Time flew by, and another year had passed.
Year 755, autumn.
---
"Yo, I'm Goku."
"I trained all day again today, and now I'm starving—Bulma, is the food ready yet?"
"This looks amazing! What a lifesaver..."
"Huh? You want me (munch, munch) to introduce these? (gulp) How would I know what they are? (munch, munch) As long as (chew, chew, chew) they taste good, that's what matters..."
Inside a luxurious mansion, Bulma sat lazily in her loungewear, looking relaxed and casual. On the table in front of her, a tablet played a video.
On the screen, Goku—now looking almost like a young adult—was surrounded by a mountain of food, devouring it like a starving beast.
The entire video had no cuts, no fast-forwarding, yet the speed at which he ate was downright terrifying, almost absurd...
His incredible martial arts reflexes granted him unmatched speed and precision, causing the food in front of him to vanish before the viewer's very eyes. The empty plates and bowls stacked up chaotically yet rhythmically as the feast continued.
This video had already surpassed 2 billion views.
The content creator "Goku" had become a globally recognized competitive eater. Just as Bulma had predicted the previous year, Goku was now a top-tier internet celebrity. The revenue from his food challenge videos alone was a staggering amount—though to Bulma, it was just pocket change.
Her real sense of achievement came from single-handedly making Goku famous and getting him used to the idea of "filming himself eating and earning money from it."
It felt like raising a pet project.
Bulma smirked, flicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she scrolled through the comments. The section was already a lively mess.
"Watching Goku eat makes my plain bread suddenly look a lot more appetizing."
"The Empire's most fearsome starving tiger!"
"This is terrifying—are you sure the video isn't sped up?"
"Did the creator take steroids? How did his appearance change so much in just a year?!"
"Rumor has it someone dug up his past—Goku is actually a former World Martial Arts Tournament champion..."
Bulma scrolled through the comments for a while, liking a few particularly flattering ones. Of course, she was the one managing the account. After that, she set the tablet aside and stretched with a satisfied yawn.
After brewing a cup of coffee, she wandered outside the gravity room, where she found Aunt Gine and little Chi-Chi, who were currently staying over at her place.
"What's going on?" Bulma asked, taking a sip of the steaming coffee.
At the same time, she fished around in the loose pocket of her pajamas, pulling out a pair of tinted sunglasses and slipping them on.
Gine spoke up, "The... Earth's Kami said he's ready for me to officially succeed him. So, I came to say goodbye to Goku."
"The Kami, huh..." Bulma muttered, finding the whole thing surreal. She took another sip of coffee to steady herself, then noticed the graceful black-haired girl beside Gine. "Chi-Chi, are you going too? To that… what's it called, the Lookout?"
Chi-Chi nodded. She was gazing through the gravity room window.
"Uh, isn't the Lookout really high up? It must be freezing," Bulma asked with the most normal thought process imaginable. "Want me to make you some warm clothes? Don't worry, I can make them super lightweight."
Gine chuckled and waved her hand. "No need. Chi-Chi's gotten pretty strong herself."
"Really..." Bulma slurped her coffee, then, like Chi-Chi, turned to peer through the gravity room window.
She raised a finger and tapped lightly on the alloy frame of her sunglasses.
"Beep beep."
Golden streams of data flickered across the tinted lenses. The sensors locked onto her line of sight, focusing on the scene inside the gravity room.
In the environment of 100 times normal gravity, Goku was balancing on one finger, his expression calm and completely unbothered. The system outlined his silhouette before a number popped up on the display:
"200,000."
"Huh, he hasn't used any Senzu Beans?" Bulma's gaze shifted to a special table inside the room, where a small box full of Senzu Beans remained untouched.
Gine explained, "Bardock once told me that to maximize the power increase from using Senzu Beans after near-death experiences, you need to let the energy build up over time. The longer and more accumulated the strain, the stronger the boost."
"So, basically, you can't just exploit a bug to cheat… otherwise, the effects will get weaker over time?" Bulma mused. "I don't fully get it, but reaching a battle power of 200,000 without using Senzu Beans is still pretty impressive!"
That was something Raditz could never achieve, she thought with a chuckle.
Gine gazed fondly at her son, who was deeply focused on his training. Smiling softly, she murmured, "Goku might grow into a warrior even stronger than his father..."
---
Gine, along with her disciple Chi-Chi, arrived at the Lookout.
Piccolo gave a brief explanation before walking to the edge of the platform. For one last time, he gazed down at the world from the perspective of the Earth's Kami, his eyes lingering on Goku, who was training in West City.
If this is all you amount to... you're hardly worth Master's praise.
Piccolo thought to himself before suddenly speaking.
"Gine, Goku is going to participate in next year's World Martial Arts Tournament, isn't he?"
Having assumed the position of Earth's Kami, Gine naturally gained mastery over certain mystical arts. Dressed in a white godly robe, she was examining herself when she heard the previous Guardian's question. She paused for a moment before responding, "I'm not sure, but at the very least, he'll be there to watch." After all, Goku had made a promise to Yamiru—to settle their score in the World Martial Arts Tournament.
"I see. That's good." Piccolo discarded the wooden staff in his hand, feeling a newfound lightness. "Tell Goku that if he hasn't managed to transform into a Super Saiyan by then, he'd better not enter the tournament…"
"He'll get beaten up!"
Raising his hand in farewell to the new Kami and the ever-faithful Mr. Popo, Piccolo leaped off the Lookout, soaring toward the northern wastelands with the wind beneath his cape.
What a strange guy… Gine and Chi-Chi watched him leave, thinking the same thing.
With Mr. Popo as their guide, Gine and Chi-Chi began exploring the Lookout.
Well, most of the places were quite dull…
"The Hyperbolic Time Chamber?"
They stopped outside a door in the lower section of the Lookout. As Mr. Popo explained the room's peculiar nature, Gine couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
"One day outside is a whole year inside… I wonder if Raditz would be interested in this?"
"And what about Goku…"
Gine had simple reasons for accepting the role of Kami. First, it suited her personality—back on Planet Vegeta, she had worked in a meat processing facility doing logistical work. Second, this position was perfect for helping her family establish a secure foothold. And third, of course, it provided certain conveniences for her loved ones.
Now, upon learning of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber's unique benefits, she immediately thought of her two sons.
"Bardock once trained in this chamber," Mr. Popo noted. "It was here that he successfully transformed into a Super Saiyan."
---
Northern Earth, Yunzebit Heights.
High in the sky, Piccolo's cape flapped in the wind as he gazed down expressionlessly. Below him, the land was barren and empty.
The white, insect-shaped spaceship that he once called "home" was gone.
Had someone else found it and taken it? Or had it been dismantled?
Piccolo pondered for a moment without much sentimentality. Before long, he turned and flew toward Mount Five Elements.
Whoosh—Piccolo streaked through the sky like a green lightning bolt, his eyes locked on the horizon.
---
Inside the gravity chamber, drenched in sweat, Goku suddenly heard something—his mother, Gine, speaking to him through telepathy from the Lookout.
Goku was startled. His mother sounded excited, probably because this was the first time she was using this ability…
---
"The Hyperbolic Time Chamber?"
Somewhere on Earth, Raditz spat out a bone in surprise as his mother's voice echoed in his mind.
---
Whoosh—Piccolo shot over towering mountain ranges.
---
At Kame House, Krillin had returned from Korin Tower and was continuing his training under Master Roshi—mostly because he had nowhere else to go and no money for a place of his own.
Facing the vast ocean, the bald fighter focused his energy.
"Kame… hame…"
Having recently gained a better grasp of ki, he realized that the once-familiar technique still held countless mysteries to explore.
Master Roshi, reclining in a lounge chair and flipping through an adult magazine, chuckled.
"…ha!!"
---
Splashes erupted as white sea foam shot into the air, and a fish leaped from the water.
A path split through the ocean as Piccolo dashed over the waves at breakneck speed.
---
Goku and Raditz arrived at the Lookout one after the other. Gine and Chi-Chi were already waiting for them.
Raditz, as always, remained cool and composed, while Goku grinned as he greeted them. After taking a few steps forward, he suddenly paused and turned his gaze toward the sky…
---
In the depths of space, a "shooting star" streaked across the void.
At its forefront was a spherical spacecraft.
Silently, it glided past one star cluster after another…
---
Piccolo zipped over a vast forest, the pressure from his flight creating a path through the trees below.
'I need to grow even stronger…' His eyes were sharp, and his senses reached out toward Mount Five Elements, where he could detect only Lady Annin and Joey. That other ki must belong to Goku's grandfather.
There was no trace of his master's presence anymore…
---
At Mount Five Elements, the Supreme Elderly Lord sat with Grandpa Gohan and Joey, happily enjoying a hot pot feast, laughter filling the air.
---
What kind of world has Master ascended to?
And the Goku he acknowledged…
Boom!
Piccolo's eyes narrowed, his aura exploding instantly. A fierce white flame erupted from his body, and he shot into the sky faster and faster, leaving a dense trail in the air as he sped toward Mount Five Elements.
---
Inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Goku and Raditz were locked in an intense battle.
---
In West City, a blonde woman was applying makeup in front of a mirror when her phone suddenly vibrated. The screen lit up, showing the date: Year 756, May 7th, 8:00 AM.
A new message notification.
---
The animal mask made a "crack" sound as a small fissure appeared.
Behind the mask, a pair of golden eyes snapped open!
---
Bulma: Hurry up, sis, we're about to leave for Papaya Island. Are you really going to leave me alone?
Tights smiled and replied: Alright, I'll be right there.
She put the phone down and gazed out at the clear sky, a breeze brushing past her, ruffling her golden hair.
It's a beautiful day.
---
Boom!
A meteor streaked through the atmosphere, crashing to the ground like a meteorite, creating a huge conical crater, from which a thin wisp of smoke rose.
Crack, hiss…
At the bottom of the crater, the spherical spacecraft opened, and from the hot air rushing out, a bloodstained glove reached out.
---
At Mount Five Elements, two golden beams of light shot up into the sky, tearing through the gathering dark clouds, as if illuminating the entire universe…
Or perhaps, all of the universes.