Bulma entered the room with apprehension, it had been such a long time since she had last seen Yamcha, and she wasn't sure how much she had committed herself in their last encounter: she was glad they weren't alone, it would have been an awkward encounter. She saw Yamcha sitting on a sofa, there were also Aunt Harriet and uncle Ox, Chichi and even Ellen with her husband, Lieutenant Mason and Goku, along with a man she had never seen before.

She remained surprised seeing Yamcha's expression: it seemed that, in the general chaos, nobody thought to inform him that his love was not in her best physical form. He stared at her with a very little flattering mixture of consternation and incredulity. She became embarrassed when he haltingly went towards her saying "Bulma...". He seemed to regain a little of his composure, and continued with a firmer voice: "Oh, my dear Bulma! We thought you gone for good! Thank God you're still alive!"

He took possessively her hands, and Bulma felt herself stiffen: she didn't like being touched, and Yamcha knew it. But she couldn't withdraw her hand without hurting Yamcha's feeling. She became even more uncomfortable sensing all the attention on her. Looking at Yamcha, she tried to smile, reassuring. It would be pleasant to be in his company again. After all that happened, a wave of relief burst inside her.

Forgetting the cut on her lip, she started laughing. She hadn't meant to, and, seeing Yamcha's horrified face, she tried to stop, but to no avail. The smile left Yamcha, and he dropped her hands.

The cut on her lip re-opened and she pressed her hands on her mouth, trying to protect her split lip and to muffle her laugh. But the embarrassed faces around her, and the events of the last ten days, suddenly seemed so absurd that she couldn't stop laughing.

"Bulma, honey, calm down!" her aunt said, worried.

"Oh, I'm OK, don't worry! Ouch... the cut has re-opened. And you, Yamcha, don't make that face! I know that it's no funny, but... if only you had seen your expression when I entered the room! You looked so... horrified. I didn't mean to laugh, but I couldn't help it, it seemed all so absurd... all of you dressed in black, mourning me, that suddenly see me enter all decked worse than... worse than... an old drunkard coming straight from a brawl!"

Goku couldn't help a smile, and Aunt Harriet, who had never had the pleasure to meet a drunkard, exclaimed: "Bulma, dear! I don't know were you learned such a language!"

"From captain Royston." Bulma chuckled, using an handkerchief to stop the blood from flowing from her lip.

"Royston?" Yamcha exclaimed, shocked. Bulma noted that he and the man she didn't know had both paled. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he was the one to say it, and when I saw your face I knew he was right. I'm sorry, Yamcha... I wasn't laughing at you."

After that, Mr and Mrs Bradbury left, since the Matsonia would weigh anchor the following morning, and they had many things to prepare. Lieutenant Mason and Goku followed them, called by urgent affairs to the British consulate. Meanwhile Mr Briefs introduced Bulma to Kiwi, a friend of Yamcha that lived in their house. He was a merchant, and had spent a long time in China, before arriving at Honolulu. Bulma noted that he was really ugly: he had a flattened nose, little hair, thin moustache and an untrustworthy aspect. She wondered how Yamcha befriended someone so disgusting.

The door had been just closed behind the departing visitors that Yamcha turned abruptly towards Bulma and asked with an harsh and imperious voice that she had never heard before: "What's this story about Royston? Where did you meet that man?"

"Where? But... on the Probitas, naturally! Didn't they tell you?"

Aunt Harriet intervened "It was captain Royston that saved her, Yamcha darling, not..."

"Royston! That damned renegade!" Yamcha burst out, enraged "Do you mean that you passed these last ten days in his company?"

"I passed them on his ship" Bulma corrected him, curtly.

"It's the same thing! I can't believe it! Why him? Even the most fetid of the ships would have been better than the Probitas!"

Bulma was a little miffed that Yamcha was putting much more importance in the unfortunate procedures of her rescue than in the rescue itself. Moreover, he was carrying on this dialogue before that suspicious-looking merchant, and she didn't like it one bit.

"He didn't put his dirty hands on you, right?"

"WHAT?!" Bulma shouted, surprised. The other people present in the room flinched, seeing her outburst. "I can't believe you, Yamcha! Are you insinuating that I received improper suggestions from him? That's ridiculous!" She was suddenly angry that Yamcha could think so little of her, she was just returned from the dead, so to speak, and he was worrying about her behaviour!

"B-but Bulma you don't know his reputation" Yamcha stammered, caught by surprise by the display of her usually hidden short temper, " he is a well-known libertine... I was only worried about you..."

"Oh, please Yamcha!" Bulma scoffed "You didn't hide how little attractive I seem now, when I entered this room, and, just to let you know, a week ago I had a far worse aspect than this! Nobody, not even a monster, would have dreamed of making improper suggestions to a woman with a black eye, a cut on the lip and..." she remained silent for a moment, trying to regain her usual controlled façade "Look, I don't think this conversation is going anywhere. If you don't mind, I'd like to rest for a while, now." She turned towards Chichi "Would you keep me company? It's been such a long time sine I last had a good chat with another woman."

"Sure!" Chichi replied, happily.

They left the room, leaving being a confused Yamcha: he had never seen before that side of Bulma, and frankly, it intimidated him.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Bulma entered her room still tense. It was incredible! She would have never behaved like that, usually! But when she heard Royston's name she lost her controlled mask, and Yamcha's statement had arrived exactly at the wrong time. She had never intended to let other people see her short temper, but it seemed that Royston managed to confuse her even when he wasn't present.

Chichi closed the door behind her, and Bulma turned her attention to her cousin.

"Bulma, are you OK? I've never seen you this angry before." Chichi asked, worried.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Chi. It must be all the stress of this last days, I didn't mean to behave like that at all."

"Well, you probably scared poor Yamcha, badly" Chichi giggled. "You're always so controlled and well-behaved that he surely wasn't expecting that explosion."

Bulma flushed, embarrassed, and decided to change the subject. "However, how are you? That young officer, Goku told me that you two know each other..."

"Really? He talked about me? Incredible, he really thinks about me, then." She smiled, pleased. "He is such a nice guy, isn't he?" she took a dreaming look, and Bulma smiled: her cousin seemed really in love with that young man!

"How did the two of you meet?" Bulma asked, curious.

"Oh, we met during a ball at the royal palace, he was keeping tabs on someone, but, when another soldier took his place, he approached me and we started to talk. We usually see each other only during the social events organized by the island's Committee. Goku is always there for job, so we can't spend too much time together, unfortunately!"

"I'm sorry... wait... what is the Committee?" Bulma asked, perplexed.

"It's a group of people that administer the resources assigned by the king for good deeds and social events..."

"Like a charitable organization? That's exactly what I searched! I must become a member of that association, then I'll surely able to help the people of this place! Do you know where I should ask, to enter in that association?"

"Not really, but maybe you can ask the queen, we visit her quite often, she is such a dear woman, I'm sure you'll like her!" Chichi sighed "I should have known that you would jump to the chance of joining such an organization! Beneficence is important, it's true, but you take it to the extreme! You should reserve more time to your relationship with Yamcha, it's been so long since you two passed some time together!"

"Maybe. Talking about relationship: what is it between you and Goku? Are you two official?"

"If only! We're only friends, for now. But Yamcha doesn't like him at all, and is trying to prevent me from dating him."

"Uh? Why would he do something like that?"

"Who knows! Yamcha has immediately showed great hostility towards Goku, doing everything to make his visit short and well escorted. It's strange, Goku has never said or done anything to instigate such hostility. Maybe Yamcha doesn't think that a simple soldier is a good enough match for me, but I don't care. I like my sweet Goku, and I'll find a way to make Yamcha behave." Chichi said, seriously, and Bulma felt a little sorry for Yamcha. Chichi was someone that obtained always what she wanted, thanks to her difficult character. She had seen some of Chichi's outbursts, and it hadn't been a pleasant scene!

After that, they passed a long time talking, about everything that came to their minds. Aunt Harriet found them still chatting when she came searching for her daughter, since they had some visit to do.

"Bulma, dear, I think it's better if you remain here in isolation for at least a week, to give those bruises and cuts the time to heal, before we introduce you in society."

"Yes, I think it's the best thing to do." Bulma agreed. "Now, can you tell me where uncle Ox is? I'd like to talk with him."

"Oh, sure, dear. He is in his study with Yamcha. It's the right door at the end of this corridor." Aunt Harriet informed her.

A few minutes later, Bulma was knocking the door of the study.

"Am I intruding?" she asked, entering the room.

"Obviously no, Bulma. What do you need?" Uncle ox asked, smiling, while Yamcha stared at her warily.

"Oh, stop that, Yamcha! I didn't mean to startle you so bad, in the hall. It was only the stress of these last few days that made me behave like that, sorry."

He appeared to relax, and finally smiled: "No problem, Bulma, I understand."

He then apologized for having offended her and, to prove his goodwill, he ended saying that he had asked to be associated to the thank-you words that Mr Briefs had sent, via a trustworthy member of the personnel, to the urban house of captain Royston.

"However I can't hide that I think it's not a wise move." Yamcha admitted. "But, since it seems that he treated you with some degree of civility, we thought it was the least we could do."

Those words reminded irritatingly Bulma something that captain Royston himself had told her, and, disturbed, she turned to Mr Briefs "Uncle Ox, does it mean that you won't go personally to thank him? If you think about how much he's done for me, sending him a mere letter..."

"An oral message, Bulma. I'm sorry but I think that you still don't grasp the embarrassment of the situation." her uncle said. "Even if it's not very kind on our part, we can't let that a man known for his lack of scruple put his hands on something that one day he could use to make claims on you!"

"But, at the end, he has the right, uncle. I owe him..."

"I'm sorry, Bulma, but even sending a servant with an oral message is something that goes against the common sense. I've done it exactly because we owe him, as you said, but that's the most I can do."

Bulma didn't like her uncle's decision, but she could do nothing to change his mind, and so she let the matter drop. She knew that her uncle was probably right, but it irritated her that Royston's previsions had come true. To make herself feel better, and take a revenge on the annoying captain, she moved to the purpose of her visit: find out what illegal traffic Royston was doing during her stay on his ship. She turned again towards uncle Ox, and, becoming even more serious, she started: "I came to have your opinion on something that happened while I was on the Probitas." And she proceeded to tell the two men about the suspicious nightly activities of the Probitas.

Uncle Ox was silent for a while, then he seemed to jolt. "It could be... I heard Lieutenant Mason talking with the king, yesterday. It seems that a Chinese involved in opium traffic, who had worked for many bands, was arrested in Shanghai, but he managed to escape. They saw him getting aboard a ship bound to Honolulu and advised the king so that he would be able to stop that man. Well, the ship arrived yesterday, but this man, named Feng Chan, I think, wasn't aboard anymore. Nobody followed the ship, and it's certain that he was aboard, so the only explanation is that a ship coming from somewhere else, for example from this same island, met it in open sea and helped him to escape once again. I think that's what Royston was doing: he must have picked up Feng Chan and brought him on some small island where he could be safe. However, before escaping Shanghai's police force Feng Chan had made a confession that revealed the presence of two important bands of traffickers at Shanghai. The police thinks that the head of one of these appalling associations is a Chinese merchant named Freeza. But the surprising thing is that, although the second band isn't known, according to Feng Chan the management committee includes two gentlemen that live here at Honolulu..."

"Ah!"

It hadn't been a groan or a moan, but something between the two. Bulma turned and saw Yamcha paling.

"What is it?" she asked.

Yamcha smiled, strained, while his face regained slowly its colour. "N-nothing... it's only that this situation... Bulma still alive, Royston that rescued her... secret traffics on the ship... it's all happening so fast, and it is not something easy to cope with, for me ... If you can excuse me, now I need to talk with Kiwi, bye!" He went out the room, while Bulma and Mr Briefs stared at him, perplexed by his antics.

He hurried towards the hall, where he knew he could find Kiwi. Once he reached his friend, Yamcha whispered something in his ear, and the two went in Kiwi's room to talk.

"Well, what is it that got you so riled up?" Kiwi asked.

"As if that damned English officer doting on my sister and Freeza henchmen weren't enough problems! Did you know that Feng Chan had been captured?" Yamcha said, clearly shaken.

"WHAT?" Kiwi shouted, jolting.

"Yes, my step-father heard Mason saying it to the king. It seems that Feng Chan managed to escape, but not before revealing that the second band of trafficker operating between here and Shanghai includes 'two gentlemen that live in Honolulu'! Now we'll have to guard against a surprise even more than usual!"

"Damn it! Do you know if Feng Chan gave any clue about the identity of Freeza's agent, the one that works here at Honolulu?" Kiwi asked, very interested.

"No, I'm sorry."

"Pity! I would like to know it, so I could 'thank' him for taking my entire haul and having me almost arrested, that time in Shanghai!" His eyes burned with hatred at the recollection.

"How come that you don't know his face? You worked for the same band, at that time..."

"Yes, that's true. But when I worked for Freeza I didn't come in contact with important members. I met him only one time, in a shadowed alley: I had left the band, taking with me a great haul, and he had been sent to teach me a lesson." He took a deep breath, and continued "He had managed to find my lookout when I was away, and took everything I had gained in my life. I wanted it back, so I did some investigation. I eavesdropped a discussion between two of Freeza's most trusted henchmen: they were commenting on how it was a waste to use someone as talented as him for such a 'measly job'" he spat, disgusted. "Then I received a message from the 'Honolulu agent' for a meeting, and I went ready to fight. He didn't know that I knew he had been the one to take my money, so I thought that I could take him by surprise and make him pay. What I didn't think was that the man was such a fucking coward!"

"What do you mean? What happened?" Yamcha pressed on.

"He had set up a trap." Kiwi replied. "We talked a little, about how much Freeza was displeased for my desertion, and then I attacked him, full intending to make them see that it was better to leave me alone. But he managed to dodge me and disappear, just in time to avoid a group of soldier that he himself had called with an anonymous letter, telling them where they could find me."

"What? He called the soldiers?!" Yamcha exclaimed.

"Yes." Kiwi growled." At that time there was a special force at Shanghai that was really tough and dealt with opium traffic. He advised them and they almost caught me!" Kiwi said, angry at the memories. "I was able to escape after a brief struggle, but only by mere luck! If the alley hadn't been dark to the point that I couldn't even see their faces, they would have surely arrested me!"

"God, I didn't know! Well, rumours say that Vegeta Royston is Freeza's agent, so if you want revenge..." Yamcha commented

"I'm not so sure about him... there is not a single proof. The rumours started only because, although he is almost certainly an opium trafficker, he has never been caught doing anything suspicious, so one thinks he must work for a greatly organized band."

"Now that Mason has captured almost all the opium traffickers" Yamcha noted "the only bands left are Freeza's and ours. Don't you think that this makes obvious which band he belongs to?"

"Maybe, but I want to know for sure if he is Freeza's agent, to make my revenge complete. Otherwise I'll be always plagued by the doubt that maybe he wasn't, and the real agent is still somewhere, laughing at me. I'll find out the identity of Freeza's agent, and when I'll know it..." he hissed, while his face morphed in a mask of hate.

"When you'll know it?" Yamcha inquired "What will you do, once you'll have found Freeza's agent?"

Kiwi's arm sprang rigidly ahead, and his fingers seemed to grab an invisible enemy.

"I'll know exactly where to clench this hand." he breathed.

* * * * *