Orca

With Ichigo and Toushiro on his back, Vegeta ran down the hill to look around North Ryoshima Coast. They ignored the cliff to their left for now and followed the cleared path across a bridge and to the beach. As they headed to the beach, they saw a group of kids playing with something on the shore. As they got closer to the kids, Toushiro recognized them.

Toushiro: "I know them. They're a bunch of bullies who just love to pick on others for now real reason."

Issun: "What'd they do to you?"

Toushiro: "They've teased me numerous of times because of my hair."

Ichigo: "Now, son. I'm sure they were just curious. You can't be going around and saying that a bunch of kids are bullies just for something like that."

Vegeta: "I'd rethink that if I were you, Ichigo."

Ichigo: "Why?"

Vegeta: "Cause these kids are beating some guy with sticks."

Ichigo: "Oh..."

There were three kids, two buys and one girl, and they were smacking some poor guy with sticks. The poor guys name was Urashima.

Bully 1: "Hey, Urashima! So you got taken by that Porca guy, right? And he took you to a castle at the bottom of the sea! If that's true, where's that Porca now, huh?"

Bully 2: "Yeah, where is he now?"

Girl Bully: "Yeah, where is he?"

Issun: "What're they talking about?"

Urashima: "It ain't Porca. It's Orca! He's an emissary of the Dragon Palace. And he only comes for people worthy of goin' there."

Bully 1: " Yeah, right! Didn't your mom teach you not to tell lies? Let's get him!"

Bully 2: "Yeah!"

Girl Bully: "Get him!"

And they started beating him again. Ichigo got off of Vegeta. He had had enough, and so had Vegeta and Issun.

Issun: "Hey, whaddya think you're doing? Only cowards gang up on people like that!"

Bully 1: "Hey! Who's that? Good timing. I'm bored of playing with him now."

Bully 2: "Let's play with them!"

Girl Bully: "Hey! It's whitey!"

Bully 1: "Let's get him!"

Toushiro ducked behind Vegeta. The bullies started towards them, but Vegeta put an end to it.

Vegeta: "I wouldn't do that."

Bully 1: "Who's gonna stop us?"

Vegeta: "Me."

Bully 1: "Oh yeah? Why?"

Vegeta: "Because I love bullying bullies."

Vegeta growled at the kids, making them rethink their idea.

Bully 1: "Come on! Let's play somewhere else!"

Bully 2: "Yeah!"

Girl Bully: "Let's go play!"

The kids ran off to play somewhere else.

Issun: "Whaddya think those little brats were talking about, Geta? What did they mean by a castle at the bottom of the sea?"

Ichigo: "Hey, are you alright?"

Ichigo was checking the poor fella the kids were beating up. He was still hunched up in the fetal position. But then Ichigo made a discovery.

Ichigo: "The guy's asleep!"

Issun: "We can take care of that! Right, Geta?"

Vegeta rammed his head into the sleeping man and he stirred.

Urashima: "... Hm? I musta dozed off... I reckon I do that a lot on the beach."

Vegeta, Ichigo, Toushiro and Issun all toppled over with groans. This guy was a strange one.

Urashima: "I dunno who y'all are, but I sure 'preciate your wakin' me up. When I ain't got the strength to go home, sometimes I nap here."

Issun: "You were sleeping? Bah! You really had us worried, hunched over so long like that!"

Ichigo: "You're not sick or injured, are you?"

Urashima: "No, sir! I'm fit as a fiddle, I am! Just taking' a nap on the beach is all."

Said the guy wearing a barrel. Vegeta just raised an eyebrow.

Issun: "Oh... Well that's a relief. Anyway... What was that about a castle at the bottom of the sea? Would you mind filling us in?"

Urashima: "... No one ever believes me 'bout that."

Vegeta: "Oh trust me, we do."

Urashima: "There's a land under the sea here in Ryoshima. The Dragonians and sea god live there in the Dragon Palace. The Dragon Palace is an amazin' place... Real purdy. I haven't been there in a dog's age, though."

Issun: "Dragon Palace! Land of the Dragonians! They're the ones controlling the Water Dragon! Himiko said so! So just how does one get down to that palace, bucket boy? How could a chubby..."

Vegeta growled at Issun. He was going to put some manners into this Poncle even if it killed him.

Issun: "Er, I mean, big-boned lad like you elude that Water Dragon and make it all the way down to the bottom of the sea?"

Urashima: "The Water Dragon was much nicer in those days."

In those days? Just how old was this guy, thought Vegeta.

Urashima: "But ya can't just choose to go to the Dragon Palace, see. Only worthy people can go. If you're worthy, an emissary called Orca comes to get ya."

Issun: "So this Orca dude is an emissary from the Dragon Palace? And just how do you get to meet this guy anyway?"

Urashima: "Now that's one question that ain't so easy to answer. Y'all see that pier over yonder?"

Vegeta and the others looked over to their left. They all saw a long pier stretching out to the water.

Urashima: "That pier's where I met Orca. I was lookin' out to the sea, when he came with the mornin' sun. Orca only comes if you're worthy of the Dragon Palace, I reckon."

Vegeta: "Oh boy. Yet another thing we have to wait for."

Ichigo: "Well it's not that long till nightfall, Vegeta. In fact, by the time we're done here, it'll be dark."

Vegeta: "So true."

Ichigo got back on Vegeta and they headed to the far end of the coast. At the top of a small hill on the very far end, stood a Devil Gate. Vegeta went in confidently and confronted the two clay demons called Halo Guardians inside. The saiyan took care of them in a flash and was then confronted by a flaming demon that was similar to a Black Imp called an Executioner Guardian. It was dealt with in seconds. WIth the Devil Gate gone, a huge tree reappeared. It wasn't a Guardian Sapling, the one here was already restored. A little girl stood under the tree and before Vegeta talked to her, he heard meowing.

Issun: "It sounds like a cat meowing."

Vegeta: "Where is that coming from?"

Ichigo: "It doesn't sound like it's coming from around us."

Girl: "Oh, hello, mister! Have you come to see Catcall Tower?"

Vegeta: "Catcall Tower?"

Girl: "You can hear it from here... that cat crying. It sounds so sad."

Vegeta and the others all listened to the cat crying. It did sound sad.

Girl: "The tower was built on that island a long time ago. They say there's a huge Cat Statue at the top. It used to be a real cat before, but after it lived for a really long time, it turned into a god. Then it built the tower to watch over the world from the top. But the tower was so high, the cat got scared and couldn't come down. It was up there for so long that it turned to stone in the end. And it's been alone up there ever since. That's why it cries like that, even now. Isn't that just the saddest story you've ever heard?"

Vegeta: *I've heard sadder, but that one is up there.*

As the saiyan and his group walked off, they all looked towards the tower. It was on the largest of the islands off shore and surrounded by trees. The tower went so high that it was impossible to see the top from here. But if the story was true, then there was a brush god waiting at the top. For once Vegeta now actually knew where a god was. Getting to it without getting eaten was the problem. While they waited for nightfall, Ichigo and Toushiro gathered the herbs they needed that were available in this area. Finally, darkness settled and they all went to the pier. To make the time go by faster, Vegeta used the Sunrise technique. The next thing they knew, something came splashing towards them!

Issun: "Something's coming!"

A whale came up to the pier. It had a basket of some kind on its back and greeted them with a toothy smile.

Issun: "Why's this big fish look so happy? It's kinda creepin' me out."

Urashima: "Aaah!"

All four sets of eyes turned around to see Urashima standing behind them. He seemed happy.

Urashima: "Orca! Orca! It's you!"

Urashima ran up to the edge of the pier, completely ignoring Vegeta and the others.

Urashima: "It's been a dog's age! I stopped countin' the years!"

Vegeta, Ichigo, Toushiro and Issun: "Counting the years?"

Urashima: "Did you come to take me back to the Dragon Palace?"

Perhaps Urashima should have rethought that. Because as he tried to jump onto the whale's back, it bumped him into the air and sent him flying into the sea with its tail. The whale just laughed.

Issun: "Orca? This is that emissary or whatever of the Dragonians!"

The whale jumped up into the air before splashing down! It was indeed the Dragon Palace Emissary, Orca!

Toushiro: "Cool!"

Orca: "At last, one worthy of visiting the Dragon Palace. Hop on! I'll take you to the Dragon Palace!"

Issun hopped off of Vegeta and went to the edge of the pier.

Issun: "Hear that, Geta?"

Orca: "I'm second to none when it comes to swimming! Even that Water Dragon's no match for me!"

Vegeta: "Sweet!"

Issun: "You heard'im! What're we gonna do, Geta?"

Vegeta was already trying to climb on Orca's back.

Issun: "Oh, I guess you already made up your mind!"

Vegeta was almost at the basket when he slipped and slid back onto the pier. He felt genuinely stupid for a second.

Ichigo: "Uh... Are we allowed to come? He's a close friend of ours and I do need to get to the islands around here."

Orca: "So long as you're with him, you are worthy too."

Toushiro: "Alright!"

Ichigo: "Toushiro! Hold on a second!"

Toushiro was already climbing into the basket. Vegeta gave it another try and he finally got in the basket with Toushiro. Ichigo was the last one to climb in.

Issun: "This is Orca? Heh, not a very creative name. He looks kinda fishy, pun intended. Wanna hitch a ride, Geta?"

Vegeta: "Hell yeah!"

Issun: "You do? Well, I don't suppose we have much of a choice. We might as well take advantage of him now that he's here."

Orca: "I'm second to none when it comes to swimming! That Water Dragon's no match for me!"

Issun: "Hear that, Geta? You believe him?"

Vegeta: "At this point, I'll believe in almost anything."

Issun: "Maybe we should have him take us to the Dragon Palace!"

Orca: "... ... I'm afraid I can't do that yet."

Issun: "Huh?"

Vegeta: "I knew there was a catch!"

Orca: "You must complete the final ordeal decreed by Otohime. Only then will you be worthy of visiting the Dragon Palace."

Issun: "Hear that, Geta? Hey, Orca. Is this Otohime chick your boss or something? She's got a lotta nerve letting that Water Dragon run amok! Listen, Orca, we wanna ride down to the Dragon Palace. So let's hear about that ordeal you were talking about!"

Orca: "The entrance to the Dragon Palace is a whirlpool, but it's hidden right now to keep out the evil beings that plague this area. You must find the whirlpool amid this vast sea. That is the ordeal decreed by Otohime."

Issun: "Hear that, Geta? Sounds like a piece of cake!"

Vegeta: "Excuse me!"

Issun: "I mean, this sea's packed with places beggin' to be explored. We'll just have to check 'em out till we find that whirlpool!"

Vegeta: "Ah... You're impossible sometimes, Issun."

Toushiro and Ichigo laughed.

Issun: "Well, what're we waiting for! Full speed ahead, fish breath! Hi-yo Orca, away!"

Vegeta: "Uh... What did I do to deserve this?"

Vegeta had a good reason to moan and groan. The sea was vast, the whirlpool could be anywhere! Good thing he had Ichigo and Toushiro with him. They knew this area better than Issun. They had to know where it was!

Ichigo: "Sorry Vegeta. We've never seen a whirlpool around here before."

Then again, maybe not.