Chapter 113 – A Trade with a God
"Agent Barton, can you locate the Devil Envoy? Perhaps we could make a trade," Loki asked.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. knew so much, surely they could help him track down this mysterious figure. As a Prince of Asgard, he was intrigued; if his brother Thor could consume a Devil Fruit, there was no reason he, the younger brother who always sought to outshine him, should settle for less.
"Searching for the Envoy?" Barton considered the request. "I don't know where he is offhand, but I know who might."
S.H.I.E.L.D. maintained contingency plans for everything, though they rarely utilized them—much like their long-term surveillance of Dr. Banner, which they avoided interfering with. Barton, however, had no such qualms today. After a brief search, he found his man in Hell's Kitchen: Frank Castle, the Punisher—the Envoy's first known disciple and the first fruit user S.H.I.E.L.D. had ever cataloged.
"Frank, we have business with you," Barton said, standing opposite a wary Punisher.
"Who are you? New vigilantes in Hell's Kitchen?" Frank's hand hovered near his weapon. One man carried a bow, the other a strange, glowing scepter—both exuded a dangerous aura.
"Nothing like that," Loki stepped forward, completely unbothered by Frank's weapon. Protected by his Asgardian physiology, human steel meant nothing to him. "We are looking for the Devil Envoy."
Frank's gaze sharpened. "Why are you looking for him?"
"We wish to make a trade," Barton explained simply. "We haven't seen him lately, and since you are the first fruit user we know of, we hoped you could facilitate a meeting."
Frank relaxed slightly. He hadn't forgotten Qin Xiao's mission to spread the word about the power of Devil Fruits. He picked up his phone—a direct line Qin Xiao had provided—and made the call. Fate favored them; Qin Xiao picked up immediately.
"Frank, what is it?"
"There are two people in Hell's Kitchen who want to trade with you," Frank reported.
"Oh? Who wants to trade?" Qin Xiao was intrigued.
Before Frank could answer, Loki tapped him with his scepter. Frank's eyes flickered and went pitch black. Loki took the phone.
"Devil Envoy," Loki began, his voice dripping with narcissistic charm. "I am Loki, King of Asgard—or soon to be. I am here to rule this backward, ignorant planet. If you are truly the envoy of devils, let us make a deal."
Qin Xiao chuckled. So, it's the Asgardian Third Princess. "Loki? Your brother Thor just looked me up not long ago. Very well, let's meet."
Qin Xiao arrived at the designated location in the wilderness—a perfect place for a private chat or a brawl. Loki stood with an air of immense superiority, staring down at the "inferior" world he intended to conquer, with the thralls Hawkeye and the Punisher standing behind him like statues.
"Loki, good," Qin Xiao said, his tone icy. "You arrive and immediately control one of my people. And you still think we can trade?"
"Trades require stakes," Loki retorted, childlike in his arrogance. "I don't know if you're truly the envoy, but let's test it. Agent Barton isn't a fruit user yet. Give him a Devil Fruit right here, and I'll release Frank."
Loki was a spoiled brat holding a hostage, completely indifferent to human life and dismissive of the Envoy's power. He viewed himself as a god, a son of the Frost Giants—a status he felt dwarfed that of a mere devil's messenger.
Qin Xiao glanced at him. A petulant child. He had a dozen ways to end this instantly—he could use the Bloom-Bloom Fruit to grow arms on Loki and touch him with the Age-Age Fruit to turn him into a toddler, or use the Rumble-Rumble Fruit to snatch the scepter before Loki could blink. But Qin Xiao wanted to watch the show. Let S.H.I.E.L.D. and Thor tire themselves out; let them learn just how dangerous these fruits could be.
"Deal. Barton's potential fruits are the Pop-Pop, Target-Target, Float-Float, and Calm-Calm Fruits." Qin Xiao briefly explained their functions. "Which one do you choose?"
"The first one. The Pop-Pop Fruit." Barton knew his own strengths. The ability to multiply the size and speed of objects by a hundredfold would be a transformative upgrade for an archer.
Barton swallowed the fruit with a grimace. As the power surged through him, he drew an arrow, notched it, and fired.
"Ten times speed! Ten times size!"
Hummm! The bowstring sang. The arrow blurred into the air, piercing the sound barrier with a thunderous boom. By the time the sonic boom subsided, the arrow had vanished from sight. It was a shot that shattered every record Barton had ever set, and he was only using a fraction of the power.
"I had this power the whole time, and you never gave it to me," Barton muttered, looking at Qin Xiao with simmering resentment.
"Trades are about timing, Barton. S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't have given you this opportunity. Now, Loki, the fruit is consumed. Release Frank."
Loki watched with wide, calculating eyes. The power shift was greater than he anticipated. A mere human, empowered in an instant? If Thor—a god—could become even more formidable with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, perhaps I truly do need this power.
"A Devil Envoy indeed," Loki conceded, tapping Frank with his scepter to break the mental hold.
Frank shook his head, disoriented. "What... what just happened?"
"It's an Asgardian trick, Frank. It's over now," Qin Xiao said, signaling Frank to return to his side.
"The trade is done," Loki said with a sinister grin. "Now, let's make another. Provide me with a Devil Fruit."