Not far from the collapsed Capsule House, a young man stood with a sword hanging from his hip. Resting on his shoulder was a smoking rocket launcher, still trailing faint wisps of smoke.
He was none other than the infamous desert bandit—Yamcha.
Grinning smugly, he looked over the wreckage.
"Guess those capsule houses aren't as sturdy as people claim. One shot and it's scrap. Shame, really!"
As he spoke, the rubble stirred.
From beneath the debris, Son Goku pushed his way out, shoving aside chunks of concrete and broken beams. Bulma crouched beside him, covered in dust but unharmed.
Yamcha didn't notice Bulma yet—only the short kid standing amid the ruins. He blinked, then burst out laughing.
"Hah! A brat? Seriously? Alright, kid—this is a robbery! Hand over everything valuable if you wanna live!"
He drew his sword, pointing the blade at Goku.
At that moment, Bulma rose, brushing dust from her shoulders. When her eyes met Yamcha's, a storm of rage exploded within her.
Every ounce of resentment from her past life flooded her heart.
In that other timeline—after she and Goku had finished collecting the Dragon Balls—Bulma had thought she'd found her prince: Yamcha. She even brought him back to West City with her.
But the dream didn't last.
His handsome face and roguish charm drew flocks of admirers. Women from all over West City chased after him, and his true nature—flirtatious, unreliable—quickly surfaced.
Because of that scoundrel, Bulma had wasted the best years of her youth… and lost her chance with Goku.
And when he wasn't chasing other women, Yamcha was gone, disappearing for years at a time. Even breaking up was impossible—she could never find him.
Only after returning from Planet Namek did she finally end things for good. She had hoped never to cross paths with him again.
And yet—here he was, not only back in her life but the one who'd blown up her house!
That was the final straw.
Bulma's fury ignited.
"You bastard! You destroyed my house!"
She turned to Goku, her voice sharp as a whip.
"Goku—get him!"
Goku blinked, stunned.
He looked from Bulma to Yamcha, then back again, eyes filled with confusion.
'Did I hear that right? Bulma's telling me to beat up Yamcha? That… doesn't sound like her at all.'
A chill ran down his spine.
'The Butterfly Effect… it's this scary?'
Wasn't Bulma supposed to like guys like Yamcha? What happened to her obsession with handsome rogues?
'This… this can't be the same Bulma! The Butterfly Effect actually changed her taste in men! Terrifying!'
Still, he thought, it wasn't entirely without precedent.
After Future Trunks altered history, the once-destructive Androids 17 and 18 had turned good—heroes even. The difference between timelines was staggering.
Taking a deep breath, Goku accepted this new reality.
He looked at Yamcha with something almost like pity.
Cracking his knuckles, he muttered,
"Well, if he's still a bandit, giving him a good beating is basically doing justice, right?"
Yamcha, who had been grinning moments ago, froze when his eyes fell on Bulma. His confidence evaporated instantly.
He had gynophobia—a crippling fear of women.
His knees shook uncontrollably.
"D-damn it! There's a woman here… Puar, let's get out of here!"
But before he could move, Goku's figure blurred—he'd already appeared in front of him.
The Power Pole extended in his hands, aimed squarely at Yamcha.
"Where do you think you're going?"
He swung—but Bulma's voice called out from behind.
"Goku! Just teach him a lesson—don't kill him!"
Goku nodded to himself.
'Yep, that's still the Bulma I know. Doesn't like killing. Good.'
Without another word, he charged forward.
The Power Pole struck Yamcha's leg with a sharp crack! The bandit crashed face-first into the sand.
Before Yamcha could recover, Goku unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, landing every blow with perfect precision. Within moments, Yamcha's face was swollen, his nose bleeding, and his pride utterly shattered.
When Goku finally stopped, Yamcha was sprawled on the ground, bruised and barely conscious.
Beside him, Puar cried out,
"Master! Master, are you okay? Don't die, please don't die!"
Yamcha cracked open one swollen eye, his mouth lopsided and missing several teeth.
"Puar… help me up… we're leaving…"
Goku stepped aside, letting them limp away.
Only when they disappeared into the desert did Bulma emerge from the rubble.
She glared after Yamcha's retreating form with open disdain before turning back to Goku.
"My capsule house is gone. Without it, there's nowhere to rest. So… let's just keep moving, okay?"
Goku nodded, smiling faintly.
"Alright. Good thing I'm still half-full from lunch. Let's go!"