Chương 44: He Gained Hair but Lost His Soul

At the Home of the Devil Fruits"My hands... they've actually turned into paws?"

"Whoa, are these spots? Did I just turn into a Dalmatian?"

"This is amazing! Woof! Woof! Woof!"

"Wow, check out this tail! It's perfect!" ⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘ Excited voices filled the shop as a "half-human, half-dog" guy admired his newly transformed body, bouncing around excitedly. He even reached up to pet his own dog-like head, closing his eyes in pleasure. Rosh stood nearby, utterly speechless. The Zoan-type fruits were meant to grant people animal-like strength and agility, not turn them into overly enthusiastic pets! And yet, here was this guy, completely lost in the role of a Dalmatian.

Still, Rosh felt a sense of relief. After all these days, he'd finally met someone who wasn't afraid to try the fruits. This guy had seen the bizarre, colorful Devil Fruits and immediately reacted with excitement, much like Luffy when he stumbles upon a feast, eagerly diving into a taste test. And that led to the spectacle before him.

"Such a cool tail!"

"These adorable ears!"

"Wait, what? Why am I changing back?" Just as he was lost in his excitement, the five-minute trial period ended, and the stylish young man who looked like he walked straight out of a hip-hop video returned to his original form. His face twisted in disappointment as he turned to Rosh.

"Hey, man, what gives? Why'd it stop working?"

"Sir, the sample effects only last five minutes," Rosh patiently explained.

"If you want the power permanently, you'll need to eat the full Devil Fruit."

"Then what are you waiting for? Hand it over! I'll buy it!" the young man demanded, practically bouncing with anticipation.

"Sir, the Dog-Dog Fruit, Model Dalmatian, will be five hundred thousand dollars," Rosh replied calmly.

"Ugh, fine, fine... five hundred thousand, no big deal... wait, what? Five hundred thousand?!" The young man's voice shot up several octaves. His eyes widened in disbelief as he yelled, "Are you robbing people? You're selling a piece of fruit for half a million?!"

"Sir, I must remind you—this isn't just a piece of fruit. It's a Devil Fruit. And the price is non-negotiable." Rosh responded with his usual polite smile.

"Come on, man, don't be so cold! I really want this fruit but don't have that kind of money. Can't we work something out?" Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

"Sorry, no exceptions."

"Alright, alright... such a shame. Can I try another one then?" the young man asked, clearly disappointed.

"If you don't mind exploding from overconsumption, why not?

"Rosh replied dryly.

"Explode? Boss, give me another fruit right now!" Rosh: "..." This guy is a real oddball. No wonder there aren't that many foreigners around here.

"Sorry, sir. Shop policy—no-repeat samples allowed."

"Ah, what a pity." With a final sigh of regret, the young man shuffled out of the store, disappearing into the crowd. Rosh watched him go, shaking his head. He had just spent over half an hour dealing with this guy's antics. When the guy first showed interest and eagerly tested the fruit, Rosh had been excited. But now, it seemed like his excitement had been premature. People like that, who were quick to try things without much thought, usually didn't have the money to back it up.

The wealthy types were usually more cautious and rational.

'Whatever. It was a waste of energy anyway. Time to play some Honor of Kings.' Rosh swiftly logged into the international server and dove into an intense series of matches, but today wasn't his day. He lost five ranked games in a row, each defeat more rhythmically painful than the last. His hard-earned Diamond 2 rank had plummeted to Diamond 1. Frustrated, Rosh muttered to himself, "It's definitely because the international version's heroes are different from the ones in the national server!"

Just as he was gearing up for one more match, the shop's doorbell jingled. Looking up, Rosh spotted a man in a trench coat, exuding a distinctly British vibe, as he entered the store.

'Wait a minute.'

'Is that James McAvoy?' And not just any version—this was an older McAvoy. Rosh couldn't help but stare at the man. Quickly running through the Marvel roster in his mind, he could only think of one character who matched the face.

'Could this be... Professor X?'

'But how was Professor X walking? And that hair—he still had a full head of it!' Now Rosh wasn't so sure who this British man was.

"What a charming little shop. The decor has a certain serenity to it," the British man commented as he looked around, nodding in approval. Rosh wasn't sure if the man was being genuine or just polite. After all, Rosh personally found the shop pretty ordinary.

"Thank you for the compliment, sir," Rosh replied politely, though his thoughts were elsewhere.

"I'm not complimenting you—just sharing my thoughts," the British man smiled and extended his hand.

"Charles Xavier."

'Charles Xavier? So it really was Professor X!' Rosh suddenly realized that Professor X must have gone to Helen and not only had his paralysis cured but also his baldness.

'It made sense—Helen had mentioned in the group chat not long ago that she was treating a mutant. Could she have been referring to Professor X?' Honestly, Rosh wasn't too surprised about Professor X being able to stand again, but seeing him with such thick hair... now that was a shock. Somehow, a non-bald Professor X just felt wrong. Like he had lost a part of his soul.

"Rosh," he replied, pushing aside his thoughts as he shook Xavier's hand.

"Good to meet you, Mr. Rosh. You remember Dr. Helen Cho, I presume?" Professor X began.

"Of course. She's been a great help to the shop since we opened. I'm very grateful to her," Rosh replied with a smile.

"I had quite the extraordinary experience at Dr. Cho's place. Years ago, an accident cost me the use of my legs, but in just a few minutes, Dr. Cho was able to make me walk again."

"Even standing here now, I still find it hard to believe. It's simply unbelievable."

"So, Mr. Rosh... are these the legendary Devil Fruits Dr. Cho told me about?" Professor X asked, his eyes shifting toward the display of fruits inside the shop. ⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘ Next Chapter: A Perfect Match Next Next Chapter: The Reset Mutant Timeline Next Next Next Chapter: A Rose With Thorns Visit my P@tr3on or K0‑fi ''Isopuff'' page and unlock +20 extra chapters and daily updates!