Bulma immediately walked over to Son Mirai and asked, "Wait, you're my boyfriend now. After we find the Dragon Balls, aren't you coming home with me?"
Son Mirai thought it over. "Once we get back to West City, you'll have to go to school. I can't go to class with you. How about I come visit you in West City whenever I have some time between training?"
"But Kame House is thousands of kilometers from West City..." Bulma said reluctantly.
Son Mirai smiled. "Don't worry. It'll take me less than an hour to fly there and back with Log-Riding Flight."
Bulma wanted to take Son Mirai home because she wanted to show off her boyfriend to her classmates.
Since Son Mirai had agreed to visit her now and then, taking him shopping would be the perfect chance to show him off.
That way, no one would call her a lonely old maid.
Just thinking about Son Mirai's Log-Riding Flight still made Bulma's legs go weak.
But it was incredibly fast—faster than a plane.
She nodded. "All right, then it's a deal. But don't you dare let that old man corrupt you..."
Once they entered the castle, the Ox-King soon found the Dragon Ball and gave it to Bulma.
Since Goku had wrecked their car, the Ox-King gave them an old car to use.
Bulma drove, and Son Mirai rode with her. Goku thought the Flying Nimbus was more comfortable, so he chose to ride it instead.
Chi-Chi watched Goku ride away on the Flying Nimbus, waving goodbye reluctantly.
"Goodbye, Goku! Don't forget to come marry me when we're grown up!"
They were now just one Dragon Ball short of gathering all seven.
Master Roshi and the Ox-King only turned away after Bulma and the others had disappeared from sight.
The Ox-King said, "Sorry for the trouble, Master!
Look, the fire's out, Mount Frypan has cooled down, and the castle's habitable again. Why don't you stay at my place for a while?"
Master Roshi waved his hand. "No, no. Thank you for the kind offer.
I still prefer living alone. It's more comfortable and peaceful that way.
Well, Ox-King, I'd better get going. I have a yoga class this afternoon..."
"All right, Master!"
Master Roshi opened a Hoi-Poi Capsule and took out his plane. Then he climbed aboard and flew away from Mount Frypan.
A desolate stretch of rocky wasteland.
Puar lowered the binoculars and excitedly reported to Yamcha beside him.
"Master, Master, I spotted a plane flying this way..."
Yamcha's eyes lit up at once.
"A plane? Great! Anyone who can afford a plane has to be better off than those dirt-poor trading caravans!"
He took the binoculars and looked.
Master Roshi was leisurely piloting a civilian plane in their direction.
Yamcha grinned. "It's even a plane that can fly and dive underwater. He's definitely loaded.
Puar, bring me the rocket launcher!"
"Master, that plane's worth a fortune. Don't blow it up!"
Yamcha nodded. "Relax. I know what I'm doing!"
A moment later, a rocket struck the plane's tail. Master Roshi frantically controlled the plane and brought it down.
After landing, Master Roshi finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Whew, that was close. I nearly crashed..."
Just then, Yamcha appeared in front of him with a rocket launcher slung over his shoulder.
"Hand over everything valuable! Or you'll see what the Desert Bandit Yamcha can do!"
"Huh?"
Master Roshi froze for a moment, then gave him an amused, helpless look.
"Honestly, I can't believe I got held up by bandits."
Yamcha snapped, "Quit wasting time. Get down here and hand over all your Hoi-Poi Capsules!"
The cabin door opened. Leaning on his cane, Master Roshi slowly stepped out and dusted himself off.
But he didn't hand over any Hoi-Poi Capsules.
Puar puffed himself up and said, "Hey, old man, didn't you hear him?
The master told you to hand over all your Hoi-Poi Capsules. Hurry up!"
"Heh, a young fellow like you thinks he can rob me? Let's see what you can do."
Master Roshi beckoned to Yamcha, eyeing him with the scrutiny of an elder sizing up a youngster.
But Yamcha took it as a sign of contempt.
The dismissive attitude infuriated him. He sprang forward and threw a punch at Master Roshi.
"Smack!"
Yamcha hadn't seen a thing. He only felt something hard tap the back of his head—not too hard, but hard enough.
His vision filled with stars, and he crumpled to the ground.
"Master!" Puar cried, hurrying over to check Yamcha's injuries.
Master Roshi had held back.
Yamcha rubbed the back of his head as he got up, glaring furiously at Master Roshi.
"Damn you, old man! I was careless just now. Try my Wolf Fang Fist!"
With that, Yamcha showed his true skill, pouncing on Master Roshi like a starving wolf.
But Master Roshi merely leaned aside to dodge or lightly blocked. Every now and then, he used his cane to poke Yamcha's joints or pressure points, and every one of Yamcha's attacks missed.
Yamcha, meanwhile, was soon panting with exhaustion, his body aching in several places.
Yamcha realized the old man had barely moved his feet from beginning to end!
Cold sweat instantly broke out across his back.
He'd run into a real master!
Puar immediately checked Yamcha over. "Master, are you all right? Are you badly hurt...?"
Master Roshi casually brushed the dirt off himself. "Hmm... You've got a decent foundation, but you've taken the wrong path..."
The old man was far too strong. Yamcha had no chance of beating him, and for a moment, he didn't know what to do.
Master Roshi checked his watch. "Oh no, I have to hurry, or I'll miss my yoga class!"
With that, he quickly put away his plane and climbed onto the spinning turtle he had ridden there.
Before leaving, Master Roshi gave him one last piece of advice. "Young man, stop looking for something for nothing.
Using your strength and talent to rob people is a waste of your life."
With that, the turtle beneath Master Roshi's feet began spinning at high speed,
whipping up the yellow sand. Master Roshi and the turtle were swallowed by the swirling sand.
A series of violent coughs rang out, and then he flew off without looking back.
The sand filled the sky, obscuring Master Roshi's retreating figure.
Yamcha immediately shouted after him, "May I ask your name?"
A faint voice drifted down from the sky. "Everyone calls me Master Roshi, or Master Mutaito..."
Yamcha's pupils shrank.
"That was Master Mutaito!"
Just then, an old car burst through the swirling sand and slammed into Yamcha,
sending him flying several meters before the car finally stopped.
Puar flew over in alarm. "Master, are you all right?"
Yamcha looked up and glared angrily at the old car, but there was too much sand to see clearly.
All he could make out was a battered car, its windshield wipers sweeping back and forth.
At the same time, Bulma and Son Mirai's voices came from inside the car.
"Did we just hit something? Are there speed bumps in the desert?"
Son Mirai replied helplessly, "How could there be speed bumps in the desert?
There's so much sand that I'm not getting out. Just step on the gas and drive over it!"
"All right, hold on tight!"
With that, Bulma floored the accelerator. The car's engine roared as it drove right over Yamcha,
bounced once, and sped off into the distance without stopping.
"Ughhh—!"
A scream rang out, then all was quiet again.
In the sandy pit, only a faintly twitching figure remained.
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