54: Chapter 54: Eradicate the pirates of the gray zone! Become the overlord of the Death Starfield!

The battle flag of the Dawn Star River Marine Legion had just been planted on the highest point of the main training grounds, and the roar of the entire army's engines already resounded throughout the sea of stars.

At the end of the previous chapter, the ace marine legion personally honed by Old Hu was officially formed. With genetically enhanced elites, a three-dimensional space fleet, shadow stealth assassinations, and mothership-level combat power support, the military strength of the Dawn Faction now stood at the absolute pinnacle of the entire Death Sector. At Emperor Chen Fan's command, the entire army assembled, pointing its blade directly at the chaotic, disorderly, and sin-ridden Dead Zone sea of stars.

This Grey Zone, known as the "Graveyard of Civilizations," was infested with 327 pirate factions of various sizes, illegal mining militias, and exiled mercenary groups. They had spent years plundering merchant ships, slaughtering tribes, and occupying mining planets, making them the most troublesome tumor for the surrounding sectors. Once, no one dared to manage them, and no one could eradicate them, but today, the Dawn Faction would use absolute force to completely reshuffle this place.

Inside the main control center, a giant holographic star map marked every planet, every stronghold, and every pirate fleet in the entire Grey Zone. Emperor Chen Fan sat upright in the command chair, with Commander Ling Ye, Commander Su Qingyue, Aila, Commander Lei Meng, and Old Hu flanking him on both sides.

"Battle deployment." Emperor Chen Fan's voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable majesty.

Commander Lei Meng stepped forward first: "The Main Fleet will sortie in full force, frontally block all shipping lanes, space stations, and strongholds in the Dead Zone, cut off the enemy's retreat, and implement a total crushing blow!"

Commander Ling Ye said coldly: "The Shadow Fleet will infiltrate while cloaked, perform preemptive decapitation strikes on pirate leaders, command hubs, and anti-aircraft positions, and open the way!"

Old Hu clenched his fist, his voice ringing out: "The Ground Legion is responsible for planetary landings, ground purges, recovery of mining planets, and permanent occupation. Every inch of land, every inch of Dawn!"

Commander Su Qingyue added: "The Research Center will provide full-process battlefield scanning, energy interference, and mothership support, securing absolute information dominance on the battlefield!"

Aila bowed: "The Grey Race is responsible for resource inventory, sealing mineral veins, and logistical support, ensuring that if we fight, we win, and if we win, we can hold!"

A perfect purge plan consisting of space blockade, shadow decapitation, ground occupation, and logistical stabilization was instantly put into action.

There was no probing, no procrastination; the Dawn Faction smashed into the entire Grey Zone sea of stars with the posture of a war to annihilate a nation.

1. The Shadow Unsheathed! Pirate Leaders Wiped Out in One Night

The war began invisibly.

Commander Ling Ye led ten Ghost-class stealth assault ships, maintaining complete silence and full-spectrum cloaking, slipping into the heart of the Grey Zone like ghosts. Their target was singular—all leaders, commanders, and chieftains of the pirate groups.

The first night. At the headquarters of the Black Wind Pirate Group, the largest in the Grey Zone, the captain was drinking and making merry. In the next second, his head fell, and his body didn't even have time to react.

The second night. The commander-in-chief of the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group vanished from the command ship, and the ship's surveillance captured nothing.

The third night. The leaders of the remnant militias of Iron Bone Mining and the seven ace pirate chieftains of the Dead Zone, totaling seventeen people, were all silently decapitated, leaving no trace.

Wherever the Shadow Fleet passed, the command structure was emptied overnight.

The leaderless pirate militias instantly fell into chaos, panic, and infighting. The once arrogant and domineering bandits were terrified, unable to even hold their weapons steady.

Throughout the Grey Zone, a terrifying name was spreading like wildfire: Dawn.

No one knew what they looked like, no one knew how they attacked, only that—once Dawn arrived, heads would roll.

2. Main Force Sweeps Through! Total Crushing Victory in the Space Battlefield

The moment the pirate command structure was annihilated, the Dawn Main Fleet led by Commander Lei Meng, like a torrent of steel, rushed into the airspace of the Grey Zone.

Twenty-four frigates, thirteen assault ships, and thirty-three transport support ships opened fire with all cannons, their energy beams tearing through the darkness!

No pirate fleet could withstand a single volley! No space station could last more than three minutes!

No pirate ship could escape—the Shadow Fleet had long since locked down all warp channels.

The pirate fleets that once ran rampant in the Grey Zone were like paper before the Dawn Fleet, which featured fully genetically enhanced personnel, mothership-level equipment, and systematic command.

Surrender, rout, explosion, sinking... In just three days, the space superiority of the Grey Zone had completely changed hands!

Commander Lei Meng stood on the command ship and laughed loudly: "These are called pirates? They aren't even fit to tie the shoes of the Dawn Faction!"

3. Ground War Settles the Outcome! All Planets in the Grey Zone Submit

Space victory was just the beginning. A true overlord occupies planets and rules permanently.

Old Hu led 8,000 members of the Dawn Star River Marine Legion, riding drop pods and landing ships, descending like heavenly soldiers, smashing onto every planet in the Dead Zone.

The Tiger Division pushed forward frontally, and the pirate defense lines collapsed at a single touch; the Ghost Special Forces Division purged the remaining enemies, leaving nothing behind; the Rock Division quickly established defensive perimeters to solidify the occupation; the Grey Race engineering battalion immediately repaired mines, bases, and ecological facilities.

The genetically enhanced elite soldiers were like a dimensional strike against the pirates. One slash cut through alloy armor, one shot penetrated hidden cover, one person scattered an entire squad...

The desperate pirates even developed the terrifying illusion that "these are not humans."

Those who resisted stubbornly—annihilated. Those who surrendered and submitted—incorporated and reformed. Innocent miners and tribes—rescued and resettled.

In just ten days. Seventeen mining planets, nine space cities, three main planets, and 327 strongholds in the Grey Zone were all flying the Dawn flag!

All pirates, villains, and black militias were either annihilated, surrendered, or fled completely, leaving not a shred of power to resist.

4. Overlord Coronation! Only Dawn in the Grey Zone

The moment the last planet in the Grey Zone lowered the Dawn flag, the system notification for the entire sector boomed: [Detected that the Dawn Faction has purged all pirates in the Grey Zone!] [Detected that 100% of the Grey Zone area is occupied, ruled, and stabilized!] [Dawn Faction has officially become—the sole absolute overlord of the Grey Zone sector!] [Territory expanded: 700%!] [Resource reserves skyrocketed: 1200%!] [New population: 52,000!] [Civilization level upgraded: Intermediate Interstellar Civilization!] [Unlock Permission: Sector Lord Qualification]

The golden "Sector Overlord" badge illuminated the entire main control center.

Emperor Chen Fan stood up, facing the sea of stars, his voice echoing throughout the entire Dawn territory, the entire Grey Zone, and every affiliated planet: "From this day forward, the Grey Zone sector is renamed the Dawn Star Sector! Here, there is no slavery, no pirates, no slaughter, no chaos! Only order, safety, home, and dignity! Within the Dawn territory, all hearts return to us, and all four directions submit!"

Billions of citizens cheered in unison, their voices shaking the sea of stars. Old Hu, Commander Lei Meng, Commander Ling Ye, Commander Su Qingyue, and Aila all knelt on one knee: "Congratulations, Commander! You dominate the sector! You shake the sea of stars!"

At this moment, the Dawn Faction had truly grown from an exiled force into the master of a sector! Territory, population, resources, military, and technology had all reached the pinnacle!

5. Storm is Coming! The Fury of the Federation High Command

While the triumphant news of the Dawn Faction dominating the Dead Zone was still spreading, a shadow from a higher level had already quietly descended.

Commander Su Qingyue's Research Center suddenly intercepted an interstellar communication frequency with an extremely high encryption level. Once the content was decrypted, everyone's expression changed slightly.

She walked quickly to Commander Lin Chen and said with a heavy tone: "Commander, things are not looking good. Our movement to purge the Grey Zone and dominate the sector was too big, and it has already alarmed the Galactic Federation Border Region Headquarters. Although the Grey Zone is chaotic, it falls under the jurisdiction of the border region in terms of Federation law. Our unauthorized expansion, annihilation of local armed forces, and self-proclaimed overlord status have already angered the Federation authorities."

She called up more core intelligence: "What's even more critical—Commander. The footage of you intimidating Iron Bone Mining across sectors and instantly killing armed forces with space abilities was sent back to the Federation by residual surveillance and was classified as 'Illegal Ultra-High-Risk Esper' and 'Unregistered Over-Limit Combat Power.' The Federation Border Governor is already furious, labeling us as a rebel force and an illegal militia."

The final conclusion was cold and cruel: [Federation Border Governor's Office orders: Immediately dispatch troops to suppress the Dawn Faction! Destroy the illegal mothership! Prioritize the encirclement and kill on sight—Ultra-High-Risk Individual: Emperor Chen Fan!]

The air froze instantly. The Federation! That was a top-tier behemoth ruling billions of sectors, commanding millions of fleets, and representing a formal interstellar civilization! Not pirates, not mining companies, not small factions, but a true giant of the starry sky!

Commander Lei Meng's expression changed: "The Federation... can we fight them now?"

Old Hu said in a deep voice: "We can fight, but the cost will be immense."

Commander Ling Ye's cold eyes narrowed slightly: "The Shadow Fleet can assassinate the Governor, but the Federation system is too deep; we cannot kill them all."

Everyone's gaze was focused on Emperor Chen Fan.

Emperor Chen Fan still stood indifferently, as if the so-called Federation suppression was nothing more than an insignificant breeze.

Emperor Chen Fan spoke slowly, his voice steady and without a hint of fear: "If the Federation wants to fight, then we fight. Not an inch of the Dawn territory shall be yielded; the Dawn people shall be protected to the death; the people of Dawn shall not have their lives determined by others."

He looked at the battle map, his tone firm: "Prepare for war. Welcome the first wave of suppression troops from the Federation. Let them see that the new overlord of the Grey Zone sector is not someone just anyone can step on."

A top-tier war spanning the sector, the storm is about to rise! The Federation is furious and dispatching troops, pointing its spear directly at Emperor Chen Fan! The Dawn Faction will face a true top-tier interstellar power for the first time!