Chapter 114 – The Trickster's Gamble
"Provide me with a Devil Fruit."
Qin Xiao felt a surge of joy. The arrogant "Third Princess" of Asgard, having seen Thor attain the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, couldn't sit still anymore. Or perhaps he simply wanted to cause trouble for Qin Xiao. Regardless, they had a deal.
"I can," Qin Xiao replied. "What can you offer in exchange?"
"An opportunity for you to spread your Devil Fruits across Earth as you please," Loki declared with smug self-assurance.
Qin Xiao chuckled. "I'm already doing that, and no one is stopping me. That's not a trade; that's a freebie."
Loki's expression remained confident. "It has been that way, yes, but that will soon change. I am here to rule this backward world. Once I am King, everything here will be subject to my command. As an Asgardian god, I will forbid your Devil Fruits from ever taking root here. This is your only chance to bargain with me. Miss it, and you'll find yourself locked out forever."
Loki spoke as if he already sat upon a throne, the world already bent to his will. Qin Xiao listened, amused by the sheer audacity of this arrogant prince. How much must he look down on humanity to think this is a done deal? But Qin Xiao decided to play along.
"You intend to rule Earth?" Qin Xiao feigned a look of utter, wide-eyed shock, as if he were hearing news from another galaxy.
"Indeed," Loki said, soaking in the reaction. "The freedom to spread your fruits in my kingdom in exchange for a fruit that matches my nature."
Qin Xiao's expression flickered as if he were locked in a deep, agonizing internal struggle. Finally, with a sigh of apparent defeat, he agreed. "Very well. I hope that once you become the King of Earth, you will remember your promise." He looked profoundly weary, a masterclass in acting. Then, as if conjuring them from thin air, several Devil Fruits manifested before him.
"What are their powers?" Loki demanded.
"The Ice-Ice Fruit, the Snow-Snow Fruit, the Straw-Straw Fruit, and the Rust-Rust Fruit. The first two generate cold or snow, allowing you to manipulate temperature or even transform your body into those elements. The Straw-Straw Fruit, or Curse Fruit, allows you to transform into a living voodoo doll; you can store smaller dolls within your body linked to others, transferring any damage you take to them—a living curse. The Rust-Rust Fruit corrodes anything you touch."
Qin Xiao had curated these specifically for Loki. As a descendant of the Frost Giants, the Ice-Ice Fruit would be terrifying in his hands, especially if he reclaimed the Casket of Ancient Winters from Odin's vault. He would be a walking blizzard, potent enough to freeze even Heimdall. Given Thor's Rumble-Rumble Fruit and Loki's potential Ice-Ice Fruit, Asgard would have two nature-based powerhouses capable of challenging even Hela. As for the Straw-Straw Fruit, it fit Loki's manipulative and sadistic nature perfectly—he lived to make others suffer for his own gain.
Loki's face twisted with a mixture of desire and resentment. "Thor got the Rumble-Rumble Fruit because he is the God of Thunder. You match me with Ice-Ice because I am a descendant of the Frost Giants? Even you demons care about lineage? Why can't any of you forget that!"
He roared, his hatred for his origins boiling over. He loathed the truth of his birth and the betrayal of Odin's deception. Qin Xiao remained calm, knowing that only a physical "comforting" from the Hulk would eventually teach this god a shred of humility.
"If you don't like those, choose the third or fourth," Qin Xiao said flatly.
Loki hesitated, then snatched up the Straw-Straw Fruit and swallowed it whole. "Pah! You demons have atrocious taste. How can you eat something this vile?"
He spat on the ground, then closed his eyes, sensing the dark power take root within him. After a moment, he smirked, glancing briefly at Barton and then back at Qin Xiao. He opted not to test the power just yet.
"The trade is concluded," Qin Xiao said. "I trust that when you rule Earth, you will honor your end of the bargain."
Without waiting for a response, Qin Xiao opened a portal and stepped through, followed by Abomination, Wolverine, and Frank Castle. Loki watched them vanish, the portal closing behind them.
"Qin, are you really going to let him occupy Earth?" Wolverine asked the moment they were safely back in the Mirror Dimension. "The world belongs to humanity."
"You underestimate the Earth, Logan," Qin Xiao said. "You saw that young woman open a portal in New Mexico—the Sorcerer Supreme. She guards this realm against extra-dimensional threats. Loki's invasion is a doomed experiment. Besides, S.H.I.E.L.D. is already preparing."
Wolverine recalled the Ancient One. "But why trade with him? We could have taken him down."
"It's complicated," Qin Xiao replied. "But in a few days, you will understand. And if he truly does attack, it will be the perfect stage for the Devil Fruit users to shine."
Frank, meanwhile, looked troubled. "Qin, what was that scepter? I felt nothing before it controlled my mind. My swamp-body... it didn't activate. The scepter seemed to bypass my elemental form entirely."
Qin Xiao's expression grew grave. "That scepter is dangerous. We aren't ready to reveal its secrets yet. But your experience confirms it: the Infinity Stones can negate Devil Fruit abilities. We have our answer now—they are not invincible."
He thought of the power held within the stones. It made sense; if magic could impact Logia users, the fundamental energy of the universe surely could as well.
"I've been too careless," Frank muttered, deciding to curb his vigilante activities in Hell's Kitchen for a while.
"Small matters," Qin Xiao said, pulling out his phone. He dialed a number. It was Tony Stark. He knew that with Loki's arrival, the Avengers were likely assembling on the Helicarrier. He needed to know how many "containers" Fury had prepared for his fruit users.
"Qin?" Tony's voice came over the line, surprised. "What brings the Devil Envoy to call me at a time like this?"