Infinite Anime [206-208] (Patreon)

Chapter 206: The Invitation from the Botanical Garden

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Gusion."

Titan pushed through the crowd and walked up, initiating a trade with Gusion.

Gusion, not one to drag things out, confirmed the amount and handed over the T-Rex Devil Fruit.

"You restocked while I was gone?" Titan was surprised at the extra Devil Fruits on Gusion's stall. He'd thought there were only a few.

But he didn't regret not checking more—this Ancient Zoan T-Rex Fruit was the best after the Rumble Rumble Mi and suited his fighting style perfectly.

"Just got these identified. See anything you like?" Gusion said casually.

Titan shook his head. "Can't afford it. Gong, anything catch your eye?"

The man beside Titan looked honest and a bit chubby, with a warm smile, like a friendly businessman in the real world. But from Titan's respectful attitude, Gusion could tell he was a big shot here too.

"Nice selection, good quality. Let me see."

Gong bent down to look over the stall. "Are the listed prices final?"

Gusion nodded. The stall had a price tag function—just check the details.

"Fair prices. I'll take these five."

Gong calmly pointed at five Devil Fruits, as if he was just buying groceries.

Gusion was a bit shocked, glancing at Titan as if asking, "Who is this guy?"

"He's a Tier 4. Came down to buy stuff for our group's newcomers," Titan explained vaguely, obviously unable to say more.

Gusion understood. Explorers can't freely travel between layers, but can move within three layers above or below their own. He was selling at a higher tier, and Gong was buying from a lower tier.

The real shock came when Gong said during the transaction, "1.08 million? Unlucky number. I'll pay 1.09 million."

Gusion thought, That's unlucky? Rich people are really particular. But of course, he didn't object—if someone wants to pay extra, why refuse?

After the deal, Gong cheerfully put away the five Devil Fruits. "Nice, shopping this way is so efficient. Titan, call me next time you have a good deal." Then he left, leaving behind an air of mystery.

The onlookers were stunned by the million-level deal; for Tier 3 explorers, that was astronomical.

People eyed Gusion with envy, thinking he might be the richest Tier 3 explorer. But if Gusion knew, he'd say they were wrong—he was actually the richest Tier 2 explorer.

Only three fruits remained on his stall, and as the excitement faded, the crowd dispersed.

Gusion holding tablet, kept catching up on anime. 

…

Near evening, Black Lily arrived at his stall, accompanied by a gloomy-looking woman.

The woman dressed all in black, face covered with a dark red mask, figure tall but giving off an unsettling vibe. Her gaze was clinical—like a scientist observing a lab animal.

"And she is…?" Gusion asked. He'd emailed Black Lily earlier to pick up a scroll. He'd randomly drawn a master-level scroll, and it happened to be a melee combat specialization—lucky for either him or her.

"She's Mandrake, from my group," Black Lily replied, voice sweet but emotionless. Her presence would fit well in a horror movie.

Gusion wondered what kind of people her group was made of. If you have a party, why always act alone?

"I'll take the Shadow Fruit," Mandrake said with a raspy voice, scanning the fruits.

Her voice was grating, like a male duck screaming inside a leaky bellows.

Gusion picked up the fruit, and Mandrake initiated the trade without haggling—230,000.

He'd told Black Lily about the fruits to gauge interest; Mandrake was clearly an assassin-type explorer, so it made sense she'd buy that one.

After selling it, Gusion planned to pack up—the remaining two fruits were for feeding his Chaos Spirit Seed.

Black Lily wasn't surprised. She knew about the Spirit Seed from the previous world; now that the previous owner was gone, Gusion had inherited it.

After the trade, Mandrake looked at Gusion emotionlessly. "Besides buying the fruit, the vice-captain asked me to pass on a message."

Gusion was puzzled by Black Lily's group, but he'd noticed: ever since Black Lily and Mandrake arrived, everyone else had left. These explorers seemed to fear the two of them even more than Snow Wind. Clearly, this was about their group's reputation.

"Go ahead," Gusion said politely; Black Lily was strong, and so were her groupmates—he'd likely have to deal with them in the future.

"Join the Botanical Garden. You carry valuables—if you lose them, it'll be a loss for all of us," Mandrake said, surprising even Black Lily, who hadn't known the vice-captain wanted this delivered.

She was puzzled: only she knew about the Spirit Seed, and she hadn't told anyone. Yet the vice-captain somehow knew.

Gusion frowned slightly, looking at Black Lily, wondering if she'd leaked his info. But her eyes were calm and unreadable.

He thought it over: having the Spirit Seed was impossible to keep secret, since everyone who'd been to the Kengan world knew. It wasn't necessarily Black Lily who spread it; she didn't seem the type.

"Sorry, I have no plans to join a group. I work best alone," Gusion declined. The Botanical Garden seemed strong and mysterious, but he didn't want to be tied down. As a Pioneer, he sometimes had to do special tasks—possibly even eliminate teammates.

"Very well, that's all," Mandrake said, not pressing further. She turned and left.

Gusion noticed Black Lily was still there. He asked, "Is everyone in your group this weird?"

"You're one to talk. I don't know why the vice-captain invited you, but she's right—news of your valuables will spread among the elite soon, and you'll become everyone's target," said Black Lily. "So, really not interested in joining?"

Gusion didn't expect her to play advocate. "Would joining keep me safe? Didn't see Body Killer go easy on you."

Black Lily was silent for a few seconds. "…Not exactly. If you join, you'll gain intel, but our group never acts together. The only one who can save you is your stronger future self."

She took her scroll and left, clearly not a talkative type.

Gusion watched her go, pondering what kind of odd group this Botanical Garden really was. If they didn't team up in worlds, what was the point of a party?

He packed up, calculated his earnings—sold the Rumble Rumble Fruit for 450,000, used 300,000 to identify five Devil Fruits (left with 150,000), plus Gong and Mandrake's, now had 1.47 million!

"I'm really a millionaire now," Gusion thought, and set out to splurge at the market.

But epic bloodlines were rare; most for sale were Devil Fruits. Seeing nothing special, he headed back.

Next day, Gusion browsed the market again, but still found nothing. He realized Tier 3 explorers were generally poor, and epic bloodlines were hard to come by—if someone got one, they'd use it themselves or their group would keep it in-house. Only soloists like him would sell.

Out of options, he contacted Black Lily for leads, thinking the Botanical Garden might have surplus high-tier bloodlines.

"I'll ask," Black Lily replied. Soon after: "There's one bloodline item, expensive—see if you like it."

She sent the details:

[Bloodline Item: Clarity of Heart]

Origin: Native World #21870

Quality: Epic

Usage: Only within space, application required

Requirements: 50 Spirit, 50 Constitution

Details: From the mysterious Clarity of Heart clan, grants +5 Spirit, +5 Constitution, and near-absolute immunity to mind control, strong resistance to body control. See bloodline menu for more after use.

Rating: 700+

Review: Clarity of heart, relentless advance.

[]

Gusion's eyes lit up. This was exactly what he needed—he could upgrade stats easily, but it was hard to acquire new mechanics. His only weakness as a soloist was susceptibility to crowd control—this bloodline would fix that.

"How much?"

"500,000, non-negotiable," Black Lily relayed.

Chapter 207: The Clarity Bloodline

Gusion winced at the price—he hadn't been a millionaire for even a day! But it was worth it; good bloodlines were priceless.

Thinking back, he understood why Body Killer spent so many worlds slowly growing the Chaos Spirit Seed with cheap bloodlines—she probably couldn't afford high-end ones.

But in the One Piece world, epic bloodlines were everywhere. If he were in her shoes, he might not have resisted either.

"Deal. How do we trade?" Gusion agreed. Such bloodlines would never be on the market in regular groups.

"Come to the equipment enhancement hall. She's there," Black Lily replied.

"What does the seller look like?"

"…Once you get there, find the most aggressive person—that's her. Group nickname: Rosary."

Gusion was confused, but Black Lily said no more, so he went to the hall.

Boom!

As soon as he entered, there was a deafening crash—rare in the space, especially in public. He saw a woman in a dark purple dress kicking a bronze cauldron. Given the building's toughness, he realized she was not to be messed with.

"Damn it! Swallowed my gear again! Stupid machine! Damn End Space!" The woman, with fiery red hair and a stunning profile, was swearing up a storm and kicking the cauldron.

"You warn me? If I break it, just deduct it from my account!" she grumbled, having been warned for damaging public property.

Other explorers kept their distance, giving her a wide berth. Gusion walked up, looking like a brave martyr.

No need to ask—she was clearly Rosary of the Botanical Garden.

She noticed him, and though shorter, she had an imposing presence. "You're the one?"

Despite her rudeness, Gusion kept his composure. "Hello, Miss Rosary."

He'd never seen anyone who could shake public property here.

"Castor had Mandrake invite you, and you still refused? Pretty aloof," Rosary said. "Maybe I should just kill you and keep your stuff safe with me."

Gusion's face darkened. He'd considered the risk of being hunted by high-tiers after his Spirit Seed was revealed, but killing wasn't allowed in End Space, and high and low tiers rarely met in world instances.

But Rosary seemed extremely high-tier, and he wasn't sure she couldn't access lower worlds.

"Just kidding, relax!" Rosary suddenly smiled and patted his shoulder. "I'm not that desperate. If I wanted to rob, I'd target other spaces anyway."

She rummaged through her storage, pulling out piles of high-quality items as if they were junk.

"Oh, found it. Here," she finally handed over a small box.

"Let's trade," Gusion said after confirming it was the Clarity bloodline.

"Wait a sec—how about I give this to you for free if you join our group?" Rosary smiled charmingly, a far cry from her earlier demeanor.

"I'm not ready to join for now. Maybe later," Gusion replied, not ruling it out—everyone in the Botanical Garden seemed unique, and if they always acted alone, maybe it wasn't a bad idea.

"Hmph, you've just never been beaten down by space yet. Talk to me after ten more worlds," Rosary said, losing patience and initiating the trade.

Gusion paid and got the bloodline item.

"Off you go, don't soak up my luck," Rosary waved him away.

Gusion glanced at the dented cauldron, wondering if she really had luck. He left, hearing more furious shouting and crashing behind him.

"So many women, so few men…" Gusion thought as he left. The Botanical Garden had quite the reputation in End Space, but he hadn't met a single male member yet.

His Soul Devourer Ring had evolved to Legendary quality, thanks to absorbing plenty of lightning and energy in the last world. It now needed to be enhanced again—but not today. He didn't want to feel the ground shake during enhancement.

His Gusion was still Legendary; he hadn't killed enough last world to upgrade it to Epic—he'd have to keep working at it.

…

Back in his room, Gusion took out the bloodline item. "End Space, help me use this."

Unlike Devil Fruits, this bloodline could only be used in space, not in a world instance.

[Awakening Clarity bloodline for Pioneer…]

…

Gusion woke up feeling mentally clear and refreshed.

He checked his second bloodline. Though his second slot wasn't unlocked yet, he could use one bloodline item, with the Spirit Seed's slot as a bonus. When the second slot opened, he could use another.

He planned to always leave at least one slot open, in case he found a top-tier bloodline in a world.

He opened the bloodline menu:

[Bloodline: Clarity]

Rating: S

Level: 1/30

Description: From the near-extinct Clarity clan of Luotian Continent, with high potential and an edge on chaotic battlefields.

Upgrading grants new skills and stat boosts.

Current boost: +5 Spirit, +5 Constitution (each level adds 5 more)

Skill 1: Clarity (Passive): Immune to mental control from targets with up to 5 less Spirit. If enemy's Spirit exceeds yours by more than 5, control effects are reduced by 10%-90%, based on the difference.

For physical control: If the enemy's relevant stat isn't higher than your Constitution, the effect is nullified. If higher, effectiveness is reduced by 10%-90%.

Skill 2: Infinity (Active): For 3 seconds, immune to all control effects from enemies up to one major tier above. All your damage is doubled during this state. Cooldown: 1 natural day.

Review: Relentless advance with a clear heart.

[]

Gusion was very satisfied. This bloodline gave him nearly full control immunity, and a 3-second burst of total immunity and double damage. Only downside: the skill's cooldown was long, though it might improve with upgrades.

Overall, Clarity's attribute boost was less than Raijin's (12 vs 10 per level), but Raijin was generalist, Clarity was functional. Together, they covered each other's weaknesses.

Chapter 208: Does Your Bed Boost Luck Too?

With dual bloodlines, Gusion's stats now exceeded Tier 2 limits. Unfortunately, his Pioneer Mark hadn't ranked up, so he couldn't allocate new points.

He had 970,000 End Space coins and ten mid-grade Inheritance Crystals—he decided to use them to upgrade his bloodlines.

This, he felt, was the best use of the crystals. Before, he'd used them on Armament Haki, which felt wasteful since he could train that himself.

[Upgrade Raijin bloodline: 4 mid Inheritance Crystals, 40,000 coins. Proceed?]

Gusion winced at the cost, but the gains—12 attribute points—were worth it.

Similarly, he upgraded Clarity.

After a busy half-day, night fell. Gusion ordered a tableful of dishes, eating while admiring his new stats:

[Pioneer 008, stats (including gear/title boosts):]

Constitution: 66 (+16)

Strength: 56 (+6)

Agility: 56 (+6)

Spirit: 66 (+16)

Charm: 5

Luck: 2

[]

Gusion sipped his drink, satisfied. "I'm finally a proper Tier 2 Pioneer, right?"

Compared to before entering the One Piece world, his stats had doubled. High-tier worlds really paid off—he'd love to go to another.

"End Space, collect the rent," he called after finishing his meal, remembering rental income from the two conquered worlds.

[Income has been deposited into your mailbox.]

Surprisingly, the payment came instantly—usually issued mid-month.

He checked: 44,800 End Space coins. Nice, but now it felt like small change.

He still had about 930,000 coins—enough to upgrade his gear. Some items were still only purple-rank, below his current level, especially his outerwear, nearly destroyed in the Skypiea battle.

…

So, next day, Gusion went to the Sailor Uniform Girl to commission new gear.

"You rob someone? Why so much money?" Sailor Girl was shocked when Gusion requested three epic-grade items.

"I made a bit last world. Can you do it or not?" Gusion asked, doubting her ability to craft epic gear at her age and rank, but he'd always ordered from her.

"I can, but two pieces in two weeks is my limit," she said, awed by his spending. Even in full concentration mode, three pieces in two weeks would compromise quality.

"How about three weeks?" Gusion asked, knowing regular explorers had two-week world cycles, but as a Pioneer, he got a month's rest.

"Three weeks? You sure?" she eyed him suspiciously, wondering if he was special.

"Yes, three weeks is fine."

"Alright, I'll make outerwear, a ring, and inner armor to your specs. But… time to upgrade your bed too, right?"

Gusion browsed the beds. "Legendary bed, huh? Feels a bit much."

He picked one anyway. "How much?"

"For old customers, 60,000," she said, "This one is my masterpiece."

Gusion checked the bed:

[Star Fortune]

Origin: End Space

Quality: Legendary

Type: Furniture

Toughness: 43

Durability: 200/200

Requirements: None

Details: Crafted from Starwood, self-adjusts firmness for optimal rest, greatly improves sleep quality.

Effect 1: Star Blessing—restores soul source and life source 1000% faster while resting on it.

Effect 2: Star Luck—while on the bed, Luck +1 (temporary)

Rating: 400+

Review: Want good luck? Dream it.

[]

Legendary gear usually cost 30-100k; 60k for a bed was expensive, but Gusion didn't haggle—this bed could boost luck!

With his original Luck stat, this would triple it!

He regretted not buying this sooner—if he'd opened chests on it, he might've gotten richer.

"How does a bed boost luck?" he asked.

"What's the big deal? Feng Shui is all about furniture placement. Just one extra Luck point," Sailor Girl waved it off. "I've seen beds that add +10 Luck."

Gusion's eyes widened. "You have one?"

"No…" she sighed, "But someday I'll make one!"

"I look forward to it," Gusion said, not bothering to ask where to buy one—surely it was already gone from any shop.

"If you want more temporary luck, I can redo your whole room. You'd get +3 or +4 Luck in there," Sailor Girl suggested slyly.

"Really?" Gusion was interested. He no longer saw furniture as frivolous—it was a long-term investment.

"Of course, but the price…" she said, rubbing her fingers, "20,000 upfront, I'll do it."

Gusion's enthusiasm dampened—he was almost broke after commissioning three epic items.

"Sorry, maybe next time."

"Next time? Custom work takes time—you sure you can wait to open chests?"

Her voice was like a devil's temptation. "I accept preorders."

Gusion shivered. "How much down?"

"This month's order, pick it up when you're back. 100,000 deposit?"

Gusion thought—he only had 70,000 left. He still needed to upgrade his Soul Devourer Ring and save for supplies.

"Can I pay in Inheritance Crystals? Two mids, worth 100,000."

Lucky stat was a long-term investment—one good epic chest would pay for it.