Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball.
Betaed by: Zim'sMostLoyalServant and my best friend.
Last Time, on Dragon Ball IJ:
The conflict between our heroes and the evil Red Ribbon Army continues. As Commander Red plots his next move he takes the time to meet with Dr. Gero the evil genius behind the androids serving the army. As the two wicked men verbally spar Gero announces his intent to shift towards cyborgs and Red turns his attention back to the Dagon Ball hunt.
Meanwhile in West City a bribe for forgiveness seemingly puts the Goku and the twins back in Bulma's good graces. But not satisfied in merely being their repair-girl, Bulma invites herself and her arsenal on the journey.
Having unknowingly thwarted an agent of the Red Ribbon our heroes and Bulma are off to seek out the next Dragon Ball.
What perils wait this group of daring young people? Find out now on Dragon Ball: Intended Journey!
Chapter 9
Deep Blue
A Gathering of Turtles
"The Dragon Balls are on the move again?" Black asked, watching the big screen in the command center. Red sat next to him in his command chair, frowning.
"Why take the balls? Shouldn't they leave them at Capsule Corp? Why would Briefs let them out of his grasp?"
Black pondered this as the radar tracked the progress, making a beeline for one of their search sites.
"Perhaps he feels those two can keep them safer in the field? Or he fears we would attack if he hoarded them in his base? Or perhaps he doesn't know? We haven't considered this may be the heiress' own power play," Black speculated.
"Don't be ridiculous, I refuse to believe my true foe is some teenage girl who likely has shirtless men posters all over her room," Red dismissed, puffing on his cigar.
"Regardless, this is an opportunity to claim those Dragon Balls. They are headed toward Blue Corps. General Blue is one of our most formidable officers. We can still turn this around," Staff Officer Black stated.
"Indeed. Radio Blue that they're on their way. Send him all the data from Muscle Tower, I want those Dragon Balls, and I want those two dead. Success will bring him promotion and riches, failure… he's worked here long enough."
"Right away, sir."
Black left the command center, a slight signal getting the bearman officer to follow him out.
"I want you to send out feelers for Tao Paipai."
"Tao Paipai!? Sir, isn't that a bit extreme? Think of the cost, not to mention the risk. That man is as dangerous as he is deadly, and they say he's the deadliest man on the planet."
Black nodded solemnly.
"Don't try and hire him yet, just set things up so he's on speed dial, as it were. If those two are such monsters that our best Corps and likely most powerful soldier can't stop them… We don't have heroes in the Red Ribbon Army, so if we want to fight monsters, we'll need to get one of our own. The wish will be worth every Zeni and risk when we rule the world."
"Yessir! I will get on that. But, I do hope the General is up to the task, sir."
"As do I."
X X X
Bulma switched the MDWD 4 into holding position, the forward engines shutting down in favor of others. There was no increase in shaking, she was proud to note, sipping her cappuccino as she activated the camera, showing her the view below.
"Ocean, and not shallows, either. That's great," she snarked. Looking around the horizon, she spotted a nearby island and reactivated the main engines for short-range maneuvering. Goku and Lunch followed her on the Nimbus and descended on the cloud as she landed on a stretch of grass between the beach and palm trees.
"Bad news, the Dragon Ball is under the sea."
"Oh my!" Lunch said.
"Wow, what now, Bulma?"
"That depends. Which of you is the better swimmer?" Bulma asked.
"What?" Lunch sweatdropped.
"Me! I can hold my breath even longer than Launch," Goku said.
"And we have our brave volunteer. Take this and swim down to get the Dragon Ball, Goku," Bulma commanded.
"Okay. Maybe I'll meet a sea serpent, those should taste good," Goku mused, stripping off his clothes. Bulma reddened and covered her face with her hands. She glared at the naked boy through the gap in her fingers.
"Forget the sea monsters! Just get going!" she ordered.
"Be careful, Goku! Remember, you need to make it back up as well as down," Lunch called after him as he ran off into the surf and started to swim.
"So, what now?" Bulma asked.
"Now? Well, either me or Launch have been on point with him for the most part. Guess training?"
"Don't you have any other hobbies?" Bulma asked.
"Well, I like to cook and tidy up. Movies are nice, too. Oh, I like getting good deals on groceries," Lunch recited, counting her so-called hobbies off on her fingers.
"Well, you can play house if you like, I'm going to enjoy this little bit of paradise while we can. My capsule house is equipped with luxury for most climes. Tanning, here I come," Bulma said, pulling out her capsule box. Opening it, her eyes widened.
"Why is there just one?" she asked Lunch, who shrugged her shoulders, "I couldn't have grabbed the wrong box? I'm too smart to do that. Surely this is a masterstroke, and this is a one-of-a-kind, end of the world ultimate plan capsule, right?"
She uncapsuled it, and in a puff of smoke, a knee-high pile of magazines with girls in various state of undress on the covers appeared.
"…Father!" Bulma screamed at the sky.
"My goodness, is it healthy for a man of his age to have so much of this?" Lunch blushed, poking the pile with her foot. Bulma let out a roar, and pounced upon the magazines, practically falling over herself shredding them.
"…I'm going to run a lap around the island. Be back, depending on how big it is," Lunch said. Taking a running stance, the bluenette took off, kicking up sand in her wake and swiftly lost to sight.
Panting, Bulma stood over the confetti that used to be magazines, pieces of paper even stuck in her teeth. With a blink, her eyes un-dilated, and she spat paper out confusedly.
"Huh? Lunch? Why am I eating paper? Ewww! Dirty paper! Well, this stinks. I can't just go home and get mine; my parents will be even more insufferable than usual. There'll be all 'guess you made a mistake, happens to the best of us, hey is this girl you're traveling with your girlfriend? What about this underage boy? I knew we shouldn't have let you quit piano lessons!' Right, can't go home with anything less than total triumph. Or I'll disappoint myself. So, time to check the emergency supply capsule in the Mega Death Wing."
She proceeded to do just that, opening the hidden component and took out the capsule labeled with an exclamation point. Enlarging it, she opened the trunk inside and smiled, pulling out one item.
"Well, at least I can still sunbathe!" she said, holding up the yellow polka-dotted bikini. Soon enough, she was snoozing on the beach on a blue towel with her name printed on it.
Blue Corps Mobile Headquarters, Nearby:
"Thank you, Staff Officer, I shall not let you down," General Blue said, before terminating the connection. The handsome young man with pale blonde hair smiled, showing off his perfectly perfected teeth. In a crisp blue and khaki Red Ribbon uniform, he considered himself the very model of a modern Major General. Grand looks emphasized by the pink rose in his breast pocket, medals displaying his achievements on his chest, and a uniform that while dignified showed off a figure that was a perfection of muscle mass and slimness for speed and flexibility.
Why, if he wasn't him, he might marry him, he thought, watching his reflection in an inactive screen.
"Men, attention!" he snapped, getting the attention of all staff in the command center. The capsule structure was a far cry from his personalized base bearing images of his glorious self and career, but it had the needed utilities and presently benefited from the windows showing off the lush tropical coast.
"The nemeses have arrived. Judging by High Command's radar, there is no doubt they are searching for the same Dragon Ball as we are. But if they came for a race, they're in for a disappointment. General Blue is on the hunt! Assemble the corps, call back everything but the least of our recon, and reassign them to seize and/or destroy any suspicious persons! HOHOHOHO! Time for the gloves to come off," he smiled over the back of his hand. Then his glare hardened.
"You there! How dare you pick your nose in my august presence! Unforgivable. Execute him at once!"
"But sir, I had sand in my- NOOOO!"
BANG BANG BANG
"Ah, such a lovely sound. I'll be in my quarters; I must be fully dressed if my countenance is to properly inspire the troops for what may be our hardest battle yet. Silver was tough, but at the end of the day a street gangster with a better budget, and White was an over the hill blowhard sent to guard the Commander's pet abominations. Let's see how this dreaded duo deal with facing true military might!" Blue declared as he walked out into the sunlight.
X X X
Two light aircraft zipped through the skies over the blue sea as the sun continued to shine gloriously. The Red Ribbon pilots gave little note to the beauty around them; this was simply their shift and their patrol, and any enjoyment of scenery and weather was far outweighed by the lingering threats from on high if results in the searches were not forthcoming.
Not that they were looking for the Dragon Balls themselves. Their task was to keep interlopers from entering the search zone. A simple enough task in theory, but just because they weren't directly part of the hunt didn't mean they wouldn't be made an example of.
So the bulkier of the two pilots perked with interest when he spotted something off.
"Ten o'clock, we have an unknown aircraft on the beach," he said into his radio.
"Affirmative, and I think that's someone on the beach nearby."
"You're right. A sunbather? Probably just some tourist."
"Zero tolerance means zero tolerance."
"I know. But this could be fun, let's swing out and land; we'll come in on foot. Wouldn't do for her to hop in that plane and make a run for it."
"Right, plus it might make some good spoils to earn some points with the General."
Sharing a laugh, the two landed.
X X X
Lunch blinked and sat up under a palm tree, head sticking up through the undergrowth she had been napping under.
"Did I hear something?" she wondered. She spotted Bulma snoring and splayed out on the towel on the beach.
"Oh," Lunch said, settling back down. She preferred warm shade for her naps rather than blazing sunshine. Besides, if she was reading this right, things would get intense soon, so she'd better rest up for possibly many fights.
X X X
"That's not the girl from the photo," the burly pilot said to his skinny companion. Surveillance photos had given them images of both the boy and woman causing trouble. A blue-haired woman had been alarming at first, but it was clearly not her the longer they looked from the brush.
"There's a Capsule Corp label on that plane, so it's not the royal military. She's just some misplaced tourist," the skinny guy said. The two exchanged grins, "Let's show her a good time, then."
"Play it cool. Get between her and that jet before we wake her," stocky said.
X X X
Bulma tossed silently in her sleep on the beach towel, as waves lapped on the sand and two creeps tiptoed between her and her wonderful murder plane.
"Goku, gimme that peanut butter. I needa wash the windows," she muttered in her sleep.
"Penny for her thoughts, huh?" the skinny pilot said.
"Huh? Wuzzat?" Bulma said, sitting up from the towel and blinking sleep from her eyes. Turning her head, she looked dimly at the two guys.
"Hey there, little lady. You're far from civilization."
"Yep," Bulma answered, still half-asleep.
"That your plane? You bring anyone else on it?"
"It's a one-seater. And it makes cappuccino," Bulma said, stretching a bit.
"Well, that's convenient," Stocky said, exchanging another smile with his buddy. Bulma frowned, more awake now, and got up onto her feet. She took a look at their uniforms.
"You guys with the Red Ribbon Army?"
"That we are. It's the uniforms, right? But hey, ladies love a man in uniform," Skinny said.
"Mhm. Well, uniform or not, you guys aren't my type, so how about you get out, as I was here first," Bulma told them, raising a hand and a finger.
"Oh, feisty!"
"Now, now, it's selfish to hoard a beach all to yourself, little lady."
"I am selfish, ask my mother," she deadpanned.
"Well, we got needs too. So how about the three of us have some fun?" Skinny said as they both leered. Bulma glared a moment, before smiling and closing her eyes. Lifting herself for a moment onto tiptoes, she leaned forward, smiling.
"Now, when you say fun, you don't mean volleyball, watermelon, or other fun beach activities, do you?"
"Nuh-uh," they said together, smiling and shaking their heads.
"And you don't mean video games or hunting pests like seagulls either, right?"
"Nuh-uh."
"And you certainly don't mean tuning up the engines of vehicles and upgrading them with whatever we might have on hand just to see what we can do?"
"Nuh-uh."
"So what you mean is, stuff like they'd never show in a comic geared toward all ages or a summer family blockbuster. Things they wouldn't even describe in those stories. And you two want to do that to me, and I bet the only say I get in the matter is something like 'it can be the easy way or the hard way', right?"
"You got it," they said together.
"Okay then, I pick the hard way," Bulma said, still smiling but glaring as her eyes opened wide and then narrowed as she fell into a kickboxing stance.
The two stared a moment at the bikini-clad teen with a high spiky ponytail in a fighting stance, standing on a beach towel. Then they laughed, one grabbing his knees, the other throwing back his head.
"Oh boy, this kid's crazy. We're grown men, girly, and we're soldiers. You think a little strip mall training you took because mommy was nervous about you walking home from a summer job will mean any- HURK," the stocky one was cut off as Bulma darted forward and kicked him in the stomach. Sunglasses practicality popping off his eyes, he fell to his knees, gasping for air.
"Bitch!" Skinny said, taking a swing at her. Bulma ducked under it, to his shock. Glancing down, she glared up at him, smiling to show off teeth now.
"Can't say that either in those stories," she told him.
"Oh s-" Skinny was cut off as her foot sprang up and snapped his jaw shut with a blow to the chin. As he fell, his buddy struggled to his feet, eyes bloodshot and gritting his teeth.
"You… I was gonna be gentle. You may have even liked it after you stopped playing hard to get. But now I'm mad; you're going to be crawling back to your momma after I'm done!" he declared. Skinny got to his feet as well, holding a hand over his bleeding mouth and drawing a knife from his belt, while Stocky took a boxing style stance, throwing two punches in the air, looking angrier by the moment.
X X X
"*Yawn* What a great nap. It really makes a difference being by the ocean instead of a desert," Lunch said, getting up. Walking onto the beach, she stopped, seeing two men that weren't there before. One was laid out on his back, sunglasses cracked. The other was a stockier man that was crying out in pain as Bulma stood with one foot planted in his back and both arms held up behind his back.
"Eat the sand, creep! Eat it!"
"I'll never do it again! Have mercy!"
"I didn't ask for an apology, I want you to eat sand!" Bulma ordered.
"Lunch, what's going on?" Goku asked, swooping down on the Nimbus.
"…One, I need to sleep less deeply. Two, I think we should be careful about getting Bulma angry again."
"Eat it! Eat it!"
Later:
The trio stood on the sand in front of the two beaten and tied up pilots, as seagulls circled overhead. Bulma stood in the center, nodding her head as she stroked her chin.
"So, the Red Ribbon Army is here searching for the Dragon Ball. But you guys have some radar back in your high command that only gives you a wide location. So even this Blue Corps of yours can't find it quickly, and this General Blue is of the mind it's at the bottom of the sea."
"We already knew it's in the ocean, Bulma," Goku pointed out.
"Quiet, I'm being smart. Anyway, and this General Blue you say is the mightiest warrior in the Red Ribbon Army, along with being a dreaded General both for seizing victory and the lethal standards he holds his subordinates to?" Bulma pressed.
"Yeah, that's right. Please, let us go! We won't dare go back after failing him. We'll live quiet, respectable lives and respect women like they were our own sisters!" the stocky pilot pleaded.
"Does your plane have a sub mode?" Lunch asked as they took a step back to talk amongst themselves. Bulma sighed.
"There is no sub mode, adding that would have thrown off the design and left it much less cool-looking. I had a sub capsule in my box, but that's back in West City. I still have my credit card, maybe we could go buy one?"
"Where do you buy something like that around here?" Goku asked.
"Good point, Goku. Money only works when you can use it to actually buy something," Bulma admitted.
"Well, judging by the map, we're not that far from the island Master Roshi trained us on. We could head over to Makyasweat Island and see if he has a submarine," Lunch suggested.
"…Why would he have a submarine?" Bulma asked.
"He has a hovercraft, so he might have a submarine. Or know someone who does," Lunch pressed.
"Ugh, Yamcha will be there. But still, it's worthwhile to get that Dragon Ball," Bulma groaned.
"What about these guys?" Goku asked.
"We turn 'em loose, I guess. We can't exactly take them with us with my one-seater plane and your picky magic cloud. Besides, they make a good point – they'd have to be pretty stupid to go back to the Red Ribbon Army after failing."
Later, Blue Corps Mobile HQ:
General Blue nodded, eyes closed, as he sat in a padded blue antique chair, plucking a single rose from an ornate vase on the table next to him. He was a stark contrast to the two idiots in their disheveled state before him.
"I see, so that's why High Command's radar shows them to have moved. I was right to have the light air recon investigate stealthily," the General said.
"Yes sir! They didn't know we have unusually good hearing. So, we were able to tell you everything we overheard. That island isn't a hidden base, it's a training ground with none other than the Muten Roshi! And they don't have a sub, but we now know for sure the Dragon Ball is on the seabed and apparently close to that island we met them on."
"Indeed, valuable intelligence. And don't forget we learned you're so weak that outside your vehicles a teenage city girl can beat you up and make you eat sand like a beach bully," Blue said, standing up and smelling the rose, its blossom held delicately in his hands.
"Well… she's freaky, sir. A real sadist; rich people, right?" the skinny one said nervously, as Blue slowly approached them.
"Valuable information. But I think it's clear if not for that hearing of yours, you would have deserted after sharing equally valuable intelligence with the enemy. Good service is hardly enough to cancel out treason," Blue said, smiling menacingly as his crushed the rose in his fist.
Soon enough, the corpses were carried out of the room, the General selecting a fresh rose from the vase.
"Captain Dark," he said. A short pudgy man with a small dark mustache wearing a uniform of khaki complete with unflattering shorts and a high brown hat holding the Red Ribbon symbol stepped forward from his spot by the door.
"Yes, General?"
"It seems fortune is smiling on me. Unlike Silver, we are forewarned of the enemy, and unlike White we are not their primary target; we are free to maneuver, and maneuver we shall. Get some men in civilian clothes and head with a regiment to Makyasweat. Find out where the Muten Roshi is holed up. It's possible the enemy will leave the Dragon Balls there while they prepare to journey to the bottom of the sea."
"We will apprehend him without fail!" Dark said, saluting.
"Will you? Even if the legends exaggerate, and the reports regarding his students lend them credence, that would be some fight. As I attend to the hunt, we cannot take undue risks with his venture. Play it smart, Captain. Your goal is not to eliminate the old man but to gather intel or the Dragon Balls. A hostage seems a good way to go about it. Yes, those hero types tend to have chivalry; make it a woman or a child."
"Yes sir, we shall be as conniving as snakes in the grass and twice as deadly," the little officer saluted.
"That's the spirit. As for me, I will lead the main force in our submersible. Why turn over every rock on the ocean floor when the enemy will lead me right to the Dragon Ball? Why, in addition to getting the ball and the radar, I might even capture the enemy's heiress! Oh, Field Marshal Blue! It sounds positively dandy!" the man practically squeed, wiggling his hips.
"A glorious day for you and the RRA both, sir," Dark stated, smiling.
Makyasweat Island:
"Well, if it isn't Lunch and Goku! Been awhile," the restaurant owner said, his belly shaking under his apron.
"Hey old man!" Goku greeted with a smile.
"Good to see you again, sir," Lunch waved with a smile.
"Table for three, I guess," Bulma said, holding up three fingers. They took a seat in the restaurant, Goku already making his order while Lunch looked around happily. Bulma slumped into her chair.
"You already said Roshi wouldn't be here with his schedule, so why are we even bothering with the village?" Bulma asked.
"We're not Master Roshi's students right now, it'd be rude to ask him for a meal. Besides, I wanted to stop by this place," Lunch said.
"What for, it's a just speck of a town if you ask me," Bulma said, taking a moment to match Goku's order with her own. Lunch wilted a bit at that.
"I think it's nice," she muttered.
Bulma didn't seem to catch that, musing over whether her Capsule Corp flight suit was too sexy to wear around Roshi. It covered, certainly, but it had been made to hug her figure. From there, the conversation veered into Lunch saying she could just buy some more clothes there, only for Bulma to not be interested in whatever thrift store or old tailor rack they'd have in such a place.
Kame House:
Roshi blew a smoke ring, sitting on the steps of Kame House. It was almost dinnertime, and Yamcha was inside, preparing the food according to him, while his other student was apparently passed out in the backyard.
"So, you three need my help finding a Dragon Ball?" he asked.
"We need your submarine, if you have one," Bulma pressed.
"Well, it so happens I do. But why exactly should I lend it to ya? Wealthy girl like you hardly needs a favor, and if the Red Ribbon goons don't have proper radar, you can take your time."
"Please, Master Roshi! We would be grateful!" Lunch begged with big puppy eyes. Roshi bled a bit from his nose, but resolutely wiped it away.
"Sorry kids, Master Roshi is not made of money, and these adventures seem like the sort of thing to eat up vehicles."
"Why do you have a submarine anyway? Is it for fishing?" Goku asked.
"Never you mind why I have a sub! You two are graduates, you should be figuring it out yourself instead of coming to me."
"But swimming didn't work," Goku reminded him. Roshi's next words withered as Bulma loomed over him, a smile splitting her face.
"You're going to give us the sub because you owe me, old pervert."
"Er, I never take loans. Once was bad enough."
"Oh, it wasn't money. I'm sure you'll never forget, I certainly can't. We made a dirty deal for one ball, but you got more dirt than I agreed to give you."
"Um, now Bulma, that was not my fault, how was I to know you went commando?"
"Oh, it's still your fault. I know it is. And besides, you still got to enjoy it. So, I'll be needing payback. Your choice, the submarine for our use on this adventure, or I'll take it out of your wrinkly hide," Bulma said, cracking her knuckles.
X X X
"What's that, you want to accompany them in the sub?" Roshi asked Yamcha. He'd popped into the kitchen to let the young man know what the guests wanted. Mai was in there too, assisting by stirring a pot.
"Yes Master, might I be excused from training for this? They are my friends, and I'd feel bad if I didn't assist them."
"How noble," Mai said. There was no sarcasm in her tone, she seemed very genuine to Roshi. That, along with her progress, made her appealing in a whole different way to Launch and Bulma. Though honestly, he thought she made Lunch look rebellious.
"Hmm, it's not just helping old friends, is it? Yamcha, you came to train under me in no small part to impress Bulma into taking you back, and now you think you can rush into that?" Roshi accused, light catching on his shades.
"I should have known I couldn't fool the master. But it is also true I want to assist my friends with the new strength I have obtained already, training under you."
"It's true, you have gotten stronger already. Yes Mai, despite your worries, you have also been getting better. You've been almost eaten much less this past week alone. But Yamcha, your training is far from complete. If you think you can look impressive to that woman when next to the twins and Goku, you have a lot of disappointment in your future."
"I understand. But I still wish to try. With your permission," Yamcha said, bowing.
"Fine, it's also a teacher's role to let their student make mistakes to learn from. But your share of dinner is forfeit; you'll have to just pack a bento to go. Mai and I will have dinner, just the two of us," Roshi chuckled, twirling his mustache casually. Mai blushed, cringing a bit at that, and started to stir quicker.
Ah, she was fun. Roshi doubted he'd ever get anywhere with her, so tightly wound, but still she was so easily flustered by even something as casual as holding hands.
Soon enough, the table was set and he and Mai, along with Turtle, were seeing the quartet off. Bulma looked closely at Mai again, who was looking back at the younger woman invading her space.
"You seem familiar, I just can't place it."
"Oh, nothing suspicious here. I just have a very common face, practically floats around in crowds, you know?" Mai laughed awkwardly.
"It's true, I thought I'd seen her before too, but I'm sure I wouldn't forget a lady like her if we'd met before," Yamcha said.
"She doesn't smell familiar," Goku added.
'Good thing I put my hair into a braid and stopped wearing makeup,' Mai thought. She'd only been face to face with these people for a short time, but it had been intense. Wearing this light blue shirt and jeans for training likely helped too. Though she'd kept her boots, of course.
"Well, yeah, I suppose your face is pretty generic. Like that hair, dark and straight, hardly stands out. And brown eyes, too. Yeah, pretty common," Bulma said, shrugging and walking off.
'I knew I should have kept the blue contact lenses," Mai wilted a bit, clenching a fist as Bulma joined the others in getting the multipurpose vehicle, ready to launch.
"Don't worry, I think the classic looks are just dandy," Master Roshi said, getting up next to her.
'Urg, a man complimenting my looks! Far too intimate!' Mai thought. She said something rapidly about letting food get cold and escaped into Kame House.
"Master, your teasing may be very light, but the weight of its impact I find concerning," Turtle deadpanned.
"Ah Turtle, it's just another bit of training. She's clearly lived a sheltered life. But it's a vulgar world out there, and she'll need thicker skin to thrive out there, along with being able to punch through a steel door," Roshi said, as he waved his staff in farewell while the ship took off.
Unknown to them all, a man unassumingly dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts watched everything unfold in the brush, with binoculars and a tree branch tied to his head. Grinning, he put the binoculars away and took out walkie-talkie.
"Captain Dark, this is Scout 5. Unfortunately, Miss Briefs has joined the main party, but the man Yamcha has also. Roshi is vulnerable, with only the woman and the turtle."
"Excellent, we will await confirmation on the Dragon Balls' status and then engage."
X X X
General Blue sat primly in the command chair of his best submarine, the hippoman captain standing at attention next to him, keenly monitoring the bridge. Blue nodded, listening on the phone receiver that was attached to the arm of the chair.
"Understood, Commander. They have foolishly left the Dragon Balls with only one guard, and my unit is poised to take advantage of that. Understood sir, I will tell Dark to transport the Dagon Balls to High Command immediately. Yes, no screw-ups or he's dead. What? Kill the old man? I thought you wanted a hostage… Of course, sir. Not to worry, I gave Dark one of the corps' hyper-guns; even an ancient master won't be able to get back up after taking two of those to the dome. It will indeed send a message when the Red Ribbon Army takes down such a legend. General Blue, over and out."
Blue frowned, hanging up.
"So, we are assuming that old man really is the Muten Roshi?" the captain asked.
"Apparently, if nothing else he has the skills to live up to it, training two monsters. But his number is up. If Dark pulls this off, I'll have to promote him to Lieutenant Colonel, maybe even full Colonel. If he gets that high of rank, he'll really need to start exercising more; the RRA has a reputation in its officers to consider," Blue mused.
Now Blue smiled, looking to the radar display to his left.
"But we'll still get the greater glory by far. Avenging the defeats those two have dealt us and securing a Dragon Ball and the radar that will make securing the others a cakewalk. The Briefs heiress, too."
"Is it true she beat up two of our pilots?"
"Red Ribbon basic training is good, but it can only do so much. Being all you can be isn't that impressive when all you can be is trash that relies on vehicles to do the fighting for you. Now, on high alert, men! Our goal is to shadow the enemy and let them find the Dragon Ball before us. A battle breaking out prematurely could cost us the radar and put us back to square one on finding that blasted ball! No mistakes, no excuses!"
"Yes, General Blue!" they said in unison, those with free hands saluting.
"Hohohoho! I do so love being in charge! It's almost as much fun as personally killing the enemy. Almost," the General smiled wide as his mighty vessel hid in the sea, awaiting its unsuspecting prey.
Elsewhere:
"Hmm, this resume is impressive. Most impressive, indeed. But tell me, do you know what I think when I see a resume this impressive, Mr. Murasaki?" Emperor Pilaf asked the ninja dressed in a purple suit in his office. The ninja sweated a little.
"No, Mr. Emperor Pilaf, I don't," Murasaki said.
"It makes me think… The heavens are smiling on my plans for world domination! And you say your brothers have similar resumes?" Pilaf cheered, practically spinning around in his desk chair behind the oversized desk.
"Of course, we are a team, after all."
"Hmm, but I mainly needed another agent to fill in for Mai to reach tall shelves and other height-based matters. Do I really need five? That's more than doubling the Reich Pilaf's personnel."
"It's an offer you shouldn't pass up, sir," Murasaki smiled, wringing his hands, "Consider that one ninja is worth at least ten common men, so act now and you get fifty men's worth in personnel. That's not the kind of bargain a genius like you lets slip by."
"Well, it's true, you have to get up pretty early in the morning to get one past Emperor Pilaf."
"And just think, act right now and you not only get ten for one, but five ninja for the price of six!" Murasaki said, holding out the contract.
"Alright, I'll do it! You can't hope to conquer the world without making moves as bold at they are brilliant!" Pilaf said, taking the contract and signing on the dotted lines, while Murasaki grinned and wrung his hands.
Author's Note:
Sorry for posting this so late.
And so we start the General Blue Arc, one of my favorite RRA villains. Hope this proves to be an enjoyable ride.
Thank you for reading, long days and pleasant nights to you all.