On the streets of Loguetown.
The man who appeared before Goku and Nami was none other than Smoker.
He strode toward Goku without a word, raising his fist and swinging it violently at the boy's face.
Nami turned pale—not because she feared Smoker would hurt Goku, but because she was afraid an angry Goku might seriously injure the Marine.
If that happened, they would never be able to clear their names and would likely have bounties placed on them by the Marines.
However, the next moment defied her expectations.
Facing the aggressive punch, Goku didn't dodge or even move to defend himself; he simply stood his ground, watching the fist fly toward him.
The punch, which seemed poised to send Goku flying, came to a sudden halt just before it hit him, creating a gust of wind that whipped Goku's black hair back.
"Why didn't you dodge?"
Smoker, a cigar between his teeth, stared expressionlessly at the boy who hadn't budged an inch.
"Because I didn't feel any hostility from you," Goku said earnestly, meeting his gaze.
Goku locked eyes with him and spoke with total sincerity.
"Is that so?"
Smoker studied him for several seconds before retracting his fist. He took out his cigar and blew a ring of smoke.
"As expected of the one Vice Admiral Garp speaks so highly of. To have such keen perception and composure at your age..."
He truly didn't harbor any ill intent toward Goku. He had only attacked to see what was so special about the talent Garp had praised.
He had originally expected the boy to catch the punch, leading to a brief exchange where he could gauge his strength.
But he hadn't expected the boy to sense his lack of hostility and refuse to strike back, forcing Smoker to abandon his plan.
Hearing his words, Goku was momentarily stunned before exclaiming in surprise.
"Old Man Garp? You know Old Man Garp?"
This was the first time since leaving Garp that he had heard the old man's name from someone else.
"Of course. Is there any Marine who doesn't know Vice Admiral Garp? I just received a call from him not long ago," Smoker said flatly.
"Really?! So you're Old Man Garp's friend!"
Deciding that a phone call equaled friendship, Goku relaxed and grinned, clasping his hands behind his head.
Smoker thought, '...'
When had he ever said he was Garp's friend? Although he knew him and had spoken with him, they weren't exactly friends; he was more of a legendary senior.
Setting that aside, his expression suddenly turned cold as his wolf-like eyes glared at Goku.
"Son Goku, you remember what you did, right? Assaulting Marines is a crime, and you will be arrested and put on trial."
Hearing this, Nami waved her hands frantically. "Wait, wait! Officer, we had a reason for hitting those guys! They were colluding with pirates and attacked us first. We only fought back to protect ourselves! You Marines can't be so unreasonable!"
Smoker didn't pay any attention to her, keeping his eyes fixed on Goku.
Goku became serious as well. "I have a question. Old Man Garp told me the Marines are an organization that protects justice and defeats bad guys. So why did those Marines Nami and I met just let the pirates go? Why did they even team up with them?"
He had been thinking about this ever since he calmed down after helping Nami get her revenge.
Back then, Colonel Nezumi and the Arlong Pirates were only separated by a single wall. Why didn't they arrest them instead of trying to steal Nami's money?
He had been shocked when Nami told him they were stealing her money because they were in league with Arlong.
Old Man Garp said everyone who joins the Marines does so to protect justice and reward good while punishing evil. So why was there someone like Colonel Nezumi?
How were people like that any different from the pirates who go around doing whatever they want?
Seeing Goku respond with a question of his own, Smoker narrowed his eyes slightly.
After a long silence, he dropped his fierce expression and exhaled a puff of smoke.
"That's a good question. I used to wonder why such scum existed in the Marines myself."
His answer left Goku stunned, and the anxious Nami froze in place.
'Wait, does this mean we're not in trouble?'
As they stood there dazed, Smoker continued, "Eventually, I realized that some people don't join the Marines for justice. They simply treat the Marines as a stepping stone to grow stronger and gain power."
"If a person's initial intention isn't to protect the people, how could they possibly maintain justice once they reach a position of power?"
"And then there are those who just change. They might have joined to protect civilians, but eventually, they give in to their desires and end up hurting the people instead."
"Both are scum of the Marines! And scum like that should be beaten senseless! They shouldn't be allowed to keep wearing the uniform while they ruin the Marines' reputation."
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Smoker's eyes.
"So... you're not going to arrest us?" Nami asked tentatively.
Smoker glanced at her and nodded. "Of course not. You didn't beat up Marines; you beat up Marine scum. Why would I arrest you? Besides, Nezumi and his lot have already confessed to their crimes. They're just waiting for their trial before being sent to prison."
Nami's mouth hung open in shock. Once it sank in, her eyes lit up and she cheered, "Really?! That's great!"
Seeing such wicked Marines receive the punishment they deserved was incredibly satisfying for her.
Smoker pulled something from his pocket and handed it to Goku.
"You're heading for the Grand Line, right? Take this. It's your authorization. With this, you can navigate the Grand Line as official bounty hunters."
"Otherwise, even if you registered as bounty hunters in the East Blue, you'd be considered illegal voyagers and labeled as pirates once you entered the Grand Line."
Goku scratched his cheek and took it, confused. Just as he was about to read it, Nami snatched it away.
"Official authorization for the Grand Line?"
Nami looked at the stamped document in shock. After scanning it, she looked up at Smoker. "So the bounty hunter registration from the East Blue doesn't work in the Grand Line?"
She really hadn't known. After all, she had never been to the Grand Line, and she didn't know any bounty hunters who had.
"Of course. The four seas and the Grand Line are two completely different worlds."
Smoker finished speaking and gestured to Tashigi.
"Tashigi, bring the item over here."
Tashigi, who had finished binding the pirates Smoker had previously trapped, picked up a briefcase and walked over.
"This is the 34.5 million Berry bounty for defeating the Arlong Pirates."
Stopping in front of them, Tashigi placed the briefcase down.
"The bounty money?!"
Nami quickly shoved the document into her shirt and practically threw herself at the briefcase. When she saw the stacks of Berries inside, her eyes instantly turned into currency symbols.
"Correct. In addition to Arlong's 20 million Berry bounty, his officers Kuroobi and Chew were worth a combined 14.5 million," Tashigi explained, adjusting her glasses.
"This is amazing! I was worried we were running out of money, but now we're set!"
Nami snapped the briefcase shut, her face glowing with excitement.
She had left her own 100 million Berries back in Cocoyasi Village. Most of Goku's money had been spent on the ship, and a huge chunk of what was left had gone toward satisfying his bottomless stomach. She had been worrying about how to earn money once they reached the Grand Line.
These 30-plus million Berries undoubtedly cleared her concerns.
With proper planning, they wouldn't have to worry about money for a long time!
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