Marvel: I Trade Devil Fruits for Power

"AHHHH!!!!"

A frantic, terrified roar echoed throughout the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. branch! Staff members scrambled wildly, searching for cover or sprinting toward the exits. What had they just seen? A giant, yellow, hideous, monster-like figure. And most importantly, this behemoth was clearly the primary source of the chaos that had ravaged New York City earlier that day—the very creature that had turned several districts into rubble.

Looking closer, the other figure was none other than the man from the news, the human form of the green giant. And the woman beside him? She was the same woman who had stepped off the plane!

Damn it! Those two monsters were Devil Fruit users? That didn't make sense; wasn't that monster supposedly created by the military? How had he become a fruit user? Had the Consultant recruited him? Was this S.H.I.E.L.D. branch's Consultant that powerful? Could he just recruit fruit users at will?

The uninformed staff were filled with awe for Qin Xiao. No wonder he was a Consultant; just this ability alone was enough to be staggering. However, those agents who knew a bit of inside information were struck with extreme shock. This guy is expanding his "Devil Apostles" again. Agents Natasha and Hawkeye had gone to find the Consultant, only to find him missing from the S.H.I.E.L.D. branch. They had wondered what he was up to, and in the blink of an eye, he had returned with two terrifying monsters—monsters he was handing over to them for research? That had to be a joke!

"Blonsky, don't mess around. This place is only suitable for Dr. Banner and Betty. As for you, you're coming with me."

Qin Xiao had no intention of leaving everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. Dr. Banner was placed there because he could utilize his brilliance, and S.H.I.E.L.D. could provide the necessary resources. Abomination, however, had no such need; he only craved battle. For that, Qin Xiao had a better arrangement. Moreover, Qin Xiao wasn't the type to keep all his eggs in one basket. He left Frank to wander, Kingpin to grow wild, Sabretooth to cause trouble with Magneto, and even left Wolverine to rot in a safehouse. These were all hidden forces.

S.H.I.E.L.D. only knew what they were told; the unknown was where the real power lay. By leaving Banner and Betty but taking Abomination, Qin Xiao knew exactly how Nick Fury would react.

"Don't be surprised. As long as Ms. Betty is here, nothing will go wrong. When Natasha returns, let her handle the arrangements for Dr. Banner and Ms. Betty. I have business to attend to; I'm leaving. Blonsky, follow me—I'm taking you to someone who will spar with you."

Qin Xiao turned and walked back into the portal. Once Abomination stepped through, he closed it behind them.

Watching the portal vanish, the people present remained on high alert. Even though the Consultant had claimed these two were harmless, they were deeply skeptical. The security agents still had their hands hovering over their sidearms.

"We really aren't dangerous," Betty kindly explained to everyone, despite the tension. "I don't know why the Devil Envoy chose to send us here, but we hope everyone can relax."

"Even if you were brought by the Consultant, we still need to ask you to stay in an isolation room until Agent Natasha returns," an security captain spoke up.

"No, we won't be staying in any isolation rooms," Betty replied. As she spoke, several transparent ghosts drifted through the bodies of the armed agents. The entire group of agents immediately fell to their knees.

"Ah, I'm such a disgrace to S.H.I.E.L.D. as an agent."

"I'm not even as good as the toast I ate this morning; at least that fills my stomach."

"Captain, just put me in the isolation room later. I don't want to live anymore."

"Martha, you're right. I really am a piece of trash."

The agents groaned with self-loathing, leaving the researchers terrified. What kind of power is this?

An elderly man stepped forward, slightly calmer than the rest. "Wait, don't be nervous. Is this also your fruit ability? I saw something transparent flying in the air." This was Ethan. Having lived through extreme environments, his psychological resilience was strong.

"That's right, this is my ability. I don't want to fight you since you're colleagues of the Devil Envoy, but I also don't want to go into your isolation rooms. Bruce can't handle stress right now. I hope you don't force us; otherwise, we'll leave immediately."

Betty had her own plans. Her father was under immense pressure, and as the "destroyers of New York," Banner and Blonsky would be blamed by everyone. Finding a safe place to lay low was her top priority. S.H.I.E.L.D. was the perfect fit: official status, a massive base, and plenty of researchers who could help Bruce study the Hulk serum. If it could help him solve his problem, it would be ideal. But if they did anything detrimental to them, she would leave without hesitation.

"No, no, you misunderstand," Ethan said, pulling a pen from his pocket. The pen actually had facial features and could speak! "The Consultant wouldn't have sent you if he didn't trust you, and by extension, trust us. We won't force you. In fact, we are very interested in your ability, as it seems to involve the soul—which happens to be the topic of our latest research project."

Betty looked at the living pen and recalled the "artificial life forms" Natasha had placed around the block. She finally understood. "I see. I'm not sure if my power involves souls, but it certainly involves spirits. By the way, can you take responsibility here?" She was still cautious, keeping the ghosts hovering above; if the guards showed signs of recovering, they would strike again.

"I can speak for the research team. You can rest here for now; the person in charge will be here shortly." Ethan was referring to Natasha.

"Fine. I'll wait."

Meanwhile, Natasha, who was on her way back, received incredible news: the targets they had spent so much effort tracking had "escaped," only to be dropped off at the S.H.I.E.L.D. branch by the Consultant. They had effectively been chasing shadows all along. Furious, they rushed back.

At the same time, S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters received the report. When Director Nick Fury learned that Dr. Banner and his girlfriend had arrived at the branch, he was initially excited. Banner was a world-famous physicist—a legend. But at the same time, he was extremely tense. Banner had been under constant S.H.I.E.L.D. surveillance for years, ever since the accident that created the green giant.

What worried Fury most, however, was Qin Xiao's move.

The Devil Envoy proactively sent two fruit users to S.H.I.E.L.D. Betty's power is spiritual, Natasha's is soul-based. Are they related? And why send them here? Does he know we've been monitoring Banner? He clearly stated Hulk would appear, so he must know about our surveillance.

And he took Blonsky away because his transformation was completely off the radar? Neither we nor the military monitored him. He's collecting people who fall outside our control. How many others are like this? He already has Wolverine, now Blonsky. If needed, he could even bring Frank Castle into the fold. Three super-soldiers baptized by war... what is he planning?

Fury felt a chill. The more he calculated, the more terrified he became. Qin Xiao had been indifferent at S.H.I.E.L.D. for days, just watching Natasha's experiments, but the moment something big happened, he was on the scene. And now, he had returned with two, possibly three, new fruit users. He was cherry-picking individuals with unique identities and powers.

What is his goal? Fury felt trapped in a difficult position. Even if this was a trap, he couldn't turn Banner away. This was an opportunity he had been seeking for years, but with the Devil Envoy involved, it felt like a disaster in the making.

"Devil Envoy... exactly what are you trying to do?"