After coming to the world of Dragon Balls, how could he not meet Shenron? It was Raditz's first time summoning Shenron. Following the instructions, he shouted five simple words, his voice shaking the island.
He could barely suppress his excitement. Staring at the seven glowing Dragon Balls, he did not dare blink, afraid of missing the crucial moment.
The mottled specks of light beneath the coconut trees gradually faded. The sky was covered by an iron-black curtain as a gale stirred up the waves and whipped Raditz's long hair and everyone's clothes.
Frightened by the sudden change, the seabirds hurriedly flew away. Then golden light shot into the sky, turning into lightning and golden electricity that soared into the heavens. At the same time, a deafening roar seemed to come from the void. A long dragon's cry echoed beside everyone's ears, tolling a soul-shaking bell in the darkness!
"So this is Shenron. He's quite a bit bigger than I imagined..." Raditz looked up at the enormous creature before him, feeling as though his heart had been clenched. Such a grand and magnificent sight had only ever appeared in his dreams!
The others had all seen Shenron before, so they did not find it particularly surprising. Their reactions were remarkably calm.
The immense radiance flew higher and higher, coiling in midair. Amid the glittering golden light, scales, claws, long whiskers, and dragon horns gradually emerged... At last, Shenron's complete form appeared beneath the golden glow. He lowered his head toward them, his bright red eyes shooting out beams of light.
"State your wish. I can grant any wish you desire, but only one."
Raditz composed himself. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he asked, "Shenron, do you know where I came from?"
Everyone was stunned. What kind of question was that? Weren't they supposed to be sent to King Kai for training? Why ask where he came from first? Forget Shenron—they all knew that. Wasn't it the planet currently being attacked by the Saiyans?
Yet Raditz stared solemnly at Shenron, his gaze faintly revealing intense anticipation.
He hoped Shenron could tell him the full story behind his transmigration. He even hoped Shenron could tell him whether he could return to his original world. After all, he had come here through a wish—couldn't he make another wish to go back?
Shenron fell silent for a moment before finally speaking. "I know where you came from. But I'm sorry, I cannot send you back. That exceeds the limits of my dimension."
Dimension? Raditz froze, then nodded almost imperceptibly, somewhat at a loss.
Indeed, he had come from another dimension. Even Shenron might not be capable of exerting his power across two dimensions. But he could come here and could not leave? Had he really become Raditz and even killed people? What a joke! He had only intended to experience the thrill of battle in the Dragon Ball world, meet the legendary strong warriors, and then return to his original world. But now that he had received a definite answer, Raditz blanked out...
But what could he do? Even Shenron said it was impossible.
Raditz closed his eyes and took a deep breath. An indescribable feeling rose within him, as if the world had been torn apart. It would have been fine to play around for a while, but truly taking Raditz's place and living on as him—who could immediately accept and adapt to that? Just as Piccolo and the others needed time to believe him, he needed time too.
Suddenly, a voice rang out in his mind. "The power that summoned you shares the same origin as mine, but it was not me. Perhaps you need to find that primordial power."
This... this was Shenron's voice. He was speaking to me directly! Raditz instantly realized.
He abruptly looked up at Shenron, his mind racing. Did that mean other Dragon Balls? The ones on Planet Namek, or the Super Dragon Balls?
"I do not know. These unknown matters exceed the limits of my abilities. You must seek the answer yourself." After saying this, Shenron fell silent again.
Raditz's expression suddenly turned resolute again. He pulled himself together. He would find the answer! So what if he was Raditz? He would treat it as getting a second life! Besides, even if he could not return, he still had to live well!
"What is it? Is something wrong?" Seeing Raditz's expression change so drastically, Goku approached with great concern.
"No, it's nothing. I've never seen Shenron before, so I just asked casually. No time to explain—everyone, stand beside me." Raditz called everyone over.
Piccolo and the others stood beside Raditz, and Gohan came along as well. Master Roshi, however, refused to train and remained behind at Turtle House. Reading beautiful-girl magazines was far better—he could not be bothered with training. In his heart, the future of the world had long been entrusted to the younger generation.
Shenron's enormous head moved closer once more as he urged them, "What exactly is your wish? If you do not state it soon, I will leave."
"Please send me and the people beside me to King Kai."
"King Kai? Piece of cake." Shenron's catchphrase came out.
As his eyes flashed with red light, a faint membrane of light appeared around everyone. In the blink of an eye, they all vanished.
Shenron's vast voice rang out. "All right, your wish has been granted."
With that, Shenron transformed into a pillar of light and shot toward the sky. He then became seven Dragon Balls, lingering in the air for half a moment before flying off toward all corners of the world.
The dark clouds dispersed, and the silent sky returned to its deep blue hue. White birds soared beneath the high clouds, giving sharp, cheerful cries. The sea breeze continued to blow, while the endless sound of the waves resembled gentle music.
Master Roshi clasped his hands behind his back and muttered, "I have a bad feeling about this. Maybe Saiyans really are coming. Who would have thought Piccolo would join the side of justice..."
"Why is he talking to himself?"
"Could it be senile dementia?" Bulma guessed.
Oolong crossed his arms and grinned lecherously. "He must be muttering about young girls. That dirty old man."
Turtle helplessly shook his head and let out a deep sigh.
Elsewhere, Shenron transported the warriors to King Kai's Planet. With a whoosh, eight people descended upon King Kai's Planet, making the already small planet feel even more crowded.
The moment they arrived, everyone except Raditz felt their legs weaken and nearly dropped to their knees. Gohan collapsed directly onto the ground, unable to move.
Ten times Earth's gravity!
Raditz could feel it too, but he quickly adapted. After all, this body had been tempered on Planet Vegeta, where the gravity was about the same as King Kai's Planet.
"What's... what's going on? My body feels so heavy!" Krillin gritted his teeth and forced himself upright, yet still found it difficult.
By comparison, although Goku and Piccolo also felt somewhat uncomfortable, they could move much more easily.
"The gravity here is ten times that of Earth, about the same as my home planet, Planet Vegeta. The powerful enemies you are going to face grew up in this kind of environment."
"Saiyans... really are terrifying!" Tien Shinhan could not help but grin bitterly.
Under the crushing pressure of gravity, even walking was extremely difficult for his muscular body. It was hard to imagine how Saiyans had trained since childhood.
Raditz, who could still move freely under these conditions, filled them with admiration. Their fighting spirit flared up one after another!
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