Chapter 51: Escape from the Pirate Cave

A massive chunk of masonry fell downwards to crash headlong into the larger sub. Other chunks fell around them, splashing into the water without relent. As all this happened, Bulma pulled back a lever and prepared. 'Alright let's go!'

Krillen watched the exit which Kakarot would come out of if he did come out. Little by little the sub began to sink down into the waves. 'Kakarot, where are you?' he thought.

Then he saw him. 'Wait a minute!' cried Krillen 'He's okay!'

Bulma looked up in joy. 'Kakarot!'

Kakarot came rushing out of the hall, wearing a strange silver necklace with a blood red ruby on the end. From his mouth was sticking a mouth tail and in his hand was the dragonball. They came out of the water and opened the hatch as he rushed by.

'Kakarot!' cried Krillen 'We're over here! Quick get in!'

Kakarot obeyed and leaped into the sub, still not answering and the hatch was closed. Soon enough they sank into the ocean as the entire cove collapsed behind them. Kakarot took the mouse out of his mouth and set it down on the seat.

It was more than a little eerie seeing all those rocks sinking around them. As they sped through the water into an unwater cave, Krillen breathed a sigh of relief. 'You had us worried there for a minute.'

'It would have taken less time.' said Kakarot 'However I had to find that mouse.' He rubbed its nose. 'How are you doing, little guy?'

'Quiet!' snapped Bulma 'I'm trying to concentrate! We're not out of the water yet!'

A rock fell from above and bounced off their ship. Then another and Krillen was afraid that one large enough to shatter the cockpit would hit them. 'Is it just my imagination or are the rocks getting bigger?'

'Nope.' said Kakarot cheerfully. 'We're all gonna die.'

At that moment a gigantic boulder fell down to bar their way. Bulma managed to menuever them around it, yet several smaller ones fell down to nearly crush them. She ducked and weaved them through while Krillen felt sure they were dead.

Then they came to a dead end.

'It's blocked.' said Bulma.

'We're done for…' said Krillen.

'What about that side passage back there?' asked Kakarot, motioning.

They looked and sure enough there was a side passage leading into the rock. Bulma turned the sub and shot down it at top speed.

'Great eyes kid.' said Bulma 'Perfect this passage might lead to the surface! Hold on everyone! We're getting out of here!'

Krillin wasn't quite sure. The passage seemed to be getting narrower and narrower as they pressed on. 'Are you sure about this? It looks like a tight fit.'

'Excellent idea.' said Kakarot 'Let's stay where we are and die.'

They were jostled and jolted repeatedly as they pressed on. Krillin was almost certain they were going to die now. 'At least things couldn't get any worse.'

They ran out of fuel and came to an abrupt halt. Kakarot and Bulma glared at Krillen.

'What?' said Krillen.

'You just had to say it, didn't you?' asked Bulma.

Then, as their sub hit the bottom Krillin and Bulma began to panic, cry and weep.

Kakarot found the whole affair rather boring and decided to pay attention to other things. He looked behind him. Then he had an idea. A wonderful, awful, wonderful idea. He picked up the mouse and spoke: 'Krillen, this is mouse. Take care of him.'

'What do I look like an animal trainer?' asked Krillen, taking mouse.

'No.' said Kakarot 'They're competent. Now everyone take a deep breath.'

'Kakarot, what are you doing?' asked Bulma.

'Kaaa….' began Kakarot. 'meee…'

'Ah!' said Krillin.

'Is he nuts?!' asked Bulma.

'Haaa…'

They took a deep breath as a brilliant light formed between Kakarot's hands.

'MEHAAA!' cried Kakarot.

There was a surge of light that burst through the windshield. Then they were shot like a rocket through the water. The sensation of the water rushing by them was painful. The feeling of heat from Kakarot's attack was on their cheeks. Their lungs were burning, their whole frame aching. On and on the rush went without apparent end.

Then they surged out of the cave as the passageway exploded behind them, racing up and up and up until they burst out of the water and into midair. Moments later they were thrown from the sub and landed to splash into the water.

Pulling himself up, Kakarot looked around. 'Krillen is the mouse okay?'

'I'm fine,' said Krillen.

'Yeah, okay, that's great,' said Kakarot 'but is the mouse okay?'

'He's fine too.' said Krillin.

Bulma surfaced. 'What now?'

'Well the island is over that way.' said Kakarot. 'Let's swim for it.'

They made it to the island after a few minutes and rested there on the shore for a bit as they recovered from their ordeal. Then they arose. Kakarot, Bulma and Krillen stretched on the beach while Mouse shook off the water. Behind them was a large Red Ribbon Army base.

'I am glad to be back on land.' said Kakarot.

'My sentiments exactly.' said Bulma. 'I sure am glad to have a friend like you.'

'And you were going to leave him.' muttered Krillin. Then he stood and made his way to the shore. 'Just think, we almost had all that treasure. I could have been a millionaire.'

'It's fine,' said Kakarot 'we can just find some rich person we don't like to beat up and take their stuff.'

'Speaking of which,' said Bulma 'I have a souvenir.' And she drew from her bodice a massive diamond.

'How in the world did you get it?' asked Krillen.

'I swiped it during the fight with blue.' said Bulma 'It's a beauty in the sun. This baby would look great on an engagement ring, don't you think?'

'I got a trophy of my own.' said Kakarot, raising the necklace. 'I'm not really sure what to do with it though. Doesn't really suit me, I think.'

'Well you could give it to somebody important to you.' suggested Bulma.

'I guess.' said Kakarot 'Oh, I almost forgot about the dragonball!' And he drew out the three star ball. 'One less to go after I guess.'

'Are we really going to keep looking for these things?' asked Bulma.

'Sure why not,' said Kakarot 'I've got a wish I have to make. Besides, General Blue was easy to crush.'

'I'll bet Yamcha is having better luck than us.' said Bulma ruefully.

'Anyway why don't we continue this conversation back at Master Roshi's place.' said Krillin, before motioning to the vehicles. 'We even have transportation courtesy of the Red Ribbon army.'

'Let's raid their fridge first.' said Kakarot 'I'm starving.'

'Alright we'll go inside and get some food and that's it.' said Bulma 'This place gives me the creeps.'

They made their way into the house and began to look around. They found no fridges, or much of anything. Bulma sighed. 'Doesn't seem to be much here.'

'Uh huh.' agreed Krillen.

'Headquarters to Blue camp,' said a voice. 'come in Blue camp.'

They looked up and saw a mike active on the far wall.

'Awaiting transmission, respond immediately. Do you copy Blue camp, over.' said the voice. 'This is a secure transmission, awaiting reply.'

Bulma stepped forward and spoke: 'I'm afraid that the General isn't returning any calls today.'

'What the… who is this?!'

'Briefs!' said Bulma 'Bulma Briefs! We've just wasted our third General!'

There was silence for a long moment on the other end. Then a thick voice came in. 'Alright listen missy, I don't know how bleeding important you think you are, but nobody messes with the Red Ribbon Army and lives to tell about it. Now hand over the dragonball or suffer the consequences!'

'Hand over to who?' asked Bulma sarcastically. 'We've wasted your whole army.'

'We have many resources.' said the voice. 'And we've already taken your home base. The scientist who really made your dragon radar is in your custody, and if you want him to stay in one piece you'll do exactly as we tell you.'

'Scientist?' asked Kakarot.

'They must mean Master Roshi.' said Krillen 'But there is no way somebody could beat him.'

'Jokes on you pal.' said Bulma 'You need him to build you a new radar. If you execute him, you're back to square one.'

'And whose to say we don't already have what we need?'

It might have been an effective bluff, if Roshi was any use at all in regards to technology.

'Oh believe me.' said Bulma 'I know exactly how much he has told you. And that's nothing.'

'Why you- I am Red! Supreme Commander Red! Attention-'

Bulma cut the transmission. 'Anyway that was fun. Let's get out of here.'

'You guys are nuts you know that.' said Krillen. 'If they captured Master Roshi-'

'No, they didn't.' said Kakarot 'They considered Silver a badass. Master Roshi is way beyond any of us, there is absolute no way they captured him. They probably just were bluffing, and we'll get back to find a pile of corpses on the ground.'

They hijacked a coptor and flew off into the distance. As they did Bulma looked at the diamond in her hand. Then she handed it to Krillen. 'Here you go, take it. I'm giving it to Master Roshi. I'm going to offer it as compensation for the submarine we destroyed, do you think he'll go for it?'

'Are you kidding me?' asked Krillin 'He'll probably flip out.'

'With a jewel like that she could probably buy a million submarines or more.' laughed Bulma. 'Think of anyone to give that necklace to yet Kakarot?'

'I think I'll give it to Chi Chi.' mused Kakarot 'After all our hunt for the dragonballs caused her nation a lot of trouble. We ought to pay her back somehow.'

Kami House was deserted. Launch was nowhere to be found. Roshi was nowhere to be found. Kakarot searched high and low with Bulma and Krillen, and found nothing. Eventually they met up outside the house.

'Where could they have gone?' asked Bulma.

'You don't think Roshi really-' began Krillen.

'No,' said Kakarot 'there is no one on this planet who could defeat Roshi. No one.' Then he saw Turtle. 'Turtle any idea where Launch and Roshi are?'

'It was horrible.' said Turtle 'A whole company of men with guns arrived and tried to take the dragonball.'

'And they captured Roshi?' asked Bulma.

'No.' said Turtle 'Roshi wasted them in about ten seconds. Then this red haired guy named Silver arrived.'

'Silver?' asked Kakarot. 'That loser.'

'He was very powerful.' said Turtle 'Hurled all kinds of ki attacks at Roshi, and he was fast and strong enough to keep up with him somewhat.'

'So he captured Roshi?' said Krillen.

'No.' said Turtle 'Roshi made a fool of him and didn't even take him all that seriously. Then Launch transformed…'

'And wasted Silver?' surmised Kakarot.

'It was like her blonde self,' said Turtle 'but she sounded different. Acted different too. Her presence didn't change any, so she was able to take Roshi offguard and knock him out while Silver distracted him. Then she and Silver and Launch took Roshi and the dragonball and went off.'

'Great,' said Bulma 'so he wasn't bluffing. I hope Roshi doesn't get hurt because of us.'

'Why would Launch betray us?' asked Krillen.

'Hasky.' said Kakarot.

'Hmm?' asked Krillen.

'When we were just starting out,' said Kakarot 'Launch developed a third split personality, that of a master thief. She tried to blow an entire amusement park to bits just to kill us. Far worse than her normal blonde self.'

'Worse?!' said Krillen 'This is serious! And this blonde self is working for the Red Ribbon Army?!'

'So I assume.' said Kakarot 'Still we don't have to worry about Roshi. If he's a prisoner it's by choice. He's probably just sticking around to keep an eye on them.'

'What about the dragonball?' asked Bulma 'They got it.'

'It doesn't matter.' said Kakarot 'I was planning to wipe out their HQ eventually anyway. All that matters is that we have all seven at the end. We'll crush them soon enough. Right after we get something to eat.'

'Is that all you think about?' asked Bulma.

'I'm hungry.' said Kakarot.

Had they but known it, General Blue had survived and was watching them from around the corner. In his hand was a spool of rope, and he had a smile on his face. He had escaped the collapsing lair by swimming. It had been a near thing but he had managed it. Swimming back to shore he had killed the guard he found hiding in a cellar, gotten some rope and set out after them.

Eventually he found this island and here he was. 'No need to get so worked up.' He thought. 'It's all a means to an end. Your end to be precise.'

Authors Note:

Next chapter is up and enjoy.