After Goku devoured the entire fish and Bulma ate something she had stored in one of her capsules, they went back to the spot where they had first met — where her car was still lying wrecked on the ground.
"— Okay, Goku," — she said, finally relaxing her shoulders and softening her tone.
"— You can come with me, but only on one condition."
"— What condition?"
"— Since I'm older, you'll do as I say. Got it? No funny business, no deciding stuff on your own!"
"— Okay!"
He clearly had no clue how serious she was being. She could read it in his eyes.
"— So, what do we do now?"
"— First, you're going to leave me alone for a few minutes."
She pointed at her car, now reduced to scraps.
"— Thanks to you, my ride's totaled. So I need to check if I've got another capsule with a spare car."
None of this was remotely normal.
"— Then we hit the road to Rokki," she finished, digging through her pocket for extra capsules.
"— Rokki? Is that in the big city?"
He was practically buzzing with excitement, like the idea of going to the city was the coolest thing to ever happen.
"— Grandpa never let me go to the big city."
Yeah… I can guess why.
While sifting through her capsules, Bulma found one labeled "Toy." A faint smirk curled at the edge of her mouth.
A toy, huh? That should keep him busy while I handle the important stuff... He's still a kid.
"— Here. Catch."
She tossed the capsule to Goku, who caught it mid-air, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"— What's this?" — he asked, inspecting it closely.
"— It's a toy. Press that button on top and you'll see."
Goku pressed the button. The capsule popped open and released a small robot that began zipping across the ground, making mechanical noises.
"— Waaaah! Watch out, Bulma! It's a monster!"
"— Goku, wait—!"
Too late.
With one solid smack, his staff came down on the robot — then again, and again — until the toy was nothing but a pile of shattered parts.
This kid is going to be a nightmare...
Bulma let out a long sigh. No point in yelling. It'd be like getting mad at a tornado for tearing down a fence — pointless and exhausting.
Okay, forget it for now.
She dug through the bottom of her bag again, fingers finally landing on something familiar.
There you are.
She pulled out a silver capsule marked with a car symbol.
Relief washed over her.
At least something's going my way.
"— Goku, move back a little."
"— Huh?"
Bulma clicked the capsule's button and tossed it to the ground with a flick of her wrist.
A flash of light burst out, followed by the whir of assembling parts.
As the smoke cleared, a shiny red sports car stood in the daylight.
"—Uaaaah!" — Goku shouted, running toward it, wide-eyed with wonder.
He circled the car, touching it like a kid inspecting a brand-new toy.
"— This your new monster?"
"— It's not a monster, it's a car. Remember? We talked about this five minutes ago."
She opened the driver's door and slid in, tossing her bag in the backseat.
"— Get in."
Goku didn't wait for a second invite. He hopped into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut.
"— Whoa! It smells weird in here."
Bulma ignored him. She turned the ignition, and the engine rumbled to life.
They were ready to hit the road.
♦♦♦
The dirt road stretched endlessly ahead.
Every bump made the car jolt, a constant reminder that comfort was a luxury Bulma couldn't afford right now.
The sun had already vanished behind the distant mountains. Twilight swallowed the sky whole.
Dark clouds gathered, hinting at an incoming storm.
Six hours. Six hours on the road.
The sound of wind hissed through the trees.
"— Ugh... I feel weird," — Goku mumbled, clutching his stomach.
"— It's like my belly's on fire…"
Bulma glanced quickly at him through the rearview mirror.
"— That's called motion sickness. It happens the first time you ride in a car. We'll stop soon."
"— But it's awful…"
He looked like a seasick puppy. Honestly, not far off from how he'd been acting all day.
"— Alright, let's talk. They say it helps distract you." — She tapped the wheel like she was laying down the law.
"— Talk? About what?"
Bulma smirked, always ready to make a point.
"— How about... the technology? Yeah, you clearly need a crash course in modern life."
"— Technology?" — He scratched his head, looking at the dashboard like it was some kind of exotic animal.
"— I've done just fine without it. Don't really see the need."
Amazing. He talks like a cranky old man.
"— Oh, sure, monkey boy… You think you know everything?"
"—Am I wrong?" —Goku crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow defiantly.
"— You wanna see what tech can do?"
A spark lit up in Bulma's eyes. Without waiting, she hit a button on the dash. With a soft hum, the roof of the car began to retract.
"— Tadaaa~!"
Goku watched it vanish like he'd just witnessed a magic trick.
"— Convertible. Open sky. Still think you can live without this?"
"— Whoa... How'd you do that? Is there some kind of spirit hiding in here?"
"— Spirit?! Oh for crying out loud…" — Bulma laughed, shaking her head.
"— It's called science, buddy. And check this out." — She pressed another button. The interior lights came on, glowing soft blue.
"— Style. Functionality. All in one."
He blinked, clearly impressed. But before he could say anything, a mechanical noise filled the car. Two metallic arms popped out of the dashboard and went straight for Goku's wild hair.
"— HEY! HEY! WHAT IS THIS?!" — he yelled, ducking and laughing nervously as the robot arms combed his hair with military precision.
"— Relax, it's just auto-grooming. They're fixing that bird's nest you call a haircut."
Before he could protest, a small panel opened in the center console, revealing a stash of drinks and ice cream. Goku's eyes widened.
"— What's that now?"
"— Nothing fancy. Just a mini-fridge," — Bulma said, casually.
"— Take your pick. Ice cream or soda."
Goku grabbed a can of soda, holding it like it might explode.
"— I don't know what this is, but I'm gonna try it! So this is where it opens…?"
He popped it open with a fizzy pssst and took a cautious sip. His eyes lit up.
"— It's sweet! And bubbly! This is awesome!"
"— Congrats. You're officially living in the same century as me."
Bulma grinned, clearly proud of herself.
As Goku giggled and played with everything in sight, Bulma kept her eyes on the road — finally, after hours, actually feeling relaxed.
"— So... what's your friend like?"
The question came out of nowhere. Heavy.
Bulma's gaze stayed locked on the road, but her expression shifted.
Subtle. Barely noticeable. But her eyes glinted — pain, resolve, and something like longing.
"— She's... unique, to say the least," she said, her voice softer than usual.
"— Different?"
"— Yeah. Someone who never fit into normal boxes. Smart, brave, a little stubborn sometimes… but she always had this thing about her, y'know? Like she carried her own kind of light. No matter how bad things got, she always believed there was a way out."
Goku blinked, slowly processing.
"— She sounds cool. Why're you looking for her?"
"— Because she disappeared, genius."
"— Oh. Sorry."
He went quiet for a second, staring out the window as shadows from the trees grew longer.
"— You think she's okay?"
Bulma didn't answer right away. Doubt gnawed at her, but she couldn't let it show.
"— She is."
She said it more to herself than to him.
"— She has to be. There's no other option."
Silence returned, heavy, until it was broken by a weird sputtering noise from the engine.
Her fingers gripped the wheel tighter.
"— What was that?"
"— Probably nothing. Engine's just choking a bit," she said, but even she didn't believe it.
Another sputter. Louder.
Then… the engine died.
Silence. Except for the wind and the trees.
Bulma rubbed her face with both hands and let out a long sigh.
"— Oh, wonderful. Another shining Capsule Corp success."
"— What now?"
Goku leaned out the window, squinting into the dark road.
"— Now we fix it. Because that's what we do. And by 'we,' I mean me. Out of the car."
Bulma opened her door, the cold air biting at her skin.
As she stepped to the front of the car, the sky darkened even more. Lightning flashed on the horizon, lighting the mountains like a warning.
She popped the hood and leaned in, inspecting the engine while Goku came over, curious.
"— I don't get it… Why do you even need a car? Can't you just run to wherever you're going? That'd be faster."
Bulma stared at him, stunned. This kid really believed everyone had his strength and speed. She took a deep breath, swallowing a scream.
"— Because not everyone is you, sweetie. But thanks for the genius input."
Goku tilted his head, thoughtful — until his stomach growled again. Loud enough to shake the trees.
Bulma rolled her eyes.
"— Again? You just ate a fish the size of a shark!"
"— I guess it wasn't enough…" — he said, genuinely puzzled.
"— Alright, alright… Let me look at the car first. Then we'll deal with your black-hole stomach."
"— You know how to fix it?"
"— I know how to fix lots of things."
Bulma started messing with wires and valves.
"— But fixing this out here in the middle of nowhere… Let's see if I can do it before—"
A noise.
From the woods.
Bulma froze, hand inches from the engine panel.
It wasn't natural. Low. Uneven. Like something huge moving through the brush.
"— You heard that?" Her voice pitched higher than she liked. She looked up, scanning the darkness.
"— Yeah."
Another sound. Closer now.
Something was watching them.
"— Please tell me that was just the wind."
"— It's not the wind." —Goku said calmly — too calmly. His eyes locked onto the dark between the trees.
"— It's something... big."
Silence. Not even the crickets dared make a sound.
And then — the most inappropriate sound imaginable shattered the tension:
Grrrrrrhhhhh...
Goku's stomach growled. Loud. Like thunder.
"— Huh? Now?!"
He scratched his head, clearly uncomfortable.
"— I think… I need to poop."
Bulma blinked, trying to process what he'd just said. Her brain, in full survival mode, nearly shut down.
"— WHAT? Are you kidding me?!"
"— Sorry. It's urgent." —Goku said, genuinely apologetic, already walking away.
"— WAIT!"
Bulma shouted, but her voice seemed to vanish as he slipped into the forest.
"— YOU JUST SAID SOMETHING BIG IS OUT HERE AND YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?!"
The sound of snapping branches was her only answer as he disappeared, leaving her next to a half-dead car, totally alone.
Silence returned.
Bulma stared at the car, the wires glinting under the faint moonlight. Her hands shook as she gripped the wrench.
Come on, Bulma… Just pretend there isn't... something massive watching you.
But when another sound echoed — a sharp snap, like a heavy foot on a dry branch — she dropped the wrench with a muffled shriek and spun toward the dark.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
But the silence now? Heavier than ever.
"— GOKU, I SWEAR IF YOU DON'T GET BACK HERE SOON, I'LL KILL YOU BEFORE THAT THING DOES!"
Then the sound came again.
Not far. Not in the trees.
Very. Very. Close.
Bulma held her breath, eyes wide, locked on the dark.
And somewhere deep in her mind, a chilling thought surfaced:
Whatever it is… it's not in a hurry.
It's enjoying this.