Chapter 138: The Central Pirate

The unmanned carrier and cyber kamikaze fighters programmed by Dawson attacked the SU Space Fleet's fleet review and inflicted damage.

The SU Space Fleet reacted with intense fury, feeling their prestige had been shattered.

But the fury was not limited to the Space Fleet alone.

The following day, a communication was sent via Chicken Ball to Sparrow Hawk, revealing the incident.

Dawson reviewed the content and lifted the corner of his mouth, as if confirming his expectations.

"It seems the other pirates are terrified of how furious the SU Space Fleet became."

After Dawson announced the message's contents to the crew, Oine let out a quiet chuckle.

"Fufu. They sent it in a panic, clearly. No corrections were made before transmission."

Oine corrected the typos via screen input, then slightly revised the phrasing for clarity.

The next message read was a protest letter signed by pirates operating within the SU-controlled space.

In summary, it stated: 'Take responsibility for provoking the SU government and space force to this extent—Dawson and his crew.'

It also included a time and location for discussion, on the condition that a defense was provided.

Dawson scoffed at the written content, then established a communication link with Goud of the Chicken Ball.

"Goud. I knew I was popular among pirates, but why am I being attacked by other pirates?"

"Though it may sound like a joke, the message was sent by pirates active near the SU homeworld."

"What? Pirates operating near the SU homeworld, and they’re still sitting on their asses?"

Though called pirates, they were in fact private operatives of TR, having obtained privateering licenses from TR.

Dawson had assumed that operatives active near the SU government must be formidable—equal to the government or the space fleet.

But upon reading the message, he understood they had survived through another method.

"They’ve been surviving by colluding with the SU government. Acting as agents of the government, targeting organizations and individuals who oppose its will."

"Such people must be terrified by the current fury of the SU space fleet."

The fleet review was an event that defined the pride of the SU space fleet. It had been attacked unexpectedly by pirates.

The sentiment was not unusual: even pirates connected to the government or the space fleet could be targeted for eradication.

"Rather, the connection reveals their location. They are the ideal target for a swift elimination."

Dawson understood the situation of the central pirate group. He decided how to proceed.

Dawson and his subordinate pirate fleet initiated spatial jump—warp—to the location designated by the central pirates.

Emerging at the designated meeting point, they found themselves near a planet pockmarked with craters.

"Oine. What is that planet?"

"A resource-exhausted world located approximately 1,000 light-years from Sol's Earth. The materials from this planet were used as raw material to produce the large number of colonization vessels during the era of space migration."

A place where abandoned mines were left to rot—pirates using it as a base.

Dawson reviewed the planetary position and nearby star system chart while listening to the explanation.

This place is a dangerous one. A region that developed early during the migration era, even within the SU sector. Located near the Star Arm Nebula—the main route.

Dawson would never establish a pirate base on a planet like this.

It’s the kind of place where the fleet could arrive at any moment, on a whim.

Yet the pirates here seemed unconcerned.

After all, they were pirates, but also connected behind the scenes with the SU government and the space fleet.

"Dawson Captain. Radar detects activity. Multiple vessels are approaching from the planet ahead."

At maximum magnification, a swarm of vessel shapes resembling pirate ships approaches from ahead.

The number is approximately ten thousand.

"Quantity is present, but the quality of these pirate vessels is abnormally poor."

Dawson spoke, though the reality was these were adequate pirate ships—ordinary vessels with attack systems added.

In fact, the pirates who had joined Dawson's command were operating Orbit Patrol Cruisers and destroyers resembling those of the SU Space Fleet, which was anomalous for true pirates.

Regardless, a fleet of ten thousand vessels, each modified from ordinary ships, posed no threat to Dawson's fleet of roughly one thousand.

Dawson awaited the reaction, curious whether the central pirate fleet had recognized this.

The pirate fleet and the central pirate fleet's convoy had now closed to combat range.

At that moment, the central pirate fleet initiated attack.

At first, the fire was sparse. Then it increased in intensity.

Soon, most of the ten thousand ships were directing weapons at Dawson’s pirate fleet.

Dawson observed the scene from the captain’s chair, wearing a black-and-white mask, expression uninterested.

Dawson remained calm because the central pirate fleet’s attacks did not reach him.

The combat range was defined by the Orbit Patrol Cruisers of Dawson’s fleet.

Pirate vessels, with inferior armament, could not deliver effective fire at this distance.

Even if the pirates had been stripped of strength by the S.U. government, they should still know this range.

The reason the pirate fleet launched attacks, then, was simply a display of force.

A fleet of ten thousand pirate ships demonstrates this capability to intimidate the enemy.

A merchant captain ignorant of such matters would likely panic and send a surrender signal.

Dawson, however, knows the defensive capabilities of both his own fleet and the pirate fleet, and thus sees no need to be intimidated.

That is why he watches the demonstration by the central pirate squadron with an expression of mild disinterest.