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Two days later.
In Cocoyasi Village, at the workshop of a local craftsman named Devon.
At this moment, Goku and Nami stood behind Devon, watching him intently as he hammered away at a dense slab of metal. The rhythmic clanging of the hammer against the anvil echoed through the small room, filling the air with the scent of hot iron and coal.
Soon after, Devon put down his large hammer, wiped away the beads of sweat from his brow with a soot-stained forearm, and picked up the item he had forged. He weighed it in his hands, testing its balance and structural integrity. Then he turned his head, looked at Goku and Nami, and said with a proud smile, "Goku, the weight of this item you wanted me to forge is a little different from what you originally asked for. If you find it too heavy, I can spend some more time grinding it down to lighten it for you."
Goku asked curiously, "Uncle Devon, how heavy is it now?"
Devon used a coarse handkerchief to wipe away the remaining sweat from his face, then took a large, refreshing gulp from a nearby kettle before answering: "Didn't you say you wanted fifty kilograms before? I estimate this one finished at about sixty kilograms."
"Sixty kilograms?!"
As soon as he said this, Nami exclaimed in surprise before Goku could even open his mouth to speak. Her eyes widened as she looked at the metallic object. "No, no, that is far too heavy! Uncle Devon, you should still make it fifty kilograms. Honestly, I think fifty kilograms is already a bit too heavy for a child!" She shook her head repeatedly, her expression one of utter disbelief.
But Goku completely ignored her words and stepped forward, directly picking up the heavy item Devon had forged.
"Hiss—! It's a bit heavy!"
When he put the item—which resembled a broad turtle shell and was made of unknown metal ore and other reinforced materials—on his back, he immediately felt his body sink. His feet pressed firmly into the workshop floor. And this was none other than a replica he had specifically asked Devon to help forge, so he could have a weighted item similar to the turtle shell Master Roshi had given them. This would free his hands and allow him to train freely while they traveled.
Of course, finding a craftsman like Devon was Nami's doing. He had presented this specific need to Nami, and Nami, always resourceful, had then taken him to Devon's forge.
"Hey! Goku, why did you put it on so quickly!" Seeing Goku immediately strap the weighted item to his back, and looking as if he was visibly struggling with the load, Nami couldn't help but worry for his spine.
"It's fine, Nami. Although it's a bit heavy, I think it's just right!" After walking a few steps and adapting his center of gravity to the new weight, Goku felt much better. He immediately bent down, performing about ten rapid-fire push-ups on the spot to test his mobility.
Nami watched him, completely stunned by his casual display of strength. As for Uncle Devon, he was so shocked he almost spat out the water he had just drunk. After swallowing it hard, he wiped the fresh sweat from his face. As expected of someone who could defeat Arlong, the boy adapted to this crushing weight with terrifying speed.
"Hehe! Thank you, Uncle Devon!" After a brief demonstration of his movement, Goku stood up, clapped his hands together, and with a bright, innocent smile, thanked the smith clearly.
"Oh! What are you saying? You saved our village from those monsters; you are our great benefactor!" Uncle Devon quickly waved his hand in dismissal, then stated that the forging service was completely free of charge. He politely saw the two out the door, refusing to take even a single Berry for his labor.
"Hey, Goku, are you really going to carry this thing on your back all the time?" On the way back to the Dream Chaser, Nami couldn't help but ask. If Goku had been training with a large rock like he had before, she wouldn't have said anything, as training always has an end time. But the weighted turtle shell Goku was now carrying—according to his plan—he intended to carry it all the time except when eating, bathing, or sleeping. To Nami, this was a bit frightening. Constantly carrying such a heavy item, would it really not stunt his growth?
"It's fine, Nami, I used to train like this all the time." Goku said with a wide grin, holding his head with his hands. Ever since he became a disciple of Master Roshi, he had been undergoing this type of weighted training. At first, he carried a twenty-kilogram turtle shell. It wasn't until seven months later, after he and Krillin pushed a giant rock that Master Roshi thought was impossible to move, that he switched to a forty-kilogram shell at his master's request.
Then, after training like that for some time, he inexplicably found himself separated from Master Roshi and the others. And now, to allow himself to train even better in this new world, he had asked Devon to forge a fifty-kilogram version. Although the result was a bit off, with the final weight coming in at sixty kilograms, it didn't matter. Sixty kilograms was sixty kilograms; he would just train harder with it!
"Alright, if you say it's no problem, then it's no problem. But I advise you to take it easy and not stunt your growth," Nami commented, holding her forehead in exasperation.
"Stunt my growth?" Goku suddenly stopped in his tracks. "You mean this will stunt my growth, Nami?!" He looked at Nami with a shocked expression, his eyes wide.
Nami blinked, thinking she had finally succeeded in persuading him. She quickly nodded, her expression turning very serious. "That's right! Goku, you are in a major developmental stage right now. If you carry something too heavy for a long time, it's very likely to stunt your growth and keep you short!"
"Is that so..." Goku scratched his head, mumbling softly to himself. Nami watched him without blinking, as if she had already envisioned him accepting her advice and declaring that he would no longer carry that heavy shell for long periods.
But the next second, Goku held his head and said with a completely indifferent expression: "Well, never mind. If I don't grow tall, I don't grow tall. I just want to get stronger!"
Bang!! Nami immediately collapsed onto the ground in a comedic heap.
Half a day later, having rested in Cocoyasi Village and completed all their preparations, Goku and his companions finally decided to set sail again, heading towards the Grand Line. At the dock, Nami hugged Nojiko, who had come to see them off. "I'm leaving, Nojiko. I'm entrusting the orange grove to you to continue looking after."
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of it," Nojiko smiled slightly.
"Oh, right, I also left my 100,000,000 Berries with you. If anyone is in urgent need of money to rebuild, you can use some of it to help them," Nami said with a playful smile. Although after defeating the Arlong Pirates, they had found over 300,000,000 Berries worth of treasure, most of it belonged back in the other twenty or so villages Arlong had ruled. Cocoyasi Village would not shamelessly claim it all.
Hearing Nami say she would leave the 100,000,000 Berries she had painstakingly collected for eight years to everyone, Nojiko was momentarily stunned. Then she smiled and nodded, "I understand, Nami." You've always been such a kind child.
Nojiko then bent down and gently hugged Goku as well. "Be careful on your journey, Goku, and take good care of Nami for me." Although Goku was just a child, she no longer viewed him as one after seeing him fight.
"Hehe, don't worry, leave it to me!" Goku flashed a brilliant smile.
"What about me, what about me, what about me!!!" Sanji, who was standing nearby, had long been impatient, flailing his arms like a restless monkey. Nojiko pursed her lips into a smile and generously gave him a hug as well. "I'm entrusting the food for those two to you, Sanji."
Woo—!!! Sanji's head seemed to emit the sound of boiling steam, and he was so happy he spiraled into the sky.
"I wish you all a safe journey." Behind Nojiko, Uncle Genzo, whose head no longer had the iconic windmill, looked at the crew, smiling and nodding.
"You too, Uncle Genzo!" Goku and the others waved goodbye, then boarded the Dream Chaser. Soon, with the sails raised and the wind filling them, the ship slowly departed from the dock, heading towards its next destination!