Chapter 149: Chapter 149: Enhancements
Star-Lord and the others gaped at the destruction beside Alex, the remains of what was once a bustling city.
With a mere flick of his hand, Alex had unleashed an attack that tore through the entire city.
Yet, the precision of the attack was astounding—no one in the affected area was killed or even slightly injured.
As the favored daughter of Thanos, Gamora was well aware of her father's overwhelming power.
But to her shock, even her father, the Mad Titan, could not unleash an attack of this magnitude and control.
This meant that the mysterious man before them was more powerful than the mad tyrant who terrorized the universe!
Once their initial surprise passed, Rocket Raccoon's expression shifted to one of excitement.
Alex had promised him earlier: if Rocket helped him retrieve the metal orb, Alex would gift him a Thunder Fruit.
Initially, Rocket had doubted the existence of such a fruit. But after witnessing Alex's terrifying strength, he no longer had any reason to doubt.
Rocket, once a fugitive relentlessly hunted by the High Evolutionary, finally felt like he was about to rise above it all!
He had heard of a "Thunder God" among the Asgardians, one of the major powers in the galaxy. But from this moment on, the title of Thunder God would belong to Rocket Raccoon!
Having effortlessly subdued the Nova Corps with a single attack, Alex gave his orders as if it were the most natural thing in the world:
"I need a brand-new ship, fully stocked with supplies. Additionally, I need one specific person."
The commanding tone seemed perfectly justified to everyone present. In this universe, the strong preyed on the weak. A powerful Titan like Thanos could slaughter entire planets at will. For someone stronger than Thanos, like Alex, such demands were more than reasonable.
That Alex had spared their lives despite their earlier transgressions was already a gift of mercy.
The black commander immediately stepped forward and replied:
"We will provide you with the finest ship Xandar has to offer, fully stocked with all the supplies you need.
May I ask who you require? The Nova Corps will do everything in its power to fulfill your request!"
"Drax the Destroyer. He's currently imprisoned in Kyln."
Although the black commander did not understand the connection between Alex and Drax, he did not hesitate to agree. "Of course, we will expedite the process and deliver Drax to you as quickly as possible!"
Alex's desire to recruit Drax had one simple purpose: entertainment.
Drax, as the comedic relief of the Guardians of the Galaxy, had an innocent yet hilariously dim-witted demeanor that Alex found endlessly amusing.
But there was another reason.
In the comics, Drax the Destroyer was a powerhouse capable of tearing apart stars with his bare hands. However, the movies had significantly weakened his abilities, making him unworthy of the title "Destroyer."
Alex planned to enhance and upgrade Drax, transforming him into his top enforcer in the Marvel universe.
Alex remembered his earlier confrontations in this universe, where he had killed three of Thanos' Black Order.
Back then, Thanos had been a considerable threat. But now, as a being beyond even the Skyfather level, Alex saw Thanos as nothing more than a glorified watchdog. The Deviant Titan wasn't worth his time—a subordinate like Drax tearing Thanos apart would be far more fitting.
Later, the black commander reported Alex's presence to the highest authority on Xandar, Nova Prime.
Nova Prime, recognizing the immense power Alex wielded, personally came to meet him.
To her credit, Nova Prime was pragmatic. Upon learning of Alex's strength, she humbly offered her allegiance, seeking his protection for her planet.
Alex was well aware of Xandar's current and impending threats.
First, there was Ronan the Accuser, a Kree extremist and mass murderer who was slaughtering Xandarians indiscriminately, even children.
Then, there was the looming threat of Thanos, who would eventually attack and destroy Xandar.
Alex had already decided that Ronan would serve as a training exercise for Rocket and the others. As for Thanos, that minor annoyance would be crushed in due time.
With nothing to lose, Alex accepted Nova Prime's proposal.
Demonstrating his immense power once more, he retrieved the massive black hole he had unleashed earlier and rewound time to restore the city to its original state.
For the next few days, Alex took a rare break from enhancing his skills and decided to relax.
During this time, he sealed his powers and explored all the breathtaking sights Xandar had to offer with the physical limitations of an ordinary human.
Xandar was truly beautiful, and this leisurely journey brought Alex great enjoyment.
---
A few days later, the Nova Corps delivered Drax the Destroyer to Alex.
Alex quickly subdued him and enhanced him using a reversal spell.
For his amusement, Alex also changed Drax's skin tone to a bluish-purple, matching that of Thanos.
He further modified Drax's tattoos: when activated, they would emit a dazzling red glow, significantly amplifying Drax's power several times over.
After Alex's enhancements, Drax's base physical strength was already comparable to Thanos. When the tattoos were activated, his power increased to the point where he could effortlessly crush Thanos.
After dealing with Drax, Alex fulfilled his promise to Rocket Raccoon, who was brimming with anticipation. He handed Rocket the Thunder Fruit.
Creating the Thunder Fruit was a trivial task for Alex. A simple fruit inscribed with the Thunder Fruit's rune was all it took.
Moreover, unlike the Devil Fruits of the One Piece world, Alex's version of the Thunder Fruit was not weakened by seawater.
After enjoying Xandar's hospitality for a while and mastering all of its advanced technology, Alex set off in his new ship with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Their destination: Knowhere, to retrieve the treasures Alex had "previously left" with the Collector.
The ship gifted by Xandar was enormous, rivaling the size of the one Alex had built for the Whitebeard Pirates.
This luxurious vessel was originally used for opulent air tours and was owned by Nova Prime herself. However, in a bid to win Alex's favor, she readily gave it to him, along with dozens of skilled crew members and servants to help manage it.
---
In the ship's training room, Rocket Raccoon was sparring with Drax.
Both had gained incredible combat prowess after being enhanced by Alex.
Electricity crackled through the room. Despite only having the Thunder Fruit for a few days, Rocket had already developed multiple applications for it.
These included techniques like Railgun—using electricity to create magnetic forces to control metal—and vibrating high-frequency blades.
Of course, Rocket also mastered various techniques originally used by Enel, but his grasp of the Thunder Fruit far exceeded Enel's.
Alex even speculated that, with enough stamina, Rocket could use electricity to manipulate electromagnetic forces on a microscopic scale.
It was undeniable—given enough power, intellectuals like Rocket could become terrifyingly strong, much like Doctor Doom from the comics.
When Drax wasn't activating his tattoos, he was no match for Rocket.
One lightning strike from Rocket sent Drax flying across the room.
Enraged and about to lose control, Drax prepared to activate his tattoos, but Alex's calm voice intervened:
"Drax, this is just a sparring match. I'd rather see you direct your strength toward Ronan and your enemies, not your allies."
Hearing Alex's reminder, Drax quickly regained his composure and muttered "You're right. I will tear Ronan to shreds and rip Thanos's head off!"
Seeing the terrifying power Rocket and Drax displayed after Alex's enhancements, Star-Lord sidled up to Alex with his trademark cheeky grin.
"Hey, Alex, you said you're from Earth, right? Well, I'm from Earth too. That makes us like… hometown buddies!
So, uh… you wouldn't happen to have a little something to enhance me too, would you? I mean, I don't want to be the weak link in the battles ahead!"
Alex smiled warmly.
"Don't worry, my friend. I've already prepared a special enhancement for you. It's the perfect transformation—one that will elevate you from a demigod to a true god!"
Far away, Ego, the sentient celestial planet, inexplicably felt a shiver of cold dread wrap around him.
The ship warped through numerous wormholes, traversing the galaxy. After several jumps, they arrived before a massive planetary-sized head.
Seeing the colossal structure, Star-Lord couldn't help but exclaim,
"Oh my god, what is this?"
Gamora, standing beside him, explained, "It's the decapitated head of some ancient cosmic being. Be cautious in there, Rocket—it's a lawless zone."
Alex stood at the front of the control room, gazing out at the spectacular view. Different worlds offered unique beauty, and every one brought him immense pleasure.
After Gamora's explanation, Alex added, "That head belongs to a Celestial."
Drax, curious, asked,
"A Celestial? What are they?"
"They're an ancient and terrifying race of cosmic entities," Alex explained. "Each Celestial wields the power to destroy planets and shatter universes.
They aren't physical beings in the usual sense but abstract entities—manifestations of pure concepts. Nearly immortal, they embody the impossible."
"WTF!" Star-Lord's face twisted with disbelief. "There are beings that powerful—and it's not just one of them? What could possibly kill something like that and chop off its head?"
Alex turned to Star-Lord, his expression filled with amusement.
The faint flicker in his glowing blue eyes betrayed a predatory instinct. His Mystic Eyes of Death Perception stirred, eager to hunt these cosmic giants. Suppressing the surging power within, Alex smiled.
"Everything that lives can die. The trick is knowing how to kill them.
Oh, and by the way, you share a connection with the Celestials. That's part of the power I plan to give you later."
Star-Lord frowned in confusion.
"I have a connection with the Celestials?"
"That's right. It has to do with your father. You'll learn more when the time is right."
Alex stopped the conversation there, watching as Star-Lord squirmed in frustration.
Alex enjoyed Star-Lord's visible discomfort. There's a certain pleasure in playing the role of the enigmatic riddler.
While people often say 'Riddlers must die,' being the riddler was undeniably satisfying.
Shifting the topic, Alex spoke again,
"By the way, if you're going to follow me, you'll need to be prepared to face a few challenges.
Challenges like… dealing with those so-called Celestials."
Hearing Alex's tone when he mentioned the Celestials, the Guardians of the Galaxy couldn't shake a feeling of unease.
Alex continued,
"I've had some run-ins with the Celestials. Long ago, I clashed with them after killing their creations—the Eternals."
"Eternals?" Gamora couldn't help but feel that the name sounded familiar.
Staring at the endless stars in front of him, Alex's eyes remained calm and steady: "Like Thanos. He's an Eternal warrior. But unlike the ordinary ones, he's one of their elites…"
Ignoring the shock in everyone's hearts, Alex continued, "I killed all the Eternals on Earth, which caught the attention of Arishem, the leader of the Celestials. He wanted to judge me, but I refused. So, we fought.
Back then, I wasn't as strong as I am now. Even with three Infinity Stones and the massive boost I gained from using the corpse of a Celestial infant, I was no match for him.
I lost. But I used a certain method to escape, and not long ago, I returned—ready to take revenge on them."
Alex turned, narrowing his eyes with a smile: "I'm going to slaughter every single Celestial in this universe. The Celestials are now our enemies."
Rocket: "???"
Star-Lord: "???"
Gamora: "???"
Drax: "???"
Groot: "I am Groot?"
After a moment of silence, they all exclaimed together:
"WTF?!"
To make them face the Celestials—was this some kind of joke?!
How could they possibly stand against Celestials?!
Star-Lord's face froze as he stammered, "Alex, you… you're… joking, right?"
Rocket chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, we're way too weak. How could we possibly fight the Celestials?"
Even Drax scratched his head and added, "Alex, you scared us. Don't joke like that!"
But their awkward smiles quickly froze when they realized Alex's expression hadn't changed at all. They understood that everything Alex said was true!
No! Let us off this ride!
What they thought was a luxury car turned out to be a death trap.
If Alex kept going like this, even the grandest starliner would crash!
Seeing their terrified expressions, Alex naturally knew what they were thinking. He smiled and said,
"Don't worry. They're just Celestials. You'll get used to killing a few after a while."
Another round of silence followed. They realized they weren't even on the same wavelength as Alex.
These were Celestials, not pigs!
How could mere mortals dare to challenge Celestials, let alone kill them?!
Seeing his team's utter lack of confidence, Alex felt a little helpless. Once he started killing Celestials, they wouldn't react like this anymore.
He didn't expect much from them. All he wanted was for them to cheer him on when he faced the Celestials alone. A little morale boost, maybe, and to witness his god-slaying feats as spectators.
He had no illusions about them actually fighting the Celestials themselves.
°°°
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