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"Could it have been… Professor X?" Rosh pondered, trying to piece together the events.
After all, Professor X had appeared at the scene. It was possible that after helping resolve the Hulk crisis, Professor X had subtly assisted Rosh, erasing some minor problems for him. It wasn't too far-fetched to believe. Otherwise, there would be no reasonable explanation for how things played out.
With that thought, Rosh felt reassured. If Professor X had indeed intervened, then this troublesome situation had been completely smoothed over.
As he mulled over this possibility, the door chime jingled, signaling the arrival of a new customer. Rosh looked up to see a woman with short, neat hair exuding a commanding presence as she confidently strode into the shop, her heels clicking against the floor.
It took Rosh just a moment to recognize her—Hope van Dyne, daughter of the first Ant-Man, Hank Pym, and the future Wasp.
"Hello, welcome to the shop," Rosh greeted her with a friendly smile.
"Hello, shopkeeper," Hope replied politely with a smile of her own. She glanced around before asking, "Shopkeeper, may I ask, is this a fruit shop? Home of the Devil Fruits? I don't mean to be rude, but the name does sound a bit... odd."
In fact, it was the peculiar name that had drawn Hope in. She wasn't planning to buy fruit, but her curiosity about what a place called "Home of the Devil Fruits" sold brought her in.
"No, ma'am, it's not a fruit shop in the conventional sense," Rosh replied, shaking his head with a smile. "We don't sell ordinary fruit. We sell Devil Fruits."
"Devil Fruits?" Hope raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. "What kind of fruits are those?" She had thought the name was just a quirky branding choice. She hadn't expected the shop to actually sell something called Devil Fruits.
"They're quite extraordinary fruits. I'm certain you've never seen anything like them before," Rosh said with confidence.
Hope's curiosity was piqued. "Really? I'd love to see one... are these it?"
Her gaze shifted to the display case, which housed several colorful, bizarre-looking fruits. She couldn't help but marvel at how unique and unfamiliar they were. 'The Shopkeeper wasn't exaggerating. In their vibrant colors and odd shapes, these fruits were indeed unlike anything I had ever seen.'
"Yes, these are the Devil Fruits we sell," Rosh confirmed with a nod.
"Wow, I've never seen anything like them before. What kind of fruit are they, and how do they taste?" Hope said, intrigued as she studied the fruits closely.
"Well... their taste is quite... unique," Rosh said, carefully choosing his words. Describing their flavor was tricky, especially since most people found them disgusting. It wouldn't be wise to mention that outright.
"Well, shopkeeper, I'll take one then," Hope decided quickly, curious to try one of the unusual fruits.
"Please, don't rush. Why not let me explain a bit more about these Devil Fruits before you decide?" Rosh suggested, interrupting her with a smile.
"You're a very thorough shopkeeper," Hope commented with a chuckle. Most shop owners would be eager to make a sale, especially once a customer had already made up their mind.
"But really, no need to explain. I'd prefer to experience it myself when I get home," Hope waved off the suggestion, wanting to cut to the chase.
Rosh silently sighed. Based on past experience, no matter how smoothly the conversation went, the customers always backpedaled when he revealed the price. He knew they'd end up back at square one. However, since Hope was adamant about buying, Rosh decided to oblige. He handed her the Devil Fruit catalog. "Here you go, miss. Please take your pick."
"A catalog? Isn't this a bit much...," Hope started, but when she glanced at the prices, her eyes widened, and her voice shot up several notches. "Shopkeeper, are you sure these prices aren't a mistake?"
These fruits cost several million dollars each! It was as if she had walked into a high-end antique store.
"Please take a look at the descriptions of the fruits," Rosh pointed to the catalog, directing her attention to the detailed entries about the fruits.
"Eat one and you gain superpowers?" Hope read a few lines before laughing aloud. "I'm sorry, but is this some kind of prank?" Fruits that grant superpowers? It sounded too ridiculous to be true.
Rosh simply smiled, then closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, his pupils had vanished, replaced by blazing, radiant light. His entire gaze shone with an intense golden glow.
Hope jumped back in shock. "Jesus Christ!"
"Do you still think this is a prank?" Rosh asked, his eyes returning to normal as he smiled at Hope, whose mouth was hanging open.
She was speechless. Whatever technology or trick he used to make his eyes glow like that certainly wasn't an easy feat. Hope leaned in closer, carefully observing Rosh's eyes, looking for any signs of special contact lenses or other devices. But there was nothing. His eyes were completely normal—aside from the fact that they had just glowed like a light bulb.
'Could it be... were those fake eyes? But who in their right mind would make glowing prosthetic eyes?' None of it made sense.
"What exactly… was that?" Hope finally asked, staring intently at Rosh.
"As I said before, that was the power of a Devil Fruit. I ate the Glint-Glint Fruit, which gives me the ability to turn into light," Rosh explained calmly.
"Glint-Glint Fruit?" Hope chuckled, still skeptical. "So you can glow anywhere else, too?"
"Of course," Rosh replied. He closed his eyes briefly again, and in an instant, his entire body transformed into radiant light, the brightness nearly blinding Hope.
She was left speechless, staring at him in utter disbelief.
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Next Chapter: The Liquid-Liquid Fruit and the Wasp Suit
Next Next Chapter: Hank Pym's Disbelief
Next Next Next Chapter: Was the Wasp Suit Really That Easy to Get?
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