LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 171: A Huge Decision, Batto Batto no Mi
Alex and Steven make their way toward a hooded player who's sitting silently at his stall. The guy isn't talking to anyone and has his face completely hidden. His stall only has a single item on display, a colorful, weirdly shaped black fruit with red lines in the form of swirls.
"That's the guy, right? Why the hell does he look like some kind of cultist? …Well, not like I haven't used that tactic myself," Alex mutters, rolling his eyes. He quickly recalls his own habit of using [Jack's Spare Silvery Mask] along with other clothing pieces to disguise himself. So far, it's worked flawlessly and remains a solid option for him.
"Lots of people disguise themselves. There's always a small chance you'll end up in the same world with others, and if that world encourages PvP, you've got a huge target on your back," Steven says with a shrug. "It's lame, but I get it. The odds aren't high, but people might even pull these items from bloody chests if they're crazy lucky. And let's be real, there are tons of desperate players and gambling addicts out there willing to risk it. Hell, I might even do it too… if my target's a total asshole."
While they talk, the two other visitors at the stall give up and walk away after the hooded merchant ignores their questions.
Alex and Steven step closer, and to their surprise, the hooded man actually looks up and speaks directly to Alex.
"If you're interested in buying this, the price is clearly listed. There's no bargaining, but I'm willing to accept trades besides Soul Crystals and FC," the man says, his voice calm but firm.
"Wait a second," Steven cuts in. "Isn't this guy supposed to be silent? Why the hell is he talking to you, Alex? Do you know him or something?"
"Obviously not. Are you stupid?" Alex retorts, annoyed by the dumb question.
Steven is about to respond when the hooded man interjects, his tone sharp. "Your friend here is a fool. People like him always cause trouble. You should drop clowns like that early before they become a liability."
Steven looks offended, but the hooded man ignores him, focusing entirely on Alex. "I'm selective about who I talk to. I keep a low profile, but I'm always watching. You and your companion, the seer, rank as Number 3 and Number 2, respectively, on my list in this Realm. Naturally, I'm willing to talk to players of your caliber. As the Number 3, you should have the resources to trade for my item. The question is whether you're wise enough to accept the price."
What the fuck? Why am I only Number 3? Alex thinks, his pride stinging a little. But he keeps his mouth shut, not wanting to sound as dumb as Steven.
"The fuck? Why is Alex Number 3? And did you just call me a clown, huh?" Steven blurts out, glaring at the hooded man.
Alex blushes slightly, embarrassed that Steven asked the exact question he'd been thinking.
"My system for evaluating players is none of your concern," the hooded man replies coldly. "Players of your rank are insignificant and not worth my attention. You don't need to know how I rate people, as it's merely my personal evaluation."
Steven looks like he's about to argue, but Alex steps in, keeping his tone calm. "I don't care about your ranking system, but I am interested in the fruit. Let me take a look."
[Batto Batto no Mi, Model: Desmodontinae]
World: One Piece
Quality: Purple
Effect: Grants a new innate skill that can be leveled up.
Effect: Allows the user to transform into a half-bat or full-bat form. Renders you unable to swim and creates a weakness to water and Seastone.
Effect: Half-bat form - Gain +2 AGI, +4 SNS +1 per additional level, and the ability to fly and drain the blood of your targets. Draining your target's blood weakens them and can cause them to faint if enough is taken, while you recover HP, STA, and receive a temporary buff that increases STR, AGI, and PHY based on your target's strength.
Enables the user to unleash a shrill voice that can temporarily stun, confuse, and disorient an enemy, potentially damaging their hearing based on their SNS and PHY. Also effective for scanning large areas. The effect increases with each level and is more potent in Full-bat form.
Effect: Full-bat form - Gain +4 AGI, +8 SNS, +2 per additional level, and +2 PHY, +2 STR +1 per additional level. In this form, you fully transform into a bat, acquiring the same abilities as in half-bat form but losing the ability to use your hands, weapons, and most other abilities.
Note: Are you willing to accept the curse of the sea?
Note: Don't get greedy—eating more than one of these fruits is a bad idea.
Note: The devil within does not accept outside help, whether from other fruits or anything else entirely.
"Wow, that's so cool!" Steven says, practically bouncing on his heels, making Alex give him a weird look.
"Steven… Zoans are literally the most boring and weakest fruits overall—unless you're talking about the Carnivorous, Ancient, or Mythical types," Alex replies, his tone flat. "This is just Stussy's fruit. Sure, it's useful, but it's nothing special. It might help you in the short term, but you're stuck with it for life. Wouldn't you rather save yourself for a truly insane fruit? Sorry, but while this is an incredible item, it's not the strongest. Maybe a bit above average at best. Honestly, I wouldn't even use it on myself," Alex finishes, deliberately downplaying the fruit to try and lower its price.
That's not to say Alex doesn't recognize its value. This fruit is insane. The total stat boosts alone, plus the ability to fly and heal by sucking blood, make it priceless. He feels a tiny twinge of temptation, wondering if he should go back on his words and just use it himself.
"I'd like to disagree with you, Mr. Kerber," the hooded man cuts in, his tone sharp and impatient. "Devil Fruits are extremely rare, and actually acquiring one is nothing short of a miracle. This is a permanent enhancement, with next to no downsides, it's not like a mere piece of equipment that gets replaced! Don't think Devil Fruits just drop if you kill a Devil Fruit user—these are treasures of the highest caliber. This fruit is easily worth as much as one or two gold-ranked items. Even the most basic fruit that lets you fly is worth a fortune."
"This one, however, offers much more. Don't forget, this fruit grants its abilities through an innate skill—no need to waste precious skill slots! And the supposed 'weakness' of Devil Fruits is mostly negated here since you can fly. Even if you dislike the full-bat transformation, the half-bat form alone is a massive advantage. You can fly, your stats get an insane boost, and at level 5, you'd gain 7 AGI and 9 SNS. Do you even realize how much that is? Combine that with the bat's fast, maneuverable wings, and your combat potential skyrockets," the hooded man barks, trying to hype up his merchandise as much as possible.
This guy… didn't Steven say he wouldn't even talk to people? Why is he going so hard to sell this fruit? Alex wonders, his thoughts racing. He seems desperate. Could he be part of a group and unable to take the fruit into the main Realm? Maybe he's trying to convert it into resources he can actually keep. That would make sense… Could it be? Another participant who got an invitation? Maybe he even signed a contract. Whatever. I don't care about his reasons, but now I know his weakness! He NEEDS to sell it.
Alex's mind churns as he considers his options. I smell an opportunity here, but… do I even want it for that amount?
"Not really interested," Alex finally says, keeping his tone calm and detached. "Sure, this might be useful for the average player, but it locks you out of getting other innate skills. You probably only get to acquire one innate skill from items like this. It's a nice boost now, but who knows what opportunities you'd miss later? So… what do you want for it anyway?"
"These items are rare!" the hooded man snaps. "You can't just 'acquire' an innate skill anytime you want. In the main Realm, this would be a treasure that hundreds of people would fight for!"
"Yeah, but you need to sell it now, don't you? Because you can't take it with you," Alex says, his voice turning smug. "Don't think I haven't noticed that you're desperate to get rid of it. So just state your price."
The hooded man glares at him for a moment before finally answering. "250,000 FC or 12 Soul Crystals."
Alex snorts. "Come on. Nobody in the tutorial Realm has that kind of cash. You're not being serious."
"What are you willing to offer, then?" the man fires back, his annoyance clear. "I'm actually more interested in a collection of items than just one expensive one. So name your terms."
"I can just throw you the junk I have left from my previous mission. You're clearly familiar with market prices and have to agree this is a fair deal. All of this could be yours: [Ancient Rapier], [Kunai], [Heavy Mace], 8 [Two-Headed Black Eel, Poisonous Blood], [Stolen Breath], and this beauty right here, my [Shockwave Hammer]."
"Are you kidding me?" The hooded man's voice rises with irritation. "That's just random junk from your last mission! One White weapon? Two Light Green weapons? Not even worth mentioning! The poison, okay, that's interesting, I guess, and there's a decent amount of it, but it's still just a consumable. And that [Stolen Breath]—sure, it's strong, but it's also a consumable. These things are probably worth 50,000 FC at most. And what's that crude thing? Another hammer-type weapon like the mace? Wait a second... Deep Purple weapon…"
As soon as he spots the [Shockwave Hammer], he cuts himself off mid-rant, his tone shifting.
"First of all," Alex starts, smirking, "these items—excluding the hammer—are worth way more than just 50,000 FC, and you know it. Secondly, they're perfectly suited for you. You can get the best price for them, and they're ideal because they won't attract too much attention, which I'm guessing is something you value a lot. You like quantity over quality, right? Then there's the hammer. I've seen Light Purple items go for 50,000 FC on their own, and weapons are generally more expensive than other items. This hammer isn't Light Purple; it's Deep Purple. And all three of its skills synergize perfectly. Altogether, I'd say my items are worth 200,000 FC. Maybe even more."
"No... maybe 150,000 FC, but not 200,000," the hooded man counters, though his tone lacks the earlier confidence.
"Well, you could make 200,000 with them—I'm sure of it. Either way, that's all I'm offering," Alex says, bluffing with every ounce of confidence he can muster. He can hardly believe his strategy might actually work—trading off his leftovers for a devil fruit? It's almost too good to be true.
"As I said, I don't bargain," the hooded man replies, shaking his head. "Sorry, but this isn't something I can accept. It's a serious offer, I'll give you that, but it's still not enough. To tell you the truth, I'm being forced to hand over my most expensive item, and I need at least one worthy piece to turn in, or else as you have guessed, I'm in trouble. If I hand over the fruit, I lose it, sure, but I gain a lot of respect—and maybe even a small reward. The [Shockwave Hammer] could replace the fruit, no question, and I'd get to keep the rest of the items... but even so, it's just not a good enough trade. At best, I'd be breaking even. I'd rather hold onto the fruit than take that risk of trading it away for just this much."
"So, you're saying you need more? What exactly do you want?" Alex asks, narrowing his eyes.
"I need Essences, FC, Crystals. Put together the numbers, and we've got a deal."
Alex pauses for a moment, thinking hard. Then he makes his move.
"Fine. Here's my offer, and like you said at the start, no bargaining: [Frost Essence], one Soul Crystal, and 10,000 FC. Exactly how you like it, quantity with good quality, but nothing too extravagant to draw attention."
The hooded man goes silent, clearly calculating and weighing his options.
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