(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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Colt sat lazily, inhaling deeply as the man across from him continued to speak about the day's events.
Although Colt had managed to bring the entire ninja world into his space, his current power wasn't strong enough to fully assimilate it.
Instead of becoming an asset, the ninja world had turned into a burden, draining a significant amount of his energy to maintain.
Though being a Six Paths-level shinobi was said to give world-level power, this typically refers to controlling something perhaps on the scale of the moon as an example.
Colt far surpassed the typical Six Paths class/level but had yet to undergo a true transformation in power.
The fact that he managed to pull the entire ninja world into his ocular space was largely a stroke of luck.
'Fortunately, it worked…'
This risky action could have led to some disastrous results. But he was thankful it did not.
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After only a few days of relative peace, Colt was forced to resume his journey of growing stronger once more.
With all his points spent on the system, Colt found himself following a path similar to that of the Ōtsutsuki clan—planting trees across different worlds.
Unlike them, however, he had the ability to plant his divine trees in any world of his choosing, expanding his influence across the multiverse.
His first target was the holy land of Mariejois, which he claimed as his nursery.
Half a month later, a battered pirate ship struggled through the Calm Belt, returning to the East Blue.
This feat was astonishing, as most pirates who entered the Grand Line never made it back.
Pirates had only two options: become stronger or perish in their pursuit.
The Calm Belt, with its lack of wind and monstrous Sea Kings, was a deadly barrier between the four seas and the Grand Line.
Onboard, the crew didn't seem relieved at their survival.
Instead, they nervously gathered outside the captain's quarters, and one of them who appeared as if he was the leader, asked through the door, "Sir, we've arrived back at the East Blue..."
"Mmm… That was fast. Head to the Shimotsuki Island, or whatever it's called," came a drowsy voice from inside.
The person's face paled.
"Sir, this wasn't what you said before..."
Before he could finish, a vine smashed through the door and wrapped tightly around him.
"Do you have a problem with that?" Colt slowly emerged, his gaze cold and unsettling.
"N-no, my lord," the man choked out, his face reddening as the vine constricted him.
His name was Hogg, captain of the Vicious Dog Pirates, a notorious group from East Blue.
Hogg had the ability of the Dog-Dog Fruit, which granted him the form of a massive hound.
He had once been feared across the East Blue but was now nothing more than a tool for Colt's ambitions.
Hogg's crew had fallen under Colt's influence after he effortlessly boarded their ship.
Despite Hogg's efforts to escape using everything they had, their fate was sealed.
After witnessing Colt's overwhelming power firsthand, they reluctantly agreed to help him return to the East Blue through the perilous Calm Belt.
Thanks to Colt, they only had to worry about the bad weather and not the sea monsters.
Colt released Hogg and stepped onto the deck.
He gazed toward the bustling town ahead and asked.
"Where are we?"
"LogueTown, my lord. It's the last resupply town before the reverse mountain, almost everyone passes through it to enter the Grand Line" a pirate quickly responded.
"LogueTown..." Colt's eyes lit up.
It was a famous landmark—the town where everything had begun.
The execution of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger had set the world ablaze and ushered in the Great Pirate Era.
Hogg limped behind Colt, explaining why they had docked in LogueTown.
Their ship had sustained heavy damage during the crossing and needed repairs, while the crew needed to restock fresh water and provisions.
Colt, despite his modest build, always ate the most at every meal, much to the cook's frustration.
"Alright, take care of your business," Colt said, dismissing the crew.
"And don't even think about escaping. It'll only make your deaths come faster."
Hogg shuddered, vividly recalling how Colt had effortlessly crushed various colossal Sea Kings with a casual wave of his hands.
He had no doubt that the threat was real. With a quick nod, he hurried off to carry out his orders.
Stepping off the ship, Colt began to wander through LogueTown.
As the last stop before entering the Grand Line and the site of the Pirate King's execution, the town was a tourist hotspot, drawing visitors from across the seas.
The architecture was vastly different from anything Colt had seen in the ninja world, and he felt oddly at peace as he strolled through the lively streets, browsing shops without buying anything—he was still broke for the moment.
Eventually, his wandering brought him to Town Hall Square, the site of Roger's execution.
A large crowd had gathered beneath the execution platform, talking in hushed tones about the infamous moment that had forever changed the world.
"Want my treasure? If you want it, you can have it! I left everything I gathered there!"
Roger's final words had unleashed a wave of ambition across the seas, sparking the Great Pirate Era.
Colt stood there, listening to the murmurs of the crowd, wondering how they felt about Roger's legacy.
"Would Roger regret saying those words? If he had lived, would he take them back?"
"Why would he take them back? He is a pirate, what he did added to the chaos, so he won't regret it!"
"That's true, but…"
The crow kept murmuring, but then…
"I don't know if Roger regrets it," a rough voice sounded from behind Colt.
"But if he were still alive, I'd arrest him to be executed once more!"
Colt turned to look at the person, curious to see who had spoken so confidently.