Chapter 169: The Meaning of Doctor Strange's Gesture

"This gesture is the number 'one'," Clint Barton tried to interpret, "Does it mean, 'we must take this step'?"

"'We must take this step' or 'it's time to take this step,' something along those lines," Natasha Romanoff said, "Dealing with an enemy as powerful as Thanos, we must have discussed and devised various plans before. Tony stealing the stones must be one of the plans. However, everyone knows how powerful Thanos is, and we also know that the power of the Infinity Gauntlet is not something anyone can handle. So, for Tony to steal the stones and snap means certain death. Only as a last resort would we take this approach. But as we saw in the video, our attempts to stop Thanos from snapping all failed. That's why Stephen used that gesture to tell Tony, 'it's time to take the path of stealing the stones and snapping'."

"That makes sense," Phil Coulson had a different view, "I feel it should be 'take down one stone.' The Infinity Gauntlet requires all six stones to snap, but what if we take down just one? That would stop Thanos from snapping. And as long as Thanos doesn't snap, he'll definitely be overwhelmed and defeated, right? Carol alone was already on par with him, not to mention there were powerhouses like Stephen and Thor at that time."

"That also sounds reasonable," Bruce Banner chimed in.

"I think it means, 'hold on for a bit longer, I'll be there to help you soon'," Sam Wilson joined the discussion, "We all know how powerful Doctor Strange is, but at that moment, he seemed to be held back by something, unable to come right away. So he probably wanted to tell Tony that he could rush over to assist him."

"I think you all might have misunderstood Stephen's meaning," James Rhodes suddenly said with a serious tone.

"Oh, Rhodes, what does Stephen's gesture actually mean?" Tony Stark asked.

"We all know that when answering questions, there are often times when we need to reason, and Tony often deduces things like Sherlock Holmes. Stephen is the same, often embodying Sherlock Holmes," James Rhodes chuckled, "So Stephen's gesture means 'there can only be one Sherlock Holmes between us'."

"That deduction is amazing; you're the Sherlock Holmes here!" Tony Stark said with a hint of sarcasm.

[The second question begins; please be prepared.]

[Who burned all the heart-shaped herbs in Wakanda?]

[A) Ulysses Klaue]

[B) Everett Ross]

[C) Erik]

[D) M'Baku]

[Correct answer: "One-Inch Punch"; incorrect answer: lifespan deduction of one year.]

"One-Inch Punch? What's that?" T'Challa couldn't help asking.

"It sounds like some kind of martial art from the East," Nick Fury said, "It's a magical country where everyone knows kung fu."

"Kung fu? Like Bruce Lee's kung fu?" Scott Lang asked.

"Probably. After all, I haven't seen Bruce Lee, and I haven't seen the One-Inch Punch," Nick Fury replied.

"What exactly is this 'heart-shaped herb'?" Stephen Strange asked, "I've never heard of such a thing."

"It's similar to Captain's serum. After taking it, strength, endurance, speed, and other aspects will be enhanced," T'Challa said, "It's the source of Black Panther's power."

"So this heart-shaped herb is a good thing," Stephen Strange said, "It's a shame it was destroyed in the future."

"T'Challa, even though I know you probably won't trade, I still have to ask," Nick Fury couldn't help but inquire, "Are the heart-shaped herbs for sale? Or maybe not with money, but is there any other way to obtain them?"

"Sorry, the heart-shaped herbs are not for sale," T'Challa replied firmly, "Only one person in Wakanda has the right to consume the heart-shaped herb, the Black Panther and the ruler of Wakanda. No discussions."

"What a shame," Nick Fury closed his mouth upon seeing T'Challa's resolute attitude.

"So who burned all the heart-shaped herbs?" Bruce Banner said, "It couldn't have been accidental; someone must have done it intentionally to destroy the herbs. This means that person knows the purpose of the heart-shaped herbs and holds a grudge against Wakanda."

"First, we can eliminate two people: Ulysses Klaue, the thief. Since he stole from Wakanda, they have been searching for him, and he's been hiding like a mouse. He wouldn't dare to set foot in Wakanda again unless we catch him. Even if he were caught as a prisoner, he probably wouldn't have the ability to burn the heart-shaped herbs."

"Indeed, Klaue doesn't seem like the person capable of such a thing in Wakanda," Tony Stark asked, "So who's the second person we can exclude?"

"M'Baku, the leader of the Jabari Tribe," T'Challa said, "Although he's a rebellious man and might have some grievances with my father's rule, he wouldn't do something like burning the heart-shaped herbs." He paused and added, "In fact, I don't think any Wakandan would do such a thing. We protect the heart-shaped herbs."

"So, it must be someone from outside of Wakanda," Nick Fury said, "I don't know who Erik is, but if this Everett Ross is the one I know, he's definitely an 'outsider' to Wakanda."

"Who is he?" T'Challa asked.

"CIA," Nick Fury said concisely.

"A CIA agent burned all our heart-shaped herbs?" T'Challa pondered, "That seems unlikely. We don't have any grudges with the CIA."

"Maybe in the future?" Phil Coulson suggested.

"Wakanda is relatively closed off. The possibility of having a grudge with any country, especially an organization like the CIA, is unlikely," T'Challa said, "I don't think the CIA would do such a thing."

"So, it must be this Erik then?" Clint Barton said, "You've already ruled out three options, and he's the only one left."

"I've never heard of this name," T'Challa said, "But as you said, I've ruled out three options, and it seems he's the only one left."

"Impeccable deduction," Clint Barton said.

"I choose C!" T'Challa made his choice.

[Correct answer! Reward granted!]

Instantly, a flood of knowledge about the One-Inch Punch rushed into T'Challa's mind. Not only that, but he also gained experience in using the One-Inch Punch in combat, even though he had never used this martial art before.

T'Challa tried a few moves, and his execution was powerful and intimidating, as if he had immersed himself in the One-Inch Punch for decades. Who would have thought that this was his first time using this technique?

"The rewards in the answer space are truly miraculous," T'Challa couldn't help but exclaim.

"Is this the One-Inch Punch? It looks incredibly powerful!" Clint Barton was in awe, "I feel like the previous me, even if there were four or five of me, wouldn't be a match for T'Challa."

"So, this is the Eastern martial art?" Natasha Romanoff nodded, "It lives up to its reputation."

"T'Challa, since you won't sell the heart-shaped herbs, what about this martial art?" Nick Fury's attention shifted to the One-Inch Punch, "I believe my agents' combat capabilities would greatly increase if they learned this. What do you need from me for you to share this technique with us?"

"No need for anything in return," T'Challa said, "I can give it to you for free, but I must remind you that without decades of dedicated practice, this technique won't amount to much."

"Decades?" Nick Fury was taken aback.

"Yes, to become proficient, you'll need at least several decades of practice. And if you want to achieve the level I just demonstrated, it will require not just decades of training but also a vast amount of practical combat experience," T'Challa said, "In fact, this applies to almost all Eastern martial arts. They're not something you can achieve in a short time."

"In that case, I'll pass," Nick Fury's interest in the One-Inch Punch diminished. He didn't have the time to dedicate several decades to training.

At this moment, the video started playing.

At first, a door slowly opened, and W'Kabi led in a braided black man, who was the "Golden Jaguar" Erik. In the room, T'Challa was sitting at the center.

"I have become king!" T'Challa immediately noticed the difference in his role in the video. He was no longer a prince; he had become the king.

W'Kabi brought Erik in front of T'Challa and stepped aside.

"Speak," T'Challa said to Erik.

"I stand in your palace now, telling you that I've punished a thief who stole your vibranium and harmed your people. Your king couldn't do it," Erik said, looking at T'Challa, "I want that throne."

Seeing this, T'Challa's brows furrowed in the answer space.

"What's wrong?" Steve Rogers asked.

"This man, could he be of royal blood?" T'Challa said, "Only a Wakandan royal can challenge for the throne."

"So, a Wakandan royal burned your precious heart-shaped herbs?" Steve Rogers also found it very strange, "Didn't you say earlier that Wakandans protect the heart-shaped herbs?"

"That's the problem; I have no knowledge of such a person," T'Challa said, "But if he's a member of the royal family, how could I not know him?"

"But you seem to know him in the video," Phil Coulson said.

"Maybe in the future, but I've never heard of him before," T'Challa replied, "I'm really curious about this person's identity now."

"Haha!"

"Hahahaha!"

"What an arrogant tone!"

In the video, when the tribal leaders heard Erik's words, they all burst into laughter.

"You all sit here so comfortably, feeling good, right?" Erik said calmly, "But there are still two billion people with the same skin color as us suffering in dire circumstances worldwide. Wakanda has the means to liberate them."

"What means are you talking about?" T'Challa asked, feigning ignorance.

"Vibranium, your weapon," Erik replied.

"Our weapons are not meant for waging war on the world," T'Challa said, "We won't use vibranium to become the world's police, to inspect, judge, or even execute citizens of other countries."

"Citizens of other countries?" Erik questioned, "But isn't life originated from this land? Aren't all human beings your citizens?"

"I am not the king of all humanity; I am the king of Wakanda," T'Challa said, "And my responsibility is to ensure the safety of all Wakandans and to make sure vibranium doesn't fall into the hands of people like you."

"Son, we've played with this impostor for too long," T'Challa's mother said at this moment, "Don't agree to his demands."

"I haven't made any demands yet," Erik said, "Ask me who I am."

"You are Erik Stevens, an African-American spy, known as Killmonger the mercenary. That's your real identity," Shuri revealed Erik's identity.

"That's not my name, princess," Erik retorted, then turned to T'Challa and said, "Ask me, king."

"No," T'Challa refused to cooperate.

"Ask me quickly," Erik insisted.

"Take him away," T'Challa waved his hand.

"Who are you, anyway?" at this moment, an elder from the River Tribe couldn't help asking.

It wasn't surprising that this person had a big mouth because he had a disc stuffed in it, stretching his mouth wide. It was unclear how he ate or rinsed his mouth.

"I am N'Jadaka, son of N'Jobu!" Erik shouted loudly.

"What? N'Jobu's son?" T'Challa was shocked in the answer space. He never expected N'Jobu to have a son outside of Wakanda.

But if that was the case, everything made sense.

"When my father died, he had a leopard claw mark on his chest!" Erik glared at T'Challa in the video. "You're not a king; you're the son of a murderer!"

"You're lying!" T'Challa's mother was angry too, "Nonsense!"

"Unfortunately, what he says is probably true, Your Highness," W'Kabi produced a pendant.

"What is that?" the tribal leaders in the room were surprised to see the pendant, showing that they recognized it.

"I now exercise my right as a descendant of N'Jobu to challenge for the throne! I challenge the Black Panther!" Erik declared.

"Don't accept his challenge, son," T'Challa's mother advised.

"As a descendant of N'Jobu, he has that right," one of the tribal leaders said.

"He has no right here!" T'Challa's mother rebuked.

"Challenges require several weeks of preparation," the River Tribe's big-mouthed elder spoke up again.

"Several weeks? I don't need that long," Erik said to T'Challa, "I don't need the whole country to witness this; I just need you and someone to untie me."

"I accept your challenge," T'Challa sitting on the throne accepted Erik's challenge.

"T'Challa, you acted impulsively; you shouldn't have agreed," Tony Stark said, "Since Erik dared to challenge you, he must be confident of winning."

"I am the king of Wakanda; he came here alone. If I don't dare accept such a challenge, what right do I have to be the king?" T'Challa retorted.

"You make sense, but then again, him daring to challenge you alone indicates that he's confident of victory," Tony Stark said, "And from the question, you've clearly failed. Not only did you lose the throne, but you also lost the heart-shaped herbs."

"Tony has a point," Bruce Banner added, "If Erik lost, Wakanda might let him live, but he wouldn't have the means to burn the heart-shaped herbs. But the question says he burned them, which means he won and became the new king of Wakanda, allowing him to destroy the heart-shaped herbs."

"Is Erik insane?" Stephen Strange wondered, "If the heart-shaped herbs can produce super-soldiers, and he became the king, then the heart-shaped herbs would belong to him. Why would he burn them?"

"Perhaps, his target for revenge isn't just T'Challa. He might want to destroy not just T'Challa, but the whole of Wakanda," James Rhodes chimed in.

"None of that matters," T'Challa said in a solemn voice, "Now that I know this in advance, no matter his intentions or schemes, they won't succeed."

The video continued to play.

In a gorge surrounded by waterfalls, Erik stood with a spear in his left hand and a knife in his right, while T'Challa knelt in the water, drinking some unknown liquid.

"Because I have taken the heart-shaped herb, and Erik hasn't, this challenge is unfair," T'Challa explained in the answer space, knowing that everyone was unfamiliar with this situation. "So, during the challenge, I must nullify the effects of the heart-shaped herb, remove the Black Panther's power, and become an ordinary person to make it fair."

"That's indeed fair," Steve Rogers said. "Letting an ordinary person fight against a super-soldier doesn't give them a chance to win; that's not a challenge."

Whatever T'Challa drank had an immediate effect. Blood vessels all over his body began to bulge and turn black, and he let out low roars of pain, indicating the process was quite excruciating.

After a while, the black veins disappeared, and T'Challa took a deep breath and stood up.

At this point, he was no longer the agile Black Panther but an ordinary Wakandan warrior.

Even so, T'Challa remained confident. He said to Erik, "This is your last chance. Put down your weapons, and we can still negotiate."

"My whole life has been preparing for this moment. I've undergone arduous training, told countless lies, and killed numerous people, all for this," Erik said as he inserted his sword and spear into the stream. He took off his shirt, revealing countless bumps on his skin.

Fortunately, T'Challa didn't suffer from trypophobia; otherwise, he would have been at a disadvantage.

"I fought in America, Afghanistan, and Iraq. I took lives, the lives of brothers and sisters from this land," Erik pulled the sword out of the water and pointed it at T'Challa, "I killed so many people just to kill you."

Hearing these words, T'Challa knew there was no chance for retreat, and the battle couldn't be avoided. He nodded to Zuri on the side, and Zuri announced, "The challenge begins now!"

Erik and T'Challa engaged in a fierce fight. At the beginning, both sides were evenly matched, but soon, T'Challa couldn't keep up and was stabbed in the abdomen by Erik.

"This is for my father!" Erik raised his knife high, about to finish off T'Challa.

"Erik!" Zuri directly intervened, using a long spear to block Erik's knife.

"Zuri, no!" Zuri obviously couldn't interfere in this battle. As soon as he took action, others, including the almost-killed T'Challa on the ground and the other spectators, tried to stop him.

"I am the one responsible for your father's death, not him," Zuri ignored those people. He walked up to Erik, looking at him, and said, "Kill me."

"Both of you will die, Uncle James," Erik showed no courtesy whatsoever. Zuri allowed him to kill, so he directly attacked and stabbed Zuri in the chest.

Zuri's death greatly angered T'Challa. He picked up his knife and wildly swung it at Erik, but at this point, his attacks became chaotic, and he couldn't hit Erik. Instead, he was easily knocked down by Erik.

"This is your king?" Erik said to the spectators, "The Black Panther is supposed to be the one leading you into the future, but him? He wants to protect you?"

T'Challa got up from the water, and with a punch, he attacked Erik but was easily caught on the shoulder and thrown off the cliff by Erik.

"T'Challa, you indeed lost," Tony Stark commented, "And it's a terrible defeat."

"But not anymore," T'Challa said, "I've unlocked the achievement of an Iron Fist now. Even with bare hands, I can knock that Erik down."

"At least this Zuri is truly loyal to you. He sacrificed himself to save you," Natasha Romanoff said.

The video continued, and Erik spoke to a black woman in a blue robe, "Is everything ready?"

"Yes," the black woman replied, "We will be ready when the next king ascends."

"Next king?" Erik asked.

The black woman nodded.

"Go and burn everything," Erik said.

"Your Highness, we cannot do that," the black woman said, "It's against our tradition..."

Before she finished speaking, Erik grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air, saying with a menacing tone, "Whatever I ask you to do, you do. I order you: burn it all!"

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[END OF CHAPTER]