"Who was it? Who could've done something as despicable as a sneak attack?" Bulma's voice carried frustration and anger as it echoed across the empty wilderness, but all she got in return was a series of dull echoes.
Before long, a gray robot about three or four meters tall appeared before the group.
The robot went over to the wrecked car and began rummaging through it without restraint.
After searching for a while, it finally stopped beside an open blue suitcase, where five Dragon Balls lay scattered across the ground. (Little Goku had the sixth.)
The robot moved swiftly and precisely. After putting the Dragon Balls away, it closed the suitcase without hesitation, then activated its built-in propulsion system. With a low rumble, it sped off toward the setting sun. It all happened so suddenly that everyone present—except Zhou Zilong, who was deliberately playing 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 his words, Little Goku immediately summoned his magical Flying Nimbus. He jumped onto it without hesitation, and it shot through the sky like an arrow, chasing after the fleeing robot.
Just like in the original story, the naive and innocent Little Goku caught up with the gray robot Shu had left behind. He pulled out his Power Pole and immediately began questioning the empty robot.
But the robot gave Little Goku no answer. Seeing that, he went over and tapped it with his Power Pole. The robot immediately fell over, and Little Goku turned back toward Zhou Zilong and the others.
When he returned, Little 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 escaped. The robot you knocked down was just a decoy!"
Little Goku asked, looking unsure, "Then what do we do?"
"It's fine. Have Bulma use the Dragon Radar to tell you which way to go, then you can go after him first. I'll catch up once I've fixed the car!"
Little Goku nodded to show he understood. "Okay!"
Zhou Zilong called out to someone 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. He'd noticed Yamcha from the moment he started tailing them, but he hadn't exposed him because he wanted Yamcha to enter the story smoothly.
Once Yamcha realized he'd been spotted, he 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 Oolong and Iris aboard, Yamcha—embarrassed as ever—drove his car alongside Little Goku on the Flying Nimbus, and they set off toward Pilaf's gang.
As they traveled, Iris unexpectedly began teasing Yamcha as he drove. It also laid the groundwork for Iris to join the Dragon Ball gang later on.
Bulma asked, "Zilong, can we fix this car?"
After being hit by the robot Shu was driving, the car was beyond repair. Scrapping it was the best option.
Zhou Zilong replied, "Of course we're not fixing it. We'll rest for a while, then head over and make our wish before the gang going after the Dragon Balls summons Shenron."
Confused, Bulma asked again, "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 were heading toward Mount Paozu?"
Bulma thought for a moment, then replied, "I don't know. You just appeared out of nowhere. I missed you so much then that I didn't think to ask!"
Zhou Zilong answered, "I learned a strange technique called the Space Portal during an opportunity I came across while training abroad. As long as I connect to the virtual spatial coordinates of the place I want to go, I can get there instantly!"
After speaking, Zhou Zilong once again brought his index and middle fingers together and traced a circle in the air. A blue ring of light expanded as his hand moved.
Bulma stared wide-eyed at the blue ring of light gradually taking shape in Zhou Zilong's hand, her face full of disbelief. It seemed to be an entrance to another world, glowing with a faint, mysterious light. She had never seen anything so miraculous. Astonishment and excitement filled her, as if a door to a whole new world had opened before her.
"Th-this is the Space Portal you were talking about?" Bulma asked in a trembling voice, unable to believe it.
Zhou Zilong smiled and nodded, his eyes brimming with confidence and anticipation. "That's right. With this, we can instantly reach any place with known coordinates!"
As Zhou Zilong spoke, the image of a castle in the desert grew clearer within the ring, almost close enough to touch. Bulma could clearly make out its outline, gleaming golden beneath the blazing sun. A vast sea of sand stretched around it, a desolate yet magnificent sight.
"This is incredible!" Bulma exclaimed. A spirit of adventure unlike any she'd felt before stirred in her chest. "Can we leave right now?"
Zhou Zilong nodded gently, motioning for Bulma to come closer. He held out his other hand and took hers tenderly. Together, they stepped into the slowly rotating blue ring. As their figures gradually disappeared into it, the world around them began to twist and blur until it vanished completely, replaced by the wondrous sensation of traveling through space and time.
Sensing that Pilaf's gang was on its way over, Zhou Zilong led Bulma to a relatively concealed cave nearby. He took out a Capsule and turned it into a small house, then the two of them began enjoying some sweet time together.
Meanwhile, Pilaf's gang returned to the castle and cheered over the great success of their operation.
After celebrating for a while, Pilaf opened the case and realized that one of the Dragon Balls was missing.
Pilaf immediately prepared to send his two subordinates, Mai and Shu, out to steal it back. But by then, Little Goku and the others were already drawing close to the castle. When their instruments showed that Little Goku's group was approaching, Pilaf began putting a plan together.
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