After Taopaipai's defeat, Goku scaled the tower with inhuman speed, Lunch clinging to his collar as the ground disappeared into clouds below. Hours of relentless climbing brought them to the summit—a peculiar bowl-shaped platform with a hole leading inside. They entered to find a modest dwelling: simple furniture, earthen jars lining the walls, and a narrow staircase spiraling upward.
Near an ancient statue at the room's center sat a small flask, its contents glowing faintly in the dim light.
"This must be that sacred water that made The Tao stronger," Lunch said, holstering her gun as she examined the bottle.
"Yeah, I guess..." Goku's voice carried a note of disinterest as he barely glanced at it.
"Aren't you gonna drink it?"
"Why?" He turned away. "To become stronger in a world where I'm already the strongest?"
His string of effortless victories had bred a dangerous overconfidence.
"There is always someone stronger than you..."
The voice materialized from nowhere. Lunch whipped out her gun, spinning frantically to locate its source, but Goku remained perfectly still, only his eyes moving.
"That's what they say..." Goku slowly turned toward the voice's origin. "And are you supposed to be that someone?"
First came the rhythmic tapping of a staff against stone. Then, from the shadows, emerged a large white cat walking upright, wisdom etched into his weathered features.
"My name is Korin." The cat approached with measured steps, his staff clicking against the floor. "Are you certain you don't want this sacred water?"
Goku's eyes flicked to the flask dismissively. "Not interested."
Korin studied him with ancient eyes. "I see... Let me read your mind. Perhaps I'll discover your true desires."
"You can read minds?" Goku scoffed, though curiosity flickered beneath his skepticism. "I don't believe you."
"Oh, but I can." Korin extended his paw toward Goku's face, and the air seemed to thicken with mystical energy.
Images began flowing through Korin's consciousness—but instead of memories or thoughts, he encountered only an endless void, a darkness so complete it seemed to swallow light itself. The sensation struck him like lightning, forcing him to recoil.
*I can't read him... How is this possible? I must consult Kami-sama about this...*
"So, are you done?" Goku asked mockingly. "How many fingers am I holding behind my back?"
Korin struggled to regain his composure. "This isn't some cheap trick to impress children!"
"It was one," Goku said, pulling his hand forward to reveal his middle finger extended toward Korin's face.
Lunch burst into laughter while Korin's whiskers twitched with irritation before he forced himself to calm.
"Anyway, this was a waste of time. Let's go, Lunch," Goku said, already turning to leave.
"Right behind you!"
But Korin's curiosity burned too bright to let them leave so easily. With surprising agility, he hooked the flask with his staff and held it aloft. "I know you don't want the water... but can you even catch me to take it?"
He knew Goku wasn't interested, but something about this boy demanded testing. Perhaps appealing to his pride would work.
"I'm faster than you, I'm certain of it."
"Huh?" Goku stopped. "The pink guy got it from you, and I was faster than him. What makes you think you stand a chance?"
"Because I'm the one who *gave* it to him... And I know your limits because you took your sweet time climbing this tower."
Goku's eyebrow twitched—the first crack in his confident facade.
*I'll test him and humble him. Show him that others are far stronger than he imagines,* Korin thought.
"Fine! I'll play your game, you mangy cat," Goku said, his stance shifting subtly.
"I'm not a cat—wait, I mean, I'm not mangy!" Korin protested, but his words died as he felt it—an overwhelming presence that made the air itself seem to flee. When Goku got serious, reality itself seemed to hold its breath.
The cat's eyes widened as he truly looked at the boy before him. Then—nothing. Only settling dust where Goku had stood.
Korin saw nothing, but primal instinct screamed at him to *move*. His muscles coiled and released, launching him sideways just as Goku's hand carved through the space he'd occupied, his fingers cutting through air before striking the ground with enough force to crack the ancient stone.
Korin landed in his new position, heart racing as he watched Goku straighten from his strike. The cat couldn't believe it—he hadn't moved because he'd seen the attack coming. He'd moved from pure, animalistic fear.
"Y-you missed," Korin managed, fighting to keep his voice steady. "You still need training."
But when he saw Goku's hand, white fur drifting from between his fingers like snow, understanding dawned. His paw went to his arm, finding a perfect circle where fur had been plucked clean. Goku hadn't been aiming for the flask at all—he'd been making a point.
"Yeah... I have to admit," Goku said, examining the fur before letting it drift away, "you're the fastest person I've met."
The words should have been a compliment, but they sent ice through Korin's spine. This boy was something else entirely, and the fact that his mind remained unreadable only amplified the danger.
*I need to end this game before—*
Goku moved again, and this time Korin's body betrayed him—too terrified to respond. The boy materialized directly in front of him, hand raised, fingers curved like claws reaching for Korin's face. Time crystallized as those fingers approached, death inches away—
"SON-KUN, HURRY AND GET BACK HERE! WHAT ARE YOU AND LUNCH DOING THERE?!"
Bulma's voice crackled from Lunch's watch, shattering the moment. Goku's hand stopped a hair's breadth from Korin's face.
"You heard her," Lunch said, tapping the watch.
"Yeah, she can be scary," Goku replied, his killing intent evaporating as quickly as it had appeared.
Korin remained frozen, that hand still poised to end his centuries of life. Then, almost gently, Goku's fingers moved—not to strike, but to pluck a single whisker from Korin's face.
"Ouch!"
Goku stepped aside, allowing himself a small smirk as he flicked the whisker away. "I won."

Lunch shrank down and grabbed onto Goku's shoulder. "Let's finish with the Red Ribbon Army and head back. She gets annoying if we're late." Goku said.
Without another word, Goku leaped from the tower's edge, plummeting toward the earth below.
Korin stood alone in his sanctuary, one paw touching his missing whisker, his ancient mind struggling to process what had just occurred. In all his centuries, he had never encountered anything quite like that boy.
That child wasn't just out of this world—he was something that perhaps shouldn't exist in it at all.
Korin stood frozen, beads of sweat rolling down his white fur as the image of Goku remained burned into his mind—those empty eyes, that predatory smile, the casual way he'd plucked his whisker as if deciding whether to spare his life or end it.
With trembling paws, he gripped his staff and closed his eyes, concentrating to establish a telepathic connection that he rarely used—one that reached to the very top of the world itself.
"I already know why you're contacting me." The voice was ancient, weary, carrying the weight of countless years watching over the Earth.
"Kami-sama!" Korin's mental voice cracked with urgency. "The feeling that boy gave me... it was just like—"
"Enough!" The word thundered through their connection. "Just keep an eye on him. When the time comes, we will act."
"But!" Korin's fear bled through the link. "I'm afraid if we don't act now, it might be too—"
"I said ENOUGH!"
The connection severed abruptly, leaving Korin alone with his racing thoughts. He moved to the tower's edge, gazing at the horizon where that terrifying child had disappeared. His paw unconsciously touched the spot where his whisker had been torn away.
*Kami-sama knows something,* Korin thought, his ancient wisdom warring with primal fear. *Something about that boy that he's not telling me.*
Halfway to the ground, Goku's hands and feet found purchase on the tower's surface, his descent transforming into a controlled slide that sent sparks flying from the friction. Lunch's grip failed against the sudden deceleration, and she tumbled free, falling at a different speed. Without missing a beat, Goku caught her clothes between his teeth, adjusting his trajectory as the ground rushed up to meet them.
They landed with barely a sound, dust settling around them as Upa came running, his face bright with excitement at seeing his "strong big brother" again.
"Did you make it to the top? Did you see Korin-sama?!" the boy asked breathlessly.
"Upa! Stop bothering them," Bora called out, though his tone held more amusement than reprimand.
Goku noticed a single strand of Korin's white fur clinging to his shirt. He plucked it carefully and handed it to Upa. "Here's a present for you. It's from the cat."
Upa's eyes widened with joy, clutching the precious memento as Goku and Lunch bid their farewells. Moments later, they were airborne on Kinto'un, following the radar's signal toward two Dragon Balls, unaware they were heading straight for the Red Ribbon Army's headquarters.
Lunch studied the radar, recognition dawning on her face. "This is their HQ!"
"Oh? Really?" Goku's voice carried a dangerous edge of anticipation. "That's... good."
"I know you're strong and can tank bullets, but this is an entire private army, Goku," she warned, an unusual note of concern creeping into her voice.
"That doesn't sound like you." He glanced back at her, a knowing smirk on his face. "I thought you thrived on chaos... Are you getting cold feet?"
Lunch's face flushed red, caught between genuine worry and her pride. In true tsundere fashion, she exploded: "WHAT?! Not at all! Let's fuck them up!" She shouted directly into his ear.
"OW! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"
"S-sorry..."
Soon, the mountainous terrain housing the Red Ribbon headquarters came into view. Inside the base, Commander Red watched the Dragon Ball signals approaching on his radar, excitement coursing through him.
"Taopaipai has returned," he announced confidently. "Send a helicopter to confirm."
The pilot's voice crackled over the radio: "Visual confirmation on Taopaipai—wait... IT'S NOT TAOPAIPAI! IT'S—"
The transmission cut to static as Goku flew straight through the helicopter, shielding Lunch with his body as the aircraft exploded in their wake. The message was clear: Taopaipai was finished, and the boy who'd been plaguing them had come to their doorstep.
Goku hovered above the base, watching soldiers scurry like ants below, desperately preparing defenses they believed might work.
"Tell me, Lunch..." His voice carried an unexpected melancholy as he observed the lives below. "Why is it so easy for me to burn everything to ashes, yet something in my mind tells me not to?"
She didn't meet his gaze. "I can't answer that... My only goal is chaos."
"I'm sorry, Lunch, but I'm not in the mood for killing today."
As he spoke, ki began coalescing in his palm—but this time was different. He concentrated harder, the energy ball growing larger than his head before he gripped it like a basketball and began compressing it. The sphere shrank smaller and smaller, trembling violently as waves of energy rippled outward. The more condensed it became, the more unstable it appeared.
When it reached the size of a golf ball, static electricity crackled around it, lending it an aura of barely-contained destruction.
"I'm sorry I can't give you chaos..." He drew his arm back like a pitcher. "But I hope this firework will please you!"
He hurled the compressed sphere toward the hangars and military vehicles below. The ball streaked through the air at impossible speed, a falling star of destruction. Fifty meters from impact, Goku clenched his fist.
Silence.
Then the world exploded.
The compressed energy expanded instantaneously, consuming everything within its radius. A mushroom cloud rose into the sky, dwarfing the mountains themselves. For a moment, there was only light and terrible beauty.
Then came the sound—a roar that shattered every window in the base, that knocked soldiers from their feet, that turned trees into matchsticks. The shockwave rolled outward, destroying communications arrays, flipping vehicles, and sending a clear message to every soul in the Red Ribbon Army:

*Don't even try to fight me.*
Inside the command center, alarms wailed as the mushroom cloud dominated every monitor. Commander Red's knuckles went white as he gripped his desk.
"WHAT?! And you idiots call yourselves the strongest army on Earth?!" Red's voice cracked with rage. "We've already lost half our troops!"
"Commander, you should retreat underground," Black said, maintaining his composure despite the chaos. "It's not safe here anymore."
"Don't make me laugh!" Red slammed his fist down. "Why should I retreat just because of a stupid kid?!"
"He's heading straight for Building 8, sir," a soldier reported, voice trembling. "He's after the Dragon Balls!"
"The Red Ribbon Army is invincible!" Red shouted, though sweat beaded on his forehead, betraying his fear.
Black stepped forward, his deep voice cutting through the hysteria. "Sir, we're in a bad situation. That 'Son Goku' kid possesses strength beyond our calculations. Not to mention most of our forces have already been eliminated while searching for the Dragon Balls..."
"Hand over the Dragon Balls!" Red turned, his face contorted with desperate fury. "I will NEVER—"
The building shook violently. Through the smoke and settling debris, they heard footsteps approaching—calm, measured, inevitable.
"Sir, we need to negotiate," Black urged. "Perhaps if we give him the Dragon Balls—"
"NEVER!" Red scrambled onto his chair, trying to look taller as he faced the door. "I need those Dragon Balls! Don't you understand? Once I get my wish, no one will ever look down on me again! I'll be the tallest—"
"The tallest?" Black's voice went cold. "You mean... all of this... all our sacrifice... was so you could be TALLER?"
Red's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. "No, I meant—"
BANG.
The gunshot echoed through the command center. Commander Red crumpled forward, a spreading red stain on his uniform matching his name one final time.
Black holstered his pistol just as the reinforced door exploded inward. Through the smoke stepped Goku, not even breathing hard, with Lunch following behind, her gun drawn but relaxed.
"Oh?" Goku tilted his head, looking at Red's body with mild interest. "You killed him for me?"
Black straightened his tie, stepping over his former commander's corpse without a second glance. "Son Goku. I'm Staff Officer Black—well, I suppose I'm Commander Black now." He spread his arms in a gesture of welcome. "I have a proposition for you."
Goku raised an eyebrow while Lunch moved past them both, kicking Red's body off the chair with casual disdain before sitting down herself.
"You've demonstrated power beyond anything this world has ever seen," Black continued, his voice smooth and calculating. "The Red Ribbon Army's resources, intelligence network, and technology combined with your strength... Together, we could rule this world. No government could oppose us. No army could stand against us."
Lunch pulled Goku onto her lap like a child—though the effect was more like a tiny mafia don.
"Rule the world?" Goku leaned back against Lunch, who smirked and played with his hair. "That's an interesting offer, Black."
Hope flickered in Black's eyes. "Then you'll—"
"I just have one question," Goku interrupted, his voice carrying that dangerous edge that made even Lunch's fingers pause. "Why exactly would I need you for that?"
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Black's confident expression cracked as Goku continued, still seated on Lunch's lap like a king on his throne. "So tell me, Black... what exactly are you offering that I couldn't just take?"
The new commander of the Red Ribbon Army stood frozen, finally understanding that he wasn't negotiating with a child or even a martial artist.
Goku slid off Lunch's lap with the casual indifference of a cat that had grown bored. "Anyway, I'm not interested."
The words deflated all the tension in the room like a punctured balloon. Black's carefully prepared arguments, his grand visions of conquest—all rendered meaningless by three words from a thirteen-year-old.
Goku walked to the desk where two Dragon Balls sat among strategic maps and military documents. He pocketed them without ceremony. "I'll be taking these."
Through the shattered window, Kinto'un drifted into view. Goku hopped onto the golden cloud as Lunch shrank down, grabbing onto his collar. He paused at the window frame, not even bothering to look back at Black.
"Just don't get in my way."
Then they were gone, leaving only settling dust and the acrid smell of smoke.
Commander Black stood frozen in his own command center, still paralyzed by the visceral fear from moments before. The most powerful military force in the world had been reduced to a footnote in this boy's day—not even worth conquering, just... irrelevant.