"Speak your wish, you who have gathered the seven Dragon Balls. I can grant any wish you desire," the giant dragon said.
Raditz gazed up at the azure dragon. Its appearance was similar to the Eastern dragons of his past life, which suited his taste.
But... grant any wish? Raditz knew there was a lot more to that claim than met the eye.
"Can you give me Majin Buu's genes?" he asked tentatively.
As he made the wish, Raditz thought he saw Shenron's enormous body shudder.
"That wish exceeds my power. I cannot grant it."
"Then can you make me able to survive in space?"
Shenron: "..."
"I cannot grant that wish."
"Can you teach me Instant Transmission?"
"This wish..."
Shenron hesitated before replying, "I cannot grant it directly."
"I cannot make you master this technique outright, but I can give you the knowledge the Yardrat have about Instant Transmission. However, you would need their consent."
"The Yardrat..."
Raditz remembered that Goku would later learn Instant Transmission from the Yardrat on their planet.
"Can you teach me the Instant Transmission Supreme Kai Shin uses, or give me the knowledge to learn it?"
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Shenron's head. Supreme Kai?!
"I cannot grant that wish."
"Still out of your reach, Shenron?"
Sure enough, after trying a few wishes, Raditz understood: Shenron was still just Shenron. He couldn't grant wishes beyond the power of his creator.
Watching Shenron's body quiver awkwardly in the sky, Raditz stopped testing him.
Instant Transmission was a great skill, but Shenron could only give him the knowledge. Without the Yardrat to teach him, who knew how long it would take to learn?
Even Goku, a natural fighting genius, had needed a year to master it.
Raditz had already decided what he wanted.
"Then please restore my body completely, returning it to its original, healthy state. You can do that, right?"
"That wish is simple."
Shenron's expression relaxed a little. Finally, a normal wish. Were wish-makers always this difficult these days?
To fulfill the wish, Shenron summoned every ounce of his power. His eyes flashed with golden light, which enveloped Raditz.
In an instant, Raditz's mind felt clearer than ever before. It was as if something had been removed, and the flow of energy through his head had become smoother.
He looked down. The machinery on his right hand was gone, replaced by his real flesh and blood.
A sense of fullness and wholeness spread through his body.
"That is done, wish-maker. I have fully restored your body and removed all foreign objects and hidden problems."
"Farewell!"
With the wish granted, Shenron turned into seven Dragon Balls that shot off in different directions. Goku, who had been waiting nearby, leaped up and caught the Four-Star Ball with pinpoint precision.
Then he summoned the Flying Nimbus and chased after another Dragon Ball.
"Phew—"
Raditz let out a long breath, savoring his fresh, vigorous body.
At least all that effort paid off. Next...
He needed to think about how to grow stronger.
"Hey, I had no idea those amazing balls could grant wishes!" Yajirobe said, coming over after watching the whole thing. His face was full of astonishment.
"Yeah. You just need to gather all seven." Raditz had no intention of hiding it.
While making his wish, he had been on guard in case Yajirobe suddenly made one of his own and beat him to it.
But Yajirobe had stayed silent and watched the whole time. Raditz felt a little ashamed of having suspected him.
A short while later, Goku hurried back and handed Raditz one of the Dragon Balls, now turned to stone.
"Goku, it's been a long time. You've gotten even stronger," Raditz said, taking the stone and looking at Goku's bright-eyed face.
"Haha, you have too, Raditz! You're a lot stronger than when I first met you."
"I've been studying hard with Master Mutten, too," Raditz said.
"By the way, Goku, let me show you something fun."
Raditz handed over the Scouter and helped Goku put it on.
"This is called a Scouter. The number it displays roughly represents a person's power."
"Oh, I get it now!"
Goku caught on immediately and turned to Raditz. "You're at 85, Raditz! That's amazing!"
"..."
It felt as though an unseen knife had stabbed Raditz in the chest.
He knew Goku genuinely thought it was impressive and wasn't making fun of him, but the comparison still stung.
"Goku, look toward Korin Tower."
"140. Is that Korin? He's so strong!"
"Now look higher up."
"Huh? Someone lives way up there? And he's really strong—he's the strongest one I can see!"
Goku grew excited, then asked curiously, "Raditz, what's my number?"
"Goku, I already checked earlier. You're at 170," Raditz answered honestly.
"Wow! That's such a big difference. You're twice as strong as me!" Goku said happily.
He wasn't discouraged in the slightest. Instead, his eyes blazed with fighting spirit. "I really want to fight them!"
"You'll definitely get the chance someday." Raditz caught Goku's enthusiasm. "How about it, Goku? Want to spar with me first?"
After saying goodbye to Goku, Raditz continued toward Karin Sacred Land with Yajirobe.
Before leaving, Raditz had fought a match with Goku.
There was no question about the outcome: Raditz had been utterly overwhelmed.
He had thrown everything he had into a relentless series of attacks, and it had seemed as though he might actually bring Goku down. Even his Kamehameha had landed squarely.
But after Raditz finished his "smooth little combo," Goku simply stood up and brushed off the dust.
His clothes were barely dirty.
"This feeling... why is it so much like those early villains in the original story who got toyed with by Goku?" Raditz's face twitched. Gripping the steering wheel, he sped up like crazy.
"You said you'd treat me to a huge meal, but now you're taking me to some tower, and the ball you gave me has turned into a rock," Yajirobe grumbled impatiently beside him.
"After you make a wish, the Dragon Balls need a year to recharge before they return to normal. As for the meal, I really can't get away right now. If you're willing to wait until I finish what I have to do..." Raditz felt he was in the wrong, so he patiently explained.
Once he was done at Korin Tower, Raditz would take Yajirobe to West City for a meal, if he was willing to wait.
After all, climbing Korin Tower was a must. It was crucial to Raditz's strength.
He had a clear goal for this trip to Karin Sacred Land: two things, and two things only.
Senzu Beans and training.
His research on the Gravity Chamber was already on track. If he wanted to rapidly build up his power using the Saiyan ability, he absolutely had to get his hands on a miraculous medicine like Senzu Beans.
Besides, Cat Hermit was an undisputed master who lived in a sacred place of martial arts.
Raditz even suspected that Master Roshi's Turtle School martial arts had been inspired by him.
Training with Cat Hermit would deepen Raditz's understanding of ki.
As the aircraft streaked across the sky, Raditz silently estimated whether six months would be enough time to learn something worthwhile from Cat Hermit.
A day later, Raditz finally arrived at Karin Sacred Land before sunset.
In the distance, he saw a towering jade pillar stretching straight into the clouds.
"That must be Korin Tower."
"I wonder if Upa is still there. I remember his family had guarded Korin Tower for generations."
After parking the aircraft at the foot of the tower, Raditz examined the stone pillar up close.
Its surface wasn't smooth; it had footholds for climbing, and ancient designs were carved into it.
"Hey, why are you staring at the pillar? Don't tell me you're thinking of climbing it," Yajirobe said.
"My name isn't 'hey.' Didn't I tell you what my name was?" Raditz said helplessly. "And yes, I'm planning to climb it."
"What's up there?"
"A hermit."
"A hermit? Then the food he eats must be really good!" Yajirobe's eyes lit up.
"Uh... I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I'm going up there to train under the hermit, and the hermit is a cat."
Seeing Yajirobe looking eager to climb, Raditz said something that crushed his hopes.
He'd learned his lesson from the past. He couldn't let Senzu Beans fall into the clutches of this muscle-bound tank.
Raditz didn't start the climbing challenge right away.
He wandered around the area and found Upa and his father in a grove.
"Big Brother Raditz! I can't believe it's you. Is Big Brother Goku doing well?" Upa greeted him warmly when he saw who it was.
"He's doing great. I even saw him earlier."