"We're finally back!"
Once the motorcycle stopped, Yamcha returned to the hideout with Puar.
Only then did he let out a long breath.
On the way back, his eyelid had kept twitching. He'd had a constant feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
Even now, that feeling still prickled at the back of his mind.
Seeing how unusually quiet Puar was, Yamcha assumed he felt the same way and hurried to reassure his valuable accomplice.
"Don't worry, Puar. You know our hideout looks like nothing but a pile of rocks you'd find anywhere on the wasteland."
"Even if they find out someone stole the Capsule, they can't possibly track us down!"
He sounded very certain. It was less like he was telling Puar and more like he was trying to convince himself, to calm his nerves.
His eyebrow was twitching like crazy, and he was terribly on edge!
"Hey, hurry up and bring out my treasures so I can take a look! They've only been away from me for half a day, but I feel like they're about to leave me again any second!"
As he spoke, Yamcha pulled a small box out from beneath a floorboard in the corner.
"We should stash some more away this time. That way, if something like this happens again, it won't leave us completely broke, right?"
After saying that, he began sorting through the pile of Capsules Puar had just placed on the table.
"My precious treasures!"
Overjoyed to have them back, he ran his fingers over them one by one, savoring the feeling of having his treasures in hand.
But as he went on, he sensed something was off!
Puar's shadow behind him had suddenly grown much longer. Puar wasn't that tall, was he?
Just as he turned to look, the back of his neck went numb. The next instant, his vision went black and he collapsed.
"Heh heh! That was easier than taking candy from a baby. Thank you, nature, for your bounty!"
At some point, Puar had vanished. Son Gohan was the only one standing there.
The moment Puar entered, Son Gohan had realized that the person before him was an impostor in disguise. But he hadn't exposed him. Instead, he'd led him into the bedroom and knocked him out as soon as they were inside.
After telling Son Goku to keep a close eye on Puar, Son Gohan had taken Puar's form and followed Yamcha back to their hideout.
He looked over the remaining furnishings in the house and found nothing else of value. Then he glanced at Yamcha, still sprawled on the floor, and left him alone.
When Son Gohan returned to the Capsule House, he found that Puar had already woken up and was chatting with him.
Puar was no longer of any use, so Son Gohan simply let him go.
"Hey, little guy, go on home. And comfort your young master for me. Tell him not to cry, whatever he does!"
In a good mood, Son Gohan rarely joked with Puar. But Puar didn't find the dark joke funny at all!
Fighting his fear, he bowed in thanks and hurried out of the Capsule House.
"Phew, that was terrifying. I've got to find Young Master Yamcha, fast!"
He'd just heard a huge secret. If he didn't get out of there quickly, he might not get the chance!
After searching the area and failing to find Yamcha, he had no choice but to return to the hideout, his heart full of unease.
When he got there, he found Yamcha lying unconscious on the floor.
"Young Master Yamcha!"
With a cry, Puar flew over to him. Only when he saw Yamcha's chest rise and fall faintly did he finally relax.
"What on earth happened?!"
Puar complained in frustration.
He shook Yamcha for a long time, but couldn't wake him. After thinking it over, he finally steeled himself.
"Transform! BOOM!"
Puar vanished, and a giant fly swatter appeared in midair.
"Sorry, young master!"
"Smack!"
"Ah!"
"..."
Holding one side of his face, Yamcha looked at Puar with a wounded expression.
"Hey, I know you were trying to save me, but you hit way too hard! Did I do something to offend you?"
"Heh heh, it was an accident, a little accident!"
Puar scratched his head. To ease the awkwardness, he quickly changed the subject.
"Young master, weren't you supposed to meet me near their house? How did you end up passed out at home?"
"Oh no!"
Yamcha had only just woken up, and his head was still foggy. Puar's question made him remember what had happened.
"Puar, why did you knock me out just now?"
"Huh? I didn't! You told me to go in and draw their attention away. As soon as I got inside, they saw through my disguise. I only managed to escape because that demon king, Son Gohan, took pity on me!"
Looking at Yamcha's doubtful expression, Puar felt terribly wronged.
"But I clearly saw you come out of their house and say you'd gotten our stuff!"
"Then I brought you home!"
Once the two of them compared notes, they immediately spotted the suspicious detail.
"That means there were two Puar!"
They were both startled.
Yamcha hurried to check the hidden compartment.
"It's over! The little we had left is gone too!"
Looking at the empty compartment, Yamcha confirmed that what he'd just experienced hadn't been a dream.
"One of them must know the same transformation technique as you! It has to be!"
Remembering the creepy feeling he'd had, he finally understood. Of all those people, there was only one who could make him feel that way!
"SON! GO! HAN!"
Yamcha cried out in anguish, staring up at the sky like a wounded old wolf.
"Ah-choo!"
"Huh? Who's thinking about me?"
Back in the Capsule House, Son Gohan scratched his head, then went right back to fondling the Capsules.
"Young Master Yamcha, there's no time to be sad! I heard a huge secret!"
Puar quickly changed the subject.
"While I was being held, that boy called Son Goku mentioned that they were looking for something called the Dragon Balls!"
"From what he said, if you gather all seven, you can summon Shenron."
"Shenron will grant the summoner any wish they want!"
Just thinking about it was amazing!
"What?!"
"Something like that exists?"
"Right, right! They've already found five Dragon Balls. They only need two more to make a wish!"
That just showed how innocent Goku was. He really hadn't treated the little cat like a prisoner. Aside from keeping an eye on him so he couldn't escape, he'd practically spilled everything about the group.
"Puar, do you know where the next Dragon Ball is?"
Yamcha looked at him expectantly.
"Mm-hmm! He said where they're going next!"
"Apparently, the sixth Dragon Ball is somewhere around Fried Bread Mountain. They're going to find the Ox King."
"You mean that murderous maniac who can chop down a small mountain with one swing of his axe?!"
Before you continue