Chapter 6

The morning sun cast long shadows across the mountainside as Yhwach, Goku, and Bulma began their descent towards the river valley below. The air was crisp with the promise of adventure, yet tinged with the lingering tension from the previous day's events.

Yhwach led the way, his tall figure moving with fluid grace over the rocky terrain. His crimson eyes scanned the horizon, alert for any sign of danger or opportunity. Within him, the newly acquired shape-shifting power simmered, a wellspring of potential waiting to be tapped.

As they approached the riverbank, Bulma fumbled in her pocket for a capsule. With a click and a puff of smoke, a sleek motorboat materialized on the water's edge.

"Wow!" Goku exclaimed, his earlier sullenness momentarily forgotten in the face of this new marvel. "It's like magic!"

Yhwach observed the capsule technology with keen interest. Such devices could prove useful in his grand design, if their secrets could be unlocked.

"All aboard!" Bulma called out, her voice carrying a forced cheerfulness. "Next stop, the other side!"

As they boarded the boat, Yhwach noted the way Goku kept a careful distance from him, the young Saiyan's tail twitching nervously. The soul fragment within Goku pulsed faintly, resonating with the boy's conflicted emotions.

The boat's engine roared to life, sending them skimming across the river's surface. Spray kicked up around them, rainbows dancing in the mist. For a moment, the tension seemed to lift, replaced by the simple joy of speed and motion.

But as they neared the opposite bank, Yhwach's keen senses picked up a disturbance in the water. Something large was moving beneath the surface, tracking their progress with predatory intent.

"Bulma," Yhwach said, his deep voice cutting through the engine's roar, "increase speed. We're being pursued."

Bulma's eyes widened in alarm, but she complied, pushing the throttle forward. The boat leapt ahead, bouncing across the waves.

Too late. With a surge of displaced water, a massive creature erupted from the river. Scales gleamed in the sunlight as a serpentine head rose high above them, yellow eyes fixed on the small boat with hungry intent.

" A Dragon Fish!" Bulma screamed, her knuckles white on the steering wheel.

Goku leapt to his feet, staff at the ready. "I'll handle this!" he shouted, his earlier wariness forgotten in the face of danger.

But before Goku could act, Yhwach moved. Blue energy crackled around him as he summoned his Quincy bow. An arrow of pure reishi formed, humming with barely contained power.

The river dragon lunged, jaws gaping wide. Yhwach's arrow flew true, piercing the creature's eye. With a shriek of pain and fury, the dragon thrashed, sending waves crashing over the boat.

"Hold on!" Bulma yelled, fighting to keep control as water sloshed around their feet.

Yhwach stood unmoved, another arrow already nocked. But the river dragon had had enough. With a final, furious roar, it sank beneath the waves, leaving only expanding ripples as evidence of its passage.

As they reached the far bank, Goku turned to Yhwach, his young face a mix of awe and lingering suspicion. "That was amazing! But... why didn't you use Oolong's shape-shifting power?"

Yhwach regarded the boy coolly. "Every tool has its proper use, Goku. The arrow was sufficient for this task. The shape-shifting ability... that I reserve for more complex challenges."

Goku frowned, clearly unsatisfied with the answer, but before he could press further, Bulma interrupted.

"Look!" she exclaimed, pointing down the road that stretched before them. "Is that... a bus?"

Indeed, a large double-decker bus sat by the roadside, its garish paint job a stark contrast to the natural beauty around them. A sign on its side proclaimed "Captain Yellow's Desert Tours."

"How fortunate," Yhwach murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly. Such convenient occurrences were becoming a pattern—one that warranted closer scrutiny.

As they approached the bus, a portly man in a captain's hat emerged, his face split by an enormous grin. "Welcome, travelers! Care for a tour of the desert? Only 5000 zeni per person!"

Bulma's face fell. "5000 zeni? That's highway robbery!"

The man's grin never faltered. "Supply and demand, miss. Not many vehicles can handle the desert terrain, you know."

Yhwach stepped forward, his imposing presence causing the captain to take an involuntary step back. "We'll take the bus," he said, his tone brooking no argument. "At a more... reasonable rate."

Something in Yhwach's crimson gaze must have unnerved the captain, for he quickly agreed to a reduced fare. As they boarded the bus, Goku whispered to Bulma, "Did Yhwach just scare that guy into giving us a discount?"

Bulma nodded, her expression troubled. "I think he did. I'm not sure whether to be impressed or terrified."

The bus rumbled to life, carrying them into the vast expanse of the desert. Hours passed, the monotony broken only by Captain Yellow's occasional commentary on the local flora and fauna.

As the sun began to set, painting the sand dunes in shades of gold and crimson, Yhwach's keen senses picked up a disturbance. A cloud of dust on the horizon, approaching fast.

"We have company," he announced, rising from his seat.

Before anyone could react, a sleek hover car pulled alongside the bus. A young man with long hair and a scarred face leaned out, brandishing a weapon. "Pull over!" he shouted. "This is a robbery!"

Captain Yellow, his earlier bravado evaporated, quickly complied. The bus ground to a halt, sand swirling around its wheels.

The young man leapt from his vehicle, accompanied by a small, floating cat-like creature. "Alright," he declared, trying to sound menacing despite the crack in his voice, "hand over all your valuables!"

Goku stepped forward, staff at the ready. "No way! Who do you think you are?"

The young man struck a pose. "I am Yamcha, the terror of the desert! And this is my partner, Puar. Now, give us everything you've got, especially..." His eyes locked onto Bulma's bag. "Those Dragon Balls!"

Yhwach's eyebrow raised a fraction. Another player in this cosmic game, it seemed. How... interesting.

As Goku prepared to fight, Yhwach placed a restraining hand on the boy's shoulder. "Wait," he said, his gaze fixed on Yamcha. "Perhaps we can come to an arrangement."

Yamcha blinked, clearly thrown off balance. "Arrangement? What kind of arrangement?"

Yhwach's lips curved in a small, enigmatic smile. "You seek the Dragon Balls, as do we. Why not join forces? Surely it would be more profitable to share in the wish than to risk losing everything in a fight."

Yamcha hesitated, his bravado faltering. Puar whispered urgently in his ear, but Yhwach could see the calculations running behind the young bandit's eyes.

Before Yamcha could respond, however, Bulma stepped forward. "Hold on just a minute!" she exclaimed. "We can't just invite them to join us! They tried to rob us!"

Yhwach turned his crimson gaze to her. "Consider, Bulma. Extra hands could be useful in our quest. I know this pair have been spying on us for a while. And it's always wise to keep potential enemies close. It save all of us time."

As the group argued, the sun sank below the horizon, plunging the desert into twilight. Captain Yellow, sensing an opportunity, quietly slipped away, the bus rumbling off into the gathering darkness.

"Great," Bulma groaned. "Now we're stranded in the middle of the desert."

Yhwach's eyes gleamed in the fading light. "Not stranded. Merely... presented with a new opportunity. Bulma, you mentioned wanting to rest. Perhaps now would be a good time for you to teach me how to drive your vehicle."

Bulma blinked in surprise. "You... you want to learn how to drive?"

Yhwach nodded. "Knowledge is power, after all. And in our current situation, the ability to operate this world's technology could prove crucial."

As night fell over the desert, the group settled into an uneasy alliance. Yhwach sat behind the wheel of Bulma's car, his keen mind absorbing every detail of its operation.

As Bulma began to explain the basics of driving to Yhwach, Goku found himself standing awkwardly next to Yamcha and Puar. The young bandit cleared his throat. "So, uh... does this mean we're not fighting?"

Goku shrugged, his earlier hostility fading into confusion. "I guess not? Everything's so complicated now."

Yamcha nodded, looking equally lost. "Yeah, I know what you mean. One minute you're a desert bandit, the next you're potentially joining a quest for magical wish-granting orbs. Life's weird like that."