"Who was that? Just who? How could someone resort to such a despicable sneak attack!" Bulma's voice rang across the empty wilderness, tinged with anger and frustration, but all that answered her was a series of dull echoes.
Soon, a gray robot about 34 meters tall appeared before the group.
The robot went over to the wrecked car and began rummaging through it.
After searching for a while, it stopped beside an open blue suitcase. Five Dragon Balls lay scattered on the ground beside it (and another was with Young Goku).
The robot moved swiftly and precisely. Once it had packed up the Dragon Balls, it closed the suitcase without hesitation, then activated its built-in thrusters. With a low rumble, it sped off toward the setting sun. It all happened so suddenly that everyone present, except Zhou Zilong, who deliberately played dumb, was caught off guard.
"Goku, hurry and catch up! We absolutely can't let the Dragon Balls fall into the hands of bad guys!" Zhou Zilong shouted on purpose.
At once, Young Goku summoned his magical Flying Nimbus and jumped aboard. The cloud shot through the sky like an arrow, hot on the heels of the fleeing robot.
Just as in the original story, the naive, inexperienced Young Goku caught up with the gray robot Shu had left behind. Taking out his Power Pole, he immediately demanded to know where its occupant was.
But the only answer was silence. Young Goku went up and tapped the robot with his Power Pole. It immediately toppled over, and he promptly headed back to Zhou Zilong and the others.
When he returned, Young Goku reported, "Brother Zilong, I won! But that person's gone, and I didn't find any other Dragon Balls!"
Zhou Zilong replied, "Goku, that person tricked you. He'd already run off. The robot you knocked down was just a decoy!"
Young Goku asked, a little at a loss, "Then what do we do?"
"It's fine. Have Bulma use the Dragon Radar to tell you which way to go, then you go after him. I'll catch up once I've fixed the car!" Zhou Zilong replied.
Young Goku nodded to show he understood. "Okay!"
Then Zhou Zilong called out toward a spot not far behind them, "Hey, you following me over there! Are you going to show yourself, or do I have to come over and drag you out?"
The person Zhou Zilong meant was Yamcha, who had been secretly following them. Zhou Zilong had noticed him from the moment he started trailing them, but had kept quiet so Yamcha could enter the story naturally.
Knowing he'd been discovered, Yamcha had no choice but to show himself. He offered to drive them part of the way.
Zhou Zilong pointed to Iris and Oolong and said, "You don't need to take my fiancée and me. We'll catch up once we've fixed the car. Just take those two with you!"
With Oolong and Iris aboard, Yamcha—still shy—drove off with Young Goku, who was riding his Flying Nimbus, and they headed toward Pilaf's gang.
During the trip, Iris unexpectedly teased Yamcha a little as he drove. It also laid the groundwork for Iris to join the Dragon Ball gang later.
Bulma asked, "Zilong, can we fix this car?"
After the robot Ash had piloted hit it, the car was beyond repair. Scrapping it was the only sensible option.
Zhou Zilong replied, "Of course we're not fixing it. We'll rest for a while, then go snatch the wish before those people collecting the Dragon Balls summon Shenron."
Confused, Bulma asked, "Huh? Then how are we going to get there?"
Zhou Zilong first asked her, "Do you remember how I suddenly appeared in front of you when you set out for Mount Paozu?"
Bulma thought for a moment, then answered, "I don't know. You just suddenly appeared. I missed you so much back then that I didn't think to ask!"
Zhou Zilong replied, "I learned a strange technique called the Space Portal during an opportunity I came across while training away from home. As long as I connect to the virtual space coordinates of the place I want to go, I can get there instantly!"
After he finished speaking, Zhou Zilong brought his index and middle fingers together and began tracing a circle again. As his hand moved, a blue ring of light expanded.
Bulma's eyes widened as she stared in disbelief at the blue ring of light taking shape in Zhou Zilong's hand. It seemed to be an entrance to another world, glowing with a faint, mysterious light. She had never seen anything so incredible. Amazement and excitement filled her, as if a door to a whole new world had opened.
"Is this... the Space Portal you were talking about?" Bulma asked in a trembling voice, unable to believe her eyes.
Zhou Zilong smiled and nodded, confidence and anticipation in his eyes. "That's right. With this, we can instantly reach anywhere whose coordinates we know!"
As Zhou Zilong spoke, the image of a castle in the desert grew clearer within the ring, almost close enough to touch. Bulma could make out its outline, gleaming gold beneath the blazing sun, with an endless sea of sand all around it—a desolate yet magnificent sight.
"That's incredible!" Bulma exclaimed. A sense of adventure unlike anything she'd ever felt surged within her. "Can we go now?"
Zhou Zilong nodded gently and gestured for Bulma to come closer. He reached out with his other hand and tenderly took hers. Together, they stepped into the slowly spinning blue ring. As their figures disappeared into it, the world around them warped and blurred until it vanished completely, replaced by the strange sensation of traveling through time and space.
Sensing through their ki that Pilaf's gang was on its way, Zhou Zilong led Bulma toward a secluded cave nearby. He took out a Capsule, which produced a small house, and the two began enjoying some sweet time together.
Meanwhile, Pilaf's gang returned to the castle and cheered over the success of their operation.
After celebrating for a while, Pilaf opened the case and realized one of the Dragon Balls was missing.
Pilaf immediately prepared to send his two underlings, Mai and Shu, out to steal it back. But Young Goku and the others were already nearing the castle. When their equipment detected the group approaching, Pilaf began putting his plan into action.
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