c6 Desert Robber Leping "
The sun blazed high above, scorching the desert sands until the earth itself felt like a blazing oven.
After leaving Aru Village, Li Xu, Bulma, and Son Goku pressed onward in their quest for the Dragon Balls. Unlike in the original story, they hadn't brought Oolong along.
To Li Xu, Oolong was a useless pervert. There was no way he'd bring that lecherous pig on such an important mission.
"Li Xu, why am I drenched in sweat while you look totally fine?" Bulma asked, panting and red-faced.
"That's the advantage of training in martial arts," Li Xu replied, chuckling. "Look at Goku not a single drop of sweat on him."
Currently, Li Xu's combat power had climbed to 20, thanks to daily sparring and constant effort.
"I'm so hungry!" Son Goku groaned, clutching his stomach. He was built to burn calories fast, and this desert had nothing to snack on.
"There's shade under that big rock. Let's take a break there," Li Xu suggested.
They steered the capsule motorcycle toward the boulder. Bulma immediately hopped off and collapsed in the shade, pulling a water bottle from her pack and drinking deeply.
As the trio rested, a sudden dust cloud appeared in the distance.
"Looks like someone's coming," Goku said, squinting at the dust trail.
Soon, a vehicle came into view a desert hovercar approaching fast. Driving it was a young man with long black hair, a sword at his waist, and a talking blue creature riding on his shoulder.
"Didn't expect to meet him this soon," Li Xu muttered. It was Yamcha and his shapeshifting companion Puar.
The vehicle screeched to a halt. Yamcha jumped off, resting a confident hand on his sword hilt while Puar hovered beside him.
"Who are you guys?" Goku asked innocently.
"I'm Yamcha, the fearsome bandit of the Diablo Desert!" Yamcha declared. "Hand over your capsules and any valuables if you want to leave here alive."
"Goku, let me handle this one," Li Xu said. He'd let Goku deal with every low-level thug so far. But Yamcha was different stronger than the average bandit, and a perfect opportunity for Li Xu to hone his own combat skills.
"Alright!" Goku nodded, stepping back.
"Heh. Got a death wish, huh?" Yamcha sneered, drawing his sword with a flourish.
"Less talk, more action," Li Xu said coolly. "You're one of the weakest Z-Fighters in the long run anyway."
"What did you just say?!" Yamcha growled.
"Come on then!"
With a roar, Yamcha lunged, slashing down at Li Xu. But to Li Xu's trained eyes, Yamcha's blade moved in slow motion. He shifted slightly to the side and dodged effortlessly.
"You better use everything you've got," Li Xu smirked. "That won't cut it."
"Damn you!" Yamcha hissed, preparing for another strike.
Seeing how Li Xu looked down on him so casually, Yamcha was completely enraged. With a growl, he slashed at Li Xu again.
This time, however, Li Xu didn't dodge. He calmly raised two fingers and clamped Yamcha's blade between them.
Yamcha's eyes widened. He tried to yank his sword free, but it wouldn't budge an inch.
"Li Xu's gotten even stronger!" Son Goku exclaimed in surprise.
Back when Li Xu's battle power was around 15, he and Goku had sparred evenly. Goku's natural Saiyan strength gave him the edge in instincts and recovery, but Li Xu's growing power and technique were now putting distance between them. In the few days since their last bout, Li Xu's power had clearly surged again.
Crack!
With a light twist, Li Xu snapped Yamcha's sword in two.
"If you've got any other moves, now's the time," Li Xu said flatly.
"Tch! Take this Wolf Fang Fist!" Yamcha roared.
He rushed forward, hands slicing through the air like claws. His speed increased, his movements sharper. The Wolf Fang Fist was Yamcha's signature move, raising his power temporarily from around 8 to nearly 12.
But to Li Xu, it was still slow.
"All style, no substance," he muttered.
Just as Yamcha's fist was about to connect, Li Xu moved first, planting a solid punch straight into Yamcha's gut. Yamcha's breath whooshed out in a choked gasp as he flew back and crashed into the sand.
"Yamcha!" Puar cried, flying over in alarm. Seeing his friend unconscious, Puar quickly scooped him up and soared away.
Li Xu didn't bother to chase. He'd made his point.
"Li Xu, your strength has really gone up again!" Goku said excitedly.
"You better keep training. I don't want to end up with no rival," Li Xu replied with a grin.
"I will! I'll train hard and catch up!" Goku promised, completely unshaken by his loss. His boundless energy and positive attitude reminded Li Xu why Goku stood apart.
"That's what makes Goku different from the rest," Li Xu thought with a satisfied nod.
Back under the boulder, Bulma was fast asleep, her arms wrapped loosely around her backpack.
"She can sleep through anything. She must be exhausted," Li Xu noted.
"Goku, it's getting late. Let's rest here tonight. See if you can find anything to eat nearby," Li Xu suggested.
"Okay!"
Goku called for Flying Nimbus, mounted it, and zipped away in search of food.
Li Xu quietly pulled out a house capsule, activated it, and carried the sleeping Bulma inside, laying her gently on the bed.
The night passed peacefully.
Early the next morning, Bulma emerged from the capsule house, her cheeks flushed red.
"Li Xu… did you carry me into the room last night?"
"You were asleep, and I didn't want to wake you," Li Xu said with a gentle smile. "Don't worry I didn't do anything else."
"I believe you," Bulma murmured, suddenly bashful. It was a rare moment of vulnerability from the usually fiery girl.
"Come on, let's get moving. We should reach Frypan Mountain today," Li Xu said, grinning slightly at her reaction.
"Okay," she nodded, still flustered.
The closer they got to Frypan Mountain, the more intense the heat became.
"It's like walking into an oven!" Bulma complained, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
"That's because it is an oven," Li Xu said. "Frypan Mountain is literally a mountain engulfed in flames."
"But how are we supposed to get the Dragon Ball from there?!" Bulma cried.
"We just have to put the fire out," Li Xu replied. He wasn't strong enough to do it himself yet but he had someone in mind: Master Roshi. It was the perfect opportunity to witness the legendary Kamehameha in person.
Soon, the trio arrived at the foot of the burning mountain. Roaring flames danced across its slopes, casting a fiery glow.
"The radar says the Dragon Ball is inside that castle," Bulma said, pointing at the peak.
"With fire like that, even weather control wouldn't help," she added.
"I'll go take a look," Goku offered. He leapt onto the Nimbus Cloud and zoomed toward the castle.
"AHHH! HOT HOT HOT!"
As he neared the flames, the heat caught his tail—igniting it. Goku yelped and dove straight into a nearby lake to put it out.
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