Come Forth, Shenron!

"State your wish. To the one who has collected the seven Dragon Balls, I can grant any wish you desire," the giant dragon spoke in a human tongue.

Raditz gazed up at the green dragon in the sky. Its appearance resembled the dragons of the East from his past life, which actually suited his aesthetic.

But... grant any wish? Raditz knew well that there was a significant amount of exaggeration in those words.

"Can you grant me the genes of Majin Buu?" he asked tentatively.

As he spoke the wish, Raditz felt as though he saw the giant body of Shenron shudder.

"That wish exceeds my power; it cannot be granted."

"Then, can you grant me the ability to survive in space?"

Shenron: "..."

"It cannot be granted."

"Can you teach me Instant Transmission?"

"That wish..."

Shenron hesitated for a moment before saying, "It cannot be granted directly."

"I cannot grant you mastery of this skill outright, but I can provide you with the knowledge regarding Instant Transmission from the Yardrat, though it would require their consent."

"The Yardrat..."

Raditz remembered that Goku would eventually go to the planet Yardrat to learn and master Instant Transmission from the Yardrat.

"Can I learn the Instant Transmission used by Supreme Kai Shin, or at least gain knowledge of it?"

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Shenron's head. Supreme Kai?!

"It cannot be granted."

"Still unable to do it, Shenron?"

As expected, after testing a few wishes, Raditz understood that Shenron was still the same old Shenron; he could not grant wishes that exceeded the capabilities of his creator.

Watching the dragon in the sky shifting his body in slight embarrassment, Raditz stopped testing him.

While the skill of Instant Transmission was excellent, it would only grant him the knowledge. Without the Yardrat to teach him, who knew how long it would take to actually learn it?

Even Goku, a combat genius, had spent a year mastering it completely.

In truth, Raditz had already decided on his wish long ago.

"Then, please restore my body completely. Return it to its original, healthy, and normal state. This should be possible, right?"

"That wish is simple."

Shenron's expression relaxed slightly. Finally, a normal wish. Were all wish-makers these days this difficult?

To fulfill this request, Shenron exerted his full power. His eyes flashed with golden light, and the radiance enveloped Raditz.

In an instant, Raditz felt his mind become clearer than ever before, as if something had been lifted, and the flow of his energy through his head became much smoother.

He looked down to see that the mechanical parts on his right arm had been removed, replaced by his own true flesh.

A feeling of fullness and wholeness flooded his entire body.

"It is done, wish-maker. I have fully restored your body and cleared away all foreign objects and hidden ailments that did not belong to you."

"Farewell!"

With the wish granted, Shenron transformed into seven Dragon Balls and scattered in all directions. Goku, who had been waiting nearby for a long time, jumped up immediately and precisely snatched the Four-Star Ball.

He then summoned his Flying Nimbus and chased after another Dragon Ball.

"Whew—"

Raditz let out a long breath, feeling this brand-new, vibrant body.

"So, the previous efforts were not in vain. Next..."

It was time to consider the issue of increasing his strength.

"Hey, I didn't think those magical orbs could actually grant wishes?" Yajirobe, who had watched the entire process, leaned in, his face full of amazement.

"Yes, if you collect all seven," Raditz said, not intending to hide it.

While making his wish, he had actually been guarding against Yajirobe suddenly jumping in to make a wish and stealing his turn.

However, that didn't happen; he had watched in silence the whole time, which made Raditz feel a bit like he had been judging others by his own petty standards.

After a while, Goku returned and handed one of the Dragon Balls, which had now turned into stone, to Raditz.

"Goku, it's been a long time. You've become even stronger," Raditz said, taking the stone and looking at the spirited Goku before him.

"Haha, Raditz, you too. You're much stronger than when I first met you."

"I have been studying diligently with Master Mutten, after all," Raditz replied.

"Oh, right, Goku. Let me show you something fun."

Raditz handed the Scouter over and helped him put it on.

"This is called a Scouter. The number displayed on it roughly represents the strength of a person's power."

"Oh! So that's how it is!"

Goku realized with a start, immediately turning his head to look at Raditz. "Raditz, you're at 85! That's amazing!"

"..."

Raditz felt as if a silent blade had pierced his chest.

He knew Goku was genuinely impressed and meant no mockery, but the comparison was truly heart-wrenching.

"Goku, look toward the direction of Korin Tower again."

"140? Is that Korin? So amazing!"

"Now, look even higher up."

"Huh? People live that high up? And they're so strong—that's the highest reading I've ever seen!"

Goku grew excited, then asked curiously, "Raditz, what's my reading to you?"

"Goku, I already checked earlier. You're at 170," Raditz replied truthfully.

"Wow! That's a huge gap, you're already at double my level," Goku said happily.

He didn't feel discouraged in the slightest; instead, his eyes ignited with a burning fighting spirit. "I really want to spar with them!"

"There will definitely be a chance in the future," Raditz said, infected by his enthusiasm. "How about it, Goku? Shall I spar with you first?"

After bidding farewell to Goku, Raditz took Yajirobe and continued toward the Karin Sacred Land.

Before leaving, Raditz had indeed engaged in a bout with Goku.

But without a doubt, Raditz had been crushed.

He had pulled out all the stops, unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks that felt like they should have taken Goku down, even landing a Kamehameha squarely on him.

Yet, after finishing his "silky smooth combo," Goku simply stood up and brushed off the dust.

The corner of his clothes was barely even dirty.

This feeling... why does it feel so much like those early-game villains who got toyed with by Goku in the original story? Raditz's expression twitched as he gripped the steering wheel and accelerated frantically.

"You guy, you said you'd treat me to a feast, but now we're going to some tower, and the orb you gave me turned into a rock," a voice complained impatiently from the side.

"The Dragon Ball needs a one-year cooldown period after a wish is granted before it returns to its previous state. As for the feast, I really can't spare the time right now. If you're willing to wait a while, once I finish what I'm working on..." Raditz felt a bit guilty and had to explain patiently.

Once the business at Korin Tower was finished, Raditz planned to take Yajirobe to West City for a meal, provided he had the patience to wait.

After all, the trip to Korin Tower was imperative; it concerned his own strength.

The goal for this visit to the Karin Sacred Land was clear: only two things mattered.

Senzu Beans and training.

Research on the Gravity Chamber was already on the right track, and if he wanted to utilize the Saiyan ability to rapidly stack combat power, he had to get his hands on miracle medicine like Senzu Beans.

Furthermore, as a hermit in a sacred martial arts land, the value of Korin was beyond doubt.

Raditz even suspected that Master Roshi's Turtle School martial arts were inspired by him.

Training with him would allow his understanding of Ki to reach a higher level.

As the aircraft streaked across the sky, Raditz calculated silently: would six months be enough to achieve success under Korin?

A day later, Raditz finally entered the Karin Sacred Land before the sun set.

From afar, he could see a pillar of jade piercing the clouds.

"That must be Korin Tower."

"I wonder if Upa is still there. I remember his family guarded Korin Tower for generations."

Parking the aircraft at the base of the tower, Raditz observed the stone pillar that seemed to have no end in sight.

The pillar wasn't smooth; it had spaces for climbing and was carved with ancient patterns.

"Hey, why are you staring at this pillar? Don't tell me you want to climb it?" Yajirobe asked.

"I'm not 'hey.' Didn't I tell you my name already?" Raditz said, speechless. "And yes, I do intend to climb it."

"What's up there?"

"A hermit."

"A hermit? Then the food he eats must be pretty good, right?" Yajirobe's eyes lit up.

"Uh... I'm afraid I have to disappoint you. I'm going up there to train under the hermit's guidance, and the hermit is a cat."

Seeing Yajirobe looking eager, Raditz dropped a line that left him utterly dejected.

He had to learn from past mistakes; he couldn't let the Senzu Beans fall into the clutches of this meat-tank.

Raditz didn't start the climbing challenge immediately.

He wandered around the vicinity and found Upa and his father in a nearby forest.

"Big Brother Raditz? I didn't expect it to be you! How is Big Brother Goku doing?" Upon seeing that it was Raditz, Upa greeted him warmly.

"He's doing great. I actually saw him just a little while ago."