As the time came, the re-aligned figures of Gray Harbor dispersed, scattering among the small expanse of the asteroid belt, though few paid them much heed.

This was because after the two great pirate factions went to war, the asteroid belt was full of daily news, like raindrops falling into a pool, creating ripples everywhere. To the vast majority, the events in Gray Harbor were nothing more than a feud between minor powers, insignificant compared to the ongoing struggles between the major forces cropping up all over.

Furthermore, even those who paid attention rarely believed this declaration.

Although the Trant Mercenary Group had gained fame for eliminating a Triceratops-class vessel, that renown had significantly faded over time.

Recently, warships of the Ancient Legion had been discovered one after another, only to be swept away by various mercenary outfits. Over twenty Triceratops-class destroyers had been destroyed cumulatively, and even records existed of sinking the more powerful Stegosaurus-class light cruisers, and even Tyrannosaurus-class heavy cruisers.

The most stunning event occurred half a month ago: a lavish fleet comprising three Tyrannosaurus cruisers and five Stegosaurus cruisers appeared in the space between Jupiter's orbit and the asteroid belt, engaging the 'Word' Mercenary Group—one of the three major mercenary organizations—in a night-long battle, resulting in the complete annihilation of the Ancient Legion's fleet!

According to the bounty issued by the United Earth Directorate, a Stegosaurus was worth five billion, and a Tyrannosaurus was worth twenty billion. Thus, that single battle alone brought the 'Word' Group a staggering eighty-five billion in revenue!

The bounty amounts were benchmarked against the market prices of military vessels. It should be noted that arms manufacturers served not only military contracts; anyone—barring the enemies of humanity—could purchase the most advanced light cruiser for five billion, or the most advanced heavy cruiser for twenty billion. Obsolete warships decommissioned by the military could be acquired for as little as one-tenth of those prices!

Against the backdrop of these brilliant achievements, the Trant Mercenary Group's record appeared dim. No one believed they could convert Gray Harbor, a space city at a critical transportation hub, from a neutral faction to the mercenary camp. Their declaration was treated as a joke, dismissed with a laugh.

"Therefore, we need to use this campaign to reverse outsiders' perception of us, or at least make them believe we possess large warships. If everyone thinks we are easy targets, they will come to bully us. They won't believe we can change Gray Harbor."

Kalia was providing Yang Ying with pre-battle analysis.

"I know you have been preparing for this fight these past few days. So, how do you plan to make the outside world think we have large warships?" Yang Ying asked.

"Actually, that work has already begun, right when we attacked Gray Harbor," Kalia said with a smile.

Yang Ying pondered for a moment, then nodded. "I see. You're referring to the communications jamming."

As technology advanced, jamming and anti-jamming technologies escalated in a constant race. Many communication devices in Gray Harbor were equipped with anti-jamming systems. To render all these devices inoperable required the most advanced jammers.

Moreover, the interference range wasn't just Gray Harbor; it spanned a vast area of space surrounding it! Many ships were jammed before they even sighted Gray Harbor upon entering that region.

Releasing such a large-scale interference required immense power, something only the reactors of large warships could sustain to broadcast such strong waves.

"What outsiders don't know is that we used two full squadrons of Observers to maintain this expansive jamming zone. Furthermore, because the Observers' jamming technology is several generations ahead, they can achieve high power output with low energy consumption. The total energy consumption of both our Observer squadrons combined is less than that of a single Valkyrie frigate," Kalia revealed the secret with a grin.

Yang Ying nodded, picking up the Longjing tea that Katerina had brewed for him from the table. A plume of hot white vapor rose from the cup's rim, carrying a rich aroma of tea.

After taking a sip, Yang Ying continued, "Have those jackals reacted yet?"

"They are probably still engaged in backstabbing. There likely won't be a resolution before Old Barrow arrives," Kalia sneered.

Because Gray Harbor sat at the intersection of mercenary and pirate spheres of influence, its commerce and traffic were extremely developed, resulting in substantial wealth generation annually, placing it among the top twenty of the hundreds of space cities in the asteroid belt.

As the pirate boss of Gray Harbor, Herman's immense wealth was renowned in pirate circles.

After Yang Ying captured Gray Harbor, many small and medium pirate groups developed ambitions to take a piece of the pie, flocking to the space around Gray Harbor. They issued so-called final warnings to the Trant Mercenary Group, demanding protection money to satisfy their greed. Yang Ying jokingly referred to these pirates as jackals.

"I once heard a story about a child carrying a bag of gold walking among a pack of brigands, yet not being robbed because the brigands hadn't yet decided how to divide the spoils. It seems those jackals share some similarities with the brigands in that story," Yang Ying remarked with a smile.

"But we are not that helpless child," Kalia countered.

Yang Ying nodded. "Then, all that remains is to wait for Old Barrow's appearance."

"Rest assured, Commander, everything is proceeding according to plan," Kalia replied, offering a salute before turning to leave.

Part II: As time crawled by, the pirates gathering outside Gray Harbor gradually increased in number—the closer ones arriving earlier, the farther ones arriving later.

They were like locusts, appearing wherever they sensed food was available.

Due to frequent crises of trust among pirates, large pirate fleets rarely materialized. Most pirate groups fragmented and split into numerous small and medium factions before they could become major powers. There were truly only ten large pirate fleets.

The pirates outside Gray Harbor brought over a hundred small and medium warships, completely blocking all transit lanes into and out of Gray Harbor, causing the frequency of robberies to rise sharply.

Many civilian vessels received notice at the last moment, forcing them to abandon the Gray Harbor route, choosing instead to detour, turn back, or seek temporary refuge in nearby space cities until the disturbance passed.

The night after the Gray Harbor declaration was issued, Old Barrow's fleet appeared near the city.

"A rabble, daring to covet Gray Harbor."

Old Barrow stared at the radar scan displayed on the holographic screen. The periphery of Gray Harbor was littered with star-like specks of warships, some stationary, others cruising. Occasionally, one or two newly arrived vessels would join the surrounding circle.

Old Barrow’s expression shifted constantly. For every additional ship, there was one more claimant for the spoils. He had long considered Gray Harbor his own property, and others coveting what belonged to him naturally displeased him.

"But never mind. There were rumors of advanced large warships appearing when the Trant Mercenary Group attacked Gray Harbor the day before yesterday. Attacking rashly might be dangerous. I’ll use you cannon fodder to probe the situation," Old Barrow thought maliciously. He ordered his operations officer: "Arrange a video conference for me and summon all the pirate captains gathered outside Gray Harbor."

What Old Barrow didn't know was that the space around Gray Harbor was already blanketed by Observers dispatched by Yang Ying. All information was being intercepted. Yang Ying had positioned three squadrons of Ghost Agents in the base, specifically tasked with monitoring pirate communications outside Gray Harbor; this video conference was being played for Yang Ying from beginning to end.

When the meeting convened, Old Barrow announced three rules.

First, any pirate captain who did not participate in this meeting forfeited their right to act against Gray Harbor and must immediately vacate the area, or face attacks from everyone else.

Second, all actions against Gray Harbor must be coordinated by him; those attempting independent operations would also be attacked by all.

Finally, all spoils would be divided collectively, but he must first reclaim the assets he had previously deposited in Herman’s vault.

These three rules naturally provoked discontent among the other pirate captains. However, even though the Blood Skull Pirate Group had suffered heavy losses, they still possessed overwhelming strength. Every small or medium pirate group that voiced opposition was easily crushed by Old Barrow.

Most pirates neither wished to obey Old Barrow nor dared to fight him head-on, so they retreated further out, waiting for an opportunity.

Old Barrow managed to round up only a little more than half of the pirate forces outside Gray Harbor, but he never held high hopes for this disorganized mob anyway. Once the consolidation was complete, he immediately issued a final ultimatum to Gray Harbor as the Pirate Alliance Leader, demanding that the Trant Mercenary Group hand over the Matter-Energy Lock and everything else seized from Gray Harbor's pirate districts.

He also put forth a series of compensation demands, such as surrendering all weaponry and equipment, including the powered armor, armored vehicles, and the Valkyrie warship he coveted, which had appeared during the conquest of Gray Harbor.

Robin received this final communication in Gray Harbor. After reporting it to base, he issued a message according to plan, offering to return the Matter-Energy Lock in exchange for the Blood Skull Pirate Group’s withdrawal.

"Hahaha!" Old Barrow roared from the command seat. "They are indeed just a small mercenary group at heart, utterly lacking in courage. A little scare and their souls have scattered!"

"Captain, they also attached a condition, saying that this incident has caused internal discord within the mercenary group, and they requested a one-day grace period," the operations officer said, frowning. "I have a bad feeling there’s a plot here."

"Stop wasting your meager wisdom in front of me. Of course, I know there’s something fishy. But I’m too lazy to figure it out! In the face of absolute strength, any scheme is useless. Trying to stall by showing weakness? Hmph!" Old Barrow shook his head disdainfully. "Even if they have one or two advanced large warships, they can't match my numerical superiority. We don't need to bother with them; let's just take the Matter-Energy Lock they are delivering!"

"Then we wait for one day," the operations officer asked.

"One day is too long. Tell them I will only wait three hours. If they don't deliver the Matter-Energy Lock within that time limit, I will attack the city immediately!" Old Barrow declared.

The operations officer immediately went to send the message.

Old Barrow sneered inwardly, "They think they can satisfy my appetite with the Matter-Energy Lock? They clearly underestimate me."

Today is the Eve of the Little New Year; wishing everyone a Happy New Year in advance.