"Bulma!"
Arriving above Bulma's house, Goku spotted her beside the gravity chamber at once.
"Goku!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Bulma immediately looked up at Goku.
"Click!"
Goku dropped from the sky and landed on the ground, a little curious why Bulma was beside the gravity chamber.
"Bulma, what's this?"
"The gravity chamber? The one we wished for with the Dragon Balls only went up to 150 times gravity, right? That's not enough for you anymore, so I had my dad upgrade it," Bulma said with a smile.
"Your dad's so busy. He agreed to it?"
"Hmph, did he dare refuse?"
Only a father could understand just how much a father doted on his daughter.
But when Dr. Brief found out that Bulma had threatened him for Son Goku's sake, he was heartbroken.
"Want to go in and try it? It can go all the way up to 400 times gravity now!" Bulma tempted Goku.
Then she regretted it. When she said 400 times gravity, Goku's eyes lit up so brightly they were dazzling. Hey, she was wearing white stockings today!
After Goku walked into the gravity chamber, poor Bulma was left outside alone.
"Son! Goku!"
Bulma's shout immediately drew Mrs. Brief's attention.
"Huh? What's wrong, Bulma?" Mrs. Brief walked over and asked.
Bulma calmed herself down, then explained to her mother with a smile.
"Nothing, Mom. Goku's back, and I got too excited!"
A year later, Goku had summoned Shenron once more during that year, originally intending to wish for regenerative abilities like Buu's.
But Shenron said no. He didn't have that ability, you know?
Goku had to settle for second best, obtaining a healing ability that could restore his limbs as long as his head remained attached.
The sun was shining brightly that day.
Goku and Bulma were in the courtyard, basking in the sun and having afternoon tea.
"Goku, registration for the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament starts tomorrow. Are you going to enter?"
Bulma took a sip of black tea and looked at Son Goku, the growing boy before her who had reached 1.5 meters and was becoming more handsome by the day, as she asked.
He didn't know why. Was his nutrition just that good? Goku would probably have been only around 1.3 meters tall at this point, yet he had actually grown to 1.5 meters.
"I'm not planning to. I already won the last one, after all. But Yamcha and Krillin should be entering, so we can go watch."
Wouldn't it be bullying if he entered the tournament with his Power Level of 3 million, when its strongest fighters only had Power Levels of a few hundred at most? He didn't intend to follow the original story completely, either. Even if it caused a bit of a butterfly effect, so what?
Had his fists gone soft? What could possibly go wrong when the highest Power Level was only a few hundred?
The next day, Goku and Bulma arrived early at the venue for the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament.
"Goku!"
Krillin and the others, who had only recently arrived themselves, spotted Goku.
"Krillin, Yamcha, Puar, Grandpa Roshi, Launch." Goku walked over and greeted them.
Over the past three years, aside from the year Goku spent training at the Lookout, he and Bulma had often visited Kame House, so everyone was on good terms, and they had gotten to know Launch too.
Even without him, Launch had still been brought back to Kame House, just as expected.
"Launch!" Bulma went straight over to Launch, took her by the arm, and the two moved aside to talk about girl stuff.
This time, Master Roshi didn't make any lewd remarks when he saw Bulma, because he had long since noticed that there was something unusual about her relationship with Goku.
"Goku, how did you get so tall?" Krillin said somewhat sadly after comparing his height with Goku's.
As for why Krillin no longer called Goku senior brother, Goku had asked him not to. It always felt strange when Krillin called him that.
"Haha, maybe I eat better." Goku had a feeling he might end up taller than 176 centimeters.
"Goku, are you entering the tournament this time?" Yamcha asked from the side.
"No. I've already won once, after all. I ought to give you guys a chance."
Goku clearly wasn't trying to show off, so why did everyone always get a hint of it from his words?
"That's great! I've got a chance to win this time." Yamcha was a little pleased. He had finally made it, though Krillin beside him still presented a bit of competition.
"You brat, what are you thinking? I'm entering too. If you want the championship, you'll have to beat me first," Master Roshi reminded him from the side.
"Huh? Master Roshi, you're entering again?"
"Can't I?" Master Roshi said irritably.
Meanwhile, Bulma and Launch were chatting about things that had nothing to do with the tournament.
"Bulma, Goku's gotten quite a bit taller these past three years. He's getting more and more handsome," Launch said to Bulma, looking at Goku a short distance away.
"He's all right, I guess. I don't see much difference." Bulma pretended not to feel anything.
"Oh, please. You're with him every day, so of course you wouldn't notice."
"Speaking of which, Bulma, Goku's getting more handsome by the day. When are you going to confess to him? Someone else might beat you to it," Launch teased.
At Launch's words, Bulma's face instantly turned bright red. "What are you talking about? Goku and I are just good friends," she said shyly.
"Who'd believe that? Ask Krillin and the others. Which one of them doesn't know about the relationship between you two? Friends? I'd say you're boyfriend and girlfriend."
Bulma couldn't take it anymore. She reached for Launch's waist and started tickling her.
"You little brat, it's only been a month since I last saw you, and you've gotten bold enough to tease me."
Bulma looked like she wouldn't stop until she'd tickled Launch to death.
"Haha, hahaha! Bulma, I was wrong! Let me go!"
Launch tried to escape Bulma's clutches, but how could Blue-haired Launch break free from Bulma, who had trained with Goku for so many years?
"Help, Goku! Look at your Bulma!"
Goku heard someone call him and looked over at Bulma and Launch.
Noticing Goku's gaze, Bulma immediately let go. Launch finally caught her breath; she had nearly laughed herself breathless.
"What are you doing? Did you need me for something?" Goku was a little puzzled.
"It's your... Mmph..."
Before Launch could finish, Bulma hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand, then looked at Goku with a smile.
"Oh, Goku, why are you so nosy? Launch and I are sharing secrets. Stay out of us girls' business!"
"How strange." Goku turned back and resumed chatting with Krillin and the others.
Heh, women.
"Launch, did you have a death wish just now?" Bulma narrowed her eyes and stared at Launch.
Bulma had really been frightened just now. It was fine for the two of them to say such things in private, but if she had really let Launch say it out loud, how could she face Goku afterward?
Launch shuddered all over under Bulma's stare and hurriedly begged for mercy. "All right, all right, I won't say it to Goku next time."
"Hmph."
Before long, the tournament began, and Goku, Bulma, Launch, and Puar watched from the stands.
What followed was much the same as in the original story, with Goku's absence being the main difference. In the end, Krillin faced Tien Shinhan, and the two fought evenly, though Tien ultimately proved a better fighter.
That was right: Yamcha had lost to Krillin. As for why Krillin could hold his own against Tien, it was because Goku gave them special training whenever he and Bulma visited them.
In the end, Tien also broke away from his school. In Goku's view, there were many reasons Tien had done so, the two most important being Master Roshi's earlier advice and Tien's own desire to stop being an assassin.
"Hey, are you the senior brother Krillin was talking about?" Tien asked Goku as he walked over.
Hearing him, Goku turned to look at Tien. He had already guessed what Tien wanted.
"Will you fight me? Krillin said you're much stronger than him."
"No," Goku refused.
"Why not?"
At that moment, Goku moved in a flash and appeared in front of Tien at a speed Tien couldn't follow.
"That's why. Tell you what: I'll give you three years to train. I'll enter the tournament three years from now, and you can challenge me then."
With that, Goku turned and walked toward Bulma.
"Goku, I think you were really showing off just now," Bulma said, poking Goku as they walked.
"Was I? Maybe my aura is just too powerful," Goku said with a shameless grin.
"Oh, please. Shameless." Bulma rolled her eyes at him.
Just as Goku and the others were preparing to return to West City, Goku suddenly remembered.
King Piccolo should have been resurrected by now!