"Escape from Pirate Cave" (逃げろや逃げろ!!大脱出 Nigero ya Nigero!! Dai-Dasshutsu, lit. "Run Away, Run Away!! The Great Escape") is the ninth episode of the General Blue Saga and the fifty-fourth episode in the Dragon Ball series. This episode first aired in Japan on March 11, 1987. Its original American airdate was October 21, 2002.
Summary
The pirate submarine containing Bulma, Krillin and Goku escaping the Pirate Cave
Goku desperately tries to find his way out of the never-ending labyrinth. This underground Pirate Cave is just about ready to collapse. Leaving Goku, Krillin and Bulma decide not to get trapped underneath the ocean forever. As time goes on, Bulma starts to get impatient and is convinced Goku is dead. Krillin pleads that he knows Goku will show up any minute.
Just as the cave gives out, Goku speeds out of the demolished maze and jumps into the pirate's submarine for a quick escape. Goku has successfully retrieved the Three-Star Dragon Ball and defeated General Blue; thanks to the help of a mouse. Unfortunately it is not his Grandpa Gohan's Four-Star ball. As the gang tries to make their drastic escape, Bulma has to dodge huge boulders that fall in her path until one finally seals up the exit. It looks like they have reached a dead end. But, Goku narrowly spots a second opening and they jet for freedom. The cave is really falling on them now and with their bad luck, the sub has run out of power. So Goku decides there is only one thing left for him to do. "Everybody take a deep breath!" Goku says and shoots a huge Kamehameha wave to propel the submarine all the way out of the cave and the ocean.
Goku saves Krillin and Bulma
They get back to General Blue's military base on the island, where they are in search of food and some transportation. Goku initially considers giving Mousey to Krillin, citing that he saved him from Blue earlier, but after Krillin admits he's not an animal trainer, Goku decides to release him into the base. Noticing that Goku is still going to find the Dragon Balls until he finds his grandpa's keepsake, Bulma yells out to him "No more crazy adventures!!!" since Goku never told her and Krillin that the Red Ribbon Army was after him. Goku then states the Red Ribbon soldiers weren't all that tough, and cites how he beat General Blue as an example. Bulma concedes his point, but still states that she'd rather live long enough to admire the diamond that they got from the cave, at least.
Commander Red while he is annoyed at Goku
They enter the command post where a guard hides in between a rack and a shelf. Commander Red calls on the radio looking for some answers just to find Goku screaming back at a talking-box. He smashes the radio after it gets fancy with him and they leave. Goku calls for the Flying Nimbus and Bulma and Krillin ride in a Jet-copter to Master Roshi's island. In spite of a near death experience, Bulma managed to grab a diamond the size of a fist. Which she plans to offer as compensation for destroying Master Roshi's submarine. Roshi then, upon hearing its worth as being over a billion zeni, states it would give him enough for enough exercise videos that he can't count that high. Krillin then sarcastically thanks Master Roshi for that, especially when they nearly died trying to get the diamond in the first place, with Roshi stating that this was only theoretical. As Turtle and Roshi argued over it, Launch (in her blonde form) steals the diamond from them. Roshi is then left stammering at the loss of the diamond.
Still alive, General Blue pops his head out of the water. He swims back to his base, yells at the guard for his incompetence and kills him, also promising that he can sleep any time he wants after "accepting" his apology. Blue then takes off in a Jet-copter armed with nothing but a roll of rope. He speeds off after Goku in search of revenge and the Dragon Balls. While on the way there, Blue tells himself that life is too short, or at least, the Dragon Ball Gang's lives were too short. After locating the house via binoculars, he then proceeds to jump out of the jet-copter with his rope, eventually landing on his feet and ducking behind the house just out of view of the others. He then plots his revenge while looking at the rope and getting a sinister grin.
Major Events
- Goku, Bulma and Krillin escape the Pirate Cave.
- Goku, Bulma and Krillin return to Kame House.
- General Blue follows the others to Kame House.
Appearances
Characters
Locations
Objects
Differences from the Manga
- In the manga, Goku, Krillin and Bulma never enter the building at General Blue's Camp and so Goku never speaks to Commander Red.
- Likewise the Soldier on duty who is later shot and killed by General Blue for avoiding them while they are in the building never happened in the manga either.
- Master Roshi listening to music and then shouting at Turtle for interrupting him is exclusive to the anime.
Trivia
- When Krillin reminisces about the pirate treasure, he imagines the gold walls and pirate captain skeletons, however, that was only revealed to General Blue as the cave collapsed after they left.
- Soldier 23 thinks in fear that Goku and Krillin aren't human as they discuss the situation on the beach. Unbeknownst to him, that actually applies to Goku as he's a Saiyan.
- Krillin smells the diamond Bulma gave to him, even though in Smells Like Trouble it was established that he has no nose.
- General Blue telling Soldier 23 "apology accepted" after killing him is similar to a scene in The Empire Strikes Back where Darth Vader says the same after Force-choking an officer who failed him.
- The English dub strongly implies that Blue executed Soldier 23 for sleeping on the job, whereas in the Japanese dub, Blue kills the soldier for hiding from Goku and the others, saying he has no need for cowards in his unit.
- When Master Roshi gives Launch the diamond, her hair ribbon is pink.
Gallery
 Krillin dismayed as he fears for Goku's safety  Goku trying to save Mouse by carrying him in his mouth  Goku reassuring Mouse that all will be well  Bulma demanding silence as she tries to concentrate  Mouse communicating with Goku  Goku charging a Kamehameha wave  Bulma holding tight as the ship is blasted through the sea  Goku laughing as he is launched through the air  Bulma refuses to continue Dragon Ball hunting with Goku  Launch's hair ribbon is pink  Blue jumps out his plane toward Kame House |
| ← Red Ribbon Army Saga |  |
Commander Red Saga→ | |||||||
| Manga | |||||||||
| Chapters | 70 • 71 • 72 • 73 • 74 • 75 • 76 • 77 • 78 • 79 • 80 • 81 • 82 • 83 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volumes | 6 • 7 | ||||||||
| Anime | |||||||||
| Episodes | 46 • 47 • 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 • 53 • 54 • 55 • 56 • 57 | ||||||||