The night deepened.
On the calm surface of the sea, the small boat with its sails furled swayed gently with the ripples.
The sea beast he had kicked to death floated behind the boat, tethered by a rope to ensure tomorrow's breakfast remained secure.
Goku sat by the fire, his small head turning occasionally to look at Nami, who sat at the bow gazing up at the night sky.
Some time passed.
Finally, Goku stood up and walked hesitantly behind Nami. "Um, Nami, can I ask why you need to earn a hundred million Berries?"
After a few seconds of silence, Nami's voice drifted back to him.
"Because there's something I have to do no matter what. To do it, I have to earn a hundred million Berries."
Goku blinked and asked again, "What kind of thing?"
"That's my secret," Nami answered without looking back.
'A secret?'
Goku scratched his cheek and pivoted to another question. "Well, if you want a hundred million Berries, why do you have to steal? Why not use some other way?"
"Heh, you think a hundred million Berries is easy to earn? Do you even know how much money that is?" Nami's tone was mocking.
Goku really didn't know because he had no concept of money; last time he even thought he could buy barbecue with a coin that was only enough for a piece of candy.
"I don't know. Is a hundred million Berries a lot?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion.
Hearing this, Nami's mouth twitched as she kept her back to him.
She knew it. He really didn't have a clue what a hundred million Berries even meant.
Her mood gradually settled, and she didn't feel annoyed. She explained to Goku.
"A hundred million Berries is an amount of money countless people won't see in their entire lives. Back in my village, the combined savings of everyone wouldn't even reach ten million, let alone a hundred million."
"So if I tried to earn it through a regular job, I'd never make it. My only hope is to steal treasure from pirates."
Goku scratched his cheek, finally understanding why Nami had to resort to thievery.
"So a hundred million Berries is really that much," he whispered to himself.
Thanks to Vice Admiral Tsuru's teaching, his math skills had improved slightly; he knew the difference between a hundred million and ten million.
He rested his chin in his hand and thought for a while before asking, "Besides stealing from pirates, is there really no other way to earn a hundred million?"
"Heh, you think normal methods can bring in that much? This place is as backwater as it gets. There's no way to build up wealth quickly without taking shortcuts."
Nami finally turned her head and looked at him, annoyed.
"Though, come to think of it, there is one other way: becoming a bounty hunter."
"If you catch pirates with bounties on their heads and hand them over to the Marines, you can get a hefty reward."
"But I can't do that. I don't have the strength. My only choice is to steal their treasure."
At this point, Nami's gaze grew lonely.
If there were any other way, who would want to spend their life as a common thief?
People should know that when she was forced to start earning that hundred million, she was only ten years old!
What other way does a ten-year-old child have to earn a hundred million Berries besides stealing?
Hearing her words, Goku's eyes lit up, and he looked at her with a grin.
"So that's an option! Nami, how about I help you catch pirates to trade for the bounty money?"
...
On the crowded streets, the sounds of shouting, footsteps, and the boiling of pots at stalls were endless.
"Hey, Nami, do you really not need my help?"
At a sweets stall, Goku sat on a small stool, swinging his feet while looking up at Nami with an innocent expression.
"No, I'll figure out the money situation myself. Stop worrying about me and focus on yourself."
With that, Nami walked to the stall and ordered the largest portion of Tangyuan.
After paying, she turned back and instructed Goku, "Just stay here and eat slowly. Wait for me here when you're done; I'm going to ask around about the tournament."
Having said her piece, she turned and left.
Time went back to the previous night.
When Goku suggested helping her catch pirates for bounties, she had rejected the idea without a second thought.
Even if Goku seemed very skilled—stronger than an average adult, even—she wasn't going to let him go head-to-head with bloodthirsty pirates.
Pirates carried weapons and were cunning and cruel. Just because someone was strong didn't mean they were guaranteed to win.
She couldn't bring herself to let a child she'd only known for two days risk his life like that.
However, though she refused his offer, it didn't mean she wasn't touched by the gesture.
So she decided that for the next while, she would help him gather information about the tournament first.
Besides, she didn't have a target pirate to steal from at the moment anyway.
...
At the stall, the owner brought a bowl of steaming hot Tangyuan to Goku, carefully placing it on the table with a bright smile.
"Here's your Tangyuan! It's fresh out of the pot and very hot, little guy, so eat slowly!"
"Mhm! Thanks, mister!"
Goku nodded obediently and looked over the dish in front of him.
He had never eaten this before. It was only after Nami described it as a sweet, chewy treat that everyone loved that he learned about it.
Seeing that he'd never tried it, Nami had brought him to the stall to give it a taste, leading to this moment.
Looking at the bowl full of white glutinous balls, he picked up a spoon and poked them curiously.
Then he scooped one up, put it directly into his mouth, and tentatively bit down.
The next second...
"Hiss—so hot! Hot! Hot!!"
He hurriedly spat out the ball, which was oozing a black liquid. He stuck his tongue out like a dog and frantically fanned it with his hand.
"Hahaha! Little guy, you can't swallow those in one go. You have to take small bites at the edge of your mouth." A nearby diner saw his reaction and burst out laughing.
He then demonstrated how to eat it.
Gradually recovering, Goku copied the man's movements, scooping a new ball to his lips and taking a cautious bite.
Immediately, the sweet, chewy texture combined with the unique fragrance of the sesame filling flooded his taste buds, and his eyes lit up.
"It's just like Nami said! It's delicious!"
...
"Hey, Barkeep, bring me a beer."
Inside a rowdy bar, Nami stepped up to the counter with practiced ease and tossed two Berries onto the surface.
"One moment, guest."
The owner glanced at the Berries, swept them up, and reached for a glass to start pouring.
Once the glass was placed in front of her, Nami picked it up and gulped down a large swig.
When she set it back down, only half the beer remained.
"Hey, Barkeep, have you ever heard of the World Martial Arts Tournament?"
She asked casually.
The owner froze for a moment, looking confused. "World Martial Arts Tournament? What's that?"
Nami understood and waved it off. "If you haven't heard of it, it's hard for me to explain."
With that, she finished the rest of her drink in one go and left the bar.
After looking left and right along the street, she headed toward the next place she thought she might find information.
Meanwhile, on the street where Goku was eating Tangyuan, a group of outlaws was approaching.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]