(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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Grand Line, New World
Uchiha Sasuke sat lazily in his room, bandages wrapped around his body.
He held the latest newspaper in hand, the headlines detailing the Whitebeard Pirates' retaliation against the Marines.
His injuries were nearly healed, but Marco, the Whitebeard Pirates best doctor, insisted on a few more days of rest.
And he couldn't argue with that, so here he was.
The Whitebeard Pirates had suffered no losses during their revenge operation, and even Jinbei had been freed from the Marines custody.
But Sasuke knew that this was far from over.
Whitebeard wasn't someone to let things slide so easily. The Marines would feel his wrath soon enough.
They had come for the one thing he considered the most important after all.
Three days after the incident, Whitebeard had struck.
The Marine G-5 branch was swallowed by massive waves.
Even though Garp intervened, he couldn't completely counter the devastating power of the Gura-Gura no Mi.
Sengoku had anticipated the attack on that base, yet even so, they had lost it.
Though he didn't participate in the operation due to his injuries, Marco and the others had filled him in on every detail.
Yet, Sasuke's mind wasn't on that.
His thoughts, however, were preoccupied with one person: Uchiha Madara.
"Sigh"
"Why?" Sasuke muttered to himself, frustration evident in his voice.
"My power is even stronger than before, yet even when teaming up with Naruto, we couldn't defeat him."
His Sharingan glinted as his eyes filled with confusion.
The public narrative was that Madara had lost and that he and Naruto had triumphed with a slight edge.
But both he and Naruto knew the truth.
At the climax of their battle, Madara wasn't defeated—he was interrupted and called away by Colt.
He and Naruto had only been barely holding their ground against him.
Madara's Conqueror's Haki was terrifying, surpassing anything Sasuke had imagined.
His massive Susanoo, hundreds of meters tall, crackled with red lightning, each attack reverberating with catastrophic force.
Even Naruto's Kurama-enhanced power couldn't tip the scales to their side.
The gap between them felt insurmountable.
Unable to make sense of it, Sasuke reached for the transponder snail and called Colt.
In Water 7, Colt had been enjoying the sights with Nami and Robin when the call came in.
Listening to Sasuke's question, he responded after a brief pause.
"There's something I can't explain here. Wait for me a moment."
He turned to Nami and Robin. "You two go ahead and explore. I've got something to handle."
After they nodded, Colt vanished.
****
Back aboard the ship, Sasuke suddenly found himself pulled into Colt's space through the Rinnegan's power.
"It's been a while Sasuke." Colt greeted, but Sasuke just nodded absently.
"Feeling defeated?" Colt teased, noticing Sasuke's dejected demeanor.
For once, Sasuke didn't snap back.
Lowering his head, he muttered.
"I don't understand why the gap between us keeps growing."
Colt smirked but quickly turned serious.
"Do you know what sets you apart from Madara?"
Sasuke lifted his gaze, eager to hear the answer.
"You're too proud. Pride can be a strength, but it's also a weakness." Colt's voice was steady as he analyzed the situation.
"Madara came into this world later than you, yet he's adapted much faster. You're still clinging too tightly to your bloodline powers."
Colt continued, "It's important to develop your Sharingan and Rinnegan, but you underestimate the systems of this world. Compared to your bloodline, Haki offers infinite possibilities."
To demonstrate, Colt unleashed a burst of pure Conqueror's Haki in the space they were in.
Thunder crackled, and the overwhelming pressure made Sasuke's expression falter.
"Feel that?" Colt asked.
"I do," Sasuke replied, his face pale.
"Pure Conqueror's Haki… It can even disrupt my chakra flow."
Colt nodded.
"Madara has found the right path. He's not limiting himself to ocular techniques or chakra alone. For him, strength is strength—no matter where it comes from.
"But you and Naruto? You're still relying too much on chakra."
He paused before adding.
"Naruto can get away with it because of his physical prowess and Kurama. You, on the other hand, need to expand your horizons."
Sasuke was silent, reflecting on Colt's words.
After a moment, he voiced another concern.
"Even if I embrace this world's systems, my physical aptitude isn't on Naruto's level. And I can't match Madara in raw power. How can I close the gap?"
Colt considered this carefully before offering a solution.
"Focus on swordsmanship. Hone it, master it. It will give you a unique edge."
With that, Colt's eyes gleamed with red light, and he transferred his swordsmanship knowledge directly to Sasuke.
"This is a personal gift—no points required."
Sasuke skimmed through the knowledge, his eyes wide with astonishment.
"Is this really the pinnacle of swordsmanship?"
"It is," Colt replied confidently.
"The world is only as vast as your ambition."
Colt conveniently avoided mentioning that his mastery of swordsmanship had been accelerated by a system talent:
[Unity of Man and Sword: Unparalleled swordsmanship talent. The sword becomes an extension of oneself. Training efficiency increased fiftyfold.]
Without that, it might have taken him years to reach his current level.
But Sasuke had potential, and Colt genuinely believed in him.
"I understand now," Sasuke said, determination returning to his voice. "I'll train hard."
*Clap*
Colt clapped his hands together.
"Great! Now that I've helped you, how about returning the favor?"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"What favor?"
Colt sighed dramatically.
"I'm a little short on funds. Building a ship isn't cheap, you know."
Relieved it was something minor, Sasuke asked, "How much?"
Colt grinned.
"Just 500 million berries."
Sasuke: "..."