Blonsky reined in his excitement and spoke up:
"General, based on the data released by the Capsule Corporation, once someone's power level exceeds their opponent's by 1.3 times, it results in a complete one-sided beatdown."
"If Bruce Banner's power level is 151, then I'd need at least 116 to be on even footing."
"At my current level, I'm afraid I'm still no different than I was before when facing him."
Thanks to the clear numbers provided by the scouter, Blonsky was no longer deluded into thinking he could go one-on-one with the Hulk.
Ross nodded, agreeing with Blonsky's logic, but reminded him:
"Blonsky, don't forget—we're soldiers."
"In battle, we rely on the whole team, not just personal heroics."
"This time we've brought special weapons designed specifically for the Hulk. The sonic cannon, for instance, can seriously restrict his movements."
"More importantly, as long as we don't give him the chance to transform, he's only 8 points of power—easily dealt with."
Blonsky looked at Ross and said,
"General, if we had a squad made entirely of super soldiers, we'd be able to face Bruce Banner and any future crises with far more confidence."
Ross sighed.
That single vial of Super Soldier Serum was the only one the military had. It had originally been developed by Tony Stark's father, Howard. But after the deaths of Howard and his wife, the research had come to a halt. No further breakthroughs were made by the military's scientists.
(Note: Howard was killed by the Winter Soldier, sent by HYDRA, for rediscovering the Super Soldier Serum.)
"That was the only vial left. Which is why we need to capture Bruce Banner even more."
…
Meanwhile—
Having arrived in New York with Sean and the others, Xu Shang-Chi reunited with his sister. From her, he learned about the Dragon Balls and that she held a ticket to the Dragon Ball Tournament.
Back in his room, Xu Shang-Chi dumped his clothes from his backpack onto the bed, muttering:
"A dragon that grants wishes? Seriously?"
"Whoever set this up must've really duped Xia Ling into believing this nonsense."
"If this thing were real, my father would've found it to bring Mom back, right?"
Clearly, Xu Shang-Chi didn't believe in the Dragon Balls or the so-called wish-granting dragon.
He wasn't like Xu Xia Ling. He knew his father better, had seen the power of the Ten Rings and the strength of the Ten Rings Army.
If such a miracle really existed, his father would've moved heaven and earth to get it—especially for the love of his life. There's no way he would've sat idly for all these years after her death.
While undergoing training and missions with the Ten Rings Army, Xu Shang-Chi had often overheard that his father was obsessed with finding a way to resurrect his wife.
As he got lost in his thoughts, a bead rolled out from the pile of clothes.
"A… a six-star ball?"
Xu Shang-Chi was stunned. One moment he'd been scoffing at the idea, and the next, this thing just pops out of his backpack?
He picked up the Dragon Ball from the bed—and in the next moment, information about it surged into his mind.
…
Elsewhere in the same hotel lobby where Xu Shang-Chi and Xu Xia Ling were staying, Cross and his son Wesley were tracking them.
Wesley glanced at the Dragon Radar in his hand and muttered:
"Good thing Bulma made this radar, or we'd have lost track."
"We land in San Francisco, then fly back to New York. What a wild goose chase."
Just then, Cross received a message from the leader—permission to issue a tournament ticket to Xu Shang-Chi.
"The leader says he's made contact with a Dragon Ball. We can issue the ticket."
Hearing that, Wesley grinned.
"Finally, it's over."
"Following this guy around has been so boring. We didn't even get anything out of it. I'm glad it's ending."
"Uncle X's group, I heard, got to deal with werewolves and vampires. Shame we didn't pick London."
After grumbling a bit more, Wesley followed his father to Xu Shang-Chi's room and knocked on the door.
By now, Xu Shang-Chi had accepted the reality of the Dragon Balls—though he hadn't expected to be slapped in the face so soon. Just as he was about to talk to his sister, there was a knock.
He quickly stuffed the Dragon Ball in his pocket and opened the door.
Looking at the two unfamiliar men, he asked:
"Who are you?"
"Is something wrong?"
Wesley replied,
"Xu Shang-Chi, we're with the Assassin's League. As the holder of the Six-Star Ball, we're here to issue your tournament ticket."
"The Dragon Ball Tournament will be held in New York. If you don't intend to withdraw, please keep this coin safe."
"We'll notify you when the tournament begins."
He handed over a coin—the ticket to the tournament—into Xu Shang-Chi's hand.
Already familiar with the tickets thanks to his sister, Xu Shang-Chi slipped it into his pocket and said,
"Thanks. I'll take part in the tournament."
Having delivered the ticket, Cross and Wesley left without lingering.
Xu Shang-Chi immediately went to find his sister, Xu Xia Ling.
Seeing the ticket in his hand, Xia Ling asked in shock:
"How did you get a ticket?"
She quickly pulled out her own coin to confirm—he hadn't stolen hers.
The next second, Xu Shang-Chi pulled out the Dragon Ball from his pocket.
Xia Ling lunged forward, trying to snatch it, but he dodged.
"You didn't even believe in this thing! Just give it to me!"
Xu Shang-Chi laughed as he avoided her,
"I didn't believe at first, but then I realized—this stone I picked up long ago is actually a Dragon Ball."
"Now? I believe."
…
Meanwhile—
Smith Dole and Bulma had traveled to the Arctic Glacier. There was a Dragon Ball there as well.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the Antarctic—otherwise, they might've found it near where Captain America had been frozen.
Still, they searched the area thoroughly but found no signs of the Decepticons. Whether they'd already taken it or never existed in this universe was unclear.
Then again, with vampires and werewolves already making appearances, would it really be that strange if Cybertronians or even Hogwarts wizards showed up?
At the moment, though, there were no clues suggesting either.
After obtaining the Seven-Star Ball, Smith and Bulma didn't linger. They headed straight back to New York.
…
(End of Chapter)
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