Naruto: From Konoha to One Piece (and Beyond)

Just as the helicopter was about to crash to the ground, a burst of fire flashed through the air, followed by a loud laugh. In the next instant, several soldiers on the helicopter were rescued.

[T/N: To those wondering like me, it seems that the Human Torch has selective control over what parts of his body are flaming. He can leave his hands free to carry things. This info is based on Marvel comics.]

"It's the Human Torch! It's the Fantastic Four!" a group of soldiers shouted. "The superheroes are here!"

Shin, currently invisible in the sky at this moment, observed the soldiers below and couldn't help but sigh.

'Ordinary people in this world can't handle this situation at all. Even soldiers, when faced with a super-powered criminal, the first thing they do is rely on superheroes.'

This alone revealed how chaotic the world of Marvel was. Over the years, almost everyone had placed their hopes on superheroes, losing confidence in their own ability to fight against super-powered criminals.

The Human Torch was merely the first to arrive. Moments later, Mr. Fantastic and the Thing appeared as well.

As for the Invisible Woman, Shin had already detected her presence with his Observation Haki, though she had yet to reveal herself.

"Hulk!" The green behemoth roared skyward before locking onto the Human Torch with a fierce glare.

The Human Torch grinned. "Big guy, you look pretty tough, but too bad—you can't fly!"

With that, he hurled several fireballs, striking the Hulk squarely on the head.

The heat generated by the Human Torch far exceeded that of ordinary flames. Even Hulk felt a slight sting, which only made him angrier. Letting out a furious roar, he suddenly leaped skyward, soaring a hundred meters in an instant, and grabbed the startled Human Torch mid-air.

Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, had not expected Hulk to pull off such a move. He barely had time to scream before Hulk yanked him downward. Just as Hulk was about to slam him into the ground, a long, flexible hand wrapped around Hulk's shoulder—it was Mr. Fantastic, Reed Richards.

"Johnny, run! I'll—ahhhhhhhh!"

Reed's words were cut short as Hulk suddenly swung him around and hurled him into a nearby building, smashing through a wall of glass with a resounding crash.

"Well... maybe he caught me instead." Dizzy, Mr. Fantastic climbed back to his feet. Fortunately, his rubber-like body made him extremely resilient to blunt force. Had it been anyone else, they would have turned into a smear on the pavement.

In the brief moment Hulk had been distracted, the Human Torch ignited his entire body in flames, exerting his elemental control to finally slip free from the monster's grip.

"Hey, Stoneman, I think this big guy might be the perfect opponent for you!" the Human Torch called out, still catching his breath. "Why don't you give it a try? Let's see who's stronger between the two of you!"

"I don't need to try to know he's stronger." Ben Grimm, the Thing, swallowed hard and muttered, "I can't jump a hundred meters in the air or wreck things on that level."

Before he could finish his sentence, Hulk suddenly charged forward.

"Run! He's coming!" The Human Torch shouted before streaking away in a trail of fire.

The Thing glanced at the terrified soldiers behind him. In their panic, they opened fire on the Hulk, but the bullets had no effect—if anything, they only enraged him further.

With a resigned sigh, the Thing braced himself. After all, he was the team's designated tank.

However, the gap between his strength and Hulk's was immense, and with Hulk's power growing alongside his rage, the difference became insurmountable. The moment they collided, the Thing was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing through a tank in the process.

Unstoppable in his rampage, Hulk continued charging toward the Thing, seemingly intent on delivering a second strike.

Seeing Ben dazed, his rocky exterior cracked and even began bleeding, the Human Torch quickly swooped down, hurling fireballs at Hulk in an attempt to divert his attention.

[T/N: Yes, the Thing can bleed. This is observed in the comics where he fights the Champion. The Thing sustains injury during the fight to the point of bleeding. In Marvel Two-In-One #54, the Thing also bled after being shot at point-blank range by Deathlok using an amped-up laser.]

Though Johnny was cocky and frequently clashed with Ben, even getting into fights with him, he was still a superhero—standing by and watching his teammate die was not an option.

Hulk's attention quickly shifted. If he had one major flaw, it was that his intelligence was inversely proportional to his power.

The angrier he got, the stronger he became—but at the cost of his reasoning. Likewise, if his intelligence increased, his strength would diminish.

Without hesitation, Hulk ripped a streetlamp from the ground and hurled it at the Human Torch.

Having nearly been killed by Hulk once before, Johnny had learned his lesson. This time, he remained hundreds of meters above the ground, fully prepared to dodge. The moment Hulk made a move—whether throwing something or attempting to leap—Johnny swiftly veered away.

After a few failed attempts, Hulk seemed to decide that hitting Johnny wasn't worth the effort and turned back toward the Thing. Seeing this, the Human Torch immediately descended again, tossing another fireball.

This mosquito-like harassment only enraged Hulk further. Johnny even noticed the green giant's muscles bulging as he seemed to grow larger.

With a twisted expression of rage, Hulk turned back to face Johnny, his eyes filled with fury. He suddenly opened his mouth and roared:

"HULK!!"

A thunderous shockwave erupted, shattering windows for several kilometers.

Johnny, the primary target of Hulk's roar, felt his vision blur and his ears ring as blood trickled from them. His body went limp, and he plummeted from the sky.

"Johnny!"

An invisible force field caught the falling Human Torch before he could hit the ground. Though he coughed up blood, at least he hadn't been turned into a stain on the pavement.

The one who saved him was Susan 'Sue' Storm, the Invisible Woman—his sister.

Besides her ability to turn invisible, Sue also possessed telekinetic force field abilities, though they weren't particularly powerful.

Hulk looked at Johnny in confusion, watching as his descent suddenly halted in mid-air. Scratching his head, the green behemoth turned away, seeming to lose interest.

His gaze landed on Mr. Fantastic, who had finally caught his breath and was dragging the battered Thing away from the battlefield.

"Sorry, I don't think I can beat this guy," Ben groaned in pain. "Is this another monster created by some mad scientist?"

As he spoke, he noticed the murderous glint in Hulk's eyes.

*******************************

If you would like to gain early access, you can join me at www.patre on.com/bookbattalion

80+ Advance Chapters Now Available!