42. The Thief and The Marines

Chapter 42: The Thief and the Marines

The afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Goku wandered through the bustling streets of Logue Town. The vibrant marketplace was still alive with activity, merchants shouting to advertise their goods, and people of all kinds moving between the stalls. But Goku wasn't particularly focused on the noise of the town. His mind was elsewhere, thinking about Nami. It had been a few hours since they had parted ways, and while he trusted her skills as a thief, something about the plan gnawed at the back of his mind.

As he passed by a small open-air restaurant, something caught his eye. Seated at a table near the edge of the square was Zoro, casually enjoying a meal with a young woman. Goku squinted, recognizing his crewmate's green hair from a distance. But the woman sitting across from him was unfamiliar—her short, dark hair and glasses gave her a somewhat scholarly appearance. Goku's curiosity piqued, and with a mischievous grin, he made his way over to the pair.

"Zoro!" Goku called out as he approached, his cheerful voice cutting through the noise of the market.

Zoro looked up from his plate, his expression immediately shifting from relaxed to slightly irritated. The woman, Tashigi, glanced at Goku as well, her curiosity piqued.

"Goku," Zoro greeted with a nod, trying to hide his slight annoyance. "What's up?"

Goku ignored the question for a moment, his eyes flicking between Zoro and Tashigi. He smirked and leaned in toward Zoro, lowering his voice but making sure it was still loud enough for Tashigi to hear. "Well, well, look who's finally talking to a woman!" He winked at Zoro, his tone teasing.

Zoro's face immediately flushed with irritation, and he shot Goku a glare. "Shut up," he grumbled, clearly not in the mood for Goku's jokes.

Tashigi, oblivious to the deeper meaning of Goku's comment, raised an eyebrow at the two men's exchange. "I take it you two are friends?" she asked, glancing between them.

Goku chuckled and straightened up, offering a friendly smile. "Yeah, we're crewmates. I'm Goku, by the way." He extended a hand to Tashigi, who shook it politely.

"Tashigi," she introduced herself with a slight smile. "Nice to meet you."

Zoro, still glaring at Goku, took a deep breath and decided to focus on finishing his meal rather than engage in the Saiyan's antics. Goku, meanwhile, glanced around the town square, his senses picking up snippets of conversation from the townspeople as they went about their business.

That's when he heard it.

"Did you hear? Some thief broke into the Marine base earlier today. The guards said she escaped, but they didn't get a good look at her face."

Goku's smile faded instantly, and his demeanor shifted. He stood straighter, his body tense as the words sank in. A thief… escaped from the Marine base? His heart pounded as worry surged through him. Nami had gone to steal the Log Pose from the Marine base. Could she be the thief everyone was talking about?

Tashigi, hearing the same rumor, sat up a little straighter in her chair. "A thief broke into the base?" she repeated, her voice full of concern. "I should get back. If the base was breached, Captain Smoker will want all hands on deck."

She stood quickly, her expression serious. Goku watched her closely as she prepared to leave. The mention of "Captain Smoker" confirmed his growing suspicion—this wasn't just any Marine base. If Nami had run into Smoker, things could have gone south fast.

Zoro, noticing Goku's sudden change in demeanor, furrowed his brow. "You're getting all serious all of a sudden. What's going on, Goku?"

Goku didn't answer immediately, his eyes still fixed on Tashigi as she hurried off toward the direction of the Marine base. "Nami was supposed to steal the Log Pose from the Marine base," Goku finally said, his voice low and tense.

Zoro's eyes widened as the realization hit him. "Wait… the thief who escaped… you think it was Nami?"

Goku nodded, his gaze still locked on the retreating figure of Tashigi. "I don't think it. I know it. If she got away, she's probably heading back to the ship. But if Smoker's on her trail, we need to move fast."

Zoro clenched his fists, pushing his chair back and standing up. "Then let's go," he said, his voice steady but urgent. "If Smoker catches up to her, we're in trouble."

Without another word, the two of them started running through the crowded streets, their minds focused solely on getting back to the Going Merry. Goku's usual carefree attitude was gone, replaced by a laser-sharp focus. He couldn't afford to let anything happen to Nami, especially not now, when they were so close to making their way to the Grand Line.

As they sprinted through the winding streets, Goku's mind raced. He had heard rumors of Captain Smoker during his time in the East Blue—stories about a Marine who was as relentless as a storm. Smoker wasn't just a normal Marine captain; he possessed the power of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, a Logia-type Devil Fruit that allowed him to control, generate, and become smoke at will. Smoker had made a name for himself by capturing pirates with ease, and if he was after Nami, they needed to act fast.

"Zoro," Goku said as they ran, his voice grim. "If Smoker's after her, we might have to fight him."

Zoro's eyes narrowed. "I figured as much. You ready for that?"

Goku smirked, but there was no humor in it. "I'm always ready for a fight. But this guy… he's different. He's not just some random Marine."

Zoro didn't respond, but he understood. The Marines were becoming a bigger threat as their journey continued, and if they wanted to make it to the Grand Line, they'd have to get past officers like Smoker. But they weren't going to back down now. Not after coming this far.

As they approached the harbor, the outline of the Going Merry came into view. The ship was docked as they had left it, and a wave of relief washed over Goku. If the ship was still there, that meant Nami had likely made it back—at least for now.

But something felt off. Goku's Saiyan instincts, honed from years of combat, tingled with a sense of unease. It was too quiet. No sign of Nami, no sign of any trouble—yet.

The two crewmates hurried onto the ship, scanning the deck for any sign of Nami. "Nami!" Goku called out, his voice echoing across the empty vessel.

After a few tense seconds, a figure appeared from below deck. Nami stepped out onto the deck, her face a mixture of relief and exhaustion. She still clutched the Log Pose tightly in her hand, as if afraid to let it go.

"I got it," she said, her voice breathless. "But I ran into trouble…"

Goku exhaled, his body relaxing slightly. "We heard about the thief escaping the Marine base. You had me worried there for a second."

Zoro crossed his arms, glancing at the Log Pose. "So, that's it, huh? The thing that'll get us through the Grand Line?"

Nami nodded, but her expression remained tense. "Yeah, but we've got a bigger problem. Smoker… he's after me. I barely made it out of there."

Goku clenched his fists, feeling a surge of frustration. Smoker was closing in, and if they didn't leave soon, they'd be trapped in Logue Town with a Marine captain hunting them down.

"We don't have much time," Goku said, his tone serious. "We need to leave, now."

Zoro nodded in agreement. "I'll get the ship ready. You keep an eye out in case Smoker shows up."

As Zoro moved to prepare the ship for departure, Goku stayed on the deck with Nami, his eyes scanning the harbor for any sign of their pursuer. They had gotten the Log Pose, but now came the hard part—escaping Logue Town before the storm that was Captain Smoker could catch up to them.

[A/N: A shoutout to my latest patreon members Delicous_TheD52 and TheKidL@rry. Thank you both for your support. Don't forget to like and vote some power stones. They really help out. You too can read 15-20 chapters ahead available on patreon.com/saiyanprincenovels]