(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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"You actually came looking for me? Is there some kind of trouble?"
In the dark spiritual space, Colt's spirit body materialized, a surprised expression on his face as he looked at Kisame.
"Nothing troublesome. I just have something to report…
"Go ahead then," Colt was a bit intrigued.
"I was on my way to Alabasta, and everything was going smoothly, but I came across Sasuke…"
Kisame briefly reported his journey before mentioning Sasuke and what had transpired.
"Huh, Sasuke's got something going on with Ace?" Colt mused, surprised.
It was weird to see Sasuke partnering up with someone in this world.
But after a moment's thought, Colt found it not too unbelievable.
According to Kisame's description, Ace's personality was rough and carefree.
Sasuke had always had a soft spot for such people.
Poor Naruto, though—he might just lose Sasuke's heart to someone else…
Colt chuckled to himself, a playful thought crossing his mind:
Maybe Naruto should meet Ace, and the three of them can have a proper love triangle.
Suddenly, Colt recalled a meme from his past life.
Naruto: Why? It should have been me, not him!
The more he thought about it, the more amusing it became and his smile widened.
"Don't worry about it too much," Colt said, waving his hand dismissively.
"The task I gave you doesn't have a strict time limit."
"Everyone has their own path to follow. You don't need to be so rigid about it."
Colt wasn't exactly what you'd call a strict leader.
He preferred to let his subordinates have a lot of freedom, as long as they didn't test the limits of his patience.
He set up broader goals and allowed them to handle the details however they saw fit.
This hands-off approach, however, also made him a remarkably effective leader.
His leniency kept everyone motivated and empowered.
As long as no one crossed the line, Colt didn't interfere or care about what they did.
Sasuke influencing the Whitebeard Pirates?
A success in Colt's eyes.
After all, they still had plenty of time of sailing ahead of them—no rush.
"Colt-sama, you're too understanding. Having a leader like you in this world is truly a blessing," Kisame said, showing his respect.
Then, after a pause, Kisame voiced his concern.
"But, if… I mean, hypothetically, if Sasuke forms deep bonds with the people in this world, will it impact your plans?"
Kisame wasn't wrong to worry.
Technically, they were invaders.
Everyone in this world could be considered an enemy.
If Sasuke got too attached and somehow revealed Colt's existence or his plans, it could cause problems.
Colt, however, remained unconcerned.
"Don't be so tense. Sasuke knows very well what to do and what not to do."
"Besides, we're not here as invaders. We're here to rescue these people from their miserable lives. No matter how things change for them, their situation won't get worse at the very least."
Kisame fell silent.
Colt's words rang true.
The people of this world had it worse than those in the ninja world.
They were oppressed by nobles, terrorized by pirates, and betrayed by corrupt Marines.
He had seen it all firsthand over the past few months.
After reassuring Kisame to leave Sasuke to his own devices, Colt cut off the connection and returned to the present.
"Next!"
A long line stretched before him as patients awaited their turn, while Nami sat nearby, happily counting the money they were making.
After leaving Windmill Village, they had started traveling from island to island, offering healing services.
He claimed to have eaten a healing devil fruit and set up a small table wherever he went to treat the sick.
Initially, Colt had intended to offer his services for free, but under Nami's relentless pressure, he charged a modest fee—100 Berries per treatment.
Nami's greed for money was insatiable.
One could ask for her life, but never touch her money!
For many people, the small fee was but the price of a newspaper—affordable for just about anyone.
At first, people doubted Colt's abilities, but after seeing him heal a few injured people in seconds, those doubts quickly vanished.
Soon, everyone wanted to experience the legendary healing power of the Devil Fruit, even if they weren't sick.
In no time, Colt found himself swamped with patients, while Nami happily acted as the cashier, gleefully counting the coins. Although 100 Beli wasn't much individually, the growing pile was satisfying.
Over the past two months, they had traveled across three islands, moving at a slow pace.
What had they achieved in that time? After all, Luffy had traveled the Grand Line and participated in the Summit War in just sixty-eight days.
Compared to that, Colt's pace was almost tortoise-like, so there wasn't much they achieved.
"Hey, another one with nothing to give," Colt muttered, waving away a patient.
Of course, Colt also had another reason: gaining points for his healing.
"Next!"
The problem with healing so many people was that the system extracted attributes and points based on the strength of the person being treated.
While the average physical fitness of people in the pirate world was decent, many of them provided no attributes at all.
Even when someone did, it was often just a minuscule amount—0.1 or 0.2 at best.
In two months, despite all the healing he had done, Colt's physical and spiritual stats had barely increased.
"Starting tomorrow, we'll pick up the pace and head straight for the Grand Line."
That evening, lying on a deck chair, Colt made up his mind.
"Huh? Didn't you say we were taking it slow?" Nami asked, stopping her money-counting to look at him in confusion.
Colt sighed.
Could he really explain that the people on the Grand Line were stronger and would provide him with better attributes?
"I've heard people say that people on the Grand Line are wealthier and have more treasure," Colt lied.
Immediately, Nami's eyes sparkled like stars.
"Really? In that case, let's skip Shimotsuki Village and head straight to the Grand Line!"
"Wait… did you say Shimotsuki Village?"
Colt's interest was piqued at her mention of the village.
"Yeah. It's our next stop"
"I've changed my mind. We'll go to that Village first, then head to the Grand Line."