A Navigator's Almanac? What a rip-off! What am I supposed to do with that on a deserted... wait a minute?
A new line of text appeared in his mind, clarifying the item's true nature.
["The Grand Line Navigator's Almanac": Chart a course through your own potential. Master the Five Paths of physical prowess and the Three Colors of Haki. You deserve it.]
"Oh, really? Is the system actually being generous for once? Does this mean I'm invincible now? Let's see what we've got!" Jerry said, excitement creeping into his voice.
[Ding! You have opened "The Grand Line Navigator's Almanac." You have acquired the following skills: Martial Arts Mastery, Enhanced Physique, Ocean Blessing, Grilling Mastery, Perfect Direction Sense, Conqueror's Haki (Beginner), Armament Haki (Beginner), and Observation Haki (Beginner).]
"Okay, let me see what these skills actually do..." Jerry stroked his chin thoughtfully as he examined the system panel.
Name: Jerry
Age: 18
Constitution: 16
Power: 13
Stamina: 16
Agility: 12
Spirit: 20
Skills:
[Conqueror's Haki: Basic, 1% - Your Haki can scare a three-month-old to tears. Terrifying stuff.]
[Armament Haki: Basic, 1% - Your Armament Haki is about as hard as an eggshell.]
[Observation Haki: Basic, 1% - Your Observation Haki can sense mosquitoes flying within 18 centimeters. P.S.: Don't underestimate those 18 centimeters.]
[Martial Arts Mastery: Basic understanding of combat techniques allows for more flexible fighting stances.]
[Enhanced Physique: Your body matches this world's standards, ensuring you can perform 'sit-ups' even during combat.]
[Ocean Blessing: Immunity to seasickness and water-related ailments. You can breathe freely underwater without suffocation, with greatly enhanced perception and affinity for liquids, making it easier to gain initial favor from aquatic creatures. P.S.: Being on a boat feels like coming home—love it here.]
[Grilling Mastery: You could open your own barbecue restaurant.]
[Perfect Direction Sense: You can always tell which way is south. P.S.: Mom doesn't have to worry about you getting lost anymore.]
[Status: Limiter broken - Comprehensive 100% enhancement boost]
[Inventory: Supreme-Grade Fishing Rod.]
[Overall Assessment: You're weak. Your Conqueror Haki is just protective coloring. Your Armament Haki is comparable to an eggshell. You just want to have fun.]
Additionally, there was a daily task option. After clicking it, three selectable tasks appeared:
[Task Bar:]
Choose one :
Daily Task #1:Do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and run 10 kilometers every day.
[Description: This training method comes from a certain bald hero in a cape. Following this regimen will make you stronger each day, but you'll slowly go bald. P.S.: The most romantic thing I can imagine is watching you slowly lose your hair.]
Daily Task #2:Take it Easy.
[Description: This exercise method stems from the obsession of the 'take it easy' lifestyle. Under this mindset's influence, you'll become slightly stronger each day, but prolonged lying down may cause back pain. P.S.: Standing tall doesn't necessarily count as taking it easy.]
Daily Task #3:Fishing.
[Description: This training method comes from a Fisherman's obsession. You'll become slightly stronger with each catch, but sitting too long can easily cause hemorrhoids. P.S.: Once you pick up that fishing rod, you'll never be ordinary again, and you'll never easily engage with any other entertainment in this world.]
As Jerry felt the additional fighting skills and combat experience flooding his mind, he looked at the interface again to make sure he hadn't missed anything important.
For a moment, Jerry had a mountain of complaints stuck in his throat but didn't know where to begin.
"Grilling mastery and direction sense? Do you want me to open a barbecue stand after being transported to another world?"
"Just because you know which way is south doesn't mean you won't get lost in this world! Zoro would be the first to disagree with that logic!"
Jerry grumbled internally but had no choice but to accept reality. What else could he do—reprogram the system himself?
He'd definitely skip the baldness task and the lazy task for now. Those could wait for programmers, cultivators, or until he reached middle age and started losing his hair naturally.
"At least I'm still handsome after being transported here," Jerry said, examining his reflection in the system interface. Two eyes, two ears, a nose, and a mouth—everything in the right place. His features were regular and sharp, with bright, intelligent eyes. He had a lean build, the kind that suggested agility over brute strength, and short black hair that framed his face just enough to make him look effortlessly cool.
"Looking good. At least this should satisfy my fishing hobby."
Turning his attention to the Supreme-Grade Fishing Rod, Jerry finally felt somewhat consoled.
[Supreme-Grade Fishing Rod: You're guaranteed to catch something once a day P.S.: Fishermen never come up empty-handed!]
After closing the system interface, Jerry noticed an opened coconut beside him and several empty coconut shells nearby.
"I'm getting hungry. I'm going to eat this coconut. Want some?" he called out.
"Go ahead, I already ate," Ace replied without turning around, still busy with his work.
"Need any help?" Jerry asked, quickly finishing the coconut meat and getting up to walk toward Ace.
Perhaps it was the system improving his physical condition, but although Jerry had just woken up, he only felt slightly hungry. He even sensed that he had more strength than before.
Seeing Ace busy collecting materials to build a raft, Jerry's experience as a dedicated fisherman in his previous life kicked in. While he might not have caught many fish, he still possessed various practical skills, including wilderness survival techniques. After all, fishermen could do everything except catch fish.
Hearing Jerry's offer, Ace turned his head and grinned widely.
"It'd be great to have some help!"
"I've tried this several times before, and the results weren't very good each time. The raft would fall apart quickly once it hit the water."
"Sure thing, but looking at what you've got so far, you're still missing some materials. We need to gather more supplies first," Jerry said, drawing on his basic common sense. He wasn't exactly an expert at raft-building, but he understood the fundamentals.
Ace nodded knowingly. After securing the materials in his hands, he turned and walked toward the island's interior, gesturing for Jerry to follow.
"Let's head deeper into the island and look for more materials. Come with me—I've been here for a few days now, so I know my way around. I've already collected supplies from several spots."
"Lead the way."
A short while later, Ace had transformed into a tour guide, leading Jerry to another forest on the island, not far from the beach where they'd started.
"Oh man, am I really this stupid..." came a voice from behind a tree ahead of them.
Jerry and Ace exchanged glances, then walked around the tree to investigate.
They found a young man in a green shirt with a mask covering his face, sitting in the shade of a coconut tree. He was talking to himself in front of a skeleton that had obviously been there for quite some time.
Seeing the masked stranger's rather pitiful state, Jerry adjusted his voice to sound mysterious and said ominously:
"You do seem pretty stupid, especially talking to yourself like that."
"See? Even you think so," the masked man continued, assuming he was hallucinating and having a conversation with himself due to prolonged isolation.
"Wait... what?!" he suddenly realized, jumping to his feet and spinning around. "Who's there?!"
"Well, this guy's not only losing his mind, but his reflexes are pretty slow too. Has he been stuck here so long that he's going senile?" Jerry observed, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"Hello there! My name's Ace, and this is Jerry. Nice to meet you," Ace stepped forward with his usual friendly introduction.
"We were just passing by and heard your voice, so we came to check it out."
The masked man looked extremely excited. Judging by his expression and condition, he'd clearly been stranded on this uninhabited island for quite some time, and it hadn't been a pleasant experience.
Ace got straight to the point, flashing his characteristic warm smile:
"Sorry to say this, but my boat got wrecked a while back. Any chance you could help us build a new one?"
"What?! No way!" The masked man clutched his head and wailed dramatically. When he'd first spotted the other two, he'd thought his savior had arrived. His mind had already fast-forwarded through happy scenarios of escaping this nightmare, returning to civilization, getting married, and starting a family.
"Ahahaha, looks like we're all in the same unlucky boat," Jerry laughed, showing understanding for the masked man's excitement, near-tears, and slight hysteria. He didn't display any disgust and smiled warmly as he continued, "The ocean's so vast, yet we all somehow drifted to this same deserted island. That's got to be some kind of fate, little brother."
"Who asked you to call me 'little brother'?" the masked man shot back, slightly put off by Jerry's grin, which he interpreted as gloating. "My boat got damaged when I was thrown off course by a storm..."
"I fell into the sea and got caught up in the weird currents around this island. I've been stuck in this hellhole for three days!"
Not bothered by the outburst, Ace laughed heartily:
"Really? Haha, sounds like we're pretty similar then!"
The masked man looked at the two smiling men in front of him with obvious displeasure, about to say something when—
"I've been here for six days. I win," Ace declared, puffing out his chest proudly.
"What?!" The masked man was immediately shocked. He'd thought being alone here for three days was miserable enough, but apparently there was someone who had him beat.
Jerry could tell the masked man would need some time to calm down, so he decided to try a gentler approach to help him relax and build some rapport.
"Well, putting that aside, I haven't asked your name yet."
"My name? I'd rather not say," the masked man muttered evasively.
But Ace seemed genuinely interested in hearing the story and asked curiously:
"Why not? Are you worried about something? Or maybe you're a fugitive? Come on, tell us!"
"You're so nosy! If I don't want to say it, I don't want to say it! How about I just give you guys fake names instead?" Maybe there really was some serious reason behind his reluctance. The masked man clearly didn't want to share and maintained his stubborn attitude.
"Fake names? So you're a writer? Huh, why would you want to give us fake names?" Jerry asked, genuinely surprised.
When the topic turned to writing, the masked man became visibly more interested and animated.
"Speaking of which, that name 'Ace'... when I write my great adventure story someday, could I borrow it? As for Jerry, I could make it into 'Tom'..."
"Tom?! That's my mortal enemy!" Jerry exclaimed, wondering if this masked guy might also be from his world.
At the same time, Ace shouted:
"Hey! Hold on there—I'm not lending you my name!"
"As for the fake names, I don't care whether you agree or not!" the masked man replied. When discussing this topic, he was no longer as listless as before and seemed much more energetic.
But he was still too naive and didn't understand who he was dealing with. At that moment, Ace looked like a light bulb had gone off in his head, his face lighting up with excitement.
"If you won't tell us your real name, how about I call you 'Deuce'?"
"Absolutely not!" The masked man immediately objected when he heard the random name suggestion.
However, Ace didn't care about objections once he'd made up his mind, and insisted with a grin:
"Too bad! I've decided—I'm calling you Deuce from now on."
"Deuce? Not bad at all. I can't keep calling you 'masked man,' can I?" Jerry nodded approvingly and seized the opportunity to stir the pot. "From now on, you're Deuce. It's better than 'Hey You,' right?"