Deep within the castle, inside the Red Ribbon central command, Commander Red watched, waiting patiently as Goku and Gohan drew nearer to the base. The short, one-eyed, ginger, Scottsman sat on his throne and stared at the overhead screen displaying the greatest opponents ever to face his army; two measly children. He frowned, looking at these two arrogant brats flying on their cloud and putting on a brave face like they could take on the world, it made him sick to his stomach. He took a half-smoked cigar out of his mouth as he turned to his left to speak candidly to his most trusted advisor.

"Ai'll tell you what Black, if these SAM turrets we implemented really do work Ai'll raise your salary by ten percent."

Officer Black stood from his chair in surprise; an offer this generous was rarely made by Red.

"T-thank you, sir. I promise you the turrets will-"

Red furiously interrupted. "What did Ai' tell you about standing in front of me!?"

"Sorry, sir I-"

"Sit your arse back down!" Red viciously screamed, enraged by his tall and slender officer's ignorance.

Black disgruntledly sat back down in his chair, he knew due to Red's constant insecurities concerning his height, that he had just lost any chance at a raise.

Red smiled condescendingly, "Now Ai' want these turrets firing as soon as those kids are in range so make sure they're ready to go."

Black nodded and went to work readying the SAM turrets they had "cleverly" hidden in the forest surrounding the outer edges of the base. On his computer, he checked the condition of each turret personally and from the looks of it, each turret's ammunition was full and targeting systems online.

"All right, sir I believe we are ready to go," Black said with confidence.

An evil smile spread across Red's face. An awful and wicked smile that displayed his multiple false teeth and puffy red gums. "Good, now, fire on those bloody bastards!"

Black pushed the launch button and a hail of missiles were fired from the turrets, the ground vibrated and Red watched with pleasure as the camera's view was obscured by smoke.

Goku squinted as he saw the smoke rise from the trees in front of him, clouding his view of the base. He panicked, believing the army was setting the forest ablaze in order to stop their approach. "Jack, look, the army's setting forest is on fire! They're gonna hurt the animals!"

Gohan stepped to the left, peering over Goku's shoulder. The smoke wasn't black like smoke coming from burning leaves or wood, it was white like gunpowder. He held a hand out in front of Goku. "Hold on Goku. I don't think that's a forest fire..."

Missiles flew past the pair, and Gohan followed their smoke trail with his eyes until he found their origin point. He could hardly believe their stupidity. They were actually firing missiles from inside the forest where plenty of trees or rocks could obstruct the turret's vision.

"Goku, dive the nimbus into the forest!" Gohan shouted as more missiles were fired.

"You got it!" Goku said as he ordered the cloud to do a nearly ninety-degree dive into the pines below.

The whistling sound of rockets passing by could be heard as the army continued to fire missiles in all directions, hoping one would find them. The bombardment seemed to stop when the two reached the outermost layer of the base's defenses. They both stepped quietly off the cloud and crept along the edge of the treeline looking for a good way in. Directly in front of them, there were a couple dozen soldiers dug in around a gate that guarded the main road. Passed the gate, it looked like the main road branched off into two: The first road went left towards the castle, and the second, went right towards the barracks and airstrips.

"What do you think, Goku? Should we push through these guys and head up the left towards the castle?" Gohan asked.

Goku took out the dragon radar and it indicated that the dragon balls were somewhere inside the insidious fortress. "Yeah, but there's no way we can use the nimbus right now, they'll just blow it up once we get in the air. I think the only way to get in is to go through em'."

The two saw more soldiers arrive at the gate, no doubt they were reinforcements to make sure it stayed secure. Realizing their window of opportunity was closing, Goku nudged Gohan and the two ran from the forest towards the entrenched guards.

The machine-gun nests were the first to spot them and wasted no time in open-firing. Gohan ran behind Goku, allowing him to block the bullets with his pole as they continued to push forward. Once they were close enough, the two leaped over the guns and knocked out the soldiers manning them. They then diverted their attention to the dozens of guards that now surrounded them. They stood back to back as the Red Ribbon forces huddled together and circled them.

A voice broke from the ranks. "Drop the staff and surrender!" The voice gave Goku a second to obey his command before appearing once more. "The games over, we have you surrounded, now drop the staff!"

Goku yelled, "Powerpole extend!" and the staff grew by over twenty feet, forcing gasps out of a few of the soldiers.

He screamed "Take this!" swinging the pole around the feet of the troops knocking many of them to the ground.

Using this as an opening, Gohan rushed forward and snapped a soldier's wrist forcing him to drop his weapon. Goku followed right behind him and the pair battered the soldiers until none were left standing.

"Great work Goku!" Gohan said. His father's speed and technique clearly had honed since his fight with Tao.

"You too Jack! Those guys didn't know what hit em'"

Goku sheathed his power pole and the two ran past the gate, entering the innards of the Red Ribbon Base. The road that led to the castle was longer than they expected, requiring them to pass by a few weapons depots and an armory, all of which were oddly empty. It seemed like the troops left in quite a hurry, as most of the weapons lockers were left open.

"I wonder where everybody went." mused Goku.

After much more walking than they anticipated, they had finally made it to the gate of the castle. it was suspiciously both open and unguarded.

Gohan's eyes darted around looking for any signs of movement. "It's too quiet Goku, I think they are setting a trap for us,"

"You think so, huh? Hm..." Goku hesitated, seemingly weighing the odds in his head. "Do you want to look for another way around?"

"No, no I think we can handle these guys. Just be careful okay?"

He was slightly worried about the equipment the army had; bullets were no problem for his father, but he didn't know if he was durable enough to withstand being shot by a tank, at least not yet.

"I will, but you be careful too." Goku said before leading the way past the gate. They both stopped to admire the beauty of the courtyard leading up to the main tower. The asphalt road they walked upon thus far had changed and was now constructed of finely cut stone all perfectly fit together in a beautiful manner. The road was lined by white plaster exterior buildings with beautiful glass windows and priceless golden roofs. It looked almost as if they had jumped straight out of a medieval fairytale.

Suddenly, from the alleyways, soldiers appeared, blocking them from walking any further. The soldiers didn't even bother speaking to the two before shooting at them. Goku used his power pole and blocked every bullet with ease despite many soldiers carrying heavy machine guns. The troops quickly expended their ammunition and when they found their bullets were ineffective they took out their last resort: rocket launchers. Under normal circumstances firing rockets so close to the castle grounds meant immediate termination under the rules of the army, but this was no ordinary circumstance. The troops, although their confidence was shaken, brought forward two rocket launchers, and before they could even load them, Goku and Gohan had already begun their counter-attack. Goku went for the launchers destroying them both with his pole, and Gohan knocked out the few soldiers that weren't already retreating back towards central command

In this momentary peace, Goku checked the radar again; the dragon ball was absolutely in the base's command center. Goku showed the radar to Gohan and the two agreed to continue following the stone road because it was the most straightforward path. Just as they continued on their way, another trap was hastily sprung for them. The glass windows of the surrounding buildings shattered violently as the barrels of guns were pushed through them. A new and rapid wave of gunfire began, forcing Gohan and Goku to take cover in a nearby alleyway. Goku, growing tired of these delays, thought of a better way to get past the soldiers. An ingenious idea popped into his head.

The rooftops, they can't hit us if they can't see us!

"Jack, hold on, I'm gonna get us on the rooftops! Powerpole extend!" He said, grabbing Gohan by the waist just as the pole began to lengthen. The gunfire stopped as the soldiers hesitated, they would receive more than an earful from their angry commander if they ruined his beautiful rooftops. Using their enemy's hesitation Goku and Gohan jumped from rooftop to rooftop unchallenged by anyone, even the helicopters that were overhead refused to fire in fear of damaging their commander's beloved castle.

The base's announcement system sprung to life with an annoying hiss. A loud voice coated with a thick Scottish accent begun speaking, "Listen brave soldiers! Now is the time you prove your loyalty to the army and to me! This is Commander Red and Ai' order each and every one of you to take up arms and kill those two! Do it by any means necessary, shoot them, stab them, blow em' up, do whatever is needed to get them out of the way! Ai' don't even care if you burn down the whole damn place! JUST GET ME THOSE DRAGON BALLS!"

The helicopters that were once hesitant swooped in bravely like angry hornets, but each was swatted rather efficiently as Goku swung his power pole. One of the last helicopters that Goku had managed to hit was seen spinning uncontrollably as it fell from the sky onto a fuel canister near one of the weapons depots. The explosion from the impact was spectacular, sending a shockwave of heat and wind throughout the base.

For many, that hot, powerful, and terrifying explosion was the last straw; dying for the Red Ribbon Army was a sacrifice not many were willing to make and so they fled. The base's alarms went off and wailed continuously as company after company of troops fled from the two boys in terror.

Commander Red's voice returned and echoed throughout the base that was quickly emptying. "W-where are you all going? Ai' said kill those kids! This isn't a democracy! You aren't allowed to leave without me saying so! You bastards get back here now! Ai' am still in charge!"

The dynamic pair couldn't help but laugh hearing the distress in the Scottish commander's voice. His troops he had just called brave were now running scared. It was at this point it became obvious that they had won the day. All that was required now was for Goku and Gohan to claim their prize. The two hopped off from the roof and made their way through the streets to the door of the central command. It was a circular tower with a large satellite dish hanging precariously off the building at an odd angle. The two stepped through the front door and entered into an empty lobby which was bare aside from a front desk and one elevator. Gohan stepped forward and pressed the call button and the elevator arrived in only a few seconds. The two stepped in and pressed the top floor button which was undoubtedly where a commander would be. When the door opened a slender, tall, and dark man stood silently, eyeing the two down with false determination.

"Give us the two dragon balls!" Goku said threateningly while unsheathing the power pole.

"I'm afraid I don't have them; however, I can bring you to the man who does. He is Commander Red, leader of the Red Ribbon Army and I will bring you to him in pieces." He rolled up his sleeves and stood in a boxer-like stance with one foot out far in front of the other and his fists held close to guard his face. The fight was short and fast as Goku broke his defenses and kicked Black into the window, shattering it. The force of the impact threw Black outside, but he managed to catch the razer-sharp glass-covered ledge before he had the chance to fall to his death.

Satisfied that the threat had been dealt with, Goku and Gohan walked over to the elevator, but before they could press the button to call the elevator, a noise came from the ceiling. A noise that sounded like hydraulics being prepped. In one sudden and rapid movement, the ceiling crashed onto the two. Goku, being slightly taller than Gohan, caught the full weight of the ceiling and struggled to keep it in place. Worried that they both would be crushed, Goku saw only one way to ensure that they still would get the dragon balls. "Jack...get t-to the elevator. I'll hold up the ceiling...w-while you get the dragon balls!"

It was obvious that Goku was struggling and Gohan knew he wouldn't be able to hold up the ceiling for very long. He held up his hands and alleviated some of the weight from his father's shoulders. "No Goku, we can beat this together! We just have to push really hard and break the machine that's pushing the ceiling down on us!"

The burst of confidence in Gohan's voice surprised and invigorated Goku. "All right then, let's do it! We'll push really hard on the count of three. One! Two! Three!"

They both pushed and sent the ceiling flying upwards back into the hydraulic machinery crumpling it and smashing the ceiling back into place, albeit quite brutally. Tired from the immense effort it took to stop the ceiling, Goku sat on the floor for a moment to catch his breath. Gohan, pretending to be exhausted, gave him a thumbs up and went to call the elevator, but it seemed it was already on its way down. The doors opened and the short ginger Commander Red stepped out from it carrying the two dragon balls. His eye went wide as he nearly dropped the two dragon balls he held in his hands "H-how are you two still alive? That ceiling pushes down with a force of ten thousand tons!" Red said, stepping back towards the elevator. He was tempted to call it but he realized it would be pointless, there was no escape.

Red nearly came to tears as he stared at the two orange orbs he held in his palms. "Ai-Ai' can't believe this. All Ai' wanted was to grow a few inches, that would have been my wish! But you couldn't let me have that could ya?! You two little monstrous bastards couldn't-"

A hole opened in the commander's skull as a bullet pierced it. Black had climbed through the window and shot him as he was distracting the boys. The ginger Scotsman's body fell to the floor lifeless. The dragon balls rolled across the floor and Red's spilled blood pooled until it touched the soles of Blacks shoes.

"Stupid fool! You wasted millions of Red Ribbon dollars searching for those balls, and for what, to grow a couple of inches?! You were a pathetic, midget of a man and an incompetent commander. I am far better suited to lead this army than you ever were!" In anger, Black kicked Red's leg like he would a soccer ball hoping for him to somehow feel the pain in the afterlife. "I will lead the army to a better future and I will start by tying up your loose ends," Black said as he threw a capsule behind him. Once the smoke cleared, a massive robotic suit of armor stood before them and Black, in one elegant jump, made his way inside it.

"I think I've evened the odds wouldn't you two say?" Black said menacingly. He clenched his fist and smacked Goku into the wall, crumbling it and sending him flying towards the castle's courtyard below. Gohan knew that hit didn't do much of anything, as he felt no drop in his father's ki, so he stayed put and waited for Black's next move.

"Paralyzed with fear are you boy? Yes, I would be too if I were up against this powerful of a machine. I just hope that when I hit you you'll fly even farther than your friend." Black said, raising his robotic fist before throwing it at Gohan. To his surprise, it was stopped but not only by Gohan.

"Goku?" Gohan said confusedly.

Goku nodded, "Yeah! Nimbus caught me as I was falling and brought me back up as fast as it could!"

Black jumped backward, the odds were stacking against him, and being indoors was more like a liability than anything else. He activated the suit's engines and flew out the opening Goku had made. He relaxed slightly as he floated above the command center and tried to figure out a way to beat these seemingly invulnerable opponents. He settled on the machine's ultimate weapon, a ballistic missile stored in the back of the suit. He turned the machine upside down and launched the massive missile towards the two, he knew it would incinerate the building but as long as he secured the dragon balls it would all be worth it in the end.

Goku saw the attack coming before the missile even was fired, and leaped into the air, jumping towards Black. Once he was close enough he kicked the missile sending it away from the base and into a nearby mountain. The explosion was absolutely massive and created a mini avalanche, blanketing some of the forests near the compound in a new and thick layer of snow. Landing back next to Gohan, Goku recognized this as their chance to strike."Jack, we've both got to hit him with a kamehameha! Let's do it together"

"Right Goku, let's finish this thing once and for all!" Gohan smiled, holding out his hands just as his father was.

"KAME-HAME-HA!" The two roared in unison and their two blue waves shot out together and formed one massive super kamehameha, blasting straight through Blacks mechanical bodysuit. Black quickly mashed the different buttons in the cockpit in some meaningless effort to deter the suit's destruction, but it was too late, his fuel reserves had already caught fire. Black breathed one final defeated breath and then erupted into a ball of flame, he knew that with his death came the death of the Red Ribbon Army and the loss of all they had gained in their years of conquest.

Goku and Gohan turned towards the dragon balls after the explosion. Both the balls were covered in the commander's blood, a cruel reminder of what some would do to obtain the magical orbs. Goku picked them up and wiped them off on the commander's coat before giving them to Gohan who quickly stuffed them into the leather satchel. Still remaining positive, Goku put on a smile and went to where he'd smashed through the wall, he called for the nimbus and the two flew out of the compound victorious, carrying six of the seven mystical orbs.

On their flight out, the two heard six familiar voices coming from below. It seemed that through Bulma's drone, the gang had managed to find the two. Goku was overjoyed, after such a long day of battle, seeing friends was sure to cheer him up. He swooped down and landed the cloud just in front of everyone. "Hey guys! Boy, are we glad to see you!"

Krillin was the first to pipe up. "Goku we heard you two were going to take on the whole Red Ribbon Army by yourselves and we figured you might need some help."

Goku naively replied. "Wow, how did you guys know all that? Was it the robot thingy we saw? Did you guys see us beat them?!"

Yamcha was in awe. "Y-you mean you two really took on the whole army by yourselves!?"

Goku nodded. "Yep, we beat the whole bunch! And we managed to get the two dragon balls they had! You guys should have seen the fight, it was amazing! Jack has improved a lot since the tournament, at this point, even after I climbed Korin Tower, he's just as tough as me!"

"I don't know about that Goku...You did lead the charge for most of the fight" Gohan said sheepishly.

His comment was dismissed as Roshi bellowed out. "What!? You climbed Korin Tower?! That means...Goku how long did it take you to get the sacred water?"

"It took me a whole three days, even knowing Tao could come back anytime for Upa." Goku said in a distracted tone, actually saying Upa's name out loud reminded him of the promise he made to him. A promise he intended to keep.

"It took you three days!? That is incredible! It took me three years to get the water from that mangy cat Korin, and I was proud of that."

Goku chuckled a little, his master was always good for a laugh. His mind thought back to Upa and he took out the radar and turned it on. Oddly enough, the radar displayed their six dragon balls but the seventh was nowhere to be found. Goku widened the radar's view but still no luck. The screen displayed the entire Earth but only showed the locations of six of the seven dragon balls. He figured it may have been damaged during the fight and he breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Bulma was right here to fix it. "Hey, Bulma I think the radar may have broke during all the fighting today. Could you take a look at it?"

Bulma was eager to help, after sitting on a plane traveling to a remote base out in the countryside, working on something electrical was the perfect pick-me-up. After seeing that the screen only displayed six of the seven dragon balls, she concluded that this was either a complex mechanical issue or something worse. "Hm, I have some theories Goku but I really can't confirm anything until I take it back to my makeshift workshop at Master Roshi's. I take it you two be joining us for the time being right?"

"Yeah, we'll come visit for a while but we have to hurry. Our friend Upa needs the dragon balls to help bring back his father."

"Right I heard you mention something about Upa earlier, who is he?" Bulma asked curiously

Goku took a minute to think about how to explain it all, he believed the timeline to be very complex, and considering he wasn't the best storyteller, he tried to simplify things as much as possible. "He's a little boy Jack and I met while searching for grampa's ball. He and his father lived at Korin tower and when this mercenary named Tao showed up he killed Upa's father, Bora. After I beat Tao, we promised to collect the dragon balls and bring Upa's father back with our wish."

Bulma's heart melted at Goku's kindness to strangers, the little boy she had met in her search for the dragon balls now searched for them himself, and with a far nobler purpose.

"That's amazing Goku. You two really are something special. I've never seen anyone with kinder hearts."

Oolong grit his teeth. "Ahem, I am the one who stopped Pilaf from wishing for world domination you know. I consider that pretty kind-hearted"

Bulma slapped the pig's shiny head. "Yeah, you stopped him by wishing for a pair of panties you creep!"

Goku laughed along with everyone else. He then looked at his radar one final time before wrapping it back around his neck. He could hardly believe his adventure was this close to completion, he turned to Gohan to speak.

"Well, Jack only one left to go." He said feeling a bitter-sweet sting as the words left his mouth.

Gohan noticed the undertone of sadness, it was clear he didn't want the adventure to be over either. Still, he managed a smile and nudged Goku's shoulder. "And we'll get it just like we got the dragon balls today. Together."