章 10: Chapter 10: The Turtle, the Plane, and the Perils of Nighttime Adventures

The sun dipped beneath the horizon, casting long shadows across the forest where Goku and Bulma had set up camp for the night. Bulma was inside her fancy Capsule House, going through her gadgets and muttering about technology, while Goku, feeling a little restless, sat on a nearby rock, staring at the stars.

His stomach growled. Loudly.

"Guess it's time for a midnight snack!" Goku grinned, rubbing his belly.

With that, Goku jumped off the rock and into the nearby trees, ready to find some food. He moved through the dark forest effortlessly, his sharp senses guiding him like a pro. Suddenly, something zipped through the sky above him.

Goku's eyes shot up. "Whoa! That's the biggest bird I've ever seen!"

He grinned, thinking about how great it would be to catch it for dinner. Without a second thought, he started sprinting through the forest, following the fast-moving shape overhead.

Meanwhile, high above in the sky, Mai and Shu were piloting a small plane, on a secret mission to find the Dragon Balls for their boss, Emperor Pilaf.

"Everything's going according to plan," Mai said confidently, checking their radar.

Shu, her dog-like partner, looked a little uneasy. "Uh, Mai… do you ever get the feeling like something bad's about to happen?"

Mai rolled her eyes. "Relax, Shu. It's just a routine mission. What could possibly—"

BAM!

A loud thump shook the plane, causing it to lurch sideways. Shu let out a high-pitched yelp, clinging to the controls.

"What was that?!" Mai shouted.

Shu peeked out the window and gasped. "It's a… kid?"

Sure enough, Goku had somehow leaped into the air and landed on their plane, gripping the side of the fuselage with one hand while looking through the window with his usual wide-eyed curiosity.

"Hey! You're not a bird at all!" Goku called out, peering into the cockpit. "What are you guys doing up here?"

Mai and Shu blinked, utterly dumbfounded. How was this kid even holding onto a moving plane like that?

"Uh... we're flying!" Shu shouted back.

Goku tilted his head. "Flying? You mean this whole thing is like a big bird?"

"No!" Mai snapped. "It's a plane! Get off before you make us crash!"

"Plane?" Goku muttered, still confused. "Sounds weird, but okay."

Just as Goku was about to jump off, the plane shuddered violently, and suddenly, the engine sputtered out.

"Oh no!" Shu screamed. "We're going down!"

Goku, now realizing they were in some serious trouble, leaped off the plane and landed gracefully on the ground, while the aircraft spiraled out of control and crashed into a nearby clearing.

Running over to the wreckage, Goku found Mai and Shu crawling out of the remains of the plane, looking shaken but otherwise okay.

"You guys alright?" Goku asked with genuine concern.

Mai dusted herself off and glared at Goku. "No thanks to you! You made us crash!"

Goku scratched his head. "Sorry about that… but hey, you're not dead! So, what's that thing anyway?"

"It's a plane!" Mai growled. "For the last time, it's not a bird!"

Shu, meanwhile, had turned pale and was pointing toward the trees. "Uh, Mai… I think we've got bigger problems right now…"

Out of the darkness, a pack of wolves had appeared, their glowing eyes trained on the trio. They snarled hungrily, clearly ready to make a meal out of whoever was closest.

Goku's face lit up. "Oh sweet! Dinner's coming to me tonight!"

He cracked his knuckles and got ready to pounce, much to the horror of Mai and Shu, who immediately dove behind him for protection.

"Wait! What are you doing?! Those things are dangerous!" Shu wailed.

Goku laughed. "Not to me, they're not!"

In less than a minute, Goku had taken care of the wolves, sending them scurrying into the woods with their tails between their legs. He didn't even break a sweat.

Mai and Shu stared at him in awe, utterly speechless.

"You're… you're not human, are you?" Mai muttered, still in disbelief.

Goku shrugged. "I dunno. I've got a tail, so maybe I'm part monkey?"

Before they could ask any more questions, Goku suddenly remembered his original mission.

"Oh man! I forgot to get food!" he exclaimed. "You guys got anything to eat?"

Mai and Shu exchanged looks, then sighed. "You just saved us, so I guess we owe you one… but only this once!" Mai said reluctantly, tossing Goku a capsule.

With a puff of smoke, it transformed into a portable kitchen filled with food. Goku's eyes widened with joy.

"Wow, this is awesome! You guys are the best!" Goku said, diving into the food with enthusiasm.

By the time morning rolled around, Goku had returned to camp with a full stomach and a story to tell—though Bulma, who had slept through the entire night's chaos, wasn't all that interested.

"Sure, you met some weird people with a 'plane,' whatever that is," she yawned, clearly not impressed. "But why didn't you catch any fish like you said you would?"

"I'll get some later!" Goku said cheerfully. "But right now, I've gotta help that giant turtle over there!"

Bulma blinked. "What giant turtle?"

She turned to where Goku was pointing, and sure enough, there was a huge turtle standing at the edge of the forest, looking completely out of place.

"Uh… is this normal for you?" Bulma asked, eyeing the turtle warily.

"Yep!" Goku replied. "Hey, Mr. Turtle, you lost?"

The turtle turned slowly toward Goku, speaking in a slow and deep voice. "Yes... I've been trying to get back to the sea for a long time, but I got lost in this forest. Can you help me?"

"Sure!" Goku said, instantly picking up the giant turtle and throwing him over his back like it was no big deal. "I'll take you there right now!"

Bulma's jaw dropped. "You're just gonna carry him?!"

"Of course!" Goku replied, already running off down the road with the turtle in tow. "See ya, Bulma! You can follow us on your weird 'car' thing if you want!"

Bulma groaned as she hopped on her motorcycle and sped after him. "This kid is gonna be the death of me…"

And so, with a giant turtle on his back and Bulma struggling to keep up, Goku's next big adventure began. Little did he know, this small act of kindness would lead him to some very interesting people—and a whole lot more chaos. But for now, all he cared about was getting that turtle to the sea… and maybe finding some more food along the way.