The sudden announcement of a reward caught everyone in the Marvel Universe by surprise.
Natasha: "Who is Thanos?"
Nick Fury: "We mentioned a Visionary Beast showing up in the cosmos earlier. Thanos is probably a cosmic being."
Tony Stark: "I wonder if he looks human, like the Asgardians."
Ancient One: "If I were you, I wouldn't be so curious about who Thanos is."
Tony Stark: "Huh? What do you mean?"
As Tony spoke, the Ancient One didn't respond, but her expression became deeply shocked as she stared at the screen. She hadn't expected to encounter Thanos so soon. Ever since this screen appeared, everything seemed to be changing. The Ancient One could no longer foresee what the future held.
Odin: "Thanos! That mad Titan! This is troublesome!"
Thor: "Father, who is this Thanos, and why are you so alarmed?"
Odin: "This madman eliminates half the population of any planet he encounters!"
Naruto: "What! He wipes out half of the population? Why would he do that?"
Odin: "He believes the universe's resources are limited and that overpopulation causes constant strain on those resources. He thinks reducing the population by half on each planet will create balance, ensuring the survival of life. So, wherever he goes, he massacres half the population."
Sengoku: "What! That's the mark of a true madman!"
Ultraman Leo: "This guy treats life as nothing!"
Dan: "This is pure evil! He's an invader spreading terror!"
Diana: "This is absolute evil! His so-called resource balance is just a cover for his bloodlust!"
Chopper: "Yeah! That's just way too cruel!"
Orochimaru: "Heh, are there so many naive people here? I actually think Thanos has a point."
Jiraiya: "Orochimaru! What nonsense are you spouting!"
Orochimaru: "Come on, Jiraiya. You've lived through wars. Haven't wars always been caused by limited resources and human conflict? If humanity's numbers were cut by half, it would reduce resource strain, possibly bringing peace."
Bruce Wayne: "Is that so? I think not. As long as human greed exists, wars will be inevitable, no matter the population size or resource abundance. Killing is a temporary fix."
Orochimaru: "True, but if you eliminate the resource-hoarding few, conflict might diminish significantly."
Tsunade: "Don't go spreading such twisted logic!"
...
At Marine Headquarters.
Garp stared at the screen in thought.
"Hey, Sengoku, if our world's population were halved, would there still be so many pirates and wars?"
"What are you saying, Garp!" Sengoku snapped back, visibly annoyed.
"Or if the Celestial Dragons were the ones reduced—"
"Enough!"
Sengoku shouted, worried that Garp's words might go too far.
"Hahaha! Relax, I'm just thinking out loud. Bruce is right; as long as greedy fools exist, so will wars—it's just a numbers game!"
Garp returned to his usual cheerful self, slapping Sengoku's shoulder, leaving Sengoku visibly irritated.
Meanwhile, in a hidden part of the Marvel Universe, on a massive, powerful starship...
A towering purple being with a bald head and golden armor sat on a throne, wiping down a large blade. This was Thanos, the fearsome Titan who would one day aim to wipe out half of all life in the universe.
"Ebony Maw, have you figured out what those creatures are?"
Thanos asked in a cold voice.
"Not yet. I've never encountered such beings. They are born with incredible speed and can instantly read bioelectric signals. Quite fascinating; with proper breeding, they could become formidable warriors for us."
Ebony Maw examined the Visionary Beasts contained in a nutrient tank, fascinated by their unique traits.
Half an hour ago, Thanos had led his army in attacking a planet, where they encountered these Visionary Beasts. After a grueling battle, Thanos managed to kill most of them, capturing a few for study. Using the Mind Stone, he took control of the creatures' minds, making them his subordinates.
"Rewarding Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet."
Suddenly, a voice rang in Thanos' ear, and before he could react, a glove materialized on his right hand.
"The Infinity Gauntlet can harness the full power of the Infinity Stones."
The voice continued.
"Who are you!"
Thanos immediately stood, looking around.
His generals—Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, and Cull Obsidian—noticed his agitation and prepared for combat, scanning their surroundings warily.
However, the electronic voice did not return, leaving Thanos staring at the Infinity Gauntlet in confusion.
"This prediction ends here. The next prediction will take place in three days."
With that, the screens vanished from everyone's view.
...
Pirate World, Skull Island.
"Is that it? I wanted to see more!"
Luffy whined, looking bored. He'd been hoping for a chance to show off his skills.
"Alright, never mind that. What should we do next?"
Nami looked around Skull Island, worried. Monsters roamed in every direction, and she could see them fighting each other, which frightened her. Thankfully, she'd used magic to hide the Thousand Sunny from detection.
"What should we do? Go on an adventure, of course!"
Luffy shouted excitedly, his eyes sparkling.
A place like this was exactly the kind of stage he loved, and there was no way he'd miss out on it!
"I knew it."
Nami, Usopp, and Chopper teared up, fearing for their future.
The others, meanwhile, were raring to go, eager to test their new abilities and grow stronger.
...
Marine Headquarters.
The Admirals had returned, leaving many Marines to guard Skull Island.
"Vegapunk will be in charge of studying these Visionary Beasts and potentially turning them into weapons for us. Akainu, you'll oversee this as a guard."
"And Kizaru, you'll pursue the monsters that escaped Skull Island."
"Ah, those creatures are flying all over the world. Even with my speed, I don't know how long it'll take to catch them all."
Kizaru sighed.
"Then think of a way to chase them down! We're counting on you!" Sengoku replied in frustration. Rodan's flight speed was incredibly fast, making it impossible to pursue with battleships. Sengoku could only spread the word, hoping to minimize damage worldwide.
"Sengoku, maybe you should eat Rodan's Devil Fruit to chase it down."
Garp held up Rodan's Devil Fruit, suggesting to Sengoku with a mischievous grin.
(End of Chapter)
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