The spaceship flew through the eye socket of the dead Celestial's head, entering the mining zone within.
Inside the zone, numerous small spacecraft were mining organic material, bones, brain tissue, and spinal fluid from the Celestial's skull. These were rare resources in the universe, bringing endless wealth to the Tivan's group and symbolizing the Collector's power.
The ship docked at the port, and Alex and his team disembarked, officially stepping into this lawless zone.
The luxury of the ship gifted by Xandar was unmistakable, and its distinctiveness made it highly recognizable. Among the crowd, someone exclaimed,
"Isn't this the Nova Prime's personal ship? Why is it here? Could Nova Prime have arrived in the lawless zone?"
Hearing this, the lawless individuals in the area exchanged sharp glances.
Normally, Nova Prime's movements were under strict security. But if she had indeed come to the lawless zone, her defenses might be weaker than usual—a golden opportunity for a kidnapping.
Capturing Nova Prime and demanding a hefty ransom from the Nova Corps would be a massive fortune!
Though it would surely lead to being hunted down by the Nova Corps afterward, for these fugitives, this wasn't a deterrent. They were already wanted criminals from various civilizations, living on borrowed time and unafraid of death.
Thus, a sinister undercurrent surged as several armed individuals approached the ship, waiting for their chance to act.
However, the more cunning criminals noticed that the strongest gang with the most extensive intelligence network was staying put. Sensing something unusual, they suppressed their greed and chose to observe for now.
Sure enough, the leader of a major faction sneered and muttered,
"Heh… what a bunch of fools. The owner of that ship isn't Nova Prime anymore—it's someone who single-handedly defeated the Nova Corps.
Think of the Mad Titan who strikes fear across civilizations. That person is even more terrifying than him!"
*Clang!*
The sound of metal sliding echoed as the spaceship's hatch opened, and several figures emerged.
The criminals who were ready to act noticed that Nova Prime was nowhere among the group. Confused, one of them said,
"She must still be on the ship and didn't come out. Let's all attack together, kill these guards, and split the loot evenly!
Even a share of the money will be enough for us to live in luxury for the rest of our lives!"
"Exactly!" The others eagerly agreed.
With that, the group charged toward Alex and his team.
Watching the charging ants before him, Alex yawned and lost interest.
These people weren't worth his time. His team would handle them. Right now, he only wanted to explore this lawless zone, where power and money were all that mattered, and to visit the Collector to "reclaim" his stored treasures.
Up ahead, seeing the criminals rushing toward them, Rocket and Drax looked excited. It was as if someone had delivered a pillow when they were feeling sleepy. Having gained stronger powers, they had been itching for a fight!
When the criminals started shooting, neither of them bothered to dodge.
Rocket was hit by a shell, but his body transformed into a crackling bolt of lightning, disintegrating the projectile while repairing itself. Within seconds, he was fully healed with no injuries left.
Drax, meanwhile, charged forward, completely unfazed by the shells hitting his skin. The attacks couldn't even penetrate his defenses. He stormed through, tearing apart any criminals in his path.
Seeing this, Rocket felt a sudden sense of urgency. "You dumb brute, stop stealing my kills!
"Railgun!"
Rocket flicked a metal coin into the air, and with a spark of lightning in his hand, he flicked it.
Under the accelerating force of electromagnetism, the coin's speed reached its peak in an instant, transforming into a dazzling streak of lightning as it hurtled toward the criminals.
The coin traveled tens of meters before melting into nothing from air friction, but in those few meters, every criminal along its path was annihilated by the railgun.
Amidst the heavy scent of burning flesh, Rocket Raccoon hovered midair, encased in lightning, looking down on the crowd with disdain.
"Filthy bugs! You dare stand in the way of the great Godslayer, Alex? Let me, Thunder Rocket, rid the world of you in his stead!
"60 Million Volts: Thunder Dragon!"
*Boom!*
A sudden clap of thunder echoed as all the criminals were enveloped in blinding arcs of electricity. Intentionally or not, even Drax was caught in the blast.
When the smoke cleared, every criminal had been reduced to ashes. Only one charred figure remained standing—Drax. His flesh was regenerating visibly fast, and he bellowed in anger, "You evil little raccoon!"
As expected, Rocket and Drax got into a fight, but Alex swiftly smacked them both hard enough to nearly knock them out. Afterward, they quieted down.
The group decided to visit the local casinos, bars, and fighting arenas to enjoy themselves. However, their earlier display of power had made them too conspicuous. Wherever they went, the crowd immediately scattered.
One unlucky man, tripped by others in his attempt to flee, fainted outright when Alex and his crew approached.
This left Alex speechless.
'Do they think we're some kind of vicious villains?'
He muttered inwardly, 'You guys are the criminals here, not us!'
Because of this, their attempts to have fun were cut short, leaving Alex in a sour mood. He even briefly considered wiping this lawless zone off the galactic map but eventually restrained himself. After all, his collection was still in the hands of the Collector.
With no desire to continue exploring, Alex led the group straight to the Collector's location.
Unlike the original storyline, no maid came to guide them. Instead, Alex relied on his enhanced senses to navigate, using his Six-Eyes to locate the path. They took an elevator to the upper levels.
A few minutes later, they arrived in a massive room with an impossibly high ceiling.
In countless transparent glass cases were displayed a variety of strange creatures and artifacts.
Rare treasures from across the galaxy filled the space, each one a unique marvel. To ordinary people, any one of these would be a once-in-a-lifetime find.
This was the universe's largest museum: the collection room of the elder of the universe known as the Collector.
However, the usually composed and dignified Collector appeared uncharacteristically disheveled.
He had noticed the incoming spaceship, the two powerful individuals aboard, and—most importantly—their leader: Alex, the legendary figure known on Earth as the White Devil.
Why is he here?!
The Collector had, of course, heard of Alex's exploits. A man who had wreaked havoc on Earth and risen in power in record time to become a Skyfather-level entity.
What caught his attention wasn't just the infamous legends but rather Alex's battle with Arishem, the Celestial leader, before his disappearance.
To battle a Celestial and survive—even if defeated—is enough to etch one's name in the annals of galactic history. And Alex not only survived, but thrived!
His unpredictable temperament, paired with his terrifying power, made Alex one of the most dangerous beings in the universe.
To a businessman like the Collector, whether it was the Mad Titan or Alex, these were individuals he never wanted to encounter.
Thus, upon learning that Alex was coming to this lawless zone, the Collector immediately began packing his vast collection to flee. However, his treasures were too numerous to move entirely.
And now, the White Devil had arrived.
When Alex and his team entered the collection room, they were greeted by a chaotic scene:
The Collector was drenched in sweat, frantically urging his staff to pack items and load them onto a spaceship via a conveyor belt.
The moment he spotted Alex, his expression turned from panic to sheer despair.
Alex, upon witnessing this, was furious. Seriously? I asked you to safeguard my collection, and here you are, trying to steal from me?!
"You've brought this upon yourself," Alex murmured coldly.
His eyes lowered, his upper face obscured by shadows, masking his emotions entirely.
"Collector," Alex's voice was calm but chilling, "I left my collection under your protection. Care to explain what you're doing now?"
The Collector froze at Alex's words but quickly flared up in anger.
"White Devil, don't push your luck! This isn't even your collec—"
Before he could finish, a pure white singularity shot from Alex's palm, erasing everything in its path.
The head of the Celestial, which had endured millennia of mining with minimal damage, now had a massive, silent crater thousands of meters wide in its core after a single flash of light.
Since everyone in this lawless zone was a criminal, Alex didn't bother holding back, wiping out tens of thousands without hesitation.
"Hm?" Alex lifted his gaze, his cold expression locking onto the Collector. "Now, how about you reorganize your statement?"
The Collector trembled violently, his legs almost giving out. He froze for a moment before forcing a nervous smile.
"Ahaha! Respected Alex, that was just a joke! As your loyal servant, I've been diligently safeguarding your treasures all this time!"
Alex nodded, satisfied, and walked past the tactful Collector toward the treasures.
"From now on, you won't need to guard them. I've created my own dimension where these collections will be stored."
"Di-Dimension?!"
Hearing this, the Collector forgot all about losing the treasures. His mind was consumed by the implications of that word.
Alex, the White Devil, had his own dimension.
As a cosmic elder, the Collector understood what this meant—Alex's power had reached the level of a universal entity, capable of rivaling even a single Celestial.
No wonder he had returned after two years of absence. If Alex chose not to confront the Celestials directly, no one could threaten him now.
Ignoring the Collector, who stood frozen in shock, Alex opened his domain and absorbed every treasure in the collection room into his pocket dimension.
Once everything was organized within the pocket dimension, Alex casually tossed a fruit toward the Collector.
"This Devil Fruit is your payment for guarding my collection. Don't thank me!"
The Collector held the fruit in his trembling hands, his expression filled with despair. He opened his mouth as if to speak but held back, unwilling to risk his life over mere treasures.
Shortly after Alex and his group left the collection room, they found themselves surrounded by hundreds of small spacecraft that had stormed into the lawless zone.
Seeing this, everyone immediately realized: Ronan the Accuser had arrived!
Unlike the original storyline, none of Alex's team showed any fear upon being surrounded. Instead, they were brimming with excitement, ready for battle.
Rocket Raccoon and Drax were particularly eager, immediately charging toward the fleet of small ships.
Rocket leapt into the air, scanning the dozens of small ships encircling him. With a wicked grin, he shouted, "200 Million Volts: Thunder God!"
The thunderous energy within him erupted, forming a massive, 30-meter-tall Thunder Raccoon behind him.
This avatar of raw power looked far more feral than Rocket's usual form, with muscular limbs and devastating attacks capable of obliterating multiple ships with each strike.
Meanwhile, the fleet's energy weapons proved useless against the Thunder Raccoon. It wasn't that they couldn't harm him, but any damage inflicted was so negligible that Rocket's body repaired itself within seconds.
Seeing Rocket dominate the battlefield, Drax refused to be outdone. Wielding twin blades, he charged directly at the fleet.
Thanks to Alex's Reverse Cursed Technique, both his and Rocket's physical constitutions had been exponentially strengthened. However, unlike Rocket, who possessed the powers of the Rumble Fruit, Drax had gained tattoos that enhanced his combat prowess and a deep understanding of master swordsman techniques granted by Alex.
With a mighty swing of his blades, Drax unleashed a flying slash dozens of meters tall, slicing through a dozen small ships in one motion.
"ROOOOOONAN!" Drax roared, his voice filled with fury. "Come out here! I'm going to kill you!"
As if in answer to the provocation, Ronan the Accuser emerged from one of the ships that had landed on the ground. He was clad in full battle armor, his face painted with black war paint.
The sight of Ronan made Drax lose all restraint. The tattoos across his skin suddenly ignited with a burning red glow.
"You killed my wife! You killed my daughter! Today, I will kill you and avenge them!" Drax bellowed, his voice echoing across the battlefield.
Ronan, facing the overwhelming presence of Drax, grew cautious. The power radiating from Drax reminded him of a certain terrifying woman he had encountered decades ago.
Shaking his head slightly, Ronan dismissed the thought. 'This must be an illusion. There's no way this man could rival her.'
Even so, Ronan took the situation seriously. He retrieved his universal weapon, a massive war hammer, from one of his subordinates.
Despite Drax's imposing aura, Ronan maintained his trademark arrogance.
"I don't even know who you are," Ronan said disdainfully. "I don't remember killing your wife and daughter, just as I won't remember killing you."
Drax, consumed by rage, charged at Ronan. Yet, the swordsmanship ingrained in him by Alex allowed him to wield his blades with lethal precision even in his fury.
A massive flying slash hurtled toward Ronan.
Initially confident, Ronan attempted to block the attack with one hand. However, the moment he made contact, his expression darkened, and he quickly used both hands to brace himself.
Even so, the slash sent Ronan flying backward. If not for the incredible durability of his universal weapon, the attack might have cleaved him in two.
"This… this is impossible!" Ronan roared in disbelief, his voice filled with frustration and fury.
°°°
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