Bulma let out a long sigh, sinking deeper into the hot bathwater.
Thick steam filled the small bathroom, wrapping around her like a buffer between her and the rest of the world.
Foam floated in small islands around her, and for a brief moment, she closed her eyes and allowed herself a sliver of peace.
Seven hours.
Seven more hours to Rokki.
Everything that had happened recently flashed through her mind like scrambled images.
The mess back in Paozu.
Goku's erratic behavior. And now, the strange issue with his tail.
It all felt like one absurd event after another pulling her further away from her main mission.
I need a plan… I can't keep wasting time.
The thought that she was maybe getting closer to a lead — any lead — was the only thing keeping her going through the chaos her life had become.
Every minute felt like a shaky step forward, and she had no idea how long she could hold it together.
Then an annoying sound snapped her out of it.
Creeeeak…
The bathroom door squeaked open, and she quickly looked up.
There he was.
"— What—?!"
Bulma's scream echoed through the bathroom, followed by a startled "Kyah!" as she yanked the towel to cover her chest, nearly slipping out of the tub in the process.
Her eyes flared like lit torches ready to incinerate the boy.
"— What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Goku stood in the doorway with the most innocent face on Earth, tilting his head.
"— Why is your butt on the front instead of the back?"
"…"
"...."
For a second, time froze.
The words hung in the air like an arrow that never quite reached the target.
"— WHAT?! THAT'S NOT MY BUTT, YOU IDIOT! THAT'S MY CHEST!"
"— Chest?"
Goku scratched his head, clearly confused.
"— What's that?"
"— It's… It's something you'll understand when you're older, okay?!"
Goku frowned like she had just hit him with a riddle from hell.
"— So how old are you anyway?" he asked.
"— I'm sixteen."
Bulma still clutched the towel like it was her last line of defense.
To her surprise, Goku smiled proudly.
"— Oh, then I'm not that far off. I'm fourteen!"
It hit her like a bomb.
No way. No way you're fourteen. You look like you're eight!
She grabbed the nearest soap bar and chucked it at him.
"— Hyaa!"
Goku dodged it like it was nothing, the soap zipping past his head and smacking the wall.
"— Hey, hey, stop throwing stuff!" — he said, hands raised like he was the victim.
Bulma gritted her teeth, towel still clutched tight, hands trembling in fury.
"— Goku… If you're not out of here in three seconds, I'M LAUNCHING YOU INTO SPACE!"
"— Okay, okay, I'm going!"
He backed out quickly, hands up in surrender.
Once the door finally closed, Bulma exhaled and sank back into the water.
"— I can't believe this…"
I'm starting to regret bringing him.
♦♦♦
Bulma stepped out of the bathroom, towel around her hair, steam trailing behind her. Every step screamed exhaustion. Her only goal now was to get to bed without any more drama.
But there he was.
Goku was sitting cross-legged on the floor, fiddling with the TV remote.
When he heard her footsteps, he looked up and grinned casually.
"— Finally! Fuaaahhh!" — he yawned.
"— I was getting sleepy. So where are we sleeping, Bulma?"
She froze mid-step, towel still pressed to her head. Her eyes sparked.
You seriously have the guts to ask that after what just happened?
"— First of all, don't even talk to me after that."
Goku blinked, completely lost.
"— After what?"
She took a deep breath and raised a finger, teacher-mode fully activated.
"— Second, there is no 'we'! You'll sleep somewhere. I'm sleeping alone. And I mean that with all capital letters: A-L-O-N-E."
"— Huh? Why not?"
Goku tilted his head like a confused puppy.
"— I always slept in Grandpa's lap. It was comfy!"
"— SO WHAT?!" Bulma exploded, practically shouting BAAAANG!
"— I'm not your mom, and definitely not your grandma, got it?!"
"— I know that. You don't look like Grandpa. But what's the big deal? I'm small, I won't take much space!"
(... Rage.)
Bulma closed her eyes.
Okay, breathe. He's fourteen. FOURTEEN. Just two years younger than you… and completely insufferable.
"— Look here…" — she pointed at him.
Goku leaned forward.
"— You're sleeping on the floor. I'll give you a futon. You stay away from my bed. Got it?"
"— But the floor's hard…"
"— Exactly! Maybe that'll teach you to respect a woman's space!"
He paused, gears turning in his head. Then smiled again.
"— Oh, I get it! So I can sleep next to your bed, right? Not in it, just, like, almost... WHOA! Why are you throwing the futon?!"
The sheet flew like a heat-seeking missile and nailed him.
"— ARE YOU DENSE?! AWAY! FAR AWAY FROM MY BED!"
"— Hmm…"
Goku scratched his chin like he was still weighing his options.
Bulma didn't give him the chance. She hurled the nearest pillow right into his forehead.
"— AAH! Okay, okay! I'll sleep on the floor!"
"— Damn right you will! And stay quiet!"
Bulma stomped to her bed like a queen pushed to her limits.
"— You're so bossy…" — Goku muttered, grumbling as he unrolled the sheet.
"— And you're so annoying."
After setting Goku up as far away as possible from her bed, Bulma collapsed under the covers.
"— Bulma?" Goku's voice came from the floor, hesitant.
"— What now?"
"— Thanks for being my friend."
His voice was different — softer. Almost shy.
It caught her off guard. For a moment, she was weirdly touched.
She stared up at the ceiling.
"— Go to sleep, Goku."
Silence fell, and Bulma thought maybe — just maybe — she could finally rest.
"— But, Bulma…"
She almost jumped.
"— WHAT?!"
"— You think the floor would feel better with another pillow?"
♦♦♦
The sky was already light. Inside the small capsule house, Bulma let out a loud yawn, one hand covering her mouth while the other wrestled her hair into a ponytail.
Why does my hair always fight back in the morning? Ugh.
She'd been up for a while. Dressed, organized some capsules. And Goku? Still knocked out on the futon like a boulder.
Arms crossed, she stared at him like someone judging a bizarre art piece.
"— Morning, Goku…" she called, a bit impatient.
No answer.
"— …Goku?"
Nothing.
For someone raised in the wild, you're ridiculously lazy…
She sighed and nudged the futon with a light kick.
Pof! Pof!
Still no movement.
"— Come on, it's time to hit the road."
Pof!
Another kick, this time harder.
Finally, Goku mumbled something, yawning loud enough to shake the walls.
"— Hmm… it's already time?"
He stretched like a cat, feet kicking at the futon.
"— Fuaaahhh!"
Bulma watched, half in disbelief.
How could anyone start the day that slowly?
"— Okay, okay, I'm up…"
He rubbed his eyes with his palms, then yawned again.
"— You better be."
After a few minutes, they were outside. Bulma walked ahead, eyes glued to her tablet adjusting the car's GPS. Goku dragged behind, still rubbing his eyes.
"— We've got another seven hours of driving," — she said, not even looking back.
"— Before we hit the road, maybe get some fresh air. Stretch. I don't wanna hear you whining about motion sickness again."
"— Good idea!"
Goku, now more awake, leapt toward a bunch of rocks.
"— I'll warm up by smashing some stones!"
"— Just don't disappear before I finish setting things up, alright?"
"— Got it!"
BAM! CRACK!
The sound of exploding rocks echoed across the morning silence.
Goku started his usual routine — grabbing giant stones and smashing them like they were clay. Others he threw into the sky, watching them vanish before bursting in mid-air.
BOOOOM!
The ground shook.
"— Haha! This is fun!"
But just as he raised another rock, a voice shouted from below.
"— HEY, HEY, HEY! CUT THAT OUT!"
"— Eh?"
Goku froze, still holding the rock.
He blinked.
Something moved between the rocks, dusty and barely visible.
"— Are you… a talking rock?" — he asked, brows furrowed.
"— I'M NOT A ROCK! I'M A TURTLE!"
The voice sounded deeply offended. Goku leaned in, puzzled.
The creature slowly poked its head out. A sea turtle. Its shell was dusty, but now that Goku looked closer, it clearly wasn't a rock.
"— WHOA!"
He jumped back, nearly falling.
"— You're huge!"
He crouched again, face close.
"— I almost smashed you!"
"— Yeah, and that would've been a disaster!"
"— But how'd you end up here?!"
"— I'm looking for my master."
"— Y-Your master? You're a fighting turtle?!"
"— No! He just feeds me and takes care of me…"
Suddenly, the turtle looked like it was about to cry.
"— Oh master, I miss you so much! Sniff sniff…"
"— But if he's your master, he's probably still looking for you, right?"
"— I doubt it. He always told me not to wander off. But I was stubborn. Went mushroom-hunting on the beach and got lost. Been wandering ever since. Maybe a year now?"
"— A YEAR?! You've been walking for a year?!"
"— Yep…"
As Goku scratched his head, Bulma showed up, arms crossed, eyeing the scene.
"— Goku, why are you talking to a turtle?"
"— She's not just a turtle. She's been lost for a year, looking for her master!" Goku explained.
Bulma looked from Goku to the turtle.
"— Right… I'm just gonna pretend I didn't hear that."
"— But the boy is telling the truth," said the turtle, calm as ever.
"— EEEEH?! A TALKING TURTLE?!"
Bulma's eyes nearly popped out.
Why am I even surprised at this point? I got kidnapped by a giant talking owl yesterday…
"— Sir Toru… A pleasure to meet you."
"— AND YOU STILL REMEMBER YOUR NAME?!"
"— Ahem, hmmm." The turtle cleared her throat like she was prepping for a formal speech.
"— And I'm also offended."
Bulma stared at the whole scene like her sanity was unraveling.
This has to be a dream... Or maybe I'm the dumb one here.
She pressed a hand to her forehead like the whole thing gave her a headache.
Forget it, Bulma. Focus on the goal. That's what matters.
"— Fine, whatever… A talking turtle. Goku, we have a trip to finish. Where's her master anyway?"
"— By the sea. I think… somewhere that way." the turtle said.
"— The sea?" Bulma activated the map on her digital watch and did a quick scan.
"— Nearest sea is… about 120 kilometers from here."
The turtle's eyes widened even more.
"— O-One hundred twenty kilometers?!"
"— Yep. You're way off, buddy."
"— Don't worry, we'll help you!" Goku beamed like he could fix anything.
"— MHMMMM!"
Bulma's eyes sparked like wires about to fry.
"— Look, Goku. I don't have time for this. Our goal is to find Blouse, remember? We've already wasted too much time."
Goku knelt beside the turtle, brushing off the dust.
"— But Bulma, she's been lost for a year. We can't just leave her."
"— And why not?" — Bulma shot back.
"— You think the world's gonna stop because one turtle went for a walk and got lost?!"
Goku turned to her, eyes serious — a rare sight.
"— If you don't want to help her, fine. I'll help her myself. You can wait here. I won't take long."
Bulma groaned.
"— Goku, if you go help that turtle, fine. But I'm telling you now — either you go and we never meet again, or you come with me and stay focused. Pick one."
Goku ignored her completely. Like her words were a buzzing fly.
He smiled, carefree, and with one swift motion, lifted the turtle onto his back like a backpack.
"— Let's go, Toru! Just straight to the sea, right?!"
The turtle nodded gently.
"— Thank you, young man…"
Bulma watched it all with the most annoyed expression possible, her hands pressed tightly against her waist.
"—Goku! You can't just... Ugh! I can't believe you're actually doing this..."
Goku was already walking toward the ocean, the turtle on his back, taking big strides like he was heading out for a casual stroll.
Hmph! If he prefers helping that dumb turtle, I'm not going to beg for help either.
At first, Bulma seemed to give up, deciding it wasn't worth arguing anymore.
She turned around, ready to go back to the original plan of finding Blouse. But then, as she glanced to the side, something made her stop in her tracks.
Her eyes widened at the sight of a massive silhouette moving through the dense foliage. Then came the sound.
"—Grrrrr..."
Distant, deep, and threatening—it froze her on the spot.
She blinked, trying to focus on the scene in the distance, where a huge creature, looking like a dinosaur, was watching them.
Its body filled the width of the trail with an overwhelming presence. And it wasn't alone. Around it, other similar beasts began to emerge, slowly stepping out from the shadows of the trees.
There were at least five of them, each one the size of a mountain.
Bulma swallowed hard.
"— Goku..."
She called out, her voice calmer now, but trembling.
"—I think... maybe I should help with the turtle..."
Goku, now several steps ahead, turned around, confused, like he didn't understand what had changed. But when he saw Bulma's expression, he realized something was off.
"— Bulma? What's wrong?"
"— Just let me grab my stuff and the car."
♦♦♦
Bulma had returned to her capsule house and brought the car onto the trail, with Goku walking alongside her. Strangely, the creatures had vanished, almost like Goku repelled them.
"— Hey Goku, figure out how to get it into the tank I'm hooking up to the car, got it?"
"— Tank?"
Bulma ignored his blank stare, rummaging through the capsules in her bag, muttering to herself.
Convenient. Tow capsules for the car... I really carry everything, huh? Should be charging for following this crappy script.
Meanwhile, Goku, without hesitation, began lifting the turtle like a bag of rice.
"— Bulma, this is gonna be awesome! She's gonna love the ride!"
Bulma shot him a tired look over her shoulder.
"— I just hope she doesn't complain about the bumps. Spoiler: the road is garbage."
"— Mind the shell, young man!"
Toru clearly wasn't used to being carried.
"— Relax, Toru-sama! I'm super strong, nothing's gonna happen to you!"
Toru-sama? Maybe his grandpa at least taught him to respect his elders.
Bulma sighed and activated the capsule. With a click and a puff of smoke, a small metal trailer appeared. It was compact but big enough to fit the turtle.
"— There it is."
Bulma pointed at the trailer.
"— Now, put him in there."
Goku gently placed Toru in the trailer, and the turtle looked around in amazement.
"— How wonderful! You young humans really have fascinating technology."
"— Yeah..."
Bulma mumbled, getting in the car.
Fascinating and completely wasted on nonsense like this.
"— Could you fill it with salt water and maybe a few seaweeds too?"
Bulma turned to face him, her look pure disbelief.
"— You're pretty high-maintenance for a turtle."
♦♦♦
The journey continued, and the sun's heat made Bulma feel like she was cooking from the inside as they walked.
Of course there's no road... I should've known.
The trail had ended at some point, forcing them to follow a dirt path through the jungle toward the beach.
Goku, as always, seemed completely unbothered.
He carried the turtle on his back like a bag of rice, moving with light, carefree steps, practically skipping.
The sticky sensation of her hair clinging to her skin only made things worse, and she sighed often. The tropical heat was unbearable, turning every step into a sticky form of torture.
She clicked her tongue, waving her hands to swat away the mosquitoes that had begun circling her relentlessly.
"— Get away! Ugh!"
Bzzzz! Bzzzz!
The insects completely ignored her efforts, buzzing in formation like tiny soldiers.
He's not even sweating! What kind of monster is this kid?!
Her legs were getting heavy, and she couldn't help but notice how the beach still seemed as far as the horizon. But then, in the distance, a familiar sound reached her ears: the gentle whisper of waves crashing on sand.
A fresh breeze brushed her face, bringing momentary relief to the suffocating heat.
Finally, the dirt path turned to sand, and the sound of the waves grew louder. Goku, seemingly unaffected by the long walk, carefully set Toru down, his face lighting up with a smile as bright as the sun.
Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the water like it was a divine calling.
"— Wow! We made it to the beach!"
"— Come on, Bulma! The water's amazing!"
"— HEY! The deal was help the turtle and leave!"
Bulma shouted after him, but the distance between them kept growing—physically and in terms of patience. As usual, Goku was in his own world.
"— Honestly, maybe I should just go alone after all..." — she muttered, crossing her arms and turning her head away, clearly annoyed. But Toru, still beside her, seemed like he wanted to contribute somehow.
"— Who's this friend you're looking for?"
Bulma raised an eyebrow, surprised by the question.
"— Her name is Blouse. And before you ask—no, I'm not giving details. Not like a turtle could help anyway."
The turtle blinked slowly, as if processing that, before responding with unsettling calm:
"— My master could help."
"— Oh, sure he could."
Bulma laughed sarcastically, throwing her hands up in frustration.
"—This is starting to sound like one of those fortune teller scams. 'Oh, I can solve all your problems, dear, just pay me a fortune!' And look where that got me."
The turtle, clearly offended, shook his head.
"— My master isn't a fraud, and he won't charge you either. He's the greatest martial artist on the planet. If anyone can help you, it's him."
Goku, who was now a fair distance away, stopped abruptly when he heard the words "greatest martial artist on the planet."
His eyes lit up with unfiltered excitement.
He bolted back to them at ridiculous speed—it almost looked cartoonish.
"— The greatest martial artist on the planet?! Really?! Like, is he super strong?" — Goku asked, his voice practically bouncing with joy.
"— Stronger than you can imagine!" — the turtle replied, with a hint of pride, making Goku's eyes shine even more.
Bulma looked at Goku, then at the turtle. Every second of hesitation felt like a boulder sitting on her shoulders—like she was fighting a storm inside her head.
"— Alright... let's suppose I buy this idea of yours, that your master can help me. Where is he?"
"— He lives on an island. It takes a while to get there. But don't worry—just tell me your names and I'll remember them."
"— I'm Goku! And that's Bulma!" Goku quickly said.
"— Goku and Bulma... I'll tell the master your names. He'll find you."
"— Wait, what? That's it? How's he gonna find us just by knowing our names?"
Well... I do have some fame out there thanks to my dad's company... but I'm not exactly at home right now.
"— Just trust me."
Bulma made a face, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of trusting a turtle.
She glanced at Goku, who looked completely sold on the idea that the turtle's master could be the "savior" they needed.
A few minutes later, Toru entered the sea and said goodbye to them. Goku was pumped to meet this so-called master, while Bulma remained worried about her friend.