The spaceship descended slowly.
Even before it touched down, a group of Ravagers was already waiting below.
This was the Ravager Planet. Chaos reigned, but they had their own order. Each territory had its own leader who monitored all ships landing in their area.
Ravagers didn't want an unexpected army arriving unannounced and catching them off guard.
When Yondu received the news, he hurried over as well.
Watching the ship slow to a stop, a smile of excitement spread across his face.
Soon, the airlock opened, and Loki stepped out.
He was immediately met by a large group of Ravagers, with Yondu laughing heartily as he approached.
"Ha! Loki, I knew you'd come back. So, how about it? Did our friend bring what we were expecting?"
"Of course," Loki replied, nodding.
Seeing Yondu's exaggerated enthusiasm, Nolan felt a strong urge to act if he hadn't known Yondu's style, he might have been fooled.
Once Nolan confirmed the answer, Yondu let go of Loki and turned his attention behind him.
A human emerged from the ship, clad in full armor, moving cautiously.
"Ha! My friend, I've been waiting a long time for you!"
Yondu laughed, walking toward Nolan.
Nolan, unmoved by the obvious act, extended his hand.
"Sorry, we prefer a handshake as our custom."
Yondu froze for a moment, then recovered his composure.
"Of course! I like your style. Loki might have mentioned we've been delaying a battle with rival Ravager factions because he said you had some valuable merchandise. We postponed the fight for a full month just for this."
Nolan smiled.
"Naturally. My products have been tested thoroughly. Their performance will exceed your expectations. And if the price is right, we could even establish a long-term partnership."
Yondu's grin softened, revealing a hint of genuine interest. He didn't trust Loki's words, but Nolan's assurance carried weight.
Of course, if Nolan lied, he wouldn't hesitate to shred him and feed him to the dogs.
"In that case, let's get started. I can't wait," Yondu said bluntly.
"Likewise," Nolan replied, smiling in return.
Both men wore wide smiles, giving the impression they were perfectly matched.
Then a line of robots in Thunder Hammer armor, identical to Nolan's own, stepped forward.
They carried a mix of firearms from Earth both powder-based guns and energy rifles all modified and branded as Nolan's own.
Yondu frowned.
"Powder guns? These are outdated junk."
These were not what he wanted.
As more items were displayed, Yondu's expression grew darker.
"Don't worry, these are just extras," Nolan said, still smiling.
He guessed Yondu might not need the older weapons, but there were buyers for everything. Even obsolete firearms could find a market. A true merchant understood this.
Next, a Terminator equipped with an ExoSuit powered exoskeleton emerged.
Nolan's voice rang out clearly.
"The previous items are optional. But this ExoSuit exoskeleton is Rock Technologies' pride. It dramatically enhances the wearer's durability, speed, and strength. With the built-in auxiliary functions, it's the perfect choice for large-scale deployment."
Yondu's eyes lit up. He liked the ExoSuit.
Yet he wasn't naive. He wouldn't take Nolan's word for it he sent someone to test it firsthand.
A few minutes later, Yondu spoke.
"I like this. Now I'm curious to see what else you brought."
Nolan smiled. Today's deal was going smoothly.
"Of course. The ExoSuit is just the baseline. Allow me to introduce our flagship war machine the king of land combat, the APU exoskeleton combat mech!"
Nolan's voice rose slightly with excitement.
The APU's brutal, no-nonsense design immediately drew every Ravager's attention.
"Boss, this looks deadly, even though it's a powder weapon," one Ravager remarked, inspecting its massive components.
Despite using powder ammunition, the sheer caliber made its lethality obvious.
Nolan explained, smiling.
"Although powder weapons have limitations, their affordability and raw destructive power make them perfect for this market. On the Ravager Planet, this mech is a true warlord."
Seeing Yondu's interest, Nolan said,
"Red Queen, give our guest a live demonstration."
"Yes, sir," came the reply.
Dozens of APU mechs fired at a forest over a kilometer away.
The Gatling guns spun to life.
Rat-tat-tat-tat…
After a barrage, the trees at the forest's edge were shredded.
"Nice piece of work," Yondu muttered greedily, patting the mech.
Nolan smiled again and introduced more products. Each one made Yondu more eager.
These were weapons for large-scale war, not for taking down someone like Thanos. They were perfect for the Ravagers' needs.
Finally, Nolan said,
"Yondu, if you like what you see, we can start the transaction immediately. I already have a stock on the ship, ready for trade."
Long-term expansion required a base but first, a reliable market. Nolan had thought through every detail.
However, he didn't notice Yondu's eyes gleam at the mention of inventory.
A signal from Yondu prompted numerous Ravagers to move toward Nolan.
"I like this equipment, but your price is too high," Yondu said, narrowing his eyes.
"Oh? And what do you propose?" Nolan asked, glancing casually at the encroaching Ravagers, lips curling into a small smile.
Yondu chuckled.
"Do you know where you are?"
"The Ravager Planet," Nolan answered.
"Exactly. The Ravager Planet!"
He laughed and said,
"This equipment is fine, so… friend, you've been robbed!"
They were Ravagers.
Ravagers only made deals under one condition: the seller had overwhelming strength.
Poor Nolan clearly didn't meet that requirement.
Nolan felt no fear, only resignation.
"Do we really have to do this? This is my first interstellar deal. I don't want to be accused of strong-arming anyone. You know I'm just a merchant. I sincerely hope we can maintain a simple buyer-seller relationship."
Yondu laughed.
Simple? To speak of that with Ravagers was madness.
Other Ravagers joined in the laughter.
Only Loki looked on with a helpless expression.
"Damn it. I knew this would happen," he muttered.
Yondu glanced at Loki.
"Don't worry. We're Ravagers, but we keep our word."
Well… that depended on the situation.
Loki looked at Nolan, then told Yondu,
"I'm curious to see how this unfolds. Nolan Rock is not to be underestimated."
Yondu's brow furrowed in confusion. Then he understood Loki's meaning.
Rows of Terminators in Thunder Hammer armor sprang into action.
The heavily armored Terminators, combined with their innate strength, were overwhelming against the Ravagers, who were only slightly stronger than humans.
Even some stronger Ravagers could not resist their assault.
Seeing this, Yondu's expression darkened.
Then he acted differently from the others. He acted with his mouth.
Whistling sharply, he unleashed a volley of "whistle arrows." Nothing could block their trajectory.
Suddenly, one whistle arrow struck a Terminator in Thunder Hammer armor with a clang.
It had been blocked!
Yondu's face fell.
Nolan, however, smiled faintly.
The damage would, of course, be Yondu's responsibility.
As expected, in the universe, doing business came with risks especially in the arms trade. Luckily, Nolan had the means to meet those challenges.
Yondu, realizing Nolan's power, cursed under his breath. If he had known, he wouldn't have started this.
But now that he had, it had to end decisively.
His eyes hardened, and his whistling intensified. Listening closely, it carried a strange energy.
The whistle arrows exploded with power, piercing the Thunder Hammer armor and the Terminators inside.
Sweat ran down Yondu's forehead.
Yet a hint of pride remained. He had pierced the armor proof of his strength.
Nolan, however, laughed lightly.
The robots he thought he'd pierced were fine.
Yondu's face darkened. Each arrow drained more of his strength.
Finally, a Terminator core was pierced, collapsing heavily.
Yondu exhaled sharply and sent another arrow at Nolan.
Now that he had made an enemy, he intended to finish it.
But at that moment, a humanoid figure emerged from the spaceship behind Nolan.