"Boss, another plate!"
Twenty minutes later, **Son Goku** had already shoveled the barbecue meat and rice from yet another plate into his mouth and was shouting at the bearded boss.
At that moment, the bearded boss stared at the dozens of empty plates stacked on **Son Goku**'s table and stammered, "Th-there's... none left right now. You'll have to wait a bit."
The restaurant had only just opened, and neither the meat nor the rice was fully prepped yet.
Even so, what they'd prepared should have been enough for dozens of adult customers.
Now, the boss looked at **Son Goku** like he was some kind of monster—clearly terrified.
Devouring portions meant for dozens of grown men in just twenty minutes? Even competitive eaters couldn't pull that off.
And this was an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy.
The other customers in the restaurant were just as stunned.
A few younger ones even pulled out their phones to record the scene and posted it on Facebook.
The only one who stayed relatively calm was **Little Wolf Girl Laura**. She kept playing with her ball, but a spark of curiosity flickered across her face as she watched **Son Goku**.
**Bang!**
Suddenly, a gunshot echoed from the fifth floor.
**Laura**'s face twisted into a fierce snarl. She bolted out of the restaurant at superhuman speed.
"Auntie's in danger."
**Son Goku** twitched his ears. In a flash, he outpaced **Laura**, reached the ground floor, pushed off with his legs,
and leaped fifteen meters straight up onto the fifth-floor balcony. He burst into the room, drawing gasps from the crowd below.
Inside, **Gabriella** was pinned to the floor by a tall Mexican man.
He'd been shot in the thigh and was bleeding heavily. His left hand clamped around **Gabriella**'s neck, while his right pressed a gun to her forehead.
"F***, you b****, you don't know what's good for you!"
The moment he saw **Son Goku** appear, he swung the gun toward him to fire—but **Son Goku** swatted the bullet away like a fly.
"What?!"
The Mexican man froze in shock.
Swatting away a bullet with your bare hand—was that even possible for a human?
As **Gabriella**'s boyfriend, he'd been bribed by the Institute's Commander but had no idea about mutants.
**Boom!**
While he stood dazed, **Son Goku** closed the distance in an instant and delivered a powerful kick.
The man crashed into the wall, crumpled to the floor, spat out a mouthful of blood, felt every bone in his body shatter—and passed out.
"Auntie, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. We need to get out of here—now."
**Gabriella** sat up, rubbing her bruised neck and gasping for air. She glanced at her half-dead boyfriend, then kicked him several times in fury.
Afterward, she snatched a wad of cash from the table, grabbed **Son Goku**'s hand, and ran out the door.
As they rushed downstairs, they met **Laura** charging up the stairs. **Gabriella** scooped her up, hurried to the ground floor, tossed a hundred pesos to the bearded boss, and sped off in the car.
The boss clutched the bill, watched them drive away, opened and closed his mouth a few times, and finally said nothing.
Normally, a hundred pesos would more than cover two kids' meals—with change left over.
But that boy had eaten dozens of plates. A hundred pesos barely scratched the surface.
Still, considering the gunshot and the kid leaping five stories high, he figured it was wiser not to argue.
"Maybe I can use this video to go viral and turn this place into a hotspot."
"**Goku**, thank you for saving me back there!"
**Gabriella** floored the accelerator, racing toward the border outside the city. She glanced at **Son Goku** in the back seat and continued,
"But I have to warn you: if you stay with us from here on out, you'll be in serious danger.
You might run into the most terrifying and powerful people in this world.
So if you're willing, I'll drop you off up ahead, give you some money, and you can head south to a quieter, more remote city."
Originally, she'd planned to adopt **Son Goku**, take him to **Eden** with them, and then settle in Canada.
As long as she got the money from her boyfriend, she could quickly cross the border with **Laura**, rent another car, and head straight to North Dakota in the U.S.
**Eden** was right on the North Dakota border—another twenty kilometers and they'd be in Canada.
The Institute didn't know her exact destination. If she moved fast enough, she could get far away before they reacted.
Unfortunately, while borrowing money earlier, her boyfriend had pried details out of her and reported everything to the Commander.
They didn't have the precise location, but they knew she was heading toward North Dakota.
She'd realized the betrayal when he turned on her. She'd tried to shoot him with a pistol, but he fought back.
If **Son Goku** hadn't arrived when he did, she might have been killed.
So the road ahead—for her and **Laura**—was going to be extremely dangerous.
If it were just the mercenaries chasing them, **Son Goku**'s demonstrated strength plus **Laura**'s abilities might give them a fighting chance.
But she knew the Institute had more than mercenaries. They had the world's most terrifying killing machine: **X-24**.
The reason the Institute decided to eliminate all the mutant children was because they'd perfected **X-24**.
**X-24** was a clone of **Wolverine**—**Logan** from the **X-Men**—with powerful self-healing abilities and indestructible **adamantium** claws injected into his body.
Most importantly, it was completely under the Institute's control.
If the experiment succeeded, they could mass-produce these things. Even without enough **adamantium**, using inferior alloys would still create the ultimate weapon.
That's why she'd changed her mind.
If **Son Goku** got out halfway and went the opposite direction, he had a good chance of escaping the Institute's pursuit.
After all, their main targets were her and **Laura**.
"The most terrifying and powerful guy in this world... he must be a master fighter, right?"
**Son Goku**'s eyes lit up instantly.
Besides diligent training, getting stronger also required sparring with powerful opponents.
"A master? You could say that."
**Gabriella** paused, then nodded.
When **Son Goku** said "master," she mentally translated it as "someone really good at fighting."
(The glowing doors not only let **Son Goku** travel between worlds—they also let him understand any language and read any text in those worlds.)
"Then I have to come with you!"
**Son Goku** nodded firmly.
"If you're in danger, I can protect you too."
It wasn't just about sparring with a strong opponent. Auntie **Gabriella** had treated him to food, and he'd already decided to help her deal with those bad guys.
Just like when he'd helped **Suno** fight **Muscular** and the **Red Ribbon Army**.
"Thank you. Auntie will protect you too."
Seeing the determination in **Son Goku**'s eyes, **Gabriella** hesitated for a moment but didn't try to dissuade him further.
**Son Goku** wasn't an ordinary mutant child—he had incredible strength and might even rival **Laura**.
With his help, their chances of reaching **Eden** would be much higher.
Besides, if they failed, the Institute wouldn't spare **Son Goku** either. With his innocence, he wouldn't stay hidden for long.
So she finally decided to take him along.
At the same time, she resolved to enlist **Wolverine**—**Logan** himself. Only the original could possibly stand a chance against the terrifying **X-24**.
"We're at the border."
Seeing the line of cars waiting to cross in the distance, **Gabriella** let out a quiet sigh of relief.
She hadn't spotted any Institute mercenaries.
What she didn't know was that, at that very moment, in a third-floor room at the border station, a mercenary captain was watching her through binoculars.
"Commander, I've spotted them. Don't worry—I won't let them cross the border!"
(End of Chapter 3)