While Deadpool was having the time of his life in Rosh's shop, the five minutes of his newfound smoothness ran out. His frictionless state vanished, and his body stuttered to a halt, nearly causing him to fall flat on his face.
If it weren't for Deadpool's quick reflexes, he would have eaten dirt for sure. But that wasn't even the worst part.
The real kicker was that his once smooth, enviable complexion, which any woman would kill for, began to fade, and the pitted, scarred face returned almost immediately.
It might have been bearable if he'd never tasted the joy of having a normal face. But after experiencing that brief, blissful normalcy, how could he stand the return to his former self?
"No! No! Don't change back! Please!" Deadpool yelled, clutching his face in despair.
"Now, do you still think seven hundred grand is too much?" Rosh's voice chimed in coolly, arms crossed, as he observed Deadpool's reaction with a composed, almost smug expression.
Rosh was confident that after personally experiencing the miraculous effects of the Smooth-Smooth Fruit, Deadpool wouldn't be able to resist its allure. There was no way he could hold out against the temptation.
Deadpool fell silent.
Considering what the fruit could do, seven hundred thousand wasn't just reasonable—it was a downright bargain. Hell, if this fruit ever hit the market, Deadpool was sure people would pay millions to get their hands on it. Rosh was practically giving the thing away.
"Fine, seven hundred grand it is. Damn it, that's two years' worth of savings," Deadpool grumbled as he reluctantly fished out a credit card from his pocket.
Ever since reuniting with Vanessa after killing his nemesis Ajax, Deadpool had returned to his old mercenary ways. Despite his quirky habit of killing employers along with his targets, Deadpool wasn't cheap to hire, and after two years, he'd managed to save up enough for this splurge.
The transaction was completed smoothly. Rosh took the Smooth-Smooth Fruit from the display case and handed it to Deadpool, who immediately took a big bite, grimacing at the taste.
"Shit, this is the worst thing I've ever eaten. I hope I never have to taste something this vile again," Deadpool grumbled as he fought to keep it down.
"Uh... about that..." Rosh hesitated, unsure whether to speak up.
"What? What is it?" Deadpool asked, suspicion rising in his voice.
"Nothing!" Rosh quickly shook his head.
Would Deadpool beat him to death if he discovered that just one bite would have sufficed? Watching Deadpool devour the entire thing like a starving man at a feast had left Rosh momentarily stunned.
'But then again, it was Deadpool. Who else would go all in like that?'
While Rosh silently processed Deadpool's unique eating habits, Deadpool felt the effects of the fruit kicking in. His skin started to change once again, and the horrendous scarring melted away into smooth perfection.
"It's back! I'm back to my handsome self!" Deadpool couldn't contain his excitement, shouting loud enough to startle even Rosh.
"Congratulations, sir! You now possess a face that even men will envy and women will desire. You, sir, are officially the hottest guy on the block!" Rosh chimed in with a congratulatory smile.
"That's right, I'm actually hot now! Damn, I might just fall in love with myself," Deadpool said as he ogled his reflection in his phone, completely absorbed in his newfound good looks.
Fortunately for Deadpool, the shop was empty except for him and Rosh, who already knew what kind of character he was dealing with. Otherwise, Deadpool might've been mistaken for an escaped mental patient.
"Shopkeeper, you got any more of these Devil fruits? I'm already thinking of saving up for another one!" Deadpool said, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Though the taste of the fruit was unforgettable—in the worst way possible—its powers were beyond worth it.
Rosh shook his head, his expression turning serious. "I'm afraid that's not possible, sir. Generally, a person can only eat one devil fruit in their lifetime. Any more, and your body would explode."
He understood Deadpool's eagerness to try more fruits, but the reality was that doing so was impossible.
"Explode? Seriously!" Deadpool exclaimed in his usual over-the-top fashion. Then, with a glint in his eye, he asked, "But you said 'generally.' So it is possible to eat more than one, right?"
"Yes, sir. If someone eats the Dark-Dark Fruit, they can absorb and wield the powers of multiple Devil fruits."
"The Dark-Dark Fruit must be even more expensive, huh?" Deadpool asked, clearly expecting the answer.
"Indeed, sir. The Dark-Dark Fruit goes for ten billion."
"Ten billion dollars?!" Deadpool jaw dropped. He couldn't even imagine that kind of money. He could be sold off in pieces and still not come close to affording it.
"And that's assuming we even have it in stock," Rosh added. "Which we currently don't."
For now, only lower-tier Devil Fruits were available. More powerful ones like the Quake-Quake, Rumble-Rumble, and Glint-Glint Fruits hadn't been unlocked yet. Rosh needed to complete specific sales targets to access those.
"Damn, that's a shame," Deadpool said, sighing with disappointment. But there wasn't much he could do about it.
"Oh, by the way, sir, I've created a special group for devil fruit users to communicate and share their experiences. Would you like to join?" Rosh asked, shifting the conversation.
Deadpool hesitated for only a moment before replying, "Sure, that sounds fun!"
The two quickly exchanged contact information, and Rosh added Deadpool to the group he'd created.
"'Devil Fruit Family'? And we're the only two members?" Deadpool exclaimed, surprised by the empty group. For a moment, he felt like he might've been swindled.
"There are only two of us for now, but I'm confident the group will grow over time," Rosh said confidently. "Also, I'd appreciate it if you could refer a few more customers to me."
Since they'd exchanged social media info, Rosh now felt comfortable calling Deadpool by his real name, Wade.
"That's gonna be tough. Your fruits are crazy expensive, man. Most people I know can't afford it," Wade replied with a shrug. "But I'll give it a shot!"
"Thanks, Wade. I appreciate it."
"No problem, Shopkeeper. Well, I better get going. Still gotta cook dinner for my lady!" Wade said, waving goodbye as he turned to leave.
"Take care! I won't see you out," Rosh replied with a grin.