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"Devil Fruit?"
Tony Stark raised an eyebrow, his expression a perfect mix of curiosity and skepticism. The term sounded completely foreign to him, and that was saying something for a man who prided himself on knowing just about everything. 'What kind of fruit could possibly be called a Devil' Fruit?
"It sounds like some kind of over-the-top Halloween gimmick from a department store. Let me guess—this is all part of some elaborate prank, right? Halloween's still, what, ten months away?"
His tone was dismissive, but then, true to form, Tony's mind took a sharp detour. A mischievous smirk played across his lips as he added, "Oh, wait. I get it now. You're dropping hints about last Halloween, aren't you? You're trying to remind me of that unforgettable night we shared. Subtle, Pepper. Very subtle."
As always, Tony's knack for spinning any situation into a joke—or a self-congratulatory narrative—was in full swing. Pepper, ever the grounded counterbalance to his flights of fancy, could only shake her head in a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Unforgettable?" she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You mean the night you invited me to dinner, forgot all about it, and left me sitting in the restaurant for two hours, turning me into the evening's entertainment for everyone there?"
"But I did show up eventually," Tony retorted with his trademark grin, leaning back as if that single fact absolved him of all guilt. "And if memory serves, you were so overwhelmed that you cried. Admit it—I moved you to tears."
Pepper rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide her frustration. "Moved? I was heartbroken, Tony. What kind of woman would be 'moved' by a man who's two hours late to his own dinner invitation?"
"Still, I showed up," Tony quipped, his grin widening. "Doesn't that count for something?"
"It counts for nothing," Pepper replied, shaking her head again, though the faintest hint of a smile tugged at her lips. She wasn't going to let him derail the conversation this time.
"Anyway," she said, steering them back on track, "Devil Fruits have nothing to do with Halloween props—or you, for that matter. You're completely off base, as usual."
Seeing Tony's bemused expression, she decided to elaborate. Pepper began explaining the concept of Devil Fruits, describing their extraordinary origins and the miraculous powers they supposedly granted. She even recounted how she had come to possess one herself, her tone laced with a mixture of wonder and seriousness.
"You bought… what now?" Tony's voice was flat, his expression a mix of disbelief and exasperation. "Let me get this straight—fruits that supposedly grant superpowers when you eat them? Pepper, you? A woman with such impeccable intelligence falling for something like this? I mean, come on. This is so beneath you."
The skepticism in his tone was impossible to miss, and he wasn't holding back. "How could something like that even exist?"
He paused for a moment, letting the sheer absurdity of the claim sink in. Then, with a smirk, he added, "Though I've got to hand it to whoever sold you this—they must be pretty clever. Tricking you isn't easy. That's no small feat."
Pepper's frown deepened, her arms crossing as she fixed him with a pointed stare. "It's not a trick, Tony. You experienced the bubbles yourself, didn't you? How else do you think I managed that?"
Tony opened his mouth to retort but stopped short. She wasn't wrong. He had experienced it firsthand. No matter how much he wanted to dismiss her claim, the memory of those bubbles nagged at him. They had appeared out of nowhere, seemingly conjured from thin air. There were no visible devices, no props, no tricks that he could discern. Even his genius-level intellect couldn't explain it.
And then there was their effect. The moment those strange, shimmering bubbles touched him, the fatigue that had been weighing him down all day had simply vanished. It wasn't just a fleeting feeling—he had felt completely refreshed, his mind sharper, and his body reenergized as though he'd just woken up from the perfect night's sleep.
The memory made him pause. 'Could it really be true?'
"Alright, Pepper, you win!" Tony said, at last, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "Clearly, you thought I was ignoring you, so you went out of your way to stage this elaborate little stunt to grab my attention. And guess what? You succeeded. Bravo!"
Pepper's eyes narrowed, and her tone turned icy. "Tony, not every woman would go to such ridiculous lengths to entertain you. And let me make one thing clear—I'm not one of them."
"Fine, fine, I was kidding!" Tony said with a dramatic sigh. "But seriously, can you make more of those bubbles? Just one more demonstration, and I promise I'll figure out how you're doing it. Give me an hour. Tops."
Pepper rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Forget it, Tony. If you're going to keep mocking me, I'm not saying another word about it. Oh, and by the way..." She paused, her tone becoming deliberately casual. "The shop also had something called the Arms-Arms Fruit. According to the Shopkeeper, it lets you create any weapon you can imagine. But obviously, that's not something that would interest you."
Tony's head snapped up, and his curiosity was instantly piqued. "Wait, wait, wait. A fruit that lets you create any weapon? Are you serious?"
"That's exactly what the Shopkeeper claimed," Pepper replied, watching with satisfaction as Tony's skepticism gave way to genuine intrigue.
"That's the most ridiculous claim I've ever heard. Absurd doesn't even begin to cover it!" Tony exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief. "And yet... you believed them?"
Pepper, clearly unamused, shrugged. The enthusiasm she'd shown earlier had drained away. "Whatever, Tony," she replied flatly. "I've said what I needed to say. Think whatever you want."
Without waiting for a response, she gathered her belongings and turned on her heel, her sharp clicks echoing through the workshop as she made her exit.
Tony watched her leave, his frown deepening. Pepper wasn't the type to fall for scams or baseless claims. Yet here she was, fully convinced about this so-called Devil Fruit. It didn't add up.
As the door closed behind her, Tony sank into his chair, staring at the spot she'd just vacated. He drummed his fingers on the table, his mind whirring with questions.
"Happy," he muttered, grabbing his phone and punching in a call.
Happy Hogan stepped into the workshop a few moments later, his large frame filling the doorway. "What's going on, boss?" he asked, glancing around for signs of trouble.
Tony leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Have you noticed Pepper acting... different lately? Like, I don't know, going to strange places or talking to weird people?"
To Tony's surprise, Happy's face lit up. "Oh, you mean the Devil Fruit? Did she tell you about it? Pretty wild, huh? Those bubbles of hers are incredible! Recharge you in an instant—like magic!"
Tony blinked, momentarily thrown off by Happy's enthusiastic response. "Wait... you're telling me you believe this, too?"
"Believe it? Boss, I saw and experienced it!" Happy said, his voice brimming with excitement. "She did this thing with the bubbles—they just popped, and bam, I felt like I'd had a full night's sleep! I'd think she was pulling my leg if I hadn't seen it myself. But it's real, boss. Real as it gets." Happy continued, eagerly recounting the details of Pepper's demonstration.
Tony leaned back further, rubbing his temples as he listened. 'First Pepper, now Happy?' Both of them were smart enough to avoid scams. For both to fall for the same thing was... unusual.
When Happy finally paused, Tony let out a long breath. His initial disbelief began to give way to something else: curiosity.
"Alright," Tony muttered under his breath, more to himself than to Happy. "Whoever this shopkeeper is, they've got some serious skills—or some kind of trick I haven't seen before."
"Boss?" Happy asked, looking confused.
Tony waved him off, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Never mind. Thanks for the intel, Happy. I'll take it from here."
Once Happy left, Tony turned his attention back to his workbench, though his mind was elsewhere.
Whoever this so-called seller of Devil Fruits was, they had managed to capture the attention of Pepper and even Happy—a feat not easily accomplished.
"I have to see this for myself," Tony muttered.
Whether this person was an exceptional con artist, dangerously clever, or—against all odds—telling the truth, Tony Stark wasn't about to let it go. Once his current projects were wrapped up, he'd pay a visit to this mysterious shopkeeper.
If there was one thing Tony Stark hated, it was being left out of the loop. And now, he was determined to uncover the truth.
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Next Chapter: The Birth of the First Supervillain with a Devil Fruit Ability
Next Next Chapter: Clint Barton Visits to Purchase a Devil Fruit
Next Next Next Chapter: Hawkeye's Dilemma – The Most Frustrating Devil Fruit
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