The Z Pirates (One Piece/Dragon Ball Crossover)

Goku stood with his arms crossed, gazing up at the ship before him. The morning sun cast long shadows over the remnants of Arlong Park, the once-imposing fortress now reduced to nothing but rubble and broken stone. Yet, amidst the destruction, one thing had remained intact—the imposing ship of Arlong's crew. The wooden beast loomed over them, its tattered sails and eerie Jolly Roger still fluttering faintly in the morning breeze.

Bulma, standing beside him, let out a satisfied hum.

"This is it," she proclaimed, hands on her hips. "This ship is perfect. A little smelly, but perfect."

One of her hair-braids extended and wrapped around the flagpole, yanking down the worn-out Jolly Roger with ease. The cloth fluttered to the ground as she retracted her braid with a smirk. Her hair manipulation abilities made even the simplest tasks effortless.

"We'll make our own pirate flag," she declared.

Oolong snorted, arms folded. "Good. 'Cause I'm not sailing under a flag that smells like rotten fish guts."

Bulma shot him a look. "Well, you better get used to the smell. We're gonna be eating a lot of fish from now on."

Oolong grimaced but said nothing. He was already regretting this whole pirate idea, but at this point, he knew there was no convincing these two otherwise.

Goku, meanwhile, had already floated up to inspect the ship, scanning the deck with curious eyes. He tapped his chin before pointing at several places. "We're gonna need more people to fix this. Look, some parts are busted."

Bulma followed his gaze and frowned. He wasn't wrong. Though the ship itself was structurally sound, there were plenty of cracks, chipped wood, and signs of wear. Some sections of the railing were completely broken, and the mast had several weak points. It wasn't anything major, but it definitely needed work.

Bulma nodded. "Yeah, we'll have to stop somewhere to pick up supplies. No way we're sailing in this condition."

Oolong let out a long-suffering sigh. "And we're gonna need a serious renovation. This whole thing stinks like a fish market on a hot day."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "It belonged to a bunch of fishmen. What did you expect? Roses?"

Oolong grumbled, kicking the tattered remains of Arlong's flag aside. "I don't care what it was. If I have to live on this thing, I don't wanna smell like a damn tuna can."

Goku, still hovering above them, suddenly grinned. "Hey, that means we need a cook!"

Bulma looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "That's what you're thinking about?"

Goku floated down and landed with a soft thud. "Yeah! We're gonna be on the sea, right? And if we're eating fish all the time, we need someone who knows how to cook it!"

Bulma chuckled. "You just want someone to make tasty food, don't you?"

Goku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well… yeah. But it's important!"

Bulma couldn't deny that. "Alright, fine. We need a cook. But we also need more people to help with the ship. Day-to-day tasks, repairs… Oh, and we definitely need a doctor."

Oolong shuddered. "Yeah, last thing we need is getting sick in the middle of nowhere with no way to fix it."

Bulma nodded. "And maybe a musician or someone for entertainment. Long trips at sea can get boring."

Goku tilted his head. "Can't you just build stuff to keep you busy?"

Bulma sighed. "I can, but that doesn't mean I don't want music or fun. We're gonna be out there for who knows how long. A little entertainment wouldn't hurt."

Goku nodded in understanding, then suddenly grew serious. "But we can't tell anyone where we're from."

Bulma and Oolong both turned to him, their expressions mirroring the gravity of his statement.

Bulma crossed her arms. "You're right. No one would believe us anyway, but if they did… it could cause a lot of problems."

Oolong let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, imagine trying to explain that we came from another world? They'd lock us up in an asylum."

Bulma looked at the ship again, her mind already racing with ideas. This was really happening. They were going to set sail, just like the stories they had heard the night before.

She took a deep breath and turned to Goku with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Well, if we're gonna be pirates… we need a ship's name."

Goku blinked. "Oh! Yeah, that's a good idea!"

Oolong rolled his eyes. "Something that doesn't make us sound insane, please."

Bulma tapped her chin, deep in thought. After a few moments, her lips curled into a smirk. "How about… The Capsule Marauder?"

Oolong groaned. "Oh, come on, that sounds like a walking ad for your company."

Bulma pouted. "What? It's cool! And besides, I'm the one fixing the ship. It makes sense."

Goku laughed. "I like it!"

Bulma grinned, satisfied. "Then it's settled. The Capsule Marauder is officially our ship."

Goku stretched his arms and grinned. "Alright! Now we just need to find a crew."

Bulma smirked. "I already have a few ideas."

_______________________________________

The heavy iron gates groaned as they slid open, rust grinding against metal. Seawater rushed in, surging past the barriers that once kept Arlong's ship trapped within the fortress. Above the gates, Goku hovered in the air, watching the water fill the pool like a rising tide.

"Alright! That should do it!" Goku called out, grinning as he lowered himself back down onto the deck of the ship. The salty breeze hit his wild hair as he landed effortlessly.

Bulma stood at the ship's helm. She gripped the wheel tightly. Her long blue hair was short now to keep it from whipping into her face. "Alright, boys! Time to set sail!" she announced, excitement tingling in her voice.

Goku flew back and pushed the ship forward, and slowly but surely, their new vessel drifted forward, cutting through the swirling water toward the open sea.

Oolong watched the fortress of Arlong Park fade into the distance. "I can't believe we're actually doing this," he muttered. "Setting out to sea like real pirates… on a ship that still smells like fish guts."

Bulma smirked, adjusting the controls as the ship glided into the open ocean. "Oh, get used to it, Oolong. We're going to be eating a lot of fish, too. You better not complain every time dinner smells like the sea."

Oolong groaned dramatically. "Ugh, I should've stayed in the village. A nice warm bed, fresh food… Why did I agree to this again?"

"Because you're broke, and you know you'd miss us," Bulma shot back playfully, tossing him a smug look over her shoulder.

Goku laughed, standing near the bow with his hands on his hips. "This is great! We finally get to see more of this world. I wonder what kinds of strong people are out there!" His eyes sparkled with excitement as he gazed at the endless blue horizon.

Bulma chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Of course, that's what you're thinking about." She adjusted the ship's course, eyes sharp as she studied their surroundings. "But yeah, there's a lot we don't know about this world. We need to be careful. We don't know what's waiting for us out there."

Goku turned to her, his grin unwavering. "That's what makes it fun, right? Every new place, every new challenge—it's all part of the adventure!"

Bulma shook her head with a small smile. "You really are something else, Goku."

Oolong sighed, leaning against the railing. "So, what's the plan? We're just heading out with no real destination?"

Bulma tapped her chin. "Well, first things first, we need to stock up. This ship has supplies, but we'll need more if we're gonna be at sea for a while. Plus, we need to find people to join our crew. A cook, a doctor, some deckhands… I can't do all the work myself, you know."

"And strong fighters!" Goku added eagerly. "I wanna fight some really tough guys!"

"Of course you do," Bulma sighed, rolling her eyes. "But yeah, we need people we can trust. We also have to be careful about who we let on board. No one can know where we really came from. If people found out we weren't from this world…"

Oolong shuddered. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Keep our mouths shut."

Bulma nodded, a serious glint in her eye. "Exactly."

As the ship picked up speed, the wind carried them farther from the ruins of Arlong Park and deeper into the vast, unknown ocean. The sun reflected off the waves, creating a shimmering path ahead of them.

Goku stretched his arms above his head, taking in the endless horizon. "I can't wait to see what's out there!"

Bulma smirked. "Well, get comfortable. This is just the beginning."