Chapter 17: Handling the Treasure

John Doe piloted the submarine back to Kame House, arriving in the afternoon. The house was quiet, with no one in sight. Everyone was likely taking their afternoon nap. John, who had only eaten a little in the morning, felt his stomach rumble with hunger.

Being familiar with Kame House, where he had lived for over eight months, John went to the kitchen and prepared a hearty meal for himself. It wasn't gourmet, but it was filling. Before long, he had cooked enough food to feed the entire household for a week.

When Master Roshi woke up from his nap, he was startled to find John feasting at the dining table. He hurried to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, only to find that all the food was gone, except for some condiments.

Master Roshi approached the table and glared at John, asking, "You were supposed to be at Karin Tower. Why did you come back here, and why did you eat all our food for the week?"

John reached into his pocket and handed Master Roshi a fist-sized diamond, saying, "Master Roshi, this should cover the cost of my meal, right?"

Master Roshi was delighted to receive such a large diamond as payment and said, "You're the best disciple I could ask for. Don't worry about the food; it's the least I can do for my outstanding student."

John continued eating until he finished everything on the table.

He then took out the three-star Dragon Ball he had found at the pirate base and handed it to Master Roshi, saying, "Master Roshi, I found this three-star ball in the nearby ocean. If Goku needs it, you can give it to him. Otherwise, you can keep it for safekeeping."

With his meal finished and the Dragon Ball delivered, John decided it was time to return to Karin Tower and continue his training. But before that, he wanted to secure the capsules containing the pirate treasure.

He changed the course of the plane and headed back to West City. Instead of selling the treasure to someone else, he planned to sell it directly to Bulma.

John landed the plane in Bulma's vast courtyard. As Bulma was about to leave, she noticed John descending in his capsule plane and asked, "Where have you been? I thought you were off training."

When Bulma saw the plane filled with gems, jewelry, gold and silver coins, and gold and silver bars, her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Did you rob a jewelry store?" she exclaimed.

"Not at all," John replied. "I found a pirate treasure, and these are just a fraction of what I recovered."

Bulma, envious, said, "You're incredibly lucky."

"I know these treasures don't mean much to you," John said, reading her thoughts. "But I want to sell them to you. When your sisters come to visit, you can show off these treasures and tell them you found them during your adventures."

"They'll be so jealous!" John understood the dynamics of female relationships well.

It was all about having someone to admire your possessions.

Bulma was tempted by John's suggestion. She examined the treasures and offered, "John, we're friends. I won't take advantage of you. I'll buy these treasures for one billion Sony."

"Deal!" John agreed without hesitation.

Bulma's offer was more than fair, even exceeding the value of the treasures. But as friends, she was willing to pay a premium to make them both happy.

After finalizing the deal, Bulma had her robots transport the treasures to her collection room and accompanied John to complete the transaction. Soon, one billion Sony was deposited into John's account.

John obtained a supplementary card and handed the main card to Bulma, who was curious about his intentions.

"Bulma, I'm on my own, and I don't know much beyond martial arts," John explained, blushing slightly.

"I have a big appetite, and a single feast could cost hundreds of thousands of Sony. This one billion Sony will probably last me a couple of hundred meals."

"So, I was wondering if you could help me manage my finances, so I don't end up starving one day."

Bulma recalled the scene after the World Martial Arts Tournament when John and Goku had devoured a massive meal at a restaurant. She realized that with John's appetite, only someone as wealthy as her family could afford to feed him.

She took John's bank card and said, "Alright, I'll help you manage your finances, but I have to be honest. If there's a loss, don't blame me!" Bulma was confident in her financial skills and couldn't imagine losing money, but she wanted to be clear about the potential risks.

"It's fine," John replied nonchalantly. "If there's a loss, it's fine. After all, this money came unexpectedly."

John's tone conveyed no concern or hesitation, so Bulma nodded and said, "Don't worry. I'll take responsibility for any losses, and you can keep the profits. With this amount of money, it's hard to imagine any losses."

After settling the transaction, John returned to his home in West City. He dug a large hole in his backyard, carefully wrapped the capsules containing the six treasure storage containers in oiled paper, and buried them.

John planned to ask Android 18 to help him manage the six cargo containers of pirate treasure when they were together. He was confident she would be thrilled.