Chapter 110 – The S.H.I.E.L.D. Dilemma
"It seems this trade was well worth it." Coulson said, looking at his own body. Qin Xiao smiled inwardly; You didn't lose out, and neither did I.
"Remember to prepare the GH325 serum. I'll come to collect it later," Qin Xiao said.
"Understood. Now, I need to arrange for a team to investigate this island. Will you be staying?" Coulson began to push them away—much like a man who had gotten what he wanted and was now eager to get the guest out the door. Perhaps, having just "sold his soul" to Qin Xiao by consuming the Devil Fruit, he found it difficult to face him.
"I'll leave this place to you; our business here is done." With that, Qin Xiao opened a Mirror Dimension portal. He, Logan, and Abomination stepped through, returning to the safe haven of the dimension.
"Qin, the Devil Fruit you gave that S.H.I.E.L.D. agent is terrifying," Logan finally vented his frustration. "That ability to split his body at will... how is anyone supposed to hurt him?"
Logan was still bitter. It wasn't just a hard counter—it was a nightmare for any conventional fighter.
"You're trapped in a misconception, Logan," Qin Xiao replied calmly. "His fruit is powerful, yes, but it isn't without weaknesses. Didn't you notice that his body splits neatly, as if sliced? That is because his fruit is a passive reaction to slashing attacks. If you switched to punches instead of blades, the passive effect wouldn't trigger. If Abomination attacked him, he'd be crushed easily."
Qin Xiao continued, "And you say few people can deal with you? Look at yourself. You're encased in Adamantium. Even 500,000-degree heat struggles to melt it. In many ways, you are harder to deal with than he is. At the very least, his offensive capability doesn't touch yours."
Abomination nodded in agreement. "My power and my fruit can shatter almost anything, but against you, I can only stop you from closing the distance. Your body is so hard that I'm constantly at risk of injury just from being near you. You are far more troublesome to deal with than he is."
Logan fell silent, stunned by their perspective. Is that right? Am I a monster of steel? He had been so focused on his own perceived "lack of offense"—being unable to get past Abomination or cut Coulson—that he'd forgotten how terrifying he appeared to others.
"I see. I suppose I was overthinking it," Logan muttered.
"I've told you before: Devil Fruits can be awakened," Qin Xiao said. "That depends entirely on your imagination. Your Chop-Chop Fruit only works on your body right now, but what if one day you could apply that power to the environment? Look at the Tremor-Tremor Fruit—it vibrates the air to trigger earthquakes. What if you could turn the very ground into a sea of blades? Everywhere you look, swords and knives emerging from the earth—how would that feel?"
As he spoke, Qin Xiao manifested countless arms in the Mirror Dimension. In an instant, they transformed into blades. The ground at Logan's and Abomination's feet bristled with razor-sharp edges. Had Qin Xiao not specifically avoided hitting them, they would have had nowhere to stand. It was a combination of the Flower-Flower Fruit and the Chop-Chop Fruit: a literal ocean of steel.
Logan watched the forest of blades in awe. My fruit... can it really do that? He didn't doubt the Envoy for a second. If Qin Xiao said it was possible, it was law. Abomination, standing to the side, felt a chill. If Logan could do that, even his tremors would struggle to clear a path.
"I understand," Logan said, cracking his neck. "I have work to do."
While the three remained hidden in the Mirror Dimension, the news of Coulson's actions caused a firestorm back at S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury was furious. Coulson was one of his most trusted men; that he had consumed a Devil Fruit without consulting him was a massive blow. Fury had developed a deep suspicion of the fruits ever since Banner arrived, sensing the agency was honeycombed with hidden problems.
"Coulson! How could you be so foolish!" Fury barked.
"Director Fury," Coulson replied, standing firm. "I did this to test the waters for you. Four of the fruits matched to me are identical to yours. I chose the Chop-Chop Fruit."
Coulson demonstrated his new ability, splitting his body into pieces while keeping his feet grounded. "The Envoy mentioned the Berry-Berry Fruit is similar, which makes me suspect that my fate and yours are linked. I didn't want to just let you risk it. Natasha's Soul-Soul Fruit is eerie, but my power is predictable and manageable. I feel perfectly normal—no whispers, no evil intent. It's exactly as described."
That lack of side effects didn't soothe Fury; it only amplified his anxiety. "How many more of our agents does he have his eyes on?"
Fury quickly shifted gears. "Prepare the GH325 serum. You will head to the Devil Fruit division and rotate Agent Barton back here. We have a breakthrough in energy research that needs oversight."
"I understand. Also," Coulson added, his expression grim, "I suspect Abomination is a fruit user. He is the one behind the seismic activity. If the Envoy has Abomination, he essentially has a nuclear weapon. All our previous strategies are void. If we provoke him, the world suffers. I believe that test on the island was a warning—if we overstep, he won't hesitate to unleash Abomination on our cities. We have no defense against that level of destruction. Our only check is Betty, but she, too, is a fruit user. Will the Envoy allow them to fight? Everything is unknown."
Fury felt the weight of the situation. Qin Xiao now possessed a human-sized "nuke."
"I see. Carry out your orders."
Once Coulson left, Fury sat alone with Hill.
"Do you think Coulson was truly voluntary? Is he controlled by the Envoy?" Hill asked.
"No. Coulson has his own convictions. He took this risk for me," Fury sighed. "If I ever consume a Devil Fruit, you are to take over as Director."
"I understand," Hill replied without hesitation.
"Tell me, Hill," Fury asked, looking out the window. "Do you think Dr. Banner and his team... are they just disposable pawns to the Devil Envoy?"