The burly adult was Bora, while the little one was Bora's son, Upa.
Bora looked somewhat like a Native American. He was tall and powerfully built, wore a necklace of beast fangs, and tied his black hair behind his back. His body bore many scars from past battles, and he was an exceptionally valiant warrior.
Bora was a warrior whose family had protected the Sacred Land of Korin for generations. In the original story, when the Red Ribbon Army sent Colonel Yellow and his troops to the Sacred Land of Korin to demand the Dragon Ball from him, Bora warned those Red Ribbon Army invaders that, to protect the sacred land, he would kill them. He fought fiercely against the Red Ribbon Army soldiers and possessed such formidable strength that bullets could not pierce his body.
Because Goku had rescued his son Upa from the Red Ribbon Army, Bora became friends with Goku.
Later, he was killed by the even more powerful and ruthless assassin Tao Bai Bai.
Before the sobbing Upa, Goku swore that he would gather all the Dragon Balls and bring his father back to life.
However, because He-El had wiped out the Red Ribbon Army ahead of time, none of that happened. Bora did not die, so Goku had merely met Bora and Upa while searching for the Dragon Balls.
After learning from Goku that the Four-Star Dragon Ball was a keepsake left by his grandfather, Upa gave it to Goku. That was how they became friends.
When Goku had seen Bora's powerful physique back then, his fighting spirit had immediately surged. With Bora's agreement, the two sparred, developing a mutual admiration for each other and becoming friends as well.
Bora and Upa usually lived beneath Korin Tower, far removed from the bustle of civilization. At