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"What did you say? You're going to search by yourself?" On the deck of the warship, Garp sat up from his recliner and looked at Goku with genuine surprise. After failing to learn the location of the World Martial Arts Tournament from the Vice Admiral, Goku had decided to take matters into his own hands.
"I want to rely on my own strength to find Grandpa Master Roshi and Krillin," Goku explained with high spirits. "I can't always trouble you, and I think the process of finding them will be good for my personal training! By the time I find them, I'll be much stronger than I am now!"
Garp burst into laughter, admiring the boy's resolve. However, his expression soon turned stern. "Are you really sure, Goku? The sea is full of dangers; your life could be in peril at any moment." When Goku nodded without hesitation, Garp stood up and patted his head. "Then go ahead! I believe in you!" He promised to prepare a boat for the boy, but added one final, serious condition: "You absolutely must not become a pirate, understand?"
"How could I ever become that kind of bad person!" Goku replied, remembering the pirates he had fought before. Satisfied, Garp smiled. Though Goku initially wanted to simply swim to the next island, Garp convinced him to take a boat to hold essential supplies and provide a place to rest.
"Grandpa Garp is really a very good person," Goku thought as he strolled along a nearby cliff. Since it was nearing noon, Garp had told him to wait until after lunch so the boat, food, and water could be properly prepared. As he walked, Goku found himself missing Gion's cooking, but his thoughts soon drifted back to his missing friends. "I really don't know where Grandpa Master Roshi and Krillin went," he muttered.
Suddenly, a faint cry for help drifted on the breeze: "Help, help! Someone please save me!" Goku's ears perked up, and his legs moved like a whirlwind as he rushed toward the sound. At the bottom of a cliff five hundred meters ahead, a young boy was desperately struggling against turbulent waves.
Goku peered down from the cliff edge. "Hey! Wait for me! I'm coming to save you!" Without even pausing to take off his clothes, he leaped from the cliff in a straight diving posture and plunged into the sea.
While underwater, Goku inadvertently caught sight of something sparkling at the bottom of the sea. The light felt intensely familiar. Is that Grandpa's keepsake? he wondered. He remembered the Dragon Balls scattering across the world; the Four-Star Ball was a treasure his grandpa had left him. He wanted to swim toward it immediately, but he remembered the drowning boy. Noting the position of the glow, he quickly swam back to the surface.
The struggling boy, named Lian, was nearly exhausted and beginning to sink when Goku grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the beach. After coughing up seawater, Lian gratefully thanked his savior. Goku returned a bright smile, waved off an invitation to Lian's home, and immediately plunged back into the ocean. He had to find out if that glowing object was truly his grandpa's relic.
On the other side of the island, Garp had just purchased a decent boat from a fisherman. Upon returning to the warship, he met Lanza, who had volunteered to help. "You've come at a good time," Garp laughed. "Go prepare some daily necessities and plenty of food for that little fellow."
Lanza gave a wry smile. "Let's not talk about that for now, Vice Admiral Garp. Have you forgotten that no one is allowed to go to sea without the World Government's permission?"
Garp paused, slapping his forehead as he realized his mistake. "That's right, how could I forget about that!"
"Then, when Goku returns, should we just have him stay with us?" Lanza asked. Garp stroked his chin, considering the situation. "Hmm... It seems that's the only way."