In the dark depths of the universe.
A massive, all-metal planet orbited an enormous central star.
Rows upon rows of square metal boxes covered the planet. Dense underground cables encircled the entire world, linking the boxes into a matrix.
The Planetary Axis Magnetism Device installed in its core harnessed the planet's rotation to generate vast, unending amounts of energy, supplying the enormous matrix as it performed countless quadrillions of calculations every second.
Deep beneath the surface of this all-metal planet, a Humanoid Mechanical Lifeform seated on a throne slowly opened its closed eyes...
"Dusk... is dead?"
The entire planet seemed to seethe silently as the matrix's computational activity abruptly increased tens of thousands of times over.
"The All Things Unity Society... the Solar System... the Ghost Captain..."
The humanoid machine slowly rose from its throne.
Commands began spreading rapidly through the silent starry expanse.
The entire star system, and even dozens of neighboring systems, began stirring!
Countless warships assembled like gathering storm clouds, stretching as far as the eye could see...
The Shattered Star Region, Pirate Alliance Headquarters.
"Lord Pirate King, when did you return?"
When Flint and the others heard that Nie Yun had returned to the alliance without a word, they hurried over at once.
What surprised them, however, was the familiar figure accompanying him.
Who else could that masked man be but "Dark Shadow"?
But these core members all knew that, at most, this fellow was one of Nie Yun's puppets, not Dark Shadow himself.
What was Nie Yun trying to do, bringing a puppet to a gathering like this?
"I called you here mainly to announce something," Nie Yun said, getting straight to the point.
"From now on, Dark Shadow will take over from me as the person in charge of the Pirate Alliance. His