Guardians of the Galaxy Split

"Charge in! Charge in!"

Quill screamed as he piloted the fighter, flying against the flow and smashing through the blockade. He entered the warship through the deployment port and swept through everything in his path, killing all the Kree soldiers who closed in around them.

Before the fighter had even come to a stop, Drax tore open the protective shield and leaped out, shouting, "Ronan! I’m coming to kill you!" Then he charged toward the warship’s command center.

Quill and the others sighed, then had no choice but to grab their weapons and follow him inside.

A group of them ran straight into Nebula, who had arrived with a squad. Gamora and the others had originally thought they would face a bitter struggle, but to their surprise, Nebula merely sneered before turning around and running away.

Everyone was stunned, completely unable to understand what was going on. But now that things had come to this, they couldn’t exactly retreat, so they could only continue forward.

The path ahead was unexpectedly clear, and the group smoothly fought their way to the control room. Drax charged in first and shouted, "Ronan! Get out here!"

The others also rushed in nervously and guarded Drax’s sides, afraid something might happen to him. But the attack they had expected never came. The command room was completely empty. In the central seat sat Zhan Liu, the Earthling who had appeared during the communication. He leaned against the back of the chair, his right elbow resting on the armrest and his right palm supporting his chin. With his left hand, he tossed the Power Stone up and down as he watched them with a beaming smile.

Behind the chair stood two female warriors, one on each side, coldly watching the people who had rushed in. The one on the left was Nebula. They didn’t recognize the one on the right.

Not far from the chair’s feet, a person with no limbs or skin, covered in blood from head to toe, was moaning miserably. His voice had already become hoarse.

Unlike Quill and the others, who were on high alert, Drax wasn’t interested in any of this. His eyes held only Ronan. He roared at the three people before him, "Where’s Ronan?"

Zhan Liu crooked a finger, and Ronan was thrown at Drax’s feet. Several people were startled and hurriedly moved aside. Drax alone lowered his head and recognized his old enemy at a glance.

"This is… Ronan?"

Drax’s shout drew everyone’s attention. After taking a careful look, they were all shocked.

They had all witnessed Ronan’s strength. When they went to war against him this time, they had stepped onto the battlefield prepared to die.

All their inner struggles had been resolved, and they had completed their psychological preparation. They had successfully surpassed themselves, elevated their spirits and their realms, achieved self-satisfaction and self-motivation, and truly transformed into superheroes—only to discover… the enemy was already dead!

What kind of feeling was this?

There was some relief, some relief at having survived, and some regret…

Drax didn’t care how complicated everyone else felt. He had only one feeling: joy.

Drax grabbed Ronan by the neck with his left hand and lifted him up, laughing loudly. "Ronan, I’m going to kill you!" As he spoke, he drove a knife into Ronan’s chest with his right hand.

One stab wasn’t enough to vent the rage in his chest. Then came a second, a third… until Ronan’s chest had been stabbed full of holes. Blood sprayed from Ronan’s chest, drenching Drax’s head and face and setting off his savage expression, making him look like a demon from Hell who had come to collect a debt.

After being tortured in agony for so long after his skin was flayed off, death was a release for Ronan. A smile touched his lips as he looked at Drax and said softly, "Thank you!"

Zhan Liu watched from the side. It was obvious that after Drax had killed his enemy and avenged his hatred, the rage in his heart had dissipated. He was extremely self-centered and only wanted to kill Ronan; he didn’t care whether doing so helped Ronan find release. Besides, with Drax’s intelligence, he probably couldn’t understand what Ronan meant by those words.

Drax released Ronan’s corpse and threw it aside. After remaining silent for a moment, he patted his chest and said to Zhan Liu, "You are now Drax’s friend."

The others weren’t as reckless as Drax. The moment they saw Ronan’s gruesome state, they began to feel uneasy.

"Ahem, since Ronan is dead, we won’t stay any longer. Goodbye, goodbye." Quill turned around and tried to slip away.

"That’s right. I need to hurry back and fix the engine, or there’ll be an accident next time…" The others were just as tacitly coordinated, making up nonsense while trying to run.

But when they turned around, they found that Nebula had appeared at the exit at some point, blocking their escape route.

"Since you’re already here, don’t rush to leave." Zhan Liu smiled. "Let’s discuss how you’re going to compensate me for attacking my warship and destroying countless valuables, shall we?"

The moment money came up, Rocket’s ears drooped. He looked listless, his shifty eyes darting around as he wondered what scheme he was plotting.

Quill swallowed and forced a smile as he began ingratiating himself. "What a coincidence. I’m actually from Earth too. We’re fellow countrymen! We came over this time because we were afraid Ronan had deceived you, so we came to help!"

He was lying through his teeth, but Drax immediately exposed him. "Huh? Didn’t you say he was a fake?"

Quill leaped up as though someone had stepped on his tail and frantically winked at Drax. "Nonsense! When did I ever say that? I was young when I left Earth. How could I possibly have known that a great superhero like Mr. Zhan Liu, who is even greater than Captain America, existed on Earth?"

Drax refused to catch on and asked strangely, "Huh? What’s wrong with your eyes? Are you having a cramp?"

The two clowns performed their comedy routine while Zhan Liu watched and laughed heartily.

Gamora glared at Nebula from the side, her expression dark. At last, she couldn’t hold back and asked, "What’s your relationship with Thanos?"

Nebula cut in directly, "They have no relationship at all!"

"But you work for him!" Gamora naturally didn’t believe her.

A flash of shame and anger crossed Nebula’s eyes. She shouted furiously, "We’re prisoners! Prisoners, understand? Also, from now on, when speaking to His Excellency the War God, you must use Chinese! Otherwise, you’ve already seen what happened to Ronan!"

Everyone was startled and looked at Nebula in surprise. They had no idea what method Zhan Liu had used to subdue her. But the solemn atmosphere was quickly interrupted by Groot. "I am Groot."

"Damn it! Groot doesn’t know Chinese and can’t use the Interstellar Translator. What do we do?" Rocket looked left and right and began planning an escape route.

"Don’t even think about escaping. Even Ronan couldn’t get away. You’d better surrender obediently." Nebula was eager to capture more people to keep her company. The more people surrendered, and the more famous those people were, the less embarrassing her own surrender would seem.

The Guardians of the Galaxy had not a shred of dignity and were extremely practical. The moment they saw that the situation was bad, they immediately raised their hands and surrendered. As long as it had nothing to do with Thanos, Gamora naturally didn’t mind surrendering either.

Drax also raised both hands high and laughed loudly, as if he were playing a game.

In that brief moment, the Ravagers outside also rushed in. Yondu came at the head, whistling as he entered. The moment he saw Quill and the others standing in a row with their hands and weapons raised, he immediately split his mouth into a wide grin and mocked them:

"Quill, you idiot, you’ve been captured again! I have to come rescue you again!"

His men all knew Quill, and they joined in the laughter.

Quill still had some affection for his adoptive father. Worried that Yondu might anger Zhan Liu and bring about his own death, he hurriedly hinted:

"Ronan has already been killed. The one in control of the warship now is the great leader of the Ultimate Limit Sect, the Earth War God, Mr. Zhan Liu!"

"The Ravagers have no grudge against His Excellency the War God. Why don’t you sit down and talk?"

But Quill’s efforts were wasted. To Yondu, his words sounded like an announcement that the Power Stone was in Zhan Liu’s hands.

Yondu didn’t waste any words. He pursed his lips and blew, producing a shrill whistle. The whistle arrow shot straight toward Zhan Liu’s head.

This whistle arrow was called a Yaka Arrow. It was made from a sound-sensitive metal from Yondu’s homeworld, Centauri IV.

Yondu’s species possessed a special ability to resonate with mental consciousness. Through telepathy, he could control the arrow’s flight, speed, and other properties. The "fin" on top of Yondu’s head actually served as a "mental power amplifier."

Yondu used a special-frequency whistle to create a unique resonance with the material of the arrow, Yaka. After the resonance was amplified and strengthened by the "fin," it allowed Yondu and the arrow to achieve an effect of control that was almost "one with the arrow."

When exerting his full strength, the arrow moved incredibly fast, far beyond the speed of sound. An ordinary person would often be shot in the head before their mind could even react.

But today, he had encountered a tough opponent.

Zhan Liu casually closed his fingers and caught the arrow. That speed was far too slow for him. He examined the arrow twice, then casually twisted it into a ball and tossed it onto the ground.

The corner of Yondu’s eye twitched, and half his heart turned cold. Almost all his abilities lay in that arrow. Without it, he was nothing more than an ordinary Ravager. He hurriedly ordered his men to lower their weapons, then forced out a smile and awkwardly tried to ingratiate himself.

His Ravager subordinates were all villains who knew which way the wind was blowing. They had often witnessed the power of the whistle arrow. Now that they saw Zhan Liu casually destroy it, they immediately realized they had run into an iron wall. Before Yondu could even order them, they had already lowered their weapons and begun putting on ingratiating smiles.

But Zhan Liu ignored him. With a casual flick of his finger, Yondu’s head exploded, splattering brains and blood across the floor.

The other Ravagers fell silent, terrified of offending the brutal Earth War God before them. Only Quill lost control of his emotions when he saw his adoptive father die. He rushed forward and embraced Yondu’s corpse, overwhelmed by grief.

Yondu had taken him from Earth when he was a child. Although Yondu wasn’t a good person, he had at least raised Quill to adulthood. It was impossible to say he had no feelings for him.

Acting on impulse, Quill pulled out a gun, aimed it at Zhan Liu, and roared, "You killed Yondu! We’ll fight you to the death!"

Rocket sighed and lowered his raised hands, gripping the alien firearm as he prepared for battle. Groot also waved his branches in support. Drax, however, hesitated, unsure what he should do.

"Hey, big guy! What are you hesitating over?" Rocket shouted unhappily.

"Uh, he helped me kill Ronan… Can’t we not fight?" With friends on both sides, Drax felt extremely troubled.

"Even without him, we could have helped you kill Ronan." Rocket bared his teeth. "He killed Quill’s father, Yondu. We have to fight!"

"No. Without him, you could only accompany me in dying." Drax actually understood very clearly that rather than wanting revenge, he was seeking death in his despair.

Drax rubbed his head and drew his two knives. "All right. This time, I’ll accompany you in dying."

"All right, big guy. I won’t call you big idiot anymore." Rocket was very pleased with Drax’s choice, but Gamora’s choice beside him made him extremely unhappy.

"Nebula told me that the Earth War God is very strong, and may even be stronger than Thanos. Perhaps he can help me kill Thanos." Gamora’s face flushed as she turned her head away, unable to look at Quill’s hurt and disappointed eyes.

Killing Thanos was Gamora’s obsession. But she knew that the hope of success was slim. Now that she had seen a glimmer of hope, she naturally couldn’t wait to latch onto it.

"All right. I knew I couldn’t rely on this alien woman. We’ll have to depend on ourselves. With just a few hundred of us, where in this vast universe can’t we go? If we fight to the death, victory could go to either side!"

As Rocket spoke, he turned his head and saw that the group of Ravagers had already retreated to the edge of the hall, leaving the entire central area empty. Only the few of them stood there alone, conspicuous in the extreme.

Rocket’s fur stood on end. He jumped angrily and cursed, "You bunch of faithless cowards! Yondu was your leader! Even after your leader died, you won’t help avenge him? All the Ravagers will surely spit on you in the future!"

The group of Ravagers grunted resentfully and made excuses all at once.

"We’re already Ravagers. Why would we care about our reputation? Preserving our strength is what matters most…"

"That’s right, that’s right. Only those who understand the times are true heroes…"

"If there’s hope of victory, we won’t fear dying in battle. But when we know there’s no chance of winning, why go and throw our lives away?"

"Exactly, exactly. It isn’t worth it at all…"

This time, even Rocket had nothing to say. If these few hundred Ravagers served as cannon fodder, then with Rocket’s extensive battlefield experience in escaping, they might still have found a chance to flee alive. But with only these few people, it truly was a dead end.

Seeing Rocket’s dejected appearance, Groot extended a branch and placed it on his head, comforting him. "I am Groot."

Drax, meanwhile, seemed to have been touched by some strange nerve. He suddenly burst out laughing. "Hahaha… I just killed Ronan, and I’m about to see my wife and daughter again. Wonderful!"

Quill looked at the friends beside him, slowly lowered Yondu’s corpse, and remained silent for a moment before suddenly smiling.

"Actually, when you think about it, fighting and killing, living and dying, are all just everyday matters for space pirates. There’s no need to talk about revenge."

Rocket knew at a glance what Quill was planning. He immediately put away his weapon, smiled as well, and wagged his large tail, pretending nothing had happened. Groot had always shared Rocket’s stance, so he also put away his branches and began looking around.

Only Drax never knew how to read the room. He foolishly raised both knives high and charged toward Zhan Liu, yelling incoherently. Quill and the others were terrified and hurriedly pounced on him. They grabbed his arms, wrapped their arms around his waist, and clung to his legs. After a great deal of effort, they finally managed to restrain him.

Gamora actually knew what Quill was planning, but after hesitating for a moment, she still didn’t betray them.

Zhan Liu happily watched their little performance from the side for a long while. Only after they had finished acting did he wave his hand and give an order. "Tell Xandar that I helped them deal with Ronan. In return, have them fill my warship with energy cubes, and I’ll leave."

On the planet, Queen Adora and a group of centurions had already been waiting anxiously. Earlier, they had only seen the Ravagers’ fighters rush into Ronan’s enormous warship. After that, everything had gone silent. How the battle inside was progressing, whether they had won or lost, and whether the Nova Corps needed to provide support all required intelligence before they could make a judgment.

While they were in the middle of this anxious wait, the adjutant reminded her, "Your Majesty, an incoming communication."

Queen Adora’s spirits lifted. "Put it through."

After the connection was established, Nebula’s face appeared again.

"Queen Adora, all the Ravagers who invaded the warship have been defeated by His Excellency the Earth War God. Their leader, Yondu, has been killed, and all the other members have surrendered."

"Xandar is safe now!"

"Neither Ronan nor the Ravager space pirates can threaten Xandar any longer."

"By order of the Earth War God, Xandar must provide a sufficient amount of energy cubes in return. We’re in a hurry to head to Sovereign. Please hurry with the resupply."

After Nebula finished speaking, she ended the communication.

Gamora frowned as she watched Nebula, suspecting that Nebula had deliberately revealed the warship’s whereabouts to make it easier for Thanos to catch up. But luring Zhan Liu and Thanos into fighting each other also suited her wishes, so she ultimately said nothing.

Xandar, however, exploded. The moment the communication ended, a crowd immediately erupted in righteous indignation, voicing their opposition one after another.

"Extortion!"

"This is blatant extortion!"

"We can’t let them blackmail us, or we’ll never have peace again."

"My earlier guess was right. Those Ravagers and Ronan are clearly working together!"

"We can’t give the warship energy cubes. Once the warship has sufficient energy, it will definitely launch an attack on the surface. We’ll have a hard time holding them off then."

Queen Adora hesitated again and again before finally asking Centurion Romandia, "Romandia, what do you think? You were the first to make contact with that man called Quill. Do you think they’re working together to deceive us?"

Centurion Romandia carefully recalled the matter for a while before replying:

"Your Majesty, I don’t think the space battle in the sky just now was faked. Both sides suffered heavy losses in fighters and personnel. Ronan had no reason to put on such an act. It doesn’t fit his personality. Besides, if the two sides had joined forces to attack us, we would actually have had a hard time defending ourselves."

"Then what do you think the reason is?"

"If we assume that everything is real and make our judgment from there, everything becomes very reasonable. That Earth War God defeated Ronan and took control of his fleet. Then he defeated the Ravagers as well. He is now the sole victor."

"Then is Ronan really dead?"

"It’s highly likely that Ronan is truly dead. Even if he isn’t, he must have lost his freedom. Otherwise, his warship could never have fallen into an outsider’s hands."

Queen Adora took a deep breath and relaxed somewhat. "We only have a grudge against Ronan. We have no enmity with this Earth War God called Zhan Liu. It seems the crisis should be over."

"That isn’t necessarily so." Centurion Romandia shook his head gravely. "This being called the Earth War God is probably no benevolent sort. That much can be seen from the flesh-and-blood creature beneath his feet in the initial video, the one that was covered in blood and constantly howling."

"The Nova Corps bears responsibility for protecting the entire Andromeda Galaxy. We must remain vigilant toward this newly emerged so-called ruler of the universe. Especially now that the Power Stone is very likely in his hands."

"He may be even more dangerous than Ronan!"

Everyone expressed agreement and approval of Centurion Romandia’s assessment.

Queen Adora nodded. "Then how should we respond to his demand? Refuse?"

Centurion Romandia shook his head. "A rash refusal will certainly anger him, but completely satisfying his unreasonable demand will certainly encourage him to ask for more. We could instead demand that he hand over the Power Stone, while we provide his warship with sufficient energy cubes as the price of the trade."

"Using a Power Stone that he cannot use to exchange for the supplies his warship needs—he should agree to that."

The amount of energy required by a warship was immense, but for a powerful planet like Xandar, it was still nothing extraordinary. Queen Adora therefore readily agreed to Centurion Romandia’s plan and had someone notify the warship above.

When Nebula relayed the news to Zhan Liu, he was very displeased.

As far as Zhan Liu was concerned, if he hadn’t witnessed the high authority of the Space Stone, he probably wouldn’t have cared so much about the Power Stone and might have agreed casually. But now that he had seen it, it was impossible for him to hand over a treasure he had already obtained.

The Power Stone was genuinely useful to him. The so-called warship and subordinates, on the other hand, were things he could abandon at any time. It was convenient to have them, but he didn’t care if he didn’t. If he really agreed, he would truly be trading the pearl for the box.

Seeing his displeasure, Nebula immediately volunteered. "Give me some time. I’ll negotiate with Xandar. I’ll definitely make Queen Adora change her mind."

Zhan Liu waved his hand. "Forget it. I can’t be bothered with that. Attack!"

"I just remembered that the Nova Corps uses Nova Energy, which is said to come from the Nova Force and is practically inexhaustible."

"Since we’ve run into it, we might as well take it, modify it, and use it on our warship. Then our warship won’t lack energy in the future, and we won’t have to ask other planets for supplies whenever we need more."

"Going back and forth fighting is pretty annoying too. It’s much better to settle everything in one go!"