After the blonde woman stormed out, Rosh's shop continued to see a steady trickle of customers; around ten more people wandered in and out over the course of the day.
Honestly, the foot traffic itself wasn't bad at all. But as usual, the moment visitors realized what the shop actually sold, their curiosity evaporated. The words Devil Fruits might sound interesting, but the fruits themselves were a whole different story.
By the time afternoon rolled around and the day was nearly over, Rosh still hadn't managed to sell a single one.
"Another day of absolutely nothing…" Rosh groaned, slumping forward onto the counter. The energy he'd started the morning with was long gone. He lazily scrolled through his phone, already half-convinced that he should just close up early and call it a loss.
"Ha~llooooo~"
A sudden, exaggerated greeting rang through the shop, snapping Rosh out of his daze.
He looked up sharply.
Standing at the entrance was a man wearing a full-face mask.
"What the hell…?" A chill ran down Rosh's spine. 'Is this a robbery?'
Shoplifting and zero-dollar "shopping sprees" weren't exactly rare in this country. Even convenience stores got hit now and then. But a fruit shop? That was new.
"Relax, relax," the masked man said, quickly waving his hands. "I'm not some low-level thief. I actually hate those kinds of idiots."
He tapped the mask. "I'm only wearing this because I just came from a cosplay carnival. Psychotic serial killer theme. But look, no weapons."
Rosh studied him carefully. True enough, the man's hands were empty. Slowly, Rosh let out the breath he'd been holding and relaxed a little.
Still… something felt off.
'Even if the guy had been cosplaying, the event was obviously over. Why was he still wearing the mask? And more importantly, his voice sounded strangely familiar.'
That made no sense. Rosh had only been in this world for about a month. He barely knew anyone and certainly not someone with a voice this distinctive.
The masked man strolled inside without bothering to remove the mask. "I was just passing by and saw your… uh… unique shop," he said, glancing around. "So I figured I'd check it out. These Devil Fruits, are they the real thing?"
'Is this guy serious?' Rosh silently cursed. 'He's really planning to keep the mask on?'
Still, a spark of hope flickered in his chest. 'If this guy was a little unhinged, he might actually believe the pitch.'
"That's right, sir," Rosh said smoothly, instantly switching into salesman mode. "These are genuine Devil Fruits, each one possessing extraordinary powers."
"Whoa, seriously?" the man blurted out. "I thought they were just decorations or toys for kids."
"No, sir. They're not toys," Rosh replied firmly. "They're real fruits meant to be eaten. Once consumed, they grant incredible abilities."
This was usually the point where customers backed out.
Rosh braced himself for the inevitable rejection.
"Incredible abilities?" the man repeated. "Like mutant powers? X-Men-style?"
Instead of leaving, the man leaned in, clearly more interested than before.
Rosh's heart skipped a beat. 'Yes, this one might actually be crazy enough to buy it!'
"Exactly, sir!"
Rosh quickly gestured toward one of the fruits. "Take this one, for example. This is the Slip-Slip Fruit, also known as the Smooth-Smooth Fruit. You might be wondering why it's called..."
"Oh, I get it," the masked man interrupted with a grin. "It's because it makes your mouth all slippery, like it's covered in..."
Rosh coughed loudly and plowed on. "It's called that because once you eat it, your skin becomes incredibly smooth. At least a hundred times smoother than a newborn baby's."
"Smooth skin, huh?" The man tilted his head. "That actually sounds… interesting. Would it work on any kind of skin?"
Rosh blinked. This was going way better than expected.
"Of course, sir!" he said confidently, doubling down without hesitation. "All of our fruits are guaranteed to work exactly as advertised. If they don't..."
He paused, then swore solemnly, "...may a hundred sumo wrestlers trample me into the ground."
The masked man visibly shuddered. "Damn. That's a bold oath."
"But what about skin like mine?" the man asked suddenly.
Before Rosh could respond, the man reached up and removed his mask.
A heavily scarred, pitted, and disfigured face was revealed, so grotesque it made Rosh's heart jump.
'Whoa...'
And then realization hit him like a truck.
'…That's Deadpool!'
Of all the people who could walk into his shop, it had to be him.
On second thought, though, it made sense. If anyone desperately needed the Smooth-Smooth Fruit, it was Deadpool. And sanity had never exactly been his strong suit.
"Well?" Deadpool asked casually. "What do you think of my face?"
Rosh recovered quickly, feigning exaggerated shock. "Sir… was your face run over by a train?"
"And then trampled by a hundred wild horses," Deadpool replied flatly, "and exfoliated with sandpaper for good measure. So, will this thing work on my face or not?"
"Absolutely!" Rosh said without missing a beat. "Like I said, it works on any kind of skin."
His confidence soared. "Just one bite, and I guarantee your skin will become flawless and radiant in seconds!"
Deadpool crossed his arms. "Sounds way too good to be true. You really expect me to believe some magic fruit can fix this mess?"
Rosh immediately produced a small sample of the Smooth-Smooth Fruit. "Then try it yourself, sir. This sample will smooth your skin instantly."
Deadpool eyed it suspiciously. "You're not trying to poison me, are you?"
Rosh pointed toward the security camera. "Why would I do that? If you die, I go to jail."
Deadpool snorted. "Please. Even if it were poison, it wouldn't kill me. And you wouldn't go to jail, I'd just come back and kill you myself."
Grinning, he grabbed the sample...
...and without hesitation, took a big bite.