"Then, I'm digging in!!"
In the clearing, Goku, who had already put his clothes back on, didn't care about the heat and pounced on the roasted pig, tearing into it like a wild animal.
Before long, only a pristine skeleton remained on the roasting rack.
"Ha! Finally, I'm not hungry anymore."
Standing there with grease smeared across his face, Goku patted his stomach contentedly and let out a bright, satisfied smile.
It was only then that Luffy, standing nearby, finally realized the gravity of the situation—his meat was gone!!
"Hey! I said you could have some, but I didn't say you could eat the whole thing!!"
Luffy yelled, looking at Goku in a frenzy.
In the original story, he was the one usually being scolded for eating his friends' food; now, he was finally getting a taste of his own medicine.
If Nami, Usopp, and the others were there to see Goku avenging them, they would have probably treated Goku like royalty.
"Ha, ha, sorry. I was just so hungry, I finished it before I knew it."
Seeing Luffy's stern reprimand, Goku rubbed his head sheepishly.
Then, remembering something, he said, "Oh, right! How about I go catch a big fish for you? I was actually planning to go fishing earlier anyway."
"Fishing?"
Luffy blinked, his eyes suddenly lighting up.
"You're going to catch me a big fish? If that's the case, then I'll forgive you!"
He grinned and patted Goku's shoulder.
"Mhm! Just wait for me, I'll be right back!"
Goku stripped off the clothes he had just put on, and with his short legs spinning like windmills, he dashed toward the coast at breakneck speed.
Luffy stood there stroking his chin, happily imagining what kind of fish Goku would bring back, even drooling a bit at the thought.
But suddenly, a thought struck him: a Lord of the Coast frequently prowled these nearby waters.
The beast was ferocious and loved attacking humans who fell into the sea.
He remembered how he had nearly been eaten when he was younger; if Shanks hadn't saved him, he would have been reincarnated years ago.
As luck would have it, the very thing he feared came to pass.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the unique roar of a Lord of the Coast echoed from the shore.
"Roar!!"
Luffy's expression changed instantly. He stretched his arm, grabbed a tree branch, and swung through the air toward the coast like a monkey on a pendulum.
*You better be okay! Whatever-your-name-is!*
In his desperation, he swung much faster than usual, clearing the forest and reaching the coast in just a few seconds.
He quickly scanned the water and saw the massive shape of the Lord of the Coast surfacing. Without thinking, he prepared to launch a Gum-Gum Pistol to knock it out.
But right then, Goku burst out of the water and leaped onto the shore, hauling a giant tail over his shoulder.
"Oh, what are you doing here? Perfect timing! Look, I caught a huge fish for you!"
Goku beamed with a brilliant smile, dragging the foaming-at-the-mouth Lord of the Coast onto land step by step. Luffy stood there frozen, his readied Gum-Gum Pistol instantly fizzling out.
"You... you killed it?"
He mouthed the words, finally managing to ask the question.
"Yeah, who else?"
Goku tilted his head curiously.
"How old are you?"
"Twelve. Why?"
"Hmm... twelve years old."
Luffy rubbed his chin, trying to recall if he could have beaten a Lord of the Coast when he was twelve.
He thought about it but couldn't come up with an answer since he hadn't actually fought one back then, so who knew?
One thing he did know for sure: since Goku defeated the Lord of the Coast so quickly, his strength was definitely impressive.
Consequently, an idea instantly popped into his head.
"Hey, in a little while, I'm going out to sea to be a pirate. When that happens, be my companion!"
...
On the first island Goku arrived at after reaching the East Blue.
"Vice Admiral Garp, we've searched the entire island, but there's no sign of Goku."
A First Lieutenant reported to Garp.
"According to a boy named Lian, he met Goku on the eastern shore. He accidentally fell into the water and was rescued by Goku."
"Afterward, Goku declined his invitation, and they parted ways. The east coast was the last place Goku was seen."
After hearing the report, Garp rubbed his chin but hadn't spoken yet when Lansa spoke up anxiously. "Vice Admiral Garp, do you think Goku might be in danger?"
Garp waved his hand dismissively, calm and composed. "Nah. Don't you know how strong that kid is? You couldn't even beat him yourself. What kind of danger could he possibly run into on this island?"
"Then why can't we find him?"
Garp gazed out at the endless sea, a look of wisdom in his eyes.
"I think he definitely went out to sea. That little rascal told me before that he didn't want a boat and would rather swim across the ocean. I thought he'd agreed to take a boat, but it turns out he just ran off on his own."
"That's..."
Lansa was completely speechless.
*Swimming across the ocean? That kid really has some nerve!*
"Then... does this count as an illegal departure?"
World Government regulations stated that anyone taking a ship out to sea without permission was considered an illegal departure.
But currently, Goku wasn't relying on a ship; he was swimming.
Under these circumstances, could it still be considered illegal?
Garp stroked his beard and suddenly burst into laughter. "Hahaha! That's my Goku! He actually found such a massive loophole!"
"Since he's not piloting a ship, it obviously can't be an illegal departure! Hahahaha!"
Lansa's lip twitched.
*Vice Admiral Garp, is it possible Goku doesn't even know that ban exists?*
*Just what kind of mental gymnastics are you doing?!*
...
"A pirate? You're saying you want to be a pirate?"
Back on the coast, Goku was excitedly dragging the Lord of the Coast ashore when he heard Luffy's invitation. He couldn't help but frown.
"Yeah, I'm gonna be a pirate."
Luffy stood with his hands on his hips, grinning widely.
"Are you a bad guy? Why do you want to be a pirate?" Goku asked seriously, setting down the Lord of the Coast.
"Because the Pirate King is the person with the most freedom in the world!" Luffy answered.
"Freedom?"
Goku blinked.
"Exactly! The only reason to be a pirate is for freedom. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't do it!"
Goku blinked again, a smile returning to his face.
"Oh, so you're not doing it to be mean, but for freedom. I knew it; you don't look like a bad person at all."
To him, Luffy seemed completely different from the pirates he'd encountered on the island earlier, so he easily believed Luffy's explanation.
At the same time, a thought began to form in his mind:
*Maybe some people who are pirates aren't necessarily bad guys. I shouldn't jump to conclusions so easily in the future.*
"So, I'll take that as a yes then."
"By the way, what's your name? I still don't know who you are."
Luffy chattered on while Goku was lost in thought.
Goku looked up, slightly dazed, and introduced himself. "My name is Son Goku. You can just call me Goku."
Then he shook his head decisively. "But I don't want to be a pirate, and I'm not going to be one. You should go ask someone else!"
—
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