Naruto: From Konoha to One Piece (and Beyond)

The current demon-like creature was created using ordinary death row prisoners. It had a bone shell covering its body, making it impervious to small-caliber firearms except in vital areas like the eyes. Its strength and speed rivaled that of an ehanced individual like Captain America, and it even possessed the ability to fly.

However, it lacked intelligence, relying purely on instinct in battle. While this made it fearless and aggressive, it also meant it was incapable of executing high-risk tasks or strategic operations.

Despite its limitations, the creature's combat effectiveness was undeniable. A dozen or so of these monsters could take down a tank.

But in terms of practicality… the cost of transformation was not significantly lower than that of planes or tanks. Additionally, moral concerns and public backlash had to be considered. Given these factors, why not just rely on conventional military equipment?

Even if tens of thousands of superhumans with strength similar to Captain America existed, they still wouldn't be able to withstand a large-scale frontal assault from aircraft and tanks.

The true purpose of superhuman soldiers lay in special operations—covert missions, intelligence gathering, and high-risk assignments. 

However, with their lack of intelligence, these demon-like creatures were ill-suited for such roles.

Regardless, General Ross was thrilled with the results. Progress was progress. At least it was better than those unreliable super-soldier serums that depended entirely on luck.

Upon hearing Shin's explanation—that stronger and more intelligent demon-like creatures required better test subjects—General Ross immediately began leveraging his military connections to acquire special resources.

According to Shin, the demon-like transformation process had no upper limits. No matter how powerful a subject was, they could be transformed.

Just as General Ross walked out of the laboratory, lost in visions of the future, a deafening crash erupted from the nearby physics lab.

"Roar!!"

The Hulk burst out of the laboratory, letting out an earth-shaking roar. His terrifying presence sent chills down General Ross's spine, causing him to instinctively step back.

"Didn't they say the parademon conversion process was under control? What the hell is happening?" General Ross shouted before realizing something odd.

The physics lab? That wasn't even the biological research facility.

Why was a monster emerging from the physics department?

Despite his initial panic, General Ross quickly regained his composure. No matter what kind of creature it was, standard military protocol dictated an immediate response. He and his bodyguards swiftly drew their firearms and opened fire.

A series of gunshots rang out, bullets ricocheting off the Hulk's skin with bursts of sparks. But there was no effect—no wounds, no damage. The bullets couldn't even leave a scratch.

Unfortunately, this futile attack only succeeded in drawing the Hulk's attention.

With a furious roar, the Hulk leaped high into the air and landed directly in front of General Ross and his guards. The sheer force of his landing sent a powerful shockwave through the ground, knocking them all off their feet.

The Hulk reached out, grabbed General Ross by the collar, and pulled him close, his massive face looming inches away.

"Get away from me, you damn monster!" General Ross roared in defiance, yanking out his pistol and firing at the Hulk's eye.

Green blood splattered as the bullet struck.

The Hulk howled in pain. Already prone to uncontrollable rage, this attack sent him over the edge.

With a furious growl, he lifted General Ross into the air and slammed him into the ground. The impact was brutal—bones cracked, blood spewed from Ross's mouth, and his body lay limp, his condition uncertain.

Watching the scene unfold through his Observation Haki, Shin muttered, "Damn, is General Ross dead?"

It was unexpected, but not particularly concerning. Ross had never been a good man.

If anything, Bruce Banner was the one in trouble now. Killing his future father-in-law would certainly complicate his love life.

'Then again, after becoming the Hulk, it's not like he can be intimate with his girlfriend anymore,' Shin mused. 'So I guess it doesn't really matter.'

With Ross incapacitated, the Hulk seemed to calm down, or perhaps Bruce Banner's subconscious, horrified by what had just happened, restrained the beast. Rather than continue his rampage, he turned and leaped away, vanishing into the distance.

The military personnel scrambled to their fallen general, checking his condition.

Shin, still monitoring everything with his Observation Haki, wasn't particularly interested in the outcome. He simply left a shadow clone behind and disappeared in an instant.

After his violent outburst, the Hulk had escaped the research base.

Fortunately, the facility was located in a remote area—no civilians lived nearby. Only the perimeter guards were left stunned, struggling to process what they had just witnessed.

With General Ross critically injured and unable to issue orders, confusion spread among the soldiers. Should they engage? Stand down? No one knew for sure.

Although the super soldier project was classified, many soldiers had seen enough prisoner transports to have a rough idea of what was going on.

And in the Marvel Universe, soldiers had long since become desensitized to bizarre scientific experiments.

Super-soldiers? Mutant programs? Genetic engineering gone wrong? They had seen it all before.

One of the younger officers hesitated. "Tom, should we shoot? What if it's one of the experiments?"

"Of course, we shoot. If the experiment gets killed, that's the scientists' problem, not ours. But if that thing causes trouble and we do nothing, we're the ones who'll be held responsible."

Without another word, Tom raised his weapon and fired.

The Hulk, initially disoriented, suddenly felt a faint sting on his skin. His expression darkened.

His bloodshot eyes, still oozing green fluid from his earlier injury, glowed with fury. His already terrifying face now looked even more monstrous.

Tom paled. "What the hell?! How does that monster resist the bullets? What kind of nightmare did those lunatic scientists create?"

He turned to a subordinate. "Jerry! Get the RPG ready, now!"

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