On the azure ocean, a Marine warship with a giant dog-head prow was cruising along at high speed.
In the ship's galley, a small figure had become the center of attention.
"Awesome! This is delicious!"
Goku sat at a massive round table, his hands moving so fast they left afterimages as he stuffed food into his mouth.
The food on the table vanished at a visible rate, replaced by a steadily growing tower of empty plates.
"Excuse me! Another bowl, please!"
As soon as the bowl in his hands was empty, he raised his small hand. A server nearby quickly grabbed it, refilled it to the brim, and handed it back in a flash.
'Is this kid's stomach a bottomless pit?' the server couldn't help but wonder. 'How many bowls has it been already?'
He wasn't the only one. The Marines who should have been eating were all staring at Goku's devouring pace, so shocked they forgot their own food.
Good grief! Is this kid even human? Just how much has he eaten!
"Hahaha! That's the way to eat! Eat more! That's how you get strong!"
Only Garp showed no surprise at Goku's appetite. In fact, he found the boy more and more likable.
In his eyes, a large appetite was proof of great physical talent. Being able to digest food that others couldn't allowed one's physique to reach levels unattainable by ordinary men.
'It is a bit strange, though. How did this little guy end up on that island?'
Watching Goku gorge himself, a look of contemplation flashed in Garp's eyes.
Earlier, after Garp had invited Goku, he quickly learned from their conversation that the boy was searching for his family.
Witnessing Goku's extraordinary strength at such a young age and his righteous heart when facing ruthless pirates, Garp, who was determined to have Goku join the Marines, immediately declared he would help him find them.
So, as soon as his main fleet arrived at the island, he gave the order for his subordinates to help search for Goku's kin.
As it turned out, even after searching the entire island from top to bottom, Goku's family was nowhere to be found.
Refusing to accept this, Goku took action himself and circled the entire island.
Finally returning to Garp, he said blankly, "Grandpa Garp, this isn't the island I lived on."
Whether it was the environment or the residents, nothing looked familiar.
This meant that it wasn't Krillin and Master Roshi who had disappeared; rather, he had somehow ended up on this island for reasons unknown.
Upon learning this, Garp told Goku to come with him.
He told Goku that if he wanted to find his family, no one in the world could do it faster than the Marines.
Still somewhat hesitant, Goku rubbed his stomach and said he was hungry.
Garp laughed, declaring that if Goku followed him, he could eat as much as he wanted. And that led to the scene happening now.
'Maybe he was abandoned by his family.'
The thought crossed Garp's mind.
After all, with an appetite like Goku's, it would be hard for ordinary people to afford. Some cruel parents might actually abandon a child for that.
Though he suspected this might be the truth, Garp didn't plan on telling Goku.
Doing so would be too much of a blow to the child.
Instead, he would work even harder to find the boy's family and then tell them that the Marines had taken a liking to Goku, ensuring he would never have to worry about food or clothes again.
This way, Goku could reunite with his family naturally without any psychological trauma.
"Hahaha! I'm a genius!"
Thinking about how his decision would gain the Marines a rare new talent, Garp couldn't help but laugh out loud.
His booming laughter instantly drew everyone's attention.
"What's Vice Admiral Garp laughing at?"
"Who knows? He's always like this."
"Huh? I'm new here. Can you tell me more?"
"Put it this way: Vice Admiral Garp often falls asleep for no reason. Like once, while he was eating, his head crashed right into his bowl and he didn't even wake up."
"What??"
Goku, who was busy eating, paused and looked at Garp curiously. "Grandpa Garp, what are you laughing at?"
"Oh, that."
Garp grinned, about to answer.
A split second later, his head dropped without warning, and a large snot bubble grew from his nose.
"Zzz... Zzz..."
'Huh??'
Goku blinked in confusion.
The Marines who had just heard the stories about Garp were left speechless.
"No way! Did Vice Admiral Garp really fall asleep?!"
"Wait! His head is going to fall into his bowl!!"
...
"Vice Admiral Garp wants to recruit that twelve-year-old shrimp? Claims he's pretty strong? Hmph, I'll see just how strong he is."
In an office, Major Bogard stood by the window, expressionlessly watching Goku digest his meal on the deck below.
"Hey, Bogard, don't—"
Before the other Marine in the office could finish, Bogard had already jumped out the window. The other man could only rub his forehead in frustration.
This Marine was none other than Major Lansa, the young officer who had failed to look cool on the island.
He had thought he'd earn looks of admiration by protecting the weak, only for the 'weakling' to become the MVP. He was the one left in shock.
Ultimately, Garp's relentless mocking made him want to crawl into a hole and hide.
Having witnessed Goku in action, he knew exactly how much power was hidden in that small body. It was far beyond what a normal person could handle.
However, even so, the kid would likely suffer a loss against Bogard.
After all, Bogard was a genius of the new generation, significantly stronger than Lansa.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have reached the same rank while being eight years younger.
Thud!!
"Hey, shrimp. I heard you're joining the Marines?"
Bogard dropped from above, landing in front of Goku and asking coolly.
Goku, who had finished digesting and was ready for a nap, blinked and replied, "Join the Marines? Grandpa Garp mentioned it, but I haven't decided yet."
He wanted to find Master Roshi and Krillin before considering anything else.
"Oh? You haven't decided? Good choice. You should know that only the elite of humanity can join the Marines. Not just any random street urchin can get in," Bogard said.
Before Goku could respond, he continued, "I don't know how you got Vice Admiral Garp's approval, but why don't you show me what you've got?"
At seventeen, he was full of youthful arrogance. He remembered being hailed as a genius when he joined at fourteen.
Now, an even younger kid had been invited to join. This immediately triggered his competitive streak.
He refused to believe anyone could be more of a genius than he was!
"Show you? Show you what?"
Goku tilted his head innocently, not understanding.
"A fight! Let me see what you're made of!" Bogard replied.
"Oh, okay. But you should be careful. I'm really strong now." Goku gave an innocent smile.
Seeing Goku acting like he was doing him a favor, Bogard's eye twitched. He suppressed his rising irritation and said stiffly, "Enough talk. Let's go!"
"Hurry, hurry! Major Bogard is going to fight the new kid! Come look!"
In the galley, a Marine at the window beckoned. Many Marines immediately put down their utensils and crowded the windows to watch.
"Zzz... Zzz... Snort!!"
Garp woke up with a start, his face covered in rice. He blinked and shouted, "Darn it! How did I fall asleep again?"
Then, noticing the commotion by the window, he wiped the rice off his face and let out a curious grin.
"Bogard's going to fight the kid? Interesting. This should be a good show."
"Is Bogard serious? No, I have to stop them. It'll be bad if someone gets hurt."
Lansa, watching from the window, grew anxious and prepared to jump down to stop the fight.
But before he could speak, a powerful hand gripped his shoulder.
"Just watch, Lansa."
Garp, having arrived unnoticed, sat down and pulled out a bag of rice crackers, munching away as he watched the scene unfold.
On the deck, Bogard didn't care that more and more Marines were watching. He put one hand behind his back and beckoned with his right.
"I won't have people saying I'm a bully. I'll only use one hand, and you can have the first move."
Goku took the Power Pole off his back, placed it in a corner, and turned around. "Are you sure? It'll be bad if I hurt you."
Bogard just puffed out his chest and smiled confidently. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'm a Marine genius. Even if I just stood here and let you hit me, you wouldn't leave a scratch!"
He thought to himself that even if Goku was as strong as he was at fourteen, he wouldn't be able to hurt him. His current self could easily crush his fourteen-year-old self.
Goku blinked in surprise. "Whoa! You're that amazing? Then I don't have to worry."
With that, he gave a formal bow, clenched his fists, and began to build up his strength.
In the next instant,
His legs blurred into motion. He shot toward Bogard like an arrow from a bow, appearing in front of him in a flash.
"What?!"
Seeing the fist rapidly enlarging in his vision, the nonchalant Bogard felt his pupils shrink. It was as if a bright red 'DANGER' sign had appeared above his head. He instinctively tried to block.
But in his relaxed state, how could he possibly intercept such a ferocious strike?
Before his arm could move into a defensive position, Goku's fist slammed into his gut. He was instantly folded into a 'U' shape and sent flying backward, slamming into the cabin and embedding himself into the iron plating.
In an instant, the entire area fell deathly silent.