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After handing the bounty money to Satori and completing his secret task, Smoker turned to leave, tossing one final warning over his shoulder: "The Grand Line is a dangerous place. Don't let your guard down."
He led Tashigi and the captured pirates away without looking back. Watching the plume of smoke follow the Colonel down the street, Satori blinked and said, "He's a good person. Oh, right, I still don't know his name."
Their meeting had been so brief and focused on the bounty that Satori had forgotten the most basic of social graces. Seeing his confusion, Nami approached a local street vendor who had been watching the exchange with wide eyes.
"Hey, do you know the name of that Marine officer?" Nami asked.
The vendor looked at her in disbelief, wondering how anyone could meet the man and not know him. "Of course! That's the highest-ranking officer in Loguetown, Captain Smoker!"
"Captain Smoker, huh? Thank you," Nami murmured. She returned to Satori's side and relayed the name.
"Smoker? I'll remember it," Satori nodded, committing it to memory. To him, anyone who was a 'friend' of Grandpa Garp and brought them a suitcase full of money was worth remembering.
With their errands finished and the weight of the bounty box in Satori's hands, the two decided to head back to the Dream Chaser. Nami carried her large bag of new clothes, while Satori balanced the heavy chest of Berries.
"Hey, Satori," Nami said, her voice dropping as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "That Vice Admiral Garp... he wouldn't happen to be the 'Marine Hero,' would he?"
She had heard the name Garp before in passing—a legend who had cornered the Pirate King. At the time, she was too startled by Smoker's presence to process it, but now the pieces were falling into place.
"That? I think I've heard people call him that before," Satori replied casually.
Nami stopped dead in her tracks, her jaw nearly hitting the pavement. "It really is the legendary Marine Hero?! Satori, you know him?!"
"Yeah, what's wrong?" Satori tilted his head, looking completely puzzled by her reaction.
"What is your relationship with him?! Are you close?!"
"Relationship? Hmm... I don't really know how to put it," Satori said, scratching his cheek. "I'm quite close with Grandpa Garp. I lived and ate with him for a while, and he helped me out a lot. He always wanted me to join the Marines, but I told him I had to find Grandpa Master Roshi and Krillin first."
Nami was utterly dumbfounded. She pulled the Grand Line authorization letter from her bosom and stared at it. "No wonder the Marines proactively gave us this," she muttered. "And no wonder Colonel Nezumi confessed so quickly. All of this must be because of your 'Grandpa Garp'."
Under normal circumstances, the Marines didn't hand out legal travel permits like candy to independent Pirate Hunters. As for Nezumi—the man was a corrupt rat who would never have confessed unless a powerhouse like Garp had squeezed the truth out of him.
"Seriously, Satori! Why didn't you tell me you had such connections earlier?!" Nami frowned, though she couldn't hide her relief. If she had known Satori was mentored by a Marine legend, she wouldn't have spent weeks looking over her shoulder.
"You didn't ask," Satori said with an innocent shrug.
"Hmph! Fine. Since we made a fortune today, I'll forgive you!" Nami started walking again, her mood lifting. "Let's go back and see if Sanji is finished with the groceries."
Inquisitive Minds
Back at the Marine base, Smoker was speaking into a Den Den Mushi.
"Vice Admiral Garp, the authorization letter and the bounty money have been delivered," Smoker reported.
"How tall is he now?" Garp's voice boomed through the device. "Is he thinner than in the photo? Stronger?"
"He's about a meter tall," Smoker replied, slightly annoyed by the trivial questions. "He seems stronger than the photo suggested. Oh, and there's one thing... he has a brown tail now. I assume you knew about that?"
"What?! A tail?!" Garp's exclamation was so loud the Den Den Mushi shook.
"Yes, a brown tail," Smoker said, moving the device away from his ear. "It seems you didn't know."
There was a long silence on the other end. "He didn't have a tail before," Garp finally muttered. "Alright, I'll handle this. Good work, Smoker."
After hanging up, Smoker leaned back, wondering why the legendary Garp was acting like a nagging grandfather. What he didn't realize was that Gion had been standing behind Garp, feeding him the questions about height and health.
Meanwhile, at the 16th Branch where Garp was currently stationed, the Vice Admiral sat in deep thought. A brown tail? Could he be from the Mink Tribe? Or a half-breed?
Setting Sail
Back on the Dream Chaser, the crew reunited. Sanji had returned with a literal mountain of fresh ingredients. Under Satori's expectant gaze, he whipped up a celebratory feast that left the young Saiyan patting his stomach in satisfaction.
Sanji didn't stop there. He spent the rest of the day filling the ship's food warehouse and refrigerator until they were bursting at the seams. Nami, meanwhile, retrieved Satori's custom-made martial arts uniforms from the tailor.
With the ship stocked and the authorization letter safely tucked away, they sailed away from Loguetown, heading toward the final gate: Reverse Mountain.
As they officially set off, thousands of miles away in Windmill Village, a young boy in a straw hat jumped into a small boat and raised his arm toward the horizon.
"Ace! Wait for me! I'm coming to catch up to you!" Luffy shouted, his eyes filled with the same adventurous fire that burned in Satori's heart.