Bruce Banner's voice was not loud, even carrying a faint, almost imperceptible tremor of nervousness.
But in these ruins shrouded in killing intent, it sounded exceptionally clear.
"I... I advise you'd better not do that."
This statement made the Gifters who were about to pounce freeze in their tracks.
They looked at each other, strange expressions on their faces.
Immediately after.
"Pfft—!"
Someone couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing first.
The next second, a mountain-shattering, tsunami-like roar of laughter instantly erupted!
"Hahahahahahaha!"
"What did I hear? He's advising us not to make a move?"
"Is this guy scared silly? Is there something wrong with his brain?"
A Gifter with a hyena's head laughed so hard that tears streamed down his face. He clutched his stomach and pointed mockingly at Bruce Banner.
"Hey! Bookworm! Do you not understand the situation?"
"We are the Beasts Pirates! Subordinates of Lord Jack the Drought!"
"What will you use to advise us? Your eloquent mouth? Hahahaha!"
Even Jack the Drought's face, partially covered by a metal mask, revealed a hint of raw mockery.
He looked down at the scrawny figure, his eyes as if he were watching a mere clown.
The threat of an ant only makes one laugh.
Faced with the overwhelming ridicule, Bruce Banner's face grew even paler.
He clutched his chest tightly, cold sweat dripping down his forehead and cheeks.
His breathing became more and more rapid, his heart feeling as if it would leap out of his chest.
"I... I have a heart condition."
He uttered these few words with difficulty, his voice hoarse.
"You... if you come any closer... I... I might die."
These words were like adding fuel to the fire.
The laughter grew even louder.
"Heart disease? Hahahaha! This is the first time I've heard someone beg for mercy with such an excuse!"
"What a good-for-nothing! Trying to fool his way through by pretending to be sick?"
"Lord Jack! Stop wasting words with him! Let me tear him to shreds!"
Barry, the opportunistic informant, shouted to Jack with a fawning expression, "Lord Jack! Look! He's a spineless coward! He's about to wet his pants just from a scare!"
Jack completely lost his patience.
He felt his intelligence was being insulted by this bookworm.
"Enough."
He let out an impatient growl, his voice like thunder.
"Grab him for me!"
"I want to see just how fragile his heart really is!"
"Yes!"
More than thirty Gifters grinned menacingly, pouncing forward again like hungry wolves!
The shadow of death instantly enveloped Bruce Banner completely.
"Warning, host's heart rate has exceeded 180."
The cold mechanical voice of the T-800 rang in his ears.
"Warning, gamma energy reaction is rapidly escalating."
"Warning..."
"Shut up!"
Bruce Banner roared, and a strange, eerie green light began to flicker in his eyes!
The seams on the shoulders of his tattered white lab coat began to tear inch by inch!
Beneath his skin, veins writhed and swelled wildly like coiling dragons!
A power far beyond human limits, filled with a primal, tyrannical, and destructive aura, was furiously awakening within him!
"Hmm?"
The first few Gifters charging forward keenly sensed that something was wrong.
The man who had just been so frail—his entire aura had changed!
His body seemed to be... growing larger?
What was with that terrifying, heart-pounding pressure?!
"Ding! Astonishment value from Beasts Pirates Gifters +89!"
"Ding! Astonishment value from Jack the Drought +155!"
However, it was already too late.
Just as Bruce Banner's last shred of sanity was about to be devoured by endless rage.
A lazy, seemingly perpetually sleepy voice, tinged with a hint of playfulness, descended from high in the sky without warning.
"Oh my, oh my..."
"How terrifying..."
"In broad daylight, so many people bullying an unarmed Doctor... it wouldn't sound good if word got out, you know~"
The moment this voice appeared, everyone present, including Jack the Drought, suddenly looked up!
A brilliant golden light, like a meteor, descended from the sky!
Whoosh—!
A slender golden laser beam, at a speed beyond the limits of visual capture, struck precisely in front of the charging Gifters!
Boom!!!!
A deafening, violent explosion resounded!
The terrifying impact combined with scorching hot airwaves instantly sent the first seven or eight Gifters flying!
A bottomless, charred crater was blasted into the ground, its edges even showing a melted, glazed appearance.
This sudden strike instantly stunned everyone on the scene!
Everyone froze in place, looking at the blasted crater with horror on their faces.
Immediately after, golden specks of light gathered.
A tall man, dressed in a yellow striped suit and wearing a Marine Admiral's cloak of justice, slowly materialized.
His hands were in his pockets, his face bore that characteristic puckered expression, and his brown sunglasses reflected a cold light.
Marineford's highest fighting force.
Admiral "Kizaru," Borsalino!
"A Marine... Admiral?!"
The moment he recognized the newcomer, a Gifter screamed, his voice filled with unbelievable fear.
Jack the Drought's pupils also contracted to pinpricks at this moment.
He stared intently at the lazy figure, squeezing out a few words through gritted teeth.
"Borsalino..."
"Why are you here, you bastard?!"
Kizaru's appearance was like a bucket of ice water, dousing Bruce Banner's imminent rage.
The eerie green glow receded from his skin like a tide.
His wildly expanding muscles also slowly returned to normal.
He gasped violently, his body going limp, almost collapsing to the ground, only to be caught by the T-800 from behind.
Saved... Bruce Banner let out a long sigh of relief, feeling all the strength drained from his body.
He adjusted his glasses, which had almost slipped off, and spoke softly in the tone of one who had narrowly escaped death.
"Finally... just in time..."
Kizaru seemed not to have heard him, nor did he respond to Jack's questioning.
He merely turned his head slowly, his gaze falling upon Bruce Banner, an exaggerated curve forming on his lips.
"Oh my, oh my, found him."
"Dr. Bruce Banner? You were really hard to find..."
"The Fleet Admiral gave a strict order to 'invite' you back."
Upon hearing this, Jack the Drought's already ugly expression instantly darkened, as if turning to stone.
The Marines' target was also this scientist!
"Borsalino!"
Jack let out a beastly roar, terrifying killing intent soaring into the sky.
"This man is someone Lord Kaido specifically asked for!"
"Do you want to go to full-scale war with our Beasts Pirates?!"
Facing the threat of a Four Emperors' All-Star, Kizaru merely lazily picked his ear.
He slowly turned his head, his eyes behind his sunglasses filled with an inscrutable meaning.
"Hmm~?"
"Full-scale war?"
"What a scary thing to say~"