The bright moonlight spilled down softly, draping Foosha Village in a silver veil.
Party's Bar had closed early today, its doors shut tight, but anyone standing near the entrance could hear the rowdy commotion coming from within.
"Keep it up! You can't lose to this Luffy kid!"
"Exactly! You're the most likely person I, Old Nion, have ever seen to beat Luffy! You've got to win!"
"Quick, quick! Clear these empty plates and bring out the dishes Makino just finished!"
Inside the bar, the tables and chairs usually reserved for customers had been pushed into the corners, clearing a large space in the center.
In that clearing, a crowd of Foosha Village residents stood in a circle, shouting words of encouragement one after another.
Two other villagers pushed through the crowd, carrying out a stack of empty plates.
Moments later, they returned with plates piled high with food.
So, what exactly were they watching?
The answer was...
*Gulp, gulp!*
*Gulp, gulp!*
Inside the circle, Goku and Luffy sat amidst mountains of food. Their hands moved in a blur, shoveling plate after plate into their mouths.
Their cheeks were puffed out, twitching rhythmically like a pair of human-sized squirrels.
They devoured the food ravenously, their speeds so evenly matched that it was impossible to tell who was faster with the naked eye.
Not that it mattered, for their contest today wasn't about speed—it was about who could eat the most!
*Clatter!*
Goku tossed an empty plate onto the stack, his right hand shooting out like lightning to grab another full dish. As he stuffed his face, his eyes remained fixed on Luffy across from him.
*He can really eat! This is the first time I've ever seen someone who can eat as much as I do!*
He was thoroughly amazed.
Little did he know, Luffy was thinking the exact same thing:
*'I can eat this much because of the Devil Fruit. How can he eat just as much?'*
Upon returning from the Goa Kingdom, they had hunted several wild animals and brought them back to Makino in Foosha Village.
Seeing the bounty, Makino invited the villagers she was close with to join them for a small feast.
When the party began, Goku and Luffy were behaving themselves, happily enjoying the delicious meal Makino had prepared.
But then, someone suddenly remarked, "How can this little guy eat so much? You don't think he can outeat Luffy, do you?"
Luffy immediately took offense at that. Claiming no one could outeat him, he instantly ramped up his speed, inhaling several plates in the blink of an eye.
At that, the troublemaking onlooker added, "Looks like Luffy's got him beat."
Now it was Goku's turn to get competitive.
Although he had never intended to compete over his appetite, he couldn't back down from a challenge. He immediately stuffed even more food into his mouth to prove he was the superior eater.
Seeing Goku's response, Luffy didn't need the crowd to egg him on anymore; he pushed his pace to regain the lead.
Not to be outdone, Goku reacted instantly, pulling ahead once more.
And so, the battle began.
*Neither of them said it aloud, but they both shared a single thought: I'm definitely going to outeat him!*
Seeing that the two were clearly in a heated competition, the invited villagers found their own food uninteresting. They set their plates aside and gathered around the pair to watch the spectacle.
Their cheering and jeering only served to turn up the heat in the room.
*Clatter!!*
An unknown amount of time passed. Luffy's belly was now bulging massively. He tossed an empty plate aside and glared defiantly at Goku while dumping over ten dishes into his mouth at once.
Goku's stomach was equally distended. He stared back at Luffy, gritting his teeth as he forced another plate of food down.
At some point, he realized he was reaching his limit, yet Luffy didn't seem to be slowing down at all. Refusing to yield, Goku kept forcing himself to eat.
But now, he had truly hit a wall. If he ate another bite, he felt like his stomach might actually burst!
Realizing this, his expression relaxed instantly. He slumped back onto the floor and said plainly, "I'm stuffed. I can't eat another bite."
The cheering villagers suddenly went silent.
Luffy stopped eating as well. He blinked, asking with a muffled voice, "Wh-what? You can't eat anymore?"
Goku patted his protruding belly—it had never been this big before—and grinned. "I'm finished! I've had more than enough!"
Luffy broke into a triumphant grin and nodded. "I see. Guess that means I'm the winner."
"Yeah! You're incredible! You're the first person I've ever met who can eat more than me!" Goku praised his opponent without a hint of hesitation.
The villagers looked at one another and burst into laughter. "You're both monsters! All of us combined couldn't eat half of what one of you just did! Hahaha!"
Caught up in the infectious laughter, Goku and Luffy joined in.
"Hahaha!"
"Hahaha!"
...
The following day, after spending the night in Foosha Village, Goku stood on the shore to bid farewell to Luffy and Makino.
"Goku, are you sure you don't need a boat? I can give you the one I prepared for my voyage. I'll just find another one," Luffy offered.
"No thanks! I'm going to swim there. It's part of my training!" Goku replied with a cheerful grin.
"Goku, please be careful. If things get dangerous, come back to us immediately," Makino said with concern.
"I will! Thanks, Makino."
With a wave, Goku turned and dived into the sea without hesitation, swimming rapidly toward the island Makino had pointed out.
Watching Goku's departing figure, Luffy sighed. "It must be nice to be able to swim."
Then, he turned and headed back toward the forest.
"I need to hurry up with my training too. It won't be long before I set out to sea!"
...
Qia Island.
In Lotus Town.
A woman with beautiful short orange hair pressed herself against an alley wall, warily scanning both ends of the passage.
Seeing that the coast was clear, she leaped up, grabbed the top of the wall, and nimbly vaulted over.
A moment later, a heavy cloth sack filled with Berries was tossed over the wall, landing in the alley with a dull thud.
The woman quickly climbed back over, a look of tension on her face. She stuffed a few loose bundles of Berries back into the bag and hurried deep into the alley.
"Chase her! Don't let her get away!"
Soon after, a group of large men in suits appeared at the alley entrance. At their leader's command, they poured into the passage, chasing after the woman.
Meanwhile, after swimming for half a day, Goku finally reached Qia Island. He dried his clothes on the shore and excitedly headed inland.
Before long, he stepped into Lotus Town.
And there, he witnessed a startling sight.
—
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