"Thank you for the warning, Boss."
Wesley thanked Rorschach with perfect courtesy, though he didn't really take the reminder to heart.
He wasn't a child.
It wasn't like he was afraid of bitter medicine.
How bad could one unpleasant bite really be?
That confidence lasted right up until the moment he swallowed the sample.
Only then did Wesley realize he had underestimated it.
If the boss had gone out of his way to warn him, then how could the taste possibly be ordinary?
He almost spat it out on reflex.
Of course, Wesley wasn't an ordinary man. Even though the taste came dangerously close to breaking the limits of what his tongue could endure, he only frowned slightly.
Then, without even blinking, he forced the sample down.
And the next instant—
"What a… bizarre sensation."
The moment the sample entered his stomach, Wesley immediately felt a change in his body.
It was indescribable.
Something he couldn't explain with words—
and yet he could feel it with absolute clarity.
A new power had appeared inside him.
And he could control it just as naturally as breathing, walking, or lifting a hand.
At that moment, Wesley understood.
He truly understood.
He finally grasped how Helen Cho had healed Vanessa.
She must have done it by controlling the power she had gained from a Devil Fruit.
"You felt it, didn't you?"
Seeing the astonished disbelief on Wesley's face, Rorschach smiled from the side.
"Then focus. Calm yourself and feel your new power carefully."
"See what miracle it can create."
"I've never been more ready."
For a man as steady as Wesley, that alone was proof of how deeply shaken he was. There was actual light in his eyes now.
He glanced around, then walked straight out of the Devil Fruit shop and stopped in front of a tree by the roadside.
He raised his right hand.
Extended one finger.
Aimed at the tree trunk.
Took a slow breath.
Then activated the ability.
Bang!
A bullet shot straight out from his fingertip and struck the tree trunk with a sharp crack.
Because he had only just gained the power, Wesley couldn't bring out much force yet. The bullet only embedded itself shallowly in the bark.
That was all.
A few seconds later, it even dropped back to the ground on its own.
But even so, it was like a boulder crashing into the surface of a lake, sending monstrous waves surging through Wesley's heart.
"It's real."
"It's all real."
"This is unbelievable."
He crouched down and carefully picked up the bullet he had just fired, turning it over and over in his hand.
His face had gone completely red.
He was that excited.
It took him a full two or three minutes to calm down. Only then did he put the bullet away and walk back into the shop.
"Well?"
Rorschach looked at him with a smile, completely at ease.
"What do you think?"
"A wonder."
"A miracle."
Wesley slowly exhaled, each word heavy with emotion.
"I feel like I've only truly begun to understand this world today."
The words were dramatic, but they were also completely sincere.
"Then I take it you've decided on the Bullet Fruit?"
Rorschach seized the moment.
"Oh, and I forgot to mention earlier—the sample only lets you keep the ability for five minutes. If you want to truly obtain this power, you'll need to eat the real fruit."
There was no such thing as a free lunch.
Wesley had never expected that tasting a sample would let him walk away with such a terrifying ability for free.
So when he heard that, he didn't object in the slightest. He almost nodded without thinking.
"Yes, Boss. I want the Bullet Fruit. How much?"
"The original price is two million dollars."
Rorschach gave him the quote calmly.
"But you're in luck. The shop is currently running a discount, so you only need to pay one million four hundred thousand."
Wesley didn't even blink.
He paid immediately and cleanly.
"Then congratulations."
Rorschach took out the real Bullet Fruit and handed it over.
"This Bullet Fruit is yours."
He also added a friendly reminder—
one bite was enough.
There was no need to eat more than that.
"Thank you for the reminder, Boss."
Wesley's gratitude this time was completely genuine.
Devil Fruits tasted absolutely horrific.
That casual little reminder alone had saved him a great deal of suffering.
Then—
without the slightest hesitation, Wesley ate the Bullet Fruit and officially became a true Devil Fruit user, permanently gaining the power to create and fire bullets.
"Sir—"
"Boss, just call me Wesley."
Wesley interrupted him politely.
Now that he had personally confirmed the existence of Devil Fruits, Rorschach's status in Wesley's heart had shot up several levels in an instant.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony, Wesley. I've created a group for Devil Fruit users. Would you like to join?"
"If you have any questions about Devil Fruits, everyone can exchange information there. I'll also answer when needed."
As usual, Rorschach extended the invitation.
"Of course, Boss. I'd be honored."
Wesley agreed without the slightest hesitation.
As Kingpin's right-hand man, he knew perfectly well how valuable a private circle made up entirely of Devil Fruit users could become.
When he said he was honored, he meant it.
Even if Rorschach hadn't invited him and instead demanded a hefty fee to join, Wesley still would have paid it without complaint.
Rorschach added Wesley to the group and immediately announced it.
Shop Owner: @Everyone Let's welcome the newest member of the family—Mr. Wesley.
Wesley: Hello, everyone. I'm Wesley. Please take care of me from now on.
Wade Wilson: Wesley? You? Weren't you the guy who didn't believe a word I said? So why are you here buying a Devil Fruit now?
Wesley: Mr. Wade, I'm ashamed of my shortsightedness. Only today did I truly understand just how extraordinary Devil Fruits are.
Wesley: And for that, I owe my thanks to @Dr. Cho. It was Dr. Cho who opened my eyes to the miracle of Devil Fruits. I'm deeply grateful.
Helen Cho: Mr. Wesley, welcome. There's no need to thank me. If you must thank someone, thank yourself. This only happened because you chose to believe me.
In truth, Helen hadn't only told Kingpin about Devil Fruits.
She had told others as well.
Unfortunately, even with miracle after miracle happening right in front of them, almost no one had believed her.
Most people would much rather believe she had cured them through advanced nanobiology than accept something as outrageous as a Devil Fruit.