Chapter 117: The Special Operations Unit

Chapter 117: Special Operations Unit

Monkey’s languid voice transmitted clearly to every pirate present. It was strange, but a voice that had provided a sense of security moments ago now sounded terrifying.

The noise died down completely. It was not that the pirates had never encountered such unreasonable people, but once they adapted to this new set of rules, the situation became clear.

"Now, let me explain the rules of this little exercise. As you all know, competition is fierce in every field these days. We call it 'competing for your post.' I am going to be your new captain, so naturally, I need to conduct a small assessment of my crew. This assessment is the game I mentioned; it’s very simple. There are nearly a thousand of you here. I only need six hundred. An airlock has been opened over there. Please, help me toss the excess people out. You have one hour. Begin now." Monkey finished in one breath, and no one dared to interrupt.

The pirates were dazed by the long-winded speech, and before they could even react, the broadcast voice returned.

"Oh, one more thing. If you haven't started within five minutes, or if there are more than six hundred of you left when the time is up, I will start tossing people out at random. So, I suggest you put every ounce of effort you used to have during dinner into this. Good luck!" With that, Monkey switched off the microphone and began snacking in the control room.

When the pirates heard the voice again, they initially thought it was a joke, but after hearing the full message, they realized it was all too real.

Distrust spread among them. Some began to eye their surroundings warily. Those who had been huddled together drifted apart, forming small groups of three or five. Others began to shout.

"Don't listen to him! He's just trying to scare us! Let's all just stand still! Let's see if he really kills us all or what!" As he spoke, one man reached for his waist, hoping his small alloy blade would tip the scales in his favor.

Of course, others had the same idea, but the corpses of those already executed were still lying there. It clearly wasn't a joke.

"Hey, Brother Three. I don't think that kid is joking. What do we do?" a young, inconspicuous pirate asked his companion.

"Don't be afraid, Little Six. We'll stick together. If it comes to a fight, we won't fear those brats. Old Four, Old Five, you two stay behind the eldest and second brothers. Don't let anyone backstab you. Remember your dispute with those guys last time? Be careful."

"Got it, Brother Three."

Similar conversations occurred throughout the group, but no one moved first. They were waiting. These were teammates who had seen each other every day, and now they were expected to kill one another; it was a difficult psychological barrier to overcome.

Monkey watched everything through the light screen, having anticipated exactly this situation.

"Computer, eliminate the second and third people who stirred up trouble," Monkey said nonchalantly. Using the video records, the computer easily completed the task. The moment the words left his mouth, two pirates collapsed on the deck.

"Damn it! Shunzi! You guys started it! I'll kill you!" A pirate near one of the fallen men saw his friend drop and immediately assumed that the man next to him, who had once been reported for theft, was taking revenge. He drew a cutting blade from his boot and stabbed at the bewildered man.

The chaotic brawl began.

"Computer, play some music for them." Everyone had their little quirks, and in the fleet, Monkey’s methods were considered relatively mild—at least from a pirate's perspective.

Monkey was not a cold-blooded killer. He acted this way because he had already read the files on these pirates. There were 2,371 people in the pirate fleet, and every one of them deserved to die. Monkey had reviewed the files of the remaining thousand, and the only reason they were still alive was that no one had caught them yet. Since they had fallen into his hands, he didn't mind administering his own brand of justice. Furthermore, he didn't intend for even the remaining six hundred to live much longer.

"Computer, shoot those I've marked later." These marked individuals were those Monkey believed shouldn't be allowed to live another second in this world.

Monkey had a bottom line: he would never forgive those who harmed children. While he believed in the old saying "there is honor among thieves," today was not the day for it.

In his eyes, there were certain things a person must never do, regardless of the circumstances. Watching the filthy scene before him, his eyes welled up with moisture.

"Little sister, I will avenge you sooner or later," Monkey whispered, his voice choking.

Everyone had secrets and scars, and Monkey was no different. He just never spoke of them and never complained. A man does not shed tears easily; he only does so when his heart is truly broken.

"Life signs detected: 600." The AI's voice echoed. This was a reminder Monkey had set to alert him when the headcount reached six hundred.

At the start, Monkey had opened all the hatches to the drone hangar, and his order was to toss the excess people out, so there were few bodies on the deck, only pools of congealing blood.

In the brief time it took for the announcement, he noticed the number of life signs drop by several more.

"Congratulations, everyone. There are now fewer than six hundred of you left. You may stop," Monkey said over the speakers.

As his voice faded, some sighed in relief and collapsed to the floor. Others remained expressionless. Still others, blinded by bloodlust, continued the slaughter.

Monkey quickly spotted those who hadn't stopped. He despised those who couldn't follow orders.

"Computer, toss those ones out." This time, instead of using bloody methods, he activated the tractor beams and threw them directly into space.

Monkey struggled to suppress the urge to throw them all into the vacuum. If it weren't for the fact that these people still had a use, he would have done exactly that.

"Very well. Congratulations to those remaining; you are now members of the Young Dragon Star Special Operations Unit. I am your commander. You don't need to know my name; just remember that I am your superior."

Seeing that he had sufficiently intimidated the pirates, Monkey stopped. He didn't need their loyalty; fear was enough. And as it seemed, the effect was quite good.

These pirates would be distributed among the mixed fleet. Thirty-five people would be drawn from Xu Meng's fleet to serve as captains for each warship. Thus, the Young Dragon Star Special Operations Unit was born.

At that moment, neither Monkey nor Liu Shaoyu could have imagined how this unit would evolve in the future.