First Encounter with the Hulk

"So, the second round goes to me as well, right?" Looking thoroughly disheveled, Joss sat across from the Grandmaster, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on his face.

What? You ask where the blood-pumping, epic combat went?

No, nothing of the sort existed. Upon discovering that the Grandmaster was playing dirty, Joss immediately pulled out his mercy, unleashing all his abilities at full throttle, coupled with his newly empowered Blood of Chaos. It took him a mere forty seconds from start to finish to thoroughly clear out the gladiatorial arena.

The enemy's strength lay solely in their weapons; their personal combat prowess was mediocre at best. Facing a serious Joss, not a single person could withstand even a single blow.

This was not a battle; it was a one-sided massacre.

Of course, he naturally pocketed that blade quietly.

"Since I've won the second round, I suppose you both know the outcome of the third round is already predetermined. So, how about we both save some time and directly bring this boring game to a close?"

With two victories in hand, Joss leaned back in his chair and looked at the Grandmaster. According to the rules, he would propose the format for the third round. As long as it followed the pattern of the first, he would remain invincible.

Judging by their expressions, both the Grandmaster and his female bodyguard clearly understood this, yet they could not simply throw a tantrum and renege on the bet.

After all, the combat power Joss had just displayed was more than enough to awe petty minds. If he were truly provoked into a frenzy and went on a rampage, the only one present with the attribute of immortality would likely be the Grandmaster himself...

For some reason, as the Grandmaster thought of this, he noticed Joss looking at him with an exceptionally subtle expression, as if he had guessed what he was thinking. A wave of inexplicable panic suddenly washed over him.

"Damn it... I am immortal. What is there for me to fear? At worst, I'll just start over from scratch! The assets I've left scattered across the universe are more than enough to create another ten Sakaars!"

Muttering silently to himself, the Grandmaster suppressed that strange premonition and brought his mind back to the present matter.

"Fine. This round goes to you. Hulk is yours." Seemingly realizing there was no turning back, the Grandmaster stopped bickering with Joss, waved his hand, and conceded defeat.

"However..." Before his voice could trail off, the Grandmaster offered a cold smile as he looked at Joss. "Whether you actually have the capability to take him away is entirely your own problem."

I did agree to hand Hulk over to you, but I never said Hulk would listen to you, did I?

Although the Grandmaster possessed a mechanism capable of controlling Hulk—even if it couldn't control his mind, it could at least paralyze his body and render him immobile—he obviously had no intention of handing that over to Joss.

Yet, upon hearing these words, Joss's expression did not turn ugly as the Grandmaster had anticipated. It was as if he had anticipated this possibility all along, which somewhat displeased the Grandmaster.

Regardless of Joss's reaction, the fact that Hulk himself remained a massive obstacle did not change. At this thought, the lingering sense of depression in the Grandmaster's heart dissipated quite a bit.

As for Joss, he paid no mind to the Grandmaster's words and actions, because what the other was thinking was essentially the same thing he was pondering right now.

How was he supposed to persuade Hulk?

If he were a powerhouse on Thor's level, he could simply beat him into submission. Unfortunately, even a rational Hulk whose strength had not reached its peak possessed a combat capability far beyond what Joss could handle.

"Wait?! A rational Hulk...?"

Suddenly, Joss felt as though he had grasped a crucial point.

In the films, the Hulk within the Grandmaster's gladiatorial arena not only knew how to use armor and weapons, but could also clearly communicate. His intelligence was scarcely lower than that of an ordinary person, a scene that had surprised Joss quite a bit back then.

Because in the comics, such traits only manifested in the form known as "World-Breaker Hulk," a terrifying entity capable of pinning the Sentry to the ground and beating him to a pulp!

Yet, the combat prowess displayed in the film was not only underwhelming, it was even somewhat weak...

The inexplicable possession of rationality combined with a relatively weak display of strength—after taking all these factors into consideration, Joss arrived at a bold hypothesis.

At this moment, Hulk was in a state midway between Bruce Banner and the Hulk. To put it simply, he was essentially an unangry Hulk.

Logic dictated that once his anger dropped to zero, the Hulk should revert to Bruce Banner. However, whether due to the influence of Sakaar or some other reason, he had somehow maintained his Hulk form, allowing this bizarre condition to persist.

With this thought, Joss already had a plan in mind. On the surface, however, he remained entirely unruffled, calmly discussing the victorious rewards with the Grandmaster.

Eventually, after the Grandmaster forked over a pile of rare minerals, weapons, and other items, Joss finally left the gladiatorial arena for the time being, and his meeting with the Hulk was scheduled for early the next morning.

Clearly, both fellows intended to make some preparations. At this moment, like two crafty adversaries sizing each other up, they exchanged forced, skin-deep smiles as a form of farewell.

As for the Grandmaster, it went without saying that he intended to set an inescapable trap within the arena to ensure Joss never walked out alive.

On the other end, Joss's actions were exceptionally cautious. The moment he returned home, he made several round trips, transferring all the members of the Seven Deadly Sins and any staff members willing to leave Sakaar straight to Earth.

Because what he was about to do next might be far more severe than the wrath of the Grandmaster!

The night passed quietly, and half a day's time was not particularly long. After a bout of busy preparations, Joss returned to the Grandmaster's gladiatorial arena without even taking a rest.

The Grandmaster seemed to have no intention of meeting with Joss again, directly setting the rendezvous point inside the arena. As soon as Joss stepped through the heavy doors, he spotted the green behemoth standing nearly two stories tall.

"It's you. You want to see Hulk?" Hulk frowned as he looked at Joss. Although he possessed sanity and normal intelligence, it was limited to basic conversation; he still couldn't figure out why a random fellow like Joss would come looking for him.

Naturally, Joss wasn't going to start trying to recruit him like Nick Fury. That man had maxed out both his recruitment and persuasion skill trees—whether it was talk-no-jutsu, empty-handed wolf-hunting, or Jotaro Kujo's intimidation, he pulled them out as effortlessly as eating and drinking.

Besides, trying to get chummy with the Hulk was completely useless. Thor, a genuine close friend of his, had already proven to Joss through personal experience that trying to buddy up with the Hulk only earned you a beating.

Thus, Joss chose the third path.

"Hulk, I came here today to tell you one thing." Joss gazed earnestly at the Hulk, took a deep breath, and finally spoke:

"EAT SHIT, YOU BASTARD!!!!!!!"