"...well."
"It seems there isn't anywhere you need my help."
Realizing that the second method didn't seem to be yielding the desired results—as the other party completely ignored him—Goku proceeded to employ the third method taught to him by Grandpa Dumbledore.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the box containing the four Dragon Balls. He took them all out, placed them on the ground, and then began using Legilimency to probe the minds of everyone around him.
Consequently, the inner thoughts and psychological activities of the researchers—as well as the Rapid Response Special Forces troops surrounding him—were instantly read by him, one by one.
Very quickly, his expression changed.
In that very moment, he finally understood why this third method was also guaranteed to result in obtaining the Dragon Balls.
It was because, once he resorted to this third method, he would no longer harbor any reservations; he would simply seize the Dragon Balls by force—and, before making his exit, he would make sure to teach these people a severe lesson.
The instant he brought out the four Dragon Balls, he immediately sensed an overwhelming wave of malice and greed radiating from the opposing side.
The researchers—led by the balding scientist—had minds filled with the sole intent of forcibly seizing his Dragon Balls for experimentation.
And it wasn't just the Dragon Balls they wanted; they also intended to dissect and study *him* personally, as well as confiscate the mysterious box in his hand that allowed him to conjure objects.
As for the members of the Rapid Response Special Forces, it turned out they belonged to the very same faction that had previously attacked Uncle Logan and Professor X.
They, too, wanted to snatch his Dragon Balls—hoping to summon the Dragon God and use their wishes to fulfill their own nefarious desires.
They also intended to dissect and study him, with the ultimate goal of turning him into a combat-ready puppet.
The aura these people exuded felt even more evil—and far more infuriating—than that of the Red Ribbon Army.
Therefore, at this juncture, he naturally could not allow the Dragon Balls to fall into their hands.
"Everyone, lower your weapons! This gentleman is a friend of S.H.I.E.L.D.—Mr. Son Goku!"
Nick Fury appeared at the laboratory entrance, slightly out of breath. Upon seeing that a fight had not yet broken out between the two parties, he breathed a deep sigh of relief.
He also silently gave a mental nod of approval to Rumlow, the captain of the Rapid Response Special Forces, for keeping the situation from escalating.
He had assumed that, given Rumlow's temperament, he would have immediately moved to subdue the opponent; he was surprised, however, to find that Rumlow was acting far more composed than usual, refraining from taking any rash action.
Yet, upon seeing the four Dragon Balls lying before Goku—as well as the one they themselves had painstakingly recovered, which Goku now held in his hand—his heart gave a slight flutter.
Fortunately, he had somewhat anticipated this very scenario. He quickly regained his composure, allowing a faint smile to play upon his lips.
"Mr. Goku, I am Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. I am also a friend to Natasha, Professor X, and Mr. Logan."
Having first established his identity to foster a sense of rapport, he immediately continued:
"Natasha has told me a great deal about you. I understand that you need to collect seven Dragon Balls, so I took the liberty of tracking down one of them for you in advance."
He certainly wasn't about to do something as foolish as getting into a conflict with Goku just for the sake of the Dragon Balls.
First, Goku possessed immense power; until they had fully gathered intelligence on him, it was best to avoid any confrontation if at all possible.
Second, according to the story Goku himself had recounted, the summoning of the Dragon God to grant a wish was an event that could take place once every year.
Therefore, what was the rush? Once he had cultivated a good relationship with Goku, there would naturally be future opportunities to gather the Dragon Balls and summon the Dragon God.
Third, relying solely on their own detection equipment, it would be utterly impossible for them to gather all seven Dragon Balls.
Goku possessed a "Dragon Radar"—a device capable of searching for and pinpointing the location of the Dragon Balls; only by utilizing *his* Dragon Radar could the complete set of seven be successfully assembled.
Furthermore, Goku's very presence here served as confirmation that the Dragon Radar was not merely a fictional fabrication from the stories, but a genuine, tangible reality.
Thus, on this occasion, he acted with great magnanimity, willingly handing over the Dragon Ball they had worked so hard to retrieve back to Goku.
Goku gazed at Nick Fury, activating his *Legilimency* technique once again. He then gathered all the Dragon Balls into their container and smiled.
"Although not everything you said was entirely truthful, you aren't a *terrible* person. So, I won't feel the need to teach you a lesson this time."
The one-eyed, bald man standing before him—the man named Nick Fury—did indeed harbor a few rather audacious thoughts within his mind. However, many of his inner considerations were, in fact, for the sake of this world's safety.
Moreover, he truly was a friend of Aunt Natasha—who had treated him to a meal and helped him out—and could even be loosely considered a friend of the Professor and Uncle Logan.
"But *they* won't do. They belong to the same group as the people who bullied the Professor and the others last time—an organization called 'Hydra.'
They want to do all sorts of terrible things, so I'm going to teach them a good lesson!"
Goku pointed toward Rumlow and the members of the Special Rapid Response Force, who had already fallen back in behind him and lined up in formation.
Upon hearing Goku's words, everyone in the laboratory—every single person—saw their pupils constrict in unison, their faces registering expressions of utter disbelief.
"Kill them!"
In less than a second, Rumlow snapped back to reality; he leveled the custom-made submachine gun in his hands at Nick Fury and began frantically squeezing the trigger.
At the same instant, the squad members behind him also aimed their own custom submachine guns at Nick Fury and the researchers present.
Why did Rumlow choose not to kill Goku, but instead target Nick Fury and the researchers?
Because he knew that, with their current manpower, they stood absolutely no chance of killing the terrifying Goku; at the same time, he understood Nick Fury's character all too well.
Given Nick Fury's cautious and prudent nature, even if he harbored doubts about the veracity of Goku's claims, he would immediately dispatch agents to apprehend them.
Furthermore, given Nick Fury's capabilities, he would very quickly uncover the truth.
Once that happened, the situation would become incredibly troublesome to handle.
Therefore, in his view, the best course of action at this moment was to kill Nick Fury and every single researcher currently in the room.
Then, he would frame Goku for the assassination of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Director.
[The narrative thread suggests that] Goku had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters to seize the Dragon Balls...
The researchers and Director Nick Fury were left helpless to prevent the unfolding disaster.
This scenario was entirely logical—logical enough, in fact, to convince the members of the Security Council.
Even if Goku attempted to offer a defense, no one would believe him.
Of course, there were bound to be flaws in the plan; however, the vast majority of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s personnel had already been infiltrated and recruited into Hydra.
Alexander Pierce—the former Director who now served as a high-ranking member of the Security Council—was not only Fury's direct superior but also a key figure within Hydra's leadership.
It was, in fact, Pierce who had originally recommended Nick Fury for the position of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director.
Once Nick Fury was dead, Pierce would temporarily assume command of S.H.I.E.L.D., ensuring that not a single trace of the conspiracy remained.
At that point, should Goku choose to oppose them, he would effectively be pitting himself against the entire world.
As he watched Rumlow and his squad members open fire—shooting wildly at him and the researchers—Nick Fury, having just snapped out of his initial shock,
Realized with absolute certainty that everything Goku had said was the truth.
However, given the current situation, he simply had no time left to react.
For he had never imagined that Hydra—an organization supposedly eradicated by Captain America during World War II—would rise from the ashes and successfully infiltrate the very headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Consequently, despite possessing a multitude of powerful trump cards,
At this critical moment, it was already too late to deploy any of them.
Faced with such close-range fire, he had absolutely no time to dodge or counterattack; his death was inevitable.