Download App
46.52% With Ope Ope no Mi in Hunter x Hunter / Chapter 127: Chapter 127: The Winter Soldier (Part 1)

Chapter 127: Chapter 127: The Winter Soldier (Part 1)

"Nothing is impossible. Don't worry, this was just an unexpected incident. You likely won't encounter something like this again," Daniel quietly reassured Simmons, Fitz, and Skye. Seeing such a legendary figure had a significant impact on the three. In contrast, Coulson, Melinda, and Ward seemed less shocked.

Daniel wasn't lying. If he hadn't been present, Mephisto wouldn't have revealed his true form. While demons enjoy tempting humans to fall, someone of Mephisto's caliber wouldn't waste time on just anyone.

"Plus, seeing him isn't entirely without benefit. At least it adds to your knowledge," Daniel added.

"No one wants to gain that kind of knowledge," Skye said with a bitter expression, which made Simmons pull her away. Simmons was more frightened than Skye. There were three women on the plane, but Simmons wouldn't dare disturb Melinda, so she had no choice but to stick with Skye.

"First day on the job and the company collapses. Skye sure has some luck," Daniel thought, smiling as he watched Skye and Simmons whispering. He remembered her circumstances.

"Ward is quite impressive. Even Coulson and Melinda haven't figured out his true allegiance. It's a shame," Daniel thought, smirking at Ward sitting with Simmons.

In fairness, Ward was salvageable. His loyalty was to Garrett, not HYDRA. Killing Garrett might have turned him towards S.H.I.E.L.D. In the original story, Ward had the chance to kill Garrett and keep his secret.

However, Daniel wasn't interested in saving him. He wasn't like Coulson or Skye, who still hoped to redeem Ward even after learning his HYDRA allegiance.

"You really bring trouble," Fury said, appearing in his usual black leather coat. Coulson and his team had been cleared out.

This plane, called the Bus by Coulson's team, had no surveillance except in the interrogation room to protect privacy, especially with three women onboard.

"You brought this on yourself, resurrecting the dead," Daniel countered Fury's blame.

After Mephisto left, Daniel considered that Coulson's resurrection might be as Mephisto suggested. Reviving the dead wasn't easy, even for Asgard. Otherwise, Thor's mother wouldn't have stayed dead.

"What exactly is Mephisto's involvement? Is Coulson okay?" Fury asked, concerned. Coulson was his most trusted agent, and Fury brought him back not just out of sentiment but because he lacked reliable subordinates. Recent times had exhausted Fury, mentally and physically.

Fury once proudly believed S.H.I.E.L.D. could protect the public under his command. However, one crisis followed another—Asgard's sudden appearance, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal issues, and the Battle of New York. Though victorious, the heavy losses needed scapegoats. If not for his crucial role, Fury might have been dismissed.

For weeks, Fury navigated politics among the world's powers. Just as things settled, Mephisto's emergence threw another wrench in. If Melinda hadn't reported it herself, Fury would have exiled the reporter to the Arctic to find the Red Skull.

"It should be fine now. I'll report the follow-up to the Ancient One. You don't need to worry," Daniel replied calmly.

"I want to meet the Ancient One," Fury said after a pause.

"Telling me won't help. If he wants to meet you, he will. If not, you can't find him," Daniel refused outright.

"Time to leave. Oh, and send me the substance you used to save Coulson," Daniel said, picking up his things and apparating off the plane.

Mephisto's situation needed to be reported to the Ancient One, as did the matter of Lucifer.

"Understood," Daniel exhaled after ending his call with the Ancient One. She seemed unconcerned about Mephisto and Lucifer, telling him not to worry.

"Let the tall ones handle the big problems until I become one," Daniel thought, planning to inform the Ancient One about Mephisto and Lucifer before focusing on Skye and Coulson's blood.

"The genetic information is embedded in the DNA. The Kree's biotechnology is impressive. Is this to activate Inhuman genes? The Kree blood used to save Coulson likely came from their earlier Earth experiments."

"Skye's blood lacks this genetic info, which is odd. I can't fully analyze her abilities without seeing her transformed as an Inhuman."

Daniel wasn't too disappointed. He anticipated needing a future comparison with Skye's Inhuman form.

"I need the Obelisk and the Inhuman temple on that island. It looks like I'll have to wait."

"GH-325, huh?" Fury quickly sent what Daniel needed, delivered personally by Natasha Romanoff. Such valuable material required a trusted courier. Natasha didn't linger, as she, Hawkeye, Shuri, and even Captain America were extremely busy following the Battle of New York.

"Looks like this is how it is. Do all Kree have such bodies? It's terrifying. Or was this Kree a high-ranking figure?"

The Kree are a renowned interstellar empire. Their unique biotechnology means higher-ranking individuals possess greater power. Ronan the Accuser, despite his eventual defeat by Star-Lord, could wield the Power Stone bare-handed.

Such power explains why the Kree Empire remains stable despite having an enemy like Captain Marvel. A hero of her caliber would have toppled lesser regimes.

However, considering Captain Marvel's benevolent nature, she likely avoided using her power to overthrow regimes. She spared the Kree high command and Ronan.

"I might be able to neutralize the genetic implant in Coulson, stopping him from drawing maps."

"GH-325 wasn't used on just one person, right? Were they all resurrected or just severely injured? GH-325 can heal physical wounds, but how were their souls handled? There are many questions. I should stop overthinking before my head explodes."

Sighing, Daniel looked up, contemplating the issues. Kamar-Taj had extensive soul knowledge but didn't fully understand Hell's mechanics.

"Time for a break. Pepper has something for me. Some matters need to be addressed," Daniel thought, heading to Stark's California mansion.

"You look like you haven't rested in ages," Daniel said, seeing Stark in the lab testing a new Iron Man suit. Stark looked exhausted, likely due to working non-stop on his suits out of fear.

"Drink this," Daniel offered a small vial of vitality potion from the Harry Potter world. Magic could rejuvenate, but the potion was more nourishing.

Stark's fear stemmed from his near-death experience with the nuke. Though initially unaffected, the terror hit him later. Stark had been wearing his suit even while sleeping, suffering from insomnia.

Only after some time and seeing no improvement did Pepper contact Daniel.

"You came at the right time. How do you handle fear?" Stark asked after regaining some energy.

Without waiting for an answer, Stark continued, explaining how his fear erupted after the nuke incident. Though he had changed after his abduction, becoming a hero, he still sought thrills and recognition. The nuke incident was a true brush with death.

"I'm afraid too. Everyone fears death. Some people just find things more important than life. When you grabbed the nuke, you didn't think much, did you?"

Daniel was more cowardly than Stark. The New York battle had Stark risking his life, with his many damaged suits as proof. Daniel acted mainly for self-preservation.

"Have a good sleep. You'll feel better," Daniel said, casting a sleep spell on Stark. His psychological issues made regular sedatives ineffective, and higher doses were harmful. Magic offered a safer solution.

"Give him this according to instructions when he wakes. He'll be fine soon," Daniel instructed Pepper. Medical treatment could be tricky, but magic was straightforward. Stabilizing Stark's mental state required a potion, readily available in the magical world.

"Speaking of potions, I should learn to make Felix Felicis," Daniel mused. The Harry Potter world had incredible items, like space-time magic and luck potions. Felix Felicis, though usable only once in a lifetime, could turn the tide in critical moments.

"Do you have a reason for calling me here alone?" Carter asked, puzzled. Captain America was supposed to join but stayed back at Daniel's insistence.

"I received intel I think you should see," Daniel said, signaling the Red Queen to display a video. Carter immediately recognized the car in the footage.

___________________

Read Ahead

P@treon.com/Mutter


Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Winter Soldier (Part 2)

"How is this possible?" Carter's entire body trembled after watching the video. She had never imagined that the Howard couple were actually murdered.

"It's them." Carter quickly understood where the problem lay. As one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Howard couple's incident would definitely be a focus of the organization. The video clearly showed that the Howards were strangled to death. In this situation, Carter had been told they died in a car accident. This discrepancy made it clear to Carter that she had been sidelined within S.H.I.E.L.D.

Carter had suspected there were issues within S.H.I.E.L.D. years ago, but she hadn't considered them serious enough to investigate thoroughly. Unfortunately, she now realized it was too late.

Even now, Carter hadn't fully grasped the severity of the situation—that S.H.I.E.L.D. was thoroughly rotten. Fury was in the same boat. Although he realized there were significant problems within S.H.I.E.L.D., he still hoped to salvage it until he had no other choice but to expose everything.

"Does Tony know about this?" After a long silence and several deep breaths, Carter finally calmed down.

"I haven't found the right opportunity yet," Daniel Davis replied truthfully. He had obtained this information some time ago.

"Give me the information. I'll tell him myself," Carter said, her eyes growing colder. No matter what, Howard's death must be avenged.

"The reason I haven't told Tony yet isn't the main issue. The real reason is because of this person." As Daniel spoke, he picked up a remote and pressed a button, displaying the image of the person who killed the Howards on the screen.

"Who is he?" Carter instantly understood the implication of Daniel's words.

"Barnes, Bucky. He was brainwashed by Hydra and turned into their assassin, the Winter Soldier. I only recently learned about this from others."

Telling Carter about the Winter Soldier was to prevent a split between Tony and Captain America that could lead to a civil war. Although Daniel had a good impression of Captain Steve Rogers, he was dissatisfied with how Rogers handled the Winter Soldier situation. Admittedly, Bucky was Steve's friend, but Howard was also his friend.

Strictly speaking, without Howard's help, Steve might not have become Captain America. Even when Steve went to rescue Bucky, it was Howard who secretly flew the plane to assist him. Without that help, Steve might not have been able to save Bucky in time.

In this context, Steve only considering Bucky's situation and completely ignoring Tony's feelings was indeed excessive. Even someone as righteous as Captain America wasn't perfect.

"What?" Carter exclaimed, stunned as she looked at Bucky Barnes' information on the screen. As someone who had once fought alongside Steve, Carter knew exactly what Bucky meant to him. The fact that Bucky was the Winter Soldier who killed Howard left even the always sharp Carter at a loss.

If this footage were to be leaked, the whole world might witness a battle between Iron Man and Captain America.

Interestingly, Hydra hadn't thought to expose this footage. Had they done so, Hydra might not have been defeated so quickly.

In the original storyline, no one in Hydra considered this strategy, but the Hydra of this world might not overlook it. Not all Hydra members were fools; otherwise, they wouldn't have grown the organization so large. Daniel could criticize Hydra's shortsightedness only because he had the perspective of a god. It would be different if he were in the thick of things.

"Don't let Tony and Steve know about this for now," Carter decided after much deliberation.

"If we drag this out, it will only be worse when it comes out. It's better for us to tell Tony than for Hydra to leak it."

In the original storyline, Hydra didn't think of this plan, but the Hydra of this world might. There were definitely no fools in Hydra, or they wouldn't have grown so powerful. Daniel criticized Hydra's shortsightedness from a god's perspective, but it would be different in the thick of things.

"I know. I'll find a way to talk to Tony," Carter said, rubbing her forehead—a rare gesture for her. She had faced countless troubles in her life, but none like this.

"Alright, but let's keep the footage with me for now. If you take it and Captain sees it, it could be a big problem."

"Do you have any leads on his whereabouts?" Carter asked, glancing at the screen. If they could catch Bucky now, it would be even better.

"No, I only got this information from someone else," Daniel shook his head.

Carter left with a heavy heart.

"Should I heal Coulson now or wait until he finds that Inhuman temple? Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have killed Whitehall so soon. This way, Coulson might suffer for a bit longer. I could have Sunil bring the Obelisk over."

The Obelisk Carter had confiscated from Reinhardt ended up back in Whitehall's hands after his release. Although Whitehall didn't make much progress in his research on the Obelisk and the Inhumans, he did develop a deadly weapon—the Splinter Bomb.

This bomb was incredibly horrifying, an essential tool for nefarious deeds. Compared to it, corpse-dissolving chemicals were nothing.

During this time, Daniel had slowly been acquiring Whitehall's technological results through Sunil. The firm, RONCO Industries, was practically his now.

RONCO Industries was highly advanced in technology, manufacturing the mechanical bodies for Deathlok. Recently, the company received numerous orders, including from Quinn International.

Previously, Daniel had been too busy to pay much attention to these matters. When he finally looked into it, he discovered that Sunil had already clashed with Coulson's team.

Through these reports, Daniel learned about the Centipede soldiers. This program, secretly assembled by Garrett posing as the Clairvoyant, seemed haphazard to Daniel. But in the Marvel world, it achieved some success.

Daniel considered the Centipede program haphazard because the enhancement serum was a mix of every virus available, even including one from the Chitauri.

The reason was simple: Garrett was desperate. He had restarted the Deathlok program for his own survival. He was one of the first batch of test subjects and the only survivor who reached high rank within S.H.I.E.L.D.

To stay alive, Garrett had to restart the program. He lacked the authority to mobilize Hydra's resources for his own research. So, he used his S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 8 credentials to pose as the Clairvoyant and trick wealthy individuals into funding his experiments.

In this era of big data, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Level 8 access was immensely powerful. Garrett fooled many wealthy people, including the nearly billion-dollar Quinn, into investing everything they had.

The money Quinn invested funded the purchase of mechanical bodies from RONCO Industries. Even within Hydra, purchasing equipment required payment.

Garrett survived this long and reached Level 8 because of his Clairvoyant persona. Early on, he tricked smaller fortunes, but as his access grew, he targeted major financiers like Quinn.

Garrett's survival relied heavily on these experiments. Now, his body seemed to be reaching its limit, so he targeted Coulson, who had been resurrected.

Daniel wasn't too concerned about Garrett targeting Coulson. While he had a good impression of Coulson, he wasn't his bodyguard, and he was very busy himself.

"Considering that the Mind Stone can create beings like Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver, it should be a manifestation of mind power," Daniel mused.

By studying the Absorbing Man and with the power of the Ope Ope no Mi, Daniel had some theories about the Mind Stone. He conducted similar experiments on lab mice.

Although none survived, a few were enhanced.

"So, if one can withstand the power of the Mind Stone, they can gain superpowers. But what level of strength is required to withstand it? With my current recovery ability and the Ope Ope no Mi's power, can I handle it?"

Physical aptitude, or talent, was an elusive concept.

"Perhaps it's time to bring in the Maximoff siblings. Although Vision won't appear, it would be a waste for Scarlet Witch, a major force against Thanos, to disappear. Hopefully, the private investigator can find them quickly."

"Captain Marvel must have had incredible luck to gain such power from the Space Stone." Daniel confirmed this through his research. The Space Stone wasn't meant for human enhancement, or Red Skull would have used the Tesseract to create superhumans instead of weapons. Hydra's methods wouldn't shy away from sacrifices.

Baron Strucker sacrificed many people for his experiments, demonstrating Hydra's ruthless efficiency.

"My strength is still too weak. If I were stronger, the Ope Ope no Mi would be more effective. Unfortunately, the development of Devil Fruits relies on physical fitness."

Daniel's physical fitness was already impressive. Besides the Hulk, Thor, and Loki, few could match him. Even so, it was not enough.

In the Marvel universe, physical enhancement mainly came from various serums, with no special training methods. Daniel's progress had slowed significantly.

"If I went to the One Piece world now, would there be two Ope Ope no Mis? And what would the fruit's awakening be like? Never mind, it's not the time to think about that. Keep working hard."

Lost in thought, Daniel continued striking the wooden post in front of him. The power of the Devil Fruit depended on physical skill. He never stopped training and had a dedicated training ground in his villa.

Luckily, he had the enchantment to restore everything to new, saving him a lot of time. Punching bags were no longer effective for him. Wooden and iron posts were now his main training tools.

Compared to magic practice, physical

 training was exhausting. It's no wonder that martial arts dwindled in the modern era. Technology made most people unwilling to endure such hardship.

"Hi, Dr. Banner. How have you been?" Daniel visited Bruce Banner, who was no longer pursued by the military thanks to his contributions during the New York battle and Fury's protection. Banner had found a place to live in the suburbs of New York.

The suburban residence was a precaution to minimize damage in case of another incident.

After so many disasters, New York couldn't afford more trouble. The government had already introduced numerous incentives to keep international corporations from leaving the city.

After all, without these corporations, New York's international status would diminish.

Banner's suburban residence was temporary. Stark was planning to move Stark Tower out of New York to a remote location—the future Avengers base. This move would minimize damage if another battle occurred.

The government supported this move, even offering land for free, recognizing the Avengers' crucial role in saving New York.

___________________

Read Ahead

P@treon.com/Mutter


Load failed, please RETRY

Weekly Power Status

Batch unlock chapters

Table of Contents

Display Options

Background

Font

Size

Chapter comments

Write a review Reading Status: C127
Fail to post. Please try again
  • Writing Quality
  • Stability of Updates
  • Story Development
  • Character Design
  • World Background

The total score 0.0

Review posted successfully! Read more reviews
Vote with Power Stone
Rank 200+ Power Ranking
Stone 4 Power Stone
Report inappropriate content
error Tip

Report abuse

Paragraph comments

Login

tip Paragraph comment

Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.

Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.

GOT IT