c8: The Second Plug-In,
"Found it!"
Li Xu spotted the Dragon Ball in the charred remains of the Ox-King's castle a glowing orange orb marked with seven stars gleamed amid the debris. It was the Seven-Star Ball, another crucial step in their journey.
Bang!
A sudden crash startled everyone. After witnessing Master Roshi's stunning Kamehameha, Son Goku, ever curious, had tried to mimic the move. He extended his hands, shouted the chant, and though he lacked enough ki to actually produce a blast he managed to unleash just enough pressure to shatter the car's front wheel.
At this point in the story, Goku's combat power was still low, roughly 10, far from sufficient to launch a full Kamehameha. But just managing to emulate the technique after one viewing was astonishing nonetheless, showing his innate talent.
"Baka! You broke the car! Let's get the Dragon Ball first before you wreck everything else!" Bulma scolded, smacking Goku lightly on the head in frustration.
"Still not as cool as Grandpa Master Roshi's Kamehameha..." Goku muttered, more focused on the technique than the damage.
"Bulma, doesn't the Ox-King have a few spare vehicle capsules?" Li Xu asked with a chuckle.
"He should. Ox-King, can we borrow one?" Bulma turned to him.
"Take it! I've got a bunch of them left. It might not be fast, but it'll do the job." Ox-King said cheerfully, his mood lifted now that the fire on Frypan Mountain was gone.
"Thanks! Then let's head out and find the final Dragon Ball!" Li Xu said.
After hopping into the replacement car, Bulma pulled out the Dragon Radar and scanned the area. The final Dragon Ball was blinking far off in the western region, suggesting a longer trip ahead.
"Goku, promise you'll marry me when you grow up!" Chi-Chi suddenly blurted, clinging to the side of the car.
"Marry what?" Goku blinked in confusion.
"Ugh, you're so dense!" Chi-Chi said, blushing fiercely. Even as a child, she had a clear idea of what she wanted.
"If you want to, sure, I guess." Goku replied nonchalantly, not understanding the concept of marriage but eager to agree to anything that sounded fun.
---
They continued westward for several days, the landscape slowly changing from rocky mountains to vast plains.
"The last Dragon Ball is just 100 kilometers ahead! I'm so excited—I really want to see what Shenron looks like!" Bulma said, practically bouncing in her seat as the radar's signal blinked more rapidly.
"Bulma, have you already thought about your wish?" Li Xu asked.
"I haven't decided yet..." Bulma admitted, glancing at Li Xu with a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"Then why not let me make the wish? I promise, if you ever have one you care about, I'll help you gather all the Dragon Balls again." Li Xu offered sincerely.
"If you really need it, I'll let you have this one." Bulma said softly. She didn't have any strong wishes at the moment—what she truly desired seemed to be right beside her already.
Whoosh!
Just then, something darted past them at high speed, cutting through the air like a blade.
Just then, a missile streaked through the air toward their car, leaving a trail of smoke behind.
"Watch out!"
Li Xu immediately leapt from the vehicle with Bulma in his arms, just before the missile struck.
Boom!
The car exploded into flames behind them, debris flying everywhere.
"Are you hurt?" Li Xu asked, landing softly on the ground and gently setting Bulma down.
"I'm fine..." Bulma murmured, her cheeks flushed red as she adjusted her hair.
"There's someone up ahead!" Son Goku called from the Flying Nimbus, pointing toward a nearby cliffside.
"Bulma, stay here," Li Xu said, narrowing his eyes as he ran toward the disturbance.
Soon, he spotted a clunky robot walker—a design he recognized. Inside the cockpit was Shu, the dog-ninja subordinate of Emperor Pilaf, frantically pulling levers.
"Trying to steal the Dragon Balls? Not happening."
Li Xu sprang forward and kicked the robot cleanly across the ground. With a crash, it skidded several meters before toppling. He opened the cockpit and yanked Shu out by the collar.
Dragging him back, Li Xu tossed him onto the ground beside Bulma.
"He launched the missile. Pilaf's gang is trying to snatch the Dragon Balls."
"Then that last Dragon Ball must be with them!" Bulma said, piecing things together.
"Didn't we buy a backup car the other day? Let's go after them." Li Xu reminded her. They had stopped in a small town two days ago and bought an extra vehicle capsule just in case.
"Right." Bulma nodded, pulling out the capsule and tossing it to the ground. With a puff, a sleek blue car appeared.
"Goku, stay close!" Li Xu called as they sped off, Goku flying alongside on the Nimbus Cloud.
---
About an hour later, they reached a bizarre castle with a bizarre architecture—large, dome-shaped towers stacked on top of one another.
"The Dragon Radar says it's inside this castle," Bulma confirmed.
"This place is full of traps. We'll need to be extra cautious," Li Xu warned. He remembered that Pilaf's castle had multiple mechanical defenses.
"With you here, I feel safer already." Bulma smiled.
"This door is really heavy!" Goku said, shoving the massive front door until it creaked open.
As they stepped inside, a sudden swarm of bats flew overhead, causing Bulma to scream and grab Li Xu's arm.
Farther in, Goku accidentally stepped on a sunken tile. Click! A loud mechanism triggered, and four stone pillars launched from the sides, aiming to trap them.
"Trap triggered!" Li Xu yelled. He leapt forward, shielding Bulma while delivering powerful strikes to the moving pillars.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One by one, the pillars shattered.
"The path is blocked!" Goku shouted. The wall ahead slid shut, and behind them, another wall descended, sealing the hallway.
"Hahaha! Welcome to my fortress!"
A TV screen on the wall flickered on, revealing Emperor Pilaf cackling smugly.
"Who are you?" Bulma asked.
"I am the great Emperor Pilaf, future ruler of the world!"
"Trying to take our Dragon Balls?" Bulma growled.
"You saved me the trouble of hunting you down. Now hand them over!" Pilaf sneered.
"Guess we'll save you the trouble too." Li Xu smirked, then clenched his fist.
Boom!
He delivered a punch to the wall, shattering it and creating a path directly into Pilaf's control room.
"Impossible!" Pilaf screeched.
Inside the room, Mai and Shu were scrambling, and on a nearby table was a box. Goku dashed over and opened it.
"Found it! Here's the last Dragon Ball!" Goku held up the One-Star Ball, completing their set of seven.
"That's mine!" Pilaf lunged, but Li Xu moved faster. He struck Pilaf on the neck with a precise karate chop, knocking him out cold. Mai fainted soon after, overwhelmed by the situation.
"Yes! All seven Dragon Balls are finally ours!" Bulma cheered.
Ding dong!
A mechanical voice echoed in Li Xu's mind: "Mission complete—reward: Beginner Comprehension Plug-In unlocked!"
Li Xu's heart surged. Another plug-in acquired.
"Let's go outside and summon Shenron. Time to make our wish come true!" he said, holding the Dragon Balls tightly.
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