As he spoke, the Ox-King looked at Chi-Chi.
"I was so excited just now that I forgot.
I just heard Chi-Chi say that you saved her last night, right?"
Bulma and Goku exchanged a glance. It seemed just like when Master Roshi gave Goku the Flying Nimbus.
Could he be planning to give them a present too?
Bulma and Goku both nodded.
"That's right. We saved her."
The Ox-King immediately pulled Chi-Chi over.
"Well, isn't that fate!
Goku, Chi-Chi's very cute, isn't she?"
Son Goku didn't understand what he was getting at, but answered, "Huh? Yeah, Chi-Chi's very cute!"
Hearing Goku call her cute, Chi-Chi's little face turned bright red.
But Bulma's expression started to look strange.
Because she seemed to have remembered something.
The Ox-King continued, "How about this? You and Chi-Chi are about the same age, after all.
We could make our relationship even closer.
I'll arrange a betrothal for the two of you.
When you grow up, you can get married. How does that sound?"
"Stop it, Dad..." Chi-Chi shyly covered her face.
But her big eyes tried hard to peek at Goku through the gaps between her fingers,
wanting to see how he'd react. She looked adorable.
Watching the Ox-King eagerly promote Chi-Chi, Goku was left speechless.
Could it be that his marriage to Chi-Chi was ordained by fate?
Goku was pondering the meaning of life,
when Bulma suddenly interrupted the Ox-King with a shout.
"No!"
The Ox-King, Chi-Chi, and Goku all froze and looked at Bulma.
Bulma had a very striking face and figure, too.
The Ox-King was the first to react.
"Oh, oh, oh, I get it. I can smell the jealousy!
You're planning to marry Goku someday, aren't you?"
Bulma's mouth twitched. "No, that's not it..."
Halfway through her reply, Bulma realized what she was saying.
Why was she denying it?
She'd been found out. She did want to marry Goku when he grew up.
Before she could explain, the Ox-King laughed.
"All right, all right. I could tell at a glance that you were jealous. You must like Goku too.
That's fine. You can be the first wife,
and when Chi-Chi grows up,
she can marry Goku as the second wife.
But don't you go bullying Chi-Chi!
My wife, Iron Fan, and my concubine, Jade Face, are always arguing,
so I had no choice but to send them to live somewhere else."
Bulma's face darkened. "I thought you didn't have a wife.
Turns out you married two women?"
The Ox-King thumped his chest. "Of course...
If I didn't have to worry about not having enough time to look after Chi-Chi,
I could marry another wife!"
Bulma: "..."
Seeing Bulma's expression, the Ox-King continued, "Don't worry. Even the king doesn't dare interfere with me!
Anyone who opposes me, I'll kill!"
Son Goku immediately said, "Uncle Ox-King, it's wrong to go around killing people like that!
It's also hurting your reputation and has already damaged the Turtle School's name.
I think you should stop doing that sort of thing."
Chapter 20: Kamehameha Puts Out the Fire
Hearing Goku actually criticize him,
the Ox-King's face showed a wry smile, though it vanished in an instant.
"Hey, I was only saying that.
If I weren't fierce, outsiders might start coveting my family's treasure.
Right, Chi-Chi?"
Chi-Chi immediately nodded.
"Mm, Dad's right.
Dad's gotten much better. He stopped killing people a long time ago.
Anyway, ever since I was old enough to remember, I've never seen Dad kill anyone."
The Ox-King's expression turned serious as he continued speaking to Goku:
"Goku, what do you think of my proposal?
You're still a little young, but I'm completely serious.
Chi-Chi would definitely be willing. It's up to you."
After he finished, Chi-Chi looked at Goku expectantly too.
The Ox-King wore a friendly smile,
but there was still a hint of pressure in the way he seemed to expect an answer from Goku.
Son Goku didn't really want to agree,
but he was afraid of hurting little Chi-Chi,
and didn't know what to say.
So he secretly tugged at Bulma.
Bulma understood and immediately replied, "Uncle Ox-King, you're Chi-Chi's father,
so you can decide matters concerning her marriage,
but you can't decide Goku's.
After all, he's still a minor and doesn't yet have the judgment to make that kind of decision for himself.
He can't decide for himself yet.
But you and Son Gohan are fellow disciples,
and Son Gohan is Goku's grandfather.
I think you could talk to Son Gohan about Goku and Chi-Chi's marriage when they're grown."
The Ox-King rubbed his chin as he considered it.
He was an adult, so he could tell that Son Goku was a little resistant to the idea of marriage.
That couldn't be helped. Boys usually matured later than girls,
and it was perfectly normal for a little boy, especially a straight-laced one, to be more interested in adventures than in romance.
At the same time, he could tell that Bulma, who liked Goku, didn't want to share him with Chi-Chi.
They'd saved Chi-Chi, so forcing the issue and turning them against him wouldn't be right.
What should he do?
Just as the Ox-King was pondering this, Chi-Chi tugged hard at him.
"Dad, Dad!"
The Ox-King turned to look at Chi-Chi.
"Chi-Chi, what is it?"
Chi-Chi blushed and said, "Then, once the fire at our home is out,
could you go ask your fellow disciple Son Gohan for his blessing?"
Looking at Chi-Chi's expression, the Ox-King was dumbfounded.
Good grief, he hadn't expected it—
his sweet daughter Chi-Chi had already fallen deeply in love with Son Goku and was being so forward about it.
The Ox-King was just about to persuade her when Chi-Chi started acting cute.
"Pleeease, Dad..."
"Won't you~?"
The Ox-King awkwardly scratched his head, then smiled indulgently at Chi-Chi.
"All right, all right. We're practically family. Once the fire's out, I'll go ask my fellow disciple for his blessing."
A blush appeared on Chi-Chi's face. "Thanks, Dad. You're the best..."
Chi-Chi was rather small and especially cute,
so no amount of coy pleading or acting adorable seemed out of place. It only made her even more lovable.
Watching Chi-Chi, Bulma was speechless for a moment.
No wonder she'd lost to Chi-Chi in her previous life and never won Goku's heart.
So even though Chi-Chi was still little and didn't understand many things,
she already had such a strong instinct to compete for Goku.
Bulma thought to herself,
if she had to act cute like that,
and shamelessly pursue Goku, she couldn't do it.
For a girl several years older than Chi-Chi, that sort of thing was just too embarrassing.
Now that the matter of Chi-Chi's engagement had been passed off to Son Gohan, Goku and Bulma both felt relieved.
Soon, it was time to use the Kamehameha to put out the fire.
Goku leaped alone onto the ruined city wall,
settled into a horse stance, shaped his hands like a flower bud, and held his palms at his waist as he began gathering energy.