Night shrouded the vast ocean.
On the small boat, firewood crackled as the rising flames dispelled the encroaching darkness, illuminating everything on board.
Nami, who no longer held any resentment toward Goku, extended a friendly hand and smiled sweetly. "By the way, let me introduce myself. I'm Nami. I don't know your name yet."
Goku was still wondering why Nami said the money wasn't hers. Hearing her question, he tossed the thought aside, shook her hand, and flashed a bright smile. "I'm Son Goku! You can just call me Goku."
"Son Goku, huh?"
Nami repeated the name a few times. Noticing the fish was cooked, she said, "Goku, the fish is ready. Let's eat."
Goku's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously. "I've been waiting for this!"
...
Five minutes later, Nami sat there in a daze, watching Goku devour almost the entire fish while she was still nibbling on a single piece in her hand.
Goku casually tossed the bone—now picked clean and gleaming white—into the sea. Patting his small belly, he muttered, "Finally, I'm not that hungry anymore, but I'm still not quite full. Should I go catch another one?"
Nami was even more bewildered.
"Goku, you... you're still not full?"
She thought back to the size of that fish; it was large enough to last her at least a week.
Yet Goku had finished it in one sitting and claimed he was still hungry?!
"Yeah, I don't feel hungry anymore, but I'm not full yet," Goku replied with a nod.
Nami's mouth hung open. She couldn't fathom how he could say that.
'That fish was basically two or three times your size, and you're still not full?'
'Is your stomach a bottomless pit?!'
Seeing him mumble about going back into the water to catch more, she thought for a moment and handed over her own piece of fish.
"You can have this too. I ate some dry rations earlier, so I'm not really hungry."
Goku's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? You're really giving it to me?"
"Yes, yes! Just take it!"
Nami tossed it over. Goku caught it with a bit of a scramble and then happily bit into it.
"Hehe, you're a really good person!"
Seeing Goku eat with oil staining the corners of his mouth, looking utterly delighted, Nami couldn't help but smile as well.
'Now that I look at him, this Goku kid is actually quite cute.'
'Well, he just eats a bit too much.'
After watching him for a while, she suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Goku, why are you out at sea?"
She didn't ask sensitive questions about where his parents were. She knew that if a child Goku's age was out at sea alone, he must be carrying some sort of burden.
Just like she had been back then.
"Oh, this? I'm looking for someone."
Having finished the fish, Goku dipped his hands in the sea to wash them, splashed some water on his face, and then looked up to answer.
"Looking for someone?"
"Yeah! I'm looking for old Grandpa Master Roshi and Krillin. They suddenly disappeared, so I have to find them."
"Oh, right! Have you seen them?"
Goku gestured wildly to describe what the two of them looked like.
As for why he didn't show the portrait Makino had drawn for him, it was because the seawater had long since ruined it.
"No, I don't know anyone like that."
Nami shook her head.
"So you're just going from island to island looking for them?"
"Yup!" Goku nodded.
"That's like looking for a needle in a haystack. How long is that going to take?" Nami sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead.
There were countless islands in the world. With Goku's method, he might never find them in his lifetime.
"Don't you have any other leads? Like, where those two might go?"
"I do! They'll definitely go to the World Martial Arts Tournament, but I don't know where it's being held. So I ask about that too while I'm looking for them," Goku answered innocently.
"The World Martial Arts Tournament?"
Nami repeated the strange name to herself.
After thinking for a moment, she looked at Goku and said seriously, "Then your focus should be on this tournament. When you ask people for information, just ask about that. Don't waste time asking about those two."
"Why?" Goku tilted his head, scratching it in confusion.
"Think about it. You said they would definitely go to the tournament. If you find where it is, you'll find them. So why bother wasting energy asking about them individually?" Nami shook her head, amused.
"Oh! I thought if I asked about both, I might find Grandpa Master Roshi and Krillin faster," Goku replied.
"It's not necessary. In this situation, casting a wide net isn't the best way. It's better to focus your energy on the easiest problem to solve," Nami patiently explained.
"This way, whenever you arrive at an island, you only need to ask around in the liveliest areas. You'll likely get the information you need. After all, a tournament like that must be something people would know about."
Goku nodded thoughtfully and then grinned. "Thanks! I know what to do now."
Nami gave a 'polite' smile. "The next thing you should do is find a proper boat. Otherwise, you'll die at sea before you ever find them."
Goku blinked, looked down at the boat they were on, and then looked up. "Um, can I borrow your—"
"No!"
Nami cut him off before he could finish.
"This is my boat! I need it for myself! You have to find your own."
Nami crossed her arms, speaking with absolute finality.
"Alright."
Goku scratched his head, troubled, wondering where he could find a boat.
'Maybe... go back to find Grandpa Garp?'
But he didn't even know the name of the island where Garp was, let alone how to get there.
'Oh well, things being as they are, I'll just sleep first.'
'I'll figure it out when I wake up.'
He immediately lay down with his hands behind his head. Closing his eyes, he was soon snoring away.
Nami's lip twitched at the sight.
'He... he's already asleep?'
She had wanted to discuss taking turns keeping watch tonight. With someone helping, she could have slept a bit more soundly instead of being in a constant state of half-awake anxiety.
Now, it seemed she would have to keep watch alone and wake Goku up later.
With that thought, she found a comfortable corner to sit in and gazed out at the pitch-black sea, her mind drifting.
'How much longer until I can finish that...'
'Belle-mère, I miss you...'
Splash!!
Suddenly, an unusual sound snapped her back to reality.
Breaking from her thoughts, she hurriedly looked toward the source of the noise.
"What was that?"
She stared intently at the water, trying to guess what creature had made the noise.
After watching for a while, she saw nothing.
She breathed a slow sigh of relief, thinking it might have just been a fish leaping out of the water.
But just then, the sound of rushing water suddenly grew much louder.
Her pupils shrunk as a massive sea beast lunged out of the water not far behind them!
The beast was now staring at them with blood-red eyes.
In the next second, it charged straight toward them!
——
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