The uniqueness of Earth has already been emphasized, but amidst all the available information, one of the most remarkable things about it is that it possessed a fully functional divine system, which was no longer the norm in Universe 7.
In this world, people could access training that allowed them to develop divine ki. They could then compete for the position of the planet's god, known to mortals as Kami-Sama.
Despite being able to live for many years, Kami-Sama was not immortal nor invulnerable; he could die of old age or be killed by an enemy. For this reason, a successor to the god position was chosen periodically from several contenders.
This selection process gave rise to a being who stood in the darkness, staring intently at his hands, faintly illuminated by the moon. Several people in motley attire waited in silence around him.
"Although the part of the Demon Realm near Earth has been sealed, the other passages to the main dimension have not yet been closed. They are so difficult to traverse that only we could do it.
But here we are, free from King Dabura's tyranny, three centuries after my father was banished. I have returned for vengeance! Vengeance against Kami-Sama!" the figure shouted. His voice was somewhat shrill, but none dared mock him.
"Ah, the air in this world is so sweet. It just needs a little chaos and darkness to spice it up. From this place, my stronghold, we will spread evil throughout the world.
The Earth must burn," the figure declared before finally being illuminated by the moonlight. This revealed its small, blue form with long ears and circular green spots on parts of its skin.
"Nicky! Sansho! Ginger! There should be some special objects in this world called Dragon Balls. Bring them to me, and I will give you a talisman that can detect the special magic these artifacts usually emit." The figure threw three talismans made of yellow paper, which the others caught.
There were three of them. One had blue-green skin, white hair, and unusually long ears. He wore a sword at his waist and held a half-eaten apple in his hand. The apple emitted a seductive aroma reminiscent of alcohol. He was Nicky.
The next figure was far less human. He was much taller and burlier with an oversized head. Horns sprouted from his shoulders and pierced his shoulder pads. Tufts of purple hair sprouted from his temples. He had long ears. He was Sansho.
The last figure was the shortest of the three, with a green body and two curved swords strapped to his back. His gaze was far more sinister than Nicky's and Sansho's. He wore a perpetual malicious smile. His name was Ginger.
"At your service, Lord Garlic Jr.!" the three men shouted as they bowed. Then, they left the room and launched themselves into the air, flying out of the fortress.
The structure floated in the sky above the clouds. Despite its massive size and magnificent appearance, it remained stable without any visible technology. However, anyone sensitive to magic could feel the pulse of energy emanating from it.
Garlic Jr. walked through the corridors of his fortress and arrived at the throne room. There was a large, magnificent throne, but he did not sit down. Instead, he stood gazing at it from a short distance away, lost in thought.
"Father, I hope to fulfill your unfinished vengeance. I built this fortress in your honor. I gathered soldiers, but I could not bring them here. However, I underestimated the Demon Realm, as did you.
Just because we're demons doesn't mean I'm special." That realm is vast, and its beings are powerful in both strength and magic. I suffered a lot, but it made me stronger, stronger than you and perhaps even stronger than that so-called Kami-Sama." Garlic Jr. began talking to himself as he recalled the final moments of his father. Weakened by his battle with Earth's former god, his father aged rapidly despite possessing divine Ki.
This instilled a deep fear of aging and death in Garlic. After hearing that the Namekians could forge magical artifacts that granted wishes, he wanted to find them and wish for eternal life.
However, he knew he couldn't fight the Namekians hiding in the Demon Realm. He also knew he couldn't find those who had migrated from this dimension anywhere in the universe. So, he focused on Earth.
That is why he decided to use the passages between the Demon Realm and Earth as a shortcut instead of traveling through space. Since he had the technology and means for interstellar travel, he felt no need to use them.
A simple survey of the current universe filled Garlic Jr. with terror. Things had changed so much in 300 years! He had been so focused on building his fortress and army that he hadn't realized how much the outside world had changed.
Armies dedicated to invading planets, something that had been seen before, now seemed much more commonplace and ongoing. In fact, it was considered an industry with its own rules and standards.
The Galaxy Patrol was more active and powerful than ever. The universe also seemed to be in the grip of a strange frenzy of power seeking. Duels to the death and wars between factions had become much more frequent.
Garlic Jr. thought it over and decided not to take control of the planet until it was near Earth, even though doing so would grant him power. A mobile planet would be an easy target for beings capable of destroying planets, so relying on one would be foolish.
He wasn't sure why he was talking to his dead father; perhaps it was because he was nervous. Alone, he thought about everything he hadn't done or been able to do because he had focused on fulfilling someone's desire for revenge. That person had conceived him solely for that purpose.
However, the fear of death had driven him to waste 300 years of his life planning and hiding like a rat. Demons like him weren't that common in the Demon Realm. However, it was so vast that there were enough of them, but he knew he couldn't accomplish much in that dimension.
Not even in the entire universe. Watching the video of Freezer personally destroying a star to force the inhabitants of a planet to pay the price they had refused to pay was enough to terrify Garlic Jr.
In the Demon Realm? King Dabura was there! Seeing him from a distance, Garlic Jr. knew that, even with the power boost from his dark planet, he couldn't withstand a single blow from Dabura.
Earth, however, was weak. Strange rumors were circulating throughout the universe, and there was little information about Earth except for warnings not to go there or terrible things would happen. Even before that, they told you that the general population's power level was extremely low.
Garlic Jr. didn't take the conflicting descriptions seriously, though he was uneasy. He knew that Kami-Sama was a Namekian and should be strong. Combined with his status as a planetary god, Kami-Sama was surely stronger than he thought.
That's why he snuck in like a rat. Well, it wasn't exactly discreet when he brought his fortress along, though. But who could refuse to transport something like that? Luckily, he kept it in a special magical space. Otherwise, it would have been destroyed by the turbulent passage between realms.
"Anyway, now I just have to hope those guys don't mess up and bring the Dragon Balls before Kami-Sama notices," Garlic Jr. muttered before sitting on the throne, ready to wait.
...
"That guy's an idiot," muttered Kami-Sama. He was grateful for the rigorous training he'd received from King Kai. Not only had it perfected his legacy as the god of Earth, but it had also expanded it. In addition, it had taught him many other things.
There was no doubt that he would have missed something so huge appearing in the sky. Although the fortress was hidden by magic, that concealment was no match for his abilities, and he detected it.
He subtly used his divine power to bypass the fortress's defenses and look directly at Garlic Jr., whom he recognized as the son of his rival, Garlic, for the position of Kami-Sama.
"Hehe, you want to use the Dragon Balls? Too bad. What a shame," murmured Kami-Sama before flicking his fingers. Although he could not act directly, he could subtly guide mortals.
It was no wonder he had learned many ways to circumvent those divine restrictions; he had realized they were far more flexible than he had thought. Afterward, the god turned his gaze to Mount Paoz, where an interesting scene was unfolding.
It was nighttime, and Nicky had already obtained a Dragon Ball. He found it in the nest of a giant crow that shouted obscenities at him before Nicky cut it down with his sword. Then, the demon devoured the crow raw.
Now, he was walking toward what appeared to be a house without holding back his energy. He didn't hide his ki, not because he didn't know how, but because he was confident in his own power and certain that no one on this planet of weaklings could stop him.
Nicky was about to realize his mistake very soon. Feeling mischievous, he looked through the window of the room where he had found the Dragon Ball. He sneaked inside and entered what appeared to be a child's bedroom.
Gohan wasn't asleep. For some reason, he had woken up with a stomachache, sat up in bed, and then realized the discomfort had passed. Then, he saw someone sneaking into his room, which made him feel nervous.
Nicky's ki was evil, not because he was a demon but because his past actions had tainted his energy. This put the young Saiyan in a sensitive state since his perception of energy had improved; thus, he could feel the dread of Ki as malicious as that of the white-haired demon.
"Hoho, a little brat. Didn't your parents tell you that the boogeyman comes out at night? I am the bogeyman!" Nicky felt the urge to mock the child, so he pulled a scary face, causing tears to well up in Gohan's eyes.
"Look, kid. I came for..." Nicky stopped speaking when something flew toward him quickly, striking his abdomen, pushing his body hard, and sending him through the wall. He landed outside.
"I won't let the bogeyman hurt my mom and dad!" Gohan shouted as he scrambled to his feet and rubbed his head. It was the same arm he had suddenly used to strike the demon in a burst of bravery.
"I mustn't cry. I mustn't cry... I have to fight! Get away from my parents!" Gohan muttered, and then, screaming, he emitted a burst of wild, uncontrolled energy that swept away everything around him.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Wait, that tail, are you a Saiyan? Weren't they supposedly wiped out by a meteor? And aren't the remaining ones servants of that Freezer guy? Is this a world controlled by him?" Nicky asked nervously. The boy was too worked up to answer, though. He just stared at Nicky intently with teary eyes.
In the distance, three figures floated, watching the situation. Chi-Chi was nervous, moving as if she wanted to step forward before holding back. Raditz appeared indifferent, though his body stiffened momentarily when he heard the name Freezer.
Meanwhile, Goku observed the difference in power between his son and the demon. His son was undoubtedly weak, but his emotional outbursts temporarily gave him strength. Nicky, on the other hand, had a decent level of power and traces of combat experience.
"Goku, is it okay to let Gohan fight like this? Won't he wonder why his parents left him alone?" Chi-Chi asked anxiously. Goku shook his head as he circulated his energy, ready to step in at any moment.
"Gohan doesn't like to fight. I can tell, Chi-Chi. But he trains with me because he's driven by the desire to protect us, even though he's too young and weak to do so.
I want him to learn that no matter how much he dislikes fighting, if he decides to stand up for you, he must accept the responsibilities and consequences fully. If anything happens to me in the future, he'll properly take my place," Goku said seriously, causing Chi-Chi to nod in understanding.
'Come on, Gohan. I hope you learn that being a warrior isn't just about loving to fight. It's also about stepping up when you're needed. Now, stand up for your parents. I'll be there to help you through this trial at any moment,' Chi-Chi thought once she had calmed down and assessed the situation.
The magical power within her body wove itself into a devastating spell that would destroy Nicky the moment her precious son's life was at risk.