Gamora smiled, "You must have quite the character, huh?"
"Well, I didn't say that, but others often do," Star-Lord replied shamelessly. "I'm quite modest and never boast about myself."
As he spoke, he tried to hide his embarrassment by tossing the Orb of Power in his hand.
However, before he could even toss it a few times, disaster struck.
Gamora, who had approached him, suddenly snatched the Orb from his hand and kicked him in the stomach.
Before Star-Lord could react, Gamora turned and ran off into the distance.
Holding his stomach, Star-Lord was incredulous but quickly responded by pulling out a small containment device. He threw it towards Gamora's retreating form, and a red energy rope shot out, binding her feet.
With a thud, Gamora fell heavily to the ground.
As she struggled to free her feet, Star-Lord dashed towards her.
Fortunately, Gamora reacted swiftly and kicked Star-Lord away.
After a brief scuffle, Gamora managed to pin Star-Lord down and pulled out a knife from her waist, preparing to stab him.
If nothing changed, Star-Lord was about to meet his end.
But just as Gamora was about to strike, a small raccoon leaped at her, knocking her over.
Simultaneously, Groot emerged with a bag, his branches extending as he attempted to stuff Gamora into it.
"No, not her! Can't you tell the difference between a man and a woman, buddy?" Rocket Raccoon grumbled as he clung to Gamora's head, trying to pry her off.
The next moment, Rocket felt a sharp pain in his hand and quickly jumped off Gamora's head.
Seeing the commotion, Star-Lord grabbed the Orb from the ground and turned to flee without a second thought.
However, before he could get far, Gamora, having freed herself from Groot's branches, bent down, grabbed a silver pipe, and aimed it at Star-Lord's hand.
Whoosh—
The pipe flew through the air toward Star-Lord.
"Ah—"
Star-Lord yelped in pain as he instinctively loosened his grip, letting the Orb roll away and continue to bounce on the ground.
Dodging Groot, Gamora raced to retrieve the Orb, intending to escape with it.
But before she could get far, Star-Lord lunged at her once more, managing to knock her down again.
Struggling, Gamora's superior strength allowed her to pin Star-Lord down once more. She taunted him, "Idiot, you should try to be smarter!"
"Problem is, I'm not into learning," Star-Lord said, seizing the opportunity to snatch the Orb from her hand.
Seeing this, Gamora attempted to counter, but Star-Lord was ready to use his methods to throw her off.
Just then, the onlookers from Xandar began to murmur in amazement.
"Look!"
"Incredible!"
The Xandarians all looked up, as did Rocket Raccoon and Groot, who had run over.
"I must be dreaming!" Rocket Raccoon said, bewildered.
Gamora and Star-Lord, seeing the commotion, instinctively stopped fighting and looked up at the sky.
To their amazement, a person was floating down from above.
Dressed in pristine white and wearing an intricately designed black mask, the figure appeared otherworldly.
What was more astonishing was that this person was levitating in the air.
The aura surrounding him was incredibly noble and mysterious. Just seeing him brought a powerful sense of pressure and unease.
"Who is this person?"
"Looks like a big shot?"
Both Gamora and Star-Lord were deeply unsettled.
Gamora, who had been by Thanos's side and seen many individuals throughout her life, had never encountered anyone who exuded such an intense pressure. This person's ability to float in the air further indicated that he was no ordinary individual.
As for Star-Lord, his mind was racing with one thought: this must be a significant figure, and it's best to avoid offending him.
Suddenly, as they were contemplating the intentions of this seemingly important figure, the mysterious being raised his hand, which glowed with a red light.
To the astonishment of Gamora, Star-Lord, and the confused Rocket Raccoon, the silver Orb that had been in Star-Lord's hand was enveloped in a red energy and slowly floated into the air.
By the time Star-Lord and Gamora regained their senses, the Orb had already been seized by the mysterious figure.
"That's my Orb!" Star-Lord and Gamora exclaimed, scrambling to get up and retrieve it.
However, seeing the figure carefully examining the Orb, they hesitated.
Star-Lord quickly spoke up, "Excuse me, sir… could you return what you have? That Orb originally belonged to me."
He tried to reason with the figure, wary of taking any aggressive action against someone who appeared so extraordinary.
Gamora, after a moment of hesitation, decided to observe the figure's reaction before making any further moves.
The mysterious Syd, playing with the silver Orb, looked up at them, just as he was about to speak, when he suddenly noticed something.
At that moment, a change occurred.
The sound of engines roared as yellow beams of light suddenly illuminated the area.
The beams enveloped Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Star-Lord, Gamora, and even Syd himself.
As the light surrounded them, Star-Lord and the others were lifted into the air, unable to move or find support.
Syd, however, was unaffected by the beams. The energy required to bind him was beyond what these ships could provide, and he was already floating in the air.
The beams came from several high-tech spacecraft shaped like starfish.
One of the spacecraft announced, "Subject 89P13, drop your weapons!"
"Oh, damn it," Rocket Raccoon said resignedly, dropping his weapon.
The voice from the spacecraft continued, "In the name of the Nova Corps, you are under arrest for crimes against public safety!"
Soon, a group of Nova Corps members arrived and restrained Star-Lord, Gamora, and the others.
Star-Lord and his team were dejected, their expressions gloomy and defeated as if they had lost everything.
Faced with the formidable Nova Corps ships and their personnel, they chose to surrender without resistance, realizing that they stood no chance against the advanced technology and soldiers.
Meanwhile, the Nova Corps members hesitated, unsure how to handle the floating Syd.
(End of Chapter)