"Have you been an interstellar pirate for so long that you've never thought about coming ashore? You were also one of the founders of the original Guardians of the Galaxy. You've got friends in the Nova Corps. Can't you stop doing this?" Star-Lord asked with a frown.
To his surprise, Yondu did not fiercely refute him this time. He was silent for a while before sighing. "You were born on Earth, and you've always held yourself too high to think much of people like us, scraping out a living through robbery. But what you don't understand is that not everyone is like those lunatics from the Nine Realms, treating the Three Great Empires like nothing. Any one of those three empires could crush us tens of thousands of times by lifting a finger. The only reason they leave us alone is that we're too weak to threaten them, while they can use us to keep bandits around and build themselves up as great heroes."
Yondu looked at Star-Lord. "I won't deny that interstellar pirates have never had good endings. From the day I entered this line of work, I knew I'd eventually turn to ash under cannon fire. But I also know that without me, interstellar pirates would still exist. The difference is that more people would suffer. Do you understand?"
"I'm not saying I'm some great saint. It's just that not everyone can strike the right balance. A little bug can bore through a planet. Bugs like us can fight to the death without taking a bite out of anyone, but if we cause trouble at the critical moment, the universe could still be overturned."
Star-Lord had never heard his adoptive father say anything like this. He stared at Yondu in a daze. "What do you mean?"
Yondu suddenly