Inside, Goku sat at the table, devouring his dinner with relentless speed. To his right, Mai sat poised, silently pushing a piece of meat from her plate onto his so he could eat more.
At the oven, Oolong was still cooking for Goku. Bulma, holding a mug of coffee, leaned against the counter, grumbling.
"You should've told us you had a capsule like this!"
"I was saving it for a special occasion," Oolong replied, pulling a steaming turkey out of the oven.
"Where's the bathroom?" Bulma asked, glancing around.
"there." he said, pointing.
Bulma walked to the bathroom but quickly poked her head back.
"Ugh! The bathroom's so small!"
"Quit complaining," Oolong grumbled.
"Do you have any pajamas I can borrow?"
"Fine, I'll lend you mine!"
"And don't even think about peeking while I'm showering!"
"Fine!"
Goku was still eating, a mountain of bones piling up beside him. He glanced at Mai.
"You should take a shower with Bulma. Saves water. Don't let her waste more than she needs."
Mai stood and gave a mischievous smile.
"Got it. And if she doesn't listen, I'll drown her."
Goku paused mid-bite, a piece of turkey in hand, and looked up with a blank stare.
...
"It's a joke, sir."
"I know it's a joke, Mai. It's just... your jokes are always creepy."
Mai's smirk faded as she turned away, disappointed her humor didn't land. She walked to the stairs.
"Don't forget your gun," Goku added.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the desert, Yamcha and Pu'ar lurked near a rocky outcrop, spying on the RV.
Back in the RV, Oolong finally slumped into a chair beside Goku, stuffed and satisfied. He kicked his feet up on the table.
"You sure do eat a lot..."
He glanced out the window nervously.
"They're not gonna attack again, are they?"
Goku leaned back, arms behind his head, eyes on the ceiling.
"They can if they want. I'm full now."
Oolong turned toward him.
"By the way... why are you traveling? And with them? What's at Frypan Mountain of all places?"
Outside, Yamcha and Pu'ar crept under a window. Voices filtered down to them.
"To get the Dragon Balls."
"Y'all mentioned that earlier... What are they?"
"You don't know?" Goku asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "I thought everyone in this world did."
"...What world?" Oolong asked.
"Nothing."
Goku reached into his pouch and pulled out a glowing orange orb with four stars.
"These are the Dragon Balls. There are seven total. If you gather them all, you get one wish."
"Any wish?" Oolong said, examining the ball.
"Yeah. Allegedly."
"Just one?"
"Dunno."
"How many do you have?"
"That makes five. Two left. Next one's somewhere near Frypan Mountain."
Yamcha and Pu'ar exchanged glances. They had heard everything.
"Change of plans," Yamcha whispered, eyes gleaming. "Forget the capsule. We're going after the Dragon Balls."
A few minutes later, Bulma and Mai came out of the shower, each wrapped in a towel. Bulma looked irritated, her hands on her hips, while Mai seemed embarrassed, repeatedly pulling the towel down to cover more of her thighs.
"How am I supposed to fit in this pajama!?" Bulma shouted, holding up a tiny set of clothes.
"I told you, those are mine!" Oolong replied.
Mai stood behind Bulma, still wrapped in her towel, trying to stay out of sight. Her eyes flicked toward Goku-just a quick glance-but he caught it instantly, turning his head and meeting her gaze. Startled, Mai's eyes widened as if caught red-handed. She immediately pressed her arms tightly against her chest and covered her lower half with her other hand, her face turning a deep shade of red. Flustered and mortified, she spun around and bolted up the stairs to the bedroom without saying a word.
"If you don't want them, just sleep naked tonight," Oolong said with a shrug.
"Fine! But I want my clothes clean tomorrow!"
"Alright, alright. Here." Oolong handed Bulma a tray with three glasses of orange juice. "Now that you're done with the shower, have something to drink."
Bulma eagerly grabbed a glass. "Good. I was thirsty."
Goku, still downstairs, drank his glass without hesitation-Oolong's cooking had earned his trust. Bulma set her glass down with a satisfied sigh.
"I'm going to sleep. Where's the bedroom?"
"Upstairs. Oh, and bring this to poor Mai," Oolong added, handing her the third glass.
In the bedroom, Mai was frantically searching for clothes. "I can't stay like this-it's so inappropriate!" she muttered, her face flushed with embarrassment. Despite being a trained mercenary, she was surprisingly pur hearted. "Maybe my dirty clothes are still in the bathroom!"
She sprinted toward the stairs but heard voices below. Doubling back, she made a daring decision-jumped out the window, ran along the side of the RV, and reached the front. As she passed a window, Goku caught a glimpse of her towel fluttering in the wind.
"What the-?" he rubbed his eyes. "I must be tired..."
Mai waited near the entrance, watching for a clear path to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Bulma began climbing the stairs.
"You sleep down here, Oolong! If you try anything, I'll get Mai to roast you!"
"Why only me!? Goku's a boy too!"
"Shut up!"
Oolong turned to the couch where Goku was now completely passed out, head tilted back, mouth wide open.
"Hehehe... the sleeping powder worked perfectly," Oolong chuckled, squinting smugly.
Bulma reached the top of the stairs, glass in hand. "Mai? Where are you...? Ugh, I'm so tired..." She stumbled into bed, letting her towel fall to the floor.
Outside, Yamcha and Puar were staking out the RV.
"Now, Puar," Yamcha ordered.
Puar transformed into a Goku-like figure, though a little... off.
"How do I look, Master Yamcha?"
"Not bad. Now go lure the girls out-I'll handle the boys."
They quietly snuck into the RV. Goku was already knocked out, so Yamcha moved in, covering his mouth and picking him up. Oolong, upstairs sneaking to peek under Bulma's blanket, he heard movement coming from the stairs. He panicked and transformed into a weird version of Bulma with a towel.
"Goku? What do you want?"
"Hi Bulma ! Oh ? Where is..." Pu'ar stuttered, realizing he didn't know Mai's name. "I need to talk to you. Can you come outside?"
Scared and confused, fake Bulma (Oolong) followed fake Goku (pu'ar) outside the RV. Mai, seeing them go outside, she took her chance and entered the RV.
Meanwhile Yamcha in the RV emerged from hiding, heading for the bedroom with Goku in his arms-but he froze when he saw Mai in her towel entering the RV.
Mai froze. Her breath hitched, legs trembling as her mind went blank-paralyzed by the sheer embarrassment of being seen by a man in nothing but a towel. Her wide eyes shimmered, and for a brief moment, it looked like she might cry. She looked away, unable to hold eye contact, her gaze falling to the floor in shame.
But then-
She spotted Goku, limp in Yamcha's arms, his eyes shut and a hand pressed over his mouth. Something in her snapped. Her expression shifted from fragile to fierce, brows tightening as her heart pounded like a war drum. Without hesitation, her hand moved on its own. Like a machine, she pulled the pistol Goku had given her from the folds of her towel and aimed it straight at Yamcha, deadly silent, her body still trembling but now with a different kind of fire.
"WHERE'D THIS GUN COME FROM!?" Yamcha shrieked, wide-eyed as he stumbled backward. Without waiting for an answer, he spun around and bolted for the nearest exit.
Mai squeezed the trigger, shots ringing out-missing narrowly as Yamcha dove headfirst through the open window.
"Puar!!!" he cried mid-air.
Outside, the small blue shapeshifter zipped back to his original form, panic-stricken. "MASTER YAMCHA!!!"
From the corner, Oolong reverted as well, his piggy face scrunched in confusion. "Puar!?"
Back inside Goku collapsing forward-face-first, Mai run towards him to catch him but fell into her exposed, still-wet breasts. A smack echoed as his cheek met her wet skin and bounced back. Goku's face was wet. His body sagged.
Mai instinctively caught him, cradling him tightly to her body, one hand supporting his back, the other still gripping the pistol with fierce, unwavering focus. Her breathing was heavy, her heart racing, but her grip never faltered.
Then, still tense but silent, Mai holstered her gun and carefully lifted Goku into her arms. His head lolled against her shoulder, his face still damp from her chest. Without a word, she carried him upstairs.
Reaching the bedroom, she used her foot to gently nudge Bulma, who was sprawled across the mattress. The groggy girl grumbled and shifted, clearing just enough space.
Mai knelt, laid Goku down between them, and pulled the blanket over his body. After a long, weary pause, she settled down beside him. Her body finally relaxed, and with one last glance at his peaceful face, she closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, Oolong, still trembling from the earlier chaos, ran around frantically locking all the windows and doors. He grabbed the nearest rifle he could find, plopped down in the RV's driver's seat, and stared out into the desert night with bloodshot eyes.
"No one's getting in... no one..." he muttered to himself, determined to pull an all-nighter.
---
The Next Morning - 7AM
Goku blinked at the dusty ceiling before glancing to his right-Bulma lay on her back, one leg kicked out from under the sheets, her towel loosened and her butt exposed.
He turned to his left.
Mai had her arms wrapped tightly around him, her head near his forehead, facing her chest, one leg draped over his. Her towel had slipped during the night... and everything was exposed.
Still dazed, Goku blinked hard and muttered, "What the..."
He carefully wriggled free from her grip, trying not to wake her. As he shifted her arm off his chest, her towel falling open even more.
"Geez..." he whispered, grabbing the bed sheets and pulling them up to cover both girls.
Rubbing his face, he got up, padded toward the bathroom, and took a quick shower.
A few minutes later, he came down to the kitchen, his hair still damp and eyes half-lidded with sleep.
"Morning," he yawned
"Good morning, my ass! I haven't slept a wink," Oolong snapped. He was slumped in the driver's seat, bags under his eyes, rifle across his lap.
"Why?" Goku asked flatly, still rubbing one eye with a towel. "Too busy jerking off into dirty panties?"
"What?! Why didn't I think of th-NO!!" Oolong shouted, shaking his head violently. "Yamcha attacked us last night!"
Goku blinked, still half-asleep. "What? I didn't notice anything. I'm usually a light sleeper..."
Oolong muttered under his breath, "I shouldn't have given them that sleeping powder..."
Just then, Bulma stumbled downstairs, wrapped in a bed sheet like a toga, hair wild and eyes squinting. "My head is pounding," she groaned. "Oolong, did you wash my clothes?"
"No. I didn't have time," he muttered.
"What?! So I don't have anything clean to wear?!"
"Yamcha came last night, that's why," Goku added bluntly.
Bulma froze. "Wait-that hot guy?! Why didn't you wake me up?!"
Goku paused, looking her up and down-bed sheet, disheveled hair-and a chill ran down his spine.
Wait a minute... if Bulma's like this... then Mai-
He bolted up the stairs, heart skipping a beat.
Halfway up, he slowed and called gently, "Mai? Are you awake?"
There was a soft rustle from the bedroom. A small voice replied, "Y-Yeah..."
"I'm coming in."
He opened the door carefully.
All he saw at first were wide eyes and a curtain of black hair peeking from behind the bed. "I-I can't come out like this..."
"It's okay," Goku said calmly. "Stay there. I'll find something you can wear."
He turned and headed back downstairs.
"Oolong, where are the clothes from yesterday?"
Oolong stiffened. "Gone. Yamcha stole them," he lied.
Goku's eyes narrowed. His jaw clenched. "That perverted bastard..." Veins bulged slightly along his arms.
Oolong cleared his throat. "Buuut... I do have something upstairs that might fit the girls."
"Why didn't you start with that?!" Bulma yelled, marching past him toward the stairs.
While Goku and Oolong sat eating breakfast in tense silence, the girls eventually emerged-slowly, awkwardly, and very loudly.
"WHAT the hell is this?!" Bulma shrieked, her face flaming red.
Both she and Mai were dressed in bunny girl outfits: glossy black leotards, fishnet stockings, white cuffs, collars, and fluffy tails.
Oolong wiped his mouth with a napkin, trying not to drool. "Why are you complaining? They suit y'all pretty well..."
Bulma smacked him over the head. "You absolute pig! You planned this!"
Mai turned away, arms folded over her chest, her face bright red.
"Anyway," Bulma huffed, adjusting the leotard straps, "get driving. I need to do my makeup."
"Makeup? For what?" Goku asked.
"In case we see him again."
"If we see him again, we're dead," Oolong muttered, rubbing his temples.
About thirty minutes into the drive, the peaceful desert silence was broken by a loud engine roaring behind them.
"Is that...?" Oolong leaned out the window, squinting.
He paled. "GET DOWN!"
Behind them, Yamcha stood in his speeding car-rocket launcher in hand.
The missile slammed into the front of the RV, tearing through the tire and annihilating the engine. The vehicle spun, flipped, and crashed into a sand dune with a deafening impact.
Goku leapt to his feet, brushed dust off his shoulders, and stepped calmly out of the wreckage.
"Mr. Goku!" Mai shouted, struggling to climb out after him.
He didn't respond. His eyes were fixed ahead.
Yamcha jumped from his car, laughing smugly. "Oh? Little boy wants a rematch? Hand over the Dragon Balls!"
Goku kept walking, silent and focused.
"You asked for it then!" Yamcha charged, fangs bared.
"ROGA-FUFU-"
Goku's fist slammed squarely into his face before he could finish the technique.
The impact was brutal-his nose snapped, teeth shattered, and jaw twisted sideways. Yamcha collapsed mid-strike, face-first in the sand, completely unconscious.
"Lucky you... I was holding back," Goku muttered, shaking out his fist.
Still dazed from the fight, he knelt down, rummaged through Yamcha's pouch, and pulled out a capsule.
From above, Pu'ar swooped down, panic all over his face.
"Master Yamcha!!"
He quickly hoisted Yamcha's limp body into their vehicle and sped off in a cloud of sand.
Oolong came jogging over, grinning ear to ear.
"You really are strong. That was awesome!"
Goku puffed his chest a bit, smiling at the praise.
From the smoldering wreckage of the RV, Mai emerged carrying an unconscious Bulma slung over her shoulder. Her boots crunched across the sand as she approached.
"Well done, Mr. Goku~" she said with a tired smile, giving him a thumbs-up. He returned it wordlessly.
She looked over her shoulder at the smoking remains of the RV.
"Well, the RV's gone. Looks like we're walking."
"NOOOOO! I don't wanna walk!" Oolong cried, nearly in tears.
"Wait," Goku said, holding up the capsule he'd taken. "I found this."
"You mean stole it," Oolong snorted-right before Mai smacked him in the back of the head.
"I don't know what's in it..." Goku clicked the button and tossed it forward.
POOF!
A small yellow car materialized with a puff of smoke.
Mai's eyes lit up.
"Looks like our luck turned, Mr. Goku."
They all climbed in-Oolong behind the wheel, Goku riding shotgun, and Mai in the back with Bulma lying unconscious in her lap, her head resting where Goku usually sat.
Goku glanced back, smiled faintly, then looked ahead.
"Next stop... Frypan Mountain."