Author: why do Goku act like an idiot?
(Kratos gives Goku a judgmental look.)
Author: Ahem. Kratos, the options are...
He's a boy.
He's an idiot.
He's stupid.
No.
Kratos: (not amused) ...Boy.
Author: Ding, ding! You're right, Kratos! It's because he's a boy — not a teenager, not a man, but a boy who was reborn! It's all there in the abstract, of course.
Kratos: Hmph. I knew it.
Kratos: Get out of my sight.
Author: (grins sheepishly) Okay, bro. See ya next time!
----------------------
The group had been sailing down the river on a small boat for hours, the engine sputtering before finally giving out a pitiful cough. The boat jerked and slowed to a halt, leaving Bulma, Goku, and Oolong stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Bulma groaned dramatically, slumping against the side of the boat. "Well, that's just great. We're out of gas! What now? Are we supposed to swim the rest of the way?"
Oolong, sitting nervously next to her, added, "I can't swim! And I'd rather not shift into a fish. That's not exactly my style, y'know?"
Goku, sitting cross-legged at the front of the boat, scratched his head in thought. "Why don't we just fly?"
Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Fly? How exactly do you expect us to do that, genius?"
Goku grinned and pointed to the sky. "With my Flying Nimbus, of course! I can carry you both!"
Bulma sat up, looking intrigued. "That cloud thing you got from the old turtle guy? But… wait, can it even carry more than one person?"
Goku nodded enthusiastically. "Well, it won't carry you directly, 'cause you're not pure-hearted. But I can carry you, no problem!"
Bulma frowned at the "not pure-hearted" comment, but she didn't argue. They were stuck, after all. "Fine, but what about Oolong?"
Goku smirked, his tail twitching behind him. "I've got an idea."
Oolong raised his hands defensively, backing away. "Uh, I don't like the sound of that."
Without warning, Goku's tail shot out, wrapping tightly around Oolong's waist. The pig squealed in surprise as Goku hoisted him into the air effortlessly.
"H-Hey! Watch the tail! I'm not luggage!" Oolong protested, flailing uselessly.
Bulma stifled a laugh, shaking her head. "Well, that's one way to deal with him. You sure you can hold us both, Goku?"
Goku grinned confidently, then patted his tail. "Yep! I've been training my tail so it's not a weakness anymore. I can carry all kinds of stuff now."
"Impressive," Bulma muttered. "Alright, let's get moving before I regret this."
Goku stood up and summoned the Flying Nimbus with a quick whistle. The golden cloud zoomed over in seconds, hovering just above the boat. Goku jumped onto the cloud and then reached out to Bulma, offering her his hand.
With a sigh, Bulma grabbed Goku's hand, allowing him to lift her up onto the Nimbus. Goku pulled her onto his lap, seating her comfortably like a princess.
Bulma's face turned slightly red. "Whoa, whoa, this is a little close, don't you think?"
Goku chuckled. "It's the only way you'll stay on! Besides, I gotta hold on to Oolong too."
Oolong grumbled as Goku's tail tightened around him. "This isn't what I signed up for…"
Without further delay, the Flying Nimbus shot into the air, carrying the trio over the vast desert that would have taken hours to cross on foot. The wind whipped through their hair as the cloud soared, the ground below them quickly becoming a blur.
"Hey, this is pretty fun!" Goku yelled excitedly over the wind.
Bulma held on tightly, her hair whipping around her face. "Yeah, yeah, just don't drop me!"
Oolong, still hanging from Goku's tail, groaned. "You're not the one dangling in the air like a piñata!"
As they flew over the desert, Goku looked down and saw a familiar scene—the desert bandit hideout, where they were supposed to meet Yamcha. But Goku, remembering the plot, shrugged and kept flying.
"Eh, no need to stop there. We'll skip all that," Goku muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" Bulma asked, her voice barely audible over the wind.
"Nothing! Just thinking out loud," Goku quickly replied.
After what felt like only a few minutes, the desert gave way to greenery, signaling the end of the harsh terrain. Goku slowed down the Nimbus, descending gently toward the ground.
Once they landed, Goku carefully set Bulma down, while Oolong flopped onto the ground with a relieved sigh.
"Finally! Solid ground!" Oolong gasped. "I thought I was gonna die back there!"
Bulma stretched her arms, cracking her neck. "Well, that was… less terrible than I expected."
Goku hopped off the Nimbus, his tail swaying happily behind him. "Told you it'd be faster than walking."
As they caught their breath, Oolong eyed Goku's tail with suspicion. "So, what's the deal with your tail, anyway? Didn't think people had those."
Goku grinned proudly. "My tail used to be my weak spot, but I've been training it. Now, I can even use it to fight!"
Bulma looked impressed. "Huh. Well, that's good to know. Maybe we can find more uses for it."
"More uses?" Goku blinked innocently. "Like what?"
Bulma smirked. "Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something."
Before Goku could respond, his stomach growled loudly, breaking the moment. "Uh, do we have any food? I'm starving."
Bulma rolled her eyes. "Of course you are. You're always hungry."
Oolong snickered. "Maybe you should try eating clouds next."
Goku scratched his head. "Clouds don't taste good."
As they continued to chat, Goku suddenly had an idea. He had been saving a little trick he'd been practicing—his Cute Face Technique. He had seen it work in the anime, where the character would make an adorably innocent expression to win someone over. This seemed like the perfect time to try it out.
Turning to Bulma, Goku widened his eyes and pouted slightly, tilting his head in the most innocent way possible. "Bulma, could you maybe, pretty please, find us something to eat? I'm super hungry, and I'd really appreciate it!"
Bulma blinked, completely caught off guard by Goku's sudden change in demeanor. His face was so… cute? She couldn't believe she was falling for it.
"W-What? What's with that face? That's not fair, Goku!" she stammered, trying to resist his charm.
Oolong burst out laughing. "Oh man, he's got you wrapped around his finger now!"
Bulma huffed, crossing her arms. "Fine! But just this once. You owe me!"
Goku grinned triumphantly, his cute face instantly disappearing. "Thanks, Bulma! You're the best!"
As Bulma walked off to find some supplies, Oolong nudged Goku with his elbow. "You've got some nerve, kid. I didn't think you had it in you."
Goku chuckled. "It's all in the technique."
Oolong sighed, shaking his head. "We're in for one heck of an adventure, aren't we?"
Goku smiled brightly. "Yep! And I wouldn't have it any other way."
With Bulma busy preparing food and Oolong grumbling under his breath, Goku felt pretty good about how things were going. They had skipped the desert bandits, avoided unnecessary drama, and now they were about to eat. As far as he was concerned, this adventure was off to a great start.
And with his new Cute Face Technique in his back pocket, Goku was sure things would only get better from here.