Akira's plan had gone well, so everything was set to happen in a similar way to the original. He explained to Goku about the usefulness of Basho-sen, already making it clear to everyone that he was the one who brokered this deal for the dragon ball.
He didn't particularly think it was necessary, but he tried to make a good first impression with Goku and Bulma, so he could go with them in search of the last dragon ball.
The reason he thought it wasn't really necessary was because Oolong and Yamcha both antagonized Goku, being bad people, committing undignified acts, but in the end they would end up on their side. Without Akira's interference, Yamcha would even be Bulma's boyfriend in the very near future.
He felt that even if he had attacked them, it could be remedied with a few words, but he chose to show some goodwill, mainly for Bulma's sake.
When everything had been explained, Goku called out his flying cloud and was about to leave, but when he turned his back to everyone, a glint appeared in the Ox King's eyes "Kid, wait a moment!"
Goku stopped and looked back with a confused look. The Ox-King quickly pointed and said "That staff on your back, where did you get it?"
The spiky-haired boy turned his neck, glancing at the staff on his back out of the corner of his eye "That was Grandpa's staff, it's very important to me" A nostalgic smile appeared on his face.
The Ox King's surprise intensified "Your grandfather's? Son Gohan is your grandfather?!"
Goku nods "Yes! You know my grandpa?" A slight smile of surprise and happiness had appeared on his face.
"Do I know him? We're almost brothers! Son Gohan is Master Roshi's number one disciple and I'm number two!" The Ox-King said excitedly "How is Son Gohan? I haven't seen him since before the mountain went up in flames"
A more bitter expression appeared on Goku's face, and he replied "Grandpa died some time ago"
"Oh... I see" The Ox King fell silent, thinking about his friend for a moment.
Even though the conversation had reached this more melancholic point, Bulma, who was obviously listening to the conversation, didn't seem to mind at all, and her eyes focused on Akira 'I knew he would help us! He's so trustworthy and handsome!'
The silence lasted only a moment, before everything returned to normal and Goku finally left on his flying cloud, at a very high speed.
As he left, Yamcha hid himself further within the rubble, to ensure he would not be noticed.
Watching the boy leave, Akira gave a faint smile 'That old man will come, then I will be able to better compare my current strength!'
Be it Goku or Yamcha, neither of them could compare in strength to Akira, who had quickly reached a power level too high for the current Earth.
The Ox-King was initially very strong compared to him, but after a few days, Akira could confidently say that he was the stronger one. So he was eager to meet Master Roshi, so that they could compare their strengths.
"Akira" Bulma's voice rang out, drawing his attention to her "Thank you so much for helping us!" Her gaze held a seductive smile.
Her smile wasn't the only thing that was seductive, she was also intentionally posing in a sensual manner.
Suddenly Chi-Chi stepped in front of Akira, stomping her foot hard on the ground "Akira doesn't need your thanks!"
Akira's hand rested on her shoulder and his gaze held clear disapproval. He knew why she acted like this, but he couldn't let her be like this.
Bulma gave a dirty look to the little girl in front of her 'This little brat is already annoying me! Why does she keep getting in the way of my advances to Akira?'
Not far from them, Oolong looked sullenly at the scene and muttered under his breath "What's so special about this guy?"
The Ox King shook his head, he could imagine his daughter's worries, but there was nothing that could be done.
Chi-Chi saw the look Akira gave her and sadness appeared in her eyes, but at the same time she knew she was wrong to act that way, so she remained silent.
"It was just a casual thing, I don't deserve any gratitude" Akira said with a soft smile "If Goku can bring Basho-sen back, we'll be able to put out the fire, so the dragon ball can be considered payment for your help"
Bulma smiled at his words "You're so modest too, a real man, unlike a certain coward" She finished by giving Oolong a mocking look.
'You damn witch! This is what I get after everything I've done!' Anger flashed across Oolong's face, but he didn't dare speak out loud.
Akira gently squeezed Chi-Chi's shoulder, then bowed slightly to speak to her "It's too hot outside for normal people, so those two must be really uncomfortable here, how about everyone go inside?"
It might seem strange for him to ask Chi-Chi about this instead of the Ox-King, but there were good reasons for him to do so, especially after the conversation he had with Chi-Chi earlier.
Bulma smiled when she heard that. As much as her focus on Akira took up her attention, it was impossible to completely ignore that heat, which was making her body sweat like never before.
Chi-Chi didn't want to let the blue-haired girl near Akira, but she wasn't a bad girl, so she was moved by his words.
Then she nodded her head "You're right... It would be better if we waited inside until that boy comes back"
...
Even on his flying cloud, it would take Goku a few hours to reach Master Roshi's island and there was still time to get back, so there was a long time until his return.
Thanks to Akira's intervention, the group had entered the house, where there was no heat, thanks to the house's technology. Yamcha and Puar were hiding, so they stayed outside and chose to move away from the mountain, waiting for Goku's return as well.
Inside the house, Bulma was trying to talk to Akira, but Chi-Chi wouldn't leave his side, always interrupting her.
The Ox King was so excited at the thought that the mountain fire would finally be extinguished that he set out to hunt a large dinosaur so he could celebrate with a great feast.
Oolong was watching TV, very frustrated by everything bad that had been happening in his life in the last few days. He was wondering if at the end of this journey, he would be free from these crazy people.
The other three, Akira, Chi-Chi, and Bulma, were sitting at the dining table.
"Akira, until now you haven't answered me if you have a girlfriend" Bulma's voice sounded in a honeyed tone.
Chi-Chi had messed up the first time she asked, so she still had that little doubt in her mind.
At that moment, the two girls looked at him with expectant eyes. Bulma wanted him to deny it, confirming that there was a clear path for her, while Chi-Chi waited for him to somehow mention his promise, reaffirming that he would wait for her to grow up so they could become a couple.
These expectations were very clear to Akira, so he thought before answering. He had already planned to have those two in his life in the future, but he still wasn't sure if it would come true.
He thought long enough to create suspense in the girls' minds, but finally he sighed 'This might spoil everything, but I think I should be honest'
"Does it matter?" Akira's voice sounded softly.
The two girls were confused, but he soon continued "I don't have a girlfriend yet, but even if I did, it wouldn't change anything"
When he finished speaking, the two of them were still confused. Bulma, despite still having doubts, was happy that he didn't have a girlfriend yet, so she asked with a smile "How would that not change anything?"
Chi-Chi was wondering in her mind 'He said he doesn't have a girlfriend yet, because is he already imagining that we'll date in the future?' A slight blush appeared on her face.
Akira then replied "I still remember well in what context you asked me if I had a girlfriend, your objective was to know if I was single, that's why I say it doesn't matter" His gaze was full of confidence, so much so that it could be seen as arrogance "Even if I had a girlfriend, I wouldn't mind having a few more"
A clear expression of shock appeared on the two girls' faces, even Oolong turned towards him with raised eyebrows.
Akira smiled at the girls' reaction 'Bulma is beautiful and has an amazing body, Chi-Chi will compare herself to her when she grows up, but they are not the only women in the world with such beauty... I will not insist if they decide to give up on me because of my wish!'
After Chi-Chi's little confession earlier, he was no longer so focused on his initial plans. He still wished to have both of them for himself, but he would no longer try to act manipulatively like he initially thought, he would be honest and fate would decide the rest.
Chi-Chi was the first to return to a more normal expression, she then thought 'Does Akira want to have more than one girlfriend like those strange kings?'
Although she didn't live the life of a common princess, she was still one and knew a bit about some other kingdoms. When Akira talked about having more than one girlfriend, she compared it to those kings who have several concubines in addition to the queen.
'Is Akira a womanizer?!' Bulma wondered, still very surprised by his words.
He was single, but he had basically said that he wouldn't be faithful in a relationship, so she couldn't help but feel confused about how to proceed.
Akira could see both of their expressions, so he had a slight idea of what their opinions were. He gave a weak smile "Well, you got your answer, so let me ask you something in return..."
He then pointed to the bunny ears on Bulma's costume, and continued to speak "Do you wear this kind of outfit commonly, or is there a special reason for it?"
Hearing that question, the girl's face turned a slight pink. "No!" She answered in a hurry, with a bit of embarrassment in her tone.
"I ended up losing my things during our journey, so I only had the clothes on my back, but they were very dirty, so I needed another set of clothes, and these were the only clothes Oolong had that fit me..." She explained quickly.
Akira looked in the direction of the little pig, then said to the girl "I don't disbelieve your words, this brat looks like a pervert, I imagine he keeps it out of some strange desire, but even if you didn't have any other clothes, did you need to use the props?"
Oolong seemed to be outraged at being called a pervert, but his courage was not enough to complain.
Bulma blushed again, looking at Akira and saying embarrassedly "I thought it would look weird to just use the main parts..."
Akira smiled at her and said "I think it would look more normal without the props, but it's not like I'm complaining, it's a sexy costume"
The embarrassment quickly disappeared from the girl's face and a confident smile took its place. Bulma put aside, for a moment, her doubts about being in a relationship with a womanizer and returned to sounding seductive "Did you like it? I also think it enhances my body"
Chi-Chi gritted her teeth with an expression of angry jealousy plastered on her face, but suddenly she stopped and thought 'If Akira wants to have more than one girlfriend, then I can't just try to have him for myself... But I will be his main wife!' Her eyes filled with determination.
"Speaking of your outfit, I must give you a warning" Akira said with a serious look "There's a possibility that Master Roshi will come here, to make sure that it really is the Ox-King in need of help... Master Roshi may be one of the greatest martial artists in the world, but he's a perverted old man. If he sees you dressed like that, he'll probably try something weird, so you better stay with me so I can protect you"
Upon hearing his warning, Bulma couldn't help but remember her first encounter with the old man, where he asked to see her panties, but because of Goku she showed even more.
Those memories brought shame and anger, but soon she thought of the protection offered by Akira, so her expression became excited "Thank you, Akira!"
...
More than a thousand kilometers away from Mount Frypan, Goku came across the vast sea "Where will I find Grandpa Roshi?"
His reference point was the beach he passed by a short while ago, now he could only continue flying across the vast sea, not sure where to go.
After flying on his golden cloud for some time, he finally saw a tiny island, with a single house.
"It must be here!" Goku smiled, heading towards the tiny island.