Marvel: I Trade Devil Fruits for Power

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

Nick Fury muttered to himself. Even as an old fox like him, he was completely in the dark regarding Qin Xiao's true intentions. On one hand, Qin Xiao seemed to be proactively maintaining the safety of the world—preventing the fanatic plot alongside Tony and the mutants, stopping the destruction caused by Thor in New Mexico, and saving countless lives in New York.

According to reports from branch members, it was Banner's girlfriend who had neutralized the two monsters in New York. Her power, which induced a state of lethargy, also originated from the Devil Envoy. By granting such power to a single person, he had effectively saved the city. These pieces of information suggested he was acting for the world's benefit. Yet, in the process, he was creating a steady stream of Devil Fruit users. Furthermore, he was hiding an unknown number of these users outside of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance. What was the purpose of this hidden force? Fury didn't know, so he could only prepare his agents for the worst.

As time passed, Dr. Banner and Betty became increasingly integrated into the S.H.I.E.L.D. branch. Once Banner began collaborating on research into the power of the Devil Fruits, the laboratory erupted in constant astonishment. Even Ethan, having lived through harsh environments, marveled at the impossible sight of body parts manifesting out of thin air in defiance of all physical laws.

If the research into Natasha and Betty's soul and ghost-related abilities was difficult, Banner's Flower-Flower Fruit was simply overwhelming. The entire laboratory was filled with Banner's sprouted arms! Every researcher had an arm floating in front of them as they continuously gathered data, trying to understand how they could manifest from anywhere. Naturally, they also discovered that these limbs were linked to Banner's main body—a connection that defied all scientific explanation.

Devil Fruit users were truly enigmatic. Initially, this was a harmonious arrangement; every researcher had samples to study, much like the "Homies" created by Natasha's Soul-Soul Fruit. Banner's Flower-Flower Fruit provided the same, but things soon took a chilling turn.

Dr. Banner's intellect was profound. Once he understood how Qin Xiao had utilized the fruit, his imagination took flight. From simply sprouting arms, he began to explore every possible application. If he could manifest a part of his body anywhere, what would happen if he sprouted a new part from one that already existed?

Thus, all sorts of "flowers" began to bloom. A giant net woven from hands; a massive arm composed of dozens of others; a ladder of human hands extending from high places; a snake-like coil of limbs—these were only the basics. Since he could sprout arms, he reasoned he could sprout other parts too. Ears for eavesdropping and eyes for peeping appeared in every corner of the lab.

Soon, no one in the laboratory dared to speak freely, fearing that Banner might hear their private conversations. Even Natasha's reports to Nick Fury had to be conducted far away from the facility, as she feared S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence would be compromised by Banner.

Fury's anxiety grew. He slept poorly, terrified that one day Banner might sprout an eye in his bedroom or an ear in his office while he was discussing secrets. Were there any secrets left in S.H.I.E.L.D.? Was this Qin Xiao's true plan? To turn S.H.I.E.L.D.'s own intelligence against them? Or perhaps to keep them under such constant pressure and fear that they would eventually make a critical, fatal error?

Fury, who had once thought he could utilize the power of the Devil Fruits, was now genuinely terrified. But just days later, an even more shocking message arrived: Dr. Banner had sprouted a clone!

With Banner's IQ, his imagination had no limits. If he could manifest any body part anywhere, why not manifest an entire body elsewhere? Thus, a Banner clone appeared. This ability turned Banner into a terrifying entity. He had always felt he couldn't get enough done—that there wasn't enough time—but the fruit had granted him the perfect solution: a "clone."

This clone was entirely formed by his fruit ability. As a genius who had earned seven doctorates, multitasking was second nature to him. Now, he could run two experiments simultaneously: one body researching the Devil Fruit, while the other analyzed Hulk's blood! It solved his lifelong regret of not having enough time. And once he mastered this, perhaps a third or fourth clone would appear.

This was the true power of Banner's use of the Flower-Flower Fruit. Combat? No, he wasn't a combatant—he was a scientist. The clone ability made him an even more monstrous genius. As for the physical stamina required to maintain the fruit's power? Don't forget, Banner's body contained immense Gamma radiation energy. His own stamina might be average, but he had the Hulk! Hulk's nearly infinite stamina meant he could sustain this ability indefinitely.

The laboratory became a place of horror. Banner might not have felt it, but the rest of the staff was terrified. One could stumble upon a limb at any moment. Fearful researchers even began requesting transfers. Even Natasha and Hawkeye felt a deep sense of dread. Their biggest question was: Was two clones the limit? Are these two bodies even the "real" Banner? Could the original have already left, and are these just clones?

When Fury learned that there were now two Dr. Banners in the branch, he was completely stunned. Even with his ironclad psychological resilience, he couldn't comprehend how Banner had achieved this. The mystery of the Flower-Flower Fruit pushed Banner's threat level up another notch.

A new question emerged in his mind: If Banner could utilize the Flower-Flower Fruit, could the Hulk do the same? What if there were two Hulks? Or worse, if the world were covered in green, muscular arms? Would the world be destroyed by one man's nightmare? The more Fury thought about it, the more horrified he became.

What kind of monsters has the Devil Envoy created?

And the most concerning part was that it had only been a short time since Banner obtained the fruit. What would happen next? Could this fruit develop even more bizarre and powerful abilities? The concerns of Natasha and the others were not paranoid. If Banner had already developed three or four clones, and only two were at S.H.I.E.L.D. while the others were elsewhere... was that happening right now?

Was the ultimate goal of the Devil Envoy to turn S.H.I.E.L.D. into a state of constant paranoia? Had his plan from the very beginning been S.H.I.E.L.D. itself? Had his own decision to let Natasha become a fruit user and establish this branch been part of the Envoy's calculations all along? Had he truly invited a wolf into his own house?

Banner, blissfully unaware, dreamed only of multitasking. He wanted to manifest a third clone; he had seven research directions, after all. He was more grateful than ever for his choice of the Flower-Flower Fruit. If he had chosen any other, he wouldn't have been able to fight or research effectively. He could only look at the Devil Envoy with absolute disbelief. What kind of power could create something so terrifying?

Banner was still unaware that his intellectual curiosity had turned the S.H.I.E.L.D. branch into a fortress of paranoia. All he cared about was his next experiment. But across the dimension, the feedback of this exponential development reached its source.

"Ding! Detected: Flower-Flower Fruit host has evolved his ability. Acquiring corresponding ability."