Bulma nodded. "Yes, I was just passing through this village."
"Then you'd better hurry and leave!
There's a monster near this village.
It specializes in snatching pretty girls and taking them home as wives.
He's already kidnapped several girls from our village."
Bulma gave a dry laugh.
Then she said cheerfully, "It's fine. I'm not afraid of him.
He only kidnaps girls to make them his wives. He doesn't eat people, so what's there to be scared of?"
As soon as Bulma said that, the doors of the houses around them opened.
Everyone crowded around Bulma and Goku.
"Miss, are you serious?"
Chapter 13: The Sense of Security Goku Gave People
A middle-aged man with a receding hairline looked at Bulma expectantly.
"Miss, would you be willing to marry Oolong of your own accord?"
Bulma looked at the man.
She remembered that he had a young daughter.
The last time she and Goku had come here, his daughter had caught Oolong's eye, and he'd tried to kidnap her as his wife.
Bulma shook her head.
"Sorry, I came here to look for something, not to be someone's wife."
Everyone looked at her curiously.
"What are you looking for?"
Bulma glanced around at the villagers,
then finally fixed her gaze on an old woman.
She took out a Dragon Ball and showed it to everyone.
"Everyone, this kind of orb is called a Dragon Ball.
My Radar detected one in this village.
If anyone can give me an orb just like this one,
I can help the village get rid of the monster and rescue the girls he kidnapped."
The old woman's eyes lit up.
"Hey, that orb in your hand looks familiar. I have one just like it."
As she spoke, the old woman went back into her house to search for a while.
A moment later, she came out and held up a Dragon Ball for Bulma to see.
"Is this it?"
Bulma's eyes brightened. "That's right, this is the one!
Ma'am, if I help your village get rid of the monster, will you give me this orb?"
The old woman looked at Bulma with concern.
"If you can get rid of the monster, you can certainly have the Dragon Ball!
But you're just a girl. Can you really do it?"
The other villagers chimed in. "That's right. Oolong can transform into anything. He's very powerful."
Bulma patted Goku on the shoulder
and told the old woman, "Don't worry. I'm not the one who'll fight the monster. He is!"
Everyone froze for a moment, then looked at Goku.
He was short and dressed in a child's outfit.
The corners of everyone's mouths twitched.
"You've got to be kidding!"
"How could a little kid possibly beat Oolong?"
"Exactly! Oolong's as tall as a house. You can't take this seriously!"
"Miss, you're pretty too.
If Oolong takes a liking to you, you won't be able to leave.
If you ask me, you'd better get out of here,
instead of risking your neck over some Dragon Ball."
Sure enough, because of his small stature,
Little Goku became the target of everyone's deep skepticism.
Bulma didn't care and simply repeated the terms.
"It's fine. We're determined to get the Dragon Ball.
Ma'am, remember our agreement.
We'll get rid of Oolong for your village, and you'll give me the Dragon Ball!"
The old woman nodded. "That's fine."
At that moment, several men looked at Bulma.
"Also, you have to subdue Oolong and bring my daughter back."
"That's right. You have to subdue Oolong and find out where my daughter is."
Bulma confidently made an OK sign at them.
"Don't worry. Goku's got this!"
The villagers could see how confident she was, but Goku's size made him seem unreliable, so they all shook their heads to themselves.
Just then, a series of rumbling sounds rang out.
The crowd suddenly burst into cries of alarm.
"Ah, he's here! Oolong's here!"
"Everyone, hide!"
As they spoke, the villagers hurried back into their homes and bolted the doors.
The village fell silent once more.
Goku looked at Bulma.
"Bulma, shouldn't you hide too?"
Bulma knew that no matter how big Oolong got, he was still weak.
Back when she was young, she'd beaten Oolong up plenty of times, so she wasn't afraid of him.
"It's fine. With you here, I'm not worried at all."
Son Goku nodded.
"Right. I'll take care of him in an instant."
But Bulma immediately suggested, "Um, Goku, if we run into Oolong,
please don't go all out. It'd be bad if you accidentally killed him."
Goku nodded thoughtfully.
"Oh, right! I get it.
Besides dealing with Oolong, I have to rescue the other girls he kidnapped."
Bulma nodded.
But that wasn't Bulma's real concern.
Oolong was just too weak. Even she could beat him,
and Bulma was worried Goku might kill him with a single blow.
He didn't deserve to die.
As they were speaking, Oolong arrived.
He had transformed into a gigantic monster and was holding a bouquet of flowers.
His enormous shadow loomed over countless houses, making the place feel oppressive.
Oolong laughed loudly. "Ha ha ha! Oolong is back again!"
"Which family has a pretty young girl? Hand her over!"
At that moment, Oolong happened to walk right up to Bulma and Son Goku.
He lowered his head and looked at Bulma.
Her face was as exquisite as a porcelain doll's, and her fair skin glowed with healthy radiance.
Her thick, curled lashes framed large, lively eyes that sparkled with intelligence.
She was tall and well-proportioned, with a shapely figure and graceful curves.
Her silky blue hair was tied into a high ponytail, making her look even more lively.
A gentle breeze carried a faint fragrance from her.
Oolong's eyes lit up.
"Well, well, did the village prepare this girl for me?
Ha ha ha! Not bad, not bad. This beauty's a real catch!"
But Bulma didn't give him the time of day.
She looked up at Oolong and mocked him.
"Hey, Oolong, quit acting like some scary monster.
Goku's a real fighter.
If you don't want a beating, hand over all the girls!"
Bulma's tone sounded like a threat, and that was exactly what it was.
Everyone in the village was hiding inside their homes,
peeking through cracks in the doors as Goku faced off against Oolong.
But Oolong was huge, practically the size of a house.
Goku, on the other hand, was still a child, and everyone was deeply worried.
A young woman threatening a giant four or five meters tall was plainly ridiculous.
Oolong frowned.
"Why, what a fierce little girl!"
"You've made me angry, little girl!"
As he spoke, Oolong's huge body took another step forward.