Hearing Peter's invitation, Tony was instantly delighted.
He had been ready to pack his bags and head to Afghanistan with Pepper to seek out Ethan.
He never expected things to take such a dramatic turn.
Not only did he not have to leave America, but he even had the chance to ride Peter's coattails and transition from a businessman-hero to a high-ranking government official.
"Then I'm very interested!"
"But before that, don't you have to clean up this mess first?"
Tony pointed at the devastated Brooklyn, then gave George a subtle glance, his implication couldn't be clearer.
With Tony's intellect, it only took him a moment to realize the vast room for maneuver here.
"Of course," Peter returned a look that said, "great minds think alike."
This was part of Peter's plan—he intended to transfer some of the credit for restoring Brooklyn to George.
This would be an incredibly rich political asset, helping George easily make a name for himself in New York politics.
He then turned back to Gwen and Felicia and said:
"You two go back and rest first. Take Aleksei with you, and call Uncle George over."
Gwen actually had a lot she wanted to say to Peter, but now was clearly not the time, so she decisively chose to obey.
Before long, George walked over with a look of confusion.
Peter leaned in and whispered a few words into his father-in-law's ear.
After hearing them, a look of pleasant surprise immediately appeared on George's face.
What a good son-in-law!
While thinking this to himself, he hurriedly dispatched his men.
Shortly after, an officer arrived with a middle-aged man sporting a crew cut.
This crew-cut man was none other than the owner of the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson.
JJJ was a die-hard fan of The Punisher, so as soon as he saw Peter, he showered him with praise, believing Peter had successfully averted a disaster and suggesting that Peter should just take off his mask and reveal his identity.
He promised to use his full influence to make Peter a new generation of superhero whose fame would surpass even Iron Man and Captain America.
"We'll talk about revealing my identity later, Mr. Jameson. I called you here because I hope you can help me record some footage."
"I was just speaking with Chief George here after dealing with the monsters that threatened the city's safety."
"At Chief George's repeated request, I have made a difficult decision—I will step forward to restore all of Brooklyn!"
Hiss—
The moment he heard this, JJJ couldn't help but gasp, looking at Peter with eyes full of both shock and concern.
He knew Peter had the ability to restore buildings; it was because of Peter's feat of restoring the entire school after a battle that he became convinced The Punisher was a good man.
But... using superpowers to restore the entirety of Brooklyn was simply insane.
"Mr. Punisher, are you sure you really want to do this?"
"Will this have a severe impact on your body? You know, this city still needs your protection."
Facing JJJ's concern, Peter deliberately spoke in a casual tone:
"Don't worry, it won't kill me. At most, I'll just be bedridden for ten days or half a month~"
"I've already made arrangements with Ghost-Spider, Ms. nightingale, and Iron Man. While I'm away, they'll be responsible for New York's daily security."
Peter spoke nonchalantly, but to JJJ's ears, it made the fifty-something-old man's eyes well up with tears.
Willing to sacrifice himself just to help thousands of citizens escape the brink of ruin—what a noble spirit of sacrifice!
Thinking of this, JJJ spoke with a choked voice:
"Mr. Punisher, rest assured, I promise to report your decision truthfully. You and Chief George deserve the respect and love of all Brooklyn citizens!"
Not only was JJJ deeply moved, but Captain America nearby also wore an incredibly complex expression—Brooklyn was, after all, his old home!
...As the broadcast van entered the scene and JJJ explained the situation to the television audience, Peter began his performance.
He pressed his hand onto the devastated streets of Brooklyn.
As the horse talisman began to exert its power, a pure white light swept out like a tide, instantly enveloping the surrounding land.
Under the shocked gazes of everyone present, the collapsed buildings, shattered streets, destroyed vehicles... everything was being restored at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Steel and concrete reconsolidated, glass shards flew back into window frames, twisted cars returned to their original state... Outside the police line, countless Brooklyn citizens who had just recovered from the Conqueror's Haki were originally weeping and lamenting why they suddenly had to suffer such a calamity.
One must understand that in America, there are no "people's soldiers" to provide immediate disaster relief, nor is there a culture of "when one side is in trouble, everyone supports," let alone a state safety net to provide free post-disaster reconstruction for victims.
Here, it's just "when one side is in trouble, everyone sends likes"!
Facing such a disaster, these common people whose homes were destroyed would likely face a grim end—
Insurance companies refusing to pay, losing their jobs, being unable to find new work due to homelessness, then being crushed by countless bills, ending up on the streets, falling completely into the abyss of ruin with no hope of recovery.
Just as they realized this and fell into despair, Peter appeared!
He began using his power to restore Brooklyn, to restore their destroyed homes.
This was quite literally pulling them back from hell to the human world, one by one!
At this moment, in their hearts, Peter's silhouette was no different from God!
An old nun, seeing the church she had lived in for decades restored in an instant, couldn't help but kneel in prayer on the spot, shouting excitedly:
"Praise God! Praise Lord Punisher!"
This shout instantly woke the stunned disaster victims. In an instant, countless people began to follow the old nun with incredible synchronicity, kneeling and shouting:
"Praise God! Praise Lord Punisher!"
The momentum was so grand that even Nick Fury and General Ross, who were originally just watching the spectacle, were startled.
The two men, who were silently calculating how to stage a comeback and exact revenge, listened to the uniform slogans in the distance.
They watched Peter, who, after restoring an area, "panted for a few moments on the spot, then took heavy steps and resolutely walked toward the next area," and for a moment, they felt their scalps go numb.
After tonight... who would dare to plot against this kid in Brooklyn!
Forget plotting; if anyone even said a bad word about him, they'd probably be hacked to pieces by the angry, enthusiastic citizens.
The moment they realized this, both of them reflexively shuddered, feeling a sense of endless despair in their hearts.
An opponent with power enough to destroy the world was already troublesome enough.
And now you're telling me that on top of that, he's also equipped with a super-brain that can easily manipulate people's hearts!
How the hell are we supposed to play this game!