Chapter 148: Back to Marvel

In the Marvel Universe, a portal emitting golden sparks tore open in the void. A figure with white hair stepped through, standing amidst the emptiness.

Before traveling through, Alex had suppressed his energy signature to avoid detection by the Celestials.

Rather than the scenario where he is immediately discovered and besieged by the Celestials, Alex preferred to assess the situation first, before systematically eliminating these so-called gods.

Upon descending, Alex began extending his senses discreetly, gathering information about his location and the current timeline.

When he had previously left the Marvel Universe for DC, Alex's strength had only just reached the Skyfather level, and even destroying a planet had been a challenge.

Now, after traversing the DC, Naruto, and Pirate Worlds, his power had increased dramatically, reaching single-universe level. Even among beings of that caliber, Alex stood at the absolute pinnacle.

Expanding his perception across a vast expanse, Alex gleaned much useful information.

He noticed a spaceship heading toward Xandar, piloted by none other than Star-Lord, who was dancing along to music as he steered.

At this moment, Star-Lord was alone—the Guardians of the Galaxy had yet to form.

Further observing Xandar, Alex spotted Rocket Raccoon and Groot, confirming that the timeline was set around the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1.

Determined, Alex planned his next steps. He decided to travel to various planets, collecting the Infinity Stones. Even now, the Stones could provide a significant boost to his strength.

Opening a portal, Alex returned to his pocket dimension.

Previously, when leaving the Marvel Universe, the Infinity Stones had lost their power and could no longer generate infinite energy. As a result, Alex had set them aside.

Now that he was back, the Stones' energy had been restored, and Alex intended to utilize them once again.

Drawing upon his past experience with the Stones, Alex quickly modified the foundational runes of his pocket dimension, creating slots for the Stones to fit.

The Space Stone, Reality Stone, and Mind Stone began to merge under the influence of the runes, enhancing the pocket dimension's energy density to unprecedented levels.

Furthermore, Alex's absolute control over his pocket dimension allowed him to channel the Stones' power indefinitely through it.

Once the integration was complete, Alex took a step, instantly crossing light-years to arrive on Xandar.

Xandar, the capital of the Nova Empire, boasted immense military power and a thriving economy.

The planet, similar to Earth, featured better greenery and was an ideal place for habitation, surpassing Earth in many ways.

Walking along its streets, Alex suppressed his perception and curiously observed his surroundings.

Back when he had watched Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, Alex had found Xandar to be a beautiful world. Now that he was here in person, its harmonious blend of technology and nature impressed him even more.

Unlike the dense forests of the Naruto World or the peculiar islands of the Pirate World, Xandar offered a unique aesthetic—a perfect union of progress and preservation.

After wandering for a while, Alex came across a fountain where he saw a future member of the Guardians: a raccoon standing upright.

Rocket Raccoon was holding a futuristic device and exclaimed excitedly: "A bounty! Let's see who the unlucky fool is this time!"

The transparent screen of his device locked onto a man flirting with a woman—Star-Lord. The screen displayed the bounty details:

Target: Peter Quill

Objective: Capture alive

Client: Yondu Udonta

Reward: 40,000 units

Upon seeing such a high bounty, Rocket grinned with excitement and exclaimed: "Woohoo, Groot! We're gonna be rich!"

At that moment, a voice suddenly sounded nearby: "Oh wow, the bounty is quite high."

Rocket Raccoon flinched at the unexpected voice beside him. Turning his head, he saw a white-haired man standing there.

Both he and Groot tensed up, eyeing Alex warily. Rocket bared his teeth and growled: "Hey, buddy, I spotted him first! Are you here to steal my bounty?"

Alex looked Rocket up and down, marveling at how such a small head could house such extraordinary intelligence.

After all, theories suggests that Rocket's IQ was comparable to that of Tony Stark.

Perhaps Alex's scrutinizing gaze offended him, because Rocket pulled out his gun and aimed it at Alex:

"Hey, you lousy jerk, I'm not some kind of pet for you to gawk at!"

Alex chuckled. "Of course not. I know that. I've seen many animals like you—capable of standing upright and speaking. It just surprises me to encounter one here as well."

Rocket was taken aback. Did this man know other creatures like him? Could they be others who had been experimented on like he was?

"Where? Where did you see them?" Rocket asked eagerly.

Alex, understanding Rocket's train of thought, explained: "Not in this world. They're from another world entirely. They were originally humans, but after eating a special fruit called a Devil Fruit, they gained the ability to transform into animals."

He paused before adding:

"At first, I thought you might have gotten your powers the same way, but clearly, that's not the case."

"Devil Fruits, huh? Sounds like some kind of magical fruit," Rocket muttered. Though disappointed that Alex wasn't talking about others like him, his sharp mind quickly pivoted to the potential value of such fruits. If they were real, they'd sell for a fortune.

Alex, suddenly struck by an amusing idea, grinned mischievously.

"Mr. Raccoon, would you like to try a Devil Fruit? Gain some supernatural powers?

"There are many kinds of Devil Fruits. For example, Zoan-type Fruits allow the eater to transform into an animal and gain its abilities. There are also other types of Fruits that grant a variety of superpowers."

Rocket's years of fleeing from the High Evolutionary had honed his caution. He wasn't about to trust this stranger easily. Raising his rifle again, he demanded: "What's your angle? What do you want?"

Alex's expression remained calm, unaffected by the weapon pointed at him. Unless it was a galaxy-shattering attack, nothing could harm him.

He pointed at the sleazy-looking man flirting in the distance—Star-Lord.

"See that guy over there? The one trying (and failing) to charm the lady? He has something I want—a metal orb.

"How about this: we take him down together. You can turn him in for the bounty, and I'll take the metal orb. As a bonus, I'll even give you a Devil Fruit. Deal?"

Alex was already imagining the future. A Rocket Raccoon with the powers of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit (Goro Goro no Mi) going up against Thor. After defeating the Asgardian, Rocket would mock him:

"You're just the god of hammers, but I'm the real god of thunder!"

What a scene that would be. Definitely worth capturing as a collectible. Speaking of collections, Alex's mind drifted to the Collector. That ancient being had amassed a fascinating array of treasures, including rare creatures and artifacts from across the universe.

And now, Alex had his own plans. As a an Elder of the Universe, perhaps the Collector himself could become part of Alex's collection.

Rocket's ears perked up at Alex's proposal. He walked up to Alex and slapped his leg confidently.

"Following Rocket Raccoon is the smartest choice you've ever made! I'll snatch that orb for you in no time!"

Groot chimed in with his signature line: "I am Groot!"

At this moment, Star-Lord had just parted ways with the red-skinned alien woman and headed to a trading post to submit a mission. However, upon mentioning his name, he was kicked out due to the staff's fear of him.

Soon after, Gamora ambushed him. The two engaged in a physical struggle, rolling across the ground, laying the foundations for their future romance through some "close contact."

As their fight was intensifying, Rocket Raccoon and Groot interrupted their skirmish, tying up Gamora and helping Star-Lord escape.

Just as Star-Lord reached out to pick up the fallen Orb, a hand appeared out of nowhere, snatching it up.

Alex held the Orb in his hand, casually crushed it, and stored the Power Stone within his pocket universe.

The Power Stone, representing limitless strength and energy among the six Infinity Stones, also had the ability to amplify the effects of the others.

Once synchronized with the three other stones, the Power Stone released a surge of energy, magnifying the power of the Space, Reality, and Mind Stones even further.

The addition of the Power Stone doubled the energy production of Alex's pocket universe. Its output now exceeded what his Energy Absorption Lv.5 skill could handle efficiently.

Feeling the overwhelming energy coursing through him, Alex opened his system interface:

> Energy Absorption Lv.5 (18456/20000)

Can absorb nearly all forms of energy within a 20-meter radius at high speed and capacity. Allows manipulation of most energy forms within a 10-meter radius.

The skill was nearing its next upgrade, after which Alex would be able to fully harness the energy of his pocket universe. He was particularly eager for the ability to master matter-energy conversion, which would allow him to create matter from energy—even without the Infinity Stones.

Meanwhile, Star-Lord, furious that his hard-earned Orb had been stolen, drew his elemental blasters and aimed at Alex. "Hey, pal! That Orb is mine! Hand it over!"

Ignoring Star-Lord's demand, Alex scanned his surroundings.

Moments later, several small spacecraft appeared, surrounding them. Beams of golden light shot down, binding everyone except Alex in a gravitational field.

Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Gamora, and Star-Lord floated helplessly in the air, unable to move.

A voice boomed from one of the ships: "Experiment 89P13, put down your weapon! By the authority of the Nova Corps, you are under arrest!"

Rocket sighed in defeat, tossing his weapon aside.

Several Nova Corps officers descended, restraining Star-Lord and the others.

At this point, Star-Lord noticed something unusual: Alex was standing unaffected, completely ignored by the Nova Corps' binding beams. Outraged, he shouted:

"This isn't fair! He was part of the fight too, and he stole my Orb! Why isn't he being arrested?"

His outburst caught the attention of the leading Nova Corps officer, who turned to see Alex still standing freely. Assuming their binding beams had failed to lock onto him, the officer barked an order:

"Extend the binding field to include him! Detain him as well!"

However, moments later, one of the subordinates reported in confusion:

"Commander, we've already directed the binding beams at him and increased the power to maximum!

But for some reason, the beams have absolutely no effect on him!"

The commander froze.

"...What??"

Below, seeing Alex unmoved, several Nova Corps soldiers cautiously approached, intending to physically restrain him. Yet, as they came within five meters of him, they found themselves unable to proceed further.

It was as if an invisible wall stood in their way, completely isolating Alex.

At this point, everyone realized something was wrong. The soldiers and ships abandoned their focus on Rocket, Groot, and the others, switching to lethal energy weapons and aiming them at Alex.

The black commander, visibly nervous, shouted:

"Criminal! Lie on the ground and surrender, or we will open fire!"

In response to their tense hostility, Alex calmly snapped his fingers.

Instantly, the vectors around him fell into chaos. Under the astonished gazes of the Nova Corps, every nearby ship and energy weapon, whether in their hands or in low-altitude flight, disintegrated into fine dust with a faint breeze.

Only then did Alex speak, his tone serene: "Apologies, but I have no intention of being detained. Can I leave now?"

With their ships reduced to powder, the commander fell from mid-air to the ground. Fortunately, his physical resilience spared him from major injury, though his nose began bleeding profusely.

Hearing Alex's words, he stiffened and retorted sternly: "Damn criminal! How dare you attack the Nova Corps? Don't get too arrogant—I will arrest you no matter what—"

Before he could finish, Alex raised his hand, his fingers aligned like a blade, and slashed sideways.

The vectors around Alex converged into a torrent of sword energy, surging outward with overwhelming force.

The unleashed sword energy wreaked havoc, splitting everything in its path. The once-beautiful cityscape now bore a massive, cleanly cut divide, as though the city had been parted by an unstoppable force.

Amid the deafening roar and rising dust, the scene resembled the apocalypse.

Seeing this catastrophic display, the commander froze, his words dying in his throat. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, unable to speak.

A few seconds later, his complexion contorted into a strange, twisted smile. Suddenly, he straightened his posture and approached Alex with a deferential attitude, bowing deeply.

"Esteemed sir, how could someone like you possibly be a criminal? We clearly made a mistake earlier.

Allow me to extend a warm welcome to Xandar on behalf of its people. We are honored by your presence!"

°°°

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