Chapter 108 – Phil Coulson’s Trade
Thor's departure caused no ripples. Qin Xiao knew Thor had likely gone to find Jane Foster. For his part, he still had a plan to complete: continuing the training session between Logan and Abomination on this island.
On the real-world island, Logan found he was increasingly unable to handle Abomination. With a single punch, Abomination sent tremors through the entire island. In such conditions, Logan couldn't even stand still, let alone fight back. Abomination's Tremor-Tremor Fruit had Logan completely suppressed—more easily than in the Mirror Dimension.
Logan felt incredibly dejected. Am I really that weak compared to them? He failed to consider the caliber of opponents he was facing. These were people who already possessed formidable strength—Sabretooth, Magneto, Abomination—and then added the devastating power of Devil Fruits on top of it. Given that context, his current struggle was perfectly normal. Moreover, Abomination's base physical strength already far eclipsed his own, and the gap had only widened.
Furthermore, Abomination had evolved from a pure melee brawler into a super-DPS capable of long-range, close-range, and area-of-effect attacks. During this battle, he was finding his own combat style—a style he couldn't have mastered in the Mirror Dimension. As long as he paid attention to the ground beneath his feet, no one could get close to him. Who could approach someone who could make the very earth beneath their feet roll and heave? And with the strength to flip the entire island, his future potential was staggering.
Blonsky even found himself reminiscing about his past battlefields. If he went back now, he could single-handedly push through any front line. With the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to clear the path, enemy defenses would be meaningless. Landmines? Let them explode harmlessly. Underground fortifications? Let them collapse. Trenches? Let them be shaken over. And with his ability to vibrate the air, he could create shockwaves that would kill hidden soldiers instantly. He had become a weapon of mass destruction. He was increasingly satisfied with his power—so satisfied that he briefly toyed with the idea of testing his strength against Qin Xiao himself, though he quickly suppressed the thought. No, not yet. I still need him to help me unlock the full potential of this fruit.
The combat on the island triggered wave after wave of tsunamis. Fortunately, they were so far from civilization and major shipping lanes that no major disaster occurred. By the time the vibrations traveled any distance, they had dissipated into harmless ripples.
As Logan and Abomination continued to clash, Qin Xiao noticed a standard squadron of S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft descending toward the island.
"Who's coming? Do you want me to shake them out of the sky?" Abomination looked at the incoming planes, eager for a test.
"Don't be in a rush. Let's see who it is first. If they're here to cause trouble, it's not too late to strike," Qin Xiao stopped him. He already had a strong suspicion of who was arriving. It was S.H.I.E.L.D.
The aircraft hovered over the island, the ramp lowered, and a familiar figure stepped out: Phil Coulson. The "good guy" of S.H.I.E.L.D., the veteran agent who went wherever he was needed. Qin Xiao had seen him only recently in New Mexico, though Nick Fury had been in charge then, effectively ruining Qin Xiao's plans to manipulate Coulson. Now that he was back, it was time to see if he could be tempted into eating a Devil Fruit.
Coulson jumped from the ramp onto the island, looking around at the devastated landscape in shock. "Devil Envoy, we meet again."
"Agent Coulson, what brings you here?" Qin Xiao asked, feigning ignorance.
"We monitored continuous seismic activity here and detected the same energy surge we saw in New Mexico. We suspected a being from Asgard might have descended, so we came to investigate. I didn't expect to find you here as well," Coulson replied with a look of practiced "surprise."
It was a perfectly crafted opening.
"You are correct; a denizen of Asgard did descend—Thor, the God of Thunder—but he has already flown off," Qin Xiao replied casually.
"Thor? Thank you for the information. By the way, do you have any idea what's causing these tremors? We're concerned they might be a precursor to a major earthquake, which could threaten coastal cities with a super-tsunami. We need to conduct an evaluation," Coulson said, his tone flawless. That was the brilliance of an old-school agent: stating a complete, fabricated excuse with such poise that it sounded entirely reasonable.
"Oh, we've been looking for the cause ourselves but haven't found anything. Since you're here, we'll step aside. You can take over the research. Please, do let me know why this island is shaking so violently," Qin Xiao replied, playing along with his own brand of nonsense.
"Understood. I will have my team take over." Coulson did intend to take over. He had to know the truth. If this was a man-made phenomenon, it meant the Devil Envoy had created another fruit user—and this one was vibration-based. They already knew Logan was a metallic melee type; this new power, undoubtedly wielded by Abomination, represented an exponential increase in destructive capability. If this power were unleashed in a city like New York, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Coulson looked at the three of them—the Envoy and his two monsters—his heart heavy. The Devil Envoy is manufacturing super-weapons of destruction. What is his end game? Abomination alone could turn an entire region into hell.
"I'll leave this place to you," Qin Xiao said, his voice suddenly dropping into a chilling tone. "Also, Coulson, I have seen your future. Would you like to know what it is?"
Coulson froze. My future? Am I part of his plan, too?
Within S.H.I.E.L.D., it was already common knowledge that those who could "match" a Devil Fruit were part of the Devil's agenda. Natasha was currently under immense pressure as the first official fruit-user agent, and Director Fury was under even more strain. Fury had even been considering stepping down and handing the agency to his deputy, Hill. Coulson had always sympathized with Fury, but now that he was being targeted by the "Devil," he realized there was no room for pity.
Qin Xiao watched the corner of Coulson's mouth twitch and let out a small smirk. He's a veteran agent; he understands the implications immediately.
"So? Do you want to know your future?" Qin Xiao pressed like a tempter.
"I do, but I want to know the price. You are the Devil Envoy; everything is a transaction. I don't believe you'll tell me for free. I assume you're going to tell me which Devil Fruit I can match, aren't you? Because a Devil Fruit is the only thing that could resolve my 'problems'?" Coulson stared him down, seemingly more familiar with the Devil's style than even Qin Xiao was.
"Precisely. It is a trade; a contract sealed with a Devil Fruit. I will tell you the fruits you can match, so you can prepare your heart and consider the cost."
The fact that Qin Xiao was volunteering this information made Coulson feel a deeper sense of dread. Natasha had to work hard to even learn of her fruit's existence, and that was only after she had already been earmarked for it. But he, like Director Fury, was being offered this "privilege" early. The implications were chilling.
"Then please, tell me," Coulson said, his expression remaining perfectly blank. "What kind of fruits can I match?"
"There are five: the Chop-Chop Fruit, the Berry-Berry Fruit, the Barrier-Barrier Fruit, the Diamond-Diamond Fruit, and the Steel-Steel Fruit," Qin Xiao listed, offering brief, enticing descriptions of their defensive properties.