He-El and Bulma took turns piloting the fighter jet, carrying everyone south toward Emperor Pilaf's small base.
"We're here!" By the time they reached Emperor Pilaf's small base in the south, it was already night. The fighter jet stopped in front of the base's entrance, and Bulma used a Hoi-Poi Capsule to put it away.
"So this is where the last Dragon Ball is? It looks like someone lives here, but why is the door open?" Bulma tucked the Hoi-Poi Capsule containing the fighter jet into her belt pouch and craned her head toward the entrance.
Emperor Pilaf's small base resembled a secret laboratory. Built from a mixture of steel and brick, it looked sturdy and carried a faintly futuristic feel.
"Looks like the owner left in a hurry." He-El glanced at the flattened grass nearby and the messy footprints left before the gate. It was clear that the owner had had something urgent to deal with and had rushed off.
Moreover, they had left less than ten hours ago. From the surroundings outside the door—the springback of the trampled grass, the size and depth of the shoeprints—He-El could even determine when the owners had left, as well as their heights and weights.
There had been roughly three people, and their departure had coincided almost exactly with Fortune Teller Baba divining the Dragon Ball's location.
So it really was Emperor Pilaf and the other two. Only now, from the traces they had left behind, did He-El confirm that the trio had obtained the last Dragon Ball.
After all that circling around, he had never expected Pilaf and the others to be the ones holding the final Dragon Ball.
"Let's go in. There shouldn't be anyone inside," He-El said, leading everyone toward the building.
"Hey, we're coming in!" Goku cupped his