What kind of monster was that!
The figure stood there, perfectly still, yet his eyes were filled with sheer terror.
Yondu's whistle froze mid-note, and he swallowed hard.
There was no display of power, no attack, yet his instincts, honed through countless battles, screamed one thing: he would die. He really would die.
Following that intuition, Yondu hastily retracted his whistle arrows.
The murderous gleam in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a forced, uneasy expression.
"Ha! Misunderstanding… all a misunderstanding."
His face betrayed nothing, as if there had never been any conflict at all. Yet as he spoke, his eyes darted toward the spaceship.
Not just him Loki's gaze was locked there as well.
"What the hell boarded that ship!"
Compared to Yondu, Loki was far more shocked. He had spent days with Nolan Rock but had never seen anything like this creature.
It stood there, utterly devoid of any aura, mechanical and cold, yet simply looking at it sent shivers down his spine.
It was an instinctive fear, inexplicable and primal.
He had only ever felt this before in Odin.
"Damn it, Nolan Rock still has hidden cards?"
Loki quickly forced himself to calm his racing thoughts. He had no idea whether this creature could defeat Odin, but clearly it could dominate Yondu. Didn't he see that Yondu hadn't dared to move?
Nolan's smile was faint, almost teasing, as he regarded Yondu.
"Misunderstanding? But because of this misunderstanding, I've suffered significant losses. You must know, I'm a merchant."
Yondu's expression stiffened instantly.
"If it's a misunderstanding, then I will personally cover your losses!"
The other Ravagers didn't know exactly what had happened, but seeing their leader retreat, they instinctively understood that something extraordinary had appeared.
Satisfied, Nolan let the matter go.
This was the universe: survival of the fittest.
Business and death coexisted.
"Mr. Rock, shall we discuss inside?"
Yondu's attitude now carried a rare sincerity. Nolan could see it clearly.
Once Nolan entered the ship, Yondu cast one last glance at it.
"Fuck… what the hell is that thing?"
He muttered under his breath.
"Boss, what just happened?" one subordinate asked.
Yondu exhaled.
"We can't mess with that. Everyone stay sharp."
Still, a faint smile returned to his face. The original plan may have failed, but this deal was still far from a loss.
With the territory rivals settled, the money would flow in naturally.
At that thought, Yondu straightened his posture. From now on, he would be the most reliable buyer.
Inside the ship, Nolan and Yondu conducted a remarkably smooth business discussion.
Almost everything Nolan proposed was accepted, and only a few outrageous points prompted minor objections.
By the end, Nolan was satisfied, and Yondu exhaled in relief.
When the equipment was finally delivered, Yondu's face lit up with excitement.
"Brothers, let's give those Ruffmonger scum a lesson!"
No matter how Yondu fought, Nolan didn't care. His purpose in coming wasn't just this deal it was to open a market for his arms.
The Ravager Planet was perfect for that.
A lawless zone of chaos, home to Ravagers and various other factions. Endless skirmishes kept outsiders away, and that chaos created opportunity.
As an arms dealer, Nolan preferred places like this. In a peaceful world, only fools would buy weapons.
A few days later, Nolan targeted a small faction. Without a word, his Terminators easily took over the territory, establishing the Rock Technologies branch on the Ravager Planet.
Yondu, already formidable with his whistle arrows, became unstoppable with the support of Rock Technologies' arsenal. The battle quickly lost all suspense.
While the factions clashed, Nolan focused on constructing his Ravager Planet branch.
The Ruffmongers were remnants of the destroyed Ruffmonger Planet. Fierce and warlike, they had become Ravagers after their homeworld was devoured.
Nolan had only realized their origins after spotting a few among them. Their heritage didn't concern him.
A few days later, a group of Ruffmongers stormed in.
"We want to buy weapons!"
Nolan's eyes lit up. Business had arrived.
To satisfy his clients, his industrial robots worked nonstop.
Within a week, a batch of APU combat mechs rolled off the assembly line and into Ruffmonger hands.
That night, Yondu stormed in, his face dark.
"Nolan Rock, this isn't what we agreed on! You cannot sell arms to the Ruffmongers!"
He was furious. The war had nearly concluded, and suddenly, the damn Ruffmongers had a batch of APU mechs.
He didn't need to think to know where they came from.
Nolan looked at him calmly.
"Did we ever agree on that? I'm a merchant. If someone comes to buy, I sell."
He rolled his eyes. He had no intention of playing favorites this was the way of the universe.
Yondu froze, realizing they hadn't set any such restriction.
Damn arms dealer!
Yondu's expression soured further. He knew these merchants were never good people.
Nolan laughed lightly.
Business required a cold heart.
Yondu, despite his admirable qualities, remained a Ravager at heart.
Outside the Ravager Planet, a battered ship descended rapidly.
Inside, Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Drax the Destroyer sat in grim silence.
"I will not hand that thing over to anyone!" Star-Lord declared.
Rocket Raccoon sneered.
"Hey buddy, you still don't get it. The most important thing in this world isn't reputation or universal peace. The only thing that matters is how much currency you've got in your hand."
Drax glowered at the two.
"I'm going to kill Ronan!"
Star-Lord and Rocket turned to him.
"You want to die? Don't drag us with you."
Ronan the Accuser was one of the most terrifying beings in the universe. He was not someone to confront lightly.
"Enough. Quiet down, everyone. We're landing," Star-Lord said.
"Hope Yondu doesn't kill you," Rocket muttered.
Star-Lord shot him a glare. This fool really had no filter.
At the same time, he felt a twinge of anxiety.
Returning to the Ravager Planet with the infamous Ronan, would Yondu go after him?
He glanced behind him. Suddenly, a fleet of Kree ships appeared out of the void.
"Fuck!"
Star-Lord cursed.
"Everyone, hold on! We're landing!"
With that, he accelerated toward the surface without slowing.
On the ground, Yondu was cursing Nolan Rock while drinking.
Then he saw a ship rapidly descending and froze in shock.
What the hell was happening?
And behind it, a massive Kree fleet appeared.
"Fuck!"