The Three-Claw Snake Interstellar Pirate Fleet did not immediately assume a combat formation. Instead, they advanced slowly, much like an ordinary interstellar fleet.
Just as they were about to enter the engagement range of the Zero Blizzard.
Suddenly, the Zero Blizzard began to move, as if sensing something, and started sailing in another direction.
"Boss, have we been spotted?" the skinny adjutant said.
"At this distance, what does it matter if we've been spotted? Same old plan. Have two T2 Ishkur-class Medium Interstellar Frigates each lead several T1 Vulture-class Medium Interstellar Frigates to flank from both sides.
At this range, intercepting and stopping them will be a piece of cake!" the bearded pirate captain said confidently.
At that moment, the Three-Claw Snake Interstellar Pirate Fleet shed all pretense and gave chase at full speed toward the Zero Blizzard.
Among them, the two T2 Ishkur-class Medium Interstellar Frigates and the T1 Vulture-class Medium Interstellar Frigates were the fastest.
This is because the Interstellar Frigate is the Starship Type with the highest mobility and speed among all starship classes. Only some Stellar Cruisers can match it in this regard.
Relying on their High Speed, Interstellar Frigates can perform tasks such as protecting fleet formations and intercepting or stopping enemy vessels.
That's why Interstellar Pirates favor this type of starship—it's cheap and well-suited for raiding.
They swarm in like a hornet's nest, relentlessly pursuing their target regardless of the ship type.
At this point, the Zero Blizzard likely also sensed something was wrong and began to increase its speed.
But the starships of the Three-Claw Snake Interstellar Pirate Fleet clung to it like stubborn barnacles, impossible to shake off. The distance between them grew shorter and shorter, and it seemed they were about to catch up.
"Trying to run, little darling? No prey I've set my eyes on has ever escaped," the bearded pirate captain sneered.
Just then, a communications crew member exclaimed, "Report, boss! We're receiving a communication signal request... it seems... it seems to be from that Zero Blizzard!"
The bearded pirate captain was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Looks like that Waste Baron is scared and wants to beg for mercy.
Put it through. I'd love to savor the sight of a Baron pleading for his life before the end."
The Video Communication was connected, and a video window appeared before the bearded pirate captain.
A man's face appeared on the screen.
However, instead of the expected look of terror or fear, the man's eyes held a mocking, almost playful glint, as if he were looking at a toy.
"So, you're the leader of the Three-Claw Snake Interstellar Pirate Fleet," the man said calmly.
This opening left the bearded pirate captain momentarily speechless. Was there something wrong with the connection? Why wasn't this guy afraid at all?
"You know me?" the bearded pirate captain asked, surprised.
"I also know you were hired by the Bao and Cui families to attack us," Zhao Chen said, resting his chin on one hand.
The bearded pirate captain spread his hands and grinned. "Since the Baron already knows, there's nothing more to say. We're just getting paid to do a job. So please, Baron, be a good boy and go die quietly."
"Go die?" Zhao Chen chuckled softly. "Sorry, but it's not me who's going to die. It's you."
"Us? Hahahaha, you really know how to joke, you Waste Baron. Send us to our deaths?" The bearded pirate captain sneered at Zhao Chen. "What gives you the right to send us to our deaths?
With this piece of junk starship that's neither fish nor fowl?
Take a look around you. Those are all my starships! They're about to smash your starship to pieces, and you, pitiful Baron, will be buried in your own territory's star system."
"I suggest you take a look around you first," Zhao Chen said, narrowing his eyes with a smirk.
At that moment, the radar pirate crewman on the bearded pirate captain's ship exclaimed in alarm, "Bad news! Massive energy signatures have appeared all around us and are closing in fast!"
"Energy signatures? Could they be starships?" The bearded pirate captain stared at the hundreds of glowing dots swarming toward their Three-Claw Snake Interstellar Pirate Fleet from all directions on the starship radar.
"They don't seem to be starships. They look more like stellar fighters or something similar," the radar pirate crewman replied.
Stellar fighters?
The bearded pirate captain was puzzled. He activated the deep-space telescope and soon saw clearly what these dense clusters of light points actually were.
An interstellar drone swarm!
Hundreds of stellar drones had already surrounded their Three-Claw Snake Interstellar Pirate Fleet.
The video communication was still ongoing. Zhao Chen didn't bother to hide his words from the pirate leader, who could hear him clearly.
He coldly issued the attack order.
"Attack. Destroy all interstellar pirate starships. Leave not a single one."
Immediately afterward, each stellar drone began locking onto its respective target.
The first to attack were the T2 Killer Bee-class Medium Stellar Drones, numbering one hundred units.
They were equipped with laser cannons. Although their firepower couldn't compare to starship weapons, they had the advantage of being able to close in on enemy ships and attack from the most advantageous positions.
Most importantly, these were T2-level stellar drones!
"Boss, it's bad! My ship is under heavy attack from stellar drones! Damn it, these drones are too fast. My close defense cannons can't stop them!"
"Report: The bridge of the T1 Vulture-class Medium Interstellar Frigate has been hit. The captain was killed instantly. The ship has lost its command system."
"Report: The T1 Sickle-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer is surrounded and under attack by enemy stellar drones. Requesting support! Requesting support!"
On the bridge of the bearded pirate captain's ship, one piece of bad news followed another.
The hundreds of stellar drones were like a swarm of bees, devouring their starships bit by bit.
"Counterattack! Counterattack! Form a fire net to intercept these stellar drones!" the bearded pirate captain ordered through gritted teeth.
Just then, a massive fireball erupted. The shockwave even reached his flagship, accompanied by the rumbling sound of starship armor vibrating.
"What was that..." The bearded pirate captain was dumbfounded.
"One of our T2 Blue Sparrow-class Medium Interstellar Cruisers appears to have been bombed by enemy stellar unmanned bombers. The starship has been destroyed!" a pirate crewman reported.
Staring at the increasingly chaotic battle, the bearded pirate captain swallowed hard, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
"Immediately split into two groups! One fleet continues to attack that Zero Blizzard. The other, a highly mobile fleet, will search for their carrier starship."
"Their carrier starship must be hiding nearby. Once we destroy that carrier starship, these stellar drones will no longer pose a threat!" The skinny adjutant offered the smartest suggestion at this moment.
The bearded pirate Captain snapped to attention and immediately ordered, "All stellar destroyers stay here and continue pursuing that Zero Blizzard! The remaining stellar cruisers and interstellar frigates, search at full speed for the enemy's carrier starship!"
"Report! We've located the coordinates of the enemy's carrier starship! The enemy's stellar drones that have completed their attacks are all returning in this direction. The carrier starship should be in this area!" The radar crew pirate pointed to a location on the star map.
The returning stellar drones that had finished their attacks made no effort to conceal their tracks.
Under the scan of their starship radar, they soon discovered a carrier starship lurking on the far side of a satellite.
The bearded pirate Captain seemed to see a sworn enemy. He roared hysterically, "Charge forward! I'm going to blast that carrier starship to pieces!"