A few days later, Bulma returned to Earth.
Capsule Corporation.
"Bulma's back! Bulma's back!"
Chi-Chi shouted happily.
Blue-haired Launch watched the spaceship descend, her heart filled with both anticipation and hesitation.
The kid she once thought of as a little brat was now… her husband.
She didn't know how she should greet Son Goku when she finally saw him again.
Should she call him husband?
Or Goku?
Or sothing more intimate?
Seeing the massive spaceship, Son Xiaokong looked up and asked, "Mom, is that a spaceship?"
Launch froze for a mont, then snapped out of it and nodded.
"Mm, yes. That's Bulma's spaceship."
Chi-Chi smiled brightly at Son Xiaokong.
"You're starting to look more and more like Goku when he was little.
When you see Son Goku later, rember to call him Dad, okay? Don't be shy."
Son Xiaokong blinked, his voice full of expectation.
"Did Son Goku co back?"
Before the words had even finished leaving his mouth, Launch quickly corrected him,
"Xiaokong, you can't call him by na. You have to—"
Son Xiaokong nodded imdiately.
"Did Dad co back?"
"Yes. You'll see your dad very soon. Are you happy?"
"I am!"
The ship landed smoothly, and everyone watched excitedly.
The hatch opened.
Bulma stepped down the ramp in her little leather shoes, tap tap tap.
Seeing Chi-Chi, Launch, and a child all waiting for her, Bulma looked surprised.
"Oh! You're all here waiting for ? Wow, I didn't know I was this popular! Hahaha!"
She walked over to Chi-Chi.
"Chi-Chi, have you been okay?"
Chi-Chi supported her pregnant belly and nodded.
"Yeah, I missed you."
Bulma glanced at Chi-Chi's stomach and sighed.
"In the blink of an eye, you're already seven months along. Two more months and the baby's coming.
That guy Goku probably won't be able to make it back by then…"
Chi-Chi blinked.
"What do you an 'won't make it back'?
Didn't Goku co back?"
Hearing this, Launch froze as well and looked toward Bulma.
Son Xiaokong also stared at her with a face full of question marks.
Bulma explained,
"Goku's training can't stop yet. He'll probably need another half a year before he can co back.
But I had things I needed to do, so I couldn't wait for him and ca back first.
After half a year, I'll go pick him up."
As soon as Bulma finished speaking, Chi-Chi, Launch, and Son Xiaokong all looked disappointed.
"So Goku didn't co back after all…"
"All that excitent for nothing…"
Launch looked up at the sky and murmured,
"It's okay… six and a half years have already passed. Waiting another half year doesn't really matter…"
She then looked at Son Xiaokong.
"Your dad still has things to do. He's training, so he couldn't co back."
Son Xiaokong nodded.
"I know. Dad is the strongest Super Saiyan in the world. Of course he has to train properly.
Then Mom, take to the resort. I'll go train with my master too."
Launch nodded.
"Alright. I'll take you there now."
She then looked at Bulma.
"Thank you, Bulma."
Bulma smiled.
"It's nothing. We've been friends for so many years—we know each other inside and out.
Of course I'd accept you.
Even if you'd told a few years earlier, I would've agreed."
Launch thanked her again, but Bulma suddenly pulled her into a hug, patting her firmly on the back.
Everything that needed to be said… didn't need words.
After a mont, Bulma squatted down and looked at the child.
"You're Son Xiaokong, right?"
Son Xiaokong looked at her and replied politely,
"Yes. Hello, Aunt Bulma!"
Bulma's lips curved into a crescent smile.
"Hello. I heard you say you're going to train with your master. Who's your master?"
Son Xiaokong answered seriously,
"Uncle Krillin. He accepted as his disciple."
Bulma blinked.
"Krillin, huh? That makes sense.
Other than your dad, Krillin is the strongest person on Earth.
And he learned the sa martial arts as your dad."
Son Xiaokong nodded.
"Mm, I know."
Chi-Chi looked at Bulma, one hand on her waist.
"If I weren't pregnant and unable to move around easily, I'd teach him myself.
But Krillin teaching him is fine too. He actually seems pretty happy about it."
Bulma laughed.
"As long as it's not that perverted old man from the Turtle School, I'm relieved."
Chi-Chi, Launch, and Bulma exchanged glances—then all three burst out laughing.
A few days later…
On a small island in the southern region of Earth.
Bulma piloted her plane, circling the area for quite a while.
Using every tool she had—even longitude and latitude lines—
she finally located the coordinates of where Dr. Gero had built the Android base in the original tiline.
But the place was empty.
Nothing but rocks. Mountains.
Scanning underground revealed only soil—no basent, no underground lab.
Staring at the untouched island, Bulma fell into deep thought.
"That's strange… it should be here.
But there's nothing—just rock, mountains, and forest.
No underground lab at all. What's going on?"
She muttered as she surveyed the area.
"Could it be… Dr. Gero hasn't built the lab yet?"
Unable to find anything, Bulma grew frustrated.
Since she couldn't locate it at the designated spot, she decided to stop looking and gave herself a reason.
"It must be the butterfly effect.
Maybe in this tiline, there are no Androids at all.
Forget it—let's go back."
She turned to leave.
Just then, a dinosaur burst out of the forest nearby, roaring as it charged toward her.
Her plane was huge and conspicuous, parked right there.
Seeing the massive dinosaur, Bulma panicked.
She imdiately pulled out her handgun and fired several shots.
"Bye-bye! Bye-bye! Bye-bye!"
But the bullets only grazed its skin, doing nothing to stop it.
The pain only drove the dinosaur into a greater frenzy.
It opened its massive jaws and lunged at her.
Seeing the beast about to swallow her whole, Bulma's legs nearly gave out.
But the adventurous spirit deep in her bones refused to let her give up.
She turned and ran.
"Help!"
"Is anyone there?!"
She scread as she ran, her voice hoarse.
She had originally planned to bring Chi-Chi along—
with Chi-Chi protecting her, ordinary dangers on Earth would be nothing.
But Chi-Chi's belly was already so big…
Besides, she'd thought this was a peaceful era. No one invading Earth.
Who would've imagined she'd end up about to die in a dinosaur's mouth?
Feeling the foul stench of the dinosaur's breath behind her, Bulma's scalp went numb.
If even her body got eaten…
Would Earth's Dragon Balls still be able to revive her?
The thought of being eaten and turned into that made her stomach churn.
But the pursuit gave her no ti to stop.
Humans really could exceed their limits in critical monts.
Bulma rarely exercised, yet now her legs were moving so fast they almost left afterimages.
Still, that was all she could do.
The dinosaur was far stronger and had far more stamina.
Out here in the wilderness, Bulma felt her end approaching.
And then—
Disaster struck.
She stepped on a small stone. Her foot slipped.
Crack!
She twisted her ankle.
The montum sent her flying forward, crashing to the ground.
Pain exploded through her body.
Before she could even fully lift her head, the dinosaur lood over her, jaws wide open, stench overwhelming, biting down.
Bulma could already imagine herself being torn apart and devoured.
Fear flooded her entire body.
She knew that Chi-Chi, Goku, or Krillin would definitely search for her if she went missing.
And they'd surely gather the Dragon Balls to revive her if she died.
But… she didn't want to die even once.
Dying by being eaten was just too horrible.
Bulma scread at the top of her lungs.
"Help—!"
In the next instant, the dinosaur suddenly roared in pain.
As if struck by sothing, it was sent flying backward.
Its massive body slamd into the rocks, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
Bulma looked up.
Two figures stood in front of her.
She knew imdiately—she was saved.
The goosebumps from fear finally began to fade.
"Thank you!"
At that mont, the two figures turned around.
Bulma finally saw their faces.
In an instant, goosebumps returned—stronger than before.
She would never forget those faces.
They looked almost exactly like Androids 17 & 18.
Only… younger.
Even so—
In the future, these two would rule Earth for over ten years, nearly wiping out humanity.
Bulma could never forget them.
She had just escaped a dinosaur's jaws—only to et these two demons?
Only one thought remained in her mind.
I'm done for.
At that mont, the boy who resembled Android 17 examined Bulma carefully and spoke in a stern, reproachful tone.
"What are you doing here?
I heard gunshots earlier and thought it was a hunter.
Turns out it's just a defenseless girl.
I'm telling you—this island is full of animals. If it weren't for us, you'd already be dead.
It's too dangerous. Leave this place imdiately."
Just then, the girl who resembled Android 18 spoke impatiently.
"Lapis, I was the one who made the move just now.
Don't decide things for . I don't rescue people for free."
As she spoke, the girl walked toward Bulma.
She planted one foot on a rock and looked down at her in a lazy, cocky manner.
"Hey, pretty city lady.
I saved you just now. Shouldn't you show a little gratitude?"
Bulma blinked.
"Gratitude?"
Hearing the way she spoke, Bulma suddenly felt… less afraid.
The girl continued,
"I recognize those clothes you're wearing. Big-brand stuff.
Just one piece probably costs tens of thousands.
You're obviously rich. That makes things easy.
I saved you—I'm not doing charity.
How about this? You give one million as thanks. Deal?
If that's too much, you can bargain…"
Before she could finish, Bulma pulled out a card.
"There's a hundred million in this card."
User Comments
0 comments from readers