"W-what are you planning?!" Minami Rika's eyes widened, her fist already swinging in a tight arc toward Son Goku's temple.
Snap.
He caught her wrist effortlessly, the motion so casual it was insulting. He shook his head with an exaggerated sigh. "Tsk. So fiery. What a contrast to the gentle Shizuka."
"Hmph! Shizuka must have been tricked. There's no way she'd fall for a pervert like you unless you deceived her!" Rika spat, trying to wrench her hand free.
"What a thing to say! If anything, I was the one who got pushed down by her," Goku said, donning an expression of wounded innocence.
"Th-that's impossible…" Rika denied automatically, but her voice lacked its usual conviction. Knowing Shizuka's impulsive, wholehearted nature, if she had strong feelings… it was plausible. Her shoulders slumped slightly in defeat. "Fine. I'll… provisionally accept that. Now let go of me and take me to Shizuka."
"As you wish," Goku said with a grin. Before she could protest further, he swept her into his arms and shot skyward, heading for the distant spot on the water.
---
On the roof of the idling Hummer, Saeko watched the approaching figures and allowed herself a small, knowing smile. "It seems the mission was a success."
"Goku-niichan!" Alice's cheerful voice piped up as she leaned out a window, waving excitedly.
"Ara~ I'm so glad Goku and Rika-chan are safe!" Shizuka beamed from the driver's seat.
"Told you he'd be fine," Saya said, adjusting her glasses with a huff, though a subtle relief colored her tone.
Goku touched down lightly on the vehicle's roof and set Rika on her feet. "I'm back," he announced to Saeko.
"Okaeri," she replied, her smile gentle.
"Rika-chan! You're really okay!" Shizuka cried, trying to wriggle up through the sunroof. She immediately got stuck, her generous chest proving an immovable obstacle.
Rika knelt and gave the trapped bosom an investigative squeeze. "Honestly, every time I see these, I just can't help myself!"
"R-Rika-chan! Not in front of everyone!" Shizuka protested, her face flushing as she glanced sheepishly at Goku.
Seeing his opening, Goku mimicked the action, reaching around Rika from behind with a playful grin. Saeko's eyebrow twitched, but she remained silent. Shizuka, for her part, just giggled—the mind of a true airhead was a mysterious place.
"Wha—?!" Rika yelped, twisting away like a scalded cat. She glared daggers at him. "You absolute degenerate!"
Goku crossed his arms, feigning offense. "You groped my girlfriend. Tit for tat. Seems fair."
Rika's temper flared. "You…! Shizuka, listen to me. Dump him. Right now."
"No way! Goku is wonderful to me!" Shizuka declared, her face glowing with pure, unwavering happiness.
"You…! Just die!" Enraged at seeing her best friend so thoroughly bewitched, Rika launched a swift kick aimed directly at his most vulnerable area.
Goku's hand shot out, catching her ankle with ease. With his other hand, he began tickling the sole of her boot. "You really don't learn, do you? Calling a fine, upstanding, morally righteous young man like me a pervert? I think we need to have a long, private discussion about your manners." Nearby, Saeko couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes heavenward. The girls inside the car studiously looked anywhere else.
"Y-you b-bastard… S-stop it! Hahaha!" Within seconds, Rika was shrieking with helpless laughter, collapsing onto the roof. "I'm sorry! I yield! Hahaha! Mercy! I surrender! You're not a pervert! And I approve of you and Shizuka! Haha—haaah… I c-can't breathe…!"
"G-Goku… niichan… please… haha… I'm begging you… I really can't… hahaha…!" She was reduced to a writhing, breathless mess.
Shizuka finally took pity. "Goku, she's admitted she was wrong. That's enough."
"Alright, for Shizuka's sake, I'll show mercy this time." Satisfied, Goku released her.
Rika lay sprawled on the roof, gasping for air like a landed fish, her body trembling with aftershocks of laughter. It took her a full minute to recover her composure.
"Goku-niichan, are we going to your world now?" Alice's bright, hopeful voice chimed from inside.
"That's the plan," Goku confirmed. He turned to Shizuka. "Shizuka, take us back to shore."
"Mhm! Okay!" Shizuka chirped, retracting herself back into the driver's seat with some difficulty, crawling over the laps of the other girls.
"Going to… your world?" Rika asked, pushing herself up, her confusion evident.
"Saeko, you explain it to her," Goku said.
---
Once the Hummer was back on solid ground, Saeko had given Rika a concise summary of Goku's origins and capabilities. The initial shock had worn off, replaced by a spark of desperate hope.
Rika turned to Goku, her expression earnest. "If you can take people away from here… can you take the other survivors too? As many as possible?" The duty of an officer, even in the apocalypse, was hard to shake.
Goku couldn't help but groan. "I'm not a charity or a messiah. Why would I bother with all that? Besides, every person I take costs 10,000 Energy Points. A single zombie is worth one point. Even if I exterminated every last zombie in Japan, I wouldn't have enough points to save everyone."
"I see…" Rika's face fell, the hope in her eyes dimming. "Is there… any other way?"
"Originally, I thought about using the Dragon Balls from my world to fix this one," Goku mused. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, grey, orb-like stone. "This was a Three-Star Dragon Ball before I came here. But after crossing into this world, it turned to lifeless rock. It's proof—the Dragon Balls don't work across dimensions."
"Dragon Balls?" Yuriko asked, intrigued. The other girls leaned in, listening intently.
Goku nodded. "The Dragon Balls. Seven magical orbs scattered across the world. If you gather all seven, you can summon Shenron, a dragon who can grant almost any wish." He tossed the stone in his hand once before pocketing it again, his expression turning sober. "But like I said, it's useless here. The rules of this world… or the space between worlds… won't allow it."