A Few Weeks Later…
Mellon sighed as she turned around, watching Alex struggle behind her. A thick rope wrapped around his torso, tying him to a massive boulder, which he dragged across the scorching desert. His arms were bound behind him, making the training even harder.
"For Kami's sake, Alex! Can't you walk a little faster? At this rate, we'll never get out of this desert!" she complained, her arms crossed.
Alex gritted his teeth, beads of sweat dripping down his face. "Y-You know I can't... huff... help it. After my last match… I'm just so fired up! Huff!" He powered forward, his muscles straining. "If I wanna get stronger… I have to keep pushing past my limits!"
Mellon rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, training is great and all, but you still haven't explained these Dragon Balls to me."
Alex took a deep breath, using the brief conversation as a distraction from his exhaustion. "Dragon Balls are mystical orbs. If you collect all seven, you can summon Shenron—a massive, wish-granting dragon."
Mellon's eyes lit up with excitement. "Seriously?! You can wish for anything?!"
"Well... almost anything," Alex clarified. "There are some limits, but most wishes are possible."
Mellon clenched her fists, practically vibrating with energy. "I NEED to get my hands on those! There's so much I wanna wish for!" Then, she spun on her heel and pointed at Alex. "C'mon! What if someone else finds them first?! Hurry up!"
---
After weeks of intense training, Alex could now pull the boulder effortlessly. Soon, they arrived at the edge of a vast, dense forest.
Alex wiped his forehead. "The Four-Star Dragon Ball should be somewhere in here. Looks like we don't have a choice but to search the old-fashioned way."
Mellon grinned mischievously. "It'll take too long if we stick together. How about this? We split up—I'll search this side, and you go that way."
Alex hesitated. "You sure? There might be dangerous animals in there."
Mellon paused, briefly considering the risk, but quickly waved it off. "Alex, please. I'm a wildlife photographer. If I was scared of animals, I'd starve to death!"
Alex smirked. "Nah, you'd just go back to your mansion and have your servants bring you food."
Mellon's face turned red with frustration. "I'M TRYING TO FORGET THAT! NOW GO FIND THAT DRAGON BALL!"
Alex chuckled, raising his hands defensively. "Alright, alright! If you run into trouble, shout my name."
As he walked away, a thought crossed his mind. Wait… does Mellon even know what a Dragon Ball looks like? Well, she saw Baba's vision, so she should be fine… right?
---
About thirty minutes into his search, Alex froze.
Did I just hear something?
"ALEX! HELP ME!"
His heart dropped. This time, there was no mistaking it—it was Mellon's voice.
He raced through the trees, leaping over roots and pushing through bushes. When he finally reached the clearing, he found Mellon surrounded by three strange figures—a short blue imp, a dog in armor, and a woman in a military uniform.
Mellon was still screaming. "ALEX!!"
The imp grimaced, covering his ears. "Shu, do something! If she keeps yelling, we'll get caught!"
The dog, Shu, winced. "I can't, sire! If I take my hands off my ears for even a second, I'll faint! Mai, you do it!"
"On it," the woman, Mai, said, stepping forward. She threw a punch at Mellon—
But Alex appeared in front of her, blocking the attack effortlessly.
Mai's eyes widened, and she jumped back to regroup with her allies.
Alex turned to Mellon. "Hey, would you stop shouting? You're gonna make me deaf."
Mellon huffed. "Finally! Look, I found a Dragon Ball!" She held up the glowing Four-Star Dragon Ball. "But then these weirdos showed up and tried to steal it!"
The blue imp stepped forward, straightening his tiny frame. "Watch your mouth! I am Emperor Pilaf, and I demand respect!" He pointed a stubby finger at her. "Now hand over the Dragon Ball, and we'll forget this ever happened!"
Alex crossed his arms. "I can already tell you're gonna wish for something terrible. So no, Mellon and I are keeping it."
Pilaf gasped. "You think your puny little dreams are better than my imperial ambitions?!" He tapped his chin. "Hmmm… I have an idea. Let's settle this with a good old-fashioned showdown. If you beat us, we'll let you go."
Mellon rolled her eyes. "Yeah, no thanks."
But before she could walk away, Alex spoke up. "Hold on. I've got a better idea. If we win, you hand over all the Dragon Balls and your Dragon Radar."
Pilaf smirked confidently. "Hah! Life is full of surprises, isn't it? Alright, we have a deal." He extended his hand.
Alex grinned, shaking it.
"Let's get this thing over with."
Power level
Mellon : 5
Pilaf : 6
shu : 6
Mai : 7
Alex : 165