"Little P!" Stepping outside the gymnasium, Akane cried out in delight as the lost Little P ran up to her.
"Oh, Ryoga, you're back," Ranma, now male again, teased lightly.
"Ryoga? Where is he? Did he bring Little P back?" Akane glanced around eagerly, still completely unaware the little black pig in her arms was Ryoga.
"Maybe!" Ranma shrugged slightly but didn't expose him.
Ray Chu stood nearby, hands behind his head, amusedly observing the trio's interaction. Although Ranma was his friend, he preferred playing the part of an onlooker.
Suddenly, Ray Chu, Ranma, and Ryoga simultaneously tensed. "Killing intent!"
Two ornate golden hammers streaked toward Akane from above. Ray Chu and Ranma each knocked aside one hammer, but the tremendous impact forced them to slide back several steps.
Even Little P tried heroically to intervene—but he was nearly choked to death as the panicked Akane squeezed him tighter.
"Darling, it's been a long time," a familiar voice rang out.
"Shampoo!" Ray Chu & Ranma exclaimed in unison.
"What an adorable girl!" chimed the Tendo family.
"You fled to Japan for this woman?" Shampoo stared at Akane with clear hostility.
"You've misunderstood, Shampoo!" Ranma hurriedly jumped in to clarify.
But Shampoo didn't give him a chance. "I'll come for you again, darling." She swiftly leaped away and vanished.
"Darling? Is this girl… your lover from China?" Akane shot Ranma an intensely dangerous look, voice cold.
"N-No! She's here for Ray Chu!" Ranma immediately threw Ray Chu under the bus to prove his innocence.
Everyone turned simultaneously toward Ray Chu.
Ray Chu suddenly punched forward into empty air. Ripples appeared in the previously calm atmosphere, and a small figure shot backward from the distortion.
"Not bad, my great-grandson-in-law, you saw through my Air Mirror Technique." An elderly woman leaning on a cane appeared out of nowhere.
"Great-grandson-in-law? Who exactly are you?" Ranma stared cautiously, sensing tremendous strength radiating from the elderly woman's frail body—possibly the strongest he'd encountered so far.
"See you next time!" Without answering Ranma's question, the old woman swiftly vanished just as quickly as she appeared.
...
"That old lady who called Ray Chu her great-grandson-in-law… she must be Shampoo's great-grandmother. Who knew Shampoo had such a powerful great-grandmother?" After returning home, Ranma hammered his fist into his palm, realizing the connection.
[Pretty obvious,] the panda agreed, raising a sign.
Seeing the panda reignited Ranma's anger. He kicked him flying. "If you hadn't wasted all our money on souvenirs, none of this would've happened!"
Seeing the curious stares, Ranma explained, embarrassed, "Several months ago, while we were training in China, we passed through the Joketsuzoku region. We'd run out of cash, and accidentally ate the grand prize for their martial arts tournament—which Shampoo had just won."
"So basically, you two owe that girl a lot of money," Kasumi calmly summarized.
Ranma awkwardly scratched his cheek. "Actually, no. Since we ate her prize, Ray Chu challenged Shampoo to a duel as our representative and won. According to Joketsuzoku customs, if a woman is defeated by a man, she must marry him."
"Oh, that makes sense." Everyone nodded in unison, understanding now why Shampoo came chasing after Ray Chu.
"Well, yes, but also no…" Ranma blushed faintly. "Shampoo has another goal—she wants to kill Girl Ranma."
Akane stared suspiciously at him.
Genma, who had returned unnoticed, raised another sign. "Shampoo misunderstood the relationship between Ray Chu and Girl Ranma."
"What a… chaotic situation…" Everyone was overwhelmed, the complexity impossible to untangle quickly.
"Ahem!" Soun Tendo, long ignored, suddenly cleared his throat. "Ray-kun, what do you think about this?"
Everyone perked up instantly. Right, Ray Chu's feelings were key. If he accepted, nothing else would be an issue.
Ray Chu showed a detached expression, as though none of this involved him at all. "I've never thought about marriage."
"Why? She seems really cute!"
"Maybe he just hasn't found someone he likes yet."
"Thank goodness Ray-kun doesn't like her…"
The Tendo sisters chatted among themselves until Akane and Kasumi abruptly turned toward Nabiki.
"Sis, don't tell me…" Akane barely finished before Nabiki quickly dragged her into another room.
"Handsome, skilled, and most importantly, wealthy and talented at making money—he's the ideal husband candidate!" Nabiki declared dreamily, propping her chin in her hands.
Akane hesitated. "But I don't think Ray-kun feels that way about you…"
"No! We have a special bond!"
"What bond?"
"The sale of Ray Chu-kun's 'Pikachu' photos is proof of our love!"
Akane immediately spat out the water she'd been drinking.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Just then, rhythmic thumping like drumbeats echoed from the wall beside them. Suddenly, the wall crumbled inward, revealing a girl holding two hammers.
"Sh-Shampoo!" Akane stared blankly at the girl who'd casually burst into their second-floor room.
"I heard everything!" Shampoo sneered coldly. "You're the seductress who's been tempting Ray!"
Nabiki turned away dramatically. "Give up—you have no chance."
"Ray loves me! Once you're gone, no obstacles remain!" Shampoo swung her hammers down fiercely at Nabiki.
Boom! The hammers collided heavily against bare palms. Akane stood firmly in front of Nabiki, blocking Shampoo's attack with all her strength.
"What are you doing… in someone else's home?!" Akane pushed hard, forcing Shampoo's hammers from her grasp.
Suddenly, Shampoo's figure blurred past Akane. "Oh no! Sis!"
By the time Akane spun around, Shampoo had already snatched Nabiki up and leaped out through the hole in the roof. Akane quickly chased after them.
"Hmph, you can have her back!" Shampoo unexpectedly tossed Nabiki back after a few steps. Akane frantically caught her sister.
Finally noticing the commotion upstairs, everyone downstairs rushed up, sighing in relief when they saw Nabiki was unharmed.
"Sis, are you alright?" Akane asked anxiously.
"Akane…" Nabiki sat up slowly, clutching her forehead, suddenly panicking as she searched her pockets.
"What's wrong, sis?" Akane's anxiety spiked again.
Nabiki finally relaxed after finding her wallet. "Whew! The money's safe!"
Everyone immediately face-faulted.
Akane persisted, "Do you remember being kidnapped by Shampoo just now?"
"I don't remember anything." Nabiki brushed her hair lightly, confused. "Though my head feels strangely refreshed… But…"
She pointed toward Ray Chu suddenly. "I recognize everyone here, except—who's this handsome guy with you all?"
---
T/N: shampoo and cologne :sob: what are these namess
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