Ronan screamed in terror. Fear surged through his body as he tried to flee, his Kree battle armor glowing with the Power Stone's radiance, desperate to resist the blow.
But he underestimated the speed of the Bald King of Salted Fish.
BOOM—!
A light-speed strike!
A Normal Swing of the Hammer!
The Kree Warhammer, embedded with the Power Stone, came crashing down. Violet light erupted like a tsunami, drowning everything.
The same Power Stone—yet in Ronan's hand and in Saitama's hand, the difference was like night and day.
Like tractor fuel compared to a Boeing jet engine.
The Dark Aster could not withstand the released energy. With a thunderous roar, the colossal warship split apart. From the point of impact, a wave of violet light swept through, cleaving the ship in half.
As for Ronan the Accuser?
Where he had stood, now only a kilometer-wide crater remained. His body, his armor, his ambitions—all disintegrated into dust, consumed completely by the stone's light.
With Ronan and the Dark Aster gone, the invading Kree fleet froze. Panic surged through their channels as the death of their commander was confirmed.
Without the mothership, their small warships had no chance of crossing the stars. Their only fate was death—at the hands of the Nova Corps and the Ravagers closing in.
"Lord Ronan… dead?"
"Our flagship! Destroyed!!"
"Save us! I don't want to die!"
A moment ago, they were fierce warriors. Now, they screamed and scrambled, fleeing in terror.
"Chase them down! Leave none alive!!" Rhomann Dey shouted, elation bursting from his chest.
The Nova Corps surged after them, Ravagers joining eagerly in the hunt. One-sided slaughter unfolded in the skies.
In Xandar's capital, Nova Prime finally exhaled, her gaze fixed on the image of the Dark Aster falling from orbit. "Ronan… is dead?"
Gamora muttered in disbelief, her mind numb. They had all witnessed it—a being who rivaled Thanos had just been annihilated. The impact of it left them trembling.
"I knew it! Big Bro Saitama, you're the strongest! I'm Rocket, your pet raccoon!" Rocket shouted, grinning as he dangled from a steel beam. He didn't care what people called him—raccoon, animal—so long as he had Saitama's name to back him up, he could strut across the universe.
"I am Groot," Groot declared.
"Yeah, Groot says he's your best bonsai!" Rocket translated slyly, twisting Groot's words with a smirk.
Gamora and Nebula snapped back to reality, alarm dawning on their faces. "The ship's going to crash!"
The Dark Aster was broken. Its engines destroyed. It was falling. Even their enhanced bodies couldn't survive the impact from this height.
Nebula: [Status Window]
Class: Adopted Daughter of Thanos, Space Pirate
Intelligence: 4
Strength: 3
Speed: 3
Endurance: 3
Energy Projection: 1
Combat Skills: 6
Note: A half-cyborg sustained by her thirst for vengeance.
Gamora: [Status Window]
Class: Cosmic Assassin
Intelligence: 4
Strength: 4
Speed: 3
Endurance: 4
Energy Projection: 1
Combat Skills: 5
Note: Pre-enhancement by Thanos, on par with Nebula, but with greater potential.
Neither of them could fly.
"Everyone, come close!" Rocket shouted.
Groot's branches spread, preparing to form a life-saving wooden cocoon—a shield at the cost of his own life.
It was a touching moment.
Until the salted fish ruined it.
[Ding! Congratulations, Saitama, for saving Xandar. Achievement points acquired. You may now carry the Kree Warhammer. Take it?]
"Oh, nice! Of course I'll take it."
Saitama stuffed the hammer into his system space, ensuring it could travel dimensions with him. The Power Stone, however, was stripped off, clattering into a box he casually shoved aside.
[Item: Power Stone]
Rank: SSS
Description: One of the six primal stones of the universe.
Effect: Contains limitless destructive power.
Note: Requires 10 billion contribution points to remove from this universe.
"…Huh, this one's even better. Shame I don't have the points," Saitama muttered, unfazed. He had only 5.1 billion points saved up from the first Avengers incident. No matter. He wasn't bothered about cosmic stones anyway. After all… he was already the strongest.
Groot's sacrifice halted as everyone realized—the falling ship was slowing.
"What…?" Gamora gasped.
Below, Nova Prime and Yondu stared wide-eyed as the enormous Dark Aster drifted down gently, not crashing, not exploding.
Because beneath it, a single bald figure floated in the sky.
Lightning crackled around him.
Saitama carried the Dark Aster down by himself.
(End of Chapter)
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