"Earth is just up ahead. Hmph, that inferior planet should be grateful to this patrolman. I've come all this way to save you." Jaco piloted his spacecraft toward Earth, but just then, his ship malfunctioned.
"Damn it, what kind of ship did those people at headquarters give me? It breaks down so easily."
Jaco panicked when he realized his ship had malfunctioned and hurriedly piloted it down onto an island. Gazing at the boundless, rolling sea, he grew dejected. "I'm doomed. The technology on Earth is so primitive—how am I supposed to get back to headquarters? It's all that Saiyan's fault. If not for him, this patrolman wouldn't have come to Earth."
"Hey, who are you?" An old man with a white beard came over carrying a bucket.
"My name is Jaco, an officer in the Galactic Patrol." Jaco struck a pose on instinct and proudly introduced himself.
"An actor from a film crew?"
"Of course not!"
Jaco loudly protested. Seeing this, the old man chuckled and invited him to the place where he lived.
As they talked, Jaco learned about the old man. His name was Dr. Omori, and he had once been a scientist. A long time ago, he and his wife had conducted research on the island. After his wife died in a scientific accident, Dr. Omori changed the focus of his research and began working on a time machine by himself. He had already made some progress.
Once Jaco learned that Dr. Omori was a scientist, he asked him to help repair his spaceship. But Dr. Omori was powerless to help without the essential materials needed for the repairs, so Jaco had no choice but to accompany him to a nearby city to look for them.
In the nearby city, Jaco met Tights, who was out looking for material for her writing. After talking for a while, they soon became friends.
When Tights learned that Jaco's mission was to kill the Saiyan who was about to arrive on Earth, she finally realized that Saiyans were an alien race. She'd always thought they were some minority group from a remote part of Earth!
"Not all Saiyans are evil. I know a young boy who's really interesting."
"What? There are other Saiyans on Earth?" Jaco shot to his feet.
Tights casually brushed back her hair and picked up a drink. "Yeah, but he left a year ago."
Jaco finally relaxed. "Oh, then he must have gone back to Planet Vegeta. That planet has already been destroyed, and the Saiyans are almost extinct. Tights, let me tell you: the Saiyans are the most ruthless race in the universe. They've destroyed countless planets. You must never get involved with such dangerous people."
"Oh." Tights stared straight at Jaco but didn't mention that she'd been in contact with Roland lately. As she sipped her drink, she thought, So Saiyans really are that powerful a race...
"When do you think the Saiyan you're waiting for will reach Earth?"
"Soon. I need to wait somewhere with a clear view."
With that, Jaco climbed to the highest point on a nearby island. His two golden, egg-shaped eyes scanned the whole sky. But after he accidentally revealed that his urine came out of a hole in his head—and accidentally splashed Tights—she shoved him right off the reef.
At that very moment, the spacecraft carrying Son Gohan streaked across the sky. It happened to be behind Jaco, so he escaped notice.
Otherwise, the protagonist of the Dragon Ball world might have met an early end.
"Hey, Tights, what are you doing? If I fail my mission, it'll definitely be your fault."
Tights said, "You're really good at passing the blame."
"Hmph." Jaco flew out of the water, but for a long time afterward, he didn't see any spaceship land on Earth. "That's strange. The time's come, so why hasn't the ship arrived?"
"Damn it, did I miss it?" Sweat ran down Jaco's head as he imagined the Galactic King berating him.
Meanwhile, at Mount Paozu.
A red-glowing fireball crashed into the mountainside, destroying a large swath of forest. The tremendous commotion alerted Son Gohan, who lived in seclusion nearby.
When Son Gohan reached the crash site, he saw a little boy wearing a strange battle suit.
"Why, this child has a tail..." Noticing the tail behind the boy, Son Gohan's kindly face showed a trace of surprise. He couldn't help remembering the incredibly powerful child he had encountered more than a year ago.
After thinking it over, Son Gohan decided to adopt the child and named him Son Goku. Since he didn't know the boy's age, he decided that the day he found him would count as his birthday. The boy didn't look much older than that, anyway.
In fact, by then, Son Goku was already four years old, counting the time he'd spent immersed in the nutrient fluid.
What happened afterward unfolded just as it had in the story: young Son Goku accidentally fell off a cliff and hit his head, forgetting all his Saiyan memories. And so, an innocent, clueless Son Goku came into being...
Naturally, Roland, far away on Planet Frieza, had no idea what was happening on Earth. At that moment, he was sparring with Sephiria. Ever since learning the martial arts knowledge of Earth's Kami, Roland had absorbed it at an astonishing pace and incorporated it into his fighting.
Though his power level hadn't increased much that year, his actual strength had undergone a dramatic transformation.
If a year ago, Roland—with a power level of 3,600—had been like a slightly pudgy, 180-pound man who leaked air at the slightest poke, like a balloon, then now he was a lean, muscular young man. His power level hadn't changed, but he felt solidly grounded. Roland believed he could now crush his former self.
That was the confidence that came from completely mastering one's power.
Night fell.
Stars glittered in the night sky, and the dark canopy seemed to descend like a giant hand reaching down from the heavens.
Roland sat on his bed, meditating. Just then, the Wristwatch Communicator beside him rang. He picked it up and saw a message from Tights.
He answered the Communicator without a second thought. Tights's clear voice came through. "Roland, you never told me Saiyans were an alien race. Your big sister thought you came from some tribe!"
"I told you a long time ago. You just didn't believe me."
Tights said, "Huh? You did? You didn't explain it clearly."
Roland silently rolled his eyes. When Tights got worked up, she was just like any other woman. At times like this, all he had to do was listen quietly.
Before you continue