Son Gohan stood there for a long while, gazing up at the bright moon. No one knew what he was thinking.
Son Goku, immersed in the grief of losing Grandpa Gohan once again, also found himself unable to pull away from it for a long time.
Seeing the brothers looking so downcast, Bulma went over to Son Goku's feet of her own accord.
"Wuneng, Grandpa Gohan wouldn't want you two to be sad, either, right?"
"Bulma, aren't you afraid of me looking like this?"
He had transformed in front of her for the first time, yet Bulma seemed far calmer than he had expected.
"That's because I believe that as long as Son-kun is here, I won't get hurt!"
She smiled brightly, her eyes crinkling with delight.
"By the way, Son-kun, you can change back, right? You can't go around facing people with a Great Ape's face forever."
Thinking of the way Elder Gohan had addressed her, she seemed a little bashful as she pressed her index fingers together and twisted them back and forth.
"Let's rest here for the night. I should be able to change back by tomorrow morning."
"Come to think of it, a Saiyan's transformation should have something to do with the tail and the heart."
"At the moment I transformed, I could clearly feel the blood and energy in my body moving much faster."
"It was as if something had stimulated my heart and tail!"
Son Gohan muttered to himself.
"Hey, Goku, let's go back to sleep!"
After all that commotion, everyone was tired. They might as well rest nearby.
Unable to change his size, Son Gohan could only lie down quietly in a flat spot.
He gazed up at the moon and began to think about what came next.
He'd finally put one matter to rest. Now it was time to think about training.
As for the upcoming Martial Arts Tournament, Son Gohan wasn't particularly interested. He wanted to keep surpassing himself, and for now, the tournament's opponents were no longer on his level.
"I just wonder where Bulma will go. I really don't want to part with her!"
Though they'd only known each other for a little over a month, the two already felt as if they'd known each other for years. There was an unspoken understanding between them, and their relationship seemed to be just one thin layer of paper away from becoming something more!
As sleepiness washed over him, Son Gohan decided to stop dwelling on it and promptly fell asleep.
Just as the Dragon Ball Squad was settling into silence, two figures quietly emerged from underground at one corner of Pilaf Castle, which had been reduced to a level plain.
Judging by their shapes, they were Ashu, the dog-headed man, and Pilaf.
"Good thing I, the great king, thought things through and knew the value of having several escape routes. Otherwise, I'd really have been done for this time!"
"Your Majesty, didn't you say the Dragon Ball you gave Xiao Wu was fake? How could they still summon Shenron?"
"And that monster was terrifying! I think we'd better not provoke them again."
Who knew where such a demon had come from? He'd studied ninjutsu for years and considered himself a competent assassin, but he'd never seen anyone so savage.
"I spent over thirty years building that castle! I put all my wealth into it!"
Pilaf scooped up a pile of rubble and burst into tears at the sight.
He'd worked hard his entire life, and just when he'd been about to get the chance to rule the world, he'd lost everything he had in the blink of an eye.
"Why am I so unlucky?!"
"It must be Xiao Wu! She must have secretly switched my Dragon Ball!"
Pilaf muttered through bloodshot eyes.
"Ashu, I order you to keep a close eye on them! When we get the chance, I'll make those traitors pay!"
Pilaf clenched his teeth and forced the words out.
Then he left the sorrowful place without looking back. He was back to square one now, and would have to find a way to rise again.
"I hope we never run into those monsters again!"
Ashu stared blankly as Pilaf walked farther and farther away, at a loss. He truly didn't know whether he should keep following orders.
By the time he came to his senses, Pilaf had already disappeared. Like a puppy that had been abandoned, Ashu stood there, helpless and confused...
"I finally got rid of that burden!"
It was as if Pilaf's muttering still lingered in the air.
In the morning, a breeze brushed against him. The moon sank in the west, and the sun rose in the east. Son Gohan woke in the breeze and stretched with a contented sigh.
"Mm, it's been ages since I slept this well!"
He closed his eyes and savored the lingering feeling of deep sleep. It was intoxicating.
Then a sudden cry of "Ah!" dragged him back to reality.
"W-Wuneng! Why aren't you wearing any clothes?!"
Bulma raised her right hand to cover her eyes, looking terribly bashful. But the wide gaps between her fingers gave her away.
Son Gohan jolted awake and reflexively covered himself with both hands, leaping to his feet.
"Crap! I forgot my clothes got torn apart when I transformed. No wonder I felt a breeze on my balls!"
A wave of shame washed over him, and he hurried inside the house.
Bulma blinked, her eyes bright and lovely.
By the time Son Gohan had changed, everyone had gathered. Their little team of three people and a dragon now had one more woman.
"The Dragon Balls won't be restored for another year. What should we do now?"
Bulma asked a little awkwardly.
"I promised Master Mutaito I'd focus on training, and we've already wasted a lot of time."
"Bulma, do you want to come with us?"
"Um, I..."
Bulma seemed hesitant. She couldn't make up her mind.
Seeing this, Son Gohan stepped forward and simply took her hand.
"Come with us. When it's time to enter the World Martial Arts Tournament, I'll go home with you!"
He hadn't said exactly what he meant, but he clearly believed in taking action. Bulma didn't put up much of a fuss and accepted his gesture.
"Then it's a promise!"
She lifted their joined hands and replied with a double meaning.
"Of course!"
"Son Gohan, may I go with you? I have nowhere else to go!"
Seeing that they'd finally finished talking, Xiao Wu gathered her courage and came out from the corner.
After a long moment of thought, Son Gohan decided not to dwell on it any further.
"Sure. You can come with us. I don't know about anything else, but I'm sure Master Mutaito will be very glad to have you there."
Thinking of Master Roshi's preferences, Son Gohan had no objections.
And so, once everyone was accounted for, they set off for Master Roshi's island. Laughter and cheerful chatter filled the way.
"Bulma, don't worry. I'll definitely get bigger when I'm fifteen. I won't leave you disappointed."
The two had half-reluctantly broken through that last barrier, and Son Gohan no longer held back. He told her how he felt.
"Y-You, what do you mean, get bigger? You little brat, always trying to be a pervert!"
"ε=(´ο｀*))) Sigh?! What are you thinking? I meant my height!"
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