When Dragon Balls Descend Upon Marvel

The crowd roared out their names:

"Tony! Tony! Tony!"

"Smith! Smith! Smith!"

"Iron Man!"

"God!"

The audience was on fire, their enthusiasm shaking the venue.

From his seat, General Ross watched the two men on stage and couldn't help but remark,

"They really do shine no matter the occasion."

Beside him, Blonsky added,

"They each represent the highest achievement of humanity — technology and the human body."

"General, to be honest, I haven't fought Iron Man yet, so I can't say how his tech stacks up against Smith Dole."

In Blonsky's mind, since Tony hadn't been able to subdue Bruce Banner, he definitely wouldn't be able to handle Blonsky in his transformed state. The only man he truly respected now was Smith Dole.

Ross didn't dwell on Blonsky's words. Instead, he said,

"You're all heroes. Maybe in the future, you'll be fighting side by side."

Ross had already secured official recognition of Blonsky as a war hero and placed his name on the military honors roster. The price, however, was that Blonsky's position would end with this term, unlike others who held theirs for life.

As the music ended, the costumed dancers exited the stage, leaving only Smith Dole and Tony Stark. As the host, Tony took the mic.

"Hey, it's good to be back!"

"Looks like everyone missed us. Let's blow something up!"

Hearing him, the crowd screamed even louder.

"Alright, I'm kidding." Tony grinned.

"There's someone in this world who has saved me from danger time and time again, giving me the chance to rise from the ashes."

"He's a superhero, a 'God,' called the God Among Men. He's also the second-largest individual shareholder of Stark Industries and the chairman of Capsule Corporation."

"He's my friend, Smith Dole!"

Spotlights hit Smith, who waved to the cheering crowd. He and Tony exchanged a quick embrace. As they did, Smith took the chance to check Tony's condition — the palladium poisoning was already advanced, with visible marks on his neck.

With one hand on Smith's shoulder, Tony addressed the audience again.

"I've never claimed that years of global peace were because of me."

"I've never claimed that no one else could rise from the ashes like I have."

"And I've certainly never claimed that the U.S. government could relax because no one dares challenge me at my peak."

Each line drew louder cheers. Compared to Smith, who acted as a hero when it suited him, Tony spent more time actively helping civilians. Entire cities near his home base had seen crime rates drop significantly.

"Of course, none of this was just me," Tony continued. "My good friend Smith Dole is just as much a part of it."

"Because of the two of us, peace has held. No one dares start a major war."

The audience erupted again, chanting their names.

Letting the noise build, Tony raised a hand for quiet and clasped his hands behind his back.

"But we aren't what's important. You aren't what's important. What matters is legacy — what we leave for the next generation."

"That's why, starting tomorrow, for the first time since 1974, the world's brightest minds from every nation and company will gather here. I'll give them the resources they need to share their vision and create a better future. That's why we aren't what matters."

"So, I say — welcome back to the Stark Industries Expo!"

"And now, a special guest from the past to tell you more — my father, Howard!"

The giant screen behind them lit up with footage of Howard Stark.

Tony stepped to the side of the stage to stand by Smith.

"How's that for an opening?"

Smith smiled. "Looks like you're ready to bleed money this time."

Tony pulled a small device from his pocket, pressed his thumb to it, and revealed the reading: blood toxicity, 39%.

He didn't hide it from Smith, who now understood Tony's condition was even worse than in the original timeline.

As the video ended and the host took over, they left the stage together.

In the wings, Smith signaled to Tony that they needed to talk.

"Tony, your palladium poisoning is serious. No ideas yet for a replacement element?"

Tony shook his head.

"I've tried every element. Nothing works. And with the next Dragon Ball tournament a year away, I'm not sure I'll make it."

Smith thought for a moment.

"I have a healing chamber at my base. It can completely clear the toxins from your body in one go. But it's only a temporary fix. Unless you find a replacement element, you'll be poisoned again."

Smith knew full well he could even remove the shrapnel from Tony's chest, but as long as the arc reactor remained in use, the problem would return.

Tony's eyes lit up.

"That's amazing, man! You should've told me sooner — I can't wait to try it. If I can clear the toxins, I'll have enough time to focus on research. I'll figure it out."

He was desperate — between being a superhero (which sped up the poisoning) and working on new suits and reactors, time was running out.

Now, Smith had given him a way to buy some.

(End of Chapter)

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