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"Rosh, charge it." Without hesitation, Stick pulled out a bank card and handed it to Rosh.
*Beep!*
The transaction was quickly completed, and Rosh handed the Slow-Slow Fruit to Stick.
"Shhh!"
Elektra put her finger to her lips, signaling Rosh to stay quiet, and then eagerly watched Stick with a gleeful look, clearly wanting to see Stick's reaction after biting into the fruit. Rosh, who was initially going to warn Stick about the taste, saw Elektra's antics and simply shook his head with a helpless smile. He wasn't about to ruin her fun.
*Crunch!*
Stick bit down hard on the fruit. He paused briefly but quickly resumed chewing as if nothing unusual had happened, his expression calm as if savoring a delicacy.
'Damn! He's this calm?' Rosh felt a new level of respect for Stick. Of all the people who had eaten Devil Fruits, every one of them had been tormented by the taste, contorting their faces in disgust. Stick was the first to remain completely unfazed. 'Fucking impressive!'
"Stick, you don't need to eat the whole fruit. One bite is enough," Rosh reminded him with a smile after Elektra had her fun.
"Really? Well, I already feel the change in my body," Stick replied, setting down the rest of the fruit with a satisfied look on his face. He then carefully examined himself, his face filled with wonder. "This feeling... so this is the power of the Devil Fruit?"
"You're no fun at all, Stick!" Elektra rolled her eyes in disappointment. She had been hoping for a comical reaction but was left thoroughly disappointed. But Stick was too focused on his newfound abilities to care about her disappointment.
"So, this is how it works…" Stick muttered, instinctively raising his right hand, his fingers forming a delicate orchid-like gesture—index and pinky fingers raised while the others stayed together. It was as if his body had naturally adopted this form to activate the Slow-Slow Fruit's abilities. He took a few steps to the doorway and flicked his wrist.
*Whirr!*
A beam shot from his fingers and struck a tree outside. The tree, which had been gently swaying in the breeze, suddenly slowed to an almost comical pace, like a movie playing in slow motion.
"This is the power of the Slow-Slow Fruit? Amazing!" Stick said in awe, watching the slowed movements of the tree.
"Rosh, you don't seem surprised," Elektra noted, glancing at Rosh. Given Stick's blindness, his accurate hit on the tree should have been remarkable, but Rosh had remained calm throughout. It wasn't what she had expected.
Rosh merely smiled in response, offering no further explanation. He had long figured out Stick's identity, so nothing about his actions surprised him.
"Elektra, someone who sells these miraculous Devil Fruits isn't going to be impressed by this little display," Stick answered calmly, not bothering to address Elektra's disbelief further. After all, the Devil Fruits granted people all sorts of extraordinary abilities. His sensory sharpness was nothing in comparison to that.
"True enough," Elektra conceded with a shrug, realizing her perspective had been too narrow.
"Well then, Rosh, we'll be heading out for now. I'm sure we'll meet again."
"See you around, Shopkeeper."
"Take care!" Rosh bid them farewell as Stick and Elektra left the shop, returning the store to its peaceful silence.
"Well, no customers for now... might as well play some games," Rosh muttered, pulling out his phone and diving into a game of Arena of Valor, fully ready to dominate.
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Meanwhile, at Deadpool's place.
"If it's a boy, we'll call him Connor. If it's a girl, we'll name her Amy. What do you think, darling?" Deadpool was lounging on the couch with Vanessa, arms around each other as they chatted idly while the TV played in the background.
"That sounds... kind of weird," Deadpool made a face. "It's like every name in my family starts with an 'F,' like my crappy father. But how do I even become a role model for Todd?"
"Hey, you're not your father, Vanessa assured him sternly. "And our child is definitely not going to be named Todd!" No way was she letting her kid have such a terrible name!
The two continued chatting about family, children, and life. As they spoke, Deadpool's mood brightened. He jumped up and announced, "I'm going to make some dessert, and then... let's make a super baby!" He deftly moved into the kitchen and began whipping up a dessert.
"How about Krista? With a 'K'—wait, does that sound too much like a stripper's name?" Vanessa mused aloud.
"Kevin? With a 'K'—nope, still kinda stripper-y."
"Earl? Haha, sounds like a guy who'd go straight to jail!"
Vanessa continued throwing out names while Deadpool skillfully worked on his dessert. But just as he was sprinkling some sugar, he heard faint gunshots outside. His expression immediately turned serious.
"Get down, now," Deadpool whispered to Vanessa as he grabbed a frying pan from the stove and darted toward the door.
"What's happening?" Vanessa asked, startled but quickly diving behind the couch as Deadpool instructed.
*Boom!*
The front door was blasted open with a deafening shotgun blast, and a group of heavily armed men stormed in.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Gunshots echoed through the house as the attackers ruthlessly opened fire on Deadpool.
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Next Chapter: Doctor Morbius' Nightfall Crisis
Next Next Chapter: Am I Really Cured Just Like That?
Next Next Next Chapter: Only Madness Can Explain Madness
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