I do not own any ideas taken from One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball, HunterXHunter or Yu Yu Hakusho. Eiichiro Oda, Masashi Kishimoto, Tite Kubo, Akira Toriyama and Yoshihiro Togashi are the brilliant minds behind those manga and I'm simply using them to set the stage for my story! It's all for fun so please enjoy!
Chapter 2: Enter! Vagabond Mugen
Nasty weather preluding a storm forced Bulma to steer the Flying Nimbus south and east to avoid it. They zipped through the sky away from the storm and Bulma spotted a nearby island. Asuka looked over the island as they approach and he pointed out corpses strewn around the shore. They dropped down onto the beach and hopped off of the nimbus. Both stretched and popped their backs before investigating the shore. The bodies on the beach were men and women dressed in ratty clothes with weapons gripped in their hands, fresh cuts and slashes covering their bodies.
"This looks- well, terrible." Bulma spoke grimly as she looked away from the corpses.
"Yeah, no kidding." Asuka said as he looked around at tracks in the sand and dirt. Asuka felt something weird and turned toward the edge of the nearby forest.
"Look." Bulma pointed at a trail of bodies leading into the tree line. Asuka and Bulma looked at each other and began walking slowly toward the woods with the Flying Nimbus following behind them.
"There's something strange in the woods." Asuka stated as they walked passed fresh corpses and into the tall green trees.
"What do you mean?" Bulma asked.
Asuka shrugged, "There's a strong person in the woods." He pointed forward and chuckled.
"A strong person..?" Bulma raised an eyebrow and surveyed the surrounding area as they walked. The sounds of shouts and gunshots filled the air and Asuka ran towards the noise. Bulma waved for the nimbus to follow after her as she hurried after Asuka.
More corpses littered the ground as the duo rushed between trees and toward an echoing sound of combat. Asuka burst through a bush to see a swordsman wearing a red jacket, his scabbard hanging across his back. He had pale white skin and a messy black afro that blew wildly in the breeze. He clutched his sword in his right hand as he zipped between bullets and cut down two bandits.
Bulma came to a stop beside Asuka and the bandits noticed them. Bullets ripped through the bushes and the two of them leapt into action! Bulma pulled a dark blue baton from her belt and with a wave of it, a powerful gust of wind erupted outward and blasted three bandits back. Asuka hurled his left arm and struck a bandit in the head with a Chop-Chop Rocket and kicked another in the chest.
The remaining bandits, blindsided by the new arrivals, fled as the swordsman continued viciously slaying the others. The swordsman turned on his heels and stared at the duo, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly as warm blood dripped from the blade.
"Yo." Asuka waved slowly and smiled widely.
"Who the hell are you two?" The swordsman asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm Senju D. Asuka. This is Bulma." Asuka pointed a thumb at her.
"What do you want?" The swordsman asked as he eyed the duo carefully.
"I sensed somebody strong in the woods and wanted to fight them." Asuka chuckled, "Well I guess I wanted to meet them at least."
"Uh-huh." Mugen nodded slowly, "What's up with that cloud thing?"
"That's my Flying Nimbus." Bulma explained. "It's a sentient cloud that my father found and he gave to it me after he ran some tests on it."
"Uh-huh." The swordsman cleaned his blade off on the shirt of a dead bandit and cracked his neck, "I'm gonna get going."
"Wait, hold on. What's your name?" Asuka asked.
"Mugen."
"Why were those bandits attacking you?" Bulma asked.
"I was attacking them." Mugen grinned.
"Ah..." Bulma glanced at Asuka.
"So are looking for work?" Asuka asked with a devilish smile. Bulma and Mugen shot Asuka a bewildered look. "Why don't you come with us?" He finally said.
"Why should I?" Mugen scoffed.
"We're on an adventure and I need a crew to help me sail the seas!" Asuka pointed his finger at Mugen, "Join my crew."
"Crew?" Bulma and Mugen asked in unison.
"Okay, how about this? One swing of your sword, if I survive you join us and if I die you can go on your way." Asuka had just finished his sentence when Mugen skipped passed him and sliced through Asuka's chest. Mugen twirled his sword around and sheathed it slowly. "So, it's settled then." Asuka spoke suddenly. Mugen spun around and saw Asuka standing there intact with a smile on his face.
"What the hell?" Mugen stared in shock.
"I can't be cut." Asuka explained with a chuckle.
"I thought so when you launched your arm, you ate a Devil Fruit!" Bulma exclaimed.
"So they do exist…" Mugen scratched his head, "You damn cheater, you got me good."
Asuka laughed and grinned, "So cool! I have a wizard and a swordsman in my crew!"
"Wizard?" He looked Bulma up and down before turning back to Asuka, "What are yo- I guess it's 'we' now... What are we, pirates?" Mugen asked.
"I'm not sure yet." Asuka said with a chuckle, "I didn't expect to meet crew members so fast."
Mugen groaned slightly, "Listen, I've gotta take down the boss." He pointed deeper into the forest, "He's a menace and I'd like to cut him down."
Asuka looked at Bulma and then back at Mugen, "Lead the way."
Mugen led them through bushes and between trees as they trekked through the woods. The smell of smoke and a cacophony of shouts began to fill the air as they approached the bandit camp. The trio stood at a distance and watched the camp, staying out of sight.
"What's up with these guys?" Bulma asked quietly.
"Typical bandits. The leader is a savage bastard who keeps outrunning the town guards." Mugen sighed, "I should've taken Twinblade down a long time ago."
"Did you used to run with their gang?" Asuka asked.
Mugen shrugged, "I've helped them rob some ships and such. But only because that fuckhead King threw me out of town." He rolled his eyes.
"Sounds dramatic." Bulma smiled awkwardly.
"Well whatever is going on, we'll kick these guys' asses." Asuka grinned.
"They'll know I'm coming." Mugen stated as he pulled his sword.
Asuka popped his knuckles and walked in unison with Mugen, striding toward the camp. Bulma walked with them, trailing behind away from serious danger. Two bandits on the wall spotted the three of them and sounded the alarm to the camp! Poorly made wooden walls ringed the camp and a single gate stood on the western wall. Six bandits rushed from the gate at them, swords in hand.
Mugen clashed blades with a bandit and quickly cut him down, engaging another immediately. Asuka let swords slice through him and he beat the bandits down with heavy punches. Bandits on the wall opened fire on them with rifles and pistols, bullets striking the ground and trees around them. Bulma skipped onto the Flying Nimbus and zoomed up to the top of the wall and blasted the bandits down with a gust of wind.
They beat down the bandits outside and rushed through the gate, Bulma hovering in the air on the nimbus. Only a handful of bandits were within the walls and the trio continued their attack on the camp. Asuka launched Chop-Chop Rockets and struck down bandits as Mugen sliced his way through the others. Mugen slashed a bandit in the chest and kicked him down, pointing his blade against the man's throat.
"Where's Twinblade?" Mugen asked coolly.
"He went t-to town. Qanton!" He spat out fast.
"He's going through with it?" Mugen gritted his teeth and cut the top of the man's head off with a clean swing, his brain plopping out as his head hit the ground..
"What's going on?" Bulma called down to them.
"We need to get to Qanton City, now!" Mugen shouted up to her.
"Qanton? Are we in Qarlaq Kingdom?" Bulma asked with a strange look on her face.
"What's going on?" Asuka asked Mugen.
"Twinblade has been talking about attacking the city and kidnapping the royal family. He wants to ransom them and will kill them if he has to!" Mugen took off running, determined to stop the bandits!
Bulma dropped down on the nimbus and Asuka hopped on the back of it, "Follow him." They flew after Mugen, twisting between the trees and bushes.
They burst from the trees and came to a clearing, a long lush field with a great lake in the middle of it. Across the field stood a tall stone wall, the outskirts of Qanton City.
"Listen, I owe the princess my life. I need to protect her!" Mugen shouted to them.
Asuka jumped off the back of the nimbus, "Get on and you two speed to the city. I'll catch up."
Mugen nodded and leapt onto the nimbus, "Thank you." Bulma flew quickly for the city as fast as the cloud could take them.
As Bulma and Mugen zoomed closer to the gate, they saw bandits and soldiers fighting outside. The gates were broken open and the siege had already begun. They flew over the wall and the streets were full of bodies and spreading fires. Bulma sped toward the castle and came to find guards and bandits clashing in clusters all over the city.
"Oh my god..." Bulma gasped.
"Twinblade has gathered every thug from the badlands of Qarlaq." Mugen gritted his teeth.
They approached the castle and dropped down to the battle that had consumed the upper terrace. Mugen skipped off the nimbus and began cutting through bandits with ferocious swings of his sword. Bulma blasted an intense gust of wind that rocked the bandits, knocking them down hard as the guards were sent stumbling around.
Bulma jumped off the nimbus and waved at the guards, "Sorry!"
Mugen dashed onward and entered the castle, Bulma following close behind as she shouted at the Flying Nimbus to go back for Asuka.
Asuka charged through the broken gate, stepping over fallen bandits and guards as he quickly made his way up the stone steps toward the marketplace. As he reached the top of the stairs, two bandits fired pistols at him and missed badly. He charged forward and hurled both of his arms, striking the two bandits down.
Asuka yanked his arms back and charged across the burning marketplace as people frantically moved to fight the flames. He continued toward the castle and spotted the Flying Nimbus in the sky.
Mugen cut down three bandits as Bulma blasted others back with her Climate Baton. The duo crushed through more bandits as they made their way to the main hall of the castle. The King and his two daughters lay tied up on the floor, a tall scar covered man wielding two swords stood over them laughing. Guards and bandits fought viciously around them as the large man grinned down at his hostages.
Twinblade looked up at Mugen and flashed a wicked smile at him. "Come to swear fealty to the new King?"
Mugen didn't say a word, he simply skipped at Twinblade and they clashed their blades in a heated flurry of combat. Twinblade slashed his twin blades at Mugen, he dipped away from them and swung his sword upward at him. Twinblade collided his right hand sword with Mugen's blade and slashed his chest with his left hand sword.
The bandits beat down the guards and turned their attention to Bulma. Seven bandits closed in on her, she blasted three back with a gust of wind and smacked another in the face with her baton. A gunshot echoed out as a bullet ripped into Bulma's back and she gasped loudly in pain and stumbled forward.
"Chop-Chop Rocket!" The bandit that shot Bulma was struck down by Asuka's fist as the Flying Nimbus flew into the main hall. Asuka leapt off the cloud and threw himself into the bandits around Bulma.
As Asuka beat through the bandits, Mugen and Twinblade continued their savage clash and Mugen is kicked back hard. Twinblade slashed his stomach and kicked him in the wound. Mugen stumbled back when suddenly Asuka leapt up and grappled Twinblade, wrapping himself around him. Mugen grinned slyly and sliced straight through Asuka and shredded through Twinblade's chest! Asuka jumped off Twinblade as he stumbled back and dropped his sword. Mugen moved to untie the royal family as Asuka rushed to Bulma's side. Twinblade grabbed his chest and coughed blood as he fell to the floor as his plans crumbled around him.
Asuka steadied Bulma out as she staggered around and laid face down on the nimbus. He held his hands down on her bullet wound in attempts to stop the bleeding. The King stood and hugged his daughters as he shot a dirty look at Mugen.
"You're welcome, asshole." Mugen said to the King.
"Mugen!" Princess Rukia hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much, you saved the Kingdom!"
"Yes, thank you." Princess Karin said with a smile.
"You saved me from the seas, I saved you from that dual wielding freak." Mugen said to Rukia and grinned.
"I guess I do owe you some gratitude." The King said reluctantly.
"Help Bulma and get us some food!" Asuka shouted at the King.
The trio stayed in the castle for three days as Bulma rested and the boys ate and ate and ate. Rukia gifted them money for their help and saw them off when they decided to leave. Rukia and some guards walked with them to the shore and Bulma searched her bag for a DynoCap. She pulled one out and popped out a small speedboat in the water.
"Be safe, you guys. And thank you again!" Rukia shouted out to them as the trio sped away from Qarlaq Kingdom, heading east and north toward the next Dragon Ball!
Back in the Qanton castle, King Remus talks with Marine Captain Sterik. Sterik handed Remus a bounty poster and the King looked it over carefully.
"Yes, this is her. I'm sure of it." The King said with a nod.
Sterik smiled, "Wonderful. Thank you for your time, Your Grace." The Captain turned around and walked quickly from the hall, his footfalls echoing around the room.
Remus looked back to the bounty poster and read it again. Nefeltari Bulma, Only Alive. 30,000,000 Beli Bounty!
To Be Continued