Chapter 47: The Dragon Ball Hunt Begins
Levos silently prayed that nothing would go wrong on Merus's side and that he'd reach Earth soon.
Bulma stood nearby, watching Pilaf and his crew as they worked.
After a moment, her eyes lit up. "So that's how it works! I get it now. I can help!"
Levos opened his eyes. "Bulma, can you shorten the production time?"
There were less than two hours left before the World Martial Arts Tournament began. As things stood, the shielding device wouldn't be ready in time.
Levos had originally planned to return after the device was finished, but part of him worried that Pilaf's gang might just run off halfway through the process.
If Bulma could help speed up production, it would not only save time, it would also give him some peace of mind. Then he could focus entirely on finding the Dragon Balls.
Bulma nodded. "I can try. I've got some better materials on me."
She pulled out her capsule case and carefully selected one from the jam-packed container.
Pilaf's eyes went wide.
Mai froze mid-task.
Even Shu dropped the wrench in his paw.
"Ashu, am I dreaming?" Pilaf rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "She has that many capsules...?"
"Nope… not a dream…" Shu stood dumbfounded, completely forgetting to pick up his tool.
Mai looked devastated. "Lord Pilaf, when will we ever live a decent life...?"
Bulma gave them a puzzled glance, then tossed a capsule onto the open floor.
Pop!
A miniature warehouse appeared in a puff of smoke.
She stepped inside and began sorting through her tools.
Pilaf glanced nervously at Levos, who was quietly watching them, then slammed the table. "Mai! Stop crying and get to work for the kind sir!"
Caught peeking at Levos, Mai immediately wiped her tears and returned to work.
Bulma returned to the workbench with her gear and threw herself into building the shielding device.
Her movements were swift and practiced, her fingers fluttering like butterflies. It was hard to believe she was only eighteen.
Within moments, she had already modified one of the core components.
Mai and Shu exchanged glances, both looking like they were about to worship her.
"What are you two just standing there for?" Pilaf barked. "The sooner we finish, the sooner we send these gods of misfortune on their way!"
Seeing Bulma dive into the task so quickly, Levos nodded with satisfaction.
At this rate, the device might actually be finished before the tournament began.
Laughter rang out nearby. Levos turned to see Android 16 playing with the children, gently entertaining them.
A strange warmth bloomed in his chest.
Who would've thought a machine designed for global domination could end up loving life and nature more than most humans?
And who would've imagined that Pilaf, once obsessed with conquering the world, would become a compassionate guardian because of a group of orphans?
"Big brother!"
A timid little voice pulled Levos from his thoughts.
A small girl with twin buns held out half a roasted sweet potato, standing on tiptoe as she offered it to him.
"Big sister Mai said we should treat guests kindly. This is our best food. It's for you."
Levos looked down, hesitating only for a second before accepting the cold half-tuber, eyes thoughtful.
He peeled it carefully and took a bite.
It was cold, but sweet.
He finished it in a few mouthfuls.
"Big brother, you can eat the skin too!"
"Hm?"
"The peel! It smells good and tastes even better. Don't throw it away!" The girl, drooling a little, pointed seriously at the discarded skin on the table.
Levos gave a wry smile.
A seasoned traveler from the Land of Foodies, getting lectured by a kid about not wasting food? How ironic.
He picked up a crispy strip of blackened peel and popped it into his mouth.
Crunch. Crunch.
Surprisingly good.
He looked over at the little girl, whose face was scrunched into a dramatic expression of desire.
Still, the drool waterfall continued.
Levos ate another strip.
Crunch. Crunch.
The girl looked like she was wearing a tragic mask, her longing barely contained.
After teasing her enough, Levos grew serious.
"You shared your food with me. I can't give you anything in return right now, so let's just say I owe you a favor."
Bulma happened to catch the moment and smiled faintly, her eyes soft.
She tossed Levos a capsule. "Here. This can be your gift to her."
Levos caught it, one of Bulma's prized food-storage capsules.
Without hesitation, he knelt down and handed it to the girl.
"This is a gift from the pretty big sister. Next time we meet, I'll bring you an even better present."
"Thank you, big brother!" The girl beamed and ran off joyfully to show it off to her friends.
As Bulma and the others continued working on the shielding device, Levos found the idle wait a bit too quiet.
He decided to use the time wisely, to search for more Dragon Balls.
"Bulma, let me borrow the Dragon Radar," he said.
Bulma looked up, seeming to understand his intent.
"No problem. But promise me, be careful."
"Got it."
Levos took the radar and closed his eyes, picking a direction. Then he vanished.
Whoosh!
He reappeared in midair, stepping right onto a startled seagull.
According to the radar, a Dragon Ball was somewhere in the sea below.
Levos wrapped himself in an energy barrier and dove beneath the waves.
As he plunged hundreds of meters deep, a soft glow appeared between a cluster of coral reefs.
The Dragon Ball shone with a faint orange light, pulsing in resonance with his presence.
Levos smiled and swam over to retrieve it.
"Four-Star Ball."
Inside the crystal-clear orb were four red stars.
He slipped it into his bag and shot back up to the surface.
Opening the radar again, Levos locked onto the next signal and teleported.
Splash!
The fish nearby scattered in panic.
Still ocean. But this time, the signal was coming from an island up ahead.
Levos surfaced and scanned the horizon.
He carefully sensed the area. No strong ki nearby. That was a relief.
But then, something strange.
The Dragon Ball's signal was moving. Fast.
"Did someone already find it? And they're suppressing their ki?"
He frowned.
The ball was still on the island. He wouldn't give up that easily.
He dove under the waves again, swimming toward the shore to avoid being seen.
His feet touched the sandy beach.
Rather than rush in, he stayed low, hiding in the trees and watching.
The Dragon Ball was still on the island.
Quietly, Levos crept deeper into the jungle, using trees and rocks for cover.
He moved so smoothly that not a single leaf rustled.
Soon, he was nearly at the Dragon Ball's location.
Then he saw it.
Two dinosaurs were squaring off in a clearing ahead.
Levos blinked.
The signal was coming from one of them.
"…I overthought this."
He relaxed and darted forward.
Wham!
In seconds, both beasts were unconscious.
Peering between the giant teeth of the larger one, he spotted a faint orange glow.
"Three-Star Ball."
Levos plucked it from the dino's jaws, gave it a glance, and tucked it into his pack.
The easy success lifted his spirits.
But then, as he reopened the radar, his expression darkened.
Not only were there two Dragon Balls suddenly converging in another direction, two more were speeding directly toward him.
And yet, he couldn't sense any strong ki nearby.
That meant only one thing.
At least three other groups were searching for the Dragon Balls.
Levos froze.
He couldn't afford to wait, and he couldn't act rashly either.
He was caught in a very tight spot.
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