Goku took the Dragon Radar.
Sure enough, there was a Dragon Ball signal right near their current location.
"If the Dragon Ball is around here," Goku said,
"why are you making me jump down instead of landing the plane?"
Bulma frowned.
"I'm a little worried. There are a lot of people down there… and it looks like soldiers too.
Do you think they might be hunting Dragon Balls as well?"
Goku looked down through the plane's glass.
Sure enough, several Red Ribbon soldiers and some villagers were rummaging around the area, clearly searching for something.
"Then don't land," Goku said immediately.
"Just circle around here so the plane doesn't get damaged.
I'll go down, grab the Dragon Ball, and come right back."
"That's exactly what I was thinking."
Goku opened the hatch and jumped straight out of the aircraft.
After landing, he activated the Dragon Radar.
"Target locked… zoom in… zoom in more…"
Following the signal, Goku quickly moved toward the Dragon Ball's location.
A few minutes later, he reached the exact spot.
He casually moved aside a few rocks, reached into a narrow crack, and felt something smooth and round.
With a firm pull, an orange Dragon Ball came out in his hand.
"Found it!"
He looked it over.
"Six-star ball."
Just then, two villagers nearby noticed him.
"Hey, what did he find?"
"Did that kid just dig up the Dragon Ball?"
They hurried over. Goku had already put the Dragon Ball away, but they were certain that was it.
One of them stepped forward.
"Hey, kid, who are you? What was that thing you just picked up? Let me see it."
Goku looked at them calmly.
"I found a Dragon Ball. Is there a problem?"
Both of them stiffened.
"It really is a Dragon Ball…?"
Suddenly, one of them—wearing a hat—pulled out a gun and aimed it at Goku.
"How lucky. You little brat found the Dragon Ball for us.
Now hand it over, or I'll blow your head off."
Goku grinned.
"Oh? With that kind of attitude, no wonder you people got enslaved by the Red Ribbon Army to hunt Dragon Balls."
Before the man could react, Goku punched him.
The man screamed as he was sent flying into a rock, instantly going limp.
The other farmer panicked and fired at Goku.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three bullets shot toward him.
Goku casually waved his hand and caught all three.
The man's eyes went wide.
"What… he caught them with his bare hands?!"
Goku flicked his wrist.
"Here, take them back."
Thup! Thup! Thup!
Three dull sounds rang out as the bullets punched straight through the man's forehead. He collapsed on the spot.
After dealing with them, Goku flew up into the air toward Bulma's plane.
At that moment, a red-haired officer noticed him.
He hoisted a rocket launcher onto his shoulder and fired at the plane.
Boom!
Bulma's aircraft exploded in a dazzling fireball.
Goku's heart sank.
He never expected a rocket to hit a fast-flying plane so easily.
"Bulma!!!"
But before despair could take hold, Bulma burst out of the smoke, her clothes still smoking slightly as she fell.
Goku froze.
"Help—!!" Bulma screamed as she plummeted.
Then Goku smacked his forehead.
"Right—how could I forget? Bulma's tough now!"
He flew over and caught her before she hit the ground.
"Bulma, are you okay?!"
She jumped out of his arms and stomped the ground angrily.
"Do I look okay?!"
"You do," Goku replied honestly.
"The plane exploded and you're still walking around. That's pretty okay."
Bulma blinked.
"Wait… I just tanked a rocket launcher? I'm amazing!"
"That's the wish you made kicking in," Goku said.
"Stuff like that can't kill you anymore."
She suddenly felt something burning on her back. Pulling off her jacket, she realized it was on fire.
She tossed it aside and dusted herself off.
Just then, the red-haired officer came walking toward them with the rocket launcher on his shoulder.
Seeing it, Bulma rolled up her sleeves.
"A rocket launcher?
So you're the jerk who blew up my plane. Goku, don't stop me—I'm gonna beat him up!"
"Sure," Goku said calmly. "I won't stop you."
Bulma marched toward the officer.
He laughed when he saw they were unharmed.
"Heh. What kind of people are you? You took a direct hit from my rocket and lived."
Bulma snapped, "Why did you blow up my plane?!"
The red-haired officer grinned.
"For the Dragon Balls, of course.
But tell me—why are you collecting them?
And how did you find one so quickly when we searched for over twenty days without success?"
Hearing that, Bulma burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! You looked for twenty days and still didn't find it?
You know what, now I'm not even mad anymore.
Your radar must be absolute trash."
The officer chuckled.
"So it seems your radar is much better than the Red Ribbon Army's, huh?"
Bulma smirked proudly.
"Of course! My genius tech is leagues above your bargain-bin scientists."
Then she suddenly realized something.
"Wait… you said the Red Ribbon Army?
You mean you're actually one of them?"
The officer nodded.
"That's right. I'm an officer of the Red Ribbon Army.
You can call me Colonel Silver."
Cold sweat formed on Bulma's forehead. She quickly turned to Goku.
"Goku… they're the Red Ribbon Army.
Maybe we should just give him the Dragon Ball and the radar."
Silver lowered his rocket launcher and smiled.
"So you know who we are. That's smart of you, miss."
Goku frowned.
"Bulma, he blew up our plane.
Weren't you just about to beat him up? You changed sides way too fast."
Bulma snapped back,
"You don't get it! The Red Ribbon Army is the world's biggest military organization!
They're nothing like our previous enemies—just the two of us can't fight them!"
Silver laughed.
"Exactly. She's got sense.
We're an international army—you can't afford to mess with us.
Now, hand over the Dragon Ball and that radar, unless you want to die."
He extended his hand toward Bulma.
Before he could take another step, Goku kicked him square in the face.
Silver went flying, his face twisted and eyes rolling back.
The fight with the Red Ribbon Army had officially begun.
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