Yajirobe was filled with regret. It was all his fault for letting his guard down. If only he had drawn his Muten Blade and struck down the enemy immediately, the Red Ribbon Army wouldn't have had the chance to unleash heavy firearms. Not only had they abducted Chi-Chi, but they also injured Uncle Ox-King... Their goal seemed to be that orb Chi-Chi was carrying!
Damn it. If I hadn't discovered that orb in the first place… If I hadn't given it to Chi-Chi, none of this would've happened!
Yajirobe's vision darkened. Though he was a skilled swordsman with a stronger body than the average person, he had never trained in martial arts—and besides… he was fat. So now, he was completely exhausted. He had chased the Red Ribbon Army's helicopter all the way from a small town on the southern desert's edge. That in itself had been a burst of his full potential.
Is this... as far as I go...? I'm not ready to give up...
Yajirobe's legs grew weak. His pace slowed as he ran through the darkened forest, and he weakly looked ahead. Chi-Chi… she must be so far away by now… With a thud, he fell to his knees, his whole body overtaken by a sense of helplessness. Sweat poured off his rotund frame.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from nearby.
A shadowy figure burst through the bushes. Probably some wild animal… Yajirobe no longer had the strength to fight back. Earlier, he'd still had enough energy to draw his blade and kill, but now… he could only wait for death.
The clouds above shifted, and a dim moonbeam lit the area for a moment. Yajirobe glanced toward the shadow and caught a clear look at the person's face. He was stunned.
"Son… Son Goku?!"
Son Goku?
Kakarot bristled the moment he heard that name. Any thought of holding a civil conversation vanished. His face darkened with fury, and he flew forward with a vicious kick. "Son your damn uncle! You want a beating?!"
Wham!
Yajirobe was sent flying like a lump of meat, rolling across the ground several times before slamming into a tree with a bang. The impact made the whole tree tremble, and a few leaves floated down in the night.
"Wait… wai— you…" Yajirobe coughed several times, his chest rasping as he struggled for breath. Then he forced himself into a sitting position, ignoring Kakarot's kick entirely. Looking at the approaching "Son Goku," he pleaded, "Please… please, Goku… save Chi-Chi… she was taken by the Red Ribbon Army. I'm begging you…"
Those guys carrying the Dragon Balls, right?
Kakarot understood—but who was he to simply follow someone else's "orders"? He clenched his fists and sneered. "What did you just call me? Son Goku? Hm?"
"You…" Yajirobe panted, staring at Goku with confusion and desperation. "If you don't go now, she'll be gone… You won't catch them… Please… save her…"
"I think you're just asking for another beating!" Kakarot growled, furious. Without another word, he grabbed the fat man and laid into him.
Spurt!
A tooth flew out of Yajirobe's mouth, blood streaming from his nose and lips. He was thrown to the ground, dazed and beaten. Wait a second… wasn't Goku supposed to be kind-hearted? A disciple of the Muten School? Gohan's grandson? Then why was he so violent and cruel in reality?
Kakarot walked over and kicked Yajirobe again. Thud!
But this time, he didn't go flying. The fat man clung desperately to Kakarot's ankle, spat out another mouthful of blood, and said with difficulty, "Please… save Chi-Chi…" Just as fury returned to Kakarot's eyes, Yajirobe, weak as he was, used all his remaining strength to say, "A disciple of the Muten School… wouldn't just stand by and let someone die, right?!"
Kakarot's raised fist paused midair, hovering inches from Yajirobe's bloodied nose.
Yajirobe's face was bruised, bloody, and battered, but he stared resolutely at that vicious face silhouetted in the dark. Kakarot, grinding his teeth, considered what might happen if he just killed this fat guy now… Eventually, he gave a sharp grunt and withdrew his fist.
"Let go!" he said coldly—Yajirobe was still holding onto his ankle.
"Are you going to help or not?"
"Don't flatter yourself. I just happen to be collecting the Dragon Balls too!"
Yajirobe let go of his grip and collapsed on the ground, watching as Kakarot leapt away into the distance. A relieved smile slowly formed on his face. Although this Goku was different from the one he had imagined... it didn't matter. Who cared what his personality was really like? As long as he truly possessed Goku's strength, that was enough. The Red Ribbon Army bastards shouldn't be able to withstand the champion of the World Martial Arts Tournament!
---
Back by the extinguished campfire, Tien, Chiaotzu, and Krillin had already connected to the virtual Earth network and were training inside the Muten Tower. Jarvis would only forcibly wake them if danger approached their physical bodies, so they had no idea what had just happened not far from them.
---
A helicopter flew swiftly through the night above the primeval forest.
"Quit crying, you little brat! You're driving me crazy!" a man in military uniform barked in frustration. In the rear of the helicopter were five other large men in the same Red Ribbon Army uniforms—along with a bound little girl with black hair.
The girl sobbed uncontrollably. Around her neck hung a necklace with an orange-yellow orb.
Back then, the Red Ribbon soldiers had intended to grab the Dragon Ball and retreat, but they failed to yank it from around Chi-Chi's neck. Yajirobe had reacted the moment the Ox-King was taken down by heavy weapons—he swiftly drew his Muten Blade and sliced four or five Red Ribbon soldiers in half.
They'd been scared out of their wits. Who would've thought that this chubby kid, not even a martial artist, could be so terrifying? In a panic, they grabbed Chi-Chi and fled.
Yajirobe had leapt incredibly high on the spot and sliced off a helicopter's tail rotor, but couldn't catch the other aircraft. He chased it relentlessly for hundreds of miles, pushing his limits, until he collapsed from exhaustion.
"Finally lost that fat freak! Damn, he was annoying!" one of the big men leaned out the helicopter window, scanning the dark ground below with infrared goggles. At last, he could no longer see the pudgy figure that had been tailing them.
"That damned fatty—his sword was terrifying! He even cut through a missile!" one of his comrades said, still shaken.
They had dropped bombs earlier, trying to kill Yajirobe, but the little fatso had swung the Muten Blade and actually cleaved the explosives in midair!
Chi-Chi wept non-stop. Her eyes were red and swollen, her face full of despair.
"That sword's really something… it blocked the blast from the explosion!" the pilot remarked in awe, then grinned wickedly. "Once we bring this Dragon Ball back to base, we're definitely coming back with more guys to steal that blade!"
"Yeah, that thing's gotta be some kind of legendary weapon!" the five men in the back nodded in agreement.
Someone save me... Chi-Chi cried in her heart. When she was taken, her father had still been lying on the ground, his fate unknown. The little girl was terrified, her future completely uncertain. These people only ever talked about the orb around her neck—never a word about what would happen to her. That made her even more hopeless. She was clever and had already vaguely guessed—her ending would probably be tragic.
Please save me… save me…
Chi-Chi's tears wouldn't stop. She couldn't help but think of the boy hero she remembered vividly from five years ago. Son Goku… Son Goku… if only you could come save me. You're so strong—please come save me…
She had lost all sense of self, her mind in chaos, relying solely on the fantasy of her childhood hero. But the more she imagined him, the deeper her despair grew.
Suddenly, with a loud clang, the helicopter jolted downward.