(A/N: Sorry for the lack of a chapter yesterday here it is, Enjoy!!!)
Karnel floated in the endless void of space, his thoughts drifting back to the intense training session he'd just concluded. "I really didn't expect that I could accidentally raise Vegeta's strength to such a high level," he muttered to himself, watching a distant star flicker in the darkness. "I don't know if Goku and the others can handle it when the time comes."
Shaking off his concerns, Karnel reached into his robes and withdrew the black three-star Dragon Ball he'd obtained from the rabbit brothers. The ominous sphere pulsed with dark energy as he examined it carefully, its surface seeming to absorb the starlight around it.
"It's better to collect all these cursed Dragon Balls quickly," he said, gripping the orb tightly. "Then maybe I can figure out what makes them so dangerous through research."
With a thought, Karnel teleported back to Earth, materializing outside Bulma's house in West City.
Inside her room, Bulma sat hunched over a stack of theoretical physics books, her blue hair falling across her face as she scribbled notes about space-time mechanics and dimensional theory.
"It seems this little genius really wants to develop a time machine and visit other worlds," Karnel observed with amusement as he quietly opened the door and stepped inside.
"Bulma, buried in those books again? Didn't I tell you not to rush?" Karnel said softly, approaching from behind.
Bulma jumped, her pencil flying across the page before she spun around with a bright smile. "Karnel! You're back so soon. I thought you were planning to travel outside Earth for a while longer."
"Well, I need you to help me create a radar that can detect the black star Dragon Balls," Karnel said, placing the three-star ball on her desk and settling into the chair beside her.
He'd tried using the standard Dragon Radar that young Bulma had invented, but it couldn't detect these corrupted spheres with their ominous aura.
"Ah!" Bulma gasped, picking up the black Dragon Ball and examining it with concern. "Karnel, you're not planning to make a wish with this thing, are you? Didn't you say before that using these evil Dragon Balls would cause planets to explode?"
"No, I won't use it to make a wish," Karnel assured her gently. "I just want to collect them all and see if I can research what makes them so dangerous. If I need to make a wish, there are plenty of safer options, Earth's Dragon Balls or Namek's."
Bulma visibly relaxed, her worried expression melting into a cheerful smile. "Then I'm relieved! Just wait here for a bit. The radar for detecting these black Dragon Balls should work on similar principles to the regular one. I can modify my existing design and have it ready soon."
"Take your time. I'll just rest here for a while," Karnel said, flopping down on Bulma's small bed with a contented sigh.
"Make yourself comfortable," Bulma said with a laugh, gathering her tools. "I'll head to the lab and modify the radar I made before. It should be able to sense these black Dragon Balls once I adjust the frequency."
She headed out the door toward the laboratory deep in the villa where Dr. Briefs conducted his research.
Having not had proper rest in quite some time, Karnel allowed himself to relax completely, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.
"Karnel? Wake up, Son Goku is here to see you again," Bulma's voice filtered through his drowsy consciousness as she gently shook his arm.
Rubbing his eyes, Karnel sat up groggily. "You said Goku is here again?"
"Yes, Son Goku was resurrected by the others using the Dragon Balls not long after we left for space," Bulma explained. "He's come by several times since then, but you were never here. He called and rushed over immediately when he heard you were back. He's waiting in the living room now."
"That guy just won't give up, will he?" Karnel said with fond exasperation. "He's really something else. I'll go see what he wants. You look tired, get some rest."
"Yeah I know, go on, don't keep him waiting."
Karnel made his way to the living room, where Son Goku sat on the sofa in his characteristic casual manner, though there was an excited energy radiating from him.
"Karnel! You're finally back. I've been looking for you for ages!" Goku exclaimed, jumping up and raising his fist enthusiastically.
"So, how was your time with King Kai? That fat guy must have been pretty interesting. I bet you learned some useful new techniques," Karnel said, pouring a glass of water and handing it to his friend.
Goku's eyes lit up with surprise. "Wow, you even know about that! King Kai taught me a lot of amazing techniques, and I even learned his most powerful skill, racing!"
Pffft!
All the water Karnel had just taken a sip of came spraying out.
"Cough! Cough! What did you say? You actually learned that?" Karnel choked, patting his chest as he struggled to breathe normally.
Why would Goku learn racing? Isn't he only interested in martial arts?
"Yeah! I trained with King Kai for a long time," Goku said excitedly. "He forced me to tell him jokes first, and then made me learn his racing techniques before he'd teach me any martial arts. But you know what? Racing is actually really fun! I'm so good now that even King Kai can't beat me anymore. Hey Karnel, want to have a race?"
Karnel was at a loss for words. This was completely different from what he'd expected.
"Come on! We won't compete in martial arts this time," Goku continued, miming holding a steering wheel and turning it left and right. His movements were surprisingly smooth and practiced, clearly the work of someone who'd spent serious time mastering the skill.
"Speed racing, huh? I have to admit, I've never really tried it," Karnel said, feeling a spark of interest. In his previous life, this thrilling sport had been beloved by men everywhere.
"Well then, let me compete with you and see just how good your skills are as an experienced driver," Karnel said with a grin.
Karnel selected a sleek car from the villa's garage and drove it outside. Goku was already waiting with his own vehicle, and it definitely wasn't ordinary.
"Karnel, this is the car King Kai gave me when I left his planet. Isn't it cool?" Goku said, sitting in the driver's seat and rolling down the window to wave.
"King Kai had such a nice car? The one he drove on his planet looked like an antique," Karnel observed, pulling his car up next to Goku's.
Goku revved the engine excitedly, the car humming with power. "Ready?" he shouted, and his vehicle shot forward like a rocket.
Not to be outdone, Karnel followed suit. Though he hadn't driven in many years, his skills came back quickly, and he accelerated skillfully to match Goku's pace.
As they raced through the streets of West City, Karnel couldn't help but smile. Leave it to Goku to find the most unexpected way to surprise him.