After some time passed with no reply from General Blue, Adjutant Black sent out scouts to investigate. In the end, they brought back shocking news—General Blue's entire force had been wiped out.
At Red Ribbon Army Headquarters—
Black stood with a grave expression.
"Bad news, Commander Red. General Blue's unit… has been completely annihilated."
Commander Red slammed his fist down.
"Useless trash! They couldn't even deal with a single brat!"
Black hesitated before speaking.
"Commander… perhaps that boy isn't ordinary. He's already killed three of our top generals. That can't be a coincidence."
"So what?" Red snarled.
"I gave them resources and intelligence, and they still couldn't bring back even one Dragon Ball. If that isn't incompetence, what is?"
Black fell silent.
Red turned to the giant screen displaying the Dragon Radar. One flashing signal burned brightly over Korin's Sacred Land.
"What is Colonel Yellow doing?" Red growled.
"He already located the Dragon Ball—why hasn't he secured it yet?"
Black nodded.
"Colonel Yellow reported that the Dragon Ball is in the hands of a wild tribesman. He says the situation is… complicated."
"Complicated?" Red scoffed.
"He can't even handle a savage? Another useless idiot!"
At that moment, the radar showed Son Goku's Dragon Balls moving toward Korin Tower.
Both men stiffened.
Black muttered, "That kid's already on the move again… and he's heading straight for Yellow's territory."
Red's face twisted in rage.
"What the hell is Yellow doing?! Can he get anything right?!"
Just then, the phone rang.
Black answered.
"Black here."
"I–It's Colonel Yellow… I have bad news. Except for me, everyone else is dead…"
Black froze.
"Everyone… dead?"
"Yes… I'm very sorry…"
Black glanced at Commander Red, whose fury was barely contained.
He lowered his voice.
"Get that Dragon Ball no matter what. Otherwise, you'll disappear. Understood?"
Yellow's voice trembled.
"Y-Yes… I still have another plan…"
Red's fist clenched so hard it cracked.
"A bunch of worthless failures…"
Black hesitated.
"Commander Red…"
Red snatched the phone.
"Listen carefully, Colonel Yellow. You have one hour. If you don't secure that Dragon Ball by then, I will send Tao Pai Pai to take your head."
"T–Tao Pai Pai?!"
Yellow was horrified.
"I… I understand!"
The line went dead.
Black stared in shock.
"You mean the assassin Tao Pai Pai? Commander, isn't that going too far?"
Red sneered.
"That brat already has three Dragon Balls. If we don't interfere now, Yellow's will be next. Hire Tao Pai Pai. If he kills that kid, we get four Dragon Balls back at once. It wipes away all our previous losses."
Black thought it over. The assassin's fee was high—but eliminating the boy would prevent future losses and immediately recover four Dragon Balls.
In the end, it was worth it.
"Brilliant, Commander Red."
Korin's Sacred Land.
Desperate to retrieve the Dragon Ball, Colonel Yellow kidnapped Upa and used him as a hostage.
"Dad! Help!"
Upa's father held the Dragon Ball tightly.
"Let my son go! You can have the Dragon Ball!"
Yellow sneered.
"You think I'm stupid? The moment I land, you'll kill me. Throw it up here."
"I'm not a coward like you!"
Yellow circled above in his plane, still threatening.
"If you don't throw it now, I'll drop him. You wouldn't trade your own child's life for a single Dragon Ball, would you?"
Upa's father hesitated. He didn't care about the Dragon Ball—he was terrified that even if he threw it, his son might still be killed.
Just then, a fighter plane flew into the area.
Both men looked up.
It bore the Red Ribbon insignia.
Yellow's face tightened.
"Our army's plane… no, don't tell me Tao Pai Pai is already here to kill me!"
Then the cockpit opened.
Son Goku jumped out.
After killing two Red Ribbon generals, his face was now known throughout the army.
Yellow turned pale.
"That kid… it's him!"
Upa seized the moment and bit him.
Yellow screamed—and Upa fell from the plane.
"Dad—!"
Upa plummeted.
His father ran desperately toward him, but the distance was too great.
Sweat poured down his face as he saw his son about to die.
Then—
Goku veered in midair and shot down.
He caught Upa safely.
Yellow was in pure panic now. Either way meant death.
He turned his plane and fled.
Too late.
Goku raised his finger.
A blast of energy tore through the sky.
Yellow and his plane vanished in a burst of light.
Back at headquarters, Black stared at the silent communicator.
"The signal's gone… Call Tao Pai Pai."
Goku returned Upa to his father.
"Thank you for saving my son!"
"No problem. It was nothing."
Bulma's eyes locked onto the Dragon Ball in the man's hand.
"Wow! So you had it all along!"
Upa's father looked surprised.
"You're searching for this too?"
"Yes," Goku said. "That's why we came."
The man smiled warmly.
"You saved my boy. This is yours."
He handed the Dragon Ball over.
Goku passed it to Bulma.
Bulma beamed.
"That was easy!"
"Yeah… too easy," Goku muttered.
No mission.
No reward.
Which meant—
No profit.
Upa's father stared at them in confusion.
"What exactly is this Dragon Ball… and why are so many people trying to take it?"
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