Can't get enough? Why not read ahead?
Visit my Patreon or Ko‑fi page and unlock +20 extra chapters and daily updates for just $5!
Your support means the world to me. Check it out and enjoy the story even more!
patreon.com/Isopuff
https://ko-fi.com/isopuff
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
"Um… shopkeeper, would you mind giving me a little more time?" Trish asked, her tone cautious yet eager.
"I want to carefully look through the Zoan fruits before deciding."
Now that her earlier doubts had been put to rest, Trish gave Rosh a quick, relieved nod before immersing herself back into the catalog. She flipped through the pages with focused intent, her eyes darting across the listings in the Zoan section.
'Dog-Dog Fruit, Ox-Ox Fruit…' Trish quickly dismissed those choices without hesitation. They didn't resonate with her at all.
But then, something unusual stood out. Her gaze froze on a single entry, her breath catching slightly as the name registered in her mind.
'Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Leopard.'
"Leopard!" Trish blurted out, her eyes lighting up with excitement. She looked as if she had just stumbled upon buried treasure. "Shopkeeper, if I eat this fruit… does that mean I can actually turn into a leopard? Like… like Cheetah?"
She quickly caught herself and added with a hurried explanation, realizing not everyone might know the reference. "Cheetah's a character from the comics, she transforms into a kind of humanoid leopard with claws, speed, and everything."
As it happened, Rosh wasn't entirely in the dark. Cheetah might not be one of DC's most iconic names, but she had made it to the big screen, which meant he knew exactly who Trish was talking about.
"You're spot on, Trish," Rosh confirmed with a steady nod, his tone firm and reassuring. "If you eat this fruit, you'll become your very own version of Cheetah."
The moment those words left his mouth, Trish felt her whole body light up. A shiver of exhilaration ran through her as her imagination exploded with vivid imagery. She could see herself, powerful, agile, unstoppable, leaping across rooftops and tearing through enemies with razor-sharp claws.
Her heart raced. The idea of embodying the very essence of Cheetah, a character she'd only admired in stories, was overwhelming. Fiction was about to collide with reality.
And Trish could barely contain herself.
"Shopkeeper, I—" Trish was just about to declare her decision when her eyes slid down to the small line beneath the fruit's description. Her words caught in her throat.
The price tag stared back at her.
120 kilograms of gold.
Her mind automatically converted it, and the figure hit her like a thunderclap. Roughly eight to nine million US dollars.
*Gasp!*
She sucked in a sharp breath, her excitement crumbling in an instant. That number wasn't just intimidating; it was crushing.
Sure, Trish was technically a public figure, even a minor celebrity in her own right, but beneath all the glitz, she was still just a radio host. Her career might pay well enough for comfort, and yes, she had savings, but eight or nine million dollars? That was an entirely different universe.
Her thoughts raced as she quickly crunched the numbers in her head. If she liquidated every account, pulled every favor, scraped together every resource available… maybe, just maybe, she could gather three to four million at best. And that was her absolute ceiling.
The realization hit her hard. Regret washed over her in waves, sharp and suffocating. If she had known an opportunity like this would appear, she never would have squandered so much in the past. The luxury cars, the grand mansions, the unnecessary extravagance, what good were they now? They were nothing but anchors tying her down.
Yet even as that bitter regret ate at her, Trish knew the truth. She wasn't the type to sell off her lifestyle, not for this. She couldn't gamble everything the way Happy had, throwing away fortune and security in exchange for a chance at superpowers. That wasn't who she was.
Yes, becoming a hero had always been her dream, but abandoning the life she had built just to chase it? That was a price she wasn't ready to pay.
Her chest tightened as she wrestled with the decision, but in the end, she forced herself to look away. With a heavy heart, she tore her gaze from the Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Leopard, the one fruit that had set her soul ablaze with excitement.
She had no choice. She needed to search for something else. Something within her reach.
Fortunately, the catalog still had plenty to offer, and it didn't take long before her eyes caught sight of another possibility.
"Shopkeeper," Trish spoke up suddenly, her voice carrying a spark of renewed determination, "I noticed your shop offers tasting samples."
Her gaze flicked back to the catalog, then lifted toward Rosh with a mix of eagerness and nerves. "Would it be possible for me to… try this one? The Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Jungle Cat?"
Her eyes practically gleamed as she made the request.
It wasn't the Leopard Model, she knew that. On paper, the Jungle Cat Model was the less glamorous option. But still, a jungle cat was no harmless creature; it was a hunter, a predator born to stalk and strike. From a biological perspective, leopards and jungle cats weren't worlds apart.
And the name itself carried weight. Jungle Cat. It had a primal ring to it, a fierce, stealthy vibe that appealed to her instincts. Sure, it wasn't as powerful as the leopard, but realistically… how much weaker could it be?
The deciding factor was the price. She could afford this fruit, fifty kilograms of gold, just over three million dollars. Painful, yes, but attainable.
"Of course," Rosh replied smoothly, not the least bit surprised by her choice. With practiced ease, he retrieved a sample of the Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Jungle Cat, and extended it to her.
"Thank you, shopkeeper!" Trish's voice brimmed with gratitude as she accepted it with both hands, cradling the strange fruit as if it were a sacred relic. Her expression softened into reverence, as though she were holding a piece of destiny itself.
She closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply to steady her racing heartbeat. Then, with all the courage she could muster, she sank her teeth into the sample.
''Hmm?!''
Her eyes snapped open in shock. She froze mid-bite, a wave of sensation flooding her body.
Strength. That was the first thing she registered, raw, pulsing strength coursing through her veins. Even without transforming, even in her ordinary human state, she could feel the Zoan power taking root. Her muscles tightened, her senses sharpened, and her entire frame thrummed with newfound vitality.
Her body felt stronger. Faster. Alive in a way it had never been before.
"This… this is the power of a Devil Fruit?" Trish whispered, her breath catching, her voice trembling with exhilaration.
For years, she had dreamed of this moment, imagining what it would be like to step into the world of heroes and monsters, to hold power that defied logic. And now, finally, she was standing on that threshold.
Trish might have lost all composure if Rosh hadn't been calmly watching her from the counter. She could feel the bubbling joy rising to the surface, so strong she wanted to shout, laugh, and jump around like a kid unwrapping presents on Christmas morning.
But she didn't. She kept it bottled up, barely, her trembling hands and wide, glowing eyes betraying just how much this meant.
This wasn't fantasy anymore. This was real.
Trish steadied herself with a few deep breaths, fighting to rein in the whirlwind of exhilaration coursing through her veins. Once she'd calmed enough to focus, she closed her eyes and reached inward, concentrating on the strange, electric sensations that now thrummed within her body.
Fur began to sprout across her arms, legs, and even her face, sleek and wild. Her fingers shortened into powerful paws, each tipped with sharp claws that gleamed faintly in the light. In the span of seconds, she had shifted into a semi-human, semi-cat hybrid form.
Every muscle in her body seemed to tighten and coil like a spring, brimming with untapped energy. Her movements felt lighter, more natural, as though gravity itself had loosened its grip on her. At the same time, her senses exploded to life, her sight sharpened, every detail vivid; her hearing tuned into the faintest rustles; and even her thoughts moved with a speed and clarity she had never known.
She swept her gaze across the shop, her feline instincts roaring to the surface, demanding movement. Her eyes locked on a tree just outside.
*Whoosh!*
In a blur, she sprang forward, hands and feet working in unison like a true jungle predator. She moved so fast she left a faint afterimage in her wake. In mere heartbeats, she was there, crouched before the tree.
*Slash! Slash! Slash!*
Her claws raked across the bark in a dazzling display of raw power, leaving behind three deep, savage gouges.
*Rustle! Rustle!*
Without missing a beat, she leapt, scrambling upward with an ease that felt entirely natural, climbing like a massive wildcat. Within moments, she perched on the upper branches, balanced with perfect grace, her chest heaving from the thrill of it all.
"This is incredible!" she cried out, voice nearly breaking with joy. She scrambled back down in a blur of motion and dashed straight toward Rosh, her eyes blazing with excitement.
"Shopkeeper! I've made up my mind! I want the Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Jungle Cat!"
Rosh, ever calm, gave her a knowing nod. "Of course. No problem. But Trish, if you're truly serious, I recommend placing a reservation. A one-million-dollar deposit will secure it under your name. The deposit's fully refundable once the full payment is complete, and it ensures no one else can swoop in to buy it first."
He didn't need to say more. Trish didn't even hesitate. With a few quick motions, the transfer was made. No second thoughts, no questions, just certainty.
"Thank you, shopkeeper," she said again, her voice warm with gratitude, practically glowing as the weight of the moment sank in. With her heart racing and her mind bursting with wild possibilities, Trish left the shop. She felt lighter than air, yet more grounded than ever before.
She was one step closer to the dream she had carried her entire life.
Soon, she wouldn't just be Trish the radio host.
She was going to become a real superhero.
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
Next Chapter: Hydra's Plan
Next Next Chapter: Making an Iron Man Suit
Next Next Next Chapter: That's Just Insane
Visit my Patreon or Ko‑fi page and unlock +20 extra chapters and daily updates for just $5!
patreon.com/Isopuff
https://ko-fi.com/isopuff