Chapter 117: Launch

On a bright and sunny afternoon, the cool breeze carried a hint of chill. Due to the northern latitude, the sunlight still felt somewhat cold.

Xavier checked into a hotel, intending to rest well.

At that moment, a series of horrific screams emanated from a clothing store next door, followed by a crowd of people stumbling and shouting as they fled the shop.

"Something must have happened next door, either a robbery or a murder," Xavier speculated but had no intention of intervening, as the lives of ordinary people were of no concern to him.

Although Xavier retained a sense of human morality, as a Saiyan, he inherently disregarded the weak.

"Boss, give me your best room!" a deep voice commanded. A thin figure entered the hotel and approached the front desk with an authoritative tone.

The man had a gaunt face and a braid hanging down his back. He wore a black martial arts uniform under a pink overcoat, with a large red "Kill" character emblazoned on the left chest, as if stained with blood.

"The world's number one assassin, Mercenary Tao!"

The hotel owner recognized him immediately and turned ghostly pale, trembling as he stuttered, "Y-yes, right away!"

"Wait, clear everyone out of the hotel. I don't want anyone staying here with me," Mercenary Tao demanded coldly.

"Yes, yes!" The hotel owner nodded vigorously, terrified of provoking him.

"Mercenary Tao is quite arrogant, but given that he's one of the few top fighters on Earth, it's no surprise he has a temper," Xavier observed calmly from the side.

As the number one assassin, Mercenary Tao was one of the few who could rival Master Roshi and was even stronger by some measures. In the original story, he was hired by the Red Ribbon Army to steal Goku's Dragon Balls, only to be defeated by Goku after climbing Korin Tower.

"Kid, didn't you hear what I said?" Mercenary Tao said coolly, not even glancing at Xavier.

As one of Earth's top fighters, Mercenary Tao had always carried himself with an air of invincibility, but this confidence was misplaced today. Xavier disliked the dark and bloody aura that surrounded him.

"The world's number one assassin, Mercenary Tao? You're overestimating yourself!"

Xavier spoke with detached interest, his expression calm. No matter how arrogant Mercenary Tao was on Earth, with a power level of merely 150, he was nothing more than an ant to Xavier.

Mercenary Tao's eyebrow twitched. He didn't like the way Xavier looked at him, like an insect, a look he usually reserved for others. Seeing such blatant disrespect, Mercenary Tao's face darkened.

"Two guests..." The hotel owner, sweating profusely, quickly retreated behind the wall in fear.

"Heh, it's been a long time since someone dared to be so arrogant in front of me. Don't blame me if you find yourself begging for death but unable to die!"

Mercenary Tao's murderous aura burst forth, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet several degrees, and the scent of blood filled the air.

Watching Mercenary Tao's self-satisfied actions, Xavier couldn't help but roll his eyes, finding it amusing that someone with a power level barely over a thousand dared to display killing intent in front of him. It was like a beggar flaunting wealth in front of a millionaire—utterly ridiculous!

Pathetic!

Shaking his head, Xavier raised a hand and casually waved it towards Mercenary Tao. A powerful gust of wind surged forth from his motion, rushing towards Mercenary Tao like a tidal wave. As the wind made contact, Mercenary Tao's expression shifted dramatically to one of disbelief.

A tremendous force struck Mercenary Tao, as if a mountain had crashed into him. He had no chance to resist and was flung through the hotel's wall, disappearing into the sky like a shooting star.

With Xavier's strength, even a casual attack could leave Mercenary Tao severely injured or worse. He wouldn't be able to stand for months without serious recovery.

"That guest...he was the world's number one assassin..." The hotel owner stammered, sweating profusely as he emerged from hiding. Who was this young man that he could so effortlessly dispatch Mercenary Tao?

"Prepare a room for me," Xavier demanded calmly.

"Y-yes, right away!" The hotel owner quickly complied, eager to fulfill Xavier's request.

"Hmm?"

Xavier noticed a young girl sleeping on a wooden board outside the hotel. The girl, dressed in tattered clothes with deep blue hair, appeared to be about eight or nine years old. Her delicate features hinted that she would grow into a stunning beauty.

As the weather grew colder, her clothing seemed insufficient. Seeing her pitiful state, Xavier felt a pang of compassion. He gently woke the girl and instructed the hotel staff to provide her with some winter clothes. To him, it was a small act, but it moved the girl to tears.

The next day, after a restful night, Xavier emerged from his room to find the girl wearing the clothes he had given her, timidly watching him from a corner.

He waved at the blue-haired girl, and she cautiously approached.

"Little girl, what's your name? Why aren't you home?" Xavier asked gently.

Unexpectedly, the girl began to sob. "My name is Launch. My family was killed by robbers. I was too scared to stay in my village, so I've been wandering ever since. I have no home..."

"Launch?"

Hearing her name, Xavier paused, then looked closely at her delicate face and slightly curly deep blue hair. She looked to be about eight or nine, which matched the timeline. Could he have really stumbled upon the Launch from the original story?

"Launch, when you sneeze, does your personality change?" Xavier asked.

"How did you know that?" Launch stopped crying, looking puzzled. "I don't know why, but every time I sneeze, my personality becomes violent, and my hair color changes too!"

She really was the Launch from the original story.

Launch was one of Xavier's favorite characters from the original story. In her blue-haired state, she was a gentle, kind-hearted, and hardworking girl. However, when she sneezed, her hair would turn blonde, and her personality would become extremely violent, transforming her into a notorious robber wanted everywhere.

In the original tale, Goku and Krillin saved her and brought her to Master Roshi's house, where she stayed to manage the household chores. Later, during the World Martial Arts Tournament, the blonde Launch developed a crush on Tien Shinhan, leading her to leave Master Roshi's house to live with Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu.

However, in the Dragon Ball Z series, Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu went to Kami's Lookout to receive martial arts training from Kami, and Launch disappeared from the story. She was not seen again until Majin Buu's appearance, when Goku gathered energy from the Earthlings. By then, Launch had aged significantly and was shown working for a delivery company, remaining unmarried for life.

A character as distinctive and powerful as Launch, yet ultimately discarded by the author, seemed like a waste to Xavier. He felt it was a pity that such an interesting character had been neglected in the story's progression.