Their First Meeting with the Earth Dragon God; He Yi's Plan to Slip Away Goes Up in Smoke

Son Goku gave an awkward chuckle. "Heh-heh, well, Tarble, I gave it everything I had, but I still couldn't open this box."

"Sorry about that!"

That apology was partly an act, but it was also sincere.

Because he really had forgotten that he was supposed to be acting.

At that moment, He Yi's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

What had he just seen?

How could a mere human unleash such tremendous energy?

Seeing what Son Goku had done, Tarble felt utterly speechless, but he didn't let it show.

He didn't even look at He Yi.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and an idea came to him.

At this point, he had no choice but to go along with it.

So he deliberately spoke up, loudly. "It's fine. If it won't open, then forget it."

"You're the strongest Super Warrior among us."

"If even you can't open it, then there's no way my big brother Vegeta and I can."

"So, to avoid wasting time, let's just summon the Dragon God and ask him to help!"

As he spoke, he deliberately turned to ask Vegeta, "Big brother, do you still want to give it a try?"

Vegeta had been thinking of trying, but Tarble had said all that, and Son Goku hadn't managed to open it even after giving it his all in his normal state. That meant brute force wouldn't open the box.

There was no point in trying and risking embarrassment.

Still, he wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to insult Son Goku.

"If even that idiot Kakarot can't open it, I won't waste my strength either. Let's just summon the Dragon God!"

Hearing that, Son Goku knew he was in the wrong. He could only give an awkward smile and say nothing.

Meanwhile, Son Gohan, Son Goten, and Trunks had been stunned by Son Goku unleashing his full power in his normal state, and the three of them crowded around him.

Son Goku had now remembered he was supposed to be acting. When he saw them approach, he worried they might say something about transforming.

So he quickly spoke first. "Gohan, hurry up and summon the Dragon God."

That worked. His words successfully diverted Son Gohan and the others' attention.

"Big brother, can I summon the Dragon God?" Son Goten asked, his little face full of anticipation.

Trunks gazed at him eagerly too. "Yeah, Gohan, let Goten and me summon the Dragon God!"

Seeing this, Son Gohan nodded. "All right, you two do it."

"But go a little farther ahead before you summon him."

"Great!" x2

"Thanks, big brother (Gohan)!"

The two little ones happily took the brown bag containing the Dragon Balls and jogged several steps forward before stopping.

Only then did Son Gohan remember what he'd meant to say earlier. Turning to Son Goku, he exclaimed, "Dad, you've gotten so strong!"

"Uh-huh. Let's talk about that later, Gohan," Son Goku reminded him.

"Okay."

Up ahead, Trunks and Son Goten were slowly taking the Dragon Balls out of the bag.

The Demon Cultivator He Yi, who had quietly edged away from the group, watched them with intense curiosity and anticipation.

So these were... the Dragon Balls they'd been talking about... the ones that could grant wishes?

Could such a miraculous treasure really exist in the universe?

They didn't look all that special!

Could they really open the box?

Wait!

Why was that guy walking over here?

Before the Demon Cultivator He Yi could ponder things any further, he saw Tarble slowly walking toward him.

Seeing this, he had no choice but to put all his thoughts aside. Even his slow, creeping steps came to a halt.

He forced a smile and awkwardly tried to start a conversation.

"Mr. Tarble, can these Dragon Balls really summon the Dragon God, and can the Dragon God help open the box sealing the Hero Tapion?"

Tarble gave him a knowing look. At a moment like this, he was still putting on an act. He really had nerves of steel.

He answered half truthfully, "This is my first time seeing Earth's Dragon Balls too, but they should be able to help rescue the Hero Tapion."

He Yi remained wary, while putting on a hopeful expression. "Let's hope so."

Just then, Son Goku walked over too. With a hearty laugh, he greeted him, "Hey, Grandpa He Yi, how'd you end up over here?"

"Did you come over to get a better look?"

By now, he was starting to suspect the pink old man's real motives.

He'd clearly been standing beside Bulma just a moment ago. Son Goku had only looked away briefly, and the old man had slipped over here.

Very suspicious!

Looking at the seemingly harmless smile on Son Goku's face, He Yi cursed inwardly.

Damn it!

Why had this guy come over too?

Compared with the clueless Tarble, he was much more wary of Son Goku, whose true power had already been revealed.

Though he was cursing inwardly, he kept his expression neutral and played along.

"Ah, yes, exactly!"

"I thought I might get a better view of the Dragon God's face from here."

I need to find a way to get out of here!

No!

This guy's so strong. There's no way I can leave with him watching me...

Looks like I'll have to use teleportation magic to escape!

If that doesn't work, I'll just teleport the other half of the treasure here!

Hearing that, Son Goku replied with a smile, "Is that so?"

"Looks like we're of the same mind, Grandpa. I think this spot's better than where Vegeta is too, so I'm going to watch from here."

"I'll stand a little to the side so I won't block your view. Don't worry."

Without waiting to see how He Yi reacted, he cheerfully moved to the other side, standing slightly behind him as he looked into the distance.

With Tarble on the other side, they had He Yi hemmed in from both directions.

Without realizing it, He Yi felt immense pressure.

Damn it!

Did these guys know about my plan?

Impossible!

If they knew, they'd never help me open the box!

Thinking this, he felt a little more at ease.

Just then, darkness suddenly blanketed the azure sky. Black clouds gathered, lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled.

Looking closely, he saw a dazzling beam of light suddenly shoot skyward in front of the two Saiyan children named Trunks and Son Goten.

In an instant, the dazzling pillar of light transformed into a gigantic creature!

Its winding body was covered in blue-green scales and glowed faintly. It had a pair of horns on its head, flowing whiskers, and blood-red eyes.

The enormous creature appeared right before their eyes, alive and real.

It looked mighty and imposing, its presence overwhelming.

At that moment.

He Yi gaped at the sight, his heart filled with shock.

So this was... the Dragon God?

Could he really open the box...

At that very moment.

West City plunged into darkness, and its residents naturally noticed the strange phenomenon.

Those who lived closer to Bulma's house even caught sight of the Dragon God's majestic form.

But they weren't thrown into a panic or filled with fear. They merely complained a little.

"Holy crap! Is Capsule Corp working on that mysterious project again? The sky suddenly went dark. It's pitch-black out here; I can't see a thing."

"Tell me about it. Now that it's dark, everything's inconvenient!

They've been working on that mysterious project for so many years. How come they still haven't succeeded?

Looks like Dr. Brief and the others aren't all that good at research after all!"

"Not all that good?

Then why don't you turn day into night yourself?"

"Hey, why're you taking this so seriously? I'm just saying.

If I could do that, do you think you'd still see me hanging around here?"