Earlier, when Star-Lord contacted the Avengers, they quickly relayed the information to Robert. Despite the Power Stone being located in a faraway part of the universe, outside Earth's jurisdiction, Robert decided to come. The Infinity Stones were simply too dangerous, especially with Thanos actively collecting them. The Avengers agreed it would be best to secure the Stones themselves, preventing future conflicts over them.
Robert understood their reasoning. Thanos had already become their enemy, and it was imperative not to let him easily acquire what he sought. So, Robert tracked Star-Lord's energy and teleported to his side. Admittedly, the process took longer than usual since Star-Lord was far weaker than others he had previously sensed in the vast universe, making him harder to locate.
"How'd you get here so fast, Saiyan?" Star-Lord exclaimed excitedly, feeling a surge of confidence. With Robert's arrival, Star-Lord no longer felt threatened by Ronan, even though the Kree warlord held the Power Stone.
"Just a little trick," Robert replied calmly, glancing around at the assembled group, his gaze lingering on Gamora, Ronan, and the surrounding outlaws who were watching from the shadows. "So these are aliens? They sure are strange-looking. I guess there aren't many like Kryptonians, who look just like humans."
While the aliens in this world weren't as bizarre as those from Dragon Ball, their varied appearances still intrigued Robert. Thankfully, Kryptonians didn't look this odd, or Robert might've had trouble adjusting. Despite Gamora and Nebula possessing the aura of warrior women, Robert didn't find them attractive—he was just glad they didn't seem completely alien to him.
"And who are you?" Ronan's pupils contracted slightly when he saw Robert appear out of nowhere. He gestured subtly to Korath, who immediately stepped back behind him, quietly directing their fleet to approach.
Ronan felt an unprecedented pressure from Robert, one that surpassed even what he'd felt from Thanos. More troubling was that, despite holding the Power Stone, Ronan found no sense of security in it. The only solution he could think of was to rely on the Kree Empire's warships. If Knowhere and Robert were caught in the fleet's firepower, they might not be able to defeat Robert, but at least they could pose a threat.
The irony wasn't lost on Ronan. After obtaining the Power Stone, he had gained the courage to challenge Thanos. But now, facing Robert, his confidence had evaporated. It was the instinctual fear of a being far superior to himself.
"You don't need to know who I am," Robert said, his voice calm but commanding. "All you need to do is hand over the Power Stone. Or you can try using it against me—maybe it'll make me fight seriously."
Ronan's pupils constricted further, anger welling up inside him, but he remained silent, his gaze locked on Robert as if weighing his options.
"Wow, this guy is bold! Who is Star-Lord's backup? Ronan doesn't even know who he is, and yet he's scared stiff. Is this the same arrogant Ronan we saw earlier?" Rocket muttered incredulously, watching the exchange.
As much as Rocket hated to admit it, Ronan had put a lot of psychological pressure on him earlier. If Ronan had decided to kill them, Rocket doubted they would have survived. Seeing Ronan now cower before Robert was an even bigger shock.
It wasn't just Rocket who felt this way. Except for Groot, who remained oblivious, and Drax, who lay unconscious after being knocked out by Ronan, both Gamora and Nebula shared the same thoughts. More importantly, they saw in Robert a real hope to finally oppose Thanos.
Robert overheard Rocket's remark but wasn't too surprised by the talking raccoon. Talking animals weren't unheard of. On Earth, animal warriors had become somewhat common, and heroes like Hawkman were even part of the Avengers. Compared to that, Rocket wasn't particularly special.
What did irritate Robert, however, was Ronan's hesitation. Robert's patience wore thin as he watched Ronan refuse to act. His eyes flashed with irritation as he fixed his gaze on the Kree warlord. "Still haven't made up your mind? In that case, I'll make the decision for you."
"Wait!" Ronan, who had been silent until now, suddenly shouted, his eyes darting toward Korath for reassurance. After seeing Korath nod, Ronan took a deep breath and spoke earnestly to Robert. "I have no intention of becoming your enemy, but the Power Stone belongs to the Kree Empire. I cannot hand it over to you."
"Are you relying on those warships aiming at this celestial head?" Robert asked, waving dismissively, cutting off Ronan mid-sentence.
"What?" Ronan's heart skipped a beat, and the unease he felt only deepened. Memories of a terrifying incident flashed through his mind—an encounter involving another powerful being and his fleet of warships.
It had happened when he tried to confront Captain Marvel after she had saved the Skrulls. Ronan had brought his fleet to attack, but Captain Marvel had torn through his warships with nothing but her physical strength. He had thought he would die that day, but she had spared him, leaving him with a vivid memory of raw power.
Now, staring at Robert, Ronan couldn't shake the feeling that he was witnessing something similar, perhaps even worse. The fear only intensified when he saw Robert gathering energy in his hand, preparing a devastating attack.
"Whoosh!" A bright energy beam shot across the sky above Knowhere like a streaking meteor.
The beam was beautiful but infinitely more dangerous than any meteor. When it struck the main ship of Ronan's fleet, a massive explosion lit up the space around Knowhere, spreading rapidly.
The explosion was so intense that the once-darkened Knowhere was bathed in the glow of what seemed like a new sun. The heat and light from the blast were so overwhelming that the entire celestial head began to tremble. Panic ensued among the outlaws as they fled for their lives, terrified by the sudden destruction.
Even Ronan felt the unbearable heat and light, but inside, he was frozen. The scene unfolding before him was far too similar to the one he had witnessed years ago. Only this time, it was worse. Robert hadn't even needed to fly out and personally attack the ship—he had destroyed the fleet with a mere wave of his hand!
Ronan didn't have a device to measure energy, but he knew instinctively that Robert's energy blast was far more powerful than the energy released by the Power Stone earlier. Now, he wasn't sure if even with the Power Stone, he could stand a chance against Robert.
The Power Stone was undeniably one of the universe's ultimate forces, but without the mysterious abilities of the Celestials or the Infinity Gauntlet, there seemed to be no perfect way to harness its full power.
"You still have two choices," Robert said, his voice breaking through Ronan's growing fear. "One: I kill you and take the Power Stone. Or two: you use the Power Stone and see if it's strong enough to make me fight seriously. Pick one."
The reason Robert wanted Ronan to use the Power Stone was simple: he wanted to see its full potential. After all, the Reality Stone had proven that the Infinity Stones could grant incredible power. Rather than experimenting on the Avengers, it was much safer to use an enemy like Ronan for this test.
"Saiyan, isn't this a bit..." Star-Lord began, his voice hesitant. He had seen the destructive power of the Power Stone up close and was understandably nervous about Ronan using it again.
"Buzz!" Star-Lord's words were cut off by the sharp hum of energy as Ronan, realizing he had no other option, opened the Orb and gripped the Power Stone.
In an instant, purple energy surged around Ronan, enveloping him in a terrifying glow, just like it had with Karina earlier. It looked as though Ronan might explode at any moment.
Despite his superior strength compared to Karina, Ronan wasn't much better off. He wasn't the lucky chosen one who could handle the immense power of the Infinity Stone.
"Buzz!" Fortunately, Ronan's enhanced physical strength allowed him to hold out long enough for Korath to hand him his long-handled hammer. With great effort, Ronan embedded the Power Stone into the weapon. Instantly, the Power Stone fused with the hammer, becoming a potent energy source for the universal weapon.
"This weapon is quite something," Robert remarked, admiring the design of the hammer now powered by the Power Stone.
"It's called the Universal Weapon, a powerful artifact created by the Kree Empire," Gamora explained quietly. "In Ronan's hands, it has claimed countless lives, especially recently..."
"Boom!" Gamora's explanation was interrupted by a thunderous sound. Ronan had merely set the hammer's head down on the ground, but it had caused a massive shockwave. The energy from the Power Stone disintegrated the ground where the hammer touched, reducing it to dust.
"Huh?" Robert raised an eyebrow in surprise. The energy from the Power Stone bore a striking resemblance to the destructive energy of the God of Destruction. In both cases, the energy seemed to follow a similar principle, though expressed differently due to varying universal rules.
This piqued Robert's curiosity even more. The Power Stone's destructive energy reminded him of the power he had always sought—the energy of destruction. It was a power he had never fully mastered, and now, seeing the Power Stone in action, he felt a strong desire to study it further.
"Hahaha! You have no idea how terrifying the Power Stone's energy truly
is! You'll regret your arrogance!" Ronan, seeing the look of surprise on Robert's face, felt a surge of confidence. Finally, he had the courage to roar at Robert, venting years of pent-up frustration. This wasn't just directed at Robert—it was a defiant scream aimed at Captain Marvel and even Thanos.
For years, Ronan had either run or submitted in the face of stronger opponents. Now, he wasn't looking to prove himself superior—he simply wanted to reclaim his lost dignity.
"Hm?" Robert, momentarily caught off guard by Ronan's sudden outburst, watched as the Kree warlord charged at him, brandishing the Universal Weapon powered by the Power Stone.
Ronan's speed had increased significantly, though not due to any specific enhancement of his physical abilities. Rather, he was using the Power Stone's energy as a propulsion force, allowing him to wield the Universal Weapon with incredible speed. It was an impressive application of the Stone's energy.
"Whoosh!" In a flash, Ronan closed the distance, swinging the Universal Weapon down at Robert's head. The sheer force of the blow wasn't just aimed at crushing Robert's skull—it was intended to obliterate the Celestial head they stood upon.
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