Chapter 4

It's been a day since Oolong was taken prisoner by Bulma. The group was currently on their way to the location of the next Dragon Ball. It was in a place called 'Fire Mountain' and the Saiyans were excited to get there. Bulma and Oolong... not so much.

While they were following the Radar; they had somehow gotten caught in a desert. They've been walking in the heat for hours and by now the Saiyans were starving. Goku finally had enough and turned to Vegeta.

"Vegeta, I know Grandpa said that we can't fly, but can't you let me fly away to get some food? I feel like I'm dying over here" Goku asked after his stomach growled for the umpteenth time.

Vegeta, although hungry, was not about to abandon his training for food. He had already broken the 'no flight' rule once when Bulma had told him to go after Oolong, and he didn't want to do it again. It felt like he was cheating.

"No Kakarot! We are only supposed to fly when it is absolutely necessary; and I'm sure that you can last without food long enough for us to get out this desert and find something. Stop whining and act like a true Saiyan" Vegeta said.

Oolong ignored the conversation between the two saiyans as he continued walking. He was beyond tired, and He was convinced that this was the most walking he's ever done in his life. He already hated the fact that they made him tag along on their journey. He had better things to do with his life, like finding wives that would spoil him.

He looked over to see Bulma suffering just as much as he was from the excessive walking, if not more so. The sight brought a satisfied smirk to his face and he opened his mouth to say something but before he could make fun of his captor; Vegeta ended his argument with Goku and stopped walking until Bulma was right next to him.

"You're so weak and its slowing us down. I'll just carry you, so you don't pass out from exhaustion. Just relax" Vegeta said as he picked Bulma up Bridal and began walking.

"Thanks Vegeta" Bulma said while she relaxed and snuggled into Vegeta's neck, and letting out a sigh of contentment.

Vegeta blushed, but the desert heat was already burning his skin so no one could tell. He scoffed lightly at Bulma, but let a small smirk reach his face as continued to walk with Bulma in his arms, seemingly unaffected by the extra weight.

Oolong looked at the two with Jealousy obvious in his features. He wished that he had someone that was willing to carry him when he was tired. Then he saw Goku walking by himself with a pout on his face.

Oolong then got an idea that he thought was brilliant. He mustered up all of his remaining energy to jog and catch up to Goku. When he reached the younger Saiyan he vocalized his supposedly 'Brilliant Idea' of his.

"Goku, if you carry me then I'll use the Dragon Balls to wish for a million zeni and I'll share it with you evenly" Oolong said while smiling to himself at his smarts.

Goku stopped walking and turned to look at Oolong with a smile on his face. At first, Oolong thought that Goku was going to agree to carry him, but that was before he noticed the gleam in his eyes.

"The Dragon Balls are Bulma's. I'm not going to betray her for money, and my grandpa told me not to let anything happen to her, or upset her. I'm pretty sure she'll be upset if someone stole her wish so I'll have to refuse your offer" Goku said.

Then his smile transformed into a sadistic smirk as he revealed his sharp canines making Oolong tense up in fear. Goku leaned closer to Oolong and whispered just loud enough for the pig to hear. He didn't want to risk Vegeta overhearing him.

"By the way Oolong, if you value the meat attached to your bones, you wouldn't be walking this close to me. Vegeta won't be able to stop me from eating you at this distance, and I'm incredibly hungry"

Oolong sweat dropped and gulped before finding another burst of energy and sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him towards Vegeta. Next to the older Saiyan seemed to be the safest place that he could be.

"Vegeta, I'll just stay up here with you and Bulma. I wouldn't want to fall behind you know?" Oolong said laughing while looking back at Goku, who simply laughed to himself.

Vegeta looked back at his brother and then at Oolong before catching on and laughing himself. It was obvious to him that Goku had warned Oolong that he would eat him, and while he probably meant it in a joking way; Vegeta knew that if Goku got any hungrier then he might actually attempt to attack Oolong. That was something that Vegeta couldn't allow. The ability to transform was just to useful to be wasted.

"Yeah that was probably the smartest thing you could've done pig. I have much more restraint then Kakarot, and he might've actually ate you" he said before turning away to think.

Oolong let out a sigh of relief. He was glad that someone wasn't after his bacon. Vegeta finished thinking and continued speaking.

"But I'm hungry too and it's beginning to be unbearable, so let's stop here and take a break. Kakarot I want you to go get some food and bring it back to us. Don't take to long" Vegeta commanded.

Goku perked up considerably when he heard Vegeta's orders. Vegeta hasn't let him hunt by himself in a long time, and he was excited that he was allowed to do it.

"While Kakarot is gone, the rest of us will wait here" Vegeta said lightly laying the now sleeping Bulma in an area that was covered in shade, so that she can sleep peacefully.

"Ok Vegeta, I'll be back soon with lots of meat" Goku promised as he started to hover off the ground.

The statement caused Oolong to pale. He was hungry too, but he wasn't planning on becoming a cannibal.

"You can bring back any type of meat you want as long as it's not pork" he said shaking his head at the thought of eating one of his own kind.

Goku's face suddenly got serious. Oolong shrieked and ran to hide behind to Vegeta.

"I make no promises. I'll eat and bring back the first thing I'll find. Especially if it's a pig" the Saiyan boy said before zooming off leaving the Prince and the pig alone with the sleeping Bulma.

XxXxXx

"Let's hope that Kakarot really does get back soon, or I might do something that you'd regret Oolong" Vegeta said smirking at the terrified pig.

It was at that moment that Oolong decided that it would be in his best interest to stay as far away from Vegeta as possible until Goku got back with a different food source for the prince.

Then an unknown voice yelled out them, taking Vegeta's attention off of Oolong.

"Hey you two!"

Both Saiyan and Pig turned to see a long haired man a little bit taller than Vegeta standing a few feet away from them with a small blue cat floating a little bit behind him.

"Well now that you have our attention, what are you going to do? Are you just going to stand there staring or are you going to say something?" Vegeta asked with a raised eyebrow.

The man frowned at him, but began to talk nonetheless.

"My name is Yamcha and this is my desert. Don't worry I won't hurt you if you just hand over any capsules or valuable items you might have. I'll allow you to pass through peacefully" Yamcha said.

Oolong looked at the man with fear on his face for a moment before he looked at the familiar face of the blue cat. He smirked when he finally realized where he recognized that face from.

"And what if we refuse Yamcha and… Puar!?" Oolong said smirking.

The blue cat in question shrieked and hid behind Yamcha. Before yelling in the most annoying voice Vegeta had ever heard (Frieza being a close 2nd).

"It's Oolong! Yamcha, he used to bully me in Shapeshifting School. He never left me alone" Puar said doing his best to glare at Oolong, but it wasn't scaring anyone.

Yamcha frowned then smirked evilly at Oolong as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Well my friend, it looks like you're about to get what's coming to you. Anyone who bullies my friend Puar and won't peacefully hand over their valuables die" Yamcha said while unsheathing his sword.

Yamcha rushed at Oolong faster than he could follow and swung his sword down at his head with the intent to kill him.

All Oolong could do was close his eyes in fear and wait for the cold steel to end his life, but before the sword got to Oolong; Vegeta rushed in between the two and grabbed the sword effectively halting its momentum.

"Sorry but I will not allow you to kill this pig. He's still pretty useful to me, and I haven't decided on whether or not I want to eat him yet" Vegeta said smirking at the visibly shocked Yamcha.

"Who are you?" Yamcha asked trying to put more strength into the sword, but it wouldn't budge.

Vegeta laughed with superiority before easily breaking the sword in half, much to the shock of Yamcha and Puar, and the satisfaction of Oolong.

"I am Vegeta. Prince of all Saiyans and I'm really irritable right now so I suggest you go back to where you came from before I have to kill you. I'm only going to give you 1 warning" the Prince said as he crossed his arms.

Yamcha frowned then jumped back to give himself a little separation from Vegeta. He didn't know if he believed the man was prince, but there was no denying that he was strong. He broke his sword in half with no effort, so Yamcha couldn't afford to hold back.

"You're a prince huh? Heh some Prince you are; you're going to die in this desert" Yamcha said charging at him.

He sent a punch at Vegeta's head that caught him right between his eyes causing Yamcha to smirk. Feeling a renewed since of confidence, he decided to taunt him.

"See, you're not so tough are you little prince?" Yamcha taunted with a laugh.

Vegeta opened his eyes and started to laugh along with Yamcha, making the Desert Bandits eyes widen in disbelief.

"You're weaker than Gohan was when we first got here 10 years ago and you dare insult me? Just how badly do you want to die" Vegeta asked as he removed Yamcha's fist from his face with a frown.

'Gohan? Why does that name sound so familiar…? Wait! He couldn't be talking about the legendary martial arts master could he? This could be bad' Yamcha thought in surprise.

"You've had your chance to run away, but now I'll have to kill you. I hope you're ready Yamcha" Vegeta said as he charged Yamcha.

He grabbed Yamcha's arm and quickly flipped him to the ground knocking the wind out of him. Yamcha breathed out in pain before he was hit in the face hard by the gloved fist of the Saiyan prince.

Yamcha had never felt so much pain in his life and he knew that if he took another blow like that he would be done for.

Vegeta sent another fist towards the downed man but he was pleasantly surprised when the bandit escaped his grasp and rolled out of the way of his attack just in the nick of time.

He turned his head to see the now standing Yamcha bend down into a stance he's never seen before. Vegeta decided that it must be some type of earthling technique.

"WOLF FANG FIST" Yamcha shouted before charging at Vegeta.

Vegeta was thoroughly surprised. It seemed that concealing power levels was a technique that every earthling knew, not just Gohan and Roshi as he let himself believe.

Yamcha was sending a series of quick (by human standards) punches and kicks at him that, even though they couldn't hurt him, would've gave Gohan a run for his money a decade ago. Vegeta was actually impressed by the man.

'Maybe with some training this human could be of some use to me and Kakarot after all' Vegeta thought starting to smile at the prospect of gathering more warriors.

However, when Yamcha saw Vegeta begin to smile, he was beginning to get pissed. He felt like the Prince was playing with him, and he didn't like that at all.

He couldn't believe that his 'Wolf Fang Fist' wasn't even phasing the so called Prince. He was using his full power now and Vegeta didn't even look like he was trying hard. There wasn't even a single bead of sweat on him.

Vegeta was getting tired of the scratches that Yamcha was putting on his arms so he decided that it was time to end the fight.

Vegeta phased out of sight and landed a hard right hand into Yamcha's stomach. This knocked the air out of the bandit and also caused him to cough up some blood. It was clear to everyone watching who won this fight.

"Yamcha!" Puar screamed causing Vegeta to cover his ears in pain. He sent a glare towards the cat that made it instantly shut up.

This distraction gave Yamcha the chance he needed to recover and stand up. He then gave Vegeta a determined look. Vegeta was surprised to see that Yamcha was willing to keep fighting.

Vegeta decided that he was starting to like Yamcha. He showed heart and he didn't give up even though he was getting dominated by his opponent. Vegeta could use a man like that in his army when he went to attack Frieza.

It was at that moment that Vegeta decided that he wanted Yamcha to be a part of his crusade against Frieza.

Yamcha tried charged at him again with the 'Wolf Fang Fist' but Vegeta quickly punched him in his face knocking him back onto his back and putting an end to the fight.

"Look Bandit, we both know that you're not going to win this fight, so I've got a deal that we can make in order to both save your life and help mine" Vegeta said.

Hearing this, Yamcha looked up at Vegeta with a mix of confusion and anger. He couldn't believe that he was going to spare him, but Yamcha decided that it would be best to listen to what he had to say.

"Look, I am from a now nearly extinct race called the Saiyans. 10 years ago my home planet was destroyed by the evil tyrant Frieza…" Vegeta started watching Yamcha's eyes slowly widen in disbelief.

"…before planet was destroyed my father sent Kakarot and I to this planet to escape the explosion and raise an army in order to avenge our race" Vegeta finished.

Yamcha was shocked that there could be something out there stronger than the Saiyan that he just faced. He had been completely overwhelmed by Vegeta, so he didn't even want to imagine a fight against this Frieza person. Before the bandit could respond to what Vegeta had said; a large hammer slammed down on Vegeta's head hard. This caused the hammer to shriek in pain before it transformed back into Puar.

Vegeta, now thoroughly annoyed with the cat, turned around with an energy ball ready in his hand. He aimed it at the downed cat and he was about to fire it, but Yamcha yelled out.

"Wait! Please don't kill him!"

Vegeta didn't let the energy dissipate, but he turned his head towards Yamcha with an raised eyebrow.

"Why shouldn't I? It attacked me, and it has the most annoying freaking voice that I've ever heard" he said with a frown. Puar and Yamcha both paled before Yamcha said.

"He's my best friend and he's been with me since I was abandoned. Besides he can be helpful against Frieza too."

At the word abandoned, Vegeta let the energy dissipate and decided to listen to Yamcha's explanation.

"How so?" Vegeta asked referring to how Puar could be useful.

"He can transform into anything he thinks off" the bandit responded.

Vegeta shook his head in disappointment. That was no longer a special skill to him.

"Sorry but I already have an animal that can do that" Vegeta said pointing to Oolong, who had been quiet the whole time.

"But my transformations last as long as I want them to, instead of 5 minutes like Oolong's" Puar said shocking Vegeta.

Turning to Oolong, Vegeta suddenly remembered how hungry he was.

"Really now? Well I guess that means that this pig's usefulness has expired. Now he can be my food" the Prince said stalking towards Oolong who was taking steady steps back in fear.

The feral aura radiating from Vegeta scared everyone present except Bulma, who had somehow slept through the entire confrontation.

'Oh no my bacon' Oolong thought in fear as Vegeta had him cornered.

At that moment Goku landed in between Vegeta and Oolong with the bodies of three dead deer.

"Hey Vegeta sorry for the wait! I had to eat there because I couldn't move without food in my stomach. Who are these two?" Goku said referring to the bloodied bandit and the floating blue cat.

"They are Yamcha and Puar; our newest recruits" Vegeta said walking towards his newly arrived food. Goku could introduce himself, Vegeta's main concern was getting the food into his stomach.

"My name is Kakarot but since you're an earthling you can call me Goku. I am Vegeta's little brother and I'm also a Saiyan but I've been told I'm more tolerable than Vegeta is" Goku said with a smile.

He then lowered his hand down to help Yamcha to his feet. Yamcha and Puar were surprised by the distinct difference in behavior between the two Saiyans. Yamcha smiled before accepting the hand. Goku helped the man up and shook his hand.

"Maybe all you Saiyans aren't too bad" Yamcha said brushing himself off.

"Vegeta's not that bad. You just caught him when he was hungry. I'm honestly surprised he didn't kill you" Goku said while laughing.

Yamcha just sweat dropped at the comment, but he jumped when he heard a feminine scream from nearby.

"What's that burning smell?!" Came a female voice from underneath the shaded area.

Yamcha froze when the blue haired beauty rose from the ground. He was deathly afraid of girls and this one was one of the most attractive ones he has ever seen. Yamcha was frozen and he didn't know what to do.

"Shut up Woman. I just cooked my food" Vegeta yelled back, taking a bite out of the burnt deer.

This caused Bulma to stomp over to Vegeta and sit down next to him. Then the two engaged into some meaningless squabble while Vegeta ate.

After seeing this Yamcha calmed down, and let out a sigh of relief.

At least she isn't after me Yamcha thought with a smile.

"By the way Vegeta who are these two?" Bulma said referring to Yamcha and Puar.

"They will be joining us on the trip. They are our newest recruits and Yamcha is a warrior so now you have more protection" he answered.

Bulma looked at them for a moment before nodding and getting up declaring that they were leaving as soon as Vegeta was done eating.

Yamcha and Puar looked at the group of 2 Saiyans, a human and a shapeshifting pig before looking at each other and thinking the same exact thing.

'What a strange group of people'

TBC

Power Levels

Yamcha: 85

Puar: 9

Vegeta (Hungry): 16,000

Goku (Hungry): 9,000