"You're back again."
The familiar desert, the familiar house, the familiar room—the only difference this time was that Puar wasn't sleeping; he had already gone to the kindergarten for shapeshifters.
Once again, it was a fruitful trip.
Looking at the overflowing items inside the Capsule, Yamcha smiled from the bottom of his heart.
'Same old routine, exchange a portion with the Red Ribbon Army for money.'
Money is courage, money is the backbone. Maybe money isn't everything, but in this world, you can't take a single step without it.
Just like in the world of One Punch Man, money can solve at least 80% of the problems and also boost one's training efficiency. The medicinal meals Yamcha ordered every day were all expensive delicacies.
Yamcha had considered using legal channels to cash in on the goods he acquired from the other world. Financially, it would undoubtedly be much more profitable than his current method, but it would also take too much time.
Why go through all that trouble when he could just hand things over to the Red Ribbon Army for quick and easy liquidation?
If he ever had the time or energy, he could reconsider, but if there was someone he could trust to handle it for him, he'd be more than happy.
Red Ribbon Army—Fire Mountain (Frying Pan) Division
Looking at the mountain-high pile of various goods Yamcha had brought, Captain Leopard's eyes were practically shining.
While Leopard was a man of principle, he wasn't someone who treated money like dirt. If he didn't like money at all, why would he have joined the Red Ribbon Army instead of, say, the Dog King's national army?
"Commander Leopard, I need your help with something."
After Leopard transferred the funds into Yamcha's account, he spoke up.
"Brother, if you need something, just say the word! We're close, aren't we?"
"I need you to look up an address for me."
"No problem, leave it to me."
After Yamcha provided the location he wanted to check, Leopard immediately had his subordinates start investigating.
The Red Ribbon Army had access to nearly all the coordinates on Dragon Ball's Earth—asking them for information was always the right choice.
Leopard was in an exceptionally good mood, smiling at Yamcha like a blooming sunflower. "Oh yeah, let me tell you something in secret, brother—soon, I'll be Lieutenant Leopard! And it's all thanks to your goods!"
Even an overlooked base would gain recognition if it continuously brought in wealth.
"Well then, let me congratulate you in advance, Commander Leopard."
"If it weren't for your help, brother, I wouldn't have been promoted so quickly."
After a round of adult-style mutual flattery, Leopard—no, Lieutenant Leopard—remembered the main topic.
"Oh, right! I just got a message from General Silver. He said that when he has time, he wants to meet you personally. When that time comes, you must be there."
Then, he added with emotion, "If General Silver takes a liking to you, at the very least, you could get a sergeant position. Maybe even lead a squad and become a lieutenant like me! With your strength, it's only a matter of time before you make colonel."
Sergeant, Captain, Lieutenant—these were the basic ranks within the Red Ribbon Army. Above that were Major, Colonel, and then the Generals.
"Lieutenant, here are the coordinates you requested."
As Yamcha chatted with Lieutenant Leopard, a subordinate quickly reported back.
"These are the coordinates you wanted… Karin Sanctuary? Whoa, that's remote. What's so special about this place? I remember there's a primitive tribe near these coordinates."
"You've never heard of it, Commander? The Karin Tower in Karin Sanctuary—it's a legendary martial artist's sacred ground. Those who reach the top might receive guidance from an immortal (PS: Not an actual Chinese immortal, but a title for someone who has lived a long time and worked in a particular field for years—like a 'Rice Immortal' or 'Fried Skewer Immortal')."
"Commander, are you interested in coming along?"
"I'll pass."
Lieutenant Leopard wasn't particularly interested in martial arts. He only admired the strong.
"If you're heading somewhere that remote, be careful of the wild dinosaurs in the deep mountains, especially the flying Pterosaurs. They might not pose a threat to you, but they're still troublesome creatures."
A kind reminder from Lieutenant Leopard.
One of the unique features of the Dragon Ball world—besides beast-like humans—was dinosaurs.
Dr. Brief, Bulma's father, even kept a bunch of dinosaurs at home.
The dinosaurs in this world weren't just huge; they also had a certain level of intelligence. Among them, the Pterosaurs stood out the most—some could even speak human language.
In the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament, Son Goku's opponent in the top 16, Giran, was actually a crossbreed between a Pterosaur and an unknown species.
In the Dragon Ball world, the concept of reproductive isolation simply did not exist.
Heading to Karin Sanctuary
Following the coordinates provided by Lieutenant Leopard, Yamcha took off in the latest model of a jet plane.
In terms of wealth, Yamcha had already surpassed his original counterpart in the series.
The original Yamcha, despite being a desert bandit, lived a rather frugal life. He only had a jet bike, a sword, and some basic Capsule Corp. capsules. He didn't even own a house-sized capsule.
In one of the Dragon Ball movies, Yamcha spent over thirty years paying off a loan for a cargo jet—only for it to be instantly destroyed by a villain.
Brutal.
Karin Tower—the Legendary Martial Artist's Sacred Ground
Legend has it that Karin Sanctuary was the holy land of martial artists centuries ago.
At its center stood a massive, sky-piercing column—the Karin Tower.
It was said that the top of the tower connected to the heavens, and anyone who climbed it with their own strength would meet an immortal at the top. If they drank the water given by this immortal, their strength would increase multiple times over.
During the era of martial arts prosperity, countless fighters challenged the tower. However, without exception, they all failed.
Some climbed for days, lost their strength due to a lack of supplies, and fell. Others tried taking a hot air balloon straight to the top but still failed.
According to legend, those who refused to climb with their own strength would never see the top of the tower.
"That's nonsense."
Standing at the base of Karin Tower, Yamcha looked up at the seemingly endless stone pillar and scoffed.
"If it were the Heavenly Realm protected by a special barrier, that might make sense. But this? Tsk tsk."
Yamcha shook his head. "Back then, technology wasn't advanced enough to reach the top. But now? That's a different story."
Not to mention, his state-of-the-art jet plane could easily reach the top.
However, climbing the tower itself was a form of training, so there was no need to cheat.
After all, his real goal was the greatest bug in Dragon Ball history—Senzu Beans—held by the Cat Sage.
(End of Chapter)