"[WOLF FANG FIST]!"
Yamcha's fists were fierce as a hungry wolf's, striking faster than the wind. Facing such a violent barrage, Ray Chu had no choice but to dodge rapidly using Quick Attack.
"All you know is running away? Too bad—I've already seen through your moves!" Yamcha's eyes flashed sharply as he suddenly kicked out with his right leg, cutting off Ray Chu's escape route.
In the next instant, blows rained down like a violent storm, so fast they left countless afterimages. Ray Chu's body shot backward like a cannonball.
"Oh no! Even he lost!" Oolong wailed in panic, already thinking about how he'd beg for mercy later.
"Don't worry, he hasn't lost yet," Goku said calmly beside him.
Yamcha's face also darkened—he'd felt no solid impact just now, meaning his opponent had deliberately dodged.
Sure enough, Ray Chu flipped gracefully in midair and landed firmly, holding up a sign:
[Wolf Fang Fist? Not a bad technique!]
Then flipped it around:
[Now it's my turn!]
"Pika!" Sparks flashed around Ray Chu's body, accelerating so swiftly that only a blur remained. His Double Kick collided forcefully with Yamcha's fists, disrupting his rhythm.
IRON TAIL!
A strike of heavenly justice slammed down onto Yamcha's head from above, shattering his teeth. Before Yamcha could recover, Ray Chu vanished once more, reappearing instantly behind him and slicing his waist with a sharp, wind-cutting Brick Break, causing Yamcha to howl in pain!
Finally, a dazzling Thunder Shock lit up the scene. Yamcha's hair stood straight up, smoke billowing from his mouth as he collapsed to his knees.
He'd already fainted.
"So…so powerful!" Oolong stared, dumbfounded, shivering at some awful memory.
Goku grinned excitedly, clenching his fists. "I knew he was strong!"
"Lord Yamcha!" Puar cried out anxiously, shielding Yamcha. "Y-you… What do you want?"
[Ransom], Ray Chu held up another sign. Under Puar's horrified stare, he swiftly cleaned out all their valuables, leaving the pair wanting to cry.
Wait a minute—who exactly is the real bandit here?!
"Is this really okay…?" Bulma asked sadly, looking at Yamcha. Such a handsome guy was now missing teeth and covered in soot, looking like a burnt beggar, shattering her previous crush.
[Divine justice from above! No worries—totally okay!] Ray Chu gave a thumbs-up confidently.
"I wasn't asking you!" Bulma sighed. Still, worried that Yamcha might starve out here, she reluctantly left behind a vehicle—a single bicycle—before climbing into their RV and driving off.
Long after they'd departed, Yamcha awoke with a groan, startling Puar, who'd been nursing him carefully.
"Thank goodness, Lord Yamcha—you're awake!"
"Dammit… I can't believe I lost!" Yamcha still couldn't get over the humiliation of losing to a tiny yellow mouse.
Puar poked him timidly with a paw. "Um, Lord Yamcha… All our money and capsules were stolen by them."
Yamcha froze in shock, stiffly turning his head and groaning, "That… that was all my wealth!"
"What do we do now, Lord Yamcha?"
Clenching his fists, Yamcha's eyes burned with rage. "Revenge! I won't be beaten this easily! Come on, we're chasing after them—I'll definitely pay them back tenfold!"
Moments later, a human and a cat pedaled frantically on a bicycle, kicking up clouds of dust as they followed tire tracks into the distance.
...
[DEFEATED YAMCHA THE DESERT BANDIT, LEVEL +1]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 16]
...
Inside the RV, Oolong nervously glanced at Ray Chu, who had adopted the demeanor of a gangster boss. He respectfully handed over a cup. "Boss, please enjoy your tea."
Goku stared blankly from the side. Since when did Ray Chu become Oolong's boss?
Bulma glanced over, then quickly covered Goku's eyes. "Kids shouldn't learn from shady characters."
Ray Chu sipped his tea and held up a sign: [So, where are we headed next?]
"Let me check." Bulma fiddled with her Dragon Radar. "The nearest Dragon Ball is… here! Fire Mountain!"
"Fire Mountain?!" Oolong nearly dropped his tray, stuttering, "That's where the terrifying Ox-King lives! He hoards countless treasures in his castle atop the burning mountain and has killed plenty of travelers—I'm not looking to die…"
Even if his new boss was strong, Oolong doubted they could defeat Ox-King—and he didn't want to become roast pork.
"Don't worry, we've got two strong guys on our side. We won't lose!" Bulma declared proudly, having developed some blind confidence from recent successes.
Ray Chu casually sipped more tea, shooting Bulma a sideways glance.
Oolong was utterly terrified, but the destination wasn't up to him, so he sat trembling, unable to calm himself down.
...
Several days later, their RV passed through a village, stopping at a boundary marked:
[Fire Mountain]
The temperature here rose sharply, the landscape barren—a perpetual volcanic fire had clearly warped the local climate.
Few travelers appeared, though many ferocious beasts prowled the area, fearlessly attacking passing vehicles.
Whack! Goku knocked out a wild boar attacking the RV with his staff, standing proudly atop its body. "Let's have barbeque for dinner!"
He turned curiously to Oolong. "Hey, do you eat pork?"
Oolong looked constipated. "What do you think?"
Just then, a scream rang out nearby. A young girl ran in panic, chased closely by a vicious dinosaur.
Goku shaded his eyes, astonished. "Wow, that guy's clothes are really weird!"
"That's a girl! A girl! Hurry up and go rescue her!" Bulma shouted, thoroughly accustomed to correcting Goku's ignorance by now.
"Oh!" Though Goku often missed the obvious, he had a good heart. He quickly summoned his Nimbus and rushed toward the dinosaur.
But before he could even get close, the fleeing girl suddenly spun around, drew a sharp blade from her helmet, and hurled it with immense strength, cleanly slicing off the dinosaur's head.
Everyone watching froze in shock.
"S-scary little girl…" Oolong gulped, shivering slightly.
Ray Chu yawned lazily. He'd already guessed this girl's identity.
"Hey! Who are you? Are you here to bully me, too?" the girl eyed Goku warily, ready to throw her blade again.
Goku scratched his head innocently. "Wow, you're pretty strong! My name's Son Goku. Who're you?"
"My name's Chi-Chi." Seeing no hostility from Goku, she returned the blade to her helmet. "This is my home. My dad is the Ox-King."
"Ox-King, huh?" Bulma came closer, eyes glinting cunningly. "We actually wanted to visit your dad. Little girl, can you take us to meet him?"