But thinking about it, Son Gokai genuinely could not recall anyone who matched that description at this point in the timeline.
Before Son Gokai could dwell on it further, the booth owner grimaced and held out the half human height panda stuffed animal.
The little girl hugged the stuffed animal, and although her face still wore that cool, detached expression, the joy at the corners of her eyes and brows could not be hidden.
She even looked toward Son Gokai in a rare moment, as though waiting for some kind of acknowledgment.
“Your aim is really precise, even better than mine.” Son Gokai gave a thumbs up and praised her without the slightest stinginess.
The little girl’s face flushed faintly and she buried it in the panda stuffed animal.
After that, the three of them played whack a mole and the basketball machine together.
Whatever the game, this little girl consistently demonstrated astonishing reaction speed and dynamic visual acuity.
The more Son Gokai watched, the more unsettled he felt.
Was this really a normal human little girl?
Her physical capabilities were those of a born warrior in the making.
Time passed quickly, and before long the sky had gone completely dark.
The park’s broadcast system began playing the closing time music.
The little girl, who had been engaged and lively just a moment before, suddenly stiffened when she heard the music, and that loneliness and unease resurfaced in her eyes.
She kept glancing toward the amusement park entrance, but the familiar figure she was waiting for never appeared.
“Still not here?” Son Gokai asked quietly.
The little girl bit her lip, and finally stopped pretending to be strong, her eyes going faintly red at the edges.
“…Mom said she was going to buy water, and she’s been gone for a really long time.” “You silly child, you should have told us right away.” Bulma stroked her head with tender concern, “Come on, big sister will take you to the broadcast room to find your mom.” Though the girl was cool headed and still a little resistant to being patted on the head, this time she did not refuse, and let Bulma and Son Gokai hold her hands without protest.
At the amusement park broadcast room.
The staff were very enthusiastic and immediately switched on the park wide broadcast.
“Attention all guests, a young girl with a denim vest and short golden hair is currently waiting in the broadcast room for her mother, please come to collect her as soon as you hear this announcement…” The broadcast played on repeat several times.
About ten minutes or so passed.
The broadcast room door was flung open.
A flustered middle aged woman with the same golden hair came rushing in.
“My child!!” The little girl, who had been sitting in a chair, leapt up the instant she saw the woman and threw herself at her.
“Mom!!” Mother and daughter held each other and wept.
It turned out that this mother had had her wallet stolen and gone to chase the thief, got lost, and on top of that her phone had run out of battery, leaving her wandering in a daze through the enormous amusement park until now.
Watching this touching scene, Son Gokai and Bulma exchanged a glance and smiled.
“Looks like the mission is complete.” Son Gokai shrugged.
“It is, what a pitiful yet tough little girl.” Bulma said with a touch of feeling.
“Let’s go, we shouldn’t disturb their reunion.” The two did not seek any credit, and did not go over to say hello.
For Son Gokai, this was just a small episode in his long life, a moment of casual kindness.
He took Bulma’s hand and quietly slipped out of the broadcast room, disappearing into the night outside.
Just as the two of them had walked barely ten meters away.
Inside the broadcast room, the mother who had finally composed herself wiped her tears, held her recovered daughter tightly, and called out that name with a mix of reproach and lingering fear.
“…You nearly scared mom to death, Lazuli!
Don’t you ever go running off again, do you hear me?” “Lazuli, where did that panda in your hands come from?” “A kind big brother and big sister gave it to me…” The girl called Lazuli, holding the panda, turned her head toward the doorway.
But it was empty there, with only the night wind stirring the door curtain.
Those two people had already left.
By this point, Son Gokai, who had just reached the amusement park gate, came to a brief halt.
“What is it, Gokai?” Bulma turned and asked.
“Nothing.” Son Gokai looked back in the direction of the broadcast room, shook his head, and said, “I just feel that…
I really liked that little girl’s eyes.” “Hey!
You’re not some kind of little girl obsessive, are you?” Bulma looked at him with suspicious eyes.
“What are you thinking.” Son Gokai pinched her cheek with mild exasperation, “I’m only interested in a certain sixteen year old genius beauty.” “Hmph, that’s more like it!” The two laughed and joked as they got into a hover car and sped off in the direction of Capsule Corporation.
Son Gokai had no idea that just now, he had completed the first meeting across the span of time with the future “Android 18” who would occupy a place in his heart.
And at this moment, Lazuli clutched that panda stuffed animal tightly, with the face of the black haired young man deeply imprinted in her mind, along with the warm smile he had worn when handing her the ice cream.
That was one of the rare bright spots in her childhood memories.
A seed called a bond had quietly taken root without either of them noticing.
Back at Capsule Corporation.
Dr.
Brief happened to be walking out of the laboratory just then, holding an oil stained rag in his hand.
“Oh, you two are back just in time.” The Doctor adjusted his glasses and pointed in the direction of the basement.
“Gokai, I’ve already had the gym cleared out for you as you asked.
They’re all standard equipment, but everything is top tier quality.” Son Gokai glanced toward the basement and nodded.
“Thank you, Doctor, this is more than enough.” He took off the stylish motorcycle jacket, revealing the fitted training vest beneath.
“Bulma, don’t wait up for me tonight.” He rolled his neck, producing a series of cracking sounds.
“Starting today, I’m going into closed door training.” ‘Though not the kind that drives the body to its limits,’ Son Gokai said inwardly, ‘but rather learning to find the source of power in stillness.’ ‘This thriving West City, this peaceful daily life, is the finest training ground I could ask for.’ Bulma looked at Son Gokai with that resolute look in his eyes, let out a helpless sigh, but the feeling in her gaze was far more that of infatuation.
“What a martial arts obsessive…
though you do look even more handsome when you’re serious.” As the heavy metal door slowly swung shut.
Son Gokai’s West City training arc officially began.
And on a distant island out at sea.
Kame House.
“Achoo!!” Master Roshi, who had just been assigning Son Goku his milk delivery task, let out a sudden sneeze.
“Strange…
is someone thinking about me?” He looked over at little Goku huffing and puffing along with the shell on his back, and shook his head.
“That kid Gokai…
I wonder how he’s getting on in West City these days.
A flashy place like that, I just hope he hasn’t let the martial arts go to waste.” Little did he know that this great disciple of his was walking a path toward a “divine realm” that he could not begin to imagine.
Time flew by like a galloping horse, and in the blink of an eye a full year had quietly slipped past.
============================== Anime: Villain Scientist Chat New Novel guys support me.
I found this one intresting