Shenron's Wish

Day four.

While passing by the Ox-King's Fire Mountain, Son Goku—a man who had been a lonely bachelor and a lecher in his past life—could hardly refuse a bride delivered right to his doorstep.

Thus, acting on the Ox-King's orders, Son Goku tracked down the Ox-King's daughter, Chi-Chi, and made a pact to marry her when they grew up, before heading off to Master Roshi's to borrow the Bansho Fan to extinguish the flames of Fire Mountain.

Day five.

Outside Pilaf's castle.

"A castle?" Bulma stared at the radar, then back at the fortress before her, frowning. "How could there be a castle in the middle of this desolate wilderness?"

Son Goku's expression turned peculiar.

Pilaf... that short, blue-skinned alien, the very first villain of the Dragon Ball series. In the original story, they went through a bitter struggle here, only to end up locked in a dungeon, nearly becoming dinner.

"Let's go," he said, hopping off the Flying Nimbus and rolling his wrists. "Make it quick."

Pilaf's castle stood in the wasteland like a dormant steel beast. Searchlights swept back and forth across the towering ramparts, and heavily armed robot guards stood at the gate.

"With walls this high and defenses this tight, we're going to have to use our heads for this one!" Bulma said, a headache forming.

"No need for all that."

Son Goku walked up to the castle gate and took a deep breath.

Then, he clenched his fist.

"Hah!"

That punch held no flashy techniques, no named moves. It was just a simple strike, yet it contained the fruits of six years of grueling training by a twelve-year-old Saiyan.

"BOOM—!!!"

The steel gate was pierced as if it were made of paper, the force of the punch undiminished as it tore a two-meter-wide hole through the castle wall. Debris flew, dust billowed, and the blaring alarm cut off abruptly—the circuitry had been shattered by the shockwave of that single blow.

Inside the castle, the Pilaf Gang was just preparing to enjoy dinner.

"Your Majesty! It's bad! The gate has been—"

"BANG!"

The wall collapsed with a roar, and a small figure stepped out from the dust. His blue martial arts gi was coated in grit, his black eyes were calm as still water, and his tail swayed lazily behind him.

"Good evening," Son Goku said with a brilliant smile. "I'm here to borrow something."

Pilaf—that short, blue-skinned alien—sat on his throne, his wine glass clattering to the floor.

"Y-y-you... who are you?!"

"My name is Son Goku." Son Goku tilted his head. "Could you please give me the Two-Star Dragon Ball? I'm in a hurry."

"Don't make me laugh! Get him, boys—!"

The robot guards swarmed out, their laser guns spitting a dense web of fire.

Son Goku sighed.

He moved.

There were no afterimages, for his speed had already surpassed the limits of vision. Only dull thuds echoed through the castle; with every sound, another robot was reduced to a pile of scrap metal.

Three seconds later, the only ones left standing in the hall were the ashen-faced Pilaf Gang.

"M-monster..." Mai trembled.

"W-we'll give it to you! We'll give it to you, okay!" Pilaf wailed, fishing the Two-Star Dragon Ball from beneath his throne and offering it up with both hands. "P-please, don't hit me..."

Son Goku took the Dragon Ball and gave a sincere bow. "Thank you. I'll return it to you."

Pilaf: "...Huh?"

"Once the Dragon Balls recharge next year," Son Goku said, already turning toward the exit as the setting sun stretched his shadow long, "I'll come back to return it. This is a loan, not a robbery."

He paused, looking back with an innocent smile. "By the way, your castle is well-built, but the gate isn't very sturdy. I suggest switching to titanium alloy."

Pilaf: "..."

When Son Goku stepped out of the castle, Bulma had just found a place to hide.

Bulma watched the small figure emerge from the dust, holding the seventh Dragon Ball in his hands with an expression of complete nonchalance.

She felt her worldview crumbling.

"You... you... monster?" she couldn't help but remark.

Son Goku ignored her.

He stood in the wilderness, watching the seven Dragon Balls in his hands refract a dreamlike glow under the sunlight, feeling as though the moment were unreal.

The seven Dragon Balls were arranged in a circle on the barren ground.

On the surface of the orange spheres, the golden stars glimmered faintly in the twilight. The air grew heavy, and distant thunder rumbled across the horizon, as if the entire world were holding its breath for the moment to come.

Bulma stood to the side, trembling slightly with excitement.

"Are we really going to make a wish..." Bulma murmured. "I thought the first wish would be mine..."

"Bulma," Son Goku turned his head, looking at her earnestly, "I promised you that the remaining wishes would be yours. But the first one... please let me make it."

His tone was firm, leaving Bulma momentarily speechless.

Bulma opened her mouth, then finally sighed, "...Fine. Who else but a monster like you would do this."

Son Goku smiled.

He walked to the center of the Dragon Balls, tilted his head back, and gazed at the sky, which was gradually being obscured by dark clouds.

It was coming.

That ancient, majestic, and vast aura rose from the Dragon Balls, resonating with heaven and earth.

"Come forth, Shenron! Grant my wish!"

He shouted loudly, his voice echoing across the wilderness with a strange, piercing quality that seemed to reach straight up to the heavens.

In an instant, the wind and clouds shifted!

A golden pillar of light shot into the sky, tearing through the clouds and dyeing the entire firmament a dazzling gold. Dark clouds gathered in an instant, blocking the last rays of sunlight, while thunder rolled and roared within them as if the sky itself were bellowing in rage.

An indescribable pressure descended.

It was not fear, but an instinctive awe when facing a higher-order life form. Bulma's legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.

The massive green Shenron spiraled into existence within the pillar of light, its body stretching out like a mountain range, its scales shimmering with a metallic luster amidst the lightning. Its red eyes, like two blood moons, looked down upon the tiny creatures below, filled with an ancient, detached indifference.

"State your wish."

Shenron's voice was like rolling thunder, shaking the very earth. Every word seemed to contain the power of law, compelling one to submit involuntarily.

"Any wish, I can grant it for you... but only one."

Bulma snapped back to reality: "Wait! There's only one? I should have gone first—"

But Son Goku had already spoken.

His voice was not loud, yet it cut clearly through the wind and thunder. Under Shenron's pressure, his spine remained straight as a rod.

"Shenron! Please give me a training suit that automatically adjusts its gravity according to my body and strength! It should be able to reach up to ten thousand times gravity without hindering my daily movements or combat!"

Shenron's red pupils flickered.

"This wish..." Shenron's voice echoed between heaven and earth, "is simple."

A golden light shot from Shenron's eyes, coalescing in front of Goku. The light grew increasingly intense, blinding to the eye. Bulma shielded her eyes with her hands, peeking through her fingers—

When the light faded, a seemingly ordinary black tight-fitting undershirt appeared in mid-air.

It had no flashy appearance, no dazzling glow, only fine golden patterns flowing across its surface, resembling some kind of ancient rune or the trajectory of stars in motion.

Son Goku reached out and caught it.

It felt warm to the touch, light as nothing.

To him, this garment contained infinite possibilities.

"Ten thousand times gravity."

"That is a realm that even the vast majority of warriors in the universe cannot withstand."

"Thank you," he said sincerely, pressing the undershirt against his chest, feeling the power that resonated with his own heartbeat.

Shenron's body began to dissipate, golden light particles drifting away like fireflies: "Your wish has been granted... then, farewell."

Whoosh—

The seven Dragon Balls transformed into seven golden meteors, streaking in all directions and vanishing into the distant horizon. The dark clouds dispersed, and starlight spilled down once more, as if everything that had just happened were merely a dream.

In the wilderness, only a stunned woman and a kid putting on his clothes remained.

"You—you wasted Shenron on something like this?!"

Bulma finally found her voice, screaming as she rushed forward, grabbing Goku by the collar and shaking him desperately: "Do you know how much effort I spent finding the Dragon Balls?! And you used it for a shirt?! A piece of junk shirt?!"

Goku had already put the undershirt on underneath his martial arts gi.

He closed his eyes and issued a command in his mind:

"5 times gravity."

Hum—

The world changed.

The air, which had been light as nothing, felt as if it had turned into liquid mercury in an instant. His bones emitted a faint cracking sound, his muscle fibers tightened instantly, and his heartbeat became heavy and powerful, each thud sounding like a war drum.

Sweat... immediately broke out.

But Son Goku smiled.

He opened his eyes, staring intently at Bulma. Under the pressure of five times gravity, his voice became low and raspy, yet carried a power that could not be questioned:

"This is not a small matter, Bulma."

He said each word clearly, as if squeezing them through his teeth, yet they carried the weight of a thousand tons:

"This is... the first step toward me becoming the strongest in the universe."

Bulma opened her mouth, only to find she couldn't say a word.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled from behind the clouds, stretching that small figure's shadow long across the ground. His tail swayed gently behind him, his youthful face covered in sweat, yet his smile... was blindingly radiant.

Son Goku flexed his wrists, feeling the heaviness of every movement under five times the gravity. He lifted his foot and set it back down, the ground emitting a dull thud. He threw a punch, and the air compressed into a visible shockwave.

"And this is just the beginning."

He turned his head to look toward the southern sea. Out there lay a small island, home to a lecherous old man and a bald little monk who would soon arrive.

"Krillin!"

The future strongest human on Earth (one of them).

And his most reliable partner.

"I'm going to Kame House tomorrow," Goku said. "Bulma, do you want to come along?"

Bulma asked instinctively, "What for?"

"To get stronger!!!"

Goku smiled, his expression filled with both excitement and anticipation.

"And to find some... partners who are willing to get stronger with me."