Chapter 17: The Maiden Chi-Chi
Bulma cupped her hands like a megaphone, shouting toward the sky: "Flying Nimbus!~"
The Flying Nimbus appeared instantly, swooping down right in front of Bulma.
Goku stared at the sight of Bulma and the Flying Nimbus, momentarily mesmerized.
He had never imagined Bulma riding the Flying Nimbus.
Moments later, Bulma mounted the cloud and transformed into a golden streak flying westward.
Goku couldn't neglect his training, whether in winter's coldest days or summer's hottest.
Carrying weights while traveling on foot, he followed Bulma on the Flying Nimbus, crossing mountains and ridges straight toward Fire Mountain.
...
...
Three days later...
They both noticed the weather growing increasingly hot.
Bulma realized that even traveling on foot, Goku was fast enough.
Their destination for the sixth Dragon Ball—Fire Mountain—was approaching.
It seemed time to encounter Chi-Chi.
Bulma thought, "I need to give him a warning."
"I've been reborn and still sticking closely with Goku."
"If I let him pledge himself to Chi-Chi again, I might as well find some tofu to crash into and die."
She lowered the Flying Nimbus closer to Goku.
"Hey Goku! Are you hungry?"
Goku stopped jogging and looked up: "A bit hungry. Time to eat?"
Bulma said: "Our house was destroyed, and we lost a lot of food."
"I only have a little food left in my Capsules, not even enough for one of your meals."
"Here's what I'm thinking—it's almost dark, so let's stop for today."
"I haven't bathed in three days and I'm itching all over."
"Let's find a town to rest, have a proper meal and replenish our supplies."
"Then we can bathe and cool off before setting out again tomorrow, okay?"
Goku gazed into the distance—no sign of Fire Mountain yet.
But thinking about Ox-King's castle engulfed in flames, Goku already had a strategy forming in his mind.
It seems there's no need to go through the trouble of finding Master Roshi.
He felt that with his current strength, his Kamehameha should be sufficient to extinguish the fire.
Since there was no need to seek out Master Roshi, there was no need to make any prior arrangements. They could simply head there after eating and drinking their fill.
Goku nodded: "Alright, let's rest for a day and go after we've eaten and drunk our fill. By the way, do you know which direction the nearby town is in?"
Bulma shook her head and said: "No idea! But I have a way. Come on up, we can search faster on the Flying Nimbus!"
"Right, let's look together then." Goku stored his weighted clothing into a Capsule Corp capsule and jumped onto the Flying Nimbus, joining Bulma in searching for the nearby town.
The setting sun gradually sank toward the horizon, painting the sky with intense, fiery sunset clouds. Golden twilight spilled over the desert, gilding the clouds and sand dunes with a dazzling gold.
Bulma looked toward the horizon and exclaimed excitedly: "Goku, look, these are sunset clouds! So beautiful!"
"Mhm, very beautiful... Bulma, we should hurry and find the town... Make the Flying Nimbus go faster, if we still can't find it by dark, we'll have to sleep in the desert again."
The sunset and evening clouds weren't particularly captivating in Goku's eyes, and his response was somewhat perfunctory.
Bulma could only sigh helplessly—such beautiful scenery, yet he had no interest in it at all. But this was Goku—he simply didn't possess those aesthetic sensibilities.
Bulma nodded and pointed in a direction: "Flying Nimbus, accelerate!"
Receiving the command, the Flying Nimbus whooshed forward. Riding on the Flying Nimbus, the two were caressed by the wind, finally dispersing the lingering heat.
Suddenly, a scream pierced the sky, catching their attention. They followed the sound of the cry for help.
Not far away, a giant dinosaur was chasing a cute little girl. The girl was wearing rather peculiar headgear that resembled a swimsuit. On her head was a strange hat with a blade attached to it. The outfit made her look like Ultraman Seven.
Bulma's pupils contracted when she saw the girl. She immediately recognized who she was.
Near Fire Mountain, a cute little girl, with that small yet familiar face—it had to be Ox-King's daughter, Chi-Chi.
Just then, the dinosaur roared, opening its massive jaws to bite Chi-Chi. Fortunately, Chi-Chi panickedly covered her bottom, picking up speed as she sprinted forward, barely managing to avoid the dinosaur's bite.
But the dinosaur continued its relentless pursuit, and in Bulma's eyes, unless something changed, little Chi-Chi would soon end up in the dinosaur's mouth.
Without time to think, she immediately shouted for Goku to rescue her.
Meanwhile, Goku also recognized the fleeing girl as Chi-Chi. But Goku knew Chi-Chi's capabilities and had no intention of helping. After all, she was Ox-King's daughter—she wasn't that weak. She just needed to press the switch on her head, and the blade on her hat could directly slice the dinosaur. Actually, Goku was looking forward to seeing this scene.
However, just as Goku was anticipating Chi-Chi's special move, Bulma beat him to it, shouting at him urgently.
"Goku, save her quickly!"
Goku froze for a moment—it seemed Chi-Chi was being chased too closely to make her move. Then he immediately pulled out his Power Pole and leaped down from the Flying Nimbus.
"Power Pole, extend!"
In an instant, the Power Pole extended and was swung out by Goku.
The Power Pole whistled through the air with a fierce gust, striking the tall dinosaur squarely on the head.
The next moment, the dinosaur's head exploded, and its massive body crashed heavily to the ground.
Goku flipped through the air and landed steadily in front of Chi-Chi.
"Are you okay?"
Seeing the dinosaur instantly defeated, Bulma rushed over on the Flying Nimbus and stopped before Chi-Chi.
Chi-Chi halted her steps and looked curiously at Goku and Bulma.
Her gaze eventually settled on Goku.
Her small face suddenly flushed red.
She clasped her hands over her cheeks, somewhat shyly saying, "That was really dangerous just now. Thank you for saving me."
"But right now, I don't have anything to repay you with."
"How about... when I grow up, I'll marry you and become your bride..."
While Chi-Chi was still fidgeting shyly, Bulma jumped down from the Flying Nimbus.
"No way!"