Puff...
Wisps of smoke drifted away as Sanji stubbed his cigarette into the ashtray. He stood up, hands in his pockets, his face unreadable.
"Doing something so terrible to such a lovely Nami-san... it really pisses me off."
"Hey! What's wrong with that guy? He wouldn't actually be going after Arlong and the others, would he?"
Standing before the large hole in the wall, Nojiko realized Goku was already long gone. She turned around, agitated, and questioned loudly.
"Is there even a need to ask? Nami's sister, even I feel like beating that bastard Arlong to a pulp right now, let alone Goku."
"He cares about Nami more than anything."
Sanji stepped past her and climbed out through the hole in the wall.
"But do you realize that doing this will destroy the wish Nami has held onto alone for all these years?"
"If Arlong keeps his promise and lets Cocoyasi Village and Nami go, aren't you just making things difficult for her?"
Nojiko followed him out, still questioning.
"But didn't you say earlier that you felt uneasy as well?"
Sanji glanced at her sideways before looking in the direction Nami had left.
"I can say for certain that your intuition was right, because I can already hear the sound of Nami-san weeping."
"Nami... crying?" Nojiko looked stunned.
The only sound nearby was their own voices. Where was Nami crying?
Sanji ignored her, darting forward like an arrow from a bow, trailing Goku's path. Only his voice lingered in Nojiko's ears.
"Don't worry! Nami-san isn't the one in trouble right now. It's Arlong and his crew!"
Even if the enemy was numerous and powerful...
So what?
Anyone who dared hurt Nami or steal her smile was an enemy they would risk their lives to defeat!
...
"Dammit! I'll never forgive you!"
On the dirt road, a furious Goku blurred past, leaving a billowing trail of dust in his wake.
To his simple heart, Nami—who had helped, guided, and cared for him over these past days—was already a precious friend.
Knowing she had suffered such cruelty since childhood, and that it continued to this day, he was determined to exact revenge and vent his fury!
He finally understood the faint sadness and weight behind her words when she told him about her goal to earn one hundred million Berries.
It was all because of that guy leading the Arlong Pirates!
Driven by rage, it wasn't long before several figures appeared on the road ahead.
He focused his gaze, and in an instant, saw a scene that made his hair stand on end with fury.
"LET GO OF NAMI!!!"
Before his eyes, Nami was being pinned to the ground by two men, unable to move.
Not only that, he saw her crying, her tears filled with absolute despair.
In all the days he had spent with her, when had he ever seen her like this?
The two Marines pinning Nami down were about to tie her up when they heard the shout and instinctively looked up.
But before they could see who it was, a black shadow expanded rapidly in their vision.
In the next heartbeat—Bam! Bam!
Two heavy thuds echoed as the Marines were sent flying like kites with severed strings. They slammed into the outer wall of Arlong Park and slumped over, unconscious.
"Nami! Are you okay?"
Goku, having kicked both Marines away simultaneously, landed and quickly helped Nami sit up.
"Go... Goku..."
Nami's eyes were swimming with tears, and she looked at him blankly, unable to find her voice for a moment.
"Dammit! What the hell did you do to Nami?!"
Seeing her like this, Goku's teeth ground together in rage as he glared at Colonel Nezumi and the other Marines.
"Who the hell are you, kid?"
Colonel Nezumi, who was about to leave, glanced at his two unconscious subordinates and looked coldly at Goku.
"It doesn't matter who I am! I'm asking you! What did you do to Nami?!"
Goku completely ignored their Marine uniforms, his voice thick with fury.
"Go... Goku, they took my money. They stole the hundred million Berries."
Finally regaining her composure, Nami sniffled and pointed toward the woods.
There, two Marines who had been wheeling a cart filled with the hundred million Berries toward the shore had stopped and were looking back at the commotion.
Whoosh!
Hearing this, Goku looked over and rushed toward them without a second thought.
"Give Nami's money back!"
Seeing Goku's inhuman speed, the two Marines' pupils shrank in terror. They scrambled to unshoulder their rifles and aim at him.
But before they could even lift their muzzles, Goku was upon them. He leaped into the air and delivered a punch to the left Marine's face, sending him flying as froth sprayed from his mouth.
Immediately after, his tail lashed out violently, knocking several teeth from the right Marine's mouth and spinning him into a nearby tree.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the cart containing the hundred million Berries and pulled it back to Nami's side.
"Nami! I got it back for you!"
He flashed a brilliant smile that momentarily left Nami in a daze.
But her expression shifted instantly to one of pure terror.
"Goku, look out!!"
Bang!!
A gunshot rang out from behind Goku.
Colonel Nezumi held a pistol with smoke curling from the barrel, his face twisted in a dark scowl.
"Since you want to oppose the Marines, you can just die, brat."
Even though he was killing a young child, his heart didn't waver in the slightest.
Anyone who stood in the way of his fortune, regardless of age, would be met with no mercy!
"GOKU!!!!!"
Nami's pupils shrank to pinpricks as horror washed over her like a tidal wave.
She lunged forward and hugged Goku tightly, tears pouring down like a broken dam.
"Waaah! Goku! I'm sorry! It's all my fault! I'm so sorry!!!"
Her heart was consumed by grief and regret. Why did she tell him?
Because of her, Goku had lost his life!
"Nami, I'm okay. It just stung a little."
As she was sobbing uncontrollably, Goku's voice sounded in her ear.
She hurriedly lifted her head from his shoulder and saw Goku looking at her with a grin, as if nothing had happened.
She froze, then quickly turned him around. She saw a bullet hole in his clothes, but his body was completely unharmed—there was only a faint white mark.
"Goku, you... you're really okay?!"
Nami was stunned, her face a mixture of tears and disbelief.
"Thank goodness! Goku, I'm so glad you're okay! Thank goodness!"
"Hehe, of course I'm fine. Don't cry anymore, Nami."
Goku said with a smile, then turned to look at the stunned Colonel Nezumi, his brows furrowing as he glared.
"Hey! That kind of thing won't work on me!"
Colonel Nezumi's eyes twitched. Without thinking, he raised his pistol and fired several more times. Bang! Bang! Bang!
Although he could have easily dodged them, Goku stood his ground because Nami was right behind him. His hands moved in a blur, catching the bullets right out of the air.
Then, with a series of metallic crunches, the crushed bullets dropped from his palms.
"I told you, those things are useless against me!"
Seeing this, Colonel Nezumi finally stumbled back in terror.
"Who... just what kind of monster are you, kid?!"
Two Marines behind him caught him. He looked back, seeing he still had several subordinates, and managed to steady himself. He waved his hand, shouting with false bravado:
"Shoot him! Kill him! I don't believe he can stop every bullet!"
Whoosh!!
A sharp light flashed in Goku's eyes. In a single stride, he appeared before Colonel Nezumi and delivered a brutal kick, sending the officer hurtling through the air to become a temporary decoration on the outer wall of Arlong Park.
Immediately after, while the remaining Marines were fumbling with their rifles, he took them all out in short order, sending them to join their commander on the wall.
The entire process happened in the blink of an eye.
Goku clapped his hands and turned back to look at the stunned Nami. "Nami, I know everything now," he said seriously. "I'm going to take down Arlong and avenge you!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]