(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. sp.atreon/INeedRest)
*************
"What fruit?"
Colt blinked, montarily confused by the sudden question.
"What...?" Sasuke growled through gritted teeth.
"Did you forget what you told back then?"
Even though they were separated by hundreds of miles, Colt could feel the resentnt seeping through Sasuke's tone.
"Wait, let think," Colt said, massaging his temples.
He had shared countless conversations with Sasuke, so how was he supposed to know which one he ant?
As soone who often made ridiculous promises, there was no way he could rember them all.
After a long mont of thought, he ventured, "Are you talking about the Dark Fruit?"
"If not, then what else?" Sasuke retorted.
His sharp reply left Colt montarily speechless.
To be honest, Colt had only used the fruit as a way to motivate Sasuke to join the Whitebeard Pirates.
After all, he couldn't expect Sasuke to just accept a new "father" outright.
That would be a surefire way to provoke Sasuke into a life-or-death battle with him.
What Colt hadn't anticipated was that Sasuke would actually find the Dark-Dark Fruit. It almost seed like he had made it his main mission instead, with how he was so angry that Colt forgot.
"Wait a second," Colt said, his expression turning serious.
"I don't rember telling you what the Devil Fruit looked like. How did you confirm it was the real deal? Don't tell you let soone eat it!"
The Dark-Dark Fruit was no ordinary item in the One-Piece world.
Its appearance had caused massive shifts in the world's balance. It had led to the downfall of one of the original Four Emperors, the decimation of the Pirate King's bloodline, and had even played a part in Luffy's transformation into a determined, unstoppable force.
If soone random ate it... even Colt would feel a pang of pain.
"How could I do sothing so careless?" Sasuke scoffed.
"The second Hokage with his network got his hands on a more detailed Devil Fruit guide from the World Governnt. It had an entry on that Devil Fruit."
Hearing this, Colt let out a breath of relief.
"Alright, that's a weight off my shoulders. But how exactly did you find it?"
Sasuke then recounted the events leading up to his discovery.
As it turned out, the situation had a lot to do with the Whitebeard Pirates' territory and Sasuke's relentless drive to train.
Recently, Sasuke had been imrsed in training his swordsmanship, inspired by insights Colt had shared with him.
While the Whitebeard Pirates were idling in their own waters, Sasuke had ventured out alone to hone his skills.
His training thod? Splitting entire islands in half.
Yesterday, during one such session, Sasuke sliced an island cleanly into two and discovered a Devil Fruit hidden within the rubble.
The fruit was unidentifiable based on the Whitebeard Pirates' Devil Fruit guide, which led him to seek confirmation from Tobirama.
Tobirama's swift response had confird it: the Dark-Dark Fruit.
Colt fell silent after hearing the tale.
While everything seed logical, it still felt utterly absurd.
Was this just the luck of soone destined for greatness?
"Keep that fruit safe," Colt said firmly.
"Don't let anyone from the Whitebeard Pirates know about it. One day, it'll serve a greater purpose."
Sasuke nodded in agreent before the two shared so additional updates and ended their
conversation.
****
Several days later, Colt's ship exited the Calm Belt and re-entered the Grand Line.
However, instead of heading toward Sabaody Archipelago as they had decided, they were sailing toward the ominous waters near Thriller Bark.
Deidara and Sasori had reached out to Colt, inviting him to their territory.
Suspicious of their intentions, Colt decided to make a detour.
****
Deidara and Sasori were an odd duo.
The forr was an explosive fanatic, while the latter was obsessed with perfecting his puppet
art.
Compared to the other Warlords of the Sea, they were relatively harmless-at least until Deidara decided to test his new explosive clay near the infamous Thriller Bark.
When Nami heard of their destination, she paled.
"Are we really going there? They say Thriller Bark is haunted!"
Even Robin, usually calm and collected, appeared uneasy.
She buried herself in researching Thriller Bark, only to grow more anxious the more she read.
Observing their reactions, Colt maintained a serious deanor.
But inside, he was struggling to contain his laughter.
As their ship entered the eerie, mist-filled waters, Colt finally burst out laughing.
Realizing they had been tricked, both won retaliated with playful but irritated punches.
Robin's attacks, enhanced by her [Hana-Hana no Mi], were particularly impactful.
****
"Hahaha! Colt, it's been a while!"
Deidara's boisterous voice echoed from above as a giant clay bird descended.
He and Sasori-still in his youthful form-landed on the shore.
"Do you want to witness my latest masterpiece?" Deidara asked with a manic grin.
"Idiot," Sasori said with a deadpan expression. "Do you think your pathetic art would work on
him?"
"Damn it, Sasori! Can't you at least let have my mont?" Deidara fud.
"One day, I'll create a piece of art that'll blow him away!"
Colt sighed, stepping off the ship with Nami and Robin in tow.
"You didn't summon just to listen to your bickering, did you?"
The two exchanged glances before Deidara broke into a grin.
"Of course not. We have a gift for you."
"A gift?" Colt asked skeptically. "What kind of gift?"
Deidara's grin widened as he answered.
"A new crew mber."
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