Inside the Devil Fruit Shop—
"My hands... they really turned into paws?"
"Holy crap, I've got fur too—and spots! I turned into a Dalmatian?"
"This is insane! Woof, woof, woof!"
"Ohoho, look at this tail. It's perfect!"
…
The excited shouts came one after another.
A half-man, half-dog freak stared at the changes in his body, so thrilled he looked ready to jump through the roof.
He even reached up and rubbed his own dog head.
The result?
His eyes narrowed in bliss from petting himself.
Rorschach stood off to the side, utterly speechless.
Zoan-type Devil Fruits were supposed to give you an animal's strength and agility—not turn you into a house pet.
And yet this guy was fully immersed in it.
Still, speechless as he was, Rorschach also felt a little relieved.
After all these days, he had finally run into someone who wasn't afraid to die.
The moment this guy saw the bizarre, colorful Devil Fruits, he got excited instead of scared.
Like Columbus discovering a new continent, he immediately demanded a sample.
And that was how the current scene had happened.
"This cool little tail."
"These adorable little ears."
"This—wait, wait, what the hell? Why did I change back?!"
He was still busy admiring himself when the five-minute timer ran out.
His "true form" returned, revealing a trendy young guy dressed in full streetwear style.
He immediately turned to Rorschach with a look of grievance.
"Boss, what was that about?"
"The sample only lasts five minutes," Rorschach explained patiently. "The time's up."
"If you want to keep that ability permanently, you'll need to eat the real Devil Fruit."
"Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and bring it out. I'm buying it!"
The guy urged him without hesitation.
"Sir, the one you tried was the Dog-Dog Fruit, Dalmatian Model."
Rorschach gave him the price.
"That'll be five hundred thousand dollars."
"Why are you being so wordy? Five hundred grand is fine, it's not like I can't aff—what? Five hundred thousand?"
The guy's voice shot up several octaves.
His eyes bulged.
"Boss, are you robbing me? You're charging half a million for one fruit?"
"Allow me to correct you, sir."
Rorschach kept his usual polite smile.
"This is not a fruit. It's a Devil Fruit. And the price is non-negotiable."
"Boss, don't be so cold. Look, I really, really want this fruit, but I seriously don't have that kind of money. Can't we work something out?"
"Sorry."
"Damn... what a waste. Then can I at least try some of the other fruits?"
"If you'd rather not explode and die, I wouldn't recommend it."
"You'll explode if I do? Boss, then hurry up and get me one right now!"
Rorschach: "…"
What kind of lunatic was this?
Then again, maybe there really was a reason foreigners didn't have many kids.
"Sorry, sir. Shop rules. No repeat sampling."
"Man, that's such a shame."
In the end, the trendy guy left with a long, regretful sigh.
Rorschach watched him disappear into the crowd and couldn't help shaking his head.
He had wasted more than half an hour messing around with that clown.
To be honest, when the guy first showed real interest in the Devil Fruits—and even eagerly tried one—Rorschach had been pretty excited.
But now?
He felt like he'd gotten ahead of himself.
Normally, anyone who believed in Devil Fruits that easily and agreed to try one that quickly probably didn't have much money to begin with.
Real rich people were usually more rational. More cautious.
Forget it.
Waste of time. Waste of emotion.
Might as well play some Honor of Kings.
Rorschach quickly logged into the international server and threw himself into a few satisfying matches.
Unfortunately, his luck was terrible today.
He played five ranked games in a row.
Lost every single one.
With rhythm.
He got demoted from Diamond II all the way down to Diamond I.
That left him a little depressed.
Obviously, it had to be because the international server heroes were too different from the domestic version. That was definitely why he couldn't play smoothly.
Filled with resentment, he was just about to queue for another match when the bell at the door rang.
He looked up.
A man in a trench coat stepped into the shop, giving off a strong British gentleman vibe.
Rorschach blinked.
Wait a second.
James McAvoy?
And not the young version either—the older, seasoned version.
Rorschach couldn't help giving the man another look.
He quickly ran through the Marvel characters in his head.
There was only one person with that face.
Could this actually be Professor X?
But Professor X could walk now?
And his head...
It had hair.
Rorschach suddenly wasn't so sure who this refined British-looking man really was.
"What a warm little shop," the man said as he glanced around. "The decor has taste. It gives off a feeling of peace."
It was hard to tell whether he meant it or if he was just being polite.
As far as Rorschach was concerned, the place was pretty ordinary. Nothing special.
"Thank you for the compliment."
That was what he thought internally, but he still stepped forward politely to greet the customer.
"That wasn't a compliment," the man said with a faint smile. "Just an honest impression."
Then he extended his hand.
"Charles Xavier."
Charles Xavier?
So it really was Professor X.
Rorschach suddenly understood.
It looked like Professor X had gone to Helen Cho and gotten his paralysis healed...
and his baldness.
Right—Helen had brought up treating a mutant in the group not long ago. Was she talking about Professor X back then?
Still, if he was being honest, Rorschach didn't find it strange that Professor X could walk again.
What threw him off was the hair.
A Professor X with a full head of hair just felt wrong.
Like something essential was missing.
A bald Professor X had soul.
This one?
He had hair, but somehow lost his spirit.
"Rorschach."
That thought stayed in his head, but it didn't stop him from reaching out and shaking the man's hand.
"Hello, Professor Xavier."
"Hello, Shopkeeper Rorschach. I'm sure you still remember Dr. Helen Cho."
Professor X started with casual conversation.
"Of course. Dr. Cho took very good care of the shop when it first opened. I'm very grateful to her."
Rorschach replied with a smile.
"At Dr. Cho's, I experienced something unbelievable," Professor X said. "An accident many years ago left me permanently crippled."
"But in her hands, it only took a few minutes before I was standing again."
"To be honest, even now, standing here like a normal man, I still find it hard to believe. It's simply too incredible."
As he spoke, Professor X's gaze drifted toward the display case filled with Devil Fruits.
"So, Shopkeeper Rorschach... are these the miraculous Devil Fruits Dr. Cho told me about?"