Forming an Alliance

For a released movie, the plot is naturally set in stone.

However, for Li Daniut, the plot is often unreliable.

After such a magical event as time-travel, especially after participating directly in the storyline, the butterfly effect—that seemingly unbelievable phenomenon—is not entirely impossible.

Although it wouldn't be as exaggerated as a butterfly flapping its wings causing a storm thousands of miles away, some changes are bound to happen.

Li Daniut had originally expected to watch the Flora Colossus go toe-to-toe with criminals at close range, but he hadn't anticipated that the raccoon would push him into the spotlight.

To the raccoon, this was a completely natural thing to do. Back on Xandar, when he shouted out, Li Daniut and Gamora had immediately started fighting. The raccoon didn't know that Gamora had made the first move against Li Daniut, so he naturally assumed that Li Daniut had intercepted Gamora on his behalf.

What did this indicate? It indicated that Li Daniut was preparing to team up with him. Therefore, under these circumstances, when trouble arose, having Li Daniut step up was the most appropriate choice. The tree creature himself did not look like someone to be trifled with, while the raccoon needed weapons and had combat capabilities that were truly weak compared to the others, making it impossible for him to fight.

As for Li Daniut, a human who looked very weak physically, if he failed to display extraordinary combat prowess, he would inevitably be targeted and troubled by others. In a prison like this, bullying the weak was entirely normal.

Thus, the raccoon wanted Li Daniut to step out and make a deterrent display, proving the combat strength of their newly formed three-person team.

Li Daniut didn't know the raccoon had turned over so many thoughts in that split second, but taking action posed no difficulty for him, and it could also help draw him closer to the main protagonists. In this space prison, getting along well with the raccoon was a prerequisite for escaping.

As the burly man prepared to make a move against Star-Lord, Li Daniut stepped in front of Star-Lord.

"Haha, a little guy trying to protect another little guy." A wave of taunts erupted around them, and the big brute wore a grin. In his view, among the newly arrived group, aside from the bizarre-looking tree creature that seemed somewhat troublesome, the others were not worth mentioning.

Before the big brute could utter any nonsense, Li Daniut planted a palm squarely against the giant's stomach. The reason for hitting the stomach was because of Li Daniut's height... he could only reach the man's belly; aiming any lower would lead to an inappropriate area unsuitable for children.

The big guy had no time to react at all. Not only because Li Daniut moved too quickly, but also because, in his eyes, Li Daniut's build was far too frail, and he didn't look like a cybernetic enhancement, leaving him entirely unconcerned about how much damage Li Daniut could inflict.

To the complete astonishment of everyone present, this seemingly feather-light palm strike from Li Daniut directly sent the massive brute flying backward. The impact smashed an indentation into the metal wall behind him that matched his body's exact volume. Though he didn't crash straight through, his entire body hung suspended against the wall as he spat out a mouthful of green blood.

The entire hall fell into shock, including the guards stationed atop the central watchtower, who were left dumbfounded by the spectacle. All the onlookers stopped whatever they were doing; naturally, no one dared to throw anything at Gamora ever again.

Was this guy a damn bio-engineered cyborg?

Li Daniut wasn't entirely satisfied with the effect he had produced, because in his estimation, that previous palm strike should have allowed the brute to shatter right through the metal wall behind him. He just hadn't expected the metal material used to build the space prison to be vastly sturdier than steel plates on Earth.

After swallowing hard, the raccoon asked, "Back on the Xandar plaza, were you holding back your strength?"

Li Daniut nodded. Against a character irrelevant to the core plot, it was naturally impossible to show the tender affection one might reserve for a female protagonist.

Seizing the opportunity, Star-Lord shouted to the surrounding crowd, "We're of the same kind! Starting today, you'd better watch yourselves and pay attention to the rules. Don't take your precious lives for granted!"

In a prison like this, the guards actually didn't care much about the safety of the prisoners. As long as there was no prison break or attacks on the guards, they couldn't care less whether the inmates lived or died. In their eyes, anyone who entered this prison could basically forget about getting out.

The raccoon sneered at Star-Lord's attempt to cozy up to them and mocked, "Could you please be mindful of your status? You're our captive."

While Star-Lord and the raccoon bickered, Gamora walked over to Li Daniut's side.

"I don't need you to hold back for my sake. Given the chance, I will definitely defeat you."

Li Daniut really wanted to tell Gamora that they would become teammates in the future and that she would even end up hooking up with Star-Lord. But watching Gamora walk away on her own accord, he didn't say a single word.

After Gamora left, the raccoon and Star-Lord also stopped arguing, primarily because the tree creature had positioned itself right behind the raccoon.

The raccoon shouted to the surrounding crowd and the prisoners on the balcony, "Me, the tree creature, and the kung-fu master Daniut are a team. This Star-Lord is our captive. If any of you think you have the guts to deal with us, feel free to try your hand."

Having finished threatening the inmates, the raccoon dragged Star-Lord and the others over to a secluded corner, while none of the other prisoners dared to follow.

"Fellas, even though we're quite capable fighters, I have to tell you that this prison is not lacking in exceptionally dangerous characters. For example, that guy sitting quietly over there—his nickname is the Destroyer. He's immensely powerful, and most importantly, I hear his brain isn't wired quite right, so try your best not to cause trouble."

"Of course, trouble is my least favorite thing," Star-Lord raised a hand in agreement.

"I am Groot!"

Li Daniut didn't want to look for trouble, but it was necessary for him to start driving the plot forward, because he knew that Ronan and his warship were already on their way to this space prison.

"I want to know what the hell is going on here!"

The raccoon awkwardly offered an explanation: "We just saw that there was a bounty on Star-Lord—forty thousand units—so we wanted to catch him. Who knew that woman Gamora would show up and meddle in it? Realistically, someone of her level shouldn't even care about a paltry forty thousand units."

Units were the currency most favored by space mercenaries, boasting formidable purchasing power.

Although Li Daniut knew the plot, he still fixed a murderous glare on Star-Lord.

Star-Lord wore an equally bewildered expression as he asked, "A bounty of forty thousand? Who in the world is spending that kind of money to hunt me down?"

The raccoon chuckled with malicious glee and said, "It's your boss, Yondu. I have to say, you've got guts to betray him."

"Pfft!" Star-Lord spat out a mouthful of saliva and retorted, "He's not my boss, he's a kidnapper. He's the one who abducted me from Earth to the outer worlds when I was nine years old. Besides, I didn't betray him at all! I went through all kinds of hardship to find a treasure, and he actually tried to keep it for himself. Of course I couldn't let that happen."

Li Daniut had no interest in the grievance between Star-Lord and Yondu, and directly asked, "Then what is the deal between you and Gamora?"

"Well... when I acquired this treasure, I was spotted by Ronan's men, and Gamora has been running in Ronan's inner circle lately, so..."

The raccoon exclaimed in shock, "What kind of item could possibly involve Ronan?"

Star-Lord said with a distressed expression, "I don't know either. It seems to be a glowing stone of some sort, tucked away right inside that orb."

Unlike the others who wore looks of hatred or fear whenever Ronan was mentioned, the raccoon's eyes seemed to light up with gold coins.

"Since Ronan cares about it that much, it's bound to be worth a fortune. How about this? I'll help you break out of prison, and then we'll sell that thing and split the profits three ways. How does that sound?"

"How do we get out?" Star-Lord and Li Daniut asked simultaneously. Star-Lord genuinely had no idea, while Li Daniut was feigning ignorance.

"We break out, of course. I've successfully busted out of twenty-two prisons before. This place will simply be my twenty-third successful prison break," the raccoon declared with absolute confidence.

"I am Groot!"

The raccoon glanced at the tree creature and muttered, "Looks like we're splitting it four ways."

Star-Lord readily agreed to the proposal, knowing that relying solely on his own strength made escaping from this prison utterly impossible.

Li Daniut's goal was to advance the plot; if the meeting ended right here, who knew whether they would still bother to rescue Gamora?

"Do you even know what that thing actually is? Do you know who to sell it to?"

These two questions left Star-Lord, the raccoon, and the others dumbfounded. Right—if they didn't even know what the object was, how could they possibly sell it? (To be continued.)