Trouble Arrives

When he left Fire Mountain, Chen He could only describe his mood as "pissed off."

Even though he had helped the Ox-King put out the fire, Master Roshi was far too shrewd. He refused to hand over the Three-Star Ball around his neck, insisting that it was his lucky charm. Bulma argued until her lips were worn out, but it was useless. All she could do was angrily set off with the newly acquired Six-Star Ball.

As they passed through the desert known as the "Death Trap," Yamcha, who had been hiding in the shadows, finally lost his patience.

He probably felt humiliated after losing face at Fire Mountain. This time, not only had he brought a large blade, he had also hauled out a one-man rocket launcher and fired a shot straight at their vehicle.

"Boom!"

Flames shot into the sky, and Bulma screamed as she slammed on the brakes.

Chen He slowly emerged from the smoke, his gaze frighteningly cold.

"Die, brat!" Yamcha roared as he charged forward. His Wolf Fang Fist left a string of shrieking afterimages, cutting off every possible route of retreat.

But just as his fist was about to touch Chen He's cheek, Chen He's figure rippled like water.

"What?!"

Yamcha's heavy punch passed straight through Chen He's body without meeting any resistance. It had only been an afterimage.

The real Chen He had already appeared behind him. With the fingers of his right hand held together, he pressed the chilling edge of his fingertips directly against the back of Yamcha's head.

"Is this your trump card?" Chen He's voice was so cold that Yamcha instantly shuddered. "If it is, then you can disappear."

"D-Don't, don't! Big brother! I surrender!" Yamcha raised both hands and dropped to his knees in the sand with a thud.

And so, the group became even stranger: one cold-faced bodyguard, one innocent fighter, one genius girl, a perverted pig, and two desert bandits with hidden agendas who had only pretended to submit.

Two days later, in the metropolis.

The modern atmosphere allowed Chen He to relax slightly. While restocking capsules and supplies, he unexpectedly ran into Master Roshi at an ice cream shop on a street corner, drooling over beautiful women passing by.

Though the old man looked lecherous, Chen He still chose to follow Master Roshi for the sake of his upcoming plans.

"You go on ahead and get the last Dragon Ball." Chen He stood on the street, looking at Bulma and Goku. "I'm going to learn some real killing moves from that old man."

"Huh? Chen He, are you leaving us?" Goku looked reluctant to part with him.

"Only temporarily. See you then—and don't die before that." Chen He waved without looking back and headed toward Master Roshi.

After Goku's group watched Chen He leave, they accidentally provoked the tyrannical Rabbit Gang in the city. Their leader, Rabbit Boss, wanted to turn Bulma into a carrot, but Goku sent him flying with a barrage of blows from the Power Pole. In the end, the entire gang was sent to the moon.

They also learned from the Rabbit Gang that the last Dragon Ball was located in the far north.

That brief victory did not last long.

When they arrived at Pilaf Castle in the far north, they fell completely into a trap.

"Hahahaha! Welcome to my hell!"

On the surveillance screen, the blue-faced Pilaf laughed maniacally. The moment everyone stepped into the corridor, the floor beneath them flipped over, sending them all plummeting into a pitch-black secret chamber.

Before Goku could swing the Power Pole, the nozzles around them began releasing pale purple sleeping gas.

"Cough, cough... Despicable..." Bulma had not even managed to pull out her gun before she collapsed limply to the floor.

Goku and Yamcha desperately held their breath and smashed their fists against the steel walls, but the specially made alloy steel plates, half a meter thick, did not even dent.

"Don't waste your strength! This is special alloy steel!"

While they were unconscious, Pilaf's mechanical arm cruelly snatched away Bulma's little box—containing a full five Dragon Balls!

"Reporting to King Pilaf! Counting the one we already had, we now have six!" Mai reported excitedly. "Only the one in Master Roshi's hands is left!"

"Hmph, once these people are locked away to die, I'll deal with that old man!" Pilaf cackled on the monitor.

Late at night.

Goku and Yamcha woke up freezing in the secret chamber. Cold steel plates surrounded them, and the oxygen was growing thinner and thinner.

"Damn it... We can't open it at all!" Goku punched the steel plate. There was only a dull thud, without even a crack.

Just as Pilaf was preparing to send bombers to assault Kame House and seize the final Dragon Ball, a world-shaking tremor suddenly came from outside the castle.

"Boom—!!!"

With a thunderous blast, the entire castle began to shake.

The alarms instantly blared at full volume. Pilaf stared at the screen in terror. "What's going on? Who is attacking my castle?"

In the surveillance footage, the dust filling the sky slowly dispersed, revealing Chen He standing in a breach in the castle's damaged outer wall. An aura several times stronger than before swirled around him. With every step he took, the hard floor tiles cracked apart.

He did not go after the Dragon Balls. Instead, he headed straight for the secret chamber.

"Pilaf, a tin cage like this can't hold a Saiyan."

Chen He raised his hand and pressed his five fingers together. The "qi" within his body naturally gathered along the edge of his palm, giving off a faint white glow.

"Kamehameha Wave!"

He calmly called out the technique. The qi in his palm continued to gather, and his aura grew stronger and stronger. Then, with an angry roar of "Here it comes!" he fired the energy wave at the special alloy steel of the secret chamber, blasting open a massive hole.

Light streamed into the dark chamber, and Chen He's cold, stern figure appeared before everyone.

"Chen He!" Bulma cried as she threw herself at him. "The Dragon Balls... the Dragon Balls were taken! Sob... he has six of them now!"

"I know." Chen He pulled the weakened Goku to his feet, then turned to look out the window.

The storm clouds were dispersing. That full moon—strangely round and painfully bright—hung silently on the horizon.

The Dragon Balls had not yet been gathered, and the dragon would not descend. But for Chen He, tonight's true terror... was not the dragon.

Chen He gripped Goku's shoulder tightly, feeling the boy's bones grind with a teeth-aching sound.

"Everyone, get behind me." Chen He's expression became more serious than ever before.

"The real trouble is here."