"Holding steady. I'll disembark in a moment," Yang Ying told the driver, then turned back to Robin, continuing, "The plan, when broken down, is quite simple. As long as our strength is sufficient, we won't fear any major or minor factions ganging up on us. Since that's the case, why be overly cautious and proceed step-by-step? Let's take a completely opposite approach!" Yang Ying did not get out of the vehicle and kept speaking.

"I understand," Robin replied. "Sir's intention is to draw out all potential threats that might be detrimental to us, and then resolve them all at once."

Yang Ying nodded and stated with a firm tone, "We currently occupy Gray Harbor, and many people are going mad with jealousy. This time, I will use ourselves as bait to see exactly how many parties have designs on us."

With that, Yang Ying opened the door and stepped out of the car. He turned back to Robin, who was preparing to follow him out, and said, "No need to escort me. I leave the matters of Gray Harbor to you. If there are any movements from the likes of the Four Great Corporations—" He did not finish the sentence.

"As you command, Sir!" Robin knew what Yang Ying intended to say and replied respectfully.

"Good," Yang Ying smiled, then turned and walked back into the port. Two Ghost Agents emerged from the car following behind and naturally trailed Yang Ying, acting as his attendants.

In the center of the industrial city of Ruvellin, atop a forty-nine-story building, lay a large conference room.

The entire room exuded a classical atmosphere. On the east wall hung oil paintings by famous masters, all depicting scenes of war.

Against the west wall stood a row of knight's armor, each grasping a greatsword, yet all remained as gleaming as new.

The floor of the conference room was covered in luxurious carpet, adorned with beautiful patterns in the ancient Arabian style. The carpet was so thick that a person's entire foot could sink into it upon stepping down.

In the very center of the room rested a round table with twelve seats, all occupied. Isaac sat in one of those seats, his expression grave as he spoke:

"Gentlemen, communications in Gray Harbor have been restored. I just contacted the Wildfire Mercenary Group and learned that within the single day that communications were down, the Trant Mercenary Group had already taken Gray Harbor.

The remaining eleven men immediately erupted into an uproar.

"How could such a thing happen?" one man clearly expressed disbelief.

"Gray Harbor isn't soft tofu that shatters with a squeeze. There were still quite a few people in Gray Harbor, and the Wildfire Mercenary Group too. How could it have been taken in such a short time?" another voiced his skepticism.

"Commander, what do you mean by 'taken'?" A man wearing glasses, resembling a scholar, inquired of Isaac.

"'Taken' means that Yang Ying's forces have taken control of the entirety of Little Gray Harbor, incorporating both the mercenary district and the pirate district under his command," Isaac explained.

"Did Herman not resist at all? He had quite a few subordinates," this person sounded extremely surprised.

"Herman is dead. Rumor has it he was angered to death by Yang Ying." Isaac had some doubt about this fact, but the intelligence reports were unanimous, forcing him to believe: "Yang Ying’s troops are all clad in power armor, their offensive and defensive capabilities far surpassing the ordinary. Herman's ragtag bunch was not worth mentioning."

"Gray Harbor has three factions—Mercenaries, Pirates, and Neutrals—and their relations are like a tangled mess. How did this Yang Ying sort it out?" someone asked.

"Cut the knot with a swift blade; a clean sweep for everyone. Those who obey live, those who don't die," Isaac stated, word by word, his face becoming terrifyingly grim.

"Then what about Dennis? Is he alive or dead?" the scholar-like man asked, surprised.

"Dead!" The single word uttered by Isaac struck the conference room like a blast of frigid air from Siberia, freezing everyone silent.

After a few seconds.

"Dennis was killed by Yang Ying! Commander, you must avenge Dennis!" The eyes of a brute immediately turned red, his agitated demeanor akin to an enraged bull, thinking only of goring the matador to death.

Isaac slowly shook his head. "Dennis was not killed by Yang Ying; he committed suicide. I suspect he chose to end his life rather than become a bargaining chip between Yang Ying and us."

"What difference does it make? Yang Ying still drove him to it, it’s the same thing!" the brute gestured wildly.

"Actually, it is partly my fault," Isaac admitted very solemnly. "Back when I sent Dennis to Gray Harbor to establish the Wildfire Mercenary Group, I knew he was someone deeply loyal and emotional, believing he would never betray me. But I also knew that if he encountered unforeseen circumstances, he might value his life lightly. At the time, I told myself such a contingency would likely never arise in a lifetime, so I didn't pay enough attention. But this time, it happened." He regretted, "I should have called him back immediately and sent someone else in his place."

Seeing Isaac taking responsibility, the scholar quickly interjected, "Commander, how can you be at fault? This was Dennis's own choice."

"Yes, yes, it was Dennis's own choice. We cannot blame the Commander."

"Exactly, the Commander didn't send Dennis to his death; you can't blame the Commander."

"How can such a small matter be laid at the Commander's feet? If anyone is to be blamed, it should be Yang Ying!"

"That's right."

"Exactly! We must retaliate!"

As the crowd grew incensed, all their accusations were aimed at Yang Ying and the Trant Mercenary Group.

Seeing that the sentiment was favorable, Isaac nodded inwardly and announced, "The Trant Mercenary Group just issued a statement declaring that pirates will no longer be welcome in Gray Harbor from now on. This is clearly an act that violates Gray Harbor’s neutrality. Yang Ying wants to turn Gray Harbor into a mercenary city, and the Pirate Federation will be the first to disagree! Therefore, we should soon see action from the Pirate Federation. From now on, keep the fleet ready at all times. We will take advantage of the chaos to destroy the Trant Mercenary Group!"

"Excellent!" the scholar shouted in approval. "Commander’s plan kills two birds with one stone: first, to annihilate the Trant Mercenary Group and kill Yang Ying to avenge Dennis; second, to deploy ground forces to occupy Gray Harbor and console Dennis's soul in heaven."

"That is exactly what I intend!" Isaac revealed a satisfied smile.

In an asteroid field spanning several million kilometers, a fleet that clearly looked patched together maintained a clumsy formation while hiding among the debris.

The flagship was a heavy cruiser over three hundred meters long, armed with four Tier Five cannons, and covered everywhere with Tier Two gun emplacements, totaling more than one hundred of them.

Any model of fighter struck even once by a Tier Two cannon would be instantly torn to shreds.

On the bridge of the flagship, an old man with white hair and a thick beard sat hunched over the captain's chair, dressed in crimson clothing. A nameless, fierce light flickered in his eyes as he muttered to himself:

"Heh heh, Herman, that good-for-nothing. I stored over ten billion units of energy in his vault, and just as I was about to claim it, someone else raided it. Heh heh, daring to play tricks in front of me—I’ve got your name, Yang Ying. A mere commander of a small mercenary group, I'm going to dissect you and keep your internal organs preserved in formalin as a collection?"

Old Barrow's hunched body trembled slightly. In one hand, he toyed with a gleaming silver scalpel. The scalpel moved fluidly between his fingers, flashing with light, revealing his inner excitement. The others on the bridge were struck silent, not daring to utter a word.

The Blood Skull Pirate Group earned its name because Old Barrow, a pirate with a background as a forensic pathologist, developed the urge to personally dissect living people when agitated, peeling away muscle and organs down to the bloody skeleton.

And thanks to the current advanced medical technology, life support systems could sustain a person's brain outside the body for about one or two hours in the short term—the exact duration correlating to the person's physical robustness. This allowed Old Barrow’s dissections to be performed while the victim remained conscious, watching themselves be reduced to a skeleton.

After about fifteen minutes, Old Barrow’s trembling finally subsided. With a movement of his hand, he tucked the scalpel up his sleeve and shouted to the personnel on the bridge, "All of you, snap out of it! Set course for Gray Harbor immediately! It’s a bit far now, but we’ll be there within two days. If we delay, and some other pirate faction steals the spotlight, getting my energy locks back won't be so easy."

His staff officer inquired, "Captain, since we're rushing, should we notify the Caribbean Pirates?"

"Notify them! Of course, we must notify them. I'm a dragon currently stranded in shallow waters; giving them a little face won't cost me much. If I didn't have this big tree to shelter under, all my old enemies would swarm me at once. They are currently locked in a hot fight with Somalia; helping them deal with this thorn in their side will earn my gratitude. Old Barrow waved his hand, signaling the officer to establish contact.

A middle-aged man dressed like a butler appeared on the screen.

Old Barrow instantly shed his ferocious demeanor, becoming humble and courteous: "Yengus, the right hand of His Majesty the great Pirate King, Old Barrow greets you."

"Barrow, what is it?" Butler Yengus asked coldly.

"There is a small mercenary group commander who lacks judgment and is arrogantly presumptuous. He robbed my assets in Gray Harbor and even attempted to turn Gray Harbor into a mercenary stronghold, utterly disrupting the rules. I wish to petition the Pirate Federation to allow me to teach him a lesson and show him the terror of the Pirate Federation!" Old Barrow clenched his fist and spoke fiercely.

"You may. Is there anything else?" Yengus's expression remained unchanged as he uttered these simple words.

"Nothing more. Please convey my regards to His Majesty the great Pirate King," Old Barrow stood up and bowed deeply.

"Understood." Yengus cut off the communication after speaking.

The face of Old Barrow, which had been bowed deeply, instantly contorted into a savage mask, only to revert moments later to one of apprehension and helplessness.

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