Chapter 040: A Forbidden Order

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"So, Shopkeeper, I've made up my mind—I want this Squeeze-Squeeze Fruit!" 

With Wilson's approval, Vanessa no longer hesitated. She eagerly turned to Rosh, her excitement palpable. 

"A very wise choice, Ms. Vanessa," Rosh said with a smile. "In fact, this fruit is perfect for you. I don't need to explain what kind of skincare benefits come with a fruit that can absorb moisture at will, do I?"

Vanessa's eyes lit up at his words.

She was even more thrilled than when she heard about the fruit's immunity to poison or its ability to enlarge its user. After all, immunity to poison was just a precautionary measure, something necessary but not particularly desirable. Vanessa preferred something other than those kinds of things. 

But beauty? Now, that was human nature!

Both men and women care about their appearance, though women's desire to maintain beauty tends to be more meticulous. Pursuing smooth, flawless skin is an innate, active desire—completely different from something like toxin immunity.

One is passive, while the other is something pursued wholeheartedly.

Anyone who cares about their appearance knows how crucial it is to "lock in moisture."

Countless cosmetics make "locking in moisture" their primary selling point. Moisture retention is fundamental to skincare, yet the skin naturally lacks the ability to retain moisture, so we must actively replenish it.

But now, all Vanessa had to do was consume this miraculous fruit, and her skin would automatically absorb moisture.

That was extraordinary.

Her skin would improve drastically, far better than anything even the most expensive skincare products could achieve!

With just this benefit alone, Vanessa knew the Squeeze-Squeeze Fruit was something she had to have.

"The ability to lock in moisture naturally… I bet this is a power every woman dreams of!" Vanessa's slightly excited voice echoed again. She could hardly contain her enthusiasm. "Shopkeeper, I'll take it!"

"I'm glad you like it, Ms. Vanessa," Rosh replied

"But unfortunately, you've come at an inconvenient time. The store's promotional period has ended, so there's no discount on the fruits anymore." Rosh informed Vanessa matter-of-factly.

Just the day before, Rosh had received a notification from the system saying the discount period was over. And now, today, Vanessa had arrived—bad timing, indeed.

But Vanessa was hardly bothered by such things. Right now, she only wanted that wondrous fruit and couldn't care less about anything else.

Besides, a few million dollars was hardly a significant sum for her.

"It's no problem, Shopkeeper. Something this magical is priceless. Even without a discount, we're still getting an incredible deal," Vanessa reassured Rosh.

"Thank you for understanding, Ms. Vanessa. The Squeeze-Squeeze Fruit will be yours for three million dollars," Rosh swiftly quoted.

He couldn't help but find it amusing—one could turn into red-hot steel, while the other could control moisture. Their abilities practically canceled each other out. It would be interesting to see which one would come out on top in a fight once they had fully developed their powers.

"Shopkeeper, here's my card!" Vanessa said, not wasting a second, handing over her card for payment.

*Beep!*

The transaction was complete.

Rosh retrieved the Squeeze-Squeeze Fruit and handed it to Vanessa, reminding her of the "one-bite rule."

Of course, Kingpin had probably already informed her of this, but it was still his duty as the seller to give the reminder.

"Thank you for the reminder, Shopkeeper. Wilson, I'm going to eat it now!"

Vanessa gave Kingpin a playful nod before eagerly sinking her teeth into the fruit.

"Ugh!"

Her face twisted slightly as she forced herself to swallow the disgusting fruit that tasted like filth.

And then...

Like everyone who had ever eaten a Devil Fruit, Vanessa began to feel a surge of excitement. She could clearly sense the changes taking place in her body.

"Incredible… so this is the power of a Devil Fruit. How amazing," she marveled.

It felt like she had turned into a sponge, able to clearly sense the moisture in the air around her—and even absorb it!

That's right, she had just tried absorbing moisture from the air, and to her surprise, it worked.

Immediately, her skin felt more hydrated and smoother than ever before. She was absolutely thrilled and amazed by what had just happened.

"You can already feel the changes in your body, can't you?" Rosh said with a knowing smile. "However, what you've experienced so far is just the fruit's basic ability. You might not yet be able to extract toxins from your body at will, but don't worry. With practice, you'll get there."

"I understand, Shopkeeper!" Vanessa nodded vigorously, showering both Rosh and the Devil Fruit with praise.

After a moment of contemplation, she looked back up at Rosh, her face serious. "Shopkeeper, Wilson mentioned that each person can purchase up to three Devil Fruits from your shop. I'd like to buy two more."

[Warning! Warning! An illegal order has been detected. Host, please address the issue immediately!]

The moment Vanessa expressed her intention to buy two more fruits, Rosh's initial excitement was cut short by the system's sudden alert.

'Illegal order?'

It was clear the system was referring to Vanessa's attempt to purchase two more fruits. But why would this be considered illegal?

Rosh was puzzled and immediately questioned the system in his mind.

[Wilson Fisk already holds the rights to three Devil Fruits, reaching the maximum limit. No further fruits may be added under his control.]

The system's explanation immediately rang in his mind.

"New control rights?" Rosh furrowed his brow, still confused.

[Vanessa Marianna is attempting to buy additional fruits to give to Wilson Fisk.]

With this clarification from the system, Rosh finally understood.

Of course! If the fruits were given to Kingpin, that would mean he would be in control of them. So that's what the system's purchase limit really meant?

"Then, system, if Kingpin has already reached his limit of three fruits, it would also be illegal for him to give someone else money to buy more fruits for him, right?" Rosh asked for further clarification.

[Any Devil Fruit purchased using Wilson Fisk's money, regardless of who buys it, will ultimately fall under his control. Therefore, he cannot exceed three fruits in total, whether he buys them himself, has someone buy them on his behalf, or receives them as gifts using money.]

Now, it made perfect sense to Rosh. No matter how the purchase was made, the total number of Devil Fruits under a person's control could not exceed three.

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Next Chapter: Rules for Purchasing Devil Fruits

Next Next Chapter: Deadpool Wants to Be an Actor

Next Next Next Chapter: Professor X Stands Again!

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