Chương 53: A Dangerous and Perverted Man

"Please wait a moment, Ma'am." Seeing Jessica Jones about to unleash her newly acquired ability, Rosh quickly interrupted a hint of helplessness in his voice.

"I know you're eager to try out your new power, but... the shop can't handle the damage."

"Sorry, boss." Jessica realized her mistake and quickly apologized. Without waiting for further words, she rushed out of the Devil Fruit shop, stopping by a nearby tree. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth, activating the power. Bzzzz! An actual sound wave emitted from her mouth, striking the tree trunk with a solid impact.

"I can't believe this... it's real!" Jessica's eyes widened in utter disbelief. Even though she had just confirmed it, she still couldn't wrap her head around it. This was a superhuman ability, and she obtained it easily just by eating a fruit. A storm of thoughts surged through Jessica's mind. If superpowers could be acquired so easily, how did that man gain his powers… The thought flashed in her mind, stubbornly refusing to go away.

Whirling around, she quickly reentered the Devil Fruit shop and approached Rosh with an intense gaze.

"Do you have any fruit that grants mind control? Specifically, the ability to control others through verbal commands?" Jessica's voice was firm, her eyes not leaving Rosh's for a second. Rosh, knowing exactly who she was talking about, played dumb.

"Mind control through verbal commands? Could you explain a bit more?"

"There's a man who can make anyone do whatever he says, even kill themselves if he commands it." Ah, it was indeed about Kilgrave—the Purple Man. His ability was devastatingly powerful; a simple word from him could enslave anyone.

"Mind control, you say? Unfortunately, our shop doesn't carry such a fruit." Rosh shook his head, giving Jessica a polite response.

"Really?" Jessica looked visibly disappointed but didn't give up, pressing further, "Are you sure? Is there any other way to get superpowers?"

"The only method I know is through these Devil Fruits," Rosh replied honestly.

"I'm afraid I can't help with anything else." The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Jessica sighed in disappointment again but soon shook it off. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. What were the chances of finding the origin of Kilgrave's powers in some random fruit shop? She distinctly remembered that this shop hadn't even existed six months ago. Despite her frequent drunken hazes, she was confident in her memory—she was a private investigator, after all.

"Don't worry about it," Jessica said with a wave of her hand.

"I was just asking on a whim. Don't take it to heart."

"So, how was the Sonic-Sonic Fruit?" Rosh asked with a smile.

"To be honest, it's incredible. Totally blew me away." Jessica wasn't stingy with her praise, but then her tone changed.

"But I'm broke. I owe two months' rent, and my landlord's on the verge of kicking me out. There's no way I can afford it."

'Ouch.' Rosh had momentarily forgotten that Jessica was flat-out broke. Not only was three million dollars out of the question, but she probably couldn't even scrounge up three thousand. Out of all the superheroes Rosh had read about, she was likely one of the most down-on-her-luck ones.

"Sorry about that, boss. I wasted your time and your sample." Jessica gave a sheepish grin. In truth, even if she had the money, she wouldn't want it. Jessica loathed superpowers. If Kilgrave hadn't seen hers, she wouldn't have been turned into his toy.

"No worries. Business isn't everything," Rosh responded kindly with a smile. With that, Jessica bid Rosh farewell and left the shop.' What a sad story,' Rosh thought as he watched her leave. Marvel had its share of tragic heroes—Tony Stark, for example, spent three torturous months in a dark cave with a man, under constant watch by other men. Tragic, for sure. But Jessica's ordeal? She had been completely enslaved by Kilgrave, forced into horrific acts against her will. In comparison, the others had it easy.

Still, Rosh wasn't one to dwell. After a moment of contemplation, he shrugged off the thought and returned to listening to Alan's new album. But he hadn't gotten far when the doorbell jingled again, pulling his attention. A well-dressed man in a tailored suit entered, exuding an air of elegance. Rosh looked up, and his pupils contracted slightly in recognition. It was him —Kilgrave, the Purple Man. Jessica had always believed Kilgrave to be dead, but in reality, he was alive and well.

Rosh hadn't expected this twist. Just minutes after Jessica's departure, Kilgrave walked right in. What were the odds? Immediately, Rosh's guard shot up. Kilgrave was a dangerous, twisted individual. With all his knowledge, even Rosh knew he wasn't immune to Kilgrave's mind control abilities.

"That woman who was here twenty minutes ago, the one in the black jacket and blue jeans—do you know her?" Kilgrave's voice cut through the air, haughty and full of entitlement. At the same moment, Rosh felt it—an unseen force trying to take control of his body. His sense of self was slipping away as Kilgrave's ability took hold, stripping away his autonomy. He was losing control of his body.

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