The next morning, Bulma, Chi-Chi, and Son Goku shared a cramped ride on the Flying Nimbus as they headed toward Fire Mountain.
With the Nimbus flying at nearly full speed, they reached their destination in barely an hour.
The air was scorching—the heat so intense it felt like breathing fire itself. All three were drenched in sweat before they even landed.
The moment Chi-Chi spotted her father, she leapt down from the Nimbus and waved excitedly.
"Daddy! I'm back!"
The Ox-King's eyes widened in delight as he caught sight of the golden cloud.
"Well, well! My little Chi-Chi, you're amazing! You already found Master Roshi and even brought back his Flying Nimbus!"
Chi-Chi hurriedly shook her head.
"No, no, Daddy! I didn't find Master Roshi. This Nimbus belongs to Bulma. They saved me last night—you should thank them properly!"
Bulma and Goku landed beside her.
The Ox-King blinked in confusion. The cloud was one thing—but the people riding it weren't his old master or disciples.
"Wait a second… if you're not Master Roshi, then why are you riding his Flying Nimbus? Where did you get it?"
Bulma smiled calmly.
"He gave it to us himself."
The Ox-King's excitement faded into mild disappointment.
"Ah, so Master didn't come after all. What a pity… Still, if he gave you the Nimbus, you must know where he lives, right?"
Bulma nodded. "That's right."
At that, Chi-Chi tugged on her father's sleeve.
"Daddy, Bulma says she can help you put out the fire—but you have to trade her one of your Dragon Balls!"
"Dragon Balls?" The Ox-King scratched his head, puzzled.
Bulma reached into her pocket and pulled one out. The Four-Star Ball gleamed in her palm.
"This is a Dragon Ball. According to my radar, there's another one inside your castle."
Recognition dawned in the Ox-King's eyes.
"Oh! So that's what that thing is! I've seen one before. No problem—if you can borrow Master Roshi's Bashō Fan and put out the fire, I'll gladly give it to you once we can enter the castle again!"
"Perfect." Bulma smiled faintly.
"Then it's a deal."
"A deal it is!"
She turned to Goku.
"Goku, let's try your Kamehameha first. If that doesn't work, I'll go fetch Master Roshi myself."
"Got it!" Goku answered.
The Ox-King's eyes widened.
"Wait—you just said Kamehameha? Don't tell me… you can actually use Master's technique?"
Goku nodded matter-of-factly. "Yup, I can."
The Ox-King's jaw nearly dropped.
"When I trained under Master Roshi, I never managed to learn that move! And you—just a kid—can already use it? Incredible! You must have amazing talent!"
Goku shook his head. "No, I didn't learn it from Master Roshi. My grandpa taught me—Son Gohan."
The Ox-King froze mid-breath, eyes going wide.
"Son Gohan… You're his grandson?!"
He burst into booming laughter.
"Hahahaha! Well, I'll be—so you're family! Your grandfather was Master Roshi's top disciple, and I was the second! That makes us practically brothers!"
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he looked at Chi-Chi.
"Ah, right! I almost forgot—Chi-Chi said you two saved her last night, didn't you?"
Bulma and Goku exchanged wary looks. It was déjà vu—first Master Roshi, now this. Was another "thank-you gift" incoming?
They nodded. "That's right. We saved her."
The Ox-King grinned broadly and pulled Chi-Chi closer.
"Well, well! What a coincidence! Goku, don't you think Chi-Chi's adorable?"
Goku blinked, not catching the subtext.
"Uh… yeah. Chi-Chi's really cute."
At that, Chi-Chi's cheeks turned crimson.
Bulma's expression, however, darkened. A bad feeling prickled at the back of her neck.
And sure enough—
The Ox-King continued, beaming.
"In that case, why not make this official? You're about the same age anyway! Let's have you two engaged right now! You can marry when you grow up—what do you say?"
"Daddy!" Chi-Chi squealed, covering her face with both hands. But through her fingers, her big eyes peeked out shyly, trying to catch Goku's reaction.
Goku froze.
'Wait a second… am I really destined to marry her no matter what world I'm in?'
As he pondered this cosmic injustice, Bulma's patience snapped.
"No way!" she blurted.
All three turned to stare at her—Chi-Chi, the Ox-King, even Goku.
The Ox-King blinked, then chuckled knowingly.
"Oh-ho! I see what's going on here. That's the smell of jealousy! You must be planning to marry Goku yourself!"
Bulma's face twitched.
"N-No, that's not—!"
But halfway through the denial, she realized something: why was she even denying it?
The Ox-King's grin widened.
"Haha! I knew it! You like Goku too! That's fine by me. You can be his main wife, and when Chi-Chi grows up, she can be the second! Just don't bully her, okay? My first wife, Princess Iron Fan, kept fighting with my concubine, Lady Jade Face, so I had to send them both away!"
Bulma's jaw dropped.
"Wait—you do have wives? Two of them?"
The Ox-King thumped his chest proudly.
"Of course! If I wasn't so busy taking care of Chi-Chi, I'd have married a third by now!"
Bulma just stared blankly. "…Unbelievable."
The Ox-King waved it off.
"Don't worry—no one dares lecture me! Even the king himself wouldn't interfere. Anyone who tries—well, I just kill them!"
That snapped Goku out of his daze.
"Uncle Ox-King, that's wrong! Killing people like that is bad, and it's hurting the reputation of the Turtle School!"
He folded his arms seriously.
"I think you should stop doing things like that."