not short of that bit of money. This big ship makes my voyages more comfortable, and nothing matters more than that."
Kazu smiled and spread his hands, indicating that there was nothing he could do to help. He had no intention of selling the ship.
"Oh dear, looks like I'm really out of luck."
The man scratched his head. It seemed he would have to resort to plan B.
"In that case, we'll just have to fight."
"Friend, as men of the sea, let's settle this in single combat."
"If you win, my life is yours. If I win, I get to buy this ship. As compensation, I can give you my boat and some Beli on top. How about it?"
"Oh, right. My name's Carlmand."
That was right. When Carlmand's attempt to buy it outright failed, his plan B was to give the other party a beating, win him over with virtue, and then buy it.
"Heh heh heh. Hahahaha!"
"Not bad. That's just my style. I accept your challenge."
"Come at me with everything you've got!"