"The song of humanity is a song of courage! The greatness of humanity is the greatness of courage!"
Lind stood at the edge of the sea, shouting into the vast ocean.
"Waiting for a passing ship was never reliable—I'll have to build my own and set sail!"
"Conquering the sea takes courage, and lucky for me, I've got plenty! Sailing alone? If Monkey D. Luffy dared to do it, why shouldn't I? I'm going for it!"
"And unlike him, I'm well-prepared. He built his ship in two years? Well, so did I! There's no way my ship will sink—I guarantee it!"
Looking at his creation, a ship built with his own two hands over the past two years, Lind nodded in satisfaction, full of confidence.
It had been over two years since he first mutated the coconut that granted him psychic abilities.
Without realizing it, Lind had spent two and a half years in this world. His body was now 17 years old—just the right age to set sail, according to the norms of this world.
For some unknown reason, he had never encountered another ship, and waiting any longer was getting unbearable.
So, after two years of effort, Lind had built a sea-worthy vessel entirely by hand.
He never originally planned to go sailing; he just wanted to find a good island to settle down on. But this island simply wasn't suitable for long-term survival.
Without a system or any external support, hiding out on a tiny island until he became invincible was practically impossible—not to mention unbearably lonely.
Now, after two and a half years of preparation, Lind was finally ready. It was time to leave this deserted island and seek out other people.
During these years, he had experimented with mutating every plant on the island countless times. Though he hadn't produced anything as powerful as the Dragon Banana or Divine Dragon Coconut—names he gave them himself—he had still discovered many useful mutations.
For example, durians that replenished stamina, durians that restored mental energy, durians that toughened the skin, and even durians that healed wounds—all incredibly practical.
Then there were giant leaves that could be sewn together to make sails, ultra-hard timber, a mysterious resin with better sealing properties than rubber, and—perhaps most importantly—a flower that functioned like a Log Pose, always pointing toward the next island.
The flower, resembling a sunflower, didn't follow the sun but instead indicated the direction of the nearest island. It worked anywhere, even in the New World.
It was only because of this flower and the other utility plants that Lind dared to venture into the perilous seas of the New World alone.
Of course, his greatest source of confidence was his own strength. By now, he had even mastered sword flight.
Had he been in a hurry, he could've just taken the flower, grabbed a plank of wood, and flown off. Heck, he didn't even need the plank—he could've just soared through the sky like a cultivator on a sword.
But by the time the flower bloomed, his ship was nearly complete.
Besides, he had already scouted the surrounding area multiple times using his psychic powers but found no inhabited islands.
That's why he ultimately decided to play it safe and build a proper ship.
Now, after two and a half years, everything was finally in place.
"Tomorrow, I set sail. Today, I'll make my final preparations. As for everything left on the island—consider it a gift to the next lucky person who stumbles upon this place."
"I wonder who'll receive nature's blessing?"
Lind carefully gathered seeds from all the valuable and oddly functional plants he had mutated, storing them on his ship.
Over time, he had discovered that mutations seemed to alter plants at the genetic level, making their traits hereditary.
While second-generation plants weren't as potent as the originals, they still retained useful abilities.
Even if Lind himself didn't need them, they'd be perfect for nurturing a crew in the future.
After all, every farming-protagonist had a powerful team backing them up—he had to plan ahead.
"Now for food and water… Good thing I mutated a tree that produces a resin with preservative properties. Otherwise, the fruit would spoil in no time."
"As for meat, I'll just fish along the way. Still, it's annoying that after two and a half years of mutations, I haven't managed to create a single grain-producing plant like rice or millet. Guess I'll have to buy seeds once I reach a populated island."
"And water… Damn, I still can't take the Spring of Life with me. That sucks."
The Spring of Life was a natural water reservoir on the island, formed from accumulated rainfall.
One day, on a whim, Lind tried mutating the water itself—and to his shock, not only did the water change, but the entire pond transformed into a permanent structure, revealing a whole new world of possibilities.
The mutated spring could now continuously produce healing water, earning its grand title.
Giving names to his mutated creations had become one of Lind's few sources of entertainment on the island.
As night fell, Lind sat by his window, gazing at the ocean with mixed feelings.
What had once been a crude shack had, over 900 days, evolved into a cozy wooden house.
Every finely crafted piece of furniture had been created by his own psychic power, arranged neatly throughout his home.
"I spent all this time wanting to leave, but now that the moment's here, I actually feel a little reluctant…"
"These past two and a half years have felt more fulfilling than my previous twenty-plus years combined."
"Who knows when I'll return? If I do, will this house still be here? Or will someone new move in?"
"Maybe when I'm old, I'll come back and live in seclusion."
"Enough of that! Time to sleep! Tomorrow is the start of a new journey!"
Life alone on an island made a person prone to talking to themselves and overthinking things—especially before bed.
The thought of setting sail tomorrow filled Lind with excitement, keeping him awake. He had no idea when he finally drifted off.
"Ah! I forgot something super important!"
The next morning, Lind jolted awake, staring at his ship in realization.
"What should I name it? Should I carve the name onto the hull? Did ships in One Piece have their names marked?"
"And what about a flag? If I'm not a pirate, should I still put some kind of design on the sail?"
"Eh, might as well do both. Following this world's style, I'll name it Unfettered."
"As for the flag, I'll paint a giant roc to match the ship's figurehead."
Without delay, Lind used a special red resin to inscribe the ship's name on the side and painted a lifelike roc the legendary bird of mythology on the sail.
"Everything's perfect!"
Standing on the shore, admiring his work, he beamed with excitement.
"Set sail!"
Using his psychic power, he lifted the ship into the water, stepped onto the deck, and waved dramatically.
With another thought, the anchor pulled itself up, the sails unfurled as he commanded, and the ship smoothly drifted in the direction indicated by the Log Flower.
Psychic power was truly a cheat skill—it made so many tedious tasks effortless.
Finding a fruit like the Divine Dragon Coconut was probably the luckiest thing that had ever happened to him. He must have saved an entire galaxy in his past life to deserve this fortune.
Standing at the bow, gazing at the vast ocean, Lind's heart stirred with anticipation.
Though he had been confident before setting off, now that he was actually on the open sea, doubts crept in.
Would his psychic powers be enough to handle the New World's insane weather?
How did his strength measure up?
Could he hold his own against the ruthless pirates of this world?
"Hopefully, I'll have smooth sailing. I don't ask for much—just a small island where I can lay low and grow stronger."
"If I can find a way to get news from the outside world and a place to learn swordsmanship, even better."
Lost in thought, Lind drifted off into daydreams as the ship sailed toward the unknown.