The instant the words left Frieza's mouth, Korath's cybernetic brain hadn't even parsed the sentence. He only saw the white-suited man elegantly raise his right index finger.
"Fire! Open fi—"
Korath's roar died in his throat.
Fwip—
A hair-thin violet beam, brimming with despair, crossed dozens of meters in a heartbeat.
No obstruction, no sound.
Splat!
Korath's metal-laced skull exploded like a watermelon hit by a water-cutter. Red-and-white gore splashed across the armor of nearby Kree soldiers.
The headless corpse swayed and toppled.
"Officer?!"
The surrounding Kree soldiers panicked.
They raised their energy rifles and, on raw instinct, fired wildly.
"Kill him!"
Countless energy rounds stormed toward Frieza.
Faced with the dense barrage, Frieza didn't even bother to dodge. He simply studied the fist-sized stone pulsing violent violet light in his palm.
"So this is the Power Stone's energy?"
Without using his own Ki, he tentatively guided the gem.
"Then let's test its quality on you."
Bzz—
A pure, domineering violet wave erupted outward with Frieza at its center. The incoming energy rounds vanished the instant they touched it.
Next—
Boom!!!
The purple tide slammed into the surrounding Kree soldiers.
"Aaaargh!"
Their screams lasted less than half a second.
Before that power, dozens of elite Kree, clad in high-grade alloy armor, were snowflakes tossed into a furnace.
Disintegrating, shattering, turning to dust.
The underground temple doubled in size from the blast, its rock walls now mirror-smooth.
"Tsk tsk..."
Frieza waved away the acrid smoke, disgusted.
"Decent force, but far too crude. No aesthetic at all."
He flicked the Power Stone upward, the gem landed in his pocket.
Blue, yellow, purple.
The three lights interwove, flooding him with unprecedented fullness.
"Haa..."
Frieza straightened his collar.
"Since the watchdog's dead, his Master..."
He pictured that eyeliner-caked Kree madman who loved swinging a gavel—Ronan.
"If I recall, that fellow still works for Thanos. Since that purple potato has become my demolition-site manager, as a subordinate's subordinate..."
Frieza rubbed his chin, expression matter-of-fact. "His fleet is now my fleet. His assets are now my assets."
"Perfectly logical, wouldn't you agree?"
Planet Frieza-002's shipyards had only just broken ground, a proper armada would take time. But Ronan's Dark Aster was ready-made.
Grab and go.
"I can also inquire about the Kree Empire along the way."
"If the Supreme Intelligence is half smart, I won't have to blow up Hala myself."
With that, Frieza raised his left hand and the Space Stone blazed.
"Lock on: Dark Aster."
Bzz—
A huge blue portal tore open above the desolate ruins.
Hands in pockets, humming a tune, Frieza stepped through—into deep space, aboard the Dark Aster.
In the command hall, Ronan the Accuser sat upon his high platform. He gripped his war-hammer, face painted black, eyes fixed on the star map.
He awaited Korath's report.
That orb was the key to destroying Xandar and his only hope of escaping Thanos.
Right then—
Wee-oo! Wee-oo!
A shrill alarm flooded the bridge.
"What's happening?!" Ronan leapt up, roaring.
"Accuser! Massive spatial fluctuation detected inside the bridge—an intruder!" The operator screamed.
Before he finished—
Crack!
Space in the center of the hall shattered like a mirror and a blue gate expanded. Out stepped a blond, blue-eyed man in a white suit.
"My, my..."
Frieza glanced at the Kree soldiers leveling weapons at him, then up at Ronan.
He frowned and pointed around with a disdainful finger. "So this is the Dark Aster?"
"Dim lights, dreary décor."
"Mr. Ronan, your taste is as awful as your eyeliner."
The entire bridge was stunned by the stranger's audacity.
Where was this? Ronan's flagship—the heart of the Necrofleet!
This unarmored man dared critique the great Accuser?
"Who are you?!" Ronan clenched his hammer.
He sensed danger—especially from the glowing stone in the man's left hand.
An Infinity Stone?
"The Space Stone?!"
Ronan's pupils shrank, he recognized the blue gem.
"Who I am is irrelevant."
Ignoring the ring of rifles, Frieza strode toward the platform.
"What matters is: your conduct displeases me."
He stopped and sighed at the soldiers still aiming.
"Before the emperor of the universe, you neither kneel in welcome nor lower your pathetic sticks?"
"Is this Kree etiquette?"
Frieza's gaze turned icy. "Too boorish."
"Since no one taught you manners, I will."
Before the words faded—
Bzz!
A terrifying gravity field descended—pure pressure from Frieza's aura.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Dozens of elite Necro Soldiers snapped at the knees and slammed to the deck.
"Now this looks much better."
Frieza nodded approvingly, then lifted his gaze to the livid Ronan still standing atop the dais.
"So, Mr. Ronan."
A playful smile formed on his lips.
"Shall we discuss the transfer papers for this ship?"