Chapter 46: The Dragon Ball Shielding Device

It seemed there had been a misunderstanding. Levos had only taken two steps forward, intending to explain.

But Shu suddenly drew his blade and charged.

"Emperor Pilaf, Mai, run!" he shouted.

"Mai, go!" Pilaf roared. "We'll cover you!"

"No! I'm not leaving you behind!" Mai cried, tears welling up. She pulled a dagger from her jacket and lunged at Levos.

But they were no match for him.

The skirmish was over in a flash.

With a thud, the trio landed flat on the ground, dazed and defeated.

"Please don't kill us! We swear, we don't have any more Dragon Balls!" they begged, their eyes filled with panic.

Levos stood before them, weighing the box in his hand.

"Relax. I'm not your enemy."

"But… why are you hanging around with those alien guys?" Pilaf asked warily.

"That's a long story. One you don't need to know for now," Levos replied flatly.

"Then… can we leave now, sir?" Pilaf ventured.

"Hold on." Levos handed the box to Bulma and turned to Pilaf. "This container only holds one Dragon Ball. Do you have any more like it?"

"N-no! That's the only one!" Pilaf stammered, shaking his head frantically.

Levos narrowed his eyes. "If that's the case…"

A bead of cold sweat rolled down Pilaf's forehead. Then a thought struck him.

"I can make more! I have the materials in my underground workshop back in Central Capital!"

Levos's eyes lit up. With a device that could block the Dragon Balls' signal, he could search for them without fear of being tracked.

"How long to make six more boxes?" he asked, voice low and serious.

Pilaf did some quick mental math. "Half a day… plus travel time. But I swear I can finish them within a day!"

"That's too long," Levos said, face darkening.

The trio paled.

"If… if it's just one box that can hold all seven balls, that would save a lot of time!" Pilaf blurted out.

"How long?"

"Four hours... No! I can finish it in three!"

Levos gave a slight nod. "Good."

The trio let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Well, we'll be off then…" Pilaf muttered, tugging Shu and Mai by the sleeves as they backed away.

But before they could leave, Levos stopped them.

"Wait."

"Yes, sir?" they turned back with forced smiles.

"Everyone, place your hands on me. Bulma, Android 16, you too," Levos said.

Though confused, Bulma looped her arm through his.

Once they were all gathered around him, Levos turned toward Central Capital and placed two fingers on his forehead, focusing on a familiar life signature in that direction.

He quickly locked onto it.

"Got it."

Whoosh.

Before anyone could react, the six of them vanished into thin air, stunning the onlookers nearby.

The next moment, they reappeared in a dark, damp tunnel. The air reeked of rot, and water trickled nearby.

They were in a sewer.

"What the ?! Where are we?" Pilaf cried out.

"Levos, what just happened?" Bulma asked, holding her nose against the stench.

As rats squeaked and scattered, Levos punched through the pipe overhead.

Sunlight poured in. He hoisted the trio up and tossed them onto the street.

"This is Central Capital," he said, taking in the ruined cityscape. "That move just now was Instant Transmission. I learned it on New Namek, but I haven't quite mastered it yet."

The trio looked completely shell-shocked.

"You're telling me we actually made it to Central Capital... in an instant?!" Pilaf stammered.

Bulma and 16 were equally stunned.

Levos gave them a calm nod. "We don't have time to waste. Emperor Pilaf, show me the way to your underground factory."

Pilaf scanned the nearby street signs, then pointed shakily in one direction.

Whoosh!

The trio felt their collars being yanked as the world blurred past them.

The wind roared in their ears, making it impossible to even open their eyes. Screaming in terror, they realized they were being carried at impossible speed through the ruins of the city.

Moments later, their feet hit solid ground once again.

They blinked, dumbfounded by what they saw.

They had crossed nearly the entire city and arrived right in front of their underground factory's entrance.

Levos released his grip.

"Is… is this really our place?" Pilaf muttered in disbelief.

"Why don't we go in and check?" Levos said.

"Right! Of course!" Pilaf knocked on the metal hatch in the ground.

It opened a moment later, and a young boy peeked out.

"Emperor Pilaf is back!" the boy cried with joy.

Pilaf turned to Levos and the others. "Please, honored guests, do come in!"

They entered one by one.

Despite being underground, the factory was fairly neat. One corner of the floor was covered in makeshift bedding, and everything was clean and organized.

A dozen or so children were gathered nearby, watching the newcomers with wide, curious eyes.

Their eyes were pure, bright, and filled with joy.

Levos glanced around in surprise.

Noticing his expression, Pilaf quickly explained, "After Shu, Mai, and I left the orphanage, we always felt guilty about the kids we left behind. When the city fell, we rescued them and brought them here."

Levos was quietly moved. He hadn't expected a supposed "villain" like Pilaf to have such a noble side.

"Please, rest a while. I'll have some food brought over," Mai offered politely.

"No need," Levos waved her off. "Time is short. Let's start building the shielding device."

Pilaf jolted upright. "Right away!"

He immediately instructed Mai and Shu to assist him.

Meanwhile, the children excitedly brought glasses of plain water for the guests.

Levos took a sip. There was a faint bitterness, probably from the poor water quality.

The taste reminded him of the days right after he'd first arrived in this world, when he'd had nothing to drink but the dirtiest water.

It had only been three days, but it had felt like an eternity.

He looked over and saw Pilaf working diligently at a computer, while Mai and Shu followed his instructions, adjusting something inside a container.

They were clearly putting their hearts into crafting the shielding device.

For the first time in a while, Levos felt a sense of calm.

He slowly closed his eyes and began searching for the ki of his scattered allies.

How were Goku and the others?

And what about Mr. Popo had he managed to contact Merus?

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