"Hey, is that..."
On the crowded street, someone grabbed their companion's arm and pointed at the group of people approaching from a distance.
"What?"
The companion looked over nonchalantly, only for his pupils to suddenly shrink.
"Pirates?!"
He stared intently at their clothing and the various weapons in their hands, immediately deducing they were a band of pirates.
"Let's go. We should get far away. Don't run into these guys."
The two immediately quickened their pace, slipping away from the direction of the pirates.
Meanwhile, others on the street also began to notice the uninvited guests.
Those who were fast hid themselves before the pirates could get close.
The clever ones who couldn't run in time quickly cleared the path, avoiding drawing fire by blocking the way.
All at once, the center of the street became deserted and silent, with only the messy footsteps of the pirates echoing as they approached.
At the tangyuan stall, the boss turned off the stove and ducked behind his stand like a quail, not daring to poke his head out.
The diners at the stall had long since fled, leaving only Goku still sitting at the table, savoring his tangyuan.
"Huh? What happened?"
Noticing the sudden silence around him, he scooped up the last tangyuan in the bowl and tasted it slowly.
At the same time, his eyes darted around, curiously scanning his surroundings.
"It's been a long time since pirates came here. I didn't expect a group to show up today."
As he looked around, a few whispered voices reached his ears.
These were the voices of people who had retreated to the side of the street, watching the pirates approach with wary eyes.
"Yeah, and they're wanted pirates too. The one leading them should be Mad Wolf Locke. I remember his bounty is three million Berries."
Goku glanced at the people whispering, then at the group walking arrogantly down the street, and blinked.
Pirates?
Mad Wolf Locke?
Three million Berries?
Recalling how Nami had been so weighed down yesterday when she said she had to earn a hundred million Berries—a burden that seemed to hide grief and hardship—he made a decision.
He stuffed the last bit of tangyuan into his mouth and swallowed quickly.
Then he hopped off his chair. Under the stunned gazes of the onlookers, he dashed in front of the group and asked clearly, "Excuse me, which one of you is Mad Wolf Locke?"
At this moment, Mad Wolf Locke, who was leading his men to find a place to relax, never expected a brat to jump out in front of him.
Hearing Goku's question, he licked the scar at the corner of his mouth and grinned. "I'm Mad Wolf Locke. What do you want, kid?"
The subordinates behind him put on mocking smiles.
"Captain! Do you think he's a little fanboy who heard of your great name and wants to follow you?"
"Hahahaha! It's actually possible! Our Captain is a great pirate with a bounty of three million Berries. Who wouldn't want to join us?"
Hearing his crew's flattery, Mad Wolf Locke's grin widened.
He looked at Goku and teased, "Kid, if you want to join us, it's a bit too early. A brat who still reeks of milk like you should go home and eat for a few more years. Come find me when you're taller!"
"Hahahaha!!" The subordinates behind him laughed so hard they held their stomachs.
Goku ignored his words and simply asked seriously, "So, are you a bad person? Have you done bad things?"
Mad Wolf Locke's smile faltered, but then he burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! Kid, how can you ask such a funny question?"
"We're pirates. Of course pirates are bad people! Burning, killing, and looting—we don't miss a single thing, hahahaha!"
Hearing his answer, Goku's face turned solemn as he instantly dropped into a fighting stance.
"Since you're bad people, I can take you down!"
Mad Wolf Locke's laughter caught in his throat.
"Take us down?"
He never expected Goku to say such a thing.
He thought the kid was there to join him, but it turned out he was there to defeat him. This massive psychological gap left him infuriated.
Without a second thought, he raised his large foot, intending to kick the annoying brat away.
But he didn't expect that this kick would hit nothing but air.
Not only that, he was about to face the heaviest blow of his life.
Goku leapt high into the air, striking a flying kick pose.
Then he gave a loud shout and slammed his foot into Mad Wolf Locke's head like a cannonball.
In the next instant, Mad Wolf Locke's jaw twisted, and several teeth flew out.
More than that, his tall, heavy body crashed backward, sending his subordinates sprawling in every direction.
A second later,
When they saw their captain's eyes rolled back, lying motionless on the ground, the pirate lackeys threw down their weapons and raised their hands, running for their lives.
"Waaaaah!! The Captain's been defeated!! Run for it!!!"
...
Stepping out of the third bar, Nami rubbed her forehead and sighed. "It seems no one on this island knows anything about that tournament."
She had visited bars with high foot traffic. The owners who stayed there all day were undoubtedly the ones with the best information.
But after asking three bar owners in a row, not one had ever heard of the World Martial Arts Tournament.
This situation indicated that information regarding the tournament had not spread here.
In that case, there was no need to keep searching on this island.
Thinking this, she prepared to go back for Goku and then waste no time heading to the next island.
But just then, she saw people running hurriedly past her, muttering, "Hurry, let's go. The pirates might be coming through here soon."
Her expression changed, and she quickly stopped one of them. "Hey! You said pirates. Where are the pirates?"
The person she stopped pointed behind them. "Just back there. I heard they've already reached Lihua Street. You should get moving too!"
After saying that, the person bypassed her and hurried away.
"Lihua Street?"
Nami chewed on the name, and then her face paled.
Wasn't Lihua Street the place where Goku was eating tangyuan!
Could Goku have run into the pirates? She had told him to wait for her there!
'He should be smart enough to hide, right?'
Her face was filled with anxiety. She had already charged toward Lihua Street like an arrow from a bow.
Shortly after, panting for breath, she reached the beginning of Lihua Street. She hid around a corner and cautiously peeked out.
...
On Lihua Street, many people were gathered around Goku, praising him with admiration.
"A young hero! Truly a young hero!"
"Young man—no, young hero, you are truly amazing. To think you could take down the infamous Mad Wolf Locke. In time, you will surely become someone even more incredible!"
As the protagonist, Goku was a bit embarrassed by the flattery and could only rub his head, laughing sheepishly.
At that moment, the crowd parted slightly, allowing him to spot Nami hiding behind the corner.
He grabbed one leg of the tied-up Mad Wolf Locke and dragged him out of the crowd, waving to Nami. "Hey! Nami! I caught a pirate!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]