Chapter 9: Cutting it Close
"Oh... oh my God!" she shrieked, unconsciously backing away from him. "You...you blocked it! What kind of creatures are you Saiyans, anyway? Damn your thick skin! I refuse to believe this!"
"Heh heh! That little love-tap of yours tickled me a little bit," Nappa chuckled, grinning at her as he puffed his chest out in appreciation of her appraisal. "Are you starting to realize just how out of your league I am now, short stuff?"
"You're letting that gigantic ego of yours get the better of you!" Bulma snapped at him. "The fact that you blocked my attack doesn't make you man of the year! Even if you are my superior in brute strength, I still say you're nothing but a moron!"
"Moron? You really aren't good at trying to get on your enemies' good sides! Just who are you to call me a moron?"
"Ha!" Bulma laughed loudly. "I'll give you an example. If your scouter malfunctioned, you'd be in a world of hurt, since you rely on it so heavily to detect your opponents. I'll bet you don't even know how to fix it! Well I've got news for you, moron! I figured out all the ins and outs of those things after one night's tinkering with the one Raditz was wearing."
It was true that Bulma was intentionally pushing his buttons, but she had an ulterior motive. The others were using this opportunity to charge up their own attacks on Nappa, and she wanted to give them a chance to get a good shot at him while his back was turned. She only hoped that she could continue to heckle Nappa long enough without getting him angry enough to seriously attack her. There wouldn't be much she could do to stop him if he did that.
"Well, who cares!" he said angrily. "It's never malfunctioned before, and even if it does, I don't need it to defeat the likes of you!"
"Even so," Bulma said, shaking her head and crossing her arms. "I don't need a scouter to detect my enemies like you do. In a way, Nappa, you do have a weakness. It's that scouter!"
"Oh really? Well, just watch this!" Nappa snorted, yanking the scouter off his ear and throwing it to the ground. He smashed it with his foot and glared at Bulma defiantly. She couldn't believe he'd actually done it. She had all but convinced herself that no one could possibly be that stupid. She shot him a triumphant grin as she sensed the power that was building behind him. The others had finished powering up and were ready. Kuririn gestured for Bulma to get away from Nappa.
"Let's try this again!" she cried, shooting up into the air and charging up for another so-ki-dan. Nappa laughed and braced himself, but he hadn't seen the danger behind him yet. Bulma formed another large blast, just as Piccolo, Kuririn, and Gohan sent out their own attacks. All at once several distinct blasts crashed into Nappa from behind, and the whole area down there was a massive explosion. She hoped that he was being thus occupied with their blasts, and was no longer prepared for hers.
"This didn't work before because he was expecting it," she said quietly. "But let's try the same attack combined with the element of surprise!"
She powered up quickly. The others looked like they were about finished. She had to fire now!
"Gyah!" she grunted, sending her so-ki-dan hurtling down at Nappa. She watched it zoom down straight at him, and she quickly teleported over to where the other fighters were, whereupon she promptly fell to her hands and knees, panting heavily and trying to stop the world from spinning around her. That last attack had taken a lot of energy.
The others wrapped up their own blasts as well, and they all waited anxiously to observe the results of their efforts. Once again they all struggled against the shock waves created by the force of the attacks, once again the dust settled, and once again Nappa emerged unscathed! Bulma sighed angrily. This was beginning to look hopeless. Nappa must have detected their attacks in time to block them. It just wasn't fair!
Nappa laughed. "Give it up!" he shouted at them. "You know you can't beat me!"
Gohan had become incredibly frustrated and angry by Nappa's constant taunting. "That's it!" he yelled. "Let me at him! I've had enough of this jerk!"
"All right kid, you just signed your death warrant!" Nappa laughed, as Gohan shot off to one side, away from Bulma and the others.
"Bring it on!" he yelled at Nappa. With a huge burst of speed, that's precisely what Nappa did.
"Little fool!" Piccolo yelled, and he made a mad dash for Nappa, despite the fact that he knew he couldn't reach him. It turned out he needn't have worried, though. Gohan met Nappa with a roundhouse kick to the face that sent the large Saiyan hurtling backwards, only to crash violently into a huge boulder. It was quite an understatement to say that everyone was stunned. All eyes were on Gohan, but his eyes were on the pile of rubble covering Nappa. Suddenly Nappa burst out of the rocks, yelling and foaming with rage. His eyes were practically popping out of their sockets, glaring at Gohan with a hatred and malevolence that Bulma had never seen anywhere before.
"That's it, kid!" he screamed. "I'm sending you straight to Hell!" He charged his chi until he'd formed a horrifically devastating blast. It was apparent that Gohan wouldn't be able to survive an attack of this magnitude. With a roar of fury, Nappa let the blast go. Gohan wasn't moving! He was petrified!
Bulma didn't have time to react. She felt rooted to the ground. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, and she seemed to be unable to do anything more than stand still and watch it all unfold. She felt so helpless. She just knew it was the end for Gohan. Wait a minute! Piccolo had somehow managed to jump out in front of Gohan! He was taking the entire blast himself!
Bulma watched in surprise as the dust cleared and everyone else reacted to what had just happened. She just couldn't believe it. Piccolo had sacrificed himself to save the life of Goku's son... There was no longer any doubt in her mind now. All that time that Piccolo had spent with Gohan had deeply transformed his entire character.
Piccolo had managed to remain on his feet for a couple of seconds after the blast had dissipated, but it wasn't long before he crumpled and fell forward onto the ground. Frantically, Gohan pleaded with him, begging him not to die. Bulma was moved to tears by Piccolo's selfless act. Even now, the dying Piccolo giving Gohan an order not to die, just as he himself was fading into the afterlife. With one last order for Gohan to avenge him, he died. Then, just as Goku's body had done, his disappeared into nothingness. Perhaps he too was going to be given the opportunity to train in the afterlife.
Gohan let out a howling scream of anguish. It was too much. Bulma could sense an incredible explosion of power in him as he reacted to the death of his sensei. His rage was powering a tremendous boost in strength, but Nappa, seemingly unaware of the danger, only laughed at him.
"You damn fools are making us kill you in the wrong order! Whatsa matter, kid? Did the big, scary man kill your widdle friend? Are you gonna cry?"
"Don't lower your guard, Nappa!" Vegita barked at him. "That kid's over 3,000 already!"
"Whoa!" Nappa exclaimed, paling slightly as he gaped at Gohan. "Thanks for tellin' me!"
"You would have known yourself if you hadn't destroyed your scouter, you imbecile!" Vegita snapped at him. Nappa grumbled something about where Vegita could shove his scouter just as Gohan seemed to reach his limit.
"Ki-aaaah!" he screamed, firing a tremendously strong blast at Nappa. Bulma couldn't believe the amount of energy Gohan was pouring into this blast. Piccolo had been right about Gohan; he had the potential to be a truly formidable force! Imagine what he would be like when he grew to be Goku's age! However, despite all the power Gohan was throwing at him, Nappa was holding his own remarkably well. He was doing a disappointingly masterful job of plowing through Gohan's blast, forcing the wide beam of energy to split around and away from him.
When Gohan's attack finally ended, Bulma knew that he was in trouble. That last blast had sapped him of all of his energy. He was so weak he couldn't even stand anymore, much less get away from Nappa. Now it was Nappa's turn, and he planned to take full advantage of Gohan's predicament.
"We've got to help him, Kuririn!" Bulma said frantically. "Gohan used up all his energy in that blast! He's as good as gone if we don't do something!"
"I know!" Kuririn said, gritting his teeth. "But eventually it won't make any difference. We can't hold that monster off forever!"
"Well, I don't care!" Bulma said, focusing her chi and gritting her teeth. "I'm not ready to give up yet!" She teleported between Nappa and Gohan and took a fighting stance. She wasn't about to let Nappa have his way without a fight!
"You'd better move, girlie!" Nappa said. "This is between me and the kid. I'm not about to get on Vegita's bad side just to prove a point. If you don't move, I'll move ya myself! Either way, that kid is toast!"
"If you're going to kill Gohan, you have to go through me first," she snarled at him. "I'm gonna die anyway if Goku doesn't get his lazy butt here soon, so I'd at least rather die fighting! You'd better believe I'll take you with me if that happens, you damned beast!"
"That goes double for me!" Kuririn growled, stepping up next to Bulma.
"So you're all suicidal, are you?" Nappa laughed. "All right then!" He lunged forward, shoving Bulma aside and kicking Kuririn viciously in the stomach. When Kuririn lurched forward in pain, Nappa kicked him squarely on the side of his face, sending him flying off to the side. Kuririn turned a couple of lopsided somersaults before skidding to a stop about ten yards away.
Bulma quickly scrambled to her feet and flung herself at Nappa. "You filthy brute!" she screeched. "Rouga fu-fu-ken!" She used Yamucha's signature power move in an effort to land a hard hit on Nappa's face. Unfortunately, he was much too fast for her, and he easily stepped to one side, causing her to miss her mark entirely and leave herself wide open for him. He brought his knee up and gave her a rough blow to the stomach before grabbing the back of her gi and flinging her away from him. She slid to a stop on the ground near Vegita, and she gagged a bit as she tried to recover from the hit she'd taken.
"D-damn yoouuu!" she cried, flopping over and righting herself, losing all sight of anything but Nappa, who was glaring fiendishly at Gohan. Gohan hadn't moved from his spot at all. He was so exhausted, it was all he could do to stay on his hands and knees.
"Hello again," Vegita chuckled at her. "You seem to keep coming back to me. Do you enjoy my company that much?"
Bulma ignored him. She noticed that Kuririn was struggling to get up, but he was moving awkwardly, as though his body didn't want to work right. She went pale as she realized that his back was broken. Forgetting Gohan for the moment, she ignored her screaming muscles and teleported to her friend's aid.
"Kuririn!" she shrieked, kneeling beside him and fidgeting as she was unsure of what to do with her hands. "Are you okay?"
"I'm sorry, Bulma," he gasped, his face twisted in agony. "I think my back is broken. I... I just wasn't good enough. I've let everyone down!"
"Just stay still, Kuririn," Bulma said shakily. "It's not your fault. None of us was good enough – not even Piccolo. You can't feel guilty about this, or I'll never forgive you!"
"Get out of here, Bulma," he said feebly. "There's no way you can take that guy on! Just... just teleport away as quickly as you can!"
Bulma balled her hands into fists and tightly shut her tear-filled eyes as she shook her head at him. "Like hell I will! That freak's going after Gohan again! I'll be damned if I'm ready to run now! I've just got to try, Kuririn!"
Nappa loomed over Gohan, who was still on his hands and knees, struggling to get to his feet. "Hey Vegita!" Nappa shouted. "Won't it be great to see the look on Kakkorot's face when he gets here and finds his son's head smashed to pieces!" Vegita laughed and shot him an approving nod. Nappa raised his foot to strike.
"Nooooo!" Bulma screamed, rushing at Nappa. She knew she'd never reach him in time. She had hesitated too long. Nappa brought his foot down with a loud thud, making even the ground beneath her feet shake a little. Bulma stopped dead in her tracks and fell to her knees. She shut her eyes in despair and buried her face in her hands. She couldn't bear to look.
"Bulma!" Kuririn gasped. "He's here!" She raised her head. Nappa's foot was where he had intended to bring it down - with one exception. Gohan wasn't under it! Bulma looked around frantically, and let out a cry of excited joy at what she saw beside Kuririn. Gohan was atop Kinto'un, and he was very much alive and well!
Bulma glanced at Nappa. He was staring at something in the sky with a puzzled expression on his face. She looked to see what he was staring at, but she already had a pretty good idea what it was, or should I say, who it was.
"Goku!" she breathed in relief. She was so overcome with relief that she had no idea how to react. As a result, she did what came naturally to her, and she glared testily at him. Jumping to her feet, she shook an angry fist at him and began to yell at him. "It's about damn time, you big jerk!" she hollered, her eyes streaming with tears of relief. "What the hell took you so long, anyway?!"
Goku laughed and dropped down beside Kuririn and Gohan. Bulma ran over to join them while Nappa and Vegita stared at them incredulously. Kakkarot had shown up at last!
"Do you think you could have cut it any closer, you big dummy?" Bulma panted at him. "Gohan was about to get squished like a bug, for heaven's sake!"
"So I noticed!" Goku chuckled, tousling Gohan's hair a little. "But how did you get mixed up in all this mess, Bulma? Shouldn't you be at Muten Roshi's island? I figured that you'd wait it out there after you guys wished me back."
"It's a long story," Bulma sighed. "The short version of it is that Yamucha has been teaching me how to fight, and when I saw on TV what bad shape these guys were in, I came out here hoping to give them whatever help I could. I'd had the misfortune of meeting those two bastards when they obliterated Metro East, and I was sure we were all as good as dead. I really hadn't intended to get involved in this, but when I saw them kill Yamucha on TV, I knew I couldn't just sit back and wait for them to kill everyone else."
"I'd suspected something about you at Muten Roshi's," Goku exclaimed, "but I honestly didn't think you could fight!"
"Oh, I can fight all right," Bulma said, looking down at her feet and gritting her teeth angrily. "But it wasn't enough. We lost Yamucha, Chaozu, Tenshinhan, and Piccolo. Gohan and Kuririn are still alive, but they're both unable to fight anymore. I'm all right, but I'm pretty worn out, and I'm not exactly strong enough to do anything to these creeps. We tried so hard to hold out until you could get here, Goku, but for some of us, you came too late."
"Well, I'm sorry it took me so long. At least I can do something for these two now. We'll worry about the others after this is all over." Goku bent down by Kuririn. He broke what appeared to be some kind of bean into two pieces and gave one piece to Kuririn and the other to Gohan.
"Here. Eat this," he said. "It's a gift from Karin. A Sensu bean!"
Bulma glanced warily at the Saiyans as Kuririn and Gohan ate their pieces of Sensu bean. Suddenly she gasped. Gohan and Kuririn got up and brushed themselves off – even Kuririn, and his back had been broken!
"What did you give them, Goku?" she gasped. "That was amazing!"
"A Sensu bean," Goku explained. "If you eat a Sensu bean it'll cure you of your injuries and restore your energy. Since they each ate half of one they're only half healed, but I bet they feel a lot better!"
"Well, I sure do!" Kuririn exclaimed. "I'm not one hundred percent better, but I feel good enough to fight, anyway!"
"Me too!" Gohan said.
Goku laughed. "Well, don't worry about that anymore. I'll take care of these guys. You three just take a break. You did a great job, but now it's my turn."
Bulma smiled as he turned and began walking out to meet his opponents. Finally, Goku was here to make things right! A sudden thought flashed in her mind, and she passed it along to him.
"Hey Goku!" she said, causing him to turn back around. "By the way, don't rely on grabbing their tails! It doesn't work on these two like it did on Raditz."
"Thanks Bulma," Goku laughed. "It's probably a good thing you told me that."
He turned back toward Vegita and Nappa, who had gotten rather impatient by now. While they decided who was going to get to kill Goku, Bulma checked on Gohan and Kuririn.
"Are you guys okay?" she asked them as patted the dust and gravel off of themselves.
"We're fine," Kuririn said. "But how about you, Bulma? You didn't have any Sensu bean. Are you okay?"
"I'll live," Bulma said. "The worst I could end up with is a cracked rib or two. You two were the ones who took the real beating."
"Bulma?" Gohan said nervously. "Do you think my dad can beat them? They're really strong."
"So is your dad," Bulma said quickly. "He's the world's strongest fighter. If anyone can beat those two, he can."
"Look! He's going to fight Nappa first!" Kuririn exclaimed. "He sure doesn't look nervous. I hope his confidence is a real indication of how much he's improved over the past year. It'd be great to see him thrash these two."
"Yeah," Bulma agreed. "It looks like we'll finally get to see the extent of Goku's power. To tell you the truth, Nappa doesn't have me very worried. He's strong, but he's not really bright, and he looks like he gets a little dumber when he's really angry. If you ask me, Vegita is the only one that Goku should be concerned about. Did you notice how he had Nappa do all the fighting while he just sat there watching us with his scouter? Not only did he conserve his energy, but he also sized us up while he had Nappa take care of the dirty work. He knows exactly what he can expect from us by now. Besides being the more intelligent of the two, have you ever sensed such an incredible chi before? This guy is more powerful than all of us put together, and then some! He's definitely got me worried. I just hope Goku can handle him."
"Well he sure is doing well against Nappa!" Gohan said excitedly. He was right; Goku had really given Nappa a beating, and, naturally, Nappa was raging like an idiot.
"You damn low-class punk!" Nappa screamed at Goku. "How dare you!"
"It's your own fault for not backing down when I told you to," Goku returned. "You're just not used to fighting someone who's better than you."
Naturally, this statement only served to enrage the burly Saiyan further. Bulma giggled. Finally, Nappa was getting a taste of his own medicine! And boy, he didn't like it! Howling and foaming like a crazed beast, he just stood where he was, cursing Goku with words that would have made even Piccolo gasp in surprise.
"Nappa!" Vegita yelled angrily at him. "Stop throwing tantrums and concentrate! Can't you see that your own anger has become a handicap to you? You haven't even managed land even one blow yet! Calm down and control yourself before I come out there and kill you both!"
Shocked back into rationality, Nappa nodded. After a few deep breaths, he had fully regained his composure.
"All right, Kakkorot," he said, grinning fiendishly. "I'll show you who's better!"
He lunged at Goku and the fight continued. Bulma removed her eyes from the one-sided battle and focused on Vegita. He was gritting his teeth in frustration and following Goku's effortlessly flawless performance. Angrily, he yanked the scouter from his ear and crushed it in his fist.
"What's the matter, Vegetable-head?" Bulma taunted him. "Didn't I tell you not to underestimate Goku? Why are you acting so surprised? Surely you didn't expect Nappa to be able to beat him!"
Vegita sneered at her, but his eyebrow twitched noticeably. "I am a little surprised," he admitted. "I'd love to know what kind of training he had that improved his abilities this much in only one year."
"You have to admit one thing," Bulma said, turning her attention back to the fight. "If you two wanted a challenge, you've certainly got one now! It's not too late to back down, you know. I'm sure Goku will spare your lives if you apologize for what you've done and agree never to come back!"
Vegita laughed. "I can't wait to beat a more respectful tongue into that empty head of yours, woman! Your little friend may indeed be too much for Nappa, but he's definitely no match for me! If you think he can protect you from us, you're sadly mistaken!"
He yelled for a halt. Goku paused while Nappa screeched to a stop in mid-air. "Get down here this instant, Nappa," Vegita yelled disgustedly. "You've disgraced us enough. You've obviously failed me, and I'm taking over this ridiculous battle."
"No! I was just about to kill this twerp!" Nappa yelled furiously.
"Defy me again, Nappa!" Vegita roared. "Try it! So far you haven't even landed a single punch! Do as I say, or Kakarrot won't be the only one around here who dies by my hands!"
Nappa growled an incoherent retort, but he hastily relented. He sneered at Goku and said something that Bulma couldn't quite hear.
Goku made no reply, but he watched Nappa as he slowly descended to the ground. Whether he didn't trust him because of what he had said, or just out of principle, Bulma wasn't sure.
Bulma wasn't interested in watching Nappa. She was watching Vegita. He definitely looked disgusted, but he also seemed more than confident in himself. Apparently Goku didn't intimidate him a bit.
Suddenly, Gohan and Kuririn cried out in surprise. Bulma looked up to see what had scared them, and she cried out too. Nappa was heading straight for them! He opened his mouth wide, and judging from the high concentration of chi energy that was forming there, Bulma realized that a devastating attack was coming. Her mind raced. She only had enough time for a teleport. That was all. She made a hasty but calculated decision. She shoved Kuririn to the ground and threw Gohan on top of him as she braced herself. She hadn't done this to any live object other than herself, much less two at once. "I hope their atoms don't get mixed together," she thought grimly.
"Rapid teleport!" She yelled, before they had time to pry themselves apart. She teleported them about twenty yards away and was relieved to see that they looked shaken but otherwise normal. She gritted her teeth and whirled around to wait for the oncoming attack. She would have gone too, but she had deduced that Goku wouldn't make it in time to save them if Nappa had discovered their change in position and shifted course on them. It was either she or all of them, and she wasn't about to be a coward any longer. So what if she was the weakest one there? She wasn't worthless, and she was going to prove it!
She glared defiantly at the approaching Saiyan. She wasn't going to flinch or shut her eyes. She was going to face her attacker until the bitter end. As he got closer, Bulma's mind fixed on the image of Yamucha. Yamucha... perhaps she would get to see him again soon.
Just before Nappa fired his blast, he was stopped violently from underneath by an invisible force. Bulma jerked violently at the sudden vision that had presented itself to her, and she stared in shock and awe at the one who had saved her life - Goku! She had no idea how he had done it. He had moved much too fast for her normal eyesight to follow. Feeling her knees begin to wobble, Bulma breathed a shaky sigh of relief. She hadn't wanted to die. She was so very glad that Goku was there!
Goku threw the severely-injured Nappa at Vegita's feet. "He's not doing any more fighting," he told the irritated Saiyan curtly. "I suggest you take him back where you came from and get him some medical treatment." He turned back toward Bulma.
"Are you all right?" he asked her. She had sunk to her knees, and was trembling like a leaf.
"I thought it was all over there for a minute," she said shakily. "But I'm all right now, thanks to you."
"Where are Gohan and Kuririn?" Goku asked, looking very puzzled.
"I teleported them over there," she said, pointing to the two astonished fighters in the distance. "I hadn't counted on your saving the day. I figured that at least two of us could survive this way. I'd never tried it on people other than myself before, so I'm really glad it worked the way I wanted. Geez, why won't my legs work? I can't even get to my feet!"
"Where on earth did you learn that?" Goku asked, offering his hand to her and helping her onto her unstable, quaking legs. "Did Yamucha teach you that too?"
"No," Bulma replied, as Gohan and Kuririn came running over. "I developed that technique on my own. It took some practice, but I finally perfected it about a month ago." Suddenly their senses were bombarded by an enormous wave of chi energy. They spun around just in time to see Vegita fling Nappa up into the air like a rag doll.
"Die!" he snarled, blasting his partner with a wide, fatal beam of energy. Nappa yelled a few curses in protest, and then he was gone.
Bulma gasped. This guy was beyond all reason! He had even killed his own partner! She looked up at Goku and bit her lip. She shuddered to think what such a ruthless killer was capable of, and she sincerely hoped Goku could beat him.
Kuririn was the first to remember what he had meant to say earlier, once they had all recovered from their astonishment. "Bulma!" he said angrily. "Why didn't you teleport with us? I mean, it was quick thinking to send us off like that, but what was the point in it if you didn't come too?"
"Someone had to keep him on the same track," she replied, shrugging sheepishly. "I couldn't take the chance that he might change direction on me and come right back after us, because I knew I wouldn't have enough time or energy to teleport us again. I figured that this way, at least two of us would have a good chance of survival."
"That was very stupid of you, Bulma," Kuririn growled at her, "but I guess I ought to thank you. Next time though, you'd better not try to be such a hero. How would I explain it to the old master that I'd let a girl get herself killed for my sake?"
"Yeah, you've gotta be more careful, Bulma!" Gohan cried. "Daddy had it covered!"
"Maybe you guys are right, but I don't regret what I did," she muttered. "I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I hadn't done it that way. I'm sure Gohan would like to finally get back to see his mother. And may I remind you, Kuririn, that you have already been wished back once?"
"Quit arguing, you two," Goku chided. "This is no time for that."
"Sorry," Bulma and Kuririn apologized in unison.
"Hey Goku," Bulma said suddenly. "How did you catch up to Nappa anyway? When I first checked, you were way too far behind him to catch him in time. I didn't even see you again until you were right in front of me."
"That was the Kaioken technique," Goku replied. "I learned that when I trained with Kaio-sama this year. It heightens everything - your speed, strength, and even your senses."
"Well, why didn't you use it earlier?" Kuririn asked. "With a technique like that, you could have finished Nappa in no time!"
"Well, if I use it too much, I can destroy my body with the sudden surge of energy," Goku laughed. "Kaio-sama said I shouldn't use it too often."
"I suppose that is a good reason," Kuririn said, gulping.
Bulma glanced at Vegita. He was glaring impatiently at them. "Goku," she said nervously, "this one has me worried. Nappa was nothing compared to him. Vegita is much smarter, and I'm sure you can sense the strength of his chi, so you must be aware of his physical capabilities too. You may have trouble with him."
"That's exactly why I want you three to go back to Muten Roshi's island now. You all deserve a break, and besides, I'd rather take this one on alone."
Bulma and Gohan began to protest, but Kuririn made them stop. "Goku's right," he said gravely. "Vegita's certain to use every dirty trick in the book, and that would include using us against Goku, if the opportunity was open to him. We'd only be a handicap to Goku if we stayed."
Both Gohan and Bulma were unable to argue with that logic. It was with reluctant, anxious hearts that they all bid Goku a fond farewell and good luck, and headed for the turtle hermit's island.
