73rd Street, New York.
"Devil fruits? What a strange name."
"I wonder what they sell."
"Let's go in and see!"
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Hearing the voices, Rosh's spirits lifted instantly.
He instinctively straightened his posture, trying to present his best self to the incoming customer.
Moments later, the sound of bells echoed as a stylishly dressed, curvaceous blonde woman entered Rosh's small store.
"Welcome."
With a warm smile, Rosh walked forward to greet the guest.
"Didn't expect the shopkeeper to be such a handsome guy." the blonde teased, tossing him a playful wink as soon as she laid eyes on him.
"Thank you for the compliment, my lady. Your presence and beauty have added a touch of charm to my humble shop." Rosh was unfazed, returning her wink with a calm, practiced smile.
The blonde readily accepted his playful gesture before her attention turned to the brightly colored fruits displayed in the shop.
"Hey there, handsome, what are these fruits?" Her face was filled with surprise as she studied the fruits, only to realize after a pause, "Wait, are these the so-called Devil Fruits?"
"That's right. These are Devil Fruits. The name might sound a bit ominous, but they possess extraordinary powers," Rosh explained.
The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Extraordinary? Are you saying they taste amazing?"
She looked skeptically at the bizarrely colored fruits, especially the black ones. It looked unappetizing, even frightening.
"No, I mean that one can gain extraordinary abilities after eating these Devil fruits. I know this sounds unbelievable, but I swear to God, it's the truth!" Rosh declared earnestly, his sincerity practically oozing out.
"Wow, so these are fruits enchanted by demons or something?" The blonde couldn't help but laugh, giving Rosh a look as if he were a fool. This guy was good-looking but must be slightly off in the head. Magic fruits that give superpowers? Why not claim they could make someone fly?
"The origins of the Devil Fruits are a mystery, but thinking of them that way... is one way to look at it. Now, my lovely lady, may I introduce you to some of these fruits?" Despite her skeptical gaze, Rosh pressed on with a suggestion.
With nothing better to do, the blonde didn't refuse. "Sure, go ahead."
She was curious to see how far Rosh would go with this story.
"Take this one, for example. This is the Slip-Slip Fruit or the Smooth-Smooth. Eat it, and it makes your skin incredibly slippery."
"This one here is the Kilo-Kilo Fruit. After consuming it, you'll have the ability to control your own weight. You could even float using just an umbrella."
"And this fruit…"
"Shopkeeper, do you think I'm an idiot?"
"Miss, I didn't mean that. I understand it sounds far-fetched, but... we offer sample fruits that you can try. Just one bite, and you'll see for yourself."
Yes, Rosh's shop offered samples of Devil Fruits that allowed people to experience the corresponding fruit's powers for five minutes.
"You're insane!" the blonde snapped, turning and storming out without a second glance, her dismissive voice drifting back to him.
"Ah, once again." Watching her leave, Rosh couldn't help but let out a bitter smile. This had happened far too often in the past month.
Many people were put off the moment they realized these bizarre-looking fruits were meant to be eaten. Even though he had samples available for tasting, no one wanted to risk putting something so strange into their mouths.
And on the rare occasion when someone did, they would spit it out before even swallowing because of how disgustingly foul the fruits tasted, like chewing on something resembling... well, something really unpleasant. As a result, they never gained the powers since they didn't consume the fruit properly.
The trick was to get them invested enough before offering a taste. Trying to push the sample too soon never worked. But seriously, who would believe that eating a fruit could grant superpowers?
Even in a world with Captain America, this was a stretch!
Plus, there was another obstacle. In the future, Devil Fruits will no longer be sold for money but will require gold for payment. People would have to exchange their cash for gold first, creating an additional barrier.
"If this keeps up, who knows when I'll be able to complete my beginner task." The thought of it made Rosh uneasy.
Earlier in the day, the media had been buzzing about Stark Industries' unveiling of the Jericho missile. Yes, the "death missile" had been born. That meant Tony Stark's abduction by the Ten Rings was imminent, and soon after, he would become Iron Man.
When that happened, the age of Marvel's superheroes would officially begin. Earth would be constantly threatened by aliens, robotic armies, dimension-hopping demons, and otherworldly robots.
For an ordinary person, the only option would be to become cannon fodder, probably without even realizing how they died.
Rosh's only hope lay in the system's beginner task.
Yes, Rosh wasn't originally from this world. He had transmigrated here from another Earth and had been bound to a system called "Devil Fruit Supplier."
All he had to do was successfully sell devil fruits and meet certain sales targets to receive rewards.
The system's first task for him was simple: sell one devil fruit!
It sounded easy, but Rosh had been at it for a whole month without success. This was proving far harder than he'd expected.
'Then again, who would buy devil fruits without a few screw loose?' He couldn't help but laugh at himself for thinking that.
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Author's Note:
*P.S.: For now, fruits are sold for money. Once the system upgrades, it'll switch to gold. Rest assured, this won't be a problem later on!*
Translator's Note:
Yeah what they said, so seat back, relax and enjoy ;)
Also, the original translated name of the MC is Rorschach; however, it didn't really roll off the tongue that much, so I changed it to Rosh. It's shorter and simpler, making it easier to remember and pronounce.