Naruto: From Konoha to One Piece (and Beyond)

So far, Shin's biochip has collected extensive knowledge on human body modification, including research from Academy City, the virus-based genetic modification technology from Resident Evil, and the magic-like transformation techniques derived from the Mother Box of Apokolips.

Adding to that, he had also gathered knowledge on human body modification from both the Naruto and One Piece worlds, giving him far greater insight than the average researcher in the Marvel universe.

Shin might not be on the same level as Tony Stark or twisted scientific geniuses like Doctor Doom, but in terms of genetic research, his accumulated knowledge placed him near the top—at least before his resources ran out. Within a short period, he had already impressed all the scientists in General Ross's laboratory.

After reviewing the scientists' reports, General Ross was quite pleased. However, a dark thought crept into his mind. 'How can someone like this be allowed to remain with Kingpin? He belongs in the U.S. military.'

Of course, dealing with scientists wasn't as simple as dealing with soldiers. You couldn't just point a gun at them and expect them to work harder. If they choose to sabotage their work, the consequences could be disastrous.

Tony Stark had built a functioning suit of armor while imprisoned in a cave. If a biologist with Shin's level of expertise decided to rebel, the results would be even more terrifying.

With that in mind, coercion was out of the question. Instead, the best approach was to bribe him—money, housing, women, and, most importantly, access to state-of-the-art research equipment and rare experimental materials.

Shin, of course, accepted everything without hesitation. After all, he was not some powerless scientist. If he ever wanted to leave, Ross had no way of stopping him.

"Hey, Banner, it's time to get off work."

Inside the research lab, Bruce Banner adjusted his glasses as he carefully monitored his equipment. At the sound of his colleague's voice, he responded, "Give me a moment. I just need to finish this comparative experiment."

Bruce Banner was one of the scientists assisting General Ross's research team, though he was merely a peripheral member. In fact, before arriving at the lab, he had no idea Ross was conducting super-soldier experiments.

The primary reason Ross had invited Banner was due to the need for exposure to high-energy gamma rays—something that was crucial for the orthodox super-soldier formula.

Although Banner wasn't widely recognized due to his reserved nature, he was actually one of the leading experts in gamma radiation and nuclear physics.

In the world of American comics, where black technology was rampant, being labeled as a top scientist carried far more weight than in reality.

In the real world, even the most brilliant scientists couldn't create world-altering technology single-handedly. But in this world, top-tier scientists often developed their own unique technology trees—each capable of shaking the foundations of society.

If it weren't for his close relationship with General Ross's daughter, Betty, a scientist of Banner's caliber would never have taken such a minor role in Ross's project.

Despite his genius, Banner had a mild temperament and lacked arrogance, making him easy to work with.

"Alright, just finish this last set—"

As his colleague spoke, he accidentally knocked over a cup of water. The cup tumbled onto the control panel, causing a short circuit.

"Be careful!" Banner shouted in alarm. The lab equipment was high-tech, and even the cheapest piece cost well over a million dollars.

His colleague panicked and, in his flustered state, accidentally pressed the activation button on the gamma-ray device. Suddenly, the entire machine began emitting an eerie green glow.

"Oh no!" Banner's eyes widened in horror. Without hesitation, he pushed his colleague out of the way—just as a powerful gamma-ray beam engulfed him.

[T/N: This may not be canon in comics or MCU. Just bear in mind that this is an AU Universe the MC found himself in.]

There was a loud explosion, followed by a heavy silence.

The colleague, now on the floor, coughed and slowly sat up. "Banner? Banner! Are you okay?"

Even as he called out, his face was already filled with grief and guilt. As a scientist, he knew exactly how deadly gamma radiation was. A normal person would be vaporized almost instantly—leaving nothing behind but perhaps a few charred bones.

But when he looked up, what he saw was beyond comprehension.

Bruce Banner was no longer the same man. His body had grown massive, his skin had turned green, and his muscles swelled with inhuman power. The transformation was complete.

This was the birth of the Hulk.

"ROAR!!"

With a deafening bellow, the Hulk glared at the terrified scientist before smashing through the lab wall and leaping into the night.

The stunned researcher could only gape at the scene. "W-What the hell just happened? Gamma rays... did this?!"

At that moment, Shin was still in the middle of his experiments.

He wasn't particularly interested in the virus-based technology from Resident Evil—at most, he borrowed some knowledge about human physiology from it.

The technology of Academy City was also less useful than expected. Its focus was on developing superpowers, but the technology tree was incomplete, with key data missing.

More importantly, the genetic structure of humans in this world was vastly different. The majority of people tested barely qualified as Level 0 ability users, and even Level 1 potential was exceedingly rare.

When a large-scale blood test was conducted, researchers found that out of nearly 100,000 samples, not a single person had the genetic markers for Level 2 potential.

It became clear that if one wanted to study superpowers in this world, mutants and Inhumans were the way to go. The superpower theories of Academy City were practically useless here.

On the other hand, the demonic transformation technology from Apokolips was highly adaptable to this world. That was no surprise—parallel worlds tended to share similar fundamental rules and races.

However, even as reckless as the U.S. military could be, even in the exaggerated world of comics, no one would approve of turning their soldiers into mindless parademons. Even General Ross, for all his extreme methods, would never sign off on such a plan.

If he didn't reject it, his soldiers would revolt first. Unlike the obedient troops in strategy games, real-world American soldiers wouldn't blindly follow orders to undergo irreversible transformations.

That said, while military personnel were off-limits, there were other candidates—such as death row inmates.

Although the death penalty had been abolished in most regions of America, there were still enough condemned prisoners to conduct human trials. Acquiring a hundred or so test subjects was surprisingly easy.

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