To find the final Dragon Ball, the group drove their RV steadily westward, resupplying in a small town along the way before continuing onward.
Inside the RV, Ray Chu, Bulma, Goku, and Oolong sat in a circle playing cards. Puar had transformed into an electric fan, loyally fanning the Boss and observing the game. Yamcha, driving up front, could only seethe silently with jealousy.
Dammit! Why do they get to relax and play cards while I'm stuck driving?! Even Puar gets to—wait, what's that?
Spotting a sudden flash of reflected light, Yamcha's heart skipped a beat. He yanked the steering wheel wildly, causing the RV to skid sharply in a 180-degree drift, barely avoiding an incoming missile.
BOOM!
The missile exploded into a brilliant fireball, shockwaves and dust pelting the RV, shaking it violently.
Everyone tumbled chaotically inside, clueless about what just happened.
Meanwhile, hidden behind a nearby hill, a young ninja girl lowered her binoculars, leapt into a waiting battle mech, and called out, "They're trapped—launch the attack!"
"Roger!" replied a ninja Shiba Inu-man over the comm. He fired up the engine and drove an armored vehicle straight toward the RV from behind.
"Heh heh, soon all the Dragon Balls inside that RV will belong to Lord Pilaf!" The Shiba Inu-man pressed a button, and twin machine guns extended from the vehicle's sides, unleashing a furious barrage.
"We're under attack!" Yamcha desperately swerved in zig-zag motions, dodging the hail of bullets. Inside the RV, everyone bounced like pinballs, thoroughly battered by the chaos.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep…! The RV's internal radar shrieked, signaling two Black Shark missiles rocketing toward them.
Though Yamcha did his best to evade, the explosion still hurled the RV upward, crashing it violently against a huge rock.
Just then, a large mech appeared before the damaged RV. Its mechanical claws tore open the roof effortlessly, and weapons aimed down at the stunned passengers. A woman's voice emerged coldly from within.
"Sorry about this—now hand over your Dragon Balls!"
Bulma staggered groggily to her feet, raising her hands nervously as the guns pointed at her. "How did you know we had the Dragon Balls?"
"Because we're servants of the mighty Lord Pilaf. We have a Dragon Radar too," the ninja girl smugly replied. "Now cooperate immediately—or I'll gladly take them from your corpses."
"Dammit…" Though furious, Bulma obediently surrendered the bag of Dragon Balls. The ninja girl momentarily relaxed.
An instant of distraction was all that Ray Chu needed!
A bright yellow flash suddenly sprang onto the mech, cleanly slicing its arm off with a powerful Brick Break, sparks flying everywhere.
"Bastard!" The ninja girl frantically swung her other arm, but Yamcha tackled the mech, redirecting the missile it fired toward the distant armored vehicle.
The Shiba Inu-man abandoned his ride and fled as the vehicle exploded spectacularly behind him.
Seeing things turning sour, the ninja girl tried retreating strategically in her damaged mech—but Goku's Power Pole rapidly extended, destroying the mech with a single blow.
Moments later, Bulma fiercely glared at their two captives. "Speak! Who are you people?"
The ninja girl answered without dignity, "My name is Mai, and he's Shu. We're Lord Pilaf's subordinates."
"Lord Pilaf?"
Everyone exchanged confused glances, clearly never having heard this name before.
"Is the final Dragon Ball with this Lord Pilaf?"
Mai and Shu glanced at each other, nodding vigorously. "That's right. It's hidden inside Lord Pilaf's castle…"
"Why are they cooperating so willingly?" Yamcha wondered aloud, staring at the nearby castle.
"It's obvious. That castle must be dangerous, filled with deadly traps. No way I'm going in," Oolong concluded seriously, adjusting his sunglasses.
Goku, however, looked eager. "Is their leader really strong? I'm getting excited!"
Bulma nervously checked her radar. "There's no mistake—the last Dragon Ball is definitely inside..."
"So… are we going in?" Everyone hesitated, turning expectantly toward Ray Chu.
On the other side, Ray Chu was busy interrogating the tightly bound prisoners. [Your boss lives there]?
Both nodded earnestly, with Shu quickly adding, "Lord Pilaf plans to rule the world! If you offer him your Dragon Balls, he'll grant you anything once he's king!"
Bam! Bam! Both prisoners received punches of justice as Ray Chu calmly held up a sign:
[You're my hostages now. Tell your boss to come out].
Who exactly is the villain here?!
The group watched from behind the hillside as Shu, now untied, ran toward the castle shouting pitifully, "Lord Pilaf! Save us!"
A remote-controlled robot emerged from the castle, holding a monitor. With a beep, Lord Pilaf's image appeared on-screen.
Pilaf was short, blue-skinned, and wearing a small round hat—he looked utterly ridiculous.
"Shu, why are you alone? Where's Mai?"
Shu wailed miserably, "L-Lord Pilaf, we were defeated! They've got Mai hostage!"
"D-dammit!" Pilaf's bravado immediately vanished. He might seem like a villainous overlord, but with only two minions and one now captured, how could he fight alone?
"Lord Pilaf, they said they'll only free Mai if you hand over your Dragon Ball!" Shu cried out.
"Curse them! If that's how it is, I have no choice but to surrender it!" Pilaf suddenly disabled all the castle's defenses, leaping out of his robot to Shu's shock.
"Boss, why are you out here yourself?"
Ignoring Shu, Pilaf raised the Dragon Ball high above his head, shouting loudly, "I'm Lord Pilaf! Here's the Dragon Ball you want—I surrender!"
The group behind the hillside exchanged bewildered glances, surprised by such an easy surrender.
They approached cautiously. Bulma eyed Pilaf suspiciously. "You're really surrendering?"
Pilaf eagerly nodded, dropping to his knees, holding the Dragon Ball respectfully. "I submit to you all! Once you rule the world, just give me a small share of your power."
To Pilaf, anyone collecting Dragon Balls obviously wanted world domination. There was no mistake about it.
Bulma hesitantly picked up the final Dragon Ball. She'd never considered world domination—did that make her ambitions seem too small?
She started reconsidering her planned wish…
Gurrrgle! Goku's stomach growled loudly, and he groaned miserably, "I'm hungry…"
"If you don't mind," Pilaf eagerly offered, "allow me to prepare a feast for everyone—as an apology for this misunderstanding!"