Earth.
The Lookout.
Seeing such a massive object appear high in the sky, the Guardian of Earth frowned, his expression shifting again and again.
He could tell it was a spaceship.
There was someone inside it, too.
That person gave off an unfathomable aura.
Who was he?
Who had come to Earth?
"Lord Guardian..." Mr. Popo's expression grew wary, and he clenched his fists tightly.
"An extraterrestrial visitor!" the Guardian of Earth said gravely. "I don't know why an alien has come to Earth! What does he want here?"
Mr. Popo fell silent.
"If it's a blessing, it's a blessing; if it's a disaster, there's no escaping it!" The Guardian of Earth gripped his staff tightly.
"Creak..."
The spaceship's hatch opened.
"He's coming out!" The Guardian of Earth's expression turned solemn.
Cold sweat poured down Mr. Popo's face.
"Whoosh!"
Vegeta flew out of the spaceship and hovered above the Guardian of Earth and Mr. Popo, looking down at them.
When the Guardian of Earth and Mr. Popo saw Vegeta, they both froze for a moment.
"A child?" Mr. Popo said.
"A child with a tail..." The Guardian of Earth frowned.
He frowned because the energy inside this child was simply too powerful.
It made him feel completely helpless.
"Extraterrestrial visitor, state your purpose." The Guardian of Earth tried to calm himself as he looked up at Vegeta.
"I'm here to find the Dragon Balls. That's my purpose." As he spoke, Vegeta descended from the sky and landed across from the Guardian of Earth and Mr. Popo, his hands in his pockets.
"Y-you know about the Dragon Balls?" The Guardian of Earth's expression shifted repeatedly.
"You don't need to worry about that." Vegeta smiled. "Tell me where the Dragon Balls are!"
"Sorry. Although I created the Dragon Balls, the moment they were made, they scattered across the world, waiting for someone destined to find them," the Guardian of Earth explained. "So even I don't know their exact locations."
"Cut the nonsense. You're the god of this planet. I think you know where the Dragon Balls are better than I do." Vegeta snorted.
The Guardian of Earth fell silent.
"Don't want to tell me?" Vegeta said. "Then let me see how much fighting power you have."
As he spoke, Vegeta took out a Scouter, put it over his ear, and pressed the button.
"Not bad. Your fighting powers are 220 and 180!" Vegeta said with a smile.
After that, Vegeta took off the Scouter.
It was best not to wear this thing unless necessary.
Frieza might be listening in the whole time, after all.
It would be troublesome enough if he found out about the Dragon Balls.
"What? Fighting power?" The Guardian of Earth was stunned.
"Simply put, fighting power is your combat ability. You can think of it as the amount of energy inside you," Vegeta said with a smile. "You're 220, and the black egg behind you is 180."
Mr. Popo: "..."
Black egg?
Who are you calling that?
Is that any way to talk?
"Now I'll tell you my fighting power." As he spoke, Vegeta held up one finger.
"What? 1,000?" The Guardian of Earth's expression shifted again and again.
The gap was far too great.
If that was true, then no matter how hard I tried, I probably wouldn't be a match for him.
Even using Master Mutaito's Evil Containment Wave probably wouldn't be enough to seal him away.
And doing that would only enrage him completely.
I'd better see what he wants first.
"No, it's 10,000!" Vegeta corrected him.
"W-what did you say?" The Guardian of Earth's eyes widened, terror filling them.
"10,000?" Mr. Popo was even more stunned.
If that was true...
We had no chance at all.
A fighting power of 10,000!
Are you even human?
"Don't worry. I'm not here to invade Earth. I can guarantee that," Vegeta said.
The Guardian of Earth gazed at Vegeta, his eyes deep and searching.
It was true that the child looked rather evil, but his inner world was calm. He didn't seem to harbor any particularly evil thoughts.
"What wish do you intend to make?" the Guardian of Earth asked.
"You'll find out when the time comes," Vegeta replied with a smile.
"Fine. I'll tell you where the Dragon Balls are, but you have to promise not to do anything that will harm Earth!" the Guardian of Earth said. "If you break your promise, I may not be your match, but one day someone will come and punish you!"
"Enough, stop rambling." Vegeta was getting impatient.
"The first Dragon Ball is in a deep sea in that direction. There's a pirate base deep beneath the ocean," the Guardian of Earth said, pointing below. "The Dragon Ball is inside the pirate base, in their treasure vault. It should be easy for you to find once you get there."
"Got it." Vegeta nodded.
The Dragon Ball the Guardian of Earth had described was probably the one among the pirates' treasure.
"I'll go get that Dragon Ball now. You can start working out the location of the second one," Vegeta said, then immediately took off.
"Whoosh!"
Vegeta pushed his speed to the limit and vanished from the spot in an instant.
His speed was so incredible that the Guardian of Earth and Mr. Popo's expressions changed again when they saw it.
"Such incredible speed... Even I, a god, can't see him!" The Guardian of Earth hurried to the edge of the Lookout.
Mr. Popo followed behind him.
The two of them looked down.
"He's already reached the deep sea..." the Guardian of Earth said. "How long has it even been?"
Behind him, Mr. Popo silently wiped away his sweat.
This little fellow was terrifying.
About ten minutes later.
Vegeta flew up to the Lookout with the first Dragon Ball and a treasure chest.
He tossed the Dragon Ball and treasure chest onto the ground.
The Guardian of Earth stared for a moment.
Did this alien even have to take the treasure chest, too?
What use did he have for those jewels?
"The location of the second Dragon Ball," Vegeta said.
"The second Dragon Ball is on a deserted island over there." The Guardian of Earth pointed toward its location.
Vegeta immediately set off, flying toward the island at top speed.
Before long, Vegeta's eyes lit up as he got a clear look at the island.
Wasn't this Master Roshi's island?
"Thud!"
Vegeta dropped from the sky and landed on Master Roshi's island, his hands in his pockets.
"Y-you are..." Sea Turtle was sunbathing on the beach. When he saw Vegeta appear, his expression shifted repeatedly.
This guy had flown here.
"Shut up! I don't want to talk to a turtle!" Vegeta said.
Sea Turtle: "..."
"Ahem... I'm a sea turtle, not a tortoise!" Sea Turtle corrected him.
"Get lost." Vegeta gave him a light kick and sent him flying.
A whole herd of mud horses galloped through Sea Turtle's mind.