Chapter 53: Yamcha Logs Off?
"Do you want to save that bandit behind you?"
Being called out so bluntly, Puar's confidence faltered. "N-no, it's not like that…"
"Not like that? I'm asking you—do you or do you not want me to kill that guy named Yamcha behind you?"
"Yes! As long as you don't kill him, I'll do anything you want."
Looking at Puar standing protectively in front of Yamcha, Franklin shook his head helplessly. Both of them were bandits—God knows how many people they'd robbed or killed in this lawless, no-man's-land.
In the original story, Yamcha would indeed turn over a new leaf and become a good guy. But now, Franklin needed to take his place. Having chosen a darker path, he no longer had the luxury of redemption.
"Fine. You come with me. Your shapeshifting ability looks pretty useful—help me out in the future, and I won't kill him."
Hearing Franklin's proposal, Puar hesitated. After thinking it over for a long while, he lowered his head and floated slowly toward Franklin. In the next instant, Yamcha suddenly broke free from the vines restraining him and grabbed Puar.
"Don't go! Don't listen to him! If I die, I die! You can shapeshift—hurry and escape!"
Watching these two bandits, overpowered by their victim and still trying to put on a display of loyalty in front of him, Franklin couldn't help pressing a hand to his forehead in exasperation.
"You two have been robbing people for who knows how long—you should've known this day would come. Pulling the 'brotherhood' act now—isn't it a bit late for that? One of you's got solid fighting skills, the other can shapeshift. If you two teamed up as bodyguards or security, wouldn't that be way better than being bandits? Enough with the drama. I've given you your options—now choose."
As the vines slowly lowered, Yamcha's whole body began to sink into the widening chasm. Puar stopped hesitating, tore himself free from Yamcha's grip, and darted toward Franklin.
Seeing the expression on Puar's face—like he was about to lose his innocence—Franklin sighed helplessly.
"I'm not going to do anything to you. I just can't stand watching two bandits act like martyrs. You know Oolong—ask him what kind of person I am."
As he spoke, Franklin pulled the vines back together. The crack in the ground sealed with a deep rumble, and Franklin casually tossed Yamcha into the shadow of a large rock—at least there, his body would rot a little slower.
Most of his ribs were broken, several internal organs were cracked and bleeding, his body below the neck was covered in torn flesh—he was barely hanging onto life.
"Hey, you can still hear me, right? If you survive, come find me for revenge. I won't touch the stash you and Puar hid—that'll be your seed money."
Then Franklin turned toward Bulma. "Don't just stand there. Didn't you pack a few extra Capsule Cars? Let's go find the sixth Dragon Ball."
"Y-yeah, okay."
Bulma finally snapped out of her daze. Even after they'd been driving for a long time, she still seemed absentminded.
Meanwhile, Puar had reunited with his old kindergarten classmate Oolong. Though still grieving, Franklin could tell the little guy would get over losing his bandit partner before long.
"Franklin, weren't you a bit too cruel back there?"
Seeing that Bulma had finally come to, Franklin kept his calm smile.
"To you, maybe. But for me, that was merciful. I didn't take his life outright—that's already something. Judging by his condition, he won't last long anyway. At least he didn't die directly by my hand."
When Bulma fell silent, Franklin knew it was time for his usual round of explanations. Honestly, if he'd known it'd be this much trouble, he might've just let Goku accidentally smash Yamcha with his staff and be done with it.
"If you really can't make sense of it…"
Before he could finish, Bulma interrupted: "No, I can. Back in our place it was fine, but ever since we came here, we've run into more and more beasts that can talk—and most of them eat humans. Plenty have carved out territories and ruled them with terror. If it weren't for you guys, I'd have died long ago. This time, he attacked us first—for our money and our lives. If not for your abilities, I'd probably be seriously injured. The only thing I couldn't stomach… is that he was human, not a monster. That's what made it hard to accept."
Seeing her mood sink, Franklin placed a hand on her shoulder. A flow of neutral spirit energy entered her body, and as her expression softened, he continued, "Good. As long as you understand. The one we're meeting next is a real killer. If the rumors about the Ox Demon King ruling his mountain and slaughtering countless innocents are true, then he's no better than any bandit. How we deal with him depends on whether he recognizes Goku or not. If he doesn't—then we hold nothing back. If he does, well… this is still a world of human ties. How to handle him will depend on Master Roshi's judgment."
Franklin didn't know how much of that Bulma heard. By the time he looked at her again, she'd already fallen asleep under the soothing effect of his spirit energy. While recovering his own aura, Franklin drove on toward Fire Mountain.
After several days of travel—and plenty of good food thanks to Franklin's cooking—Puar still occasionally thought about Yamcha, but at least he wasn't losing his appetite anymore.
During this time, Franklin often used his Eye of True Sight, scanning Bulma, the Power Pole, the Capsule Car, and other items. By now, its growth level had reached 99/100.
When he used it on Puar, his eyes suddenly felt dry, and lines of data appeared before him:
Eye of True Sight (Green · Rare) (Growth-Type)
Growth Level: 2/1000
Usage: Infuse spirit energy into both eyes to select a creature or object to inspect. Consumes a moderate amount of spirit energy. Cannot inspect targets beyond user's cultivation level, or risk backlash.
Insight into All Things: As long as there is sufficient spirit energy, it can observe all beings and matter.
——
Name: Puar
Age: 9 / 73
Race: Beastman
Bloodline: Blue Cat Bloodline
Physical Cultivation: Mortal
Spirit Cultivation: Qi Refining, Fifth Layer
Mind Cultivation: Mortal
Technique: Qi Refining Art (Fifth Layer)
Skill: Basic Shapeshifting (Can transform into any object or creature; unlimited duration)
Innate Talent: Levitation
Overall Combat Power: 10
After reviewing the upgraded data, Franklin felt speechless. Other than slightly reduced energy consumption, there wasn't much difference at all. Apparently, he'd have to wait a while longer before gaining access to the shapeshifting technique.
From a distance, the group could already see a towering mountain—nearly a hundred meters high—engulfed in flames. As they drew nearer, the heat grew unbearable. Eventually, Franklin could feel the Capsule Car's tires beginning to soften.
Without hesitation, he turned the car around and drove back several hundred meters until the temperature dropped to a level Bulma and the others could endure. Only then did he stop.
The moment they stepped out, a wave of scorching air slammed into them. Looking at the blazing mountain and the spot marked on the Dragon Radar, Bulma could only shake her head helplessly.
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