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'Devil Fruit? Superpowers?'
Rhodey felt a vein twitch at his temple. The more Tony explained, the less sense any of it seemed to make. He lifted both hands, waving them in surrender as if trying to slow a runaway train.
"Wait...wait. Time out," Rhodey said firmly. "Let me make sure I'm hearing you right, Tony."
He pointed at the empty space where the armor had been moments ago.
"You're telling me that insanely advanced suit of armor you just showed me wasn't something you built… but something you are?"
"Yes," Tony replied without hesitation.
"And you're saying that ability, this whole transforming-into-a-flying-weapon thing, comes from a superpower?"
"Also, yes."
Rhodey stared at him. "And that superpower comes from… a fruit. A Devil Fruit."
"Correct. Three for three."
Rhodey's expression darkened. "Tony, I'm here on official military business. This isn't poker night or a press conference. I need you to stop messing with me."
Tony sighed, his patience thinning. "Rhodey, do I look like I'm joking?"
Rhodey opened his mouth, then hesitated.
"No," Tony continued evenly. "I know it sounds insane. Believe me, that was my exact reaction at first, too. But..."
Before Rhodey could interrupt again, Tony casually raised his right hand. A subtle shift passed through the air.
*Ka-ka-ka!*
Metallic sounds snapped sharply through the room as Tony's hand twisted and reshaped itself. Fingers compressed, joints realigned, and in seconds, his arm had transformed into a fully formed gun, sleek, functional, and unmistakably real.
"Th—th—what the—!"
Rhodey froze. His eyes widened so much it looked like they might fall out of his head. His brain refused to process what he was seeing.
'That's a human arm. That's Tony's arm. And it just turned into a gun.' His entire understanding of reality cracked straight down the middle.
"Tony...your hand!" Rhodey snapped out of it and lunged forward, grabbing Tony's arm. He turned it over, checked the joints, even tugged slightly, as if expecting the illusion to fall apart.
But no matter how closely he looked, it was unmistakably Tony's real arm, no fake limb, no mechanical implant.
"Okay, okay!" Tony yanked his arm back, rolling his eyes. "First of all, personal space. Second, I'm still a guy; your intense fondling is seriously unsettling."
Despite himself, Tony smirked.
Rhodey barely heard him. His voice dropped to a whisper. "So… everything you said was true."
Tony nodded. "Yep."
"You really have superpowers," Rhodey said slowly, then burst out, "Like the X-Men?!"
"No. I'm not a mutant," Tony explained patiently. "How should I put this… my abilities aren't like the X-Men's. They're closer to something like the Flash."
"I'm still a normal person. I just happen to have some extra abilities now."
Rhodey stared at him for a beat. Then his face lit up.
"That's...man, that's incredible!" Rhodey laughed, adrenaline kicking in. "This is the craziest thing I've ever seen, and I've flown experimental jets for a living."
He leaned forward eagerly. "So this Devil Fruit you mentioned, how did you get it?"
"There's a shop," Tony said. "New York. 73rd Street. It's called the Home of the Devil Fruits."
Rhodey blinked. "A shop?"
"Yep. Bring enough gold, pick a fruit, gain superpowers."
Rhodey completely froze, "Wait, hold on. You're telling me someone is selling these things?"
Tony nodded like it was no big deal.
Rhodey felt his jaw drop. The idea was absurd.
If he had access to something like this, he'd bury it in a vault and erase every trace of its existence. And here someone was, casually running a storefront. What kind of thinking was that?
"Seventy-third Street," Rhodey repeated slowly, committing it to memory.
Then he straightened, resolve hardening in his eyes. "Got it."
Because now that he knew where the shop was… There was only one logical next step.
Go see it for himself.
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Home of the Devil Fruits
"Shopkeeper, when are you finally going to roll out a membership system? I want to buy another Devil Fruit!"
Rosh stared at the message Black Widow had just sent him and could only sigh to himself. Honestly, he wanted the answer just as much as she did.
He had already checked with the system more than once. Unfortunately, the response had been the same every time, cold, clear, and completely unhelpful. Membership privileges would only become available after the system's next upgrade.
Which meant one thing and one thing only: How to become a member of the Devil Fruit House simply didn't exist yet.
Even Rosh, the shop's owner, was completely in the dark. For now, there was nothing he could do but stall.
"Don't worry, Natasha," Rosh replied calmly. "The moment the shop introduces a membership system, you'll be notified."
It wasn't a lie, but it also wasn't much of an answer. Still, it was the best reassurance he could offer at the moment.
And truth be told, Rosh already suspected this question wasn't really coming from Natasha herself. Someone like her wouldn't be this impatient over purchase limits.
Nick Fury, on the other hand? That made perfect sense.
A man like Fury would never be content with S.H.I.E.L.D. having only three Devil Fruit users under its command. Not when he'd already seen what these abilities could do.
"Alright, Shopkeeper. I understand," Natasha replied shortly. After a few polite closing words, she logged off.
The shop fell quiet once more.
Not long after...
"Hello, Shopkeeper."
A deep, steady voice broke the silence.
Rosh looked up as a tall Black man with a rigid posture and unmistakable military presence stepped inside. His movements were disciplined and precise, and he carried the confidence of someone long accustomed to command.
Rosh recognized him instantly.
James Rhodes or War Machine.
Given Rhodey's close relationship with Tony Stark, his appearance here was hardly surprising. In fact, Rosh had half-expected it the moment Tony learned the truth about Devil Fruits.
The ripple effects were spreading faster than ever.
"Welcome," Rosh said with a small nod. "I take it you're here to purchase a Devil Fruit? Do you already have some understanding of what they can do?"
"Actually… yeah," Rhodey replied, returning the nod. "I've seen their power up close. And honestly?" He let out a slow breath. "It completely blew my mind."
Just recalling what had happened to Tony made Rhodey's chest tighten slightly. Watching a man transform in ways that defied logic, science, and everything he'd ever been trained to believe in, it still felt unreal.
Even now, standing here, he couldn't say he fully believed in Devil Fruits. No matter how convincing Tony had been, a sliver of doubt remained buried deep down.
Because the truth was simple: the whole thing sounded impossible.
And that was exactly why Rhodey had come here himself. He needed proof, real, undeniable proof, that this "Devil Fruit" business wasn't some elaborate joke or advanced tech experiment gone wild.
Rosh nodded, clearly understanding. Customers like this were his favorite. People who had already seen the results didn't need long explanations or flashy sales pitches.
It saved everyone time.
Without wasting words, Rosh reached behind the counter and pulled out a thick catalog, placing it into Rhodey's hands. "Take your time. Look through it carefully. If any fruit catches your interest, let me know."
"Thank you, Shopkeeper," Rhodey said sincerely.
Holding the catalog with both hands, he began to read.
And almost instantly, his expression changed.
His eyes widened, his posture stiffened, and a look of pure shock and fascination slowly spread across his face, as if each page was quietly tearing down everything he thought he knew about the world.
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Next Chapter: War Machine's Best Match
Next Next Chapter: Ghost Soldier
Next Next Next Chapter: The Devil Fruit Shop Gets Shut Down?!
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