Capítulo 354: Chapter 354: Two Jobs, One Salary!
(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)
****************
This time, Colt could sense Kizaru's genuine tone.
There was no other choice—if Kizaru wasn't sincere, he would die.
"If I had known of your power earlier, I wouldn't have bothered to fight back," Kizaru said sensibly, quickly adapting to the situation. "Now then what do you need from me?"
Colt responded calmly, "With your addition to our ranks, we now hold three high-ranking positions. However, that still isn't enough."
"We need to take control of the organization."
Kizaru having figured out that Colt could detect when he was lying, decided for now that he would be on Colt's side until he figured something out.
So, with that in mind, he came up with a plan.
"The prestige of Fleet Admiral Sengoku is too high right now, making it difficult to advance your people in the ranks. When Akainu is brought into the fold, and once Sengoku steps down, the whole organization can fall entirely under your control."
"If you're not impatient about it, we could also start from the bottom level and work our way up systematically."
Kizaru's analysis was clear, logical, and unexpectedly thorough—more so than Colt had anticipated.
"Hey, hey, Borsalino, don't you think you're going overboard?" Aokiji interrupted, frowning as Kizaru was about to continue.
"You're a Marine Admiral. Isn't this beneath you?"
Aokiji couldn't fathom why Kizaru's attitude had shifted so drastically.
Was it genuine, or was it merely a ruse to lower Colt's guard?
Regardless of the reason, Aokiji decided that Kizaru's words needed to be curtailed.
If Sengoku overheard this, he'd likely faint from anger.
"Kuzan, it's meaningless to dwell on such things now. If you still think of yourself as a Marine Admiral, you should've stepped up instead of leaving me to suffer earlier," Kizaru retorted, smirking at Aokiji, and with that, his mood improved.
"Do you really think someone like Akainu would willingly join us?" Colt interjected, dismissing Kizaru's jabs.
His tone turned cold. "Knowing his personality, he would rather die than submit. That would likely be his only ending."
"However, if he's a hindrance to the plan, I can assist and eliminate him directly."
Aokiji and Kizaru froze, chills running down their spines.
They immediately rejected Colt's suggestion.
"Let's hold off on that for now," Aokiji replied. "Killing a Marine Admiral would create too much chaos and destabilize the entire system."
"Isn't that precisely what you want to avoid?"
Neither Aokiji nor Kizaru doubted Colt's ability to kill Akainu.
If Kizaru's speed couldn't escape Colt's grasp, Akainu would fare no better.
"Alright then," Colt said indifferently.
He had merely been teasing the two of them.
"I'm not some reckless murderer."
Colt stretched out his arm, forming a luminous sphere of chakra in his hand.
Both Uchiha Madara and Naruto turned their heads in unison.
"That is..."
"The Five-Tails, Kokuō," Colt said, addressing Kizaru.
"I can tell that you are now genuinely working with us, but I know that you might be thinking of a way to escape in the future or waiting for something. However, as a gesture of goodwill, I'll offer you a gift as a start."
The chakra condensed into a pure white beast, shaped like a horse, adorned with several horns on its head and five swishing tails behind it.
Kizaru waved his hand dismissively, forcing a smile. "There's no need for such generosity..."
Instinctively, he felt uneasy.
A sense of danger emanated from the energy form before him.
"Refusal isn't an option," Colt replied, shaking his head as he pressed his palm downward.
He wasn't about to trust him that easily.
Boom!
Suddenly, Kizaru felt an overwhelming force of gravity pinning him in place.
"Go," Colt instructed Kokuō.
"Assist him and lend your strength when needed."
Kokuō nodded, releasing its chakra into Kizaru's body.
Only then did Colt lift the restraints on him.
Kizaru tested his newfound power, throwing a casual punch that split the ground with ease.
"What Kokuō specializes in is the Boil Style," Colt explained. "Think of it as pure, concentrated strength. You should feel the difference by now."
Kizaru remained silent. He had often been criticized for his subpar close-quarter combat by Zephyr many times before, but with Kokuō's power-enhancing him, that weakness was no longer an issue.
However, the price for this power was steep—he now shared his body with a tailed beast.
Simply put, he now had no other choice but to work for Colt.
At the same time, Kizaru finally noticed the dormant presence of the Nine-Tails within Naruto.
He didn't know it was the nine tails of course but he figured Naruto had something similar to him.
"So that's why... Naruto never consumed any Devil Fruit," Kizaru muttered to himself.
"Alright," Colt said, gesturing for Madara to follow him.
"You old friends and new colleagues can catch up now. Madara and I have some matters to discuss."
Colt and Madara walked off, leaving the remaining group to themselves.
Quietly, Nami and her companions slipped away, wanting no part in the clash between Admirals.
Before leaving, Robin cast a brief look at Aokiji.
****
"Haah..."
Kizaru stuffed his hands into his pockets, staring at the lingering barrier with a melancholic look.
"Life feels so bleak," he sighed.
"I'm just an ordinary worker. Why am I burdened with this kind of pain?"
"Things might not be as bad as you think," Aokiji remarked, conjuring an ice chair and sitting down leisurely.
"Based on my observations, Colt's presence might actually be a good thing for this world."
Kizaru shot him an exasperated look.
"Easy for you to say. You're not the one hosting a monster in your body."
"Uncle Kizaru," Naruto interjected, frowning, "Kokuō isn't a monster! Tailed beasts aren't evil. I'm sure you can become friends with Kokuō!"
Kizaru chuckled dryly, choosing not to refute Naruto.
Instead, he shifted the topic. "Tell me—when you joined Colt, what convinced you to side with him?"
After hesitating briefly, Aokiji began recounting how he had defected.
"So, you betrayed the Marines... all for the sake of that wanted girl?" Kizaru asked his expression one of genuine shock.
"That's not entirely accurate," Aokiji replied. "It was his strength that convinced me. For the first time, I saw hope for destroying the World Government and its rotten system."
"Besides, an Admiral who's alive is still useful. A dead one isn't."
Kizaru sighed deeply, unable to argue against Aokiji's reasoning.
Looking up at the sky, he lamented, "My life is miserable! I'm working two jobs, but only getting one salary!"
Capítulo 355: Chapter 355: Enough chaos?
(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)
****************
Hearing Kizaru's lament, Aokiji couldn't help but shake his head.
This guy was nothing short of a miracle for the Marines.
When it comes to Admirals, who cares about their salary?
But Kizaru was different.
Every payday, he argues with the logistics department, meticulously calculating his overtime hours.
Not even a single minute was left unclaimed.
Now, things were even more absurd.
'So, all your frustration earlier was because Colt didn't mention your compensation?' Aokiji was stunned.
'As expected of you, Kizaru!'
****
On the other side, Colt had brought Madara to a secluded forest.
"Kaido's side is relatively stable," Madara began.
Madara crossed his arms and replied with a calm yet commanding demeanor. "Kaido of course wouldn't surrender so easily. The weapons he provided are likely fewer than agreed upon. Still, he knows his place—for now."
Kaido, like all the ambitious Four Emperors, needed to have his beliefs shattered completely to be subdued.
"That's fine," Colt continued.
"Once the Shinobi Nation masters [Haki] and the [Six Styles], they will come to Wanokuni. At that point, you will take full command of the operation."
Colt's tone turned serious.
"Remember, the enemies are not just Kaido and his crew. Wanokuni still has remnants of Kozuki Oden's forces."
Madara frowned slightly at the mention of the name.
"Kozuki Oden? That fool? His subordinates are no better—unworthy opponents at best."
Having spent time in Wanokuni, Madara was familiar with the history of Kozuki Oden, the indecisive former leader who trusted the wrong people.
To Madara, Oden's actions were the mark of a weak and unfit leader.
"Don't underestimate the will of this land," Colt retorted sharply.
"Though Oden was foolish, his deeds have become legendary in Wanokuni. If his former followers, the Nine Red Scabbards, return, they could incite the people into a frenzy."
Colt clenched his fist, his eyes gleaming with ambition. "I don't just want Wanokuni's territory. I want its people—all of them—loyal to the Shinobi Nation!"
Madara was silent for a moment before nodding.
"Understood. When I return, I'll deal with it."
Colt stayed silent.
****
After finishing their discussion, Colt prepared to fulfill a promise he had made.
The Nine Tomoe Rinnegan emerged in Colt's eyes, releasing a portion of [Ōtsutsuki]-style chakra.
Madara's body stiffened as the chakra overwhelmed him.
It was a force far beyond his own, a crushing presence from a higher plane of existence.
"This chakra... It's from an Ōtsutsuki?!"
Few knew the Ōtsutsuki clan better than Madara, who had once wielded the Gedo Statue and all the Tailed Beasts.
Yet, the chakra Colt now held was on a far higher level than anything he had experienced.
Colt smirked. "A gift from a certain Ōtsutsuki."
He briefly explained the encounter with Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, leaving Madara momentarily stunned.
"I didn't expect there to be another Ōtsutsuki beyond Kaguya," Madara muttered, his expression twisting into something between shock and amusement.
"Although... isn't that the name of your dog?"
The absurd coincidence momentarily deflated the grandiosity of the moment.
"My dog is named Ichibi, it's similar but not the same"
Colt briefly explained and then began focusing on his task. Two strands of chakra detached from the orb in his hand and entered Madara's body.
"That's all?" Madara asked, clearly unimpressed.
Colt glared at him.
"Do you have any idea how valuable this chakra was? Even this amount was significant."
With Colt's help, the chakra fused seamlessly with Madara's own.
Moments later, the ripple patterns of the Rinnegan appeared in his eyes once again.
"Hahahaha! My Rinnegan is back!" Madara exclaimed, his aura surging with newfound power.
He even glanced at Colt with a hidden intent in his eyes.
Colt smirked and unleashed a burst of his own pressure, forcing Madara's aura to subside.
"You're still far from the level you need to be," Colt warned.
Madara clenched his teeth but said nothing, silently acknowledging the truth.
****
Colt returned to the group where Aokiji and Kizaru were waiting.
Kizaru immediately approached with a smile. "Colt-san, about the salary matter..."
"Fine," Colt replied with a wave of his hand.
"I'll double whatever the Marines pay you, plus a bonus for each mission. Happy now?"
Kizaru's face lit up.
The thought of earning two times his usual salary while doing half the work erased all of his earlier frustrations.
Colt turned to leave.
"The rest is up to you. I'll be on my way."
Aokiji sighed.
"It's impossible not to attract attention after killing two Celestial Dragons. The Five Elders must already have your name on their list."
"Then give them something else to focus on," Colt said cryptically as he walked away.
Naruto, scratching his head, looked confused. "What does he mean by that?"
Before anyone could answer, Madara appeared before them, his eyes gleaming with challenge.
"It's simple," Madara said, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "If I create enough chaos, no one will be looking at what he had done."
The three didn't understand how he could do that, but Madara's grin widened.
"Come on, the three of you—let's see what you've got!"
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