Marvel: The Gourmet God

In a flash, Johnny launched his attack. Before the burly man could react, a heavy punch landed squarely on his face.

This punch carried immense force, easily weighing several hundred pounds of pressure, striking directly on the bridge of the laughing man's nose.

The burly man, with his massive build, was sent sprawling to the ground with a muffled cry of agony.

This was Johnny holding back. If he had used his full strength, given his current physique and power, even a thick steel plate might have deformed under such a blow.

The laughter from the surrounding Sakaarian warriors abruptly stopped. They stared, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, at the burly man rolling on the ground, howling in pain. Blood now covered his face, giving him a ferocious and ghastly appearance.

The bridge of his nose had been utterly shattered, and the mix of blood and tears only intensified his searing pain.

"Ah! You dare lay a hand on me?! I'll kill you!"

The burly man clutched his face as blood gushed uncontrollably, but the excruciating pain in his broken nose left him roaring on the ground.

"Get him! Kill him! That damned beggar!"

Consumed by agony, the man lost all rationality. His contorted face radiated raw hatred and viciousness as he roared orders at the surrounding warriors.

This man clearly held a significant position within the fleet. At his command, the others snapped back to their senses, raising their energy weapons and aiming them at Johnny.

Facing over a dozen weapons, Johnny remained calm, showing no intention of resisting.

"Let me remind you—I am a participant in the Championship Battle. According to Sakaar's laws, if you dare harm a champion, the consequences… hmph!"

Johnny's words carried weight, and hesitation flashed across the faces of the surrounding Sakaarian warriors.

Seeing their hesitation, Johnny's heart eased slightly.

It seemed his gamble had paid off. The warriors indeed feared the Grandmaster's authority and wouldn't dare make a move.

"Captain, he's a Championship participant. If we kill him, the Grandmaster…"

After a brief pause, one of the Sakaarian warriors addressed the burly man, who was still sitting on the ground.

The mention of the Grandmaster made the furious man freeze. He glared at Johnny, his eyes brimming with undisguised hatred, like a beast ready to pounce.

When the man first saw Johnny, he had dismissed him as nothing more than the lowest of scavengers on Sakaar.

Scavengers held a status even lower than beggars on Earth. As a fleet captain directly under the Grandmaster, killing ten or even twenty scavengers would have no consequences.

It was precisely this ingrained arrogance that had led him to mock and humiliate Johnny without restraint. But now, with his nose broken and blood streaming down his face, reality struck hard.

The ironclad laws laid down by Sakaar's supreme ruler, the Grandmaster, forced him to calm down despite his raging anger.

"Kid, you're good! You want to see the Grandmaster, huh? Fine, I'll take you!"

The man spoke through gritted teeth, his murderous intent barely concealed in his glare.

Johnny relaxed entirely. With the Grandmaster's rules in play, these warriors wouldn't dare harm him—at least not before he met the Grandmaster.

"Looks like you've finally realized my status and made the right choice. You should be grateful; this decision has bought you more time to live. Remember my name—it's Johnny."

Unfazed by the man's murderous glare, Johnny smirked coldly and met his eyes without flinching. His piercing gaze carried an intensity that made the burly man instinctively look away, an unexplainable fear creeping into his heart.

What the man didn't realize was that an Undying Specter had silently appeared behind him. If he dared to make another move against Johnny, death would come swiftly and without mercy.

Well...

Johnny didn't stay long in Saka's fleet.

After the events that had unfolded earlier, no one dared to provoke Johnny anymore.

It wasn't just because of the Grandmaster's ironclad rule that no one was allowed to harm a challenger of the Champion's Battle, but also because of the inexplicable aura surrounding Johnny.

It was an aura that only true warriors possessed—one forged through real battles, drenched in blood, and fearless in the face of death.

Although Johnny's aura was still in its infancy compared to the true powerhouses of the vast universe, it was more than enough to intimidate the ordinary Saka warriors around him.

The fleet moved far faster than the ship Johnny had seized from the scavengers. Before long, they had entered the territory firmly under the Grandmaster's control and arrived at an awe-inspiring architectural marvel.

Outside this grand structure stood colossal statues, some towering over a hundred meters tall. Each statue had a different face, but they all exuded the same undeniable aura—

The aura of a warrior.

Once the warship came to a halt and the hatch slowly opened, Johnny disembarked, led by a group of Saka warriors.

"Is this the challenger you spoke of?"

Outside the ship, a stern-looking woman in full armor glanced at Johnny before addressing the warrior escorting him.

"Yes, he volunteered for the Champion's Challenge, so we..."

The large warrior with a swollen nose bowed slightly and spoke respectfully.

"Enough, I understand. Follow me. I will take you to meet the ruler of Saka, the illustrious Grandmaster."

The woman cut him off mid-sentence, turned sharply, and began walking away.

Johnny didn't mind her abruptness and followed closely behind, weaving through the grand hallways.

Behind him, a venomous glare tracked his every move, lingering until he disappeared around a corner.

One had to admit, the place was built with extreme opulence. Johnny felt like his eyes couldn't take in all the grandeur around him.

After several twists and turns, they arrived at a dazzling golden hall.

Two rows of warriors clad in ornate armor and holding weapons stood respectfully, forming a pathway.

At the end of this path sat a grand throne, upon which lounged the Grandmaster, draped in luxurious golden robes.

"Grandmaster, this is the new warrior. He has volunteered for the Champion's Battle," the armored woman said respectfully, bowing towards the throne.

"Warrior, bow your head!"

Noticing Johnny curiously examining the Grandmaster, the woman barked sharply, her face contorted in anger.

Johnny's expression turned cold at her rebuke.

"Topaz, don't be like that. You'll scare our esteemed warrior," the Grandmaster said in a soft voice, his gaze fixed on Johnny with an almost childlike gleam of excitement.

It was the kind of look a child might have when seeing their favorite new toy.

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