Rose Tavern, the hottest tavern in the Red Light District.
Aunt Rousi was the tavern owner, standing at two meters tall with a body as sturdy as a water barrel, and a face full of stubble. Shaving her legs and trimming her beard were the first and second things she did after getting out of bed each morning. She not only looked like a burly middle-aged man, but her voice sounded like one as well.
But in fact, she was a genuine woman and had been a stunning beauty in her youth, even owning her own pirate group. The reason she ended up like this, so it was said, was that she accidentally entered an ancient civilization's forbidden area, where she was bitten by the legendary Male Demon Bee. Her body produced twenty times the normal amount of male hormones daily, turning her into a pure man.
After such a change occurred, she disbanded her pirate group and, along with a few followers who refused to leave her, came to Sea Blue Star and opened this tavern. The once-famous Rose Pirate Group had now become the Rose Tavern.
No one knew how true this story was, but Guding always struggled to reconcile the fierce Aunt Rousi with the legendary beautiful pirate whose bounty amount was terrifyingly high.
Guding's part-time job every evening was working as a waiter in the tavern, serving dishes to customers. But since most people came here just to drink, few ordered food, so he was often idle.
As usual, the tavern was packed when he pushed the door open.
"Guding, you're late again today, the boss is not in a great mood..." The bartender whispered and winked at Guding.
"In my memory, her mood has never been good," Guding helplessly shook his head and headed straight for the kitchen.
Passing by the restroom, he glanced at the half-open door and saw Aunt Rousi with her skirt lifted, razor in hand, shaving her legs.
"Never seen a woman shave her legs?" Aunt Rousi lifted her eyelids, then slammed the restroom door with a thud.
Though business was booming as usual in the evening, just like always, few ordered food. After serving a few plates, Guding was completely idle. Seeing an empty seat by the bar, he sat down, "A Milka please."
"Coming right up!" The bartender, Bartender, was slender and about the same height as the 15-year-old Guding. His bartending skills were superb, and at least half of the reason for the many regular customers was thanks to him.
"Do you like Milka too?" At this moment, a young man on Guding's right turned and smiled. The young man, who looked a little over twenty, had the appearance not of a pirate, but rather of a noble youth.
In fact, Milka was a non-alcoholic beverage, a mix of dairy and fruit juice, and most interstellar pirates, even the female ones, scorned it. Guding had an alcohol allergy; even a small sip of Bincks with less than 10% alcohol could knock him out and send him into a deep slumber.
"You don't look like an interstellar pirate," Guding's gaze swept over the young man's drink, pausing briefly on the sea blue gemstone ring on his left middle finger, inwardly sympathizing with him. In places like the Red Light District, keeping wealth concealed was the first rule. Otherwise, one could be attacked and not even know who did it. And young nobles were most prone to such mistakes—being robbed was a minor issue, but they could also be molested or, worse, killed.
"You're not the first to say so," the "Noble Youth" replied with a faint smile, taking a sip from his glass.
Within the tavern, several groups were already eyeing the young man undercover.
A pale white and purple Milka was quickly handed over. Guding took the drink and downed it in one go. "Another one!"
"Judging by your age, you must still be in school, right?" the "Noble Youth" said with a smile, striking up a conversation.
"Yep, at the Basic Military Academy on Sea Blue Star, about to graduate." Guding nodded. The young man in front of him didn't have the usual arrogance of nobility, which made Guding hesitate on whether to tell him to leave this place of trouble quickly.
"Oh, the Military Academy, huh..." the "Noble Youth" said, nodding with a smile. A flash of cold light in his eyes went unnoticed by anyone. However, that chill seemed not to be directed at Guding but was more like a natural reaction to hearing the words 'military academy.' He covered it up very well and continued, "Do you plan to join the army afterward?"
"No, I want to be an interstellar pirate." Guding almost didn't think before giving his answer.
The "Noble Youth" was taken aback for a moment, then laughed, "Being an interstellar pirate isn't so easy. Not only are you chased by the Federation Army, but also by bounty hunters, and there's infighting among themselves. Wouldn't it be better to join the Federation Army and never worry about food or drink for the rest of your life?"
"There are too many rules in the Federation Army, I still feel interstellar pirates suit me better." Guding shook his head.
"In that case, which pirate group do you want to join? Our pirate group isn't too bad, you know. Would you consider it?" The "Noble Youth" didn't reveal the name of his pirate group.
"Thank you for your kindness, but I want to start my own pirate group," Guding firmly refused.
"Is that so," the "Noble Youth" didn't show any sign of disappointment but patted Guding on the shoulder, "Then you'll have to find some reliable partners. No matter how strong a person is, their strength is limited."
The tavern was noisy, but somewhere in the Red Light District, something eerie was happening.
On a quiet street, a woman's corpse, pinned to the wall with a black rod, suddenly came back to life. After gasping for air loudly a few times, she forcefully pulled the black rod out of her chest and casually tossed it aside. Running her hand through her long hair, she quickly produced a black object the size of her little finger between her two fingers. A look of relief flashed across her face as she placed the object in her ear.
Inside the tavern, the "Noble Youth's" Smart Watch suddenly lit up, a sign that someone was requesting a call. The Noble Youth inserted earphones into his ears before pressing the answer button.
"Boss, the mission failed. That thing was still taken by someone, and it's not clear which power. I faked my death to escape a calamity and even my Smart Watch was taken," a clear female voice came into the "Noble Youth's" ears.
"I know, withdraw. We can no longer stay on Sea Blue Star," the "Noble Youth" said this without any concealment, and his voice carried clearly to everyone present.
After ending the call, the "Noble Youth" threw down two Star Coins and turned to leave.
"Hey, I'm Guding, what's your name?" Guding called out to his retreating figure.
"The Judge of Pirates—Koude Brad," the "Noble Youth" paused, slightly turning his head, "I have a feeling we'll meet again."
The boisterous tavern fell into complete silence as the "Noble Youth" revealed his name.
(On the second day after the book release, I just realized I forgot something very important. I didn't ask for tickets~~ Yes, for all the support I can beg—clicks, bookmarks, recommendations—I'm rolling on the ground asking for it~~)