Chapter 10: Pirate Alliance? Section 3

Blood—crimson blood. Limbs, severed corpses.
The entire 270-meter-long corridor was covered in these horrifying sights. The floor, walls, even the ceiling were stained with the glaring red. A pungent stench filled the air, making one feel nauseous.
Kimri and the wolves vomited as soon as they arrived. Not only them but all the pirates following them also vomited. Their hands, resting on the walls, trembled, and everyone began to convulse uncontrollably. The fear deep within their hearts, like nightmares from hell, ravaged their nerves.
By God, even if they had been ruthless pirates, even if they were known as the cruelest plunderers, they likely had never seen such a bloody scene in their lives. Those mere 270 meters of corridor now seemed like a path to hell. Within just five minutes of Kimri rushing over, their 63 companions had become the foundation of this path to hell. Each one had been torn into countless pieces, making it impossible to recognize their original human forms.
“Click.” The heel hit the ground, but it wasn’t lifted immediately. Because at some point, a thick, dark red gel-like substance had stuck tightly to the entire sole of the foot, making it difficult to move forward, as if trapped in mud. Kimri struggled hard to suppress the spasms in his stomach. He raised his head and looked at the two figures in the corridor—the only ones still standing.
Black hair, blood-red eyes.
Their pupils contracted violently. Kimri’s voice became shrill, almost unrecognizable to himself. “You… what is this…”
No reply… The black-haired man with blood-red eyes seemed to ignore Kimri’s accusations, standing there silently. They resembled two ancient demons, radiating intense malevolence—one dark, the other blood-red. Drops of blood continued to fall from the black bayonet in the black-haired man’s hand.
After a long while, the two figures seemed to notice Kimri and the others. They slowly raised their heads and glanced over. Then they both laughed deeply.
“Hehe… hehe…”

The nervous laughter seemed to come from the deepest depths of hell, utterly terrifying. As all the pirates stared in shock, the black-haired man with blood-red eyes slowly passed by them and disappeared at the end of the corridor. Not a word was spoken throughout the whole process. All that remained was that horrible laughter. Wherever they went, the pirates retreated as if they had seen a plague deity, clearing a wide path for them.
“Truly… two… killing gods…” Kimri seemed to moan as he watched the backs of the black-haired man and the one with blood-red eyes. The jackal beside him was also trembling violently, unable to utter a coherent sentence.
“It’s good though. With such tactics, I, the Scavenger, will surely stand out in this Death Arena of the 27-Star Sea Pirates Alliance. Everything else can be ignored in comparison.” Muttering to himself, Kimri seemed to envision his own rising status, a cruel smile appearing on his face.
Brutal slaughter was effective. From that moment on, the black-haired man and the one with blood-red eyes reached an unprecedented level of power on this warship. No pirate dared speak a word in front of them. Even aside from essential staff, everyone else fled at the slightest chance. Even Kimri, the pirate leader, preferred not to see them unless necessary.
Yet, naturally, the black-haired man and the one with blood-red eyes were also isolated. In the eyes of the pirates, they probably weren’t even considered human.
A spacious room, luxurious decorations, and a huge bed large enough for five people to sleep side by side—this was the new residence of the black-haired man and the one with blood-red eyes. On a warship where personal space was scarce, such amenities could undoubtedly be considered extravagant. Apart from pirate leader Kimri, perhaps only these two had such privileges.
The black-haired man lay down while the other sat. Both held identical wine bottles in their hands, listening to Barton’s story on the sofa.
By now, Barton had been cleaned up, all the dirt removed from his body, revealing his healthy tan skin. But due to the short time, he was still thin. His emaciated appearance was even too much for the one with blood-red eyes to bear. His two thin legs ended just above the knees, hanging limply behind him like two sticks of firewood.

Unfortunately, cleaning the surface of the body cannot drive away the shadows in a child’s heart. After enduring such suffering, Barton was no longer the beggar boy with black hair he had met in the small town of Kukare. Other than barely being able to recognize the existence of black hair, it became extremely difficult for him to even give a coherent account of what had happened. In his brain nerves enhanced by drugs, the past was nothing but a dream, and most of the people involved were just piles of data. Even when he was barely conscious, his first reaction to the issue of black hair was to quickly provide an assessment of black hair’s physical condition.

Rather than being a human, he was more like a biological computer. That was Blood Eye’s definition of Barton. Fortunately, this tragic situation wasn’t unsolvable. With some time for recovery and the help of drugs, Barton still had a chance to return to normal. The only pity was that he would suffer permanent emotional damage. Apart from those who were extremely important to him, all other beings were just data to him—data that could be discarded or destroyed at any time.

“Black… hair… hungry…” Barton managed to utter a few words before ending his speech.

Sighing helplessly, Black Hair picked up the wine bottle and drank deeply again. The bright red wine flowed down from the corners of his mouth, staining a large area of his chest red.

There was still nothing he could do; Barton had no consciousness at all now, and his words were incomprehensible. The only thing known was that after parting with Black Hair, he had been captured as a slave. After many twists and turns, he finally ended up on this warship, but the details in between were unknown.

“This kid’s physical strength is exhausted, but his mind has been greatly enhanced. It seems human technology really has its unique features. Black Hair, can you hand him over to me?” Suddenly, the voice of Core came from Black Hair’s right palm. That strange face appeared before Blood Eye once again.

“Can you restore him?” Black Hair was stunned, a wave of hope rising in his heart.

“Of course not. How could such a body possibly be restored?” Core’s voice instantly shattered Black Hair’s hopes. But the next moment, it brought him joy.

“I’ll create a new body for him. Hmm, using the units that have split off from me. It will be a hundred times, even a thousand times stronger than his current condition. Damn, I’m confused—how can this be compared? Don’t worry, young Black Hair. I’ll give you a fully alive person back.” Core’s strange face showed an air of confidence and certainty.

“Including the mind?” Blood Pupil interjected in surprise. In his mind, if even the mind could be repaired, it would undoubtedly be the biggest news in the universe this year. Probably, the Human Technological Progress Award should go to this terrifying freak—Mr. Core.

“Tch! Do you think I’m a god? How could that be? The mind needs to be nurtured slowly. I’m talking about the physical body.” Core glared fiercely at Blood Pupil, as if blaming him for bringing up an irrelevant topic. “With a strong physical body, restoring the mind is just a matter of time. The difference is merely a year or two, or ten or a hundred years.”

“Damn it!” Blood Pupil rolled his eyes and showed Core the middle finger.

A year or two, ten or a hundred years? This Core is really an old monster. Does he not have any sense of time at all? Such a long time—people could die several times over. Still just a small problem, damn it…

“Anyway, Head, why are you so nervous this time? Even when we were taken away before, I’ve never seen you like this. You’re so fierce that even I’m affected.” Blood Pupil snapped his fingers, and a small liquor rack slid over from the corner. It was filled with various bottles of liquor. Picking one up casually, he asked as if by chance.

He had long wanted to ask Black Hair this question, but he hadn’t found the right opportunity. From what he knew about Black Hair, asking questions when he was filled with murderous intent was clearly the worst choice. Blood Pupil wasn’t that stupid.

“Nothing, it’s not nervousness. It’s just concern,” Black Hair replied calmly, as expected.

“Barton is a bit like my past self.”

“Oh… I see…” Blood Pupil immediately fell silent, his expression turning gloomy. With a flick of his thumb, the bottle cap flew off, and he started drinking greedily.

Ever since being influenced by Black Hair and becoming fond of alcoholic drinks, he had grown increasingly dependent on this intoxicating liquid. But for some reason, it tasted bitter today.

Head, so you too have some sad past…

The journey through the universe was long and boring. With no news about the Storm Warrior Ship, Black Hair and Blood Pupil had no choice but to settle on theWarship Warship. Gradually, they gained a new understanding of the organization and tactics of the Treasure Hunters pirates.

Speaking of which, these guys aren’t as terrible as the rumors suggest. Though they share a cruel pirate nature, they’re quite gentle when faced with no resistance. Just like the professional pirates in Black Hair’s former world—seeking money rather than lives, or lives rather than money. Their professional ethics are definitely top-notch. It’s just that their methods become too extreme when met with resistance, which is why they’re regarded as demons by the world.

The name of this Pike-class warship is Little Demon, similar to the Demon Mecha with Bloodshot Eyes. But as the flagship of pirate leader Jin Li, it has undergone extensive modifications, greatly enhancing its armor and speed to ensure the survival of its crew. In contrast, its offensive capabilities have been significantly weakened; aside from deploying mechas, it has few other weapons, making it more akin to a transport ship.

The Pickpocket Pirates are a weak faction, on the fringes of piracy. They don’t have their own base. The entire organization consists of about five warships, usually roaming the edges of star systems, plundering small passenger ships or transport vessels for minor loot. When encountering large fleets or those protected by armed airships, they can only sigh in frustration.

Of course, after learning about this, Black Hair also heard some rumors about the Death Duel to be held soon by the 27-Star System Pirate Alliance.

Currently, Little Demon is heading toward the location of this Death Duel—the Alibaba Star Cluster.

The Death Duel is somewhat similar to the style of medieval Europe on Earth—a brutal and bloody spectacle, as well as a display of strength among all pirate organizations. Its significance goes far beyond what it seems on the surface.

In short, this competition determines rankings through battles between various organizations, and based on those rankings along with evaluations by the Pirate Alliance Council, territorial boundaries are established. Each iteration of the Death Duel is essentially an act of dividing interests. Driven by this ancient tradition and greed, pirates go all out, making it a bloody affair. The biggest rule in this entire duel is the absence of rules—you can use any weapon or method to knock down your opponent in the arena. Life holds no meaning here. Only two kinds of people emerge from the arena: the living, or the dead.

Of course, as such an important battle, its scale is astonishingly huge. In addition to individual fights, battles between mechs are also a highlight. Pirates, driven by greed, fight with fierce intensity, giving this battle its notorious reputation for brutality. It’s a well-known story among the elites of various factions. Thus, at each battle, in addition to pirates, numerous nobles frequently appear. While sipping fine wines and rare foods plundered by pirates, they watch the bloody fights unfold, and secret deals involving money and power are struck as their fingers move among beautiful women.

Primitive, violent, cruel, unrestrained—this is the origin of the name “Death Battle” and its greatest characteristic.

Yet even pirates face unimaginable hardships just to reach this famous site of Death Battle.

The Alibaba Star Cluster is an extremely chaotic place, surrounded by seventy-eight planets of various sizes. Cosmic storms persist constantly in this area, and those who don’t know the correct routes can never pass through. Every year, nearly a hundred fleets are destroyed by these cosmic storms due to ignorance of the situation.

But the greatest threat to pirates isn’t these terrifying cosmic storms—it’s the bounty hunters they encounter along the way.

It’s like an exciting cat-and-mouse game: pirates make a living by plundering, while bounty hunters earn their living by killing pirates. Each Death Battle, though a celebration for pirates, is also a paradise for these night hunters.

The destruction of one pirate ship can earn a reward of over three thousand crystals, while the head of a pirate leader can bring in tens of thousands of crystals. With such astonishing incentives, it’s no wonder these bounty hunters go crazy.

“Damn, it really feels like the Age of Exploration,” Black Hair muttered after hearing Blood Pupil’s explanation, cursing loudly.

“What’s the Age of Exploration?” Blood Pupil asked in surprise.

“Oh, that’s a story from another era. You don’t need to know,” Black Hair said casually, picking up the wine bottle and popping off the cap before taking a small sip.

“What do you think Sulei and the others are doing?”

“What else? Looking for us, right?” Blood Pupil laughed carefreely. “But with Baroque around, she won’t suffer any losses. I’m just worried that guy might still have evil intentions and use Li Feng as a pirate ship. If such a terrifying ship were used for that purpose, even the entire armed fleet of Silver Star would likely return defeated. That would be too easy for them.”

“That shouldn’t be possible.” Black Hair shook his head. “Without me, Li Feng can only activate 60% of its power and 46% of its weapon systems. Baroque knows this, which is why he’s always willing to be my subordinate. Even if they can’t find us now, they’ll just return to Silver Star immediately. Li Feng, without resource support, can’t drift around in space for long. Even if it lacks power, people still need to eat. After all, for Li Feng’s logistics, I’ve only activated ammunition production.”
“Hehe, you really think of everything.” Blood Pupil let out a low laugh. Just as he was about to speak, suddenly…
“Boom!!”
A loud explosion caused the warship to shake violently. The bottles on the liquor rack fell to the ground and shattered! At the same time, frantic alarm sounds filled the ship. All the lights went out, replaced by a dim dark red glow.
“What!?” Blood Pupil stood up abruptly, his expression changing drastically.
“Enemy attack!” Black Hair reacted even faster, rushing out the door in an instant.
By the time the two reached the control room, the pirates were already in position. Pirate leader Jin Li stood in the middle of the control room, sweating profusely, shouting frantically and looking flustered, as if this were the first time he’d encountered such a situation.
In fact, it indeed was. Because what appeared in the huge viewing crystal in the control room wasn’t an imagined warship—it was a small, fast assault ship capable only of short-range flight.
“God, how could it be her!?” Blood Pupil exclaimed in shock.
“Who?” Black Hair frowned.
“The Blue Lily!” Blood Pupil turned around, his face showing tension for the first time. “The most famous bounty hunter in the galaxy. A true pirate terminator, a Silver Warrior of mid-high rank. A stunning beauty with 85, 46, 85 measurements. A violent woman!”
“Damn!” Black Hair raised his head, staring blankly at the ceiling. “Are you saying she’s famous for her looks or her skills?”
“More or less. She’s known for being ruthless. Pirates who fall into her hands are lucky to die. Don’t you know? She’s a queen enthusiast! Every year, at least a hundred of the strongest male slaves on Silver Star end up in her hands!”
“What does that have to do with me? She’s after pirates.” Black Hair sneered.
“It doesn’t really matter… except…” Blood Pupil also smiled, a bitter smile.
“It seems we’re right on the pirate ship she’s looking for… inside it.”