*Hey, guys. Sorry for taking so long to update this story. Chapter 4 will be coming out a lot faster, so I hope you enjoy Chapter 3.
I also watched Wakfu Season 4 a few weeks ago, so that'll affect my plans for later chapters in this crossover.
Chapter 3: Chance Encounters
Even after transmitting some more Wakfu into his system, Nox was still in pretty bad shape. The gaping hole in his chest was nowhere close to being fixed and every single breath he took was just barely audible. All the Xelor could do now was lay down in his chair, cursing Goku for having the audacity to do this much damage to him.
That boy was becoming far more of a thorn in his side than he ever anticipated. Because of him, his initial plans to kill the dragon, Grougaloragran, were now brought to a sudden stop.
"How could one irksome little rugrat possess such abilities? It doesn't make any sense!" Nox growled. "That much energy should belong to me, not him! I'm the one who truly needs it, after all…"
He lowered his head in deep, growing sadness. Thoughts of his former life as the watchmaker, Noximilien Coxen, came to mind before they vanished, much like the loving family he once had.
"I need it… to see them again."
Thinking about Galanthe, Quartz, Aiguille, and Pulsar brought him nothing, but pain deep down inside. He clutched the sides of his face and whimpered to himself in growing self-hatred. If it weren't for that infernal cube, they possibly could have survived that dreaded day.
"Aw, you poor thing."
Nox looked up to see a voluptuous, blue-skinned demon floating slightly above him. The look on her face was more condescending than sympathetic.
"Hearing your past is almost enough to make me shed a tear…" Towa then mockingly smirked. "…if you weren't so sad and pathetic, of course."
Not even bothering to respond, Nox brandished his longsword and shot a blast of Wakfu at her. The demonic scientist spun her brown spear around and effortlessly dispersed the attack into small particles of energy.
"What?! I-Impossible!"
She yawned and rested a hand on her cheek whilst continuing to float in midair.
"Save your strength, Xelor. After everything that Son Goku just did to you, you'll be in no condition to fight for quite some time."
Nox tilted his head to the side. "Son Goku? You know who that brat is?"
"Why, of course I do. I know practically everything there is to know about him, his strength, his past, and…" She brushed her white hair to the side and raised a single finger. "… his true nature."
The Xelor's eyes widened. He didn't trust this woman for a second, but her apparent knowledge about the monkey-tailed boy, Goku, was intriguing, nonetheless.
"Alright. I'm listening… whoever or whatever you are."
"Ah, yes, I suppose I should introduce myself," The woman said with a slight curtsy. "My name is Towa and I am a scientist from the Demon Realm. I have not encountered Goku directly as of yet, but my brother, Demon King Dabura, has in the past. That encounter… did not go well for him, as much as it pains me to admit."
She growled just thinking about the utter humiliation her brother went through. Being turned into a cookie was a fate worse than death, especially for proud demons like themselves.
"Nevertheless, I have manipulated both time and space to analyze the Saiyan warrior, Son Goku's, past battles. Although he may look like a child to you, he is, in actuality, a grown man with many years of experience in martial arts under his belt. Some say that he may be capable of destroying the entire multiverse at full power, believe it or not."
"The multiverse?! Pfft… HAHAHAHA! Incredible, absolutely incredible! No wonder I didn't stand a chance against him. That tall, monkey-like form he displayed was his true appearance the entire time!" laughed Nox in a maniacal state of disbelief. He then began to cough and clutch his aching, still heavily damaged chest.
"Yes, that would be Super Saiyan 4. The only reason he looks like a child is because of a wish some blue gremlin made with the Black-Star Dragon Balls more than five years ago." Towa floated a bit closer to Nox. "And now he's merged with a set of Dragon Balls themselves, including the Eternal Dragon, Shenron, that is linked to them. You could say that this little… fusion of theirs has made Goku immortal. Or, at least, that's how it worked before he decided to inhabit a mortal body again."
She placed her feet on the ground and walked over to where Nox was seated. She delicately rested a hand atop his chest, much to the Xelor's disgust.
"But then again, I suppose that fact wouldn't really surprise you, considering the hundreds of years you have lived, Noximilien."
The mention of his real name caused Nox to growl and swat Towa's hand away in anger.
"I don't care about Super Saiyans, Dragon Balls, Eternal Dragons, or whatever nonsense you've just spouted to me, witch! Just tell me what it is that you want. As you can see, I still have some more precious Wakfu to expunge."
Grimacing, Towa took a brief look around the Giant Clock Fortress. Countless Noxine entered and exited the facility simultaneously, transferring more energy for their creator to use later on. She would be impressed if not for the fact that a working Time Machine was already invented back in Universe 7.
She rested a hand on her chin. "Hmph. A rather fruitless effort, don't you think?"
"Fruitless? What are you getting at?"
"Well, even if you extracted this entire planet of its Wakfu supply, that Eliacube would only send you back in time by about twenty minutes, give or take. You'd never be able to reunite with the precious family you lost, no matter what you or these useless little robots try to do."
Nox did not want to believe the utter response being spewed from Towa's lips. He shakily got up from his chair and clenched his hands together.
"Y-You… lie! The Eliacube spoke to me! Me and no one else! How could you possibly understand its abilities more than I do?!" The former watchmaker scowled. "After everything I've suffered, I refuse to accept that my actions have all been done for nothing!"
The demonic scientist chuckled, finding Nox's little tantrum quite hilarious.
"It's either you accept the truth or don't. I understand that cube's limitations, because I and a few others have successfully traveled through time without the need of such primitive methods." Towa explained. "One of Son Goku's friends even created a Time Machine much more powerful than this fortress of yours. And she did it all by herself."
Nox could feel fresh tears building up in his eyes. It was a sudden emotion he hadn't felt in centuries. "Time travel… has already been done?!"
"How do you think I got here in the first place? Through my Dark Magic, I can generate Wormholes that grant myself and others the ability to travel from one timeline to the next in mere seconds." To demonstrate, she materialized a small red and black portal from her hand. "But do not assume that traveling to the past will alter your future. Every action you make now results in an alternate, branched timeline from what came before. Even if you succeeded in seeing your family again, they would not be the same. They would belong to a different version of yourself from that timeline."
The Xelor fell to his knees. This information, if true, contradicted every perception of time travel he once had. All of his past work truly was for nothing in the end.
"T-Then my wife and children's deaths are irreversible. I can't make up for the mistakes I've made in my past, after all…"
With that, his purpose for existing was rendered null and void. Towa, on the other hand, had other plans in mind for the misanthropic Xelor.
"With the tools you have now, absolutely, but there are other ways to achieve the atonement you seek, Nox. And all it requires is the accumulation of Time Energy."
"Time Energy?"
"Yes. Much like ki, Wakfu, and Stasis, it is a powerful energy that creates and encompasses time itself. Mastery of this energy, also known as Time Power, can allow new timelines to be created based on the user's wishes and thus, cause drastic changes to everything in the multiverse's history." Towa described in great detail. "Your ability to freeze and slow down time as a Xelor is only scratching the surface of what Time Power can do. Not even your race's god has fully mastered it, in fact."
Towa then crouched down and held Nox's chin up with her finger.
"So let's make a little deal, shall we? You continue to gather Wakfu from the World of Twelve's inhabitants while I help create distortions in time that will produce Time Energy and grant you the mastery over Time Power you seek. Maybe then you'll be able to produce an ideal, personal timeline where your loved ones will… survive and none of this will ever happen."
Nox narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Sounds like a pretty one-sided deal, Towa. What would be in it for you?"
The demoness snapped her fingers in response. From within a torrent of shadows and dark energy, a single Storage Capsule transported itself next to her. It was a metallic pod with a green-white infinity symbol placed in its center.
Inside was a muscular man with blue skin and short white hair. He wore a red jumpsuit that covered his entire body and white armor somewhere along his chest. Below this armor, his legs were concealed by black, cape-like pants that only kept a pair of red combat boots in plain sight. The man was currently unconscious, but still brimming with raw power, nonetheless.
"On the contrary, this deal is more to my own benefit than you assume, Nox. With my brother gone, the Demon Realm has been left without a strong ruler to guide its people. That is where my Mira comes in; a demonic Bio-Android with DNA compiled from the strongest fighters in the multiverse's history."
The scientist then magically placed an Energy-Suction Device into her hands. It was identical to the weapon used by Babidi and his followers so many years ago.
"All I ask is that you allow me to convert some of the Wakfu you gather into Kili for Mira to absorb. With that much power at his disposal, he'll be able to reach his full potential and… kill Son Goku."
Nox felt perturbed by the existence of such a monster. Even if Goku were to be killed, what would stop Towa from using Mira to bring the World of Twelve to ruin? Could she really grant him the Time Power that he needed to reunite with his family?
Despite these unanswerable questions, the Xelor could not decline Towa's offer. The possibility of getting revenge on that Saiyan was far too enticing. She was the lesser of two evils from his perspective, especially if the new Demon King, Mira, did indeed to prove to be Goku's equal in strength.
He lightly chuckled through his mask. "You drive a hard bargain, my dear Demon Queen. I'll accept your deal… as long as that irksome little monkey's death is guaranteed! And his friends' too!"
"You have my word on that. Mira desires nothing more than to become the strongest warrior in existence, so as long as Son Goku still lives, he will not rest until his last breath is drawn." Towa mused while patting her hand on Mira's Storage Capsule. "After all, he has Saiyan blood coursing through his veins as much as Goku does."
In that moment, she suddenly remembered that Nox was still in no condition to fight or even move. She snorted at the sight of his mortally wounded form.
"But enough talk for now. I should do something about those injuries of yours."
"W-What are you planning to—"
Towa took the end of her brown staff and slightly pierced Nox's Wakfu core, causing purple Dark Energy to seep into his entire body. Although excruciatingly painful, the damages to his armor were being repaired little by little, as if the dark aura was, somehow, rewinding time itself.
"GRAAAAAAGH!"
Purple light blasted out of his eyes and core as he was forcibly thrust into the air. Right as his eyes began to change from blue to bloodred, Nox's agonizing transformation came to an end. He fell to the floor and clutched his head in slight pain.
"W-What… in Xelor's name… did you just do to me?!"
"It's called Villainous Mode. Using my Dark Magic as a sorceress, I tapped into the evil within your soul and enhanced your current strength by a significant amount. It also fixed up your broken armor too, of course."
Nox looked down at his hands. He did, in fact, feel much stronger than before.
Perhaps this Time Power really is all it's cracked up to be. If I somehow master it, I'll be able to surpass Xelor, that senile dragon, Grougaloragran, and even Son Goku himself in one fell swoop!
Behind Towa's back, he deviously sneered and looked to where the Eliacube presided. Was there a chance that Time Power could be compatible with it? Or even be enhanced by its existing power over time and space?
I know for a fact that this partnership between us is fleeting, so I must bide my time and acquire the powers she spoke of. Then, ideally, Goku and Mira can destroy themselves in their potential fight, leaving me alone to create the timeline I deserved to have in the first place! From that point onward, nothing, not even Ogrest's Chaos, will stand in my way again! I will be the true master of the Eliacube and my own destiny!
The Xelor contained his conniving laughter and took a deep breath. With newly restored strength, he teleported over to where Towa stood.
"Well, now that we're both in good health, what's next on our agenda?"
"Continue to gather Wakfu using your Noxines. Mira is nowhere close to being ready yet, so I wish to observe Son Goku's actions before I send any of my time-displaced pawns to attack him." said Towa.
Through the fortress's monitors, both of them could see Goku, Yugo, and their other companions traveling to Kelba Market through a Zaap portal. The demoness narrowed her eyes at the young boy walking next to the Saiyan.
"That kid with the blue hat. He is an Eliatrope, correct?"
"Yes. He is the key to finding one of the last surviving dragons, Grougaloragran."
Towa was pleased by this fact. Although dragons weren't exactly powerful creatures, just one would be enough to supply Mira with most of the Kili he'd require. Particularly, if they were killed in battle.
"Interesting. Very interesting indeed."
The duo continued to watch Goku and his new allies from afar, waiting for the proper moment to strike. As they did so, Mira slightly opened his eyes to reveal cold, bloodred pupils. They both narrowed at the slightest mention of Goku's name.
Meanwhile…
Goku and the others collectively exited the Zaap portal together. As expected, they ended up in an area somewhere close to Kelba Market. Percedal quickly brandished Rubilax and looked from side to side, making sure the coast was clear. The Iop warrior then put his sword away upon realizing that they weren't any danger just yet.
"Well, that's one way to travel, I guess." said Goku as he saw the portal's translucent entryway disappear.
Ruel grinned. "It's exciting, the first time you go through a Zaap portal, eh? Of course, I do it all the time."
"Not really. I've been to different dimensions and worlds before, so it seems kinda tame to me by comparison."
The old Enutrof glanced at him in surprise.
"D-Different dimensions, you say?"
"Yup. Basically anything's possible with Instant Transmission, if you know to use it."
"I prefer something that doesn't make me blow chunks, thank you." Percedal grumbled aloud. He then slyly grinned over at Ruel. "Then again, considering that the old man fell flat on his face upon arriving here, I think he might need it more than the Zaap portal. Hehe!"
"Show a little more respect for your elders, boy! I slipped by accident! That's all it was!"
He turned around and huffed in annoyance. Yugo then walked over to help cheer him up a little. "Don't worry, Ruel. I almost slipped too."
Seeing how immature they were acting, Evangelyne crossed her arms and sighed. She was getting a little impatient.
"Figures that Goku and Yugo are both acting more mature than you two idiots." She scoffed. "Once you both learn to act your age, it'd be in all our best interests to get along, and stick together until we reach Oma."
Amalia nodded her head. "You're right, Eva. We didn't start on an adventure to end up bickering like some spoiled princesses. I'm sure Goku would agree, seeing how he experienced he is with adventures already."
The Saiyan warrior in question sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
"Actually, if you knew some of my friends, bickering sorta becomes second nature on adventures like this one. Haha."
Amalia leaned forward to excitedly beam at Goku. He stepped back a little from surprise.
"Mind sharing some examples? I'd really love to hear about those worlds and dimensions you explored! They sound super interesting!"
"Well… uh…"
"Remember not to share everything all at once. Keep in mind that they don't know how old you really are yet. They might get suspicious." The Eternal Dragon warned from within his subconscious.
I know, Shenron. Don't have to remind me.
Seeing the awestruck look in Amalia's brown eyes, Goku gulped and tilted his head to the side. He caught a glimpse of Kelba Market in the distance, much to his relief.
"Maybe a little later, Amalia. We should check out that marketplace first."
"But I—"
Yugo pointed his finger. "Right! Let's go, Goku! Last one there's a mangy Gobball!"
"Still not sure what that is, but you're on, Yugo!"
The two boys then ran over to Kelba Market's location as fast as possible, leaving Amalia and the others behind. The Sadida princess looked a little disappointed.
"Hmph. And here I was hoping that Goku would be able to share where he learned that Instant Transition move from."
"Instant Transmission, Amalia," Evangelyne corrected her. She then slightly narrowed eyes. "There's a lot of things Goku hasn't shared with us yet. I know he saved us from Nox and all, but to be honest, I still don't know what to feel about him. It feels like he's hiding something."
"Do you… think he was the cause of that earthquake from before?"
"Given the powerful abilities he's shown so far, I wouldn't be surprised. How he got that strong, though, is what I'm more concerned about. A boy his age shouldn't be anywhere near that level, yet… Goku is."
Percedal boldly wrapped his arm around the Cra's shoulders. "Aw, don't be such a stick in the mud, Eva! Goku has done nothing, but good the entire time we've met him. Rubilax would still be controlling my body right now, if it weren't for him, in fact."
"That little brat's gonna pay for that someday. You too, Dally." The Shushu scowled.
"Don't make me hit you again."
"Hmph. As if I'd let you."
Evangelyne smacked the Iop's arm away from her, but nonetheless, nodded in understanding. Goku did save Amalia from the Polters, after all.
"Fair enough. I suppose we can save uncovering Goku's past for later." The archer affirmed. "We should catch up with him and Yugo. Let's go."
With that, her, Amalia, Ruel, and Percedal headed over to Kelba Market. It was a small area filled with different shops, stores, and concession stands. Most of them were already occupied by a few customers.
Goku and Yugo looked around the marketplace in curiosity.
"Wow! Check all of this stuff out, Goku! There's loads of amazing things here."
"Yeah, you're right. It does seem pretty cool."
An Enutrof shopkeeper looked over at them with a smile. Apart from having a large hat and a shaggier beard, he looked almost identical to Ruel. His voice was fairly similar as well.
"And for a few Kamas, you can have whatever you want, boys."
"Whatever we want, huh? Do you have any good food to eat?"
"Seriously? You just ate at Alibert's inn…"
That was before I used that Kamehameha against Nox. It worked up more of an appetite than I thought.
"Unbelievable how fickle a Saiyan's stomach can be."
Before the shopkeeper could respond, Evangelyne rested a hand on Goku's shoulder and shook her head.
"Now's not the time to think about food, Goku. The first thing we need to do is club together and buy a map of the World."
"Oh yeah. I guess we're gonna need something like that, huh?" The Saiyan asked.
"If we want to have any idea of where Oma Island is, then yes."
Ruel snorted at the idea of using his own Kamas to buy anything, let alone some random map. He closed his eyes and stuck his shovel into the ground.
"Count me out! My purse is as bare as a field of Cawwots on Wabbit Island!"
Goku scrunched up his nose. "A field of what on what island?"
"I'm trying to say that I'm broke! None of you will be getting a single cent out of this Enutrof!"
"Why's that? Did you spend all your money on that beautiful outfit of yours? Must have cost a fortune, hm? Ehehe!" Amalia mockingly giggled.
"BWAHAHAHA!"
Everyone froze and looked over at the Sadida princess in shock. They didn't expect her laugh to sound that gravely and outright sinister in tone.
"Geez. It wasn't that funny."
"Yeah. You sounded like a Bwork there, Amalia." Yugo joked.
"Um… that wasn't me, guys…"
The Enutrof shopkeeper gasped and pointed up at the sky. Kelba Market's other merchants looked just as terrified.
"Ahh! It was him! The Black Crow!"
"BWAHAHAHA!"
Up above, a man decked out in a cloak of black feathers revealed himself. He wore a metallic gray mask that resembled the beak of a crow and had an equally dangerous-looking halberd clasped in his right hand. He mounted a flying machine that streaked across the sky using wings made from multiple small crows.
"Back row? What are you talking about?"
Yugo met up with the others as each merchant in Kelba Market closed their shops out of fear. They helplessly watched as the Black Crow used his halberd to slice the marketplace into tiny pieces.
"BWAHAHA!"
Once he flew back into the air, Goku attempted to sense his energy. It was rather low, but somewhat impressive when compared to a normal human like Mr. Satan or Videl. He decided to sit back and see what else this Black Crow could do before intervening.
"Hehe. I'm really starting to enjoy things around here." Percedal snickered in growing excitement.
"What do you think, Goku? Does this crazy bird pose any real threat to you?" Evangelyne asked. She was ready to pull out her bow at any moment.
"To me? Not at all, but he is causing a whole lot of damage to this place."
"Tsk. You didn't have to tell me that."
Before their eyes, the Black Crow landed his machine on a nearby tree branch. He evilly chuckled to himself while getting a good look at the destruction he left behind.
"Pathetic merchants! Fear the fire of darkness! Fear your worst nightmare! Tremble before the power of the Black Crow!"
He pulled out a cannon and shot a dozen or so crow eggs at Kelba Market. They hatched and slammed into the ground as massive implosions of dust upon impact. Everyone screamed and tried their best to duck for cover.
At that point, Goku had seen enough.
"Power, huh?"
He looked back at his friends and got into a fighting stance.
"Take cover, guys. I'll deal with this jerk."
"Wait, Goku. I can help too if you—"
Yugo was interrupted by the Saiyan vanishing into thin air. As the Black Crow continued to fire countless more eggs from his cannon, Goku appeared directly behind the man.
"BWAHAHAHA! No one can put a stop to my indomitable wrath!"
"I can."
The Black Crow suddenly stopped laughing. "Huh?"
He turned his head to see a spiky-haired child floating in midair. Through his mask, the Black Crow could barely contain their shock at what they were seeing.
"Hi."
"W-Who and what in the world are—"
While suppressing as much power as he could, Goku punched the Black Crow in the back of the head and sent him crashing into the ground. He flew across the sky, faceplanting right in the middle of the very market he decimated beforehand.
All of the crows that made up his machine's wings flew away in utter puzzlement and terror. They didn't expect their master to be felled so abruptly.
Goku ever-so-slightly winced and transported himself to the spot where the Black Crow landed. He looked down at his limp, twitching body in minor concern.
"Yikes. Maybe I should have held back a bit more…"
His friends were curious to inspect the Black Crow's body as well. They noticed that he looked a lot less intimidating up close.
"At least you didn't give him a chance to run away, Goku. Props for that one, man." Percedal commended him.
Evangelyne rested a hand on her chin. "Wonder who he could be underneath the mask."
"Only one way to find out, eh?"
Ruel then reached for the Black Crow's body, but was interrupted by the man picking himself up off the ground. His outfit's black feathers were now bent in all sorts of different angles and directions.
"No need, no need! I know when I've been beaten…"
"These merchants of Kelba Market had no idea that I, The Black Crow, was, in actually, none other than…" He tugged on his head a few times, but the helmet wouldn't budge one bit. "Huurrrggh! Huurrrggh! Dumb mask!"
Everyone there, including the merchants and their former customers, peered at him with looks of confusion and pity.
"Let me give you a hand there." Ruel muttered.
He gently unbuckled the strap on the Black Crow's mask.
"Thanks," It was now free to be taken off, revealing an Osamodas man with blue skin and a long white beard. "None other than Kabrok the adventurer… turned lowly merchant."
The Enutrof shopkeeper's jaw dropped. Kabrok was the last person he expected to have such a villainous secret identity.
"You?! B-But you're already filthy rich and get tons of business at your shop! What reason would you have to destroy ours?"
"Feh! I don't care about the competition or money if that's what you're thinking…" Kabrok grunted. He looked down at his mask as he continued speaking. "When you have a life full of adventures, like mine, it's hard to settle down. I have a need for adventure and combat… something that being a merchant does not allow. Which is why I hate all of you shopkeepers, because my lovely wife, Miranda, has forced me to live your same boring, trivial lifestyle, rather than the one I'm accustomed to."
"So wait a minute, you take out your frustrations on these innocent people and their livelihoods? Just because you were bored?" Evangelyne snapped angrily.
"You must understand something, young lady. Even though I'm married to the finest and most delicate woman there is, and have all the money I could ever hope to gain, I need to feel the wind in my hair. Experience the thrill that I once had traveling on the road, when boredom wasn't even something I considered. Tell me, is that so wrong?"
Goku carefully thought over Kabrok's words. In a way, his life sounded similar to the one he had with Chi-Chi back on Earth. She wanted him to settle down and become a farmer, yet as a Saiyan, fighting strong opponents would always be something he sought after in life.
"No, I don't think so."
"Huh?!" The others all looked at Goku as if he were going nuts.
"Really? You understand my perspective, kid?"
"I mean, I don't like how you damaged these people's homes and shops either, but yeah, I do. Before I met Yugo and my other friends here, I went through the same experiences you did, Kabrok. What you said felt like words that'd come out of my mouth, honestly." Goku proclaimed with a smile on his face. He then jerked a thumb at his chest. "I'm a martial artist, so I struggle settling down too. Fighting strong guys is… well, what I live for above all else."
Kabrok broke down into a fit of crazed laughter hearing this. He was glad to finally find a kindred spirit who understood his pain, more or less.
"BAHAHAHA! Then I suppose we're two sides of the same Kama, lad! I couldn't have pictured anyone better to defeat the Black Crow!"
He then dropped the beak-like helmet, temporarily putting his reign of terror to a sudden close.
"Tell me, what is your name?"
"Son Goku. Nice to meet you."
"Mm. I'll be sure to remember that… and the mighty strong punch you decked me with. Haha." Kabrok chuckled in amusement. "In exchange for hearing my side of the story, how about I take you over to my shop? Anything you want, I'll give you free of charge."
"Really?! That'd be great! We're looking for a map of the World if you have one in stock."
"I'll see what I can do. Follow me, Goku… and your friends too, I suppose."
He was interrupted by an annoyed Evangelyne. She glared at him and gestured to the wrecked stalls that used to be Kelba Market.
"You better clean up the mess you made as well, Black Crow. Don't forget that.
"Or else we'll send Goku after you again. Hehe." Yugo chimed in, nudging Goku's body with his elbow.
Kabrok slumped his shoulders and sighed. He'd definitely be getting an earful from Miranda for that.
"Alright, alright. Whatever you say… ungrateful little…"
After a few minutes of walking, Kabrok successfully led the group to his shop. There were multiple wooden signs that either pointed to it or advertised its products. One included a symbol with the Osamodas adventurer's face on it and three golden weapons.
"Wow. You must be really well-known around here, huh?" Yugo inquired.
"Yes. I've earned quite the reputation, as you can probably tell."
Amalia haughtily upturned her nose. "And with everything you've done, I know for a fact it's going to get damaged."
"Oh, lighten up, Amalia. He already said he was going to fix all of the shops he destroyed." Goku said in defense of Kabrok's actions.
"As if I'd trust a guy like that. Who knows what people he's associated with?"
Right as Kabrok was about to open the door, a young Ecaflip girl emerged from inside. She had brown fur, golden eyes, and darker brown hair that was tied down into ponytails on either side of her shoulder. Her outfit consisted of a form-fitting white and brown apron that covered up her chest. The cat girl also wore shorts that contained compartments for different playing cards and other related objects.
Her brown ears twitched about as she looked at Kabrok from head to toe. It was as if she expected him to arrive in this sorry, beaten down state.
"So the whole Black Crow thing didn't work out, after all, huh?"
"Keep your voice down! Your sister knows nothing about this, remember?" The Osamodas hissed in a state of panic.
"Well, she's gonna find out, eventually, so you might as well get it over with." Her long tail swished about from side to side as she glanced over at Goku and the others. "More valued customers, I assume?"
"Not only that, Leah. That boy over there is the one who defeated me." Kabrok pointed over to the unsuspecting Goku. "Turns out he's a former adventurer himself… and a fairly strong one at that."
"Hm. That's a chance encounter if I've ever seen one." Leah mischievously smirked while examining the martial artist's form. "Though, to be fair, chance has always been an Ecaflip's specialty, so I can't complain too much."
Within the blink of an eye, she scurried over to Goku and got a good look at him. She curiously hummed to herself while looking at his face and arms.
"You don't have to get so close to him. That seems a bit rude, don't you think?" said Amalia.
"Relax, Greenie. It's not like I'm invading his personal space or anything." The Ecaflip ignored her reaction to that nickname and continued focusing on Goku. What she saw wasn't half-bad. "Gotta say, you do have the look of a warrior. You got the outfit and physique to show for it, even if you are a little shrimp right now."
"Thanks… I think?"
"He's around my age, so he'll probably get a bit taller later on. We won't be shrimps forever!"
Goku found this statement amusing, given how old he truly was. You have no idea, Yugo.
"Hey, not judging you for it, dude! I definitely believe you beat my brother-in-law here. I bet he had no chance of defeating you at all."
Kabrok sported a downcast expression. "Way to put my feelings into consideration, little sister…"
Leah then winked at Goku, much to the boy's immense confusion.
"Mind giving me some pointers? Fighting Kabrok was always a real gamble for me, but with you here, maybe it won't have to be."
Evangelyne stepped in to interrupt this awkward exchange between the two.
"You can ask Goku another time. We were promised a map of the World in exchange for the Black Crow's defeat."
Leah's golden eyes widened. "Woah. You mean the Grav'Mar'Av map? I didn't think you'd ever give that up, Kabrok!"
"That was until Son Goku and I came to a mutual understanding. I'm a man of my word, in spite of that map's pricelessness."
The Ecaflip girl glanced from Goku back to her Osamodas brother-in-law. Were the two of them more similar than she assumed?
Mutual understanding. Perhaps that's something I need to find. It'd be better than being stuck in this boring old shop with Miranda all day…
She loudly cleared her throat and sported a toothy grin akin to her older sister's.
"If that's the case, then come right in. I'm sure that map won't take too long to find… if it isn't stuck in between most of Kabrok's junk, that is."
"I resent that remark. That map is a dear possession of mine, girl! I'd never be so careless!"
"You were pretty careless when Goku smacked you into the ground earlier. Hehe." Percedal chuckled. He then stopped laughing upon seeing Kabrok's halberd be pointed dangerously close to him.
"I'm still the Black Crow, little Iop. Be mindful of what you say around me."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
The Osamodas smirked and helped Leah gather everyone inside the shop. Percedal, to his embarrassment, was left shaking in slight nervousness. Rubilax found the situation quite hilarious, as always.
"Ha! Wouldn't be the first time you'd wet yourself, wimp! Hahaha!"
"Shut up! I'm not scared of anyone!"
He then smacked him against the ground a few times before catching up with his friends. For some reason, Kabrok's shop appeared to be located underground, so they had to go down some stairs to reach it.
"Any reason why you guys decided to build your shop down here?"
"Mainly to prevent anyone from discovering my identity as the Black Crow. Those merchants believed I was just taking extra precaution in case an attack was made on my business, which, of course, was never going to happen, regardless."
Ruel laughed in amusement. "Oho! I see. Very crafty."
Leah sighed and crossed both arms behind her head. "Apparently, craftiness can only get you so far, though. I have a feeling your days as the Black Crow are over, bro-in-law."
"Oh well. The thrill of it all was fun while it lasted," Kabrok shrugged. "Meeting Goku softened that blow a bit, at least."
"KABROK!"
Everyone stopped dead in their tracks upon hearing the sound of a shrill, angry voice rumble throughout the shop. Leah, on the other hand, chuckled, knowing exactly what her older sister was yelling about in that moment.
"W-What was that?" Goku muttered. It reminded him of the way Chi-Chi used to yell when he did something stupid.
The Osamodas nervously gulped. "My wife…"
From behind a curtain, a beautiful Ecaflip woman revealed herself. She had long, light brown hair tied down into a ponytail, golden brown eyes, and brown fur. Her outfit comprised of a black and red dress that covered her entire body from top to bottom. Her long tail was hidden by her dress as well.
She bared her fangs and stomped over to where her husband stood. At first, she didn't even notice her own little sister or the group of customers standing behind him.
"KABROK?!" Miranda growled. She got up into his personal and dangerously glared at him. "Where have you been?! We were supposed to count our Kamas together! Don't you realize how much there's left to—"
She then paused to glance down at the strange helmet in Kabrok's hands.
"Where'd you get that? Did something finally happen to that annoying Black Crow person?"
"Well… about that…"
Leah groaned. "If you opened your eyes a little, sis, you'd realize Kabrok is the Black Crow. He only got caught after that little kid took him down."
Goku casually waved his hand at the adult Ecaflip, much to her confusion.
"Yep! He said he was doing it to relive his days as an adventurer or something."
"What?! That Black Crow mess is bad for business, you idiot! Rarely any adventurers were coming here because of you!" Miranda scowled with a hurt look on her face. "And here I thought that I was the adventure now."
"Oh, don't be like that, baby! Leah did say that I was beaten as the Black Crow, right? I have no need to cause any more harm under this mask of mine."
The Ecaflip businesswoman slightly softened her expression. "Yes, I suppose she did…"
"And besides, we have a group of adventurers here right now. Business hasn't been affected that much, if you think about it." Leah added. Miranda playfully ruffled the younger Ecaflip's hair and smirked.
"Depends if they're willing to spare some Kamas, dear little sister. We can't let Kama-less customers waste our precious time now, can we?"
With a swift clap of her hands, a weird-looking creature with blue fur sat atop Miranda's head. It had a long trunk and two beady little black eyes.
Az hid in Yugo's pocket after both of them saw the creature's odd appearance. "What is that thing?"
"That there is what we call Snoofle. They can sniff out Kamas and find money that's fallen behind the furniture for us." Leah explained.
"And the richer you are, the more he'll love you."
One by one, the Snoofle sniffed the group's bodies in search for fresh Kamas. It circled around them in all sorts of different positions, including Goku's spiky black hair. Despite his obvious lack of money, it appeared to get along with him just fine and even beamed in response to the Saiyan's positive aura.
The Snoofle also allowed Evangelyne to pet him once or twice due to her having most of the group's finances in hand.
"Yuk, it's not going to sniff, Ruel, is it? That's gross!" Amalia spat in disgust.
Getting whiff of the old man's scent, unsurprisingly, caused the Snoofle to happily bounce off the walls. It beamed and wagged its tail, now knowing for a fact who the richest person in this building was next to Miranda and Kabrok themselves.
"Hey, hey! This thing must be broken now!" The old Enutrof insisted.
"The Snoofle doesn't lie, gramps." Leah muttered. She leaned against a wall and began to stretch her body a little. "Kabrok promised these folks a map of the World, by the way. We should get that out of the way before anything else is bought."
"A map? Maps are very rare, but… I'm sure we have one lying around… somewhere."
"We do. It's my Grav'Mar'Av' map." After doing some digging through the shop, Kabrok brought out a white scroll with orange tufts of fur placed on either side. "I have it right here."
"Ah yes, of course! Its power is exceptional!"
"Its power?" The group gasped in unison.
"Yes. Come on, have a look at it."
Miranda unrolled the Grav'Mar'Av map and put it on display, so everyone could see its contents. To their confusion, nothing appeared to be written or drawn on it.
"It's blank!" Yugo proclaimed.
"Oh, my sweet, my all-seeing, all-knowing magnificent map of marvels, show me the beautiful land of Kelba, please." asked Miranda in a flirtatious, almost seductive tone of voice.
A face appeared on the map and blushed hearing the Ecaflip woman's compliments. It had orange eyes, a nose, and big toothy grin with orange lips.
"Ho ho ho! Impossible to refuse such a polite request!"
In a momentary flash of light, the map's face was replaced with a detailed recreation of Kelba's entire landscape. More impressive was the fact that it could do this with any location in the World of Twelve, not just one.
"Fascinating!"
"That's the first time I've ever seen a map talk before. It looks cool!" Goku beamed.
The Osamodas gently grabbed the map from his wife's hands and gave it to his former opponent.
"As promised, the map is yours to keep, my boy. Please take good care of it."
"We will, Kabrok. Thanks!"
Miranda quirked a brow. "KABROK?! You're giving it away for free? I expected you to kick up more of a fuss over it than that."
"Goku will have more use for that map than I will. With the strength and abilities, he has now, he might become an even greater adventurer than I ever was." He assumed with the utmost confidence. "I'm looking forward to seeing what him… and his friends will do next on this journey of theirs."
Yugo nodded and determinedly clenched his fists together.
"Same here! I still have a long way to go until I'm as strong as you and Goku. And knowing the type of progress I can make with my own abilities is kinda exciting! Hehe."
"Haha! There's no doubt that both you and Goku have the spirit of adventure brimming inside you, Yugo. I was the same way as a boy."
"And now those days are over, dear! Now that Leah and I are a part of your lives." Miranda stressed as she leaned against Kabrok's side. "Anyway, if there's anything else you wish to buy, we're still at your service, ladies and gentlemen."
"Any bags? Have you got any Sadida bags? Mine is so last year!" Amalia squealed with figurate stars in her eyes.
"Seeds? I need Tofu seeds for Az!" Yogu shouted along with her.
"Of course, of course! KABROK! LEAH!"
Both the Osamodas and young Ecaflip girl slumped their shoulders in dismay.
"C-Coming right up…"
The next few minutes or so were then spent doing some last-minute shopping. While Yugo got his seeds, Goku wandered into one of the shop's backrooms. It was filled with the heads of different creatures and monsters Kabrok hunted in the past. Some were made of rock and other materials while others resembled normal, everyday animals that wouldn't be uncommon on Earth.
"Wow. That's a lot of heads."
"They're likely commemorating his past adventures. These fallen creatures are equivalent to the enemies you've faced and defeated back on Earth, I assume." Shenron surmised.
"A little morbid, but I see what you mean." Goku replied. "Minus the whole Black Crow thing, Kabrok almost seems like the person I'd become if I ended up growing old with Chi-Chi… and everyone else."
His expression grew somewhat more downcast. Miranda's similarities to his own wife were a bit uncomfortable to witness firsthand. It made him wonder if he did the right thing leaving Chi-Chi behind like this.
"I've told you already. Your time in Universe 7 is over, Goku. It's far too late to have regrets about what happened in the past."
"I know, but—"
Their conversation was interrupted by the presence of Kabrok and Leah. He changed out of his Black Crow attire and now wore a green T-shirt with pants of the same color.
"Impressive, aren't they? I was a big collector when I was young." The Osamodas merchant said. He noticed the slight grimace on the boy's face. "Mm. I suppose that's not what you're thinking about now, though."
"It's nothing too serious. I'm just missing some old friends I left behind. That's all."
"Yes. Change can be difficult, especially for adventurers who move from place to place like we do." Kabrok stated sympathetically. "Leah here knows all about that. She didn't used to live with myself and Miranda…"
"Really?"
The Ecaflip girl drooped her ears back and slowly nodded. "Yeah. I'm not some martial artist, warrior, or whatever you are, Goku, but I did live in a pretty nice village for quite some time. I had friends, a good family… everything a girl could want, really. I only moved in with my sister… after it got destroyed."
"Destroyed? How did that happen?"
"I don't know. I have no recollection of what happened that day. All I can tell is that whatever caused it, my parents didn't survive long enough to see it happen." Leah hesitated, but continued speaking, anyway. "The only reason I'm alive is, well, Kabrok. He saved me as the Black Crow, before it became his excuse to wreck random businesses. I've been helping them run their shop ever since."
"I'm sorry you went through that. I lost a lot of people close to me too; my grandpa being one of them."
"Sadness is a natural effect of change, I'm afraid. You either move on from those who passed or let yourself be consumed by their deaths. Closure is key to overcoming such loss in life." Kabrok wisely stated.
"Which is why I want to ask you an important question, Goku."
She bent over and stared straight into the Saiyan's black eyes with her golden ones. He didn't have much room to move as a result.
"Would you please let me come with you?"
"Huh? You want to… join our group?"
"Tell you the truth, I can't stand staying in one place. I'm the type of Ecaflip who likes to take risks in exchange for huge rewards. Miranda might be content living as a simple merchant, but I'm not! I want to see the World and find out what caused my village's destruction… amongst other important things!"
Her tail rapidly swished about as she gave Goku an intense look of desperation.
"Well? What do you say?"
"I mean, we're on our way to Oma Island to find Yugo's family, so I'm not sure if…"
Kabrok leaned close to Goku's ear and said, "Just so you know, Leah is much better at smooth talking that Grav'Mar'Av map than Miranda is. Seems useful, don't you think?"
"Wait, really? That's kinda impressive." The monkey-tailed boy whispered back.
He then rested a hand over his chin and took some time to think about Leah's proposition. She, admittedly, had some potential when it came to her Wakfu, but he couldn't tell for certain.
"Ecaflips are prone to jump into risky situations like this one, Goku. They're compulsive gamblers who use playing cards in combat. That Miranda woman didn't appear to be the combative type, but her sister could be much different, given their age gap and distinctive upbringings." Shenrondescribed.
Leah did say she wanted to fight Kabrok, so you could be right…
After doing a little more thinking, the Saiyan nodded his head and gave the Ecaflip a thumbs up.
"Sure thing! You can come with us if you want, Leah."
Sighing in relief, the young feline couldn't contain her excitement and scooped Goku off the floor. She cradled him in her arms like some type of doll and audibly purred much louder than intended.
"Thank you, thank you… THANK YOU!"
This joyful outburst caused Miranda to storm into the room in annoyance. She balled her fists and yelled, "What's with all that racket?! Shouldn't you be stocking the shelves, Leah?"
She let go of the slowly suffocating Goku and shook her head, looking rather pleased with the decision that was made.
"Not anymore, sis. I'm going to stick with these guys for a little while."
Yugo, Amalia, Evangelyne, Ruel, and Percedal all looked from Goku to her in shock. They certainly didn't see that coming.
"Huh?!"
Later on…
Once Leah gathered her belongings, which mostly consisted of playing cards, Goku and the others officially left Kelba Market behind. Ruel took a bit too much time flirting with Miranda and kissing her hand at the front door, but stopped once he saw how angry Kabrok was getting. He didn't want to get skewered by the Black Crow's halberd, after all.
This left Leah alone to say her own goodbyes.
"Hmph. Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Miranda murmured.
"Living with you guys is nice and all, but… I don't know. I think I need to find my own path from now on. It's the only way I'll figure out what happened that day…" She replied with an affirmative nod of her head. "Besides, making some more money wouldn't hurt either. I bet there's Kamas just waiting for me to scoop up. Hehe."
Ruel flinched hearing this comment. "Let's hope that doesn't include mine."
Miranda then gave Leah a hug and tried to maintain her confident attitude.
"Be careful out there. Don't cause as much chaos as Kabrok did, you hear me?"
"Pfft. No promises!"
The young Ecaflip playfully stuck out her tongue and waved them one final goodbye. Goku thought it best to do the same.
"See you later, Kabrok and Miranda! Thanks for the map!" He shouted.
"Good luck, Son Goku! Take care of Leah for us!"
After the Osamodas shared one final smile with him, the group set off on their journey's next destination. Miranda wasn't certain what happened to their parents either, but she hoped, at least, that Leah would avoid confronting it on this adventure of hers.
She'd give her a mighty earful if the opposite took place.
In that same moment, Leah unrolled the Grav'Mar'Av map and cleared her throat. She then batted her eyelashes whilst smiling in the sweetest way a Ecaflip possibly muster.
"Oh, my precious, dearest treasure of a map! Please, oh please show us the way to Oma Island, you handsome little devil, you!"
"Yeah! Make it snappy too!" Percedal barked from the sidelines.
"Ha! As if I'd listen to you, numbskull! The cat actually knows how to show some respect."
As Leah requested, the map showed off a pathway to Oma that the group could follow. It'd take a long time to get there, but having some directions was better than nothing.
Amalia shook her head. "Oh boy. It's good that we have Leah here. You're lousy at flattery."
"Hey! It's not my fault this map is annoying and hard to please!"
"If the shoe fits, moron. Ho ho ho!" The map mockingly laughed.
The seven of them then walked along the trail, hoping to get one step closer to discovering Yugo's family. For Goku, however, he was more concerned with Nox and whether he had anything to do with the destruction of Leah's village.
He truly hoped that this assumption was incorrect. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to spare the Xelor like last time.
*And that's the end of Chapter 3. It included a number of changes from the original Episode 3, including new scenes with Kabrok/The Black Crow and the inclusion of an OC named Leah. I thought including an Ecaflip in the Brotherhood of the Tofu could be an interesting idea, so I hope her character isn't too bad so far. She'll receive more development as the story progresses, especially in regard to her backstory, which could be related to Nox in some way.
This chapter also shows the differences between Nox and Goku's characters. While Nox can't move on from the past and wants to alter time itself just to make up for his own mistakes, Goku, with Shenron's guidance, is focusing on his future in the World of Twelve. He'll still miss his friends and family, but part of his character will be learning move on, something that Nox, at the moment, cannot do. I also highlighted some parallels between Kabrok and Goku too.
Anyway, leave a favorite, follow, and/or review to let me know what you think. Chapter 4 will be adapting Episode 6, "Vampyro" since I didn't think Episodes 4-5 were all that necessary to include. I promise it won't come out as late as last time.