The Pilaf Trio

It had been three days since Bulma and the others left Mount Frypan.

Here was another stretch of desert, but it was covered in plants like giant mushrooms, each one like a little house.

On top of one such mushroom, a girl in blue spotted Bulma's car.

She picked up her communicator and reported, "Reporting to King Pilaf!

A car has been spotted in North Suburb Sector 15, heading our way!"

"It must be them. Begin the operation, Mai!"

Mai nodded. "Yes!"

Then she switched to another channel.

"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 into a Robot.

The next moment, the Robot moved.

A cannon-like device emerged from its abdomen, and with the press of a button, a shell flew out.

On the desert path, Bulma covered her mouth and let out a huge yawn.

"Ahh~ I've been driving for three days now. I'm so tired and sleepy..."

Sun Mo looked at Bulma, who was practically collapsing from exhaustion, and suggested, "It's not much farther.

How about I take over and carry you part of the way with Log-Riding Flight?"

Bulma perked up instantly and retorted, "Are you kidding me?

If we switch now, then all my suffering these three days will have been for nothing!"

A lot of people, even when they know they've taken the wrong path, will keep going all the way to the end, just because they can't bear to let go of the effort they've already put in.

Sun Mo rolled his eyes and looked off into the distance.

"Suit yourself!"

Just as he glanced outward, Sun Mo spotted a shell flying straight toward them!

His eyes sharpened, and he suddenly smashed through the car window and shot out.

He caught the shell in his arms and hurled it back in the direction it came from.

His speed was so fast that an ordinary person wouldn't have seen a thing.

The shell returned along its original path and slammed straight into Shu's Robot.

"Boom!"

A violent explosion erupted, sending a shockwave rippling outward as smoke and dust swallowed Shu and the Robot.

Bulma was startled and slammed on the brakes.

Goku, who had been sound asleep in the back seat, flew straight forward and crashed through the front windshield.

"Bulma, what are you doing? You scared me..." Goku complained, rubbing his head.

Bulma pointed outside the car and shouted, "Look over there! Something just exploded!"

Goku followed her gaze to where a cloud of smoke had just burst into the air.

"What exploded?"

Bulma scanned the area and spotted Sun Mo standing outside the car, staring at the smoke.

Through the rolling dust, a tall yellow Robot stepped out, looking like it was missing a claw.

Goku exclaimed in surprise, "Whoa, what is that thing?"

Bulma said calmly, "How strange. That looks like a Robot being controlled by someone!"

Goku blinked. "A Robot? What a weird thing. First time I've seen one!"

Bulma explained impatiently, "Idiot, Robots are designed by humans. No matter what they look like, it's not strange!"

Goku nodded. "Oh, I see!"

The next moment, the Robot locked onto them and came charging on mechanical legs.

"Got you! Hand over the Dragon Balls if you know what's good for you!"

Goku and Bulma exchanged a look.

"A robbery??"

She looked at Shu's robot and asked curiously, "How did you know I had the Dragon Balls on me?"

Shu, controlling the robot, laughed loudly. "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?"

"Hahahaha, following? Who'd be that bored to keep tailing you? Our radar picked up six Dragon Balls heading our way. When I saw you, I realized the Dragon Balls were on you!"

Bulma's eyes lit up. "No wonder. So you can build radars too!"

Shu immediately shouted, "Enough chatter. Hand over the Dragon Balls now. When the King rules the world, he'll thank you!"

Bulma grinned and pointed at Sun Mo. "Want the Dragon Balls? Beat that guy first."

Shu looked at Sun Mo, who stared back with a calm expression. Shu paused—he hadn't even noticed Sun Mo until now. But seeing he was just one man with no weapon, Shu bared his claws. "Hmph, you think you alone can stand against us? The mech I'm piloting is King Pilaf's most cutting-edge tech! Even if a cannonball hits it, it only loses an arm!"

Sun Mo glanced at the robot dismissively. "Hah, still don't get it? A robot on your level can't even scratch me. I don't need to dodge!"

Shu laughed. "If you don't dodge, you'll get crushed to death!"

With that, the robot swung its other intact mechanical arm, its iron fist hurtling toward Sun Mo. The fist closed in, and Sun Mo indeed made no move to avoid it, letting the iron fist smash down on his head.

Bulma yelled, "What are you doing? Dodge!"

Sun Mo still didn't evade, staring contemptuously at the iron fist as it struck his crown. Yet Sun Mo was completely unharmed, while the robot's iron fist shattered, sparking and crackling.

Shu pulled back the mechanical arm in shock, staring at the broken fist in disbelief. "It shattered? How is that possible? How can a human head be harder than my robot?"

As he gaped, Sun Mo suddenly shot forward, punched through the mech's glass, and yanked him out. Shu's legs went weak with fear.

"How is this possible? That's Earth's hardest tempered glass, and you smashed it?"

Sun Mo dropped Shu to the ground dismissively. "Hah, 'hardest tempered glass'? What a joke!"

He'd shattered tempered glass just days after being born—this level of toughness was like a tickle to him.

Bulma marveled, "Sun Mo might be a bit reckless, but his head sure is hard."

Son Goku nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Sun Mo's too strong!" He clenched his fists. "I need to train even harder. I'll definitely become stronger than him!"

Soon, Bulma and Wukong got out of the car. Bulma smiled. "You can detect our Dragon Balls, which means the last one's with you, right?"

Seeing Bulma's smug grin, Shu grew nervous. "Wh-what do you want?"

Bulma threatened, "Tell your people to hand over the Dragon Ball, or I'll have him beat you up!"

Thinking of Sun Mo's hardness, Shu panicked. "Don't, don't hit me! I'm just a poor little dog..."

"Not handing it over?"

Bulma pulled out the Dragon Radar. "I've got one too. I know where the last Dragon Ball is. If I have to come looking..."