Near South City, in a small town that was not particularly prosperous but lively enough.
No. 18 walked out of the fitting room of a clothing store, now wearing a well-fitting black athletic suit.
She stood in front of the full-length mirror, turned slightly to the side, and examined her reflection.
After a long moment, she nodded, seemingly quite satisfied with the outfit.
"No. 17, what do you think of this one?"
No. 18 continuously adjusted her posture, asking No. 17 without turning her head from her reflection.
At the store's entrance, No. 16 was silently squatting on the ground, watching a group of ants busy moving food. His huge body formed a stark contrast with the tiny ants on the ground. He seemed more interested in observing the life activities of these small creatures.
And No. 17 was leaning against the outer wall of the store out of boredom, his hands in his pockets, staring blankly at the blue sky above the small town.
Hearing No. 18's question, he lazily lifted his eyelids, glanced at the figure constantly posing in the store, and replied casually, "Hmm, it looks good."
His tone was flat, without much sincerity, but also without fault.
No. 18 clearly hadn't expected any constructive advice from him and nodded again. "I think so too."
After speaking, she turned and walked back into the fitting room, ready to try on the next outfit.
The chubby shop owner had a fawning smile on his face and quickly handed in another set of clothes she had previously chosen.
And beside the owner, more than a dozen packed shopping bags were already piled up. These were all the clothes that No. 18 had tried on and decided were not bad, and that she wanted to take with her.
At this moment, the chubby owner was already ecstatic, his eyes shining with the light of money.
These customers, especially this blonde beauty, were so decisive when buying things. They were clearly loaded!
This one sale was enough to equal several months of his usual turnover!
"Esteemed guests!"
Seeing No. 18 enter the fitting room again, the chubby owner rubbed his hands, his smile becoming even brighter.
He whispered to No. 17, who seemed to be in charge, "The clothes you've all chosen, the total comes to... thir... thirty-seven thousand Zeni! Will you be paying by card... or cash?"
He deliberately emphasized the "thirty-seven thousand," carefully observing No. 17's reaction.
No. 17 finally drew his gaze back from the sky, curiously picked up the price tag on a nearby piece of clothing, and saw the price clearly printed: "¥280".
He glanced at the clothes in the other bags, and the prices were mostly in the two to three hundred Zeni range.
A playful smile appeared on his face, and he looked at the chubby owner and asked strangely, "Hehe, sir, it seems that every piece of clothing here is priced at no more than three hundred, right? These dozen or so items, even if you add up the prices on the tags, it seems to be far less than thirty-seven thousand. How did you calculate this price?"
The smile on the chubby owner's face froze for a moment, a flash of guilt in his eyes, but he quickly covered it up with an even more exaggerated smile. "Oh my! Sir, you must not be a frequent shopper, are you? The price printed on the tag, that's the 'guideline price!' It doesn't count, it's for us shopkeepers to see. The actual selling price has to follow the store's rules. What I quoted just now is the real price! Rest assured, it's absolutely fair!"
He patted his chest repeatedly, trying to increase the credibility of his words.
No. 17 let out a meaningful "oh" and said no more, just leaning back against the wall to continue his unfinished "sky-gazing," as if he had lost interest in the price the owner was quoting.
The owner was a little unnerved by his attitude. After a few seconds of silence, his voice unconsciously lowered, and he said in a negotiating tone, "W-well then, sir, I can see that you all really want to buy. I'll give you a discount! Let's round it down to thirty thousand! How about thirty thousand even? This is really the lowest price. The rent for this little shop is expensive, and the costs are high, I really can't go any..."
Before he could finish, the curtain of the fitting room was pulled open with a "swish."
No. 18 had changed back into her original clothes and walked out.
Without even looking at the two who were haggling, she directly picked up the dozen or so bulging shopping bags on the floor and said in a flat tone, "I'm done. Let's go."
After speaking, she strode out of the store.
No. 17 chuckled lightly, also straightened up, and, with his hands still in his pockets, lazily followed her.
Their series of actions was as smooth as flowing water, as if they hadn't heard the "thirty thousand" quote at all.
The smile on the chubby owner's face completely froze. Seeing his biggest customer about to leave, he became anxious and hurriedly chased out of the store, shouting, "W-wait! You haven't paid yet! The money! Thirty thousand... no! Twenty thousand! Twenty thousand will be fine!!!"
No. 17 heard this, stopped, and tilted his head slightly, looking at the panting owner who had chased after them, a nearly innocent smile on his face. "Money? Didn't you just say... thirty thousand Zeni?"
He slowly raised one hand, his palm aimed at the owner. A dangerous energy began to gather rapidly in his palm, emitting a faint glow. "Alright, I'll give it to you now."
Although the owner was greedy, he wasn't a fool!
Seeing the unscientific glow in the other's palm and feeling the heart-pounding aura, his face instantly turned pale as a sheet! He fumbled to pull his phone out of his pocket to call the police.
However...
"BOOM—!!!!!"
A condensed energy beam suddenly erupted from No. 17's palm, accurately hitting the owner and his clothing store behind him!
A violent explosion instantly swept through the entire street!
Flames shot into the sky, and thick smoke billowed out, spreading to the surroundings!
The money-grubbing owner and his clothing store were instantly engulfed and vaporized by the violent energy, leaving only a large, charred crater and a few wisps of lingering flames.
The huge sound and shockwave threw the entire street into a panic. The crowd screamed and scattered, and the sounds of crying and car alarms rose and fell.
"You used too much force, No. 17."
No. 18, holding a pile of clothes, looked at the ruins and chaos before her with a calm expression, as if she were just commenting on the nice weather. "The clothes in this store were not bad. I was thinking of coming back for another look in the future."
No. 17 casually retracted his hand, as if he had just swatted a buzzing fly.
He smiled lightly at No. 18 and said, "Sorry."
No. 18 shrugged indifferently. "Forget it, it's not that important. We got the clothes anyway. We can just find another clothing store."
Looking at the city that had fallen into chaos due to the explosion, with the piercing sound of sirens already approaching from the distance, the three of them lost interest in staying any longer.
Just as they were preparing to fly away and continue their "shopping trip" and "sightseeing tour" in the next city, a cool-looking, bright yellow convertible sped past them on the street, trying to escape the chaotic area.
No. 17's eyes lit up, as if he had found a new toy.
His figure instantly vanished, leaving only a faint afterimage. The next second, he appeared at the side of the speeding convertible.
Under the terrified gaze and screams of the car's owner, No. 17 just casually reached out and, with one hand, steadily lifted the high-speeding car, along with the driver inside!
The car's tires were still spinning helplessly in the air. The driver was scared out of his wits, shouting and screaming, a visible wet patch spreading on his pants.
No. 17 held up the car and smiled with satisfaction.
He easily walked back to No. 18 and No. 16, casually pulled the driver, who was on the verge of fainting, out of the car and threw him to the side of the road. Then he sat in the driver's seat himself, like a child who had gotten a beloved toy.
"Alright, now we have our own car."
No. 17 patted the excellent-feeling steering wheel, a happy smile on his face. "Traveling like this is more fun, isn't it?"
No. 18 looked at the flashy yellow convertible and pursed her lips, seeming to think it was a bit tacky.
But she didn't object and got into the passenger seat with her bags of loot.
No. 16 silently opened the back door and sat down. His massive body made the back seat of the convertible seem a bit cramped.
The engine roared again. The yellow convertible made a beautiful drift and, carrying the three android "tourists," drove away from the smoky, ravaged small town, heading along the interstate highway towards their next destination.
And at this time, at the Briefs' estate.
"Whitley! Where's the strong enemy?! Let's go!"
Goku's figure appeared in the front yard with a "swoosh." Before he had even landed firmly, his excited, loud voice had already spread throughout the estate.
He cracked his knuckles, his eyes wide as he looked around, searching for the "strong enemy" he imagined.
Whitley was sitting leisurely on a beach chair, drinking juice. He was so startled by the sudden shout that his hand trembled, and he almost spilled his drink.
"Will you be quiet!" Whitley glared at him irritably. "What's the hurry? We'll talk after Vegeta gets here. They're not going anywhere!"
"Oh..."
Hearing this, Goku deflated like a popped balloon, his shoulders slumping. But the excited light in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest. He could only scratch his head and pace back and forth, muttering to himself, "Why is Vegeta so slow..."
Just then, Bulma, having heard the commotion, rushed out of the house. She was holding a tablet computer that displayed a series of complex numbers.
"Hubby!"
She rushed up to Whitley, her tone filled with clear heartache and anger. "I've monitored those androids moving on the interstate highway near South City! After you find them, remember to get my high-purity compressed energy blocks back! That was the highest purity batch! A whole year's worth of fuel for the ships was in that box!"
The more she spoke, the angrier she got, waving the tablet. "If they've already used them, you have to make them pay! Ten times! No, a hundred times compensation! Otherwise, this isn't over!"
Whitley couldn't help but laugh at his wife's rare "miserly" appearance and quickly agreed. "Alright, alright, I know. I'll definitely ask for you! I'll get them back if I can. If not, I'll make them work for you until they've paid you back to bankruptcy, how's that?"
He was actually a little curious. For something that even Bulma would call "insanely expensive," the value must be astronomical.
Only then did Bulma let out a satisfied "hmph." After a few more words of caution, she turned and went back inside to continue her research.
After Bulma left, time passed slowly. Goku became more and more anxious, and even Whitley couldn't help but look at his watch.
"What's that guy Vegeta doing? Why is he so slow?"
Just as both of them were getting impatient, a familiar ki finally appeared within their senses and approached at extremely high speed.
With a "swoosh," Vegeta's figure landed in the yard.
However, the expected eager, battle-hungry Vegeta did not appear.
Instead, Vegeta's face was incredibly foul, as if he had just swallowed a fly, a squashed one at that!
He exuded a "stay away, or die!" low-pressure aura.
Whitley and Goku immediately went over curiously.
"Yo, you're finally here," Whitley said, looking at him curiously. "What's... with you? You look like someone owes you millions."
Vegeta let out a heavy "hmph," crossed his arms, and his fierce gaze swept over Whitley and the innocently curious Goku.
He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but in the end, he couldn't suppress the fire in his heart and gritted his teeth.
And the moment he spoke, his words carried a suppressed anger and frustration. "That damn crazy woman!!"
He roared, "She suddenly said she wanted to eat sea urchin sashimi! And... it had to be the freshest! She even dared to order me, Vegeta, to go into the sea and catch it for her! The nerve!!! Just a stupid Earth woman! Who does she think she is?!"
Whitley and Goku exchanged a look, both of their faces showing extreme interest, and they asked in unison, "So you really went into the sea to catch it for her?"
"Is sea urchin sashimi tasty?" (Goku)
Whitley looked speechlessly at Goku, who could only think of food, and irritably rapped him on the head. "Eat, eat, eat! All you know is eating! Is that the point?!"
He turned back, a playful look in his eyes as he looked at the increasingly ugly-faced Vegeta, and suppressed his laughter to confirm, "So... Launch said she wanted to eat sea urchins, and you really... went into the sea?"
Vegeta instantly bristled, his voice rising an octave. "Nonsense! How is that possible?! How could I, the mighty Prince of Saiyans, Vegeta, do such a thing for a mere Earth woman?! Who do you think I am?! I am the Prince of Saiyans, Vegeta!!!"
His reaction was unusually intense.
Whitley nodded, his face written all over with "I totally believe you."
Suddenly, as if he had discovered something, he reached out and, very naturally, plucked a small piece of green, still slightly fishy-smelling... seaweed from Vegeta's perpetually spiky black hair.
Whitley held the small piece of seaweed and dangled it in front of Vegeta's eyes, a teasing smile on his lips. "Oh? Is that so? Then may I ask the noble Prince Vegeta, this fresh piece of seaweed on your hair... where did you happen to pick it up during your 'patrols'?"
Goku at the side stared with wide eyes, looking at the seaweed in Whitley's hand, and said with a look of realization, "Oh! So you like Launch that much, Vegeta! You even went into the sea to get food for her!"
Whitley's teasing and Goku's innocent but precise finishing blow were like two sharp swords, instantly piercing through Vegeta's flimsy facade!
"Who... who would do that kind of thing for a woman!!!"
Vegeta's face instantly flushed bright red, but his tone had clearly become flustered, and he was even stuttering a little. "Th-that... that was... I ran into it by accident while I was training!!"
Whitley nodded, putting on an "I see" expression, then stroked his chin and said slowly, "So... you just accidentally ran into some seaweed while training in the sea, but you're not denying the fact that you 'like Launch a lot,' right?"
Vegeta: "!!!"
He was instantly speechless. He opened his mouth but found that any explanation seemed pale and powerless at this moment.
He simply closed his mouth, and with a flickering expression, he forcefully suppressed all his emotions.
The scene was, for a moment, very awkward.
After a long while, under the "we totally get it" gaze of Whitley and Goku, Vegeta seemed to have completely given up.
He whipped his head around, pretending that nothing had happened, and stiffly changed the subject, his face forcibly returning to its usual tsundere seriousness, and asked in a deep voice, "Enough with the crap! Where's the enemy?!"
Whitley took a sharp breath.
Good grief! He actually admitted it?! And... that was such a stiff topic change! That's so not like Vegeta! The power of love is truly terrifying!
Forget it, forget it. Seeing as how "pitiful" Vegeta is, I'll let him off the hook this time. Getting Bulma's energy blocks back is the priority.
"According to Bulma's surveillance, those androids are now on the interstate highway near South City, seemingly... going for a drive."
Whitley got back to the point. "We can go there directly."
He paused, a wicked smile on his face, and proposed a new idea that had just come to him. "Let's set a rule beforehand. In this operation, none of the three of us are allowed to transform! We'll fight them in our base forms. If anyone feels they can't win and can't help but transform into a Super Saiyan... then that person loses! The loser must unconditionally obey one request from the winner! So, do you two dare to play?"
Hearing this condition, Vegeta instantly threw his earlier embarrassment to the back of his mind. A fighting spirit ignited within him! His eyes seemed to light up!
"Oh?! Interesting! I accept this bet! Whitley, Kakarot, if you lose... you'll be my sparring partners for a whole day!"
He could already see the scene of himself arrogantly ordering these two around after his victory.
Goku also found this setup novel and interesting and nodded without hesitation. "Alright, alright! Sounds like fun! I'm in!"
Seeing that the two had taken the bait, a "just as planned" smile appeared on Whitley's face.
"Well then, before we go, take these."
He took out four Senzu Beans from his pocket and gave two to both Goku and Vegeta. "Just in case. Although you two are very strong, the opponents are androids with infinite energy. A battle of attrition is not in your favor. Don't push yourselves too hard at a critical moment."
After the two had put away the Senzu Beans, Whitley placed his hands on Goku's and Vegeta's shoulders respectively. "Well then, let's go!"
With a soft "swoosh," the three of them vanished from the front yard of the Briefs' estate without a trace.
On the outskirts of South City, on a desolate and vast interstate highway, a bright yellow convertible was speeding down the straight road.
No. 17 held the steering wheel with one hand, his other arm resting comfortably on the car door, feeling the slightly hot breeze on his face.
He had a relaxed smile, seeming to enjoy the feeling of driving.
No. 16 sat silently in the back seat, his eyes still closed, as if the outside world had nothing to do with him.
Only No. 18 had a clear look of impatience on her face.
She fiddled with her short golden hair, which had been messed up by the wind, and complained to No. 17, "I'm telling you, are we really going to be this slow? At this rate, when will we get to the next city? I still want to check out a few more clothing stores."
She really couldn't understand why No. 17 and No. 16 were interested in this inefficient mode of travel.
Wasn't flying much more convenient and faster?
No. 17 smiled, his gaze on the seemingly endless road ahead. "Why the rush? Don't you think that driving on this desolate and vast highway is, in itself, a pleasure? Feeling the breeze, feeling the freedom..."
He paused and glanced at No. 18 teasingly. "Oh, right, you're a girl, after all, you probably don't understand this kind of men's romance. Right, No. 16?"
No. 16 did not open his eyes, just answered in his steady, emotionless voice, "I do not know what 'pleasure' or 'romance' specifically feels like. But I do not object to the current mode of operation."
No. 17 laughed and turned on the car's radio.
A slightly scratchy country music song slowly flowed out, echoing in the wind.
"See? You're enjoying it right now, No. 16," No. 17 said with a smile.
No. 16 did not reply, as if in tacit agreement.
No. 18 shook her head and sighed. "I really don't get you guys. But..."
She tilted her head back slightly, resting it on the headrest of the seat.
She looked at the monotonous but vast, desolate scenery flying past the window, listening to the whistling of the wind and the faint sound of music.
After a while, she slowly said, "But... this feeling is not bad."
Hearing this, a brilliant smile appeared on No. 17's lips.
However, just as this leisurely and comfortable road trip atmosphere was about to reach its peak—
A hundred meters ahead, in the middle of the highway, the air suddenly blurred!
Three figures appeared out of thin air, perfectly blocking the path of the yellow convertible!
It was Whitley, Son Goku, and Vegeta, who had arrived via Instant Transmission!
No. 17's pupils contracted slightly, and he slammed on the brakes almost instinctively!
SCREEECH—!!!
The piercing sound of tires screeching echoed on the highway!
The high-performance convertible left two black tire marks on the road and finally came to a stop just a few meters away from the three of them.
No. 17 looked at the three people blocking the road, especially the smiling Whitley in the middle. The leisurely smile on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by a hint of annoyance at being disturbed and a cold killing intent.
He sighed, his tone filled with resignation and mockery. "Honestly... we weren't even planning to look for you for the time being, and you just had to serve yourselves up. Are you in such a hurry to die?"
No. 18 also opened the car door and got out nimbly.
She first carefully sized up the three before them, her gaze lingering a little longer on Goku in his orange gi, as if confirming something.
Then, her eyes showed the fierce and contemptuous light of having confirmed her target.
Whitley stepped forward, a harmless smile on his face, as if he were just greeting friends he had run into on the road. "Yo! What a coincidence, our android friends. May I trouble you to kindly return the items you 'accidentally' stole earlier? Otherwise, the one at my home will get angry, and that will be a big headache for me."
A hint of confusion flashed across No. 18's face; she clearly didn't quite understand what Whitley was referring to.
But she quickly pushed the doubt aside. To her, the three people before her were targets, enemies, and that was enough.
A beautiful but dangerous smile bloomed on her face. Her expression was supremely confident, and she even beckoned to the three of them with a hint of mockery. "Since you've come to die, you've saved us the trouble of looking for you. The three of you, who's first?"
Seeing the supremely confident No. 18, as if victory was already in her grasp, Whitley was momentarily at a loss for words.
Wait... sister? Have you always been this confident? Who gave you this courage? Fish Leong?
He subconsciously turned his head to look at Goku and Vegeta beside him.
The two of them, one looking up at the sky, the other down at the ground, simultaneously and tacitly averted their gazes. The meaning was clear: We don't fight women!
Whitley's mouth twitched, and he sighed helplessly. "Alright, alright, I knew I couldn't count on you two. Since this Miss No. 18 wants to play one-on-one, I'll be the one to play with you first."
He took a few steps forward and stood a short distance from No. 18, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression relaxed and calm, as if he were just about to have a friendly spar.
To his surprise, No. 18 actually mimicked him, crossing her own arms, lifting her chin, and adopting a "I'll let you have the first move, otherwise the fight will be over in an instant" posture. The contempt in her eyes was almost overflowing.
"Hehe~"
The smile on Whitley's face became more pronounced, but this time it was mixed with a bit more amusement and disbelief. "I'm... being looked down on?"
"No. 18!"
Just then, No. 16, who had been standing silently in the back like an iron tower, suddenly let out a warning.
As a purely mechanical android, the serious expression on his face had now become even more grave, and a hint of nervousness could even be seen. "Be serious! Don't be careless! That guy named Whitley... is very strong! His energy reading... I can't read it at all!"
Hearing No. 16's warning, a hint of surprise flashed across No. 18's face. But she had absolute confidence in her own strength and didn't take his words too seriously.
After all, in Dr. Gero's database, Son Goku was the biggest threat!
This guy before her, who was barely even mentioned in the records, how strong could he be?
She still maintained her arms-crossed posture, her expression calm, and even with a hint of impatience, she urged Whitley, "Don't waste time, make your move. I hope you can last a little longer!"
"Hiss..."
Whitley's expression almost cracked, and he nearly couldn't maintain his relaxed demeanor.
He could even clearly hear Goku's suppressed but still audible "pfft" of laughter from behind, as well as Vegeta's undisguised, gloating mockery. "Did you hear that, Whitley! That woman told you to last a little longer! Hahahaha! You had this coming, Whitley!"
Whitley decisively ignored the two troublemakers behind him who were enjoying the show.
He looked at this No. 18, who was even better at posturing than he was... no, who was even more confident than he had expected, and a smile of extreme interest finally appeared on his lips.
"You look down on me that much? Heh! Woman, I admit you have successfully piqued my interest!"
On the highway, the wind and sand blew gently.
On one side was the supremely confident, infinite-energy Android 18.
On the other was the intrigued candidate God of Destruction.
The battle was about to begin!
...
[Get 10+ chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"]