Day four.
When he passed Fire Mountain, how could Son Goku—a lifelong bachelor and lecher in his previous life—turn down a bride who practically came knocking?
So, under Ox-King's orders, Son Goku found Ox-King's daughter, Chi-Chi, and promised to marry her when they grew up. Then he went to Master Roshi to borrow the Basho Fan and put out the fire on Fire Mountain.
Day five.
Outside Pilaf Castle.
"A castle?" Bulma looked at the Dragon Radar, then at the castle in front of them, and frowned. "Why would there be a castle in the middle of nowhere like this?"
Son Goku's expression turned a little strange.
Pilaf... That short, blue-skinned alien was the first villain in the Dragon Ball series. In the original story, they had a tough fight here and ended up locked in a cell, nearly getting turned into dinner.
"Let's go." He jumped off the Flying Nimbus and rolled his wrists. "We'll make this quick."
Pilaf Castle stood in the wilderness like a steel monster lying in wait. Searchlights swept back and forth over its towering walls, while fully armed robot guards stood at the entrance.
"With walls this high and security this tight, we'll have to use our brains this time," Bulma said, looking troubled.
"No need to make it complicated."
Son Goku walked up to the castle gates and took a deep breath.
Then he clenched his fist.
"Ha!"
There was no fancy technique, no named move. Just a simple punch, but it held the results of six years of hard training from a twelve-year-old Saiyan.
"BOOM—!!!"
The steel gates were punched through as easily as paper. The force of the blow carried on, leaving a hole two meters across in the castle wall. Stones flew and dust billowed. The alarm blared, then cut off the next second—the punch's shockwave had severed the circuits.
Inside the castle, the Pilaf Gang was getting ready to enjoy dinner.
"Your Majesty! This is terrible! The gate's been—"
"BANG!"
The wall collapsed with a crash. A small figure emerged through the dust. His blue martial arts uniform was smudged with dirt, his black eyes were calm as still water, and a tail swayed lazily behind him.
"Good evening." Son Goku flashed a bright smile. "I've come to borrow something."
Pilaf—the short, blue-skinned alien—sat on his throne. The wineglass in his hand slipped and clattered to the floor.
"Y-you—you... who are you?!"
"My name is Son Goku." He tilted his head. "Could I have the Two-Star Dragon Ball? I'm in a hurry."
"What kind of joke is this? Men, attack—!"
Robot guards swarmed out, their laser guns spraying a dense web of fire.
Son Goku sighed.
He moved.
There were no afterimages, because he was faster than the eye could follow. Only dull thuds echoed through the castle, each one turning a robot into a pile of scrap.
Three seconds later, the only ones left standing in the hall were the ashen-faced members of the Pilaf Gang.
"Wh-what a monster..." Mai said, trembling.
"We'll give it to you! We'll give it to you, okay?!" Pilaf said with a miserable face. He fished the Two-Star Dragon Ball out from beneath the throne and offered it with both hands. "P-please don't hit me..."
Son Goku took the Dragon Ball and bowed earnestly. "Thanks. I'll return it to you."
Pilaf: "...Huh?"
"When the Dragon Balls have recovered next year," Son Goku said, already turning toward the exit, his shadow stretching long in the sunset, "I'll come and return it. I'm borrowing it, not stealing it."
He paused, then looked back with an innocent smile. "By the way, your castle's pretty well built. The gate just isn't sturdy enough. You should switch to titanium alloy."
Pilaf: "..."
By the time Son Goku walked out of the castle, Bulma had just found somewhere to hide.
Bulma watched the small figure emerge from the dust, holding the seventh Dragon Ball, looking as if this were only natural.
She felt as if her entire worldview was crumbling.
"Y-you... you're a monster?" she couldn't help blurting out again.
Son Goku ignored her.
He stood in the wilderness, looking at the seven Dragon Balls in his hands as they refracted the sunlight in dreamlike colors. The scene felt almost too unreal to be true.
The seven Dragon Balls lay in a circle in the wilderness.
Golden stars glimmered faintly on the surfaces of the orange-red orbs in the twilight. The air grew heavy. Distant thunder rumbled on the horizon, as if the whole world were holding its breath for what was about to happen.
Bulma stood to one side, trembling slightly with excitement.
"So we're really going to make a wish..." she murmured. "I thought my wish would be the first one..."
"Bulma." Son Goku turned to look at her seriously. "I promised you the remaining wishes. But please let me make the first one."
His tone was firm, leaving Bulma at a loss for words.
Bulma opened her mouth, then finally sighed. "...Fine. Since you're a monster, after all."
Son Goku smiled.
He walked to the center of the Dragon Balls and looked up at the sky, which was gradually being covered by dark clouds.
Here it comes.
An ancient, majestic, boundless presence rose from the Dragon Balls, resonating with heaven and earth.
"Come forth, Shenron! Grant my wish!"
He shouted, his voice echoing across the wilderness with a strange, penetrating power, as if it could reach the highest heavens.
In an instant, the sky changed!
A golden pillar of light shot into the sky, tearing through the clouds and dyeing the heavens a dazzling gold. Dark clouds gathered in an instant, blotting out the last rays of sunlight. Thunder roared and rolled among them, as if the heavens themselves were bellowing.
An indescribable pressure descended.
It wasn't fear, but the instinctive reverence one felt in the presence of a higher form of life. Bulma's legs went weak, and she nearly sank to the ground.
A gigantic green dragon coiled into view within the pillar of light, its body stretching like a mountain range. Its scales glinted with a metallic sheen in the lightning. Its red eyes were like two blood moons, gazing down at the tiny beings below with an ancient, impassive air.
"Speak your wish."
Shenron's voice rumbled like thunder, shaking the earth. Every word seemed to hold the power of the laws of the universe, making people want to submit without even thinking.
"I can grant any wish... but only one."
Bulma abruptly came to her senses. "Wait! There's only one? I should go first—"
But Son Goku had already spoken.
His voice wasn't loud, but it cut clearly through the wind and thunder. Under Shenron's pressure, he stood ramrod straight.
"Shenron! Please give me a training suit that automatically adjusts gravity according to my body and strength! It should be adjustable up to ten thousand times normal gravity, and it must not interfere with my everyday activities or fighting!"
Shenron's red pupils flickered.
"This wish..." Shenron's voice echoed across heaven and earth. "Is simple."
A ray of golden light shot from Shenron's eyes and gathered in front of Goku. It grew brighter and brighter, until the light was too dazzling to look at. Bulma shielded her eyes with one hand and peeked through her fingers—
When the light faded, a seemingly ordinary black bodysuit hung in the air.
It had no ornate design or dazzling glow. Only fine golden patterns flowed over its surface, like ancient runes or the paths of the stars.
Son Goku reached out and caught it.
It felt warm to the touch and weighed almost nothing.
To him, the suit held limitless possibilities.
"Ten thousand times normal gravity."
"That is a level most warriors in the universe would struggle to withstand."
"Thank you," he said sincerely, pressing the suit to his chest and feeling the power that resonated with his heartbeat.
Shenron's body began to fade, golden motes drifting away like fireflies. "Your wish has been granted... until we meet again."
"Whoosh—"
The seven Dragon Balls became seven golden shooting stars, streaking off in different directions and vanishing on the distant horizon. The clouds cleared, and starlight fell once more, as if everything that had just happened were a dream.
On the wilderness, only one dumbfounded woman remained, along with a little kid putting on his clothes.
"Y-you wasted a wish from Shenron on something like this?!"
Bulma finally found her voice. With a shriek, she rushed forward and grabbed Goku by the collar, shaking him furiously. "Do you know how much effort I put into finding the Dragon Balls?! And you used your wish on a suit?! A lousy suit?!"
Goku had already put the suit on beneath his martial arts uniform.
He closed his eyes and issued a command in his mind:
"Five times normal gravity."
Vrrm—
The world changed.
The air, which had felt almost weightless, turned as heavy as liquid mercury in an instant. His bones gave a faint crack, his muscle fibers tensed at once, and his heartbeat grew heavy and powerful. Every beat sounded like a drum of war.
Sweat... immediately began to bead on his skin.
But Son Goku smiled.
He opened his eyes and fixed them on Bulma. Under the pressure of five times normal gravity, his voice turned low and hoarse, yet carried an undeniable strength.
"This isn't a small matter, Bulma."
He spoke one word at a time, each one seeming to be forced through clenched teeth, yet weighing as much as a thousand pounds.
"This is... my first step toward becoming the strongest in the universe."
Bulma opened her mouth, only to find she couldn't say a word.
The sunset's afterglow spilled from behind the clouds, stretching the small figure's shadow far across the ground. His tail swayed gently behind him. His young face was covered in sweat, but his smile... was blinding.
Son Goku rolled his wrists, feeling the weight of every movement under five times normal gravity. He lifted a foot, then set it down; the ground gave a dull thud. He threw a punch, and the air compressed into a visible shockwave.
"And this is only the beginning."
He turned his gaze toward the sea to the south. There, on a small island, lived a lecherous old man—and a bald little monk who would soon arrive.
Krillin!
One of the strongest humans on Earth in the future.
And his most reliable partner.
"Tomorrow, I'm going to Kame House," Goku said. "Bulma, do you want to come with me?"
Bulma asked in confusion, "What for?"
"To get stronger!!!"
Goku smiled, his face alight with excitement and anticipation.
"And to find some... partners who are willing to get stronger with me."
Before you continue