The sunlight danced across the surface of the sea as a gentle breeze pushed a small boat further and further into the distance.
On the boat, Goku blinked after hearing Nami's answer. "The Grand Line?"
He had heard Garp mention it before and knew it was a fairly dangerous place.
"That's right, the Grand Line," Nami nodded.
"The Grand Line isn't like the East Blue. It's said to be incredibly prosperous—a place where everyone wants to go."
"Most importantly, all the strongest people gather there. Any pirate with real skill doesn't stay in the four seas; they head straight for the Grand Line."
"Since the martial arts tournament you mentioned claims to determine who is the 'best in the world,' I'd imagine it would be held somewhere like that, rather than around here."
Hearing her explanation, Goku rubbed his chin and nodded. "If you put it that way, we definitely should go there."
"But..."
He scratched his head, looking troubled again.
"It's already been over a month. The World Martial Arts Tournament has probably finished by now, which means Master Roshi and Krillin will have already left. Even if I find out where it was held, I won't be able to find them."
Seeing him look so distressed—a rare sight for him—Nami couldn't help but pinch his cute little face.
'Hehe, Goku looks so cute with that expression,' she thought.
She gave him a small smile and said, "Don't worry about that, Goku."
"You said they were participating in the World Martial Arts Tournament, right? If they did, they would have definitely left some kind of record or information behind at the venue."
"So, as long as we find the place, we can find out where they went, even if they've already moved on."
Goku snapped his head up, his eyes lighting up. "Really!?"
"Really. Would I lie to you?"
Looking at Nami's smile, Goku gave a serious nod. "You wouldn't lie to me. I trust you."
Though they had only been together for about two weeks, her sincerity and actions had already earned his complete trust.
To him, Nami was someone he could trust completely, just like Master Roshi.
He squeezed his small fist, his eyes filled with determination. "Then it's decided! Next stop: the Grand Line!"
Not only to find Master Roshi and Krillin but also to test his skills against powerful opponents and become even stronger!
...
After handing over their captured pirates to the Marines and collecting the bounty, the two returned to a deserted island.
This was their makeshift secret base where they kept the treasure they had collected over the last few days.
Inside a hidden cave, Nami finished counting all the treasure. She divided it into two piles, placing one in front of Goku.
Previously, Goku had said he wanted her to have all the money. However, despite being a total penny-pincher who loved money, Nami had surprisingly refused. She insisted that they split everything down the middle.
Goku found it strange but didn't question it, letting Nami handle the arrangements.
He didn't care much for money anyway; Nami could do what she liked with it. Even if she decided to take his share later, he wouldn't mind at all.
After placing the money in front of Goku, Nami took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. "Goku, I want to ask you something. When you go to the Grand Line, are you willing to take me with you?"
Goku tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean? Aren't we already going together?"
He had already grown used to her presence. Their relationship was no longer just a partnership for mutual benefit; they were friends. Her question made no sense to him.
Hearing his answer, Nami felt a strange sense of relief, and a smile spread across her face.
"Hehe, alright! From now on, you're the Captain, and I'm your Navigator!"
"Huh?" Goku blinked, bewildered.
Nami continued, "As the Navigator, I have to tell you that our current boat is way too small. It'll never make it to the Grand Line. We have to get a bigger ship."
"Get a bigger ship?"
"Yup! We need to buy a new one, and that's going to cost a lot of Berries," Nami said, holding up a finger playfully.
Hearing this, Goku pointed to the chests of money on the ground. "Money? Don't we have it right here?"
"We have some, but it's probably not enough."
Nami pointed to Goku's pile of money. "You're the Captain and the owner of the ship, so technically, you should be the one paying for it."
"However..."
She pulled a chest from her own pile and moved it over to Goku's.
"Since I'm a member of this crew now, I should contribute to the cost of the ship too."
Goku watched her move the chests around, looking completely lost.
"Even with this chest, we're still a little short. But it's okay. We just need to catch one more pirate and turn them in; that should cover the rest."
"Conveniently, I've already locked onto a certain crew. If we catch their captain, we'll have more than enough for a good ship."
"More importantly, they're rumored to have a map of the Grand Line, which is something we absolutely need to get there."
"In other words, if we take them down, we get the ship and the map at the same time. It's the perfect plan!"
Nami went on and on, and while Goku was a bit confused by the details, he understood the main point. Filled with fighting spirit, he said, "So if we beat these pirates, we can finally head for the Grand Line, right?"
Nami smiled and snapped her fingers.
"Bingo! You got it!"
Then, her smile faded, and her expression turned serious. "But this crew won't be easy to handle. Their captain has a bounty of 15 million Berries—the highest we've seen so far."
"That means he's much stronger than any pirate we've faced before. Goku, are you confident you can beat him?"
Goku raised his eyebrows and nodded firmly without hesitation. "Of course! No matter who the opponent is, I'll definitely win!"
...
Orange Town.
The town was eerily quiet. The original residents were nowhere to be found, and not a soul could be seen in the streets or houses.
In the central plaza, however, a large group of pirates had taken over, holding a rowdy, boisterous banquet.
"Gyahahaha! Now that I have the map to the Grand Line, it's only a matter of time before I, Buggy, make my move!"
"Drink up, men! Keep the booze flowing!!"
The former apprentice of the Roger Pirates, old friend of the Four Emperors' Red-Haired Shanks, and Captain of the Buggy Pirates—Buggy the Clown—stood before his crew, laughing up at the sky with a bowl of sake in his hand.
"Captain Buggy! Your leadership is truly unmatched!"
"A toast to Captain Buggy!"
...
His men kept showering him with praise.
They were all grins, knocking back drinks and making merry, their faces flushed bright red from the alcohol.
—
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