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"Hey, isn't that…?"
On the bustling street of Pear Blossom, a man suddenly gripped his companion's arm, his voice dropping to a panicked whisper. He pointed toward a group of men swaggering through the crowd in the distance.
"What is it?" The companion looked over carelessly, but his pupils constricted instantly. "Pirates?!"
One glance at their tattered, salt-stained coats, the wicked cutlasses at their hips, and the arrogant sneers on their faces was enough. They were unmistakably a raiding party. "Come on, let's get away from here! Don't let those guys catch your eye." The two immediately veered into a side alley, disappearing into the shadows.
The reaction was a chain reaction. Those who were quick-witted vanished into shops; those who were caught in the open flattened themselves against the walls, making way for the uninvited guests. Suddenly, the center of the street was an eerie, quiet void, filled only by the heavy, rhythmic thud of pirate boots. At the tangyuan stall, the owner hissed in fear, turned off his stove, and ducked behind his counter like a frightened bird.
The customers had long since fled, leaving only Goku sitting at the small wooden table. He scooped up the very last tangyuan, blew on it, and savored the sweet sesame filling. "Huh? What happened?" He noticed the sudden silence and glanced around, his black eyes darting with curiosity.
"It's been a long time since pirates came here," a hushed voice drifted from a nearby doorway.
"Yeah, and they're wanted ones. The leader is Evil Wolf Locke. I saw his poster—his bounty is 3 million Berries."
Goku froze, the spoon halfway to his mouth. Pirates? Evil Wolf Locke? 3 million Berries? He remembered Nami's face from the night before—the way her eyes grew heavy with sadness and bitterness when she spoke of the 100 million Berries she had to earn. He swallowed the last of his dessert and jumped off his chair.
To the collective gasp of the hidden townspeople, the small boy darted into the middle of the street, standing directly in the path of the pirate crew. "Excuse me!" he called out crisply. "Which one of you is Evil Wolf Locke?"
The pirates skidded to a halt. Locke, a towering man with a jagged scar stretching from the corner of his mouth to his ear, looked down at the child. He licked the scar and grinned. "I'm Locke. What do you want, brat?"
His subordinates erupted in laughter. "Captain! Maybe he's a little fan who wants to join the crew!"
Locke's grin widened. "Kid, if you want to be a pirate, it's too early. A snot-nosed brat like you should go home, drink milk for a few more years, grow a bit taller, and then come find me!"
"Hahahahaha!!" The crew clutched their stomachs, howling at the joke.
Goku ignored the laughter, his expression becoming deathly serious. "Then, are you bad people? Have you done bad things?"
Locke's laughter died down. He leaned forward, exhaling a breath that smelled of cheap rum. "Hahaha! What a funny question. We're pirates! Pirates are naturally bad people! Burning, killing, looting—we do it all!"
Goku's small face set into a firm mask of justice. He dropped into a martial arts stance, his center of gravity low and his hands poised. "Since you are bad people, then I can defeat you!"
Locke's eyes twitched. The insult to his pride was instantaneous. Without a word, he raised a massive, heavy boot, intending to viciously kick the boy into the next street. But his foot met only air.
Goku leaped high, performing a spectacular mid-air flip. He let out a sharp shout and, like a launched cannonball, delivered a flying kick directly to Locke's temple.
CRACK!!
Locke's jaw twisted violently, and several teeth sprayed into the air. His massive body crashed backward with the force of a falling tree, sent sprawling into his subordinates.
One second later, the street was filled with a different kind of noise. Seeing their 3-million-Berry captain lying motionless with his eyes rolled back, the pirates dropped their weapons and scrambled in every direction. "Waaahhh!!! The Captain's been defeated!! Run for your lives!!!"
Nami stepped out of the third bar on the far side of town, rubbing her forehead. "It seems no one knows about the Martial Arts Tournament here either," she sighed. She had asked the most well-connected barkeeps, and none had a lead.
Suddenly, she saw people sprinting past her. "Hurry! The pirates are on Pear Blossom Street!"
Nami's heart plummeted. Pear Blossom Street? That's where I left Goku! She didn't wait to hear more. She was like an arrow released from a bow, her orange hair a blur as she sprinted toward the stall. She arrived at the corner of the street, panting and terrified, and cautiously peeked out.
The scene was not what she expected. A crowd of residents had emerged, surrounding Goku with admiring eyes. "Young hero! You're amazing!" they cheered. Goku stood in the center, looking a bit embarrassed and scratching the back of his head with a foolish grin.
Then, Goku spotted Nami. He reached down, grabbed a leg of the unconscious, bound Evil Wolf Locke, and dragged the pirate across the cobblestones like a sack of potatoes. He waved a cheerful hand at her.
"Hey! Nami! I caught a pirate!"