The three of them headed out into the cool Fungus Town morning, while Oolong kept his eyes glued to the map on Bulma's radar.
"Whoa, hang on. Rokki is all the way across the border. That's, like... twenty-five hundred kilometers away. Driving on those roads is going to take days."
For her part, Bulma looked totally unbothered.
She took a moment to tuck her hair back, smirking like the distance was a minor detail she'd already solved.
"You're right, we don't have time for a road trip. That's why I called the main depot last night. I had Pliers authorize a drop."
She slid a capsule out of her purse.
She weighed it in her hand for a second, tossing it up lightly.
"CC Skylift. Don't let the size fool you... it's fast, and it burns way less fuel than hauling a massive cargo plane out here for just three people."
Oolong forgot to close his mouth.
He gaped at the machine, blinking like he couldn't quite process what he was seeing.
"You... you just managed to get a freaking airship delivered to us in a heartbeat? Just like that?"
"Well, the Capsule House has a built-in Matter Transporter for emergency supplies."
Oolong stared at her, blinking.
Okay, that's something I wouldn't have believed even if you'd told me a thousand times. I should've known better than to doubt a girl who carries houses in her pockets.
"Flight time is three hours flat. If we get wheels up now, we're looking at a ten-thirty arrival."
"Is there anything you don't know? Because that sounds like a much shorter list. You're actually starting to scare me."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Never mind, just forget I said anything."
Goku stepped out.
The moment he was clear, Bulma slapped the exterior switch.
The building vanished in a sudden sharp intake of air, leaving nothing but a small capsule rolling in the grass.
Bulma stepped into the open and whipped the capsule at the ground.
It cracked open on impact, releasing a thick white plume that was immediately blown apart by the ship expanding into existence.
A sudden gust of wind hit them as the Skylift materialized, its landing gear crunching heavily into the turf.
Goku stood at the base of the hull, tipping his head back so far he lost his balance for a second, his eyes tracing every inch of the white metal like it was the coolest thing he'd ever seen.
"Whoa! Is that a giant metal bird? Does it eat people to make them go inside?"
"It's a freighter. By the way, if you get dizzy, don't try to be a hero. Tell me. I've got the good stuff in the med-kit and I really don't want to clean vomit off these seats."
Inside, the ship was deceptively spacious. Oolong immediately eyed the plush leather bench along the wall, while Goku's attention drifted straight to the refrigerator humming in the corner.
It was nicer than any house either of them had been in recently.
"Make yourselves at home. I've got the coordinates locked in. Just sit back while I handle the flying."
Oolong threw himself onto the sofa, sinking into the expensive cushions.
"Man, it smells like money in here. You know, I think I'm starting to warm up to this whole adventure thing. It beats sweating in the dirt."
Goku was busy poking around. He checked the walls, feeling the vibration of the engine, and then spent a moment squinting out the side window.
"This is way bigger than my house. Grandpa Gohan's hut was nice, but it didn't have a fuzzy chair or a glowing box with tiny people inside."
The deck plates shuddered.
A steady thrum rose up through the floor.
"Hold on tight, boys! Rokki, here we come!"
The ship lurched.
Bulma hit the throttle and the Skylift launched.
One moment they were hovering; the next, they were leaving Fungus Town far behind.
///////////////////////////////////////
High above the cloud layer, the ship cruised smoothly.
The wall monitor was blasting some cartoon animation, and Goku was losing his mind over it, clutching his stomach and gasping for air between laughs.
"Hahaha! Did you see that? He pecked him! He poked a hole straight through the giant's skull!"
Goku laughed, pointing at the screen.
Oolong leaned back, crossing his arms with a look of indifference.
"Oh, spare me. I'm a grown man, Goku. I have standards. Watching a bird hit people with a hammer is... well, it's beneath me. It's loud, it's dumb, and honestly? It's putting me to sleep."
Goku stopped laughing for a moment, looking Oolong up and down.
"Wait, seriously? You're a grown-up? You're basically the same height as me."
"Hey! Watch it! You don't measure manhood in inches, kid! I am a full-grown adult! I'm just... short!"
Bulma, hearing the commotion from the pilot's seat, peeked over her shoulder.
"Wait, you're actually an adult? I just thought you were... well, a piglet. How old are you exactly?"
"I am eighteen years old! I'll be nineteen in just a few days..."
"Eighteen?! You're older than I am!"
Oolong smirked, his ego inflating instantly.
He leaned back on the plush sofa, trying to look dignified.
"That's right. Which means you two should start showing me some proper respect as the senior member of this group."
"Hard to take you seriously when I can boop your nose without even bending my knees. You aren't exactly striking fear into my heart here, Oolong."
"Wow. Okay. I see exactly what this is. You're a height snob! You just can't appreciate a man unless he's tall enough to hit his head on the doorframe, is that it? That is so shallow!"
Bulma laughed and waved a hand dismissively.
"Chill out, Ham-hock. I'm just messing with you. God, you are way too easy to bait."
Oolong went a bit quiet, his ears drooping slightly in embarrassment.
After a moment, curiosity got the better of him.
He hopped off the sofa and walked up to the back of Bulma's pilot chair.
"So, hey... just asking for the sake of conversation. What's your deal? You know, guy-wise. What are we looking for here? Tall? Rich? Handsome? All of the above?"
Bulma didn't answer right away. She kept the ship steady, but her gaze drifted, losing focus on the clouds rolling past the windshield. For a second, she seemed to forget she was flying.
"Honestly? I haven't really had time to care. I've basically lived in a lab my whole life. Between the degrees and keeping the company running, dating just... never made the list."
Oolong leaned in closer, looking genuinely surprised.
"Wait, never? Seriously? You didn't take five minutes to... I dunno, have a life? No secret boyfriends? No scandals? What is the point of being rich if you aren't getting into trouble?"
"Nope. Believe it or not, this trip is the first time I've actually done something reckless. I've spent my whole life playing it safe in a workshop. Dealing with you two is the first unpredictable thing I've ever done."
...
An hour later, the skyline of Rokki rose up to meet them.
Bulma ignored the commercial lanes and brought the ship down on a private strip at the edge of the airport.
The turbines were still winding down when the ramp dropped, revealing a less-than-warm welcome.
Two security officers stood at the bottom of the stairs, blocking the way.
"Hold it right there. We need to verify your flight permit and cargo." The first guard said, holding up a hand.
Bulma emerged from the hatch.
She paused at the top of the stairs, looked down at the men waiting for her, and arched a single eyebrow.
She didn't look worried.
"I've already cleared our arrival with the control tower. Check your logs."
"We know that, miss, but rules are rules. Just a routine verification to make sure everything is above board."
Goku and Oolong hopped off the last step, flanking her on either side.
The guards stopped dead.
They looked at Bulma, then down at her entourage, and then back at her, waiting for an explanation that wasn't coming.
"Why are you traveling with two kids? And one of them... is a pig?"
Oolong's ears twitched.
"I heard that! For your information, I'm an adult!
Bulma saw the skepticism written all over their faces.
She didn't have time to explain the circus act, so she went for the shortcut.
She reached into her bag, snagged a wad of cash thick enough to choke a horse, and walked right up to the lead guard.
"Look, I appreciate the hustle, really. But we're in a bit of a rush. Let's just say you did the inspection, everything looked great, and you provided excellent service. Yeah?"
The guards exchanged a single glance.
That was all it took.
The tough security act dropped, and the cash vanished into their breast pockets before Bulma had even lowered her hand.
"Well... everything seems to be in perfect order here." The guard said, clearing his throat and stepping aside.
"Welcome to Rokki, Miss. Enjoy your stay."
They breezed past the security team, who were suddenly very polite, and headed for the terminal.
Oolong trotted a few steps behind, watching Bulma. She moved like she owned the pavement, striding toward the exit without even checking to see if they were following.
Damn. She plays the innocent rich girl card really well. But you don't drop a bribe that smooth unless you've done it before. Beneath all that perfume... she's completely shameless.
They pushed through the exit doors, and Goku immediately turned into a statue.
He didn't take another step.
He just stood there on the sidewalk, head tipped all the way back, jaw unhinged, trying to comprehend the sheer amount of concrete towering over them..
"Whoa! Look at 'em! It's like they took a thousand houses and just... piled them up in a stack! It's crazy! How do you guys not run out of air with everyone squished together like that?"
"You call this a city? Save the wows for later. Empire City is on a whole different level. Once this hunt is over, I'm taking you there. You won't even know where to look."
She clicked the Radar on.
She stared at the little green screen, tilting it against the sunlight to get a better look at the blip.
"It's moving. And considering we're in the middle of downtown, it's not just rolling down the street by itself. Someone definitely picked it up."
She stared down the busy street, calculating.
"Best case scenario? It's just some random guy. I wave a stack of cash, they hand it over, everybody goes home happy. But if they decide to be difficult... well, that's what I keep you around for, Goku."
Goku grinned and punched his palm.
"You got it! If they try anything funny, I'll send 'em flying! Just say the word."
Bulma shoved the Radar on her purse and set the pace.
Oolong scrambled to keep up, but Goku was already lagging, walking backward so he could keep staring at a hot dog cart like it was a religious shrine.
They pushed into the sidewalk crowd, and that's when a guy in a grey suit cut through the noise, sliding effortlessly into their path.
He drifted through the crowd, just another suit with a briefcase and somewhere to be.
Nothing to see here.
But when he got close, his step dragged.
Just for a fraction of a second.
He wasn't watching where he was going; he was watching them.
Through the dark lenses, he tracked the device in her purse, swept over Goku and Oolong, and cataloged them as targets.
Oolong felt the stare before he saw it.
He snapped his head around, shooting a nasty look at the suit passing by.
"Take a picture, pal. It lasts longer."
No reaction.
The man gave his tie a quick, bored adjustment and kept walking.
He stepped into a gap in the crowd, the human wall closed behind him, and just like that, he vanished
"Rude..."
/////////////////////////////
A block later, he cut left.
He ducked into a service corridor between two high-rises, trading the sidewalk sun for cold shade.
The roar of the traffic instantly muffled down to a hum.
He stepped past the trash bins, found a blind spot near the back wall, and threw a quick look over his shoulder.
No tail.
POOF.
Smoke exploded out of nowhere, filling the alley.
It settled as quickly as it started, but the man didn't come back.
In his spot, bobbing in the air at eye level, was a blue creature with big ears.
The disguise was off.
Puar gave his whole body a violent shake, fluffing his fur until it stood up straight.
It felt good to be out of that shape; walking on two legs was exhausting.
He took a second to stretch, then reached for the communicator on his collar.
"Master Yamcha! Come in! Do you copy?"
Static crackled for a second before a voice replied.
"I read you, Puar."
"I found them! It's the girl, she's the one running the show. She's got this device, a radar or something, that's actually tracking the dragon balls! The monkey-kid and Oolong are sticking close to her. It looks like they're moving deeper into the city."
Yamcha was on the other end, standing in a dark alley surrounded by groaning bodies.
He had the last punk solely by the collar.
As Puar spoke, Yamcha realized the guy was already out cold, so he opened his hand and let the dead weight hit the concrete. He needed a second to process that.
So they can actually track these things, which means...
"Stay on them, Puar. Keep your distance, but don't let them out of your sight."
This is going to be interesting.