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 3: The Courier
"You're gonna become the World's Greatest Swordsman? That's awesome!" Asuka chuckled.
Mugen grinned and nodded, "The struggle to become the best has been in motion since the first man picked up a sword." Mugen looked up to the sky, "I must first find and defeat the man who wears the #2 Headband."
"Headband?" Asuka asked as the speedboat launched off of a wave and slapped down onto the water as Bulma sped onward.
"There are two of them. An unwritten rule is, you must be wearing the #2 Headband in order to challenge the greatest swordsman." Mugen looked back at Asuka.
"Well we'll find 'em and beat 'em both!" Asuka cheered and the two of them laughed.
"What about you? Why are you setting out to sea?" Mugen questioned.
Asuka thought for a few seconds, "There's a few reasons why. My dad abandoned me as a newborn and it seems like he's waiting for me somewhere on the Grand Line. And, they are waiting for me somewhere out there." He smiled widely. "Dosu and Kadaro."
"Kadaro?" Bulma said as she shot a glance back at them.
"Yeah, Kadaro was a marine who used to come through Moby Bay. He'd talk with me and didn't mind me being annoying. Likewise, Dosu was a pirate that did that same thing!" Asuka laughed and smiled again. "Both of them were strong men of the sea who motivated me to set out on my own adventure. So I'm gonna adventure around the seas and the world and become stronger than both of them."
Mugen smiled and nodded at Asuka, something of an understanding in the air. They sat in silence as the boat's engine whirred. Bulma called out to them, "We're here! There's a Dragon Ball on this island!"
They landed on the shore and Bulma popped the boat back into a capsule and tucked it away. The entire island seemed to be one large forest with unimaginably tall trees all around them. The trio set off through the dense forest in search of the Dragon Ball. Bulma held her Dragon Radar in hand and guided them further and further into the trees.
After walking for some time the tree line thinned out and they found themselves at a beautifully crafted village. With so much wood at hand, the villagers have created themselves a wonderful home of wooden structures. The trio walked into the village and make their way toward a large wooden tavern. The inside smelled like pine and meat and cinnamon. They sat down at a table.
"Three grogs please!" Mugen called to a serving girl who moved quickly at his word. The girl brought them the drinks and Mugen paid her.
Asuka took a drink of the grog and nearly gagged as he swallowed it. "Blegh! Why would anyone drink this?"
Bulma also gagged as she drank the grog and covered her mouth. She looked at Asuka, both of them crying on the inside. They ordered food and Asuka ordered them all juices before Mugen could order again. They ate and talked about the Dragon Ball when suddenly, a piercing shriek erupted from outside.
The trio ran outside and saw many of the villagers running inside their homes or other buildings. A boy about Asuka's age zipped passed them and stopped in the middle of the town square.
"Everyone remain calm and get somewhere safe! The Lord of the Wood is coming!" The boy called out and zipped off toward the village gate.
They stared at him as he zipped away, his feet were wheels. The boy wore an olive green shirt with a brown satchel on his left hip. The trio dashed after him to see what the commotion was about.
At the village gate, guards were throwing rocks at a gargantuan boar! The boy with the wheels zipped at the boar and leapt up in the air and spun wickedly, bringing a savage kick down onto the boar's head! The boar cried out in pain and charged at the boy, who zipped back swiftly and evaded its attack. Asuka hurled a Chop-Chop Rocket that struck the boar in the jaw, the animal grunted loudly and charged at the trio.
"Don't kill it!" The boy shouted at the trio as he zipped after the boar.
Asuka charged at the boar, his upper half separating and floating up in the air to reattach with his arm. As the boar charged at them, Asuka's legs dashed and sent a kick at the boar's head as his upper body launched Twin Chop-Chop Rockets into its back! The boar grunted and stumbled back as the boy zipped beside it and kicked it hard in the belly and lifted it up in the air. Mugen leapt up in the air and hit the boar with the blunt side of his sword and launched it through the air and over the village wall.
They could hear the Lord of the Wood charging away from the village as they all stood there. Asuka reassembled himself and cheered as the boy approached them.
"Thanks for the help, I appreciate it." The boy extended his hand out to Asuka, "I'm Yasui."
"I'm Senju D. Asuka. Wanna join my crew? You have wheels for feet and can kick like crazy!" Asuka spoke fast and smiled.
Bulma and Mugen laughed and introduced themselves to Yasui as he stood there stunned. "Join your crew?"
"Yeah I'm gonna sail the Grand Line with my crew and have the ultimate adventure." Asuka said.
"Listen, I do appreciate the help but I'm just a courier. Mail and the News Coo comes to my family's shop and I deliver it all around the island." Yasui said with a smile.
Bulma pulled her Five Star Ball from her bag and showed it to Yasui. "You must have been all around the island then, right? Have you ever seen one of these?"
"Oh yeah! Old Lady Hue has one of those, I think it only has two stars on it." Yasui nodded as he spoke.
"Where does Lady Hue live?" Bulma asked.
"In my village, Oakfield. I was just about to head that way before the Lord of the Wood attacked. I can lead you guys there through the woods." Yasui pointed out of the gate.
"That would be great!" Bulma exclaimed and clapped.
Yasui led their group twisting and turning down a path through the forest. Strange creatures bellowed from hiding and eerie shadows grabbed at them as they walked the path.
"I've been running these trails since I was ten, making deliveries for the shop. My dad died when I was nine and it got me motivated to help my mom out." Yasui explained.
"That's sweet of you." Bulma said. "How long will it take us to reach Oakfield?"
"It usually takes me half an hour but that's me on my wheels. So it may take us an hour or so."
"And your wheels, that's a Devil Fruit?" Mugen asked.
"Yep. I found it in the woods when I was five and ate it by mistake. But the wheels come in handy!" Yasui chuckled and turned his feet into wheels and zoomed around them. They continued walking the path until they came to another village, equally as beautiful and intricate as the previous one. "This is home!"
"The craftsmanship of these villages are incredible." Bulma said to Yasui.
Yasui led them through the village and to his house and shop. His mother was behind the counter sorting mail as they walked in.
"Mom, these are my new friends. Asuka, Mugen and Bulma." He pointed them out to her.
"Oh, it's good to meet you! Are you from Oakvale?" She asked.
"No, we're sailing around on an adventure." Asuka stated.
"Well isn't that nice." She said and gave Yasui some more mail to deliver.
"I'm gonna take them to see Old Lady Hue." Yasui called to his mom as the four of them walked away.
"Alright, I'll see you later!" She called after them.
Yasui led them to the heart of Oakfield to a crooked old house. He opened the front door and ushered the rest of them inside. A shriveled old woman sat on a pillow smoking a pipe in the center of the room. When they entered the room, the Two Star Ball on the mantle glowed that brilliant yellow.
"Oh, Yasui boy, how are you?" Lady Hue said slowly.
"I'm well grandma, my friends wanted to talk with you."
Lady Hue looked at the other three and lifted an eyebrow. "Well, what is it?"
Asuka and Bulma pulled out their Dragon Balls and presented them to Lady Hue. "Ma'am, we're trying to collect the seven Dragon Balls and summon the eternal dragon." Bulma explained.
"Hmmmm." Lady Hue croaked. "You believe in that legend? I'm surprised someone as young as you knows about it."
"They helped protect Oakvale from the Lord of the Wood." Yasui stated.
"You vouch for these kids then, Yasui?" Lady Hue croaked.
Yasui nodded at the old lady, "Yes ma'am."
Lady Hue nodded and reached for the Two Star Ball when a sudden explosion rocked the village! Everyone in the crooked house was sent scrambling over their feet as the ground shook and gunshots began to ring out. The four teens burst outside to see a unit of soldiers mowing down villagers with rifles and machine guns! A strange vehicle hovered in the sky above, two figures leapt from it and landed in the town square. One of them was a tall woman with long black hair and the other was a Golden Retriever-Mink, both wore the same gray trench coat.
The Mink pointed at Lady Hue's house and a rocket blasted from the hovercraft and erupted as it struck the crooked house. Soldiers fired at the four as they charged the house and the two officer looking figures dashed at them as well. The Mink pulled a sword from his back and Mugen stared at him wickedly, drawing his own sword as the two of them clashed. The woman aimed two machine guns and opened fire at Bulma and Asuka as they engaged the soldiers.
Yasui zipped around the soldiers and at the woman, sending a swift kick at her. She dodged back and smacked him in the chest with one of her guns before sending her own kick into his side. A gust of wind blasted at them and knocked the woman back allowing Yasui to skip forward and kick her in the chest.
The hovercraft launched more missiles around the village and obliterated building after building. Screams and explosions fill the air as the battle raged on. Asuka threw his left arm and struck the woman with a Chop-Chop Rocket and a bullet hit him in the side. Bulma hurled gusts of wind at the soldiers and another explosion erupted and knocked her down hard.
Mugen kicked the Mink in the side and slashed his chest with a swift slice. The Mink ran Electro through his sword and slashed Mugen in the side while shocking him. The Mink kicked Mugen in the side with Electro and dashed toward the rubble of the crooked house.
The woman kicked Yasui back hard and Asuka blasted his left elbow out of his arm and hit her in the forehead with it. The woman reeled and more explosions blasted around them. The Mink leapt from the blaze of the rubble clutching the Two Star Ball in his hand. He skipped over to the woman and a rope ladder fell from the hovercraft. The mysterious duo grabbed the rope ladder and the hovercraft took off as the last of the soldiers were beaten down in the broken village.
Yasui fell to his knees as screams and sobs erupted from his lips. He struck the ground over and over as he cried. Bulma rushed to his side and embraced him tightly. Asuka and Mugen picked themselves up and embraced Yasui as he cried. His home was destroyed and most everyone he knew was dead.
Bulma was crying, hugging Yasui tightly. "Y-Yasui." She sobbed, "I wanted the Dragon Balls for my own selfish needs. B-But, we're gonna kick those guys' asses and gather all the Dragon Balls. And when we do, you can wish your village back to life!"
Yasui cried and shook as he hugged them all as tightly as he could.
To Be Continued