The engine roared as golden sand swirled through the air, forming a long trail of dust behind a speeding motorcycle.
The rider was a blonde girl wearing a protective helmet, her delicate strands of hair fluttering in the wind. Behind her, a four or five-year-old boy clung to her waist, his eyes calmly fixed on the road ahead.
"Hey, Raiga, we're almost at Baozi Mountain. I heard there are a lot of fierce beasts there, even hunters don't dare to go near. What if we run into danger?"
"With me here, every beast is just a future meal."
"That's true! Your martial arts skills are amazing."
It was early in the morning. The girl riding the motorcycle was Tights, Bulma's older sister—the same blonde girl who had been staying at Raiga's place.
This was the second day of Tights and Raiga's journey together.
After witnessing Raiga's impressive abilities the previous morning, Tights had been utterly fascinated. She shamelessly insisted on traveling with him, claiming it was for research—to gather inspiration for writing a best-selling novel.
Raiga originally had no intention of bringing along a tag-along, but considering she was Bulma's sister and the eldest daughter of Dr. Brief, he figured that having her around might be useful. After all, he would need Dr. Brief's help in the future to build a Dragon Radar.
The Brief family certainly had no shortage of courage—and a remarkable lack of concern for danger.
Tights, though young, was incredibly curious about everything, much like her sister Bulma. She loved adventure. Otherwise, she wouldn't have left home just to experience an ordinary person's life for the sake of her writing.
After learning about energy detectors, Tights bombarded Raiga with endless questions. He patiently explained various concepts related to combat power during their journey. However, this clueless woman still didn't realize that the concept of power levels came from an extraterrestrial standard—she thought it was some kind of secret ranking used in the martial arts world!
How foolish.
"You Saiyans really have a big appetite. You ate that giant bear in just a few bites! Good thing you're hiding out in a remote area, or you'd definitely scare people to death." Tights suddenly had a spark of inspiration. "An unstoppable eater with immense strength… Hmm, I should use that for my novel!"
Raiga yawned and leaned against Tights' back. Checking his energy detector, he saw that they were getting closer and closer to the energy source at Baozi Mountain.
"Raiga, tell me more about you Saiyans. Do all of you have tails? Doesn't that make daily life inconvenient? Oh, by the way, I have a little sister—she's younger than you but super smart!"
"Ugh, it's so hot today! I'm covered in sweat. We definitely need to find a place to bathe later. Ugh, I only have one spare outfit, so annoying! I'm definitely buying more when I get back."
Tights kept chattering away, while Raiga rolled his eyes repeatedly.
If only this woman could be a little quieter.
At the foot of Baozi Mountain, the road became increasingly rugged and difficult to traverse. The surrounding scenery grew more and more wild and untouched. When they finally reached a secluded valley surrounded by mountains, Raiga suddenly perked up.
"Stop the bike!" Raiga shouted.
Tights immediately slammed on the brakes. The motorcycle skidded on the gravel before coming to a stop. Turning her head, she asked, "Are we there? Wow, the person you're looking for sure lives in an out-of-the-way place."
Raiga jumped off the motorcycle, scanning the landscape ahead. "We're close. It should be around here."
Tights pressed a button on the bike, transforming it back into a capsule before stuffing it into her pocket. She glanced around at the deep, tranquil surroundings and suddenly felt a chill—the temperature here was two or three degrees lower than outside the mountains.
"Are you sure someone actually lives here?" Tights hugged her arms for warmth.
"You saw it on the energy detector, didn't you? Look, there's a signal reading of 142 combat power." Raiga started walking along the mountain path.
Tights sneezed and shivered. "But this place is way too remote… Aren't there lots of wild animals around—"
Before she could finish speaking, rustling sounds echoed from the nearby forest. Hidden among the trees, wolves, tigers, and leopards watched them with fierce eyes. A deep growl came from the shadows, and the sudden noise sent a flock of birds scattering into the sky. Tights paled with fear.
"You dare challenge me?!" Raiga's eyes flashed sharply as he released an intense, terrifying aura.
Instantly, his overwhelming presence spread in all directions. The surrounding beasts whimpered in fear and quickly turned tail, disappearing into the depths of the forest.
Tights' eyes widened in admiration. "Wow! That was amazing! Even wild animals are scared of you."
Raiga remained unimpressed, shaking his head. "That made too much noise. The person we're looking for definitely knows we're here now."
"Wait… can powerful martial artists sense each other from a distance? That's incredible! But if someone lives in a place like this, doesn't that mean they're probably a recluse?" She quickened her pace to keep up, her heart racing with excitement. It felt like she was stepping into a secret world—just like the hidden martial arts societies described in novels.
Before long, they emerged from the forest into a more open area. Ahead, nestled under the shade of a large tree, stood a small, neatly built stone-brick house.
"Finally!" Raiga let out a breath of relief. This was the home of Son Gohan.
"Someone really does live here! This must be a master martial artist's retreat." Tights smiled, curiously taking in the quiet, elegant surroundings. The air was fresh and filled with a faint, soothing fragrance. "What exactly are we here for? Are you going to challenge this guy to a fight?"
Raiga shot her a glance. "You've read too many novels."
"Hey! I actually write novels."
"No wonder they don't sell well."
Tights fumed. "You're so annoying, little brother! I'm just getting started, but one day, I'll definitely write a best-seller!"
Raiga ignored her complaints, instead checking his energy detector. A strong energy source was approaching. Looking up, he saw an elderly man with a ruddy complexion and a long beard, wearing an orange robe over his black martial arts gi. Carrying a bundle of firewood, the old man's sharp eyes briefly flashed with interest as he spotted them.
Found you, Son Gohan.
The elderly martial artist wore a hat atop his head, his outer robe swaying slightly as he approached.
"Well now, what brings two youngsters like you to Baozi Mountain?" Son Gohan's gaze swept over them, lingering on Raiga with a trace of curiosity. His martial artist's instincts told him that this boy was no ordinary child.
"We're looking for an orange-red orb with a few stars inside it. If you know where it is, please tell us," Raiga said straightforwardly.
Wait, weren't we here for a martial arts challenge?
Tights blinked at Raiga in confusion but kept her thoughts to herself.
"Oh, so you're looking for something." Son Gohan patted his robe, then pulled out a crystal-clear sphere about the size of a fist. "Is this what you're looking for?"
The translucent sphere gleamed in the sunlight, glowing a rich orange-red. Inside, four bright red stars shimmered—one of the legendary Dragon Balls. Raiga's eyes lit up, his breath quickening.
Even though he had never seen a Dragon Ball before, its unique appearance left no doubt in his mind.
This was it.