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In the boundless ocean, the Dream Chaser was sailing at full speed. Besides Goku, Nami, and Sanji, there were two more souls on board—well, one person and one duck.
"Your name is Carue? What a strange name, huh." Goku stood beside the giant duck, curiously stroking the feathers on its back.
"Quack!!" Carue lifted one of its legs, looking proud and spirited.
"Oh, you mean you're called Carue because you run very fast, right?"
"Quack!!" Carue nodded, its face full of pride.
Not far away, Nami and Vivi leaned against the ship's railing, watching the exchange. Nami was peeling an orange, one of the fruits from the trees she had brought from her hometown. She had insisted on planting three of the trees on the ship to keep a taste of Cocoyasi Village with her. After peeling it, she shared half with Vivi.
"It's really strange," Nami remarked. "Goku can completely understand what Carue is saying."
Vivi took the fruit and smiled. "I'm puzzled too. I only understand him because we grew up together. But Goku just met him. I guess he just has a natural talent for communicating with animals."
"Talent, huh? That sounds like Goku," Nami smiled wryly.
"Nami, thank you for taking me back to Alabasta," Vivi said softly, her eyes reflecting the sparkling sea. "I'll be a lot of trouble along the way."
"Oh, don't worry about that," Nami waved her hand. "We all want to see your country at peace again. Goku was the first to jump in, and Sanji's heart basically belongs to you now anyway. We're all in this together."
Vivi smiled charmingly, keeping her gratitude tucked away in her heart.
After a while, Goku finished his "chat" with the duck and walked up to Nami. "Nami, I want you to help me train."
Nami was stunned. "I help you train??" She pointed to herself. Usually, it was the other way around.
Goku nodded seriously. "I want you to help me train my tail."
"Your tail?" Nami was surprised. The tail was already incredibly strong—it acted like a third hand. Why did he need her help?
"My tail has a weakness," Goku explained. "It loses all its strength when someone grabs it. I want to overcome that."
Vivi, standing beside him, was curious. She reached out and gave the brown fur a quick squeeze.
"Ouch!!"
In an instant, Goku's hair stood on end, his eyes widened, and he collapsed limply to the deck like a puppet with its strings cut. Vivi gasped and quickly let go, repeatedly apologizing as she helped him up.
Goku wobbled, steadied himself, and looked at Nami. "See? It's like that. I didn't realize how dangerous it was until Robin teased me about it. If I meet a real enemy who knows this, I'm in big trouble."
Duang!
Nami delivered a sharp punch to his head. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?! You should have fixed this long ago! Do you know how lucky you were that Arlong didn't grab it?!"
"Hehe, it's not too late to start now," Goku giggled. He took off his 60 kg turtle shell, placed it aside, and propped himself up on all fours on the deck. His tail perked high into the air. "Nami, hold my tail. But don't use too much force yet."
He planned to perform strength exercises while his tail was being held, gradually adapting to the sensation until it no longer paralyzed him.
"Hold your tail? Okay," Nami nodded. She reached out and grasped the fluffy appendage. It was warm, and the fur felt incredibly soft against her palm. It was surprisingly pleasant—so pleasant that she instinctively tightened her grip.
"Ouch!!" Goku's tail bristled, and he hit the deck with a thud.
"Ah! Sorry, sorry!" Nami let go immediately, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Beside her, Vivi smiled mischievously. "Nami, did it feel good to touch?"
Nami met her gaze, blinked, and a playful smirk mirrored Vivi's. "Hehe, yes. It actually did."
The two girls shared a look, having reached a silent, mischievous consensus on how this "training" would proceed.