Episode 14: Pirates Disbanded

Dawson transmitted to the pirate mother ship Hamano Onna. As usual, a female-type cybernetic body (android) responded.

"This is our plunder vessel, the *Great Jaw*. And only one cargo transport vessel captured. Please do not attack by mistake."

"Good day, *Great Jaw*. A very large catch indeed. Shall we sell the goods at Hamano Onna?"

"Fine—ah, one request. If there is a person among the cargo, leave that one behind. Do not sell it."

"Understood. May I ask the reason?"

"People are not worth much money. Yet human trafficking draws strong hostility from S.U. Clearly, it is not worth the risk. If a task offers no return, better not to do it."

"Reasonable. Then what will you do with the person you leave behind?"

Stow him in the emergency pod and place it where S.U. ships on the Star Arm Nebula main route pass regularly. That much effort is acceptable. I made an exceptional profit this time."

"Unusual. I’ve cleared a berth. Enter at Port ten."

Dawson raised one eyebrow at the words from the cybernetic body.

"I’m a rookie pirate. Is it safe to enter a port?"

"Twenty million cocoons are loaded onto the cargo hauler. Sorting, inspection, and classification require more than a dock. Without port facilities, no one can say how long it will take."

"Understood. Then cargo hauler to the port, and the ≪Mandible≫ to the dock. Is that acceptable?"

"Acceptable. But may I ask why?"

"I’m more accustomed to docks. I prefer them."

If that is the case, proceed to dock thirty-four. Dock ten is the most convenient for transit to the port.

Thank you for the consideration. Then, first, we’ll head to the port.

Dawson ended the communication and spoke to Oine.

So, this is our first time entering Hamano Onna’s port. I’ll leave the piloting of the large vessel to you.

Yes, sir, I’ve got it. I’ve been operating this thing nonstop for the past ten days. I’m a pro at piloting cargo transports—professional level, I tell you!

The cargo transport piloted by Oine, tethered to the ≪Mandible≫ by anchor, entered Hamano Onna’s port.

Hamano Onna was a massive, barrel-shaped mothership. They entered through the open mouth of the barrel-shaped hull.

The mouth of the flask was sealed with a semi-fluid substance that prevented pressure differentials and air leakage. The passage was designed for ship traffic, so the thickness of the semi-fluid was considerable. Even a cargo transport vessel's entire hull could not penetrate its depth.

The vessel moved slowly through the semi-fluid until finally breaking through.

The port of Hamano Onna, revealed in that moment, was an extraordinary sight.

A vast space enclosed by the inner walls of the giant flask, resembling the view from within a colossal insect. Mooring stations were arranged throughout the space, each equipped with cranes for loading and unloading cargo.

Near the mooring stations, shops belonging to pirate merchants stood in clusters. Pirate traders and merchants argued over pricing, their voices rising in disputes. Armed crewmen were seen installing weapons onto pirate vessels moored nearby. The merchants here clearly sold both ships and arms.

A short distance from the docking station, restaurants and taverns lined the path. Unlike the modest taverns near the pier, each was large and expensive in appearance. Men and women escorted from the establishments by pirates were all strikingly handsome or beautiful, dressed in fine clothing. The service appeared efficient—every pirate left with a satisfied expression.

Dawson watched the scene as he secured the cargo transport vessel to Docking Station 10.

As soon as the cargo transport arrived, numerous robotic arms extended from the docking station and began removing the cocoons one by one from the vessel.

"Dawson. The cargo manifest for the transport vessel has been received."

Oine projected the inventory onto the physical monitor. The data updated in real time, showing what was contained within each cocoon. The report included not only the sale profits from the items, but also a recommendation to auction rare and valuable pieces for even higher returns.

"Excessive attention to detail. A stark contrast to the treatment at the dock."

"Understood. Pirates allowed to enter the harbor behave as if they own it. Given such treatment, their arrogance is expected."

The facilities at the mooring station were indeed quite luxurious.

Yet Dawson felt even more strongly that he should not remain at this mooring station.

Dawson’s vessel, the *Mandible*, was constructed using materials and equipment derived from SU warships. It had been built in Amato Imperial Japan.

If the mooring station’s system read the Mandible’s hull data with good intent, it might detect discrepancies between SU or TR (True Lights) construction methods and those used by Amato Imperial Japan. That could still raise unnecessary suspicion.

To avoid such a scenario, Dawson considered using the poorly equipped dock essential.

When the Mandible docked at Pier 340, a transmission arrived from the pirates who had attacked the supply transport and then split off.

After Dawson donned his mask, multiple grim faces appeared on the physical monitor.

"Master Mandible, you’ve returned safely!"

"The rumor about someone keeping the supply transport—was that us who took it?"

"Come on! How much gold are we looking at? Could it really be enough to buy a new ship!?"

Six ship captains, including those from Gold Rush, spoke in unison.

Dawson transferred the sale list to them, despite feeling weary.

"Assessment is still ongoing, but current estimates suggest this much."

"Whoa, already this much in the middle of it!?"

"Whoa-ho! We’re splitting this among seven ships—right!?"

Given the effort it took to transport Hamano Onna, Dawson could have reasonably claimed nearly all the profit for himself.

His mission, however, was not to profit from piracy, but to disrupt trade in SU’s orbital space and inflict economic strain on SU.

The donation to the orphanage that raised him has been arranged through Amato Imperial Japan’s bank, with half of his official salary being transferred directly. No issue there.

There was no reason to cling to the funds from selling the supply transport vessels.

"Seven ships, split evenly. Regarding the money—should we finalize the appraisal immediately for quick cash, or take more time and use an auction to gain greater profit? Which option do you prefer?"

"Obviously, the auction. More money is better!"

"For now, we have sufficient funds. We can wait until the auction concludes."

"Then until the money comes in, we’ll have to make do with what we have—back to cheap liquor again."

Dawson delivered his bombshell to the pirates, who were grinning.

"Let me make this clear—the work with this crew ends here. Consider how you’ll spend the money. That’s my advice."

'W-wait! Why now! It was working fine until now!'

'There’s no way we’d have pulled off a haul like this twice. Let’s just do another job—seven ships, steal one hundred cocoons.'

Dawson shook his head at the pirates' argument.

My estimate is this. Once the pirates captured the supply vessel, SU will step up its response to restore the safety myth of the Star Arm Nebula. They will likely deploy SU vessels frequently to hunt down the pirates in the Star Arm Nebula, or hire mercenaries at national expense to escort supply vessels. Under such conditions, our method of operation will not work. Our success relied solely on the fact that our targets underestimated the Star Arm Nebula's safety. Even one mercenary vessel would be beyond the capability of your ship, let alone the *Mandible*.

The pirates finally grasped the poor state of their situation, after Dawson’s calm analysis.

"Wh-what do we do now? We can't do the job anymore, right?"

"Idiots. That's exactly why you were told to reconsider your use of funds. Either switch ships or upgrade your armament. Become proper pirates, not just cargo carriers."

"Going back to boring work that doesn't pay well…?"

Dawson offered the disappointed pirates a sliver of hope.

"Right. To raise alert levels, SU vessels and mercenaries will converge on the Star Arm Nebula. So, what do you expect will happen to the situation on the Interstellar Side Route?"

"How should I know? Logically, the number of SU vessels and mercenaries will decrease."

That is a valid interpretation. However, ships receiving escort in the Star Arm Nebula should be limited to those with a certain minimum cargo capacity or sufficient funds. The combined forces of SU vessels and mercenaries cannot possibly cover all ships. Therefore, ships below that threshold will either continue paying high fees to retain their current mercenaries, reduce the number of mercenaries, or abandon hiring altogether and switch to using the Interstellar Side Route.

Dawson’s explanation was carefully analyzed by the pirates.

‘So, that means prey will become easier to attack on the Interstellar Side Route.’

‘If there are fewer mercenaries, or none at all, even someone bad at fighting could make a profit.’

‘For that, our ships already have fast maneuverability. All that’s left is armed capability.’

Then why don’t we stay together? We have cargo capacity. No need to worry about missing the target.

After reaching a tentative conclusion, Dawson decided to offer a plausible explanation for his departure.

"I’m sorry, but the *Mandible* is designed for long-range sniping. The Interstellar Side Route is narrow. Ambushes are difficult to execute. In short, this vessel isn’t suited for the Interstellar Side Route. If you’re moving the main operation there, my presence will be a hindrance. It’s better if we part here. Easier for both sides."

The pirates listened to Dawson’s reasoning. They considered objecting. They did not.

Piracy is not a cooperative venture. Offering to include a ship useless in the Interstellar Side Route is not generosity. It is simply adding a burden and reducing profits.

A man who would choose such a loss would never have become a pirate in the first place.

"Since you say so. Once the salvage profit from the cargo vessel is confirmed, we can disband."

"That's right. We only stuck together because our roles aligned. We didn't promise to stay together forever."

"If we need each other again, we'll gather. Yeah."

Dawson concealed a smirk behind his mask at the pirates' utterly unburdened focus on money.

Still, he knew them a little. He decided to offer one more piece of advice.

"I'm leaving. But if you continue as a group, I won't object. If you do stay together, let the captain of the Gold Rush handle leadership."

The Gold Rush's captain, named directly, looked startled at Dawson's proposal.

‘Huh!? No, why would I!?’

‘You were the first among the common pirates to call out to the *Mandible*. Your attention to detail is useful in piracy. Selecting targets, selling the haul—both benefit from it. I thought you could lead the others to better outcomes.’

‘W-well, I guess I do have that. So, I’m the leader, huh?’

‘This is only my opinion. Decide among yourselves. Since I’m leaving, this is now your matter alone.’

Dawson spoke and severed the transmission.

Removing the mask, stretching upward, Oine spoke.

‘So, going solo now—what’s next?’

There are two paths. One is to operate alone, conducting piracy in the Star Arm Nebula. Freighters and Sky Sweepers can be destroyed with the Main Cannon of the *Mandible*. If the goal is to disrupt trade, this will yield measurable results.

And the other path?

I brought back a cargo hauler. Other pirates will likely be inspired by that success and target cargo haulers as well. If a pirate group decides to attack a hauler, they will certainly call upon me, given my proven track record.

So, if no one calls, I operate alone. If someone calls, I join forces with new pirates. The latter approach offers greater results. I’ll pray to the heavens for a call to come.

Artificial intelligence prays to the gods too, huh.

If there is even a 0.1 percent chance of improving success rate through wishing alone, there is no reason not to do it.

"Mathematical—masmatic—reasoning, just like artificial intelligence."

Dawson shrugged, then decided to take a shower in the captain's quarters and get long-term rest in bed, to recover from the intense workload of the past ten days.