Chapter Summaries

Key plot points

• Nie Yun learns that the Vector Engine—the Twin Stars’ strategic weapon—was created by the Iris Civilization, the same mysterious race responsible for the Mechanical Insects.
• He suspects the engine may have come from a larger Iris spacecraft and wonders whether other wreckage or artifacts exist nearby, but Ishar has no information.
• Nie Yun proposes that he, Ishar, and Reynolds form an alliance and seek greater influence at Military Headquarters. Ishar agrees, and the three toast to their future cooperation.
• Alone afterward, Nie Yun investigates the possible connection between the Mechanical Insects, the Vector Engine, and other extraordinary beings. He questions the Long-Lived One, who recognizes neither the Iris name nor its script.
• With no evidence, Nie Yun leaves the Long-Lived One among his “suspects” and turns his attention back to the Vector Engine, privately wanting to reunite it with the Mechanical Insects.

Character developments and interactions

• Nie Yun shifts from surprise at the engine’s alien origin to strategic ambition: he wants both a stronger political position and deeper answers about the Iris Civilization. His curiosity also becomes possessive, framed humorously as a duty to bring the engine together with the Mechanical Insects.
• Ishar moves from cautious discussion to endorsing the alliance, believing their fate should be in their own hands.
• Reynolds quickly recognizes the political opportunity and eagerly supports the alliance, while acknowledging that he is not a contender to lead it.
• Nie Yun and the Long-Lived One share a brief, fruitless exchange: the Long-Lived One knows nothing of Iris, and Nie Yun’s inspection finds no clues.

Significant themes

• The limits of knowledge: The Iris Civilization’s traces raise more questions than they answer, and its history remains far beyond the characters’ reach.
• Power and technological dependence: The Vector Engine is immensely powerful, but the Twin Stars’ ships cannot fully exploit it.
• Agency and unity: Faced with a formidable enemy, the surviving commanders seek influence through cooperation rather than relying on a single weapon.
• Mystery and coincidence: The repeated appearance of Iris-made creations hints at a larger hidden history—and perhaps a connection among the universe’s “Cosmic Wonders.”

Key plot points and events

• Kinlock furiously confronts Kloros after the Locke Conglomerate loses more than a thousand warships—nearly half its total strength—in the battle against Twin Stars. The losses threaten the conglomerate’s security, business interests, and share price.
• Kloros admits his intelligence failed to anticipate Twin Stars’ near-light-speed battle star, but argues that the enemy fleet is nearly destroyed and can be defeated with a thousand ships.
• He claims the battle star may be a Cosmic Wonder, an extraordinarily valuable artifact. Kinlock, tempted by the prospect, agrees to continue the campaign.
• To hide the Conglomerate’s weakness, Kloros proposes suppressing communications, sealing the wormhole to prevent news from escaping, and publicly claiming victory. He plans to use the cover to move forces toward Twin Stars.
• Kloros promises to conquer Twin Stars within three months and says he will distract the surrounding Shattered Star Region by provoking unrest through Black Sail.
• After reassuring Kinlock, Kloros contacts a secret channel. He kneels before a handsome young man and addresses him as “Your Highness,” revealing that his loyalty to Kinlock is false or secondary.

Character developments and interactions

• Kinlock shifts from furious condemnation of Kloros to enthusiasm for the campaign once the possibility of acquiring a Cosmic Wonder is raised. His greed and anxiety about protecting his holdings shape his decisions.
• Kloros presents himself as a capable, confident strategist, but his private disdain for Kinlock—and his reverent contact with a prince—reveals hidden loyalties and a likely larger agenda.
• Their relationship is transactional: Kinlock berates Kloros as a failure, then quickly praises him when his plan offers profit and reassurance. Kloros smoothly manages Kinlock’s fears and ambitions.

Significant themes

• Power and vulnerability: Military strength underpins political and commercial security in a loosely controlled empire.
• Greed and ambition: The rumored Cosmic Wonder persuades Kinlock to risk further losses.
• Deception and propaganda: Kloros plans to conceal defeat behind a fabricated victory and distract potential adversaries.
• Hidden loyalties: Kloros’s final act suggests that the apparent employer–subordinate relationship conceals allegiance to a higher power.

Flint learns that the Locke Conglomerate has decisively defeated the Gemini Civilization and is preparing to exploit its conquered territory. Although Black Sail is allied with the Conglomerate, Flint fears that its growing power will eventually threaten his own influence in the Shattered Star Region. Rather than break the alliance immediately, he resolves to strengthen Black Sail while the Conglomerate is occupied. With his agents’ bait drawing in a target and the Dark God Temple’s fleet away from the region to confront Kalon, Flint judges the moment ideal and orders the Dragon-Slaying Plan launched.
Meanwhile, Red Dragon broods over losing his second-place Arena ranking—and, more painfully, being embarrassed when the Ghost Captain rejected recruitment offers from several powerful leaders. He learns that the Ghost Pirate Gang is spending heavily on supplies, raising suspicions that it has powerful backing. When his subordinates report the route of a valuable convoy, Red Dragon takes his force out to attack it.
The hunt initially goes smoothly, but the freighters explode during the boarding operation, revealing themselves as a disguised suicide fleet. Red Dragon realizes his gang has been lured into a trap. A force of more than five hundred ships then approaches, identified as the Madmen Pirate Gang. Before he can respond, he learns that Black Sail is attacking his home base. He concludes that Black Sail and the Madmen have coordinated their assault.
Character developments and interactions: Flint moves from cautious concern about the Locke Conglomerate to decisive action, exploiting the absence of rival forces to advance his own agenda. Red Dragon’s wounded pride and confidence give way to alarm as the ambush unfolds. His subordinates provide intelligence and reports, while Flint’s planted agents and the staged convoy show how deception drives the conflict.
Themes: The chapter emphasizes shifting alliances, political opportunism, and the danger of growing power. It also highlights deception and strategic timing: apparent opportunities—a distracted rival, a lucrative convoy, and routine intelligence—conceal carefully arranged traps.

Plot points and events

• Red Dragon learns that the Madmen Pirate Gang is blocking his route back to protect his home base, which Black Sail’s main fleet is attacking. The base holds the gang’s supplies and wealth, so losing it would leave them unable to sustain their fleet.
• Though outnumbering the Madmen ships, Red Dragon cannot simply break through. The Madmen let his fleet pass, then shadow it at a distance, forcing it to move cautiously and slowing its return.
• Red Dragon considers abandoning slower ships but fears the pirates will flee rather than serve as a deadly rear guard. He instead lays mines, only for the Madmen’s specialized minesweepers to clear them with coordinated projectile screens.
• When Red Dragon turns to attack, the Madmen keep out of range. Red Dragon then sorties in his Legendary Mecha, destroying several ships and lifting his fleet’s morale.
• Madman intercepts him in a golden Mecha. He reveals that he is holding Red Dragon in place because he owes Flint three promises—one of which was earned when Flint gave him his Legendary Mecha, Madman.
• Madman says he is only required to delay Red Dragon, not defeat him, and claims Red Dragon is no match for him. Red Dragon refuses to surrender and challenges him to fight.

Character developments and interactions

• Red Dragon shifts from urgency and frustration to fury, then to determined defiance. He is protective of his base and fleet, but unwilling to abandon his people or accept defeat.
• Madman remains terse, arrogant, and devoted to his promises. His explanation reveals a surprising link to Flint and suggests Flint recognized his potential years ago.
• Red Dragon and Madman have a history as Arena opponents and acquaintances. Red Dragon is astonished by the revelation about Madman’s Mecha, but recognizes that Madman will not break his word.

Significant themes

• Strategy over strength: The Madmen use pursuit, timing, and specialized equipment to delay a numerically larger force rather than risk a direct battle.
• Loyalty and obligation: Madman’s debt to Flint outweighs personal ties or any wish to avoid conflict.
• The fragility of pirate power: Without a secure base and supplies, even a large fleet can be reduced to a desperate, unsustainable force.
• Foresight and investment: Flint’s gift of a Legendary Mecha appears to have been a far-reaching wager that paid off.

Key events

• In the Shattered Star Region, Black Sail and Madmen attack Red Dragon. Madmen defeats Red Dragon in battle, while Black Sail captures his base and absorbs some of his pirates.
• As Black Sail pursues his weakened fleet, Red Dragon abandons slower ships and seeks refuge with the Dragon Cavalry—his apparent former enemy. Messiah accepts him and names him her second-in-command, igniting extravagant rumors about their relationship.
• Nie Yun reads a sensationalized intelligence report about the affair. Codename admits she rewrote it to make it more entertaining.
• Nie Yun checks Codename’s system log and discovers that, after he banned her from stock trading, she began writing web novels to earn money for food. Her data-heavy martial-arts epic became an instant sensation.
• Unable to find fault with her honest side job, Nie Yun allows her to continue but restricts her releases to one book per quarter. Codename then reveals plans for a new novel inspired by her intelligence work in the Shattered Star Region.

Character developments and interactions

• Codename proves resourceful and entrepreneurial: after losing access to stock trading, she turns her processing power into an extraordinarily productive writing career. She uses an exaggeratedly obedient, cute act to persuade Nie Yun to let her continue.
• Nie Yun shifts from suspicion and alarm to reluctant approval. He recognizes that Codename is earning money legitimately, though he imposes limits to prevent her overwhelming the publishing world.
• Their exchange is playful and familiar, with Nie Yun acting as both supervisor and exasperated guardian. The Mechanical Insect silently shares his disbelief.
• Red Dragon and Messiah are portrayed through public gossip rather than direct scenes. Red Dragon’s desperate defection and Messiah’s immediate acceptance suggest an unexpectedly close or complicated bond, though the nature of it remains unclear.

Significant themes

• Public perception versus reality: The pirates’ political maneuvering is turned into melodramatic romance by rumor and Codename’s editorial flair.
• Resourcefulness and adaptation: Codename finds a legitimate new livelihood after her previous scheme is shut down.
• Power, limits, and responsibility: Nie Yun accepts Codename’s initiative but restricts it because her abilities could disrupt an entire industry.
• Gap moe and genre play: Codename deliberately combines unlikely elements—big data and martial arts, as well as a women’s-section style in a men’s genre—to appeal through contrast.

Key plot points

• Nie Yun studies the Shattered Star Region’s pirate conflict and suspects the unrest may be connected to the Locke Conglomerate’s secret plan to rebuild its forces and invade the Twin Stars.
• He questions whether Black Sail and the Locke Conglomerate are truly allies. Golden Fang explains that Black Sail’s Flint and the Conglomerate’s Kinlock are rivals whose partnership is merely convenient, making it likely that the Conglomerate is manipulating the chaos without Flint’s knowledge.
• Golden Fang adds that the Dark God Temple and Kalon have also withdrawn their main forces at a suspicious moment. He warns that the supposedly neutral Gold Coin Pirate Gang may be far more influential than it appears: its hidden investments span the region, and its unexplained wealth could fund a force comparable to one of the Seven Great Pirate Gangs.
• Impressed by Golden Fang’s financial insight, Nie Yun invites him to join the mysterious All Things Unity Society as president of its Shattered Star branch. Golden Fang accepts the offer in excited confusion, unaware that he may be the branch’s only member.

Character developments and interactions

• Nie Yun shifts from analyzing the conflict to actively gathering intelligence. He sees Golden Fang’s expertise as useful and recruits him, while privately treating the Society as a means of drawing people into his network.
• Golden Fang arrives fearing that his influence in the Ghost Pirate Gang has become useless: Ryan Race warriors dominate the armed forces, and robots have taken over logistics. Relieved that Nie Yun has not summoned him to dismiss him, he eagerly proves his value and is rewarded with an impressive title.
• Codename becomes wary when Nie Yun’s muttering sounds like his own polished writing style, suspecting his boss might steal his line of work.
• Nie Yun and Golden Fang develop a more practical relationship: Golden Fang supplies regional knowledge and economic analysis; Nie Yun recognizes and recruits him.

Significant themes

• Deception and hidden power: Alliances, neutrality, and apparent weakness may conceal manipulation or vast influence.
• Ambition and political opportunity: Nie Yun views regional turmoil as a chance for a newcomer to rise and maneuver.
• Status versus real influence: Golden Fang’s nominal rank has lost much of its power, but his specialized knowledge gives him renewed value.
• Comic recruitment and manipulation: The Society’s grand title flatters Golden Fang, while the narration hints that Nie Yun’s organization is a trap designed to recruit people.

Key plot points

• Golden Fang leaves newly committed to completing procurement for Nie Yun’s organization. His intelligence reveals hidden rivalries and uncertain alliances among the Seven Great Pirate Gangs.
• Nie Yun divides the pirates into three camps: Black Sail and the Madmen, currently strongest; the weakened Twin Dragons, led by Red Dragon; and a nominally neutral group consisting of Gold Coin, the Dark God Temple, and Kalon.
• Nie Yun weighs staying out of the war against joining it. He concludes that neutrality could let the Locke Conglomerate overpower the Twin Stars, undoing his investment in Alsace and jeopardizing his hard-won reputation.
• Believing the Ghost Pirate Gang can influence events across the Shattered Star Region and beyond, Nie Yun decides to seek allies. He rules out the neutral and Black Sail camps and turns his attention to the Twin Dragons—especially their mysterious relationship.
• In the Black Sail camp, Flint asks the Madmen to help defeat the Dragon Cavalry. Flint’s plan to destroy Red Dragon and later recruit or absorb the Madmen has gone awry because Red Dragon survived by retreating to the Dragon Cavalry’s Lair, supported by Messiah. Flint fears a prolonged fight will leave his side vulnerable to other gangs.
• The Madmen agrees that Red Dragon must be dealt with, since the feud is already established.

Character developments and interactions

• Nie Yun shifts from cautious observation to active intervention, thinking strategically about how the pirate conflict affects his wider goals. His curiosity about the Twin Dragons’ private affairs also surfaces.
• Golden Fang appears transformed from an obscure pirate chief into a disciplined procurement manager.
• Flint is frustrated that his carefully laid plans have been disrupted, but tries to persuade the Madmen with both practical warnings and pressure.
• The Madmen remains calm and recognizes the danger of leaving Red Dragon alive; he agrees to cooperate with Black Sail.
• Messiah and Red Dragon, though absent, have altered the balance of power by working together and helping Red Dragon survive.

Significant themes

• Interconnected consequences: Local political choices can affect larger conflicts and Nie Yun’s long-term objectives.
• Risk versus caution: Remaining neutral may seem safe but could bring greater losses later.
• Alliance-building and manipulation: Leaders weigh cooperation, threats, and self-interest rather than trust.
• Information as leverage: Golden Fang’s intelligence helps Nie Yun identify opportunities—and possible hidden power players.

Plot points and events

• The Twin Dragons are under growing pressure: Black Sail has seized another base, while the Madmen have ambushed several allied units. Messiah orders her forces to retreat rather than engage, though the Legendary Mecha’s speed makes escape difficult.
• Red Dragon has recovered from his injuries, but his mecha’s core was damaged in the previous battle. Without energy crystallization, it is effectively unusable as a Legendary Mecha. He still wants to fight, but Messiah refuses to let him risk his life.
• Dark Shadow and Kalon have refused to return or help. Red Dragon suggests deploying the Valkyrie, but Messiah says it must remain hidden unless they have no other choice.
• Nie Yun contacts them and announces that he has come to join the Twin Dragons. Suspicious of his motives, Red Dragon asks why he would choose their losing side. Nie Yun claims he wants another chance to fight the Madmen, who left him dissatisfied after their missed match at the Arena.
• Nie Yun says he has brought a “pledge of allegiance,” hinting that he may have a way to address the damage to Red Dragon’s mecha.

Character developments and interactions

• Messiah remains composed and protective of her people, but the setbacks are wearing on her. She also firmly prioritizes secrecy and survival over desperate measures.
• Red Dragon is recovering physically and remains eager to defend the group, though his damaged mecha limits him. His long history with Messiah comes through in their familiar, affectionate banter; he calls her “Captain,” and she teases him about her sisters.
• Nie Yun presents himself as a brash combat enthusiast and makes an unexpected offer to join the Twin Dragons. His real intentions remain uncertain, and his “pledge” is left unexplained at the chapter’s end.
• Red Dragon and Messiah are clearly close, prompting Nie Yun to privately observe their intimacy. Messiah is skeptical of Nie Yun’s stated reason for joining, while Red Dragon is more sympathetic to his competitive pride.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and trust: Nie Yun’s offer is difficult to accept because it comes when the Twin Dragons are vulnerable.
• Pride and rivalry: Nie Yun’s alleged desire to fight the Madmen—and Red Dragon’s sympathy—reflects the characters’ strong competitive instincts.
• Sacrifice versus survival: Red Dragon wants to fight despite his limitations, while Messiah insists on protecting him and keeping the Valkyrie concealed.
• Decline and uncertainty: The Twin Dragons face mounting losses and unreliable allies, leaving Nie Yun’s arrival as a possible turning point—or a new risk.

Key plot points and events

• Nie Yun examines the battle-damaged Red Dragon while Messiah and Red Dragon discuss whether he can repair its Legendary Mecha core.
• Messiah explains that Legendary Mecha remain rare because their energy-compression circuits require a specialized superconducting material the Wulf Empire still cannot manufacture. She doubts the Machine Race can mass-produce them.
• Red Dragon grants Nie Yun maintenance access. When he touches the core, his Mechanical Insects detect a “homologous physical interface” and recognize the core’s material as a form of mithril—an Iris Civilization creation built from densely structured Mechanical Insects.
• Nie Yun establishes a connection instead of entering the access code. He begins absorbing and reformatting the core’s Mechanical Insects, exposing its energy circuits and learning how the technology works.

Character developments

• Nie Yun reveals that his connection to Mechanical Insects gives him an unexpected way to bypass the core’s security. He is cautious about the risk but eager to acquire Legendary Mecha technology.
• Messiah demonstrates substantial knowledge of Mecha engineering and the Empire’s technological limits.
• Red Dragon is anxious about his prized Mecha but trusts Nie Yun enough to authorize maintenance mode.

Character interactions

• Messiah reassures Red Dragon that the Machine Race is unlikely to mass-produce Legendary Mecha, though Red Dragon remains uneasy about Nie Yun’s ability to repair one.
• Red Dragon grants Nie Yun access after Messiah suggests they have little to lose by letting him try.
• Nie Yun’s contact with the core creates a direct connection between its material and his Mechanical Insects, allowing him to bypass the normal access-code process.

Significant themes

• Technology and secrecy: The core’s safeguards protect valuable military knowledge, but Nie Yun’s unusual biology-like interface makes conventional security irrelevant.
• Hidden connections: The discovery that the core contains an Iris Civilization material links distant civilizations and raises questions about how widely such creations have spread.
• Adaptation and appropriation: Nie Yun turns a security barrier into a source of knowledge and recruits the core’s component insects into his own forces.

Key events

• Studying the Mecha core’s material leads Nie Yun to theorize that Iris Civilization ships may have been built entirely from Mechanical Insects. In that system, repair fluid would consume damaged parts and rebuild them, making repairs fast and nearly effortless.
• Nie Yun distinguishes basic “mithril” from specialized materials made by arranging Mechanical Insects in different configurations. The core’s material conducts energy exceptionally well, though it sacrifices other properties. He suspects the Iris Civilization developed many other advanced materials.
• He learns that he can mass-produce the core’s specialized material from information in the Mechanical Insects’ database—potentially bringing him closer to Energy Crystallization technology.
• While examining the core, Nie Yun studies its intricate three-dimensional Energy Circuits and concludes that they likely originated with the Iris Civilization, not the Wulf Empire. He suspects the Wulf Empire recovered a component from an Iris shipwreck: perhaps a crystallized shield generator whose circuit design it could copy but whose materials it could not reproduce.
• After half an hour apparently doing nothing, Nie Yun withdraws his hand. Red Dragon and Messiah assume he failed to repair the core—but a self-check confirms it is operating at full power. Nie Yun reveals his method as “Remote Repair Style.”

Character developments and interactions

• Nie Yun’s curiosity turns into a series of ambitious deductions: he connects Mechanical Insect materials, Energy Crystallization, and the possible scattered parts of an Iris super-ship. His confidence and ingenuity are highlighted by his ability to repair the core without opening it.
• Red Dragon and Messiah wait expectantly for Nie Yun to demonstrate the Machine Race’s technology. His long stillness confuses them; when he finishes, they politely thank him, believing he failed. The core’s successful self-check leaves them stunned.
• The Mechanical Insects are humorously imagined as maintenance-saving “money-saving insects,” while Nie Yun jokes that his methods make his fleet essentially maintenance-free.

Significant themes

• Technological ingenuity: Advanced technology may come from reconfiguring the same basic components into specialized forms.
• Inference from fragments: Nie Yun reconstructs the history and capabilities of an ancient civilization by linking scattered clues.
• Resourcefulness and surprise: The apparent miracle of remote repair underlines Nie Yun’s habit of finding unconventional solutions.
• Humor amid high technology: Grand theories about civilization-ending weapons sit alongside jokes about maintenance costs and Nie Yun’s unexplained “touching” of the core.

Key plot points and events

• Flint secures unified command of a nearly two-thousand-ship pirate fleet by promising its leaders 30% of the Dragon Cavalry’s wealth and women. He plans to reclaim those concessions later.
• As the fleet advances, Red Dragon appears with 300 elite ships. Flint assumes Messiah has abandoned him and offers Red Dragon a place as Black Sail’s second-in-command. Red Dragon refuses and lets Flint’s fleet pass.
• The Dragon Cavalry then attacks the home bases of three allied pirate groups—Redbeard, Blue Nose, and Yellow Ribbon—while Flint’s main fleet is away. Each base faces more than 200 enemy ships.
• Flint tries to keep the alliance together by promising compensation, but the news unsettles the fleet. Red Dragon broadcasts that groups who withdraw will be spared, while those who stay may be attacked next.
• Most of the opportunistic pirate groups withdraw. Only Black Sail loyalists and the three groups whose bases were struck remain.
• Red Dragon reveals that the raids were Nie Yun’s “Empty Fort Strategy”: the Dragon Cavalry’s apparent abandonment of its own base makes the enemy believe it is desperate and unpredictable, disrupting Flint’s coalition.

Character developments and interactions

• Flint is calculating and confident, using promises and unified command to build his force. But he underestimates Messiah’s willingness to strike elsewhere, and his coalition proves fragile when its members feel threatened.
• Red Dragon remains defiant and loyal to the Dragon Cavalry. He rejects Flint’s offer, then uses his reputation and a direct threat to drive the less committed pirates away.
• Redbeard and the other opportunists are motivated by profit rather than loyalty. They panic when their bases are attacked, and most pirate groups abandon Flint once the danger seems greater than the potential spoils.
• Nie Yun stays behind the strategy, exploiting the pirates’ fear and greed rather than confronting Flint’s much larger fleet directly. His playful explanation for choosing the three targets adds comic relief.

Significant themes

• Psychological warfare: The Dragon Cavalry uses uncertainty and the appearance of desperation to undermine a stronger enemy.
• Fragile alliances: A coalition built on greed can quickly fracture when its members face personal risk.
• Loyalty versus self-interest: Red Dragon’s commitment contrasts with the opportunistic pirate leaders.
• Unpredictability as power: The threat of reckless retaliation makes the Dragon Cavalry seem dangerous even while outnumbered.

Key plot points

• Flint believes Dragon Cavalry’s withdrawal from its base is a strategic blunder: Black Sail and Madmen still command roughly a thousand elite ships and can take the base while destroying the Twin Dragons.
• Red Dragon reveals that Dragon Cavalry’s abandoned territory is rigged with powerful Pluto Series bombs. He detonates some around the base, obliterating much of the surrounding asteroid field and showing that looting the base could trigger further destruction.
• The threat drives the Red Yellow Blue gang and the remaining smaller pirate groups away from Flint’s fleet. They retreat to watch the coming battle rather than risk fighting for spoils that may be impossible to claim.
• Flint recognizes the threat as a bargaining tactic and says he will press on even if he gains no wealth, since defeating the Twin Dragons is his main objective.
• Red Dragon admits the bombs are meant as a last resort, then hints that the Twin Dragons could destroy their base and join another power if defeat becomes inevitable. When Flint rules out the other major factions, Red Dragon names Kinlock as their intended ally.

Character developments and interactions

• Flint remains confident and strategically focused. He dismisses the bomb threat as a bluff, but Red Dragon’s unexpected mention of Kinlock catches him off guard.
• Red Dragon uses humor, composure, and the threat of mutually assured destruction to unsettle Flint and break apart his coalition. He openly acknowledges the limits of the threat while revealing that the Twin Dragons have another option.
• The smaller pirate gangs show their self-interest: once the prospect of profit vanishes, they abandon Flint rather than risk their ships.
• The exchange between Flint and Red Dragon shifts from Flint’s apparent advantage to uncertainty over whether the Twin Dragons can secure support elsewhere.

Significant themes

• Pragmatism and self-interest: Pirate alliances hold only while there is something to gain.
• Deterrence and brinkmanship: The bombs make Dragon Cavalry’s base both a valuable target and a potential trap.
• Strategic misdirection: Red Dragon uses the apparent threat not just to protect the base but to disrupt Flint’s coalition and reveal an alternative plan.
• The value of allies: The chapter ends by raising the question of whether Kinlock can offer the Twin Dragons a way out.

Plot points and events

• Red Dragon argues that the Locke Conglomerate may take in him and Nie Yun, using them as a weapon against Black Sail as Kinlock grows wary of Flint’s rising power.
• Flint admits this possibility could threaten him, but reveals he has prepared a trap: Madman is hidden nearby, ready to strike Red Dragon’s flagship.
• Madman emerges from camouflage and charges through Red Dragon’s fleet, while Black Sail and its allies move to encircle the Dragon fleet. Flint intends to kill Red Dragon before he can defect.
• Flint reveals that he knows the Red Dragon mecha is badly damaged, suggesting Black Sail has an informant among Red Dragon’s senior circle.
• Nie Yun unexpectedly appears on Red Dragon’s communications screen. Flint tries to buy his neutrality, offering twice Red Dragon’s promised favor.
• Nie Yun accepts, then uses his first “request” to demand that everyone make peace—putting Flint in a bind: refusing risks Nie Yun’s intervention, while agreeing ends the attack.

Character developments and interactions

• Flint shifts from confident negotiator to openly aggressive tactician. His intelligence network and careful planning make him dangerous, but Nie Yun’s literal-minded bargain frustrates him.
• Red Dragon stays composed despite being targeted and recognizes the threat posed by Flint’s plan. He and Nie Yun coordinate their response, with Nie Yun supporting Red Dragon’s argument about the Locke Conglomerate.
• Nie Yun proves unpredictable and socially astute. He turns Flint’s attempt to recruit him into a paradoxical demand that undermines the attack.
• Madman serves as Flint’s concealed weapon, using Legendary Mecha speed and power to break through the fleet toward Red Dragon’s flagship.

Significant themes

• Power and shifting alliances: Black Sail’s growing strength threatens neighboring powers and may make former allies into enemies.
• Deception and intelligence: Flint’s ambush and knowledge of the damaged Red Dragon show how information can shape a battle before it begins.
• Bargaining and wordplay: Nie Yun exploits the terms of Flint’s deal, turning a seemingly straightforward offer into a dilemma.
• Overconfidence versus unpredictability: Flint’s carefully designed trap is disrupted by an unexpected intervention he cannot easily control.

Key plot points

• Flint threatens Nie Yun after realizing he may be interfering with the planned attack. Nie Yun insists he is genuinely trying to make peace, but Flint refuses to trust him.
• The Madman breaks through the Red Dragon Fleet’s defenses with a series of high-speed maneuvers and powerful sword strikes, reaching the flagship.
• Just as Madman is about to attack, a fully restored Red Dragon appears and knocks him back. Madman had assumed Red Dragon was badly damaged and out of the fight.
• Red Dragon’s renewed strength comes from Nie Yun, who repaired its overload damage and restored its aging mecha core to peak output. Nie Yun has also secretly retained a way to sabotage it again.

Character developments and interactions

• Nie Yun remains cheerfully inscrutable: he claims to be a peacemaker, while his actions—and hidden control over Red Dragon—make him difficult to trust.
• Flint is angered by Nie Yun’s interference and threatens him, but stays focused on the battle. He cannot understand why Nie Yun is not joining the fight.
• Madman reveals his appetite for extreme danger: he accepted the decapitation mission despite suspecting Flint’s motives, valuing the chance to face a formidable opponent.
• Red Dragon returns in unexpectedly excellent condition, thanks to Nie Yun’s work, and is grateful enough to nearly swear brotherhood with him. That gratitude contrasts with the leverage Nie Yun secretly holds over him.
• Codename, observing the events, turns Red Dragon’s trust in Nie Yun into a humorous warning poem about risky purchases and treacherous after-sales service.

Significant themes

• Trust and deception: Nie Yun says he is sincere, but others have reason to doubt him; his helpfulness comes with hidden strings.
• Risk and survival: Madman embraces dangerous combat, believing survival is the ultimate measure of strength.
• Technology and maintenance: Even legendary mecha cores degrade over time, while skilled repair can restore their performance.
• Comic contrast: The dramatic battle is undercut by Nie Yun’s shady “customer service” and Codename’s mock-poetic consumer warning.

Plot points and events

• Madman realizes Red Dragon’s reported damage was a ruse and welcomes the chance to fight him at full strength. Red Dragon, however, has the advantage of a fleet and home territory, while Madman’s own forces are still approaching.
• As the Black Sail and Madmen fleets close in, Red Dragon attacks before they can arrive, using his forces’ firepower to trap Madman.
• Madman injects the Wulf Empire’s Desperate Situation Drug, a dangerous stimulant that heightens mental power, reflexes, and combat judgment at severe potential cost.
• Madman’s unusual engineered physiology lets him withstand the drug’s effects better than most. He dodges the barrage, closes in, and pins Red Dragon in a brutal melee, preventing Red Dragon’s forces from safely intervening.
• Just as Madman appears to have the upper hand, a massive cannon blast narrowly misses both mecha. Red Dragon discovers that the shot came from Nie Yun’s flagship. Nie Yun claims he was helping—and boasts about his accuracy—leaving Red Dragon exasperated.

Character developments

• Madman reveals his willingness to risk his life for an advantage, as well as his exceptional resilience, tactical instincts, and skill in close combat. His engineered origins explain why the drug affects him differently.
• Red Dragon remains aggressive but becomes increasingly desperate when Madman traps him. His improved armor helps him endure the assault, though he cannot break free.
• Nie Yun displays a comic mix of confidence and apparent obliviousness: he intervenes with a ship’s cannon rather than joining the fight in his mecha.

Significant themes

• Power at a cost: The drug offers a dramatic boost but can cause permanent damage or death.
• Adaptation and survival: Madman turns both his unusual body and the battlefield’s constraints to his advantage.
• Risk and timing: Each side tries to survive long enough for reinforcements to shift the balance.
• Combat and comedy: The lethal duel is undercut by Nie Yun’s badly timed, questionable “support.”

Character interactions

• Madman and Red Dragon trade taunts before becoming locked in close combat; Madman uses Red Dragon as a shield against his own forces.
• Red Dragon calls for help, but Nie Yun’s cannon shot nearly hits them both. Their exchange afterward highlights Red Dragon’s frustration and Nie Yun’s misplaced confidence.

Key plot points and events

• Nie Yun’s timely shot gives Red Dragon a brief reprieve, and the Phantom appears behind Madman. Madman realizes the Ghost Captain has joined the battle and assumes he is there for a one-on-one showdown.
• Red Dragon worries that Black Sail’s approaching fleet will arrive before they can defeat Madman. But Nie Yun refuses Madman’s challenge to fight singly: he and Red Dragon attack together, backed by Red Dragon’s pirates.
• The combined assault traps Madman under sustained fire. Nie Yun’s well-timed attacks prevent Madman from closing in, and after three minutes the powerful Mecha is nearly out of energy.
• Just as Madman seems about to fall, a sniper shot from afar pierces the Phantom’s shield and armor, punching a basketball-sized hole through its chest.
• The shooter is revealed to be Flint, piloting a black Legendary Mecha equipped with a long-range rifle. Black Sail has a fourth Legendary Mecha.

Character developments and interactions

• Nie Yun chooses teamwork and tactical advantage over the honor of a one-on-one duel. His boast of brotherhood with Red Dragon is partly a shameless justification for eliminating Madman together and claiming the top position. He also holds back his newly acquired Energy Crystallization technology rather than reveal it unnecessarily.
• Red Dragon initially prepares to let Nie Yun fight Madman alone, partly out of concern for the approaching fleet and partly because he owes Nie Yun for repairing his Mecha. Nie Yun’s insistence on fighting together catches him off guard, but he resumes his place as a partner.
• Madman respects the Ghost Captain as a fellow battle enthusiast and taunts him with a choice of fighting alone or together. His confidence gives way to desperation as the coordinated attack wears him down; he regrets not retreating sooner.
• Flint’s sudden appearance changes the balance of the fight and reveals that Black Sail has concealed a major strategic asset.

Significant themes

• Pragmatism over pride: Nie Yun rejects a fair duel in favor of the approach most likely to secure victory.
• Misdirection and hidden power: Nie Yun conceals his technology, while Black Sail’s fourth Legendary Mecha remains undisclosed until the decisive moment.
• The danger of overconfidence: Madman’s appetite for a challenge keeps him in a worsening position, while the approaching fleet raises the cost of delay.
• Unexpected reversals: Just as victory seems certain, Flint’s long-range strike turns the battle on its head.

Key plot points and events

• Flint reveals Black Demon, a fourth Legendary Mecha he had kept secret, and uses its sniper shot to destroy the Phantom’s cockpit. He prevents Red Dragon from pursuing Madman by keeping him in his sights.
• Madman escapes to his fleet. The Phantom appears to be fatally damaged, but Nie Yun reveals he was controlling it remotely from Red Dragon’s flagship and was never aboard.
• Black Sail’s fleet arrives in force, outnumbering Red Dragon’s ships nearly three to one. Red Dragon orders a retreat and volunteers to hold off the enemy.
• Nie Yun launches a second Mecha, Captain, from his personal warship. Flint shoots at it, but Captain blocks the Legendary sniper shot with a crystallized shield.
• Nie Yun claims Captain is the lost fifth Legendary Mecha. The battlefield is left stunned, though the claim is part of his effort to bluff and confuse his opponents.

Character developments and interactions

• Nie Yun demonstrates his resourcefulness by using remote control to save himself, keeping a spare Mecha ready, and concealing Captain’s true capabilities behind a bold claim. His teasing, confident manner contrasts with the danger of the battle.
• Red Dragon shifts from mourning the apparently dead Ghost Captain and promising revenge to relief at discovering Nie Yun survived. He then prepares to protect his fleet, but is stunned by Nie Yun’s second Mecha and shield.
• Flint gains a tactical advantage with Black Demon but is rattled when Nie Yun survives the first shot and Captain withstands the second.
• Madman takes advantage of Flint’s attack to escape, while remaining out of action for the moment.

Significant themes

• Deception and hidden capabilities: Both Flint and Nie Yun reveal weapons and resources their enemies did not know they possessed.
• Ingenuity under pressure: Remote control, a spare Mecha, and Captain’s shield turn apparent defeat into a countermeasure.
• Uncertainty and bluffing: Nie Yun’s claim that Captain is a fifth Legendary Mecha shows how reputation and surprise can shape a battle as much as firepower.

Plot points and events

• Red Dragon’s side reveals a second Legendary Mecha, “Little Five,” alongside the Madman. The two machines make Black Sail’s commander, Flint, reconsider the battle: his expected victory now looks costly, and he may not be able to prevent Red Dragon’s main force from escaping.
• Just as both sides prepare to fight, Nie Yun proposes talks. A private meeting brings Flint, Messiah, Red Dragon, the Madman, and Nie Yun together, while the watching pirates complain that the climactic battle has been interrupted.
• Messiah concedes that her side is losing, but warns Flint that destroying Red Dragon and the Dragon Cavalry could upset the region’s balance of power. Flint dismisses the warning, believing he can manage the remaining pirate gangs and emerge as the strongest power.
• Nie Yun then reveals that the Locke Conglomerate was badly defeated beyond the wormhole, losing more than half its elite fleet, and is concealing its losses while preparing one last offensive. Flint recognizes that the Conglomerate’s recent behavior supports this account.
• Nie Yun points out that Flint’s attack on Red Dragon coincided with the Conglomerate’s weakness—and with two rival pirate gangs being absent from the region. He hints that Flint’s timing may have served the Conglomerate’s interests, leaving Flint to question whether the apparent coincidences were orchestrated.

Character developments and interactions

• Flint shifts from confidence in a decisive victory to unease. He remains hostile toward the ceasefire proposal but becomes increasingly receptive to Nie Yun’s intelligence and suspicious of his own assumptions.
• Nie Yun establishes himself as more than a hired fighter: he controls consequential information and uses suggestive questions to unsettle Flint rather than spelling out his conclusion. His claims of valuing friendship are undercut by Red Dragon and Messiah’s memories of his profiteering.
• Messiah acts as a composed strategist, acknowledging defeat while arguing that the wider political consequences could make Flint’s victory dangerous.
• Red Dragon reacts bluntly to Flint’s threats and is surprised by the appearance of another Legendary Mecha.
• The Madman, weakened and mostly silent, watches Flint closely during the negotiations.

Significant themes

• Power and deterrence: A second Legendary Mecha changes the military calculation without a shot being fired.
• Information and deception: Public claims, concealed losses, and incomplete intelligence shape the conflict as much as force does.
• Political consequences: Winning a battle may create enemies or destabilize the broader balance of power.
• Suspicion and manipulation: Nie Yun’s hints make Flint reconsider whether events were accidental—or arranged.

Key plot points and events

• Nie Yun reveals that his supposed peace efforts were meant to weaken Flint’s resolve to fight Twin Dragons, not to let the two camps destroy each other. He believes Flint is already considering withdrawal.
• Nie Yun suggests that the Locke Conglomerate has been manipulating unrest in the Shattered Star Region to clear the way for an attack on Twin Stars. Flint recognizes that the timing of events may have been engineered to push him into war.
• Nie Yun expands the conspiracy theory, proposing that Gold Coin, the Dark God Temple, and Kalon may all be involved. He links the alleged scheme to the Wulf Empire’s Second Prince, a powerful Locke Conglomerate shareholder.
• Although Nie Yun admits he has no proof, he argues that Gold Coin’s hidden wealth and the three neutral gangs’ coordinated stance could point to a larger plan: let the main powers exhaust themselves, then seize control of the region.
• He offers the pirate leaders an alternative to submitting to the Second Prince: his organization can help them. In return, Nie Yun wants equal standing with them and ultimately a seat among the Seven Great Pirate Gangs.
• When Flint demands to know what qualifies him, Nie Yun promises access to weapons, warships, personnel, and wealth. Flint appears tempted.

Character developments and interactions

• Nie Yun proves himself a shrewd negotiator, using fear and uncertainty rather than evidence to redirect the leaders’ attention. He openly reveals his ambition to rise into the region’s highest ranks.
• Flint shifts from anger at the possibility of being manipulated to wary consideration of Nie Yun’s proposal. Though skeptical, he is intrigued by the resources on offer.
• Messiah and Red Dragon react strongly to the possibility of the Second Prince’s involvement; Red Dragon is notably angry. Madman is also shaken, despite his usual fearlessness.
• The pirate leaders challenge Nie Yun’s claims and motives, forcing him to explain both the alleged threat and what he wants in return.

Significant themes

• Power and responsibility: The chapter’s title is used ironically as Nie Yun pins the consequences of possible interference on the most powerful figure he can name.
• Manipulation and perception: Nie Yun’s conspiracy is explicitly presented as a calculated scare tactic; planting doubt may be more useful than proving the story.
• Ambition and self-interest: The pirate leaders are driven by survival and profit, and Nie Yun candidly appeals to both.
• Unequal power and resistance: Nie Yun offers cooperation as a way for the smaller factions to avoid becoming pawns of a powerful imperial contender.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points

• In Shattered Star City, Golden Fang reviews a huge procurement order for the Ghost Pirate Gang. Prices have risen sharply because pirate alliances and battles have disrupted supply: fewer traders are operating while gangs stockpile weapons and essentials.
• The nearly hundred-million-credit purchase is being made on credit, with the Ghost Pirate Gang itself as collateral. Golden Fang worries about the cost and his performance targets, but his boss has ordered him to buy immediately.
• Drake offers Golden Fang a further discount in exchange for information about the Ghost Pirate Gang. He presents a bearer card containing three million credits. Golden Fang insists he would never take kickbacks, yet ends up keeping the card and fleeing guiltily.
• Drake reports the successful approach to Golden Dagger, leader of the Gold Coin Pirate Gang. Golden Dagger is already investigating the Ghost Captain, especially possible ties to the Machine Race and a mysterious organization called the All Things Unity Society.
• Golden Dagger then receives orders from a powerful, unidentified royal figure. He reports that two long-hidden survivors have likely been found, and that another mysterious figure—the Ghost Captain—has risen in the Shattered Star Region.
• Elsewhere, an unknown person suspects the All Things Unity Society may be connected to one of the royal family’s younger brothers. They also wonder whether the Machine Race is interested in the region because of the two survivors or a secret treasure.

Character developments and interactions

• Golden Fang enjoys the status and influence that come with serving as the Ghost Pirate Gang’s procurement manager, but his loyalty is tested by Drake’s bribe. His emphatic denial of corruption is undercut by his eventual acceptance of the money.
• Drake skillfully exploits Golden Fang’s financial worries, first offering a discount and then framing the bribe as a harmless chance to secure his future. He reports the result to Golden Dagger.
• Golden Dagger appears to be both a shrewd information broker and an obedient operative for a powerful royal patron. His concern about the Ghost Captain becomes part of a larger investigation involving the Machine Race, political rivals, and surviving enemies.
• The royal figure gives Golden Dagger a cold, results-focused order to deal with the suspected survivors. The conversation establishes a dangerous political power struggle beyond the pirate region.
• The unnamed observer links the emerging organization and the Machine Race to dynastic intrigue, hinting that the Ghost Captain’s rise may be entangled with a broader conspiracy.

Significant themes

• Corruption and self-justification: Golden Fang’s loyalty clashes with his desire for money; his righteous protest becomes ironic when he accepts the bribe.
• War’s economic consequences: Conflict among powerful pirate factions drives up prices and burdens ordinary suppliers and workers.
• Information as power: The Gold Coin Pirate Gang seeks intelligence about the Ghost Captain, while money is used to buy access to it.
• Hidden political conspiracies: The Machine Race, the All Things Unity Society, royal family rivalries, and the two survivors point to a larger conflict behind events in the Shattered Star Region.