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"T–This… this is really an illusion?"
"That's insane!"
Rhodey stared at the soldiers that had appeared out of nowhere in front of him, clicking his tongue repeatedly in disbelief. He knew, without a doubt, that they were constructs born from his own ability, yet the shock refused to fade. They felt too real.
Even armed with that knowledge, there was no reliable way to distinguish them from actual living people. Calling them "highly realistic" was an understatement. In every observable detail, they were perfect replicas.
The soldiers stood around casually, chatting and laughing as if they were on break between missions. They had expressions, body language, hell, they even had voices.
Just as the shopkeeper had promised, this was true deception. Not an imitation, not a trick of the light, but something indistinguishable from reality itself.
"This is incredible…"
"How could anyone possibly tell these apart from real soldiers?"
Rhodey couldn't hide his amazement. In that moment, he was completely sold on the Phantom-Phantom Fruit. If even the person who created the illusion couldn't immediately tell the difference, then anyone else, any enemy, would stand no chance of seeing through it.
At that very moment, the last lingering shred of doubt Rhodey held toward Devil Fruits vanished completely.
'They were real. Devil Fruits were truly real. Who would've believed that something so absurdly miraculous actually existed in this world?'
After taking a moment to steady his breathing, Rhodey turned back to the Shopkeeper, his eyes still lit with unmistakable excitement.
"Shopkeeper," he said, "may I continue looking at the other fruits?"
Now that Devil Fruits had been confirmed as legitimate, he needed to gather as much information as possible.
After all, despite holding a relatively high rank in the military, there was no way he could afford a Devil Fruit himself. Even one considered "cheap" by this world's standards, like the Phantom-Phantom Fruit, still cost several million dollars.
That kind of money was far beyond a soldier's salary.
So once he verified the truth, the only logical move was to report everything and submit a procurement request through official channels. If fortune smiled on him, he might be assigned one later.
Which meant that right now, intelligence gathering wasn't just important, it was absolutely critical.
"Of course," Rosh replied with an easy smile, making a casual gesture toward the displays. "Take your time. Feel free to browse the catalog."
"Thank you, Shopkeeper," Rhodey said politely before returning his attention to the catalog. He examined it with renewed focus, committing each Devil Fruit and its listed ability firmly to memory so he could give an accurate report later.
Whenever he came across a fruit that seemed especially suited for military use, he made a mental note to strongly recommend it to his superiors. Those entries also earned extra scrutiny, and he didn't hesitate to ask Rosh more detailed questions about them.
Partway through, Rhodey paused and looked up in surprise.
"Shopkeeper… this Color-Color Fruit," he said, pointing at the entry, "it can grant invisibility too?"
Under normal circumstances, an ability related to color should simply manipulate colors, shouldn't it?
"Yes," Rosh answered calmly. "The Color-Color Fruit allows the user to freely control their own color, as well as the colors of others. By perfectly blending with the surrounding environment, the user can effectively achieve invisibility."
Rhodey immediately grasped the concept. It wasn't true invisibility, but an extremely advanced form of camouflage, similar in principle to military camo uniforms, just taken to an absurd and almost unfair level.
In the end, the technical distinction didn't matter. As long as the result was invisibility, it was more than sufficient. This fruit, too, could become a powerful asset in certain operations.
'A ghost soldier… yeah, that sounds pretty damn good,' Rhodey thought to himself.
Still, there were a few critical points he needed to clarify.
"If that's the case," Rhodey said after a moment, his tone thoughtful, "then while the user is moving, they'd have to constantly adjust their color to match the environment, right?"
"Wouldn't that place a huge strain on the user?"
Staying still was one thing. But doing it while moving, running, fighting, or navigating changing terrain sounded complex and dangerous. One mistake could easily give everything away.
"In the early stages, before the ability is fully mastered, it can be a little troublesome," Rosh admitted. "But once the user becomes proficient, it's practically effortless."
That answer significantly eased Rhodey's concerns.
"The Color-Color Fruit doesn't only affect the user's own body," Rosh continued. "It can also change the color of other people or objects. There are two primary methods."
"First is through touch. Anything the user touches with their hands can have its color altered, just like their own body. That makes things like group invisibility or other tactical effects possible."
Rhodey gave a subtle nod, clearly intrigued.
The fact that the ability could affect others as well as the user instantly made the fruit far more versatile. Still, there was an obvious limitation.
A touch-based activation meant a limited effective range. After all, a person only had two hands, and there was only so much area they could physically cover.
"The second method," Rosh continued evenly, "is through paint canisters created by the Color-Color Fruit's ability. By spraying a target with the paint, the effect is the same as direct contact, just a little slower to take hold."
At that, Rhodey's remaining concern disappeared completely. He nodded again, clearly satisfied. The Color-Color Fruit was undeniably well-suited for military use.
"I understand. Thank you, shopkeeper."
Rhodey gave Rosh a brief acknowledgment before returning his attention to the catalog.
Once he finished reviewing all the Paramecia-type Devil Fruits, he didn't overlook the Zoan-types either, examining them with the same level of patience and care.
After a moment, Rhodey spoke again. "Shopkeeper, Zoan fruits grant the powers and abilities of animals, but what about animals that are considered weak? For example, something like a Mole-Mole Fruit."
A mole, after all, wasn't stronger than a human. Gaining a mole's raw strength alone didn't sound particularly useful.
"You're worrying too much," Rosh replied calmly. "Any Zoan-type Devil Fruit enhances the user's physical strength. If you read the catalog carefully, it doesn't say 'gain the animal's strength.' It says 'gain the animal's wild power.' Those are two very different things."
"You're not just inheriting raw muscle. You're gaining the animal's specialized way of exerting force, perfectly suited to its natural abilities."
That explanation completely put Rhodey at ease and made his eyes light up.
If that was the case, then Zoan-type Devil Fruits were ideal for large-scale military procurement.
After all, compared to Paramecia fruits, they were much cheaper.
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Next Chapter: The Devil Fruit Shop Gets Shut Down?!
Next Next Chapter: The Streets Ran Red with Rosh's Wrath
Next Next Next Chapter: Without Mercy
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