Back when Wood watched One Piece, all he saw as an observer were passionate battles and the touching bonds between companions.
But only after experiencing it firsthand did Wood truly understand just how vicious the so-called "pirates" really were.
Pirates like Luffy and his crew were few and far between on these seas.
In fact, it wouldn't be wrong to say that the Straw Hat Crew were more like adventurers than pirates.
There was no denying that some pirates, like Whitebeard and Shanks, protected their own territories.
But most pirates went to sea for profit and fame. They were hardly good people—otherwise, why would they be called "pirates"?
Since the arrival of the Great Pirate Era, the population of Maple Leaf Island had already fallen by more than a quarter.
Some had been killed by pirates, while others had grown tired of pirates showing up every few days and had chosen to leave the island.
But Wood knew that the Great Pirate Era had begun, and there wasn't a single place on the seas that was truly safe.
Even if he left Maple Leaf Island, who could guarantee he wouldn't run into other pirates out at sea?
The vast ocean was full of hope, but it was also incredibly dangerous. Those without experience who ventured out to sea almost never made it back alive.
Besides the possibility of encountering vicious pirates, there were countless other unpredictable dangers, from tsunamis to Sea Kings.
If he wanted to live in this world and be truly safe, then growing stronger was the only way.
Wood was already fifteen, and stood a full 1.8 meters tall. Judging by his appearance, he'd probably grow even more over the next couple of years.
He'd once been rather pleased with himself. At his height, and with looks far above average, Wood had easily imagined himself as the main character. Who wouldn't be happy to be reborn as a long-legged hunk?
But after learning that he was in the Pirate World, he'd started to think his height barely qualified him as "long-legged" by this world's standards.
The average height in the Pirate World was absurd, and people were generally overdeveloped. That was putting aside special races like the Giants.
Even ordinary humans like the Three Marine Admirals stood around three meters tall on average. And Hancock, the wife of so many One Piece fans, was 191 centimeters tall.
By comparison, at fifteen and 1.8 meters tall, Wood barely qualified as not being a dwarf in this world. He really wasn't tall at all...
But back to the point: those were just Wood's experiences on the island so far. His most important task now was to grow stronger.
After completing the task, Wood had received a chance to simulate a life. He didn't need the system to explain how it worked; he'd played plenty of life simulators in his previous life.
So after putting down his axe, Wood slumped to the ground and started his first life simulation.
"Age fifteen: After Maple Leaf Island, where you lived, was repeatedly pillaged and burned by pirates, you became furious and resolved to grow stronger. You began training your body day and night.
Age sixteen: Marine Headquarters recognized the strategic value of Maple Leaf Island and sent a warship there. But it happened to pass you as you were leaving the island...
Age seventeen: After leaving Maple Leaf Island, you gained some sailing skills over two years at sea and wiped out a small pirate crew.
Age eighteen: Young and hotheaded, you pursued a notorious pirate crew and eventually strayed into the Calm Belt.
Age nineteen: After getting lost in the Calm Belt, you managed to hold out for a while. But when your food ran out, you and your ship sank beneath the sea...
You have died. This simulation has ended."
Unlike the simulators Wood had played before, where it was easy to simulate living to several hundred and overcoming tribulations, this one showed only a few lines of information. Wood was left speechless.
How should he put it? It was unexpected, but also seemed perfectly reasonable.
These seas were full of danger. He wasn't King Luffy, who had relatives all over the ocean and the protagonist's halo protecting him.
The moment he decided to go to sea, he'd already been risking death.
Actually, for a newbie like Wood to venture out alone and survive at sea for several years—apparently taking down quite a few pirates along the way—was already more than he himself had expected.
"This simulation has ended. You may choose one of the following rewards:
1. The results of your physical training before leaving Maple Leaf Island.
2. The sailing knowledge you gained over several years at sea.
3. The belongings aboard your ship before you sank beneath the sea.
4. A random combat skill from a battle against pirates."
Looking at the four options that appeared, Wood hesitated briefly before choosing the fourth.
The first option seemed pretty good, but if he trained regularly over the next year, his physical fitness would improve anyway.
As for the second and third, they were practically useless to Wood at the moment.
Sailing knowledge and treasure were all well and good, but after seeing the outcome of the life he'd simulated, Wood clearly wouldn't choose to go to sea alone again. At least, he wouldn't set sail until he'd quietly grown strong enough!
The fourth option was a bit of a gamble. Choosing the first would directly save Wood a year of training, while with the fourth, there was no telling whether he'd end up with some useless ability.
Even so, after weighing the pros and cons, Wood chose the fourth reward.
The reason was simple: he could train his body anytime, but experience and skills gained from fighting enemies were far more valuable.
As the saying went, talking about war on paper could never compare to real combat!
Since Wood had managed to kill an unknown small pirate crew at eighteen, he must already have been fairly strong.
Even a little of his combat skill from back then would surely be more useful than training alone on the island.
"Ding! Congratulations. You have extracted one set of Sword Technique Insights."
When the reward appeared on the system screen, Wood had barely begun to grin with delight before a flood of memories poured into his mind.
Previously, Wood hadn't known the first thing about swords. But now, if he had a blade in his hand, he felt he could wield it as naturally as his own arm.
Before drowning, the Wood from the simulated life had already mastered Sword Technique Insights at the level of Cutting Steel, the ability to hear the breath of all things. Now, all that knowledge belonged to the Wood of the present.
Cutting Steel and External Slash were two hallmarks of a Swordsman. Though the eighteen-year-old Wood from the simulation couldn't yet unleash an External Slash, he'd clearly already reached the threshold of a Swordsman!
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