"Please take this. It's three million Berries."
Outside the Marine branch office, Nami stepped out holding a suitcase of money, still feeling as if she were in a dream.
She stared blankly at the suitcase in her hand and couldn't help but murmur, "Three million Berries... just like that?"
In the past, whenever she wanted to steal a sum like this, she had to expend a great deal of energy, exhausting herself both mentally and physically while risking her life to snatch it from pirates.
But now, she barely had to do anything; she just had to bring a pirate who was tied up and unconscious to the Marine branch to collect the payment.
The difference between the two methods was truly like night and day.
"Yo! Nami, you're back!"
Beneath a tree in the distance, Goku was sitting in the shade, gnawing contentedly on a meat leg.
Seeing her emerge, he waved to her with a grin.
Nami looked at him with a complex gaze as many thoughts flashed through her mind.
Finally, she gave a charming smile and walked gracefully toward him with the suitcase.
"Goku, our money's here!"
...
The sky was a crystal blue, and white clouds drifted lazily along.
On the vast, boundless ocean, a warship with a giant dog's head for a prow was slowly advancing.
"Vice Admiral Garp, we have news of Goku!"
Lansa rushed out of the cabin and hurried over to Garp, who was standing at the bow gazing at the sea, speaking with excitement.
"We received reports that a duo of bounty hunters—a man and a woman—has recently appeared in the East Blue. They've captured quite a few pirates in just half a month and have become quite high-profile."
"The male bounty hunter's name is Son Goku!"
"To ensure it wasn't just someone with the same name, I specifically questioned the branch personnel and found that the description matches. There's no doubt—this is the Goku we know!"
He was genuinely happy.
Ever since Goku had mysteriously disappeared, Lansa had been worried about him.
Although Vice Admiral Garp had remained calm and told him there was no need to worry because the kid could handle himself in the East Blue, Lansa couldn't help but feel anxious.
After all, according to Garp, Goku had set out to sea by swimming.
While there likely weren't many creatures in the East Blue that could threaten Goku, the dangers of the sea were not limited to just monsters; a moment of carelessness could still lead to a fatal accident.
Now, hearing the news that Goku was safe and sound, Lansa felt immensely relieved and joyful.
However, he still couldn't quite understand why Goku would become a bounty hunter, let alone with a female partner.
Garp stood with his arms crossed, listening quietly without a flicker of emotion on his face.
Two seconds later, he burst into laughter without warning.
"Bwahahaha! See? I told you! That kid was never going to be in any real trouble!"
"Look at that—he's alive and well, and he's even become a bounty hunter. There's no reason for us to worry at all!"
He laughed heartily while giving Lansa a heavy pat on the shoulder.
Lansa, whose shoulder had gone numb from the force, silently took a few steps back to get out of Garp's "attack range" before speaking.
"But Vice Admiral Garp, why would Goku become a bounty hunter? Isn't he supposed to be looking for his family?"
"And why team up with a woman? According to the intel, this woman used to be a thief who specialized in stealing from pirates."
Garp grinned and said without looking back, "The first part is obvious. Goku eats a lot and has no money, so he had to find a way to earn a living."
"He certainly couldn't work a regular job; it wouldn't pay nearly enough to keep him fed. So what else could he do? Becoming a bounty hunter is flexible, convenient, and a good way to earn a lot of money."
"And think about it—he's going to join our Marines eventually. Learning how to deal with pirates now will give him great experience! It's killing two birds with one stone!"
"Then... what about the second question?"
"The second question isn't a problem either. Goku might be simple-minded, but he's not stupid. He knows who he can trust and who he should be wary of."
"If this woman is partnering with him, it means Goku trusts her. If that's the case, why are you worrying so much?"
Lansa was left speechless by Garp's reasoning.
He thought about it and realized it really wasn't much of an issue; he had just been overthinking things.
"Alright, Vice Admiral Garp. Now that we know where Goku is, shall we head back to Headquarters?"
They had been in the East Blue for over half a month without any specific mission, just drifting around and capturing whatever unlucky pirates crossed their path.
Previously, they had stayed because they were worried and wanted to be ready to save Goku at a moment's notice, but now that he was safe, there was no reason to linger.
After all, given the strength of the crew on this ship, they should be carrying out missions in the Grand Line rather than wasting time in the East Blue, the least dangerous of the seas.
"No, let's stay for a bit longer."
Garp's gaze suddenly became profound as he stared into the distance, lost in thought.
...
On an island in the East Blue, Nami knocked out the last pirate with her staff. She let out a breath and pumped her fist excitedly.
"Goku, we've taken down another gang!"
In front of her, Goku had already dealt with the pirate captain and most of the crew. He grinned and said, "Hehe, you've gotten a bit stronger, Nami."
"Of course I have!"
Nami put her hands on her hips, her face beaming.
"I've been working really hard to improve lately!"
Ever since Goku defeated Mad Wolf Locke and they collected their first bounty, the two had officially become bounty hunters.
Nami primarily handled the intellectual side of things, which included but was not limited to gathering intelligence—confirming pirate strength, numbers, bounties, and locations.
She devised battle plans and mapped out escape routes in case they were outmatched.
She also used her navigational skills to reach target islands safely and quickly.
Goku's role was much simpler; he provided the muscle, which meant taking down enemies as fast as possible!
Of course, while it sounded simple, it was actually the most dangerous part.
After careful consideration, Nami had decided to help lighten Goku's load by using her own strength to deal with pirates who weren't particularly powerful.
To that end, she had specifically asked Goku for advice on fighting with a staff. Under his guidance, her skills had improved, leading to their conversation just now.
After tying up the pirate captain with a bounty separately, they bundled the rest of the crew together to ensure they couldn't break free.
With that done, they took the captain and set off toward the local Marine branch.
As for the rest of the pirates, they would notify the Marines and let them send their own men to fetch them.
After all, their boat couldn't hold that many people.
"Hey, Goku, there's something I want to talk to you about," Nami said suddenly on the way to the branch office.
"What is it?" Goku asked curiously.
"I don't think the martial arts tournament you're looking for is held here in the East Blue," Nami said seriously.
Over the past few weeks, while hunting pirates, they had also been asking about the World Martial Arts Tournament.
But even after visiting numerous islands, they hadn't heard a single word about it.
Nami reasoned that if "World" meant the entire globe, then the World Martial Arts Tournament had to be a global event.
Something that sounded so prestigious and grand couldn't possibly be hosted in a remote, backwater region like this.
"Then where would it be?" Goku asked.
Nami's expression turned solemn as she slowly uttered a name: "The Grand Line!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]