On the way home, Garp glanced at Goku, whose face was beaming with joy, and couldn't help but rub his chin.
'Strange. Little Goku is indeed very likable, but I didn't expect Gion to be so fond of him.'
'At this rate, is this kid going to charm countless women when he grows up?'
He mused for a while, then chuckled.
'Why worry about that? It's a great thing that Gion likes Goku. Now I can go to her place for a meal legitimately!'
'After all, Gion wouldn't be so heartless as to feed Goku while keeping me outside!'
...
The next evening.
When Goku skipped into Tsuru and Gion's home with excitement, Gion slapped the door shut just as Garp was about to enter.
Looking at the iron door less than a centimeter from the tip of his nose, Garp scratched his head awkwardly and knocked.
"Hey, Gion, I'm still out here."
Gion's voice came from inside: "What are you doing here? We didn't invite you for dinner tonight."
Garp felt his teeth ache.
'Was this woman really so cold and heartless?'
Just as he was about to leave, he heard Goku and Tsuru from within.
"Sister Gion, just let Grandpa Garp in to eat. He really loves the food you make."
"Gion, let Garp in. Do you really mean to keep him outside?"
Garp stopped in his tracks.
Two seconds later, Gion opened the door and curled her lip. "Remember, I'm only letting you in for my sister's and little Goku's sake."
Garp rubbed his head and laughed. "Hahaha! I know. Thank you for the hospitality."
"Hmph! Just a 'thank you' is useless. Listen up, if you want to come over for dinner in the future, you have to pay a meal fee!"
Gion spoke bluntly.
"A meal fee? Of course, no problem!"
Garp's eyes lit up, and he quickly agreed.
A measly fee couldn't possibly stop him from eating here.
After all, if the food Gion prepared were sold elsewhere, people would be clamoring for it!
"One million Berries per visit."
Gion threw the words over her shoulder as she walked into the house.
Garp's smile instantly froze on his face.
"O-one million Berries?!"
...
The night was silent, save for the faint rustle of the wind.
Inside Garp's house, both he and Goku were fast asleep on the bed, neither possessing a trace of decorum.
One had a foot dangling off the edge while his left pinky was lodged in a nostril, looking as if he'd drifted off mid-pick.
The other had rotated ninety degrees and was lying perpendicular to Garp, with his short legs draped over the man's body.
Suddenly, Garp mumbled in his sleep, "Lu... Luffy, Grandpa is going to raise you to be a proper Marine."
A moment later, Garp suddenly raised his arm, clenched his fist, and slammed it down!
"Luffy! If you dare become a pirate, I'll give you a taste of Grandpa's Iron Fist of Love!!"
Bang!!
The punch landed squarely on Goku's head, jolting him awake instantly.
"Waaah! That hurts! Grandpa Garp, what are you doing!"
Goku sat up, grimacing and clutching his throbbing, red forehead as he glared at Garp.
However, Garp's eyes remained closed, a snot bubble expanding and contracting with every breath.
Vaguely, he could hear the old man's sleep-talking: "You... you absolutely cannot... become a pirate..."
Goku blinked, and his anger faded.
"What's this? He was just dreaming."
He rubbed his forehead, adjusted himself back to a normal position on his pillow, and closed his eyes.
Before long, he was sound asleep again.
A few moments later, one of Garp's eyes cracked open. Seeing that Goku was back to sleep, a smile played across his lips.
He then closed his eyes and drifted off as well.
...
And so, Goku temporarily settled into life at Marine Headquarters.
His daily routine followed a strict four-point path.
Upon waking, he would eat breakfast at the cafeteria and then head to the abandoned dock to punch ship hulls.
At noon, he would return to the cafeteria for lunch before heading home for a nap.
After waking up, he would go back to the dock to continue his training. As the sun began to set, he would return home to wash off the sweat and then head to Gion and Tsuru's house for a grand meal.
After dinner, he would study under Tsuru's guidance. She taught him cultural knowledge, focusing on the meanings and usage of various words, as well as basic arithmetic.
The three of them had realized that Goku's academic foundation was severely lacking. He didn't understand common vocabulary and struggled with math, so they decided to tutor him.
Although Goku found it a major headache, he had been forced to study like this by Master Roshi in the past. He wasn't entirely resistant, though he still studied with a bitter expression.
But as everyone knew, while Goku could maintain peak focus during training...
When it came to books, he was like any other failing student, nodding off as if the god of sleep himself had possessed him.
Whenever this happened, before Tsuru could even say a word, Garp's Iron Fist of Love would come crashing down, making Goku scream in pain.
According to Garp: "As long as the body is in enough pain, sleepiness will vanish."
Even Gion, who was very fond of Goku, didn't feel sorry for him. Instead, she watched with amusement as Goku glared at Garp.
'An angry little Goku is actually quite cute,' she thought.
...
Time flew by, and soon a week had passed.
One day, while Goku was on his way to the abandoned dock to train, a figure suddenly stepped out from the roadside and blocked his path.
"Huh? Aren't you that..."
Looking at the familiar face, Goku scratched his head, realizing he didn't know the man's name.
"Bogard. My name is Bogard."
It was the Marine genius Bogard, who had previously been left with his convictions shattered by Goku.
Of course, he no longer considered himself a genius.
In fact, if anyone called him one, he would fiercely rebuke them, telling them to stop with the hollow praise.
"Oh, oh! Hello, Bote! I'm Son Goku," Goku introduced himself politely.
"It's Bogard! Not Bote!"
Irritated, Bogard corrected him immediately.
"Oh, oh, so it's Boka."
Goku got it wrong again.
Bogard's face stiffened. He didn't bother correcting him again and instead said with a serious expression, "Son Goku, I came here today to tell you something."
"Even though your talent is greater than mine, I won't lose! One day, I will defeat you through my own hard work! I'll show everyone—"
"That even a genius can be defeated!!"
After his spirit had been crushed that day, he had been despondent for a long time.
But eventually, he had an epiphany. So what if the talent he once prided himself on was inferior? The sea was full of monsters; wasn't it normal to find someone more talented?
But did having less talent mean he could never surpass someone more gifted?
No! He refused to believe that!
He firmly believed that the less talented could defeat the gifted through sheer effort!
And he, Bogard, would be the one to prove it!
Goku looked at his burning fighting spirit, blinked, and then broke into a brilliant smile.
"Is that so? I understand. I'm looking forward to our next match."
Bogard stared at him for a long moment, then turned sharply and strode away.
"The next time we meet, I will be the one to defeat you!"
--
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]