Inside the Devil Fruit Shop—
"This new album from Allen... kind of falls short."
Rorschach shook his head, disappointment written all over his face.
Good heavens, when he first discovered that the world he'd reincarnated into also had Allen, he'd been thrilled.
Back in his previous life, he'd loved Allen's music.
Unfortunately, the guy had gone increasingly off-track over the years, bouncing from one variety show to another, never releasing a new album.
Rorschach had waited all the way until his death and still never got one.
But after coming to this world?
What a surprise—Allen was finally putting out a new album!
You could imagine how excited Rorschach had been. The second the digital album went live, he bought it without hesitation.
He'd been fully prepared to lose himself in it like he used to.
But the quality just wasn't there.
It was nowhere near what it used to be.
"Still... even like this, Allen's songs are way better than everyone else's."
"At least they're listenable."
Disappointed as he was, he was still a fan.
And to be fair, his disappointment came from the fact that Allen had declined compared to his old self. Compared to everyone else, the album was still pretty solid.
After adjusting his expectations a little, Rorschach went back to enjoying The Greatest Work of Art.
Until the wind chime by the door rang.
He immediately looked up.
A woman in light blue jeans and a black jacket had just walked into the store.
The moment she entered, the smell of alcohol drifted in with her.
Her hair was a mess, her complexion wasn't great, and she looked completely drained.
She was basically in the exact same state Rorschach used to be in after pulling an all-nighter at an internet café.
But the moment he got a clear look at her face, it all made sense.
Jessica Jones.
A washed-out, drifting private investigator who spent her days just getting by.
"So when did this place turn into a Devil Fruit shop?"
Jessica frowned as she stepped farther inside.
"Hello, miss. Welcome to the shop."
Rorschach greeted her politely and motioned her in.
"Shopkeeper, what exactly is a Devil Fruit? I've never heard of anything like that."
Before he could answer, Jessica's gaze landed on the colorful, bizarre fruits in the display case.
"Wait a second."
"So it's these things?"
"They look weird as hell. Are these supposed to be edible?"
"Fruits are naturally meant to be eaten."
Rorschach smiled at her.
"Don't they look delicious?"
"They look creepy."
Jessica snorted, cutting him off.
Then, just as quickly, she changed her tone.
"Although... trying something creepy for once doesn't sound too bad."
Jessica Jones was different from most people.
She had been controlled and enslaved by the Purple Man for a very long time, forced to do countless things she never wanted to do.
Even though Purple Man was dead, she still couldn't escape the psychological scars he'd left behind.
She numbed herself year-round with alcohol and fighting, stumbling through life in a daze.
So something that could actually spark her curiosity?
That was rare.
"In that case, shopkeeper, get me one of these Devil Fruits."
"I want to taste what the devil tastes like."
Her tone was casual, almost flippant.
She hadn't even asked what a Devil Fruit really was before deciding to buy one.
Out of everyone Rorschach had met so far, she was easily the most straightforward.
"Each fruit in the shop is different. Which one would you like, miss?"
Rorschach asked with a smile.
"Does it really matter?"
Jessica looked mildly annoyed, but she still scanned the display.
In the end, she pointed at one.
"That one."
"That's the Paramecia-type Soundwave Fruit."
Rorschach glanced at the fruit she'd chosen and gave her the price.
"It costs three million dollars."
"Three million?"
Jessica's voice jumped an octave.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Did you misspeak, or did I hear that wrong? You're charging three million dollars for a single fruit?"
"You heard correctly."
Rorschach replied with complete seriousness.
"The Soundwave Fruit really does cost three million. Compared to the ability it grants, that price is already extremely cheap."
"Wait."
Jessica blinked, completely thrown off.
"What Soundwave Fruit? What ability? What the hell are you talking about?"
She looked genuinely baffled now.
Didn't even know what she was buying, and still wanted to pay.
What a hopelessly careless woman.
Rorschach silently complained to himself, but still answered politely.
"You asked what a Devil Fruit is, right?"
"To put it simply, these are fruits that grant superpowers once eaten."
"And the Soundwave Fruit is one that gives the user the power to launch sonic attacks. That's why it costs three million dollars."
"Eat a fruit and gain superpowers? That's ridiculous."
Jessica let out a laugh.
But the laugh stalled halfway through.
Because her own powers had come out of nowhere too.
As far as she knew, after the accident, she'd just suddenly become a superhuman.
And she knew she wasn't the only freak out there.
The man who had become the source of her greatest trauma and nightmare had powers too.
That's right.
Superpowers were real.
But how did humans actually get them?
That, Jessica had no clue about.
As those thoughts flashed through her mind, the mockery slowly faded from her face.
She stared straight at Rorschach.
"If I eat this fruit, I'll really get the power to fire soundwaves?"
"How do I know you're telling the truth?"
"The shop offers samples."
Rorschach continued calmly.
"If you eat a sample, you'll gain the power for five minutes."
"Really?"
Jessica perked up immediately.
"Then where's the sample?"
Without another word, Rorschach took out a sample piece of the Soundwave Fruit and handed it to her.
Jessica looked at the weird, colorful chunk in her hand.
After a brief hesitation, she swallowed it.
Instantly, she felt something change inside her.
"This feeling..."
"No way... is this actually real?"
Jessica's face filled with shock and disbelief.
Almost on instinct, she opened her mouth—
ready to unleash a sonic blast.