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.