Rocket darted nimbly through the dense forest, skillfully dodging his pursuers' attacks.
Besides tranquilizer darts, he had prepared several specially made explosives. These "gifts" would come in handy at a crucial moment.
Yondu's men followed Rocket's deliberate lead straight into a trap zone.
Suddenly, a deafening blast erupted beneath their feet. The Hover Cannon activated, unleashing a powerful Shockwave. Like locusts blown away by an explosion, they were sent reeling, instantly hurled into the air.
"Aaargh! Huh??"
One of the men howled in midair, then suddenly spotted three people perched on a branch, leisurely enjoying the show.
Paimon met the man's eyes. After a moment's thought, she politely waved hello.
"Hi," Paimon said with a smile.
Still dazed from the blast, the man waved back blearily. "Hi... wait! There's someone in the tree...!"
He suddenly realized something was wrong and tried to warn his companions and the others, but just then, his ascent abruptly stopped, and he plummeted toward the ground.
Crash!
The unfortunate man landed only to be buried beneath branches snapped off by the blast.
Paimon couldn't help shaking her head at his miserable state.
Rocket hadn't noticed their brief interaction as he ran. His attention was entirely focused on how to pick off his enemies one by one.
Although these were all the usable weapons and equipment Rocket had found in the wrecked ship, they were no longer enough.
He had done everything he could to lure the enemies into the trap zone, but he still hadn't managed to catch them all.
All the traps had been triggered, leaving Rocket with only the Laser Gun in his hand.
He pricked up his ears and hid behind a tree trunk.
As luck would have it, Lin Ze and the others were right above his head.
"Aha! Not so