In the blink of an eye, three days had passed since Bulma and the others left Mount Frypan.
They were in another stretch of wasteland, but this one was covered in plants that looked like giant mushrooms, each one shaped like a little house.
On top of one of the giant mushrooms, a girl in blue spotted Bulma and the others' car.
She picked up her communicator and reported, "Reporting to King Pilaf!
A car has been spotted in North Suburb Sector 15. It's heading toward us!"
"It must be them. Make your move, Mai!"
Mai nodded. "Yes!"
Then she switched to another communicator.
"Shu, do you see the car?"
"I see it, I see it!"
"They've got the Dragon Balls. You know what to do?"
"Roger!"
Shu prepared for battle and climbed inside a robot.
The next moment, the robot moved.
A cannon-shaped device emerged from its abdomen. As Shu pressed a button, a shell shot out.
On the wasteland road, Bulma covered her mouth and let out a huge yawn.
"Ahh, I've been driving for three days. I'm exhausted..."
Seeing Bulma on the verge of collapsing, Son Mirai suggested, "We're not far now.
Why don't I use Log-Riding Flight to carry you the rest of the way?"
Bulma perked up at once and retorted, "Are you kidding?
If I switch now, all the suffering I've endured these past three days will have been for nothing!"
Even when people realize they've taken the wrong path, they often keep going down it,
because they can't bear to give up what they've already invested.
Son Mirai silently glanced into the distance.
"Fine, suit yourself!"
As he looked out, Son Mirai spotted a shell flying toward them!
His eyes narrowed. He smashed through the car window and leaped out.
He caught the shell in one hand, then hurled it back toward where it had come from.
He moved so fast that ordinary people couldn't even see him.
The shell flew back along its original path and struck Shu's robot.
"Boom!"
A violent explosion erupted, sending a shock wave through the air. Dust and smoke swallowed Shu and the robot.
Bulma was startled and slammed on the brakes.
Goku, sound asleep in the back seat, flew forward and smashed through the windshield.
"Bulma, what are you doing? You scared me..." Goku rubbed his head and complained.
Bulma pointed outside and shouted, "Look over there! Something seems to have exploded!"
Goku followed her finger. A cloud of dust had just billowed up over there.
"What exploded?"
Bulma glanced around and saw Son Mirai standing outside the car, watching the cloud of smoke.
Through the billowing dust, a tall yellow robot emerged. It looked as if it had lost one of its claws.
Goku exclaimed, "Whoa! What is that?"
Bulma calmly said, "How strange. It looks like a robot controlled by someone!"
Goku looked surprised. "A robot? What a strange thing! I've never seen one before!"
Bulma impatiently explained, "Idiot, robots are designed by humans to look like people. They can look like anything!"
Goku nodded. "Oh, I see!"
The next moment, the robot took aim at them and charged forward on its mechanical legs.
"Caught you! Hand over the Dragon Balls if you know what's good for you!"
Goku and Bulma looked at each other.
"Is this a robbery?"
She looked at Shu's robot and asked curiously, "How did you know I had Dragon Balls?"
Shu laughed from inside the robot. "Hahaha! I don't just know you have Dragon Balls—I know you have six of them!"
"What? You know that much? Have you been following us?"
"Ahahahaha! Following you? Who'd be bored enough to trail you around all the time?
Our Radar detected six Dragon Balls coming our way.
When I saw you, I realized the Dragon Balls were with you!"
Bulma suddenly understood. "No wonder! You can make a Radar too!"
Shu immediately shouted, "Enough talk! Hand over all the Dragon Balls, right now.
Once our king rules the world, he'll thank you!"
Bulma grinned and pointed at Son Mirai. "If you want the Dragon Balls, you'll have to beat him first."
Shu looked at Son Mirai, who stared back at him with a calm expression.
Shu froze. He hadn't even noticed Son Mirai before.
But Son Mirai was just one person, and he didn't even have a weapon.
Shu struck a menacing pose. "Heh, you think one man can stand against us?
The mech I'm piloting is the most advanced piece of technology King Pilaf has ever made!
Even when it gets hit by a shell, all it loses is an arm!"
Son Mirai glanced at his robot and scoffed. "Hmph, haven't you figured it out yet?
A robot at your level can't hurt me. I don't even need to dodge!"
Shu laughed. "If you don't dodge, I'll smash you to pieces!"
With that, the robot swung its intact mechanical arm and punched at Son Mirai with its iron fist.
As the iron fist closed in, Son Mirai didn't move at all. He let the robot's punch come straight at him.
Bulma shouted, "What are you doing? Get out of the way!"
Son Mirai still didn't dodge. He looked contemptuously at the mechanical fist and let it strike the top of his head.
But Son Mirai was completely unharmed, while the robot's fist shattered, crackling with sparks.
Shu pulled back the mechanical arm in shock and stared in disbelief at the damaged iron fist.
"It shattered? How is that possible?"
"How can a person's head be harder than my robot?"
While Shu was still reeling, Son Mirai suddenly shot forward, smashed through the mech's glass, and dragged him out.
Shu was so scared his legs went weak.
"How is this possible? That's the hardest tempered glass on Earth, and you smashed right through it?"
Son Mirai tossed Shu onto the ground and scoffed. "Hmph, you call that the hardest tempered glass? That's hilarious!"
He'd smashed through tempered glass just days after he was born. This kind of strength was no more than a tickle to him.
Bulma was amazed. "Son Mirai's a bit reckless, but his head really is hard."
Son Goku nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, Son Mirai is so strong!"
He clenched his fists and said, "I need to train even harder. I'll make sure I become stronger than him!"
Soon, Bulma and Goku got out of the car.
Bulma smiled. "You can detect our Dragon Balls,
so that proves the last Dragon Ball is in your hands, right?"
Seeing Bulma's rather smug smile, Shu grew nervous.
"Y-you two, what are you going to do?"
Bulma threatened him. "Tell your people to hand over the Dragon Ball, or I'll have him beat you up!"
Thinking of Son Mirai's toughness, Shu panicked. "No, don't hit me! I'm just a poor little puppy..."
"So you won't hand it over?"
Bulma took out the Dragon Radar and said, "I have a Dragon Radar too. I know where the last Dragon Ball is.
If I come looking for you..."
Before you continue