"Heaven above, please let this one be useful!"
In the center of the deserted island, deep within the lush forest, Lind stood before a banana-like plant—well, not just banana-like, it was almost certainly a banana tree—and began praying fervently.
After calling upon every deity and spirit he could remember from his previous life, Lind clasped his hands together solemnly, closed his eyes, and muttered under his breath:
"With the name Lind, I awaken your slumbering potential."
"Let the power of the cosmos gather and forge a miraculous transformation!"
He slowly opened his eyes, lifting his hands toward the sky, palms facing upward, as if pleading for strength from the very air around him.
Then, without warning, his expression sharpened. He thrust his palms toward the banana tree and shouted:
"Lind Energy—Shala Shala... Transform!"
"Bear witness to the miracle, and embrace rebirth!"
Alone on the desolate island, Lind seemed to have fully returned to his adolescent days of chuunibyou delusion.
Enduring the creeping sense of embarrassment, he completed the mutation ritual—one he had meticulously refined over the past week.
He gazed eagerly at the banana tree, waiting to feel the effect of this transformation.
"Just as I thought... This world responds to emotion and belief. Rituals and declarations really do help activate Devil Fruit abilities. All that effort refining this incantation over the week wasn't wasted."
"And choosing the right target matters too. Zoan-type Devil Fruits often resemble bananas, so mutating a banana tree seems to yield better results."
Feeling the change take root, Lind smiled with satisfaction, murmuring his thoughts as he analyzed the process.
It had already been a week since he ate the Mutation Fruit.
In those seven days, he had done little else besides testing its powers or waiting to recover enough energy to continue. Dozens of attempts had yielded nothing—until today.
The result was modest but extremely practical: an enhancement to physical strength. Simple, but incredibly effective.
And more importantly—it was consumable in repeat doses. The effect compounded over time, making it the perfect tool for Lind's current needs.
It didn't just strengthen him—it boosted his stamina and accelerated his ability to mutate again, snowballing his growth.
"Even if it doesn't grant a Zoan-like transformation, a permanent increase in physical ability is actually much more in line with what I want."
Lind was overjoyed. He couldn't stop grinning, even as he tried to suppress his expression. Days of anxiety had built up to this moment—and finally, that heavy weight in his chest was gone.
Now, he finally felt like he had a real foothold to face the future. His rise was just beginning.
Even more encouraging was his suspicion that he had uncovered patterns in the mutation process. Though they ultimately proved useless, the discovery lifted his mood.
Wasting no time, Lind plucked one of the fruits from the tree and peeled it.
"Not bad. Tastes even better than a regular banana. Nothing like the horrible flavor of Devil Fruits. Sure, it's not overpowered—but it's reusable. That already makes it better than most Devil Fruits."
He took a big bite, eyes lighting up as he spoke with his mouth half full.
"Alright, time to start training for real."
Soon after, Lind returned to his beachside shelter with two mutant bananas in hand.
Even though his plan was to remain hidden until he was unbeatable, he didn't want to rot away on a deserted island either.
That's why he chose to settle by the coast, hoping to one day spot a ship or find a chance to leave for a populated island.
Then he could live out the fantasy of every farming-protagonist novel from his past life: plant crops, raise livestock, train subordinates...
"Is it that I'm just too weak—or are these bananas too strong? I've only eaten two and I'm already full."
Lind rubbed his stomach in disbelief, feeling the warm energy surging through his gut.
"If I can't eat anymore, might as well go for a run around the island. People in this world are built differently anyway—post-meal workouts shouldn't be a problem."
With that, he jogged five laps around the island. It was roughly ten kilometers total.
When he returned, his face was only slightly flushed, and his breathing was steady.
"Digestion's done. Guess I can eat another. Not sure if it's the fruit, or my constitution."
In his previous life, eating a meal and then running ten kilometers would've been a death wish, not a workout.
But Lind now felt stronger than ever.
It might've been the mutant banana's effect, or perhaps the inherent physical superiority of people in this world.
After all, the fruit was small. The sense of fullness may have been an illusion caused by the sudden surge of energy, which quickly burned away with activity.
"Next is strength training. At this rate, my growth will be terrifyingly fast."
Lind wasted no time. He ate another banana, then began his training: push-ups, sit-ups, lifting heavy stones.
"Huff, huff—"
"Seven thousand six hundred fifty-four..."
"Seven thousand six hundred fifty-five..."
He gripped a massive tree trunk, over a meter in diameter, and did squats with it on his back.
Thanks to the combination of mutant bananas and intense training, Lind's physical abilities had improved drastically in just three months.
He now stood at six-foot-one, with a broad, muscular torso that made his transformation obvious at a glance.
"Nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine..."
"One thousand!"
With a grunt, Lind hurled the massive tree aside and grabbed another banana before heading deeper into the island.
"It's been three months, and I'm on my third round of mutations. Still barely anything good... Just a few decent bananas. It's too damn hard."
"And those bananas I tried planting—who knows if the mutation can be passed down?"
As he walked, Lind muttered to himself about the Mutation Fruit's uncontrollable nature.
Eventually, he arrived at his destination—a towering coconut tree nearly thirty meters high.
With practiced ease, Lind began his mutation ritual.
"With the name Lind, I awaken your slumbering potential."
Though he had long since realized that the ritual chants didn't actually affect anything, he still said them out of habit, for the sake of atmosphere.
Soon, a smile crept across his face.
"A golden legend! Finally hit the jackpot!"
The coconuts had turned a shimmering gold. Excited, Lind muttered:
"So this world really has spiritual energy... or psychic power? If this fruit's legit, maybe I won't be branded an abomination?"
"Whatever. Time to test it."
His well-trained body scaled the tree with ease. He picked a few of the best-looking golden coconuts.
No need for rocks to crack them open. A single motion from his claw-shaped grip shattered the shell, revealing the juice and meat inside.
One gulp and Lind felt like he might ascend on the spot. The pleasure radiating from deep within his brain was nearly overwhelming.
He quickly devoured several coconuts, juice and all.
The quantity triggered a qualitative change. A unique energy began building in his mind, gathering momentum.
After five minutes, it finally stabilized.
Lind closed his eyes and began testing this new ability.
"Up!"
"Go!"
A stone the size of his shin lifted into the air, dancing through the sky under the control of his willpower.
"Hahaha! This fruit is insane! I only ate a few and already have this level of power!"
"Unless someone has Observation Haki or a Logia Fruit, I can take them down easily now."
"I still don't know how I rank in terms of physical strength in this world, but with this psychic power, I can at least defend myself."
"Come on, someone send a ship already. I need a place where I can truly put my agri-science knowledge to use!"
Grinning like a madman, Lind waved toward the sea, the urge to set out growing stronger.
"I'll check the beach again. Today's a rest day anyway—maybe I'll find some decent seafood."
"Too bad I scared off the seabirds. Haven't seen one in days. Now I'm surviving on seafood and fruit."
Excited by his recent success with the coconuts, Lind decided to skip training for the day and take it easy.
He returned to his base and grabbed the wooden bucket he had hollowed out by hand. Time to hunt.
With his enhanced physique, Lind circled the island quickly, collecting a half-bucket of crabs, scallops, and other shellfish.
Then, taking another bucket and his fishing rod, he went to his favorite fishing spot.
Given his current strength, he was no longer at risk of slipping into the water like before.
As for bait, that was solved weeks ago. One day he mutated an unfamiliar fruit tree, and its fruit began emitting a scent irresistible to fish. It had become his go-to bait ever since.
It was a dream come true for any angler. Using it to lure fish guaranteed a full bucket every time.
Ever since, Lind had never lacked fresh fish.
Sometimes, overwhelming bait really could brute force the entire fishing system. Within just a few dozen minutes, his bucket was full again.
With his haul in hand, Lind returned to his shelter and began prepping dinner.
He'd never been much of a cook, in either this life or the last. Especially when it came to seafood.
Most of his time lately had been spent on training, not refining culinary skills.
So, his meals were usually simple—basic stews.
He cleaned the fish, removed scales and guts, gave them a rinse, and tossed them straight into the pot.
Given his body's resilience, and the toughness of humans in this world in general, food poisoning wasn't really a concern.
Firewood from the island crackled beneath the stone stove he had fashioned with his own hands.
As the stew boiled, the smell of fresh seafood filled the air.
Simple, yes—but for a castaway like Lind, it was a rare luxury.
He sat watching the bubbling pot, mind drifting.
The past three months had been fulfilling—but humans were social creatures.
After three months of isolation with barely any entertainment, Lind yearned deeply to return to the world.
"When will a ship finally come pick me up? Don't tell me I really have to build a boat by hand? I'm no Luffy!"
"If I keep eating seafood and fruit every day, I'll lose my mind!"
Drinking down a full bowl of seafood stew in one gulp, Lind couldn't help but complain aloud.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!