Spring turned to autumn, and before they knew it, a year had passed. Master Roshi's disciples—Kashu, Son Goku, Krillin, and the other Saiyan children—had made astonishing progress during that year. Krillin had improved more than any other Earthling. His initial battle power had been less than one hundred, but after a year it had reached eight hundred. He had learned the Flight Technique and the rudiments of the Kamehameha. Master Roshi's assessment of him was: "Decent talent, and unmatched diligence." Son Goku's battle power had risen from three thousand five hundred to eight thousand. He had learned the Afterimage Technique, the Kamehameha, and the Flight Technique. His ability to sense ki was exceptional; he could sense every ki within a radius of ten kilometers. Kashu, meanwhile, was on another level. He hadn't shown his full strength at Kame House, training only at a level comparable to Son Goku's, but he had learned the Meditation Technique from Master Roshi and gained finer control over his ki. His training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber continued, too. His base battle power had surpassed eighty thousand, and his Legendary Super Saiyan First Grade form had reached 6.4 million. "Senior Brother Kashu, when do you think we'll be able to enter the World Martial Arts Tournament?" Krillin asked after training one day. "World Martial Arts Tournament? What's that?" Son Goku asked curiously. "It's the biggest martial arts competition on Earth!" Krillin said excitedly. "It's held every three years, and martial artists from all over the world take part. I heard the last champion was an old man named Son Gohan. He was incredibly strong!" Son Gohan? Kashu's thoughts stirred. That was Master Roshi's senior disciple, and the old man he had met at Mount Paozu. "You want to enter?" Kashu asked Krillin.
"Of course! If we place well in the tournament, we'll win prize money!" Krillin's eyes lit up. "I think the champion gets five hundred thousand zeni!" Son Goku said. "That could buy a lot of meat!" Kashu chuckled. "When's the next tournament?" "Let me think... The last one was two years ago, so the next one should be a year from now!" Krillin counted on his fingers. A year from now. Kashu considered it.
By then, Son Goku would be seven, Krillin would be seven, and he would be nine. "All right, we'll enter," Kashu decided. "But before then, we'll need more training. I also have a plan: to search for the Dragon Balls." "Dragon Balls?" Krillin asked curiously. "There are seven Dragon Balls scattered across Earth. Gather them all, and you can summon Shenron to grant any wish," Kashu explained. "I'm planning to take you all to search for them before the tournament. It'll give us practical experience, and I also want to see if the Dragon Balls can do something for the Saiyans." "Really? They can grant any wish?" Krillin's eyes widened like saucers.
"That's right. I've seen Shenron with my own eyes," Kashu said with a faint smile. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go find them!" Krillin jumped up. "Not so fast." Kashu held him back. "We'll need a Dragon Radar to find them, and there's only one person on Earth who can make one. Who?" "Bulma Briefs, the heiress to Capsule Corp and a genius inventor," Kashu said. "We need to find her first."
In the spring of AGE 740, in West City, Capsule Corp's headquarters stood among the city's most magnificent buildings: a hundred-meter-tall skyscraper, its giant capsule logo gleaming in the sun. It was the largest technology company on Earth and had invented the Hoi-Poi Capsule technology that transformed people's lives. Kashu brought Son Goku, Krillin, and two other Saiyan children to the entrance: Reg's son, Laya, and Selipa's daughter, Sali. The five children wore the Turtle School's orange uniforms and carried heavy turtle shells on their backs, drawing curious looks from passersby. "Big Brother, this place is huge!" Son Goku stared up at the building, his mouth forming an O.
"The person we're looking for is inside," Kashu said. "But Bulma's a little... unusual. Don't say anything foolish. I'll handle the talking." The receptionist looked confused when she saw the five children carrying turtle shells. After a quick call, a blue-haired girl stepped out of the elevator. She wore a pink miniskirt and a white T-shirt, held a strange device in one hand, and chewed bubble gum. "Who wants to see me?" Bulma's gaze swept over the children and paused briefly when it reached Kashu. He seemed different from the others. His gaze was composed, without the childishness of someone his age, yet it held a depth beyond his years. "You're Miss Bulma?" Kashu stepped forward. "My name is Kashu, and I'm one of Master Roshi's disciples. We'd like to ask you for a favor." "A disciple of Master Roshi?" Bulma raised an eyebrow. "That lecherous old man? You went to him to learn martial arts? What can he teach besides peeping on girls in the bath?" "Miss Bulma, we're not here to discuss Master Roshi's private life." Kashu took an orange ball from his clothes—the Four-Star Dragon Ball. "Do you recognize this?" Bulma's eyes lit up at once. "A Dragon Ball!" She snatched the Four-Star Dragon Ball and turned it over in her hands. "How did you get a Dragon Ball? Are you collecting them, too?" "I know a little about the Dragon Balls," Kashu said. "I heard you invented the Dragon Radar, which can detect their locations. I'd like to borrow it." "Borrow it?" Bulma returned the Dragon Ball and put her hands on her hips. "Do you know how much work I put into inventing the Dragon Radar? You can't just ask to borrow it!" "We can make a deal," Kashu said. "Help us find all the Dragon Balls, and we'll help you fulfill a wish." "My wish?" Bulma thought for a moment. "I want to find a handsome boyfriend! Can you help me?" "We can protect you and act as your bodyguards on the journey," Kashu said. "And my younger brother, Son Goku, is a great cook. Krillin's pickpocketing—cough, I mean, scouting skills are excellent, too." Bulma looked over the children, considering the offer. She did need a team to help her find the Dragon Balls; traveling alone was too dangerous. These children didn't look all that reliable, but the boy named Kashu had an air about him that inspired trust. "All right, it's a deal!" Bulma held out her hand. "But I have one condition: I get to make the first wish after we find the Dragon Balls!" "No problem." Kashu shook her hand. Bulma felt the roughness of Kashu's palm, then looked down at his callused hands. A strange feeling rose within her. What had this boy been through? "Then stay here for now while I get our gear ready. We leave tomorrow!"
The next day, Bulma set off in an off-road vehicle. Their first stop was a place called Frypan Mountain, where one of the Dragon Balls—the Five-Star Ball—was located. Frypan Mountain was an active volcano, and at its foot stood a massive castle. Its owner was a burly man named Ox-King, accompanied by his daughter, Chi-Chi—a little girl with twin pigtails wearing a Chinese-style dress. "Who are you? What are you doing at my house?" Chi-Chi put her hands on her hips and eyed the unexpected visitors warily. "Hello. We're looking for a Dragon Ball," Kashu said. "Do you happen to have an orange ball?" Chi-Chi's gaze fell on Son Goku. He was about her age, with a round face and big eyes. He looked a little silly, but there was a pure light in his eyes. "What's your name?" Chi-Chi blushed slightly. "I'm Son Goku!" Goku grinned. "Son Goku..." Chi-Chi's eyes turned into hearts. "What a lovely name! Will you be my boyfriend?" "What's a boyfriend? Is it something tasty?" Son Goku tilted his head. Krillin doubled over laughing beside them. "Goku, you're hilarious!" Kashu sighed and rubbed his forehead. The original story was still unfolding: Chi-Chi had fallen in love with Son Goku at first sight. Ox-King looked at his lovestruck daughter and sighed. "Kid, you can borrow the Dragon Ball, but you have to agree to one condition: take my daughter with you. She's bored in the castle all day. Let her go out and see the world."
Kashu thought it over, then agreed. Their group now had one more little girl: Chi-Chi. Later, they encountered the desert bandit Yamcha and his sidekick, Puar. Yamcha's fear of women kicked in when he saw Bulma, leading to a string of ridiculous mishaps, but he eventually joined the group. In another town, they met Launch, a blue-haired girl who turned into a blonde, violent version of herself whenever she sneezed. Launch was a crack shot with a fiery temper, and she hit it off with the Saiyans. Meanwhile, Pilaf's gang—a short, blue-skinned man, a female ninja named Mai, and a doglike creature named Shu—had been secretly following them, hoping to steal the Dragon Balls. "Master Pilaf, those brats have collected six Dragon Balls!" Shu reported excitedly. "Only one left," Mai said, pushing up her sunglasses. "We have to get it before they do." "Heh heh heh! Once we gather all the Dragon Balls and summon Shenron, I, the great Pilaf, will rule the world!" Pilaf rubbed his hands together. They snuck into the camp at night, used sleeping gas to knock out the guards, and stole the six Dragon Balls. But Son Goku sensed ki even in his sleep, and instinctively clutched the last Dragon Ball before the gas could knock him out. "Where's the Dragon Ball? Where's the last one?" Pilaf searched the camp but couldn't find the seventh ball. "It's in that little monkey's hands!" Shu pointed at Son Goku. Son Goku held the Dragon Ball tight, refusing to let go even while unconscious. "Damn it! Take these six for now!" Pilaf ordered.
The next morning, Kashu discovered that the Dragon Balls had been stolen and immediately used his ki sense to track down Pilaf's gang. "Found them. They're hiding in a cave to the north," Kashu said. "Krillin, stay behind and protect Bulma and Launch. Goku, Chi-Chi, come with me." The three of them flew to the cave. Pilaf's gang was preparing to summon Shenron. When they saw Kashu and the others, they were terrified. "Hand over the Dragon Balls," Kashu said calmly. "No way! I, the great Pilaf, am about to rule the world!" Pilaf clutched the Dragon Balls. Son Goku charged in and knocked Shu and Mai down in just a few blows. Chi-Chi used the martial arts Ox-King had taught her to subdue Pilaf. "You little brats, you'll pay for this!" Pilaf cursed as they tied him up in a bundle. Kashu recovered the six Dragon Balls and added the one Son Goku had been holding. They had all seven. "Bulma, make your wish," Kashu said. Bulma took a deep breath, stepped up to the Dragon Balls, and clasped her hands together. "Shenron, come forth!" The seven Dragon Balls burst into dazzling golden light that shot up into the sky. A gigantic green dragon slowly appeared. "Summoner, speak your wish."
Bulma's heart raced. "Shenron, my wish is... to find the most handsome, kindest, and richest boyfriend in the world!" Shenron fell silent for a moment. "...Your wish is too vague. The meaning of 'most handsome' varies from person to person, so I cannot determine it." "Then... give me an upgraded Dragon Radar that can help me find my ideal boyfriend!" "Your wish has been granted." Shenron's eyes flashed, then he vanished into seven streaks of light. A new pink Dragon Radar appeared in Bulma's hands. She looked at it and muttered, "What kind of wish was that? I could've made one myself..." "Your wish was granted, and you're still complaining?" Kashu asked with a helpless laugh. "Oh, whatever. It's better than nothing." Bulma put away the Dragon Radar. Pilaf's gang was sent to prison, but they escaped later—that's a story for another time.
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