As Kinto'un carried them away from the smoking ruins of the Red Ribbon headquarters, Lunch returned to normal size and pulled out the Dragon Radar.
"That's weird," she said, tapping the device. "The last Dragon Ball isn't showing up."
Goku glanced at it. "Is it broken?"
"I don't think so. The other six are still—wait, what's that?"
Below them, a Capsule Corp plane sat in a clearing, with a familiar group of people standing around it. As Kinto'un descended, they could see Roshi, Bulma, Yamcha, Krillin, Pu'ar, and Oolong, all geared up like they were heading to war.
"Goku!" Krillin shouted, waving. "We came to help you fight the Red Ribbon Army!"
"Yeah!" Yamcha added, cracking his knuckles. "We figured even you couldn't take on an entire army alone—"
"Oh, he already destroyed them," Lunch said casually, examining her nails. "The whole base. Nothing left but a crater."
Everyone froze.
"WHAT?!" Bulma shrieked. "You destroyed the entire Red Ribbon Army?!"
"By yourself?!" Krillin's jaw dropped.
"It was amazing!" Lunch gushed, her eyes lighting up. "He made this compressed energy ball and threw it like a baseball! The explosion was bigger than a mountain! You should've seen the mushroom cloud!"
"A mushroom cloud?" Roshi stroked his beard, looking impressed.
"Whatever," Bulma huffed, clearly annoyed. "More importantly, the radar's acting up. Let me see it."
She snatched the device from Lunch and began examining it, pulling out tools from her capsule case. After several minutes of tinkering, she shook her head.
"There's nothing wrong with it. The seventh ball just... isn't registering."
"Maybe something swallowed it?" Oolong suggested.
"Or it's inside something that blocks the signal," Yamcha added.
Roshi cleared his throat. "I know someone who could help. Fortuneteller Baba. She can divine the location of anything... for a price."
"Then let's go," Goku said, calling Kinto'un.
"Wait!" Bulma grabbed his arm. "You've been traveling alone with Lunch for days! I'm coming too!"
"There's no room on Kinto'un for three people," Goku pointed out.
"Then we'll all take the plane!" Bulma declared, already heading toward it.
"All of us?" Yamcha looked at the small aircraft skeptically. "That's going to be cramped."
"I don't care! We're all going!" Bulma insisted, her jealousy barely concealed.
Minutes later, they were all crammed into the plane like sardines. Yamcha piloted while Bulma had positioned herself right next to Goku, practically sitting on him. Lunch was pressed against the window, glaring. Krillin was squished between Roshi and Oolong, while Pu'ar had to sit on Yamcha's head.
"This is ridiculous," Goku muttered, barely able to move.
"Shut up! We're a team!" Bulma said, though her real motivation was transparent to everyone.
"How far is this Baba person?" Oolong wheezed.
"About three hours," Roshi replied, his face pressed against the glass.
Everyone groaned.
The plane finally touched down in a strange landscape—rocky outcroppings mixed with grass plains, with a serene lake reflecting the sky. In the distance stood an odd structure: a stone bridge leading to a circular arena platform, and beyond that, a castle-like building that seemed to defy architectural logic.
Everyone practically exploded out of the plane, gasping for air.
"Finally!" Oolong wheezed, falling to his knees. "I thought I was going to die!"
"My legs are asleep," Krillin complained, shaking them out.
Lunch stretched and immediately moved toward Goku. "That was rough"
Bulma quickly inserted herself between them.
As they approached the bridge, they found a long line of rough-looking fighters mixed with... ghosts? Translucent figures floated among the living, maintaining order in the queue.
"What the hell?" Goku muttered, looking at the line that stretched back forever.
Roshi remained conspicuously silent, stroking his beard and avoiding eye contact.
"Fuck this," Goku said, already walking away. "I'm taking a nap. Wake me when it's our turn."
He found a shady spot and sat down. Lunch sneezed—her hair turning blue—and immediately hurried over.
"Goku! You look tired. Here," she sat down and patted her lap. "You can rest on me."
Goku laid his head on her thighs. "Thanks."
Bulma saw this and practically steamed. "That's inappropriate! We're in public!"
"So?" Blue Lunch said innocently, playing with Goku's hair.
"So—so—" Bulma couldn't find a good argument and just stood there fuming.
An hour later, their turn finally came. The fighters ahead of them limped out, badly beaten and demoralized.
"Next!" a ghost announced.
They entered to find a tiny old woman floating on a crystal ball, cackling to herself.
"Welcome! I am the all-knowing Fortuneteller Baba!"
"Great," Krillin said eagerly. "We need you to find a Dragon Ball for us."
"Certainly! That'll be ten million zenis!"
Everyone's jaw dropped—except Goku, who was calculating something, and Bulma, whose family could actually afford it.
"No problem," Goku said, starting toward the door. "I'll go rob a bank and be right back."
"WHAT?!" Krillin launched himself at Goku, wrapping his arms around his waist. "You can't rob a bank!"
"Why not? It's the fastest way."
"It's illegal!"
"So?" Goku tried to shake him off. "Fine. Hey, old lady—if you tell me where the ball is, I'll ask Shenron to make you beautiful."
"I'M ALREADY BEAUTIFUL!" Baba shrieked, her crystal ball glowing red with anger.
"Could've fooled me," Goku muttered.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
"Nothing. So what do you want?"
Baba calmed herself, a sly grin spreading across her wrinkled face. "I only care about two things: money and watching good fights. So here's my proposition—defeat my five fighters, and I'll divine your ball's location for free."
"Fighters?" Roshi suddenly looked worried.
"That's right! Five of the strongest warriors from this world and the next!" She cackled. "If you lose even once, you pay full price!"
"Deal," Goku said immediately. "This nap made me restless anyway."
"Goku, wait!" Bulma protested. "We should discuss—"
"Too late!" Baba interrupted. "The contract is sealed! Prepare yourselves for my first fighter!"
"I'll go first!" Krillin said confidently, stepping onto the arena.
Fangs the Vampire appeared, cape swirling dramatically. "I'll suck your blood dry!"
The fight was messy. Krillin held his own but struggled when Fangs turned into a bat. The vampire managed to bite Krillin, only to immediately spit it out.
"Your blood tastes terrible! Like garlic!"
"I ate garlic bread for lunch!" Krillin grinned, then kicked Fangs into the air.
"let's krilin !" Lunch said, standing next to goku.
Bulma squeezed between them. "Krillin's doing great!"
Eventually, Krillin won by turning Fangs into a bat and smacking into the water.
Next came Invisible Man vs yamcha, after a difficult fight for yamcha and help from Goku to pinpoint where he was yamcha won.
For the third match, Yamcha stepped up against the Mummy.
The mummy was legitimately strong. Yamcha's Wolf Fang Fist barely made him flinch. The fight went back and forth, with Yamcha eventality giving up.
It was Goku's turn. He stepped onto the arena. "You can do it, Goku!" said blue-haired Launch. "You better not lose!" called out Bulma.
The fight began as the mummy launched his bandages to grab Goku, but Goku vanished, appearing directly in front of his opponent and delivering a palm strike that sent him flying off the stage. Baba was shocked, while Yamcha felt both impressed and a little disappointed by how much Goku had shown the growing gap between them.
"Oh ho ho!" Baba cackled. "My next fighter is special! Meet Spike the Devil Man!"
A tall, demonic figure emerged, his presence making the temperature drop.
Spike darted in with a vicious swipe, but Goku tilted his head, letting the claws pass harmlessly by. A sharp elbow to Spike's gut sent the devil man staggering. Every punch Spike threw was caught, redirected, or punished with a counter that rattled his bones. The fight wasn't even close — Goku weaved around him with ease, grinning faintly as he ducked low, swept Spike's legs out from under him, and then slammed him flat on his back with one hand. "You're too slow," he said flatly, dusting off his palms as Spike struggled to rise.
"My Devilmite Beam," Spike announced dramatically, raising his hand, "kills anyone with even a trace of evil in their heart! The more evil you have, the more explosive your death!"
Goku froze mid-step. Actually, genuinely froze.
*Oh fuck.*
Spike began forming his attack. "DEVILMITE BEAM!"
The spiral of dark energy shot toward Goku, who for the first time in this world saw his death coming. Not from power, but from the sheer amount of shit he'd done—the people he'd manipulated, the wives he'd seduced.
"FUCK THAT!" Goku's hand shot up, a ki blast erupting from his palm. The two beams collided, but Goku's was stronger, blasting through and sending Spike flying backward into the wall with a crash.
Everyone stood in shocked silence.
"Did... did you just overpower the Devilmite Beam?" Baba's jaw dropped.
"I'm not dying to some moral judgment bullshit!" Goku said, sweating slightly. "I know exactly what kind of scumbag I am, thanks!"
"Who's the last fighter?" Goku said.
Then came the last fight.
"And now, my final fighter!" Baba announced. "The Masked Fighter!"
The moment Baba called him forth, a small man emerged wearing a Chinese gi and a cat mask, with a halo floating above his head.
As he stepped into the arena, Goku's strong sense of smell immediately picked up his scent. It hit him like a wave—that warm, nostalgic feeling flooding through him.
The Masked Fighter suddenly dashed forward, launching a rapid series of punches. Goku, still confused by the familiar feeling, took a moment to regain his wits before starting to weave and dodge through all of them—left, right, duck, lean.
"Why isn't Goku attacking back?" Bulma whispered.
"He seems... distracted?" Krillin observed.
Goku clenched his fist and threw it toward the Masked Fighter, who barely dodged it, the punch grazing his mask. The fighter immediately circled behind Goku and grabbed his tail with all his might, squeezing hard.
"He got his tail!" Yamcha shouted. "Goku's done for!"
But nothing happened. Goku's tail, now trained and strong, lifted the Masked Fighter off the ground.
"What?!" Everyone gasped.
Goku slammed him hard against the stone floor, creating cracks in the arena. He turned, fist raised, ready to pummel the fighter's face—
"You trained your weakness, Goku."
Goku's fist stopped inches from impact. His eyes went wide, his whole body freezing.
"O-old man... Gohan?"
Grandpa Gohan smiled faintly, getting up. "Took you long enough."
Goku blinked, confused at the sudden flood of emotions he didn't know how to process. Warmth, relief, sorrow, all tangled up in ways he couldn't untangle.
They kept fighting, but now their battle was less about blows and more about words. Gohan spoke to him between strikes, his voice calm.
"You've grown strong, Goku. Stronger than I ever imagined."
"…Yeah," Goku answered shortly, like a child responding to his elder. His usual cocky tone was gone.
"You're faster. Sharper. And you don't waste energy. Good. You listened to the lessons, even after I was gone."
"…Yeah."
The final question came when they broke apart, both standing still on opposite sides of the arena.
"Tell me, Goku…" Gohan asked softly. "…Have you gotten used to this world?"
The words froze Goku in place. He stared, eyes widening. That wasn't a normal question. That was the question. The kind that revealed Gohan had always known.
For a heartbeat, no one else heard a thing. To the rest, it looked like a silent standoff. Only Goku heard the words, and he was too stunned to answer.
The others grew restless.
"What's going on?" Krillin asked.
"Why are they just… staring at each other?" Yamcha muttered.
Roshi suddenly stepped forward, sighing. "Because that's not just any fighter. That's Son Gohan—my disciple. And Goku's grandfather."
The group gasped.
After that, the fight eased into quiet. Gohan walked over, patting Goku's shoulder before turning to Roshi. "long time no see, Master?"
Roshi chuckled. "yeah."
Finally, Gohan turned back to Goku. His expression was gentle, though tinged with sadness. "You've done well, my boy. Stronger than me, stronger than I ever could've hoped. Don't lose sight of yourself, no matter how far you go."
"…Yeah," Goku said again, his voice quieter than anyone had ever heard it.
Gohan gave one last smile, his body beginning to fade into the mist. "Goodbye, Goku."
And then he was gone.
Goku stood still for a long moment. His usual grin never came. Instead, he let out a slow breath.
"…Guess I settled things, huh?" he muttered, eyes softer than before.
As Gohan's form faded into the afterlife, everyone stood in silence for a moment, still processing what they'd just witnessed.
Krillin was the first to break it, running toward Baba with a huge smile on his face. "We won! Can you tell us where the last Dragon Ball is?"
Baba clicked her tongue, clearly not happy about losing her bet. But there was satisfaction in her eyes from the fights she'd witnessed. Her gaze lingered on Goku, specifically on his tail swaying behind him.
"Well?" Bulma pressed. "A deal's a deal."
Goku, still feeling strange from seeing Gohan, clapped his hands impatiently. "Go on, granny!"
"WHO DO YOU CALL GRANNY?!" Baba shrieked, her crystal ball glowing red with indignation.
"Just tell us where it is already," Goku said, his usual rudeness returning to cover whatever he was feeling.
Baba huffed, composing herself. "Fine! A deal's a deal." She waved her hands over her crystal ball, which began to glow with mystical energy. Images swirled within its depths.
"Thank you, Baba," Roshi said formally to his sister.
A figure dropped from above like a meteor trying to punch Goku.
Goku's instincts screamed. He back stepped backward just as a fist cratered the ground where he'd been standing. The impact sent stone fragments flying, dust billowing outward.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Yamcha shouted.
Through the settling dust, a figure straightened. Small, maybe Goku's height. Wearing loose martial arts clothes with a cloth-wrapped something around their waist like a belt. Their hair was hidden under a bandana, but their face...
That expression. Pure excitement. An innocent joy at finding something interesting. A wide grin that somehow held no malice despite just trying to cave his head in.
"Strong!" the figure said who seems to be a little girl, bouncing on her toes like an excited child. "You're really strong!"
"Who the fuck are you?!" Goku demanded. He'd sensed her only at the last second.
She lunged forward with explosive speed. Yamcha suddenly jumped between them, stance ready. "I'll handle this!"
"Rogafufuken !" His hands blurred in the signature technique.
The girl vanished mid-strike. Yamcha's eyes widened as she reappeared behind him, not even glancing his way, already moving toward Goku.
"Hey! Don't ignore me!" Yamcha spun to follow, but she was already there.
"Alright little girl, you asked for it!" Goku said.
She clenched her fist, stopping right in front of Goku. Using the momentum, she rotated her entire upper body, coiling like a spring, her right fist aimed directly at his face with maximum power behind it.
Goku clenched his own fist, throwing it forward to meet hers.
The collision created a shockwave that blasted Yamcha backward, sending him tumbling across the arena floor. The stone cracked beneath their feet from the impact.
Goku was shocked. Here in front of him, fist pressed against his, she was smiling with pure excitement. No pain, no fear—just joy.
He let out a small smirk despite himself.
She grabbed his wrist with both hands and brought both legs up for a dropkick to his chest. Goku leaned his upper body back, her legs cutting through air with such force it created wind that ruffled everyone's hair. Before she could recover, his free hand grabbed her face and drove her down, smashing her into the concrete with brutal force.
CRACK!
The impact created a crater, her head embedded in the stone.
"Even against girls he doesn't hold back!" Bulma shouted.
Goku kept pressing, his hand pinning her head into the concrete. Then her leg whipped up flexibly, heel striking behind his ear. It didn't hurt, but the precise hit to his equilibrium made him dizzy for a second. His grip loosened.
She pulled free, breathing harder but still smiling. Everyone stood stunned at the intensity.
"Fun! This is fun!" she laughed, wiping blood from her lip like it was nothing.
Goku's tail swayed with excitement he didn't want to acknowledge.
She disappeared again. Only Goku could track her movement—she was aiming for his stomach, fist clenched tight. He stood perfectly still, letting it come.
Her punch connected with his abs, creating a sound like thunder.
"Huh?! Why didn't you dodge?" She tilted her head up, confused.
Goku looked down at her with a menacing smirk. "This is how you punch."
He pulled his fist back and drove it into her stomach. She was lifted off the ground, eyes bulging, spit flying from her mouth. She crashed down on her knees, coughing violently.
"SON-KUN, SHE'S A GIRL!" Bulma yelled.
"She got me excited," Goku responded flatly.
"At that level, boy or girl doesn't matter," Oolong muttered.
But the girl was already getting up, using her hands to push off the ground. Same excited expression, but now with a hint of fascination in her eyes.
"You're the strongest I've met!" she declared, looking at him like he was the most amazing thing in the world.
"Baba, who is this?!" Bulma demanded.
Baba watched silently.
"She quit good!" Roshi shouted.
She was completely focused on Goku, that innocent excitement radiating from every movement. Like a kid who'd found the perfect playmate "hey can you-".
Finally, Baba raised her crystal ball. "Enough!"
She pouted—actually pouted—like a child told playtime was over.
"But Grandma—"
"I said enough," Baba's tone was firm but fond. "These are guests."
"Grandma?!" everyone shouted.
The fighter walked back to Baba's side, still bouncing slightly, stealing excited glances at Goku.
"Who is that?" Goku asked, disturbed by how strong those attacks where.
"My... Granddaughter" Baba said carefully. "Gets excited about strong fighters. You'll have to forgive her enthusiasm."
"Enthusiasm? She tried to kill me!"
"No!" She protested, looking genuinely upset at the accusation. "Just wanted to play! You're the strongest person I've seen! Well, except for Grandma when she's mad..."
That innocent tone, the pure excitement about fighting, the complete lack of malice despite the violence—it was unsettling in how... pure she was.
"What's your name?" Bulma asked.
She opened her mouth, but Baba cut in. "That's not important. I've found your Dragon Ball's location."
"Great, I'll go" Goku said, still eyeing the mysterious fighter warily.
As he prepared to leave, the fighter waved enthusiastically. "Bye! Let's play again sometime!"
"Play?" Goku muttered.
Goku glanced back. She was still watching him, that innocent grin never fading.
Goku jumped on Kinto'un, ready to head for the ocean coordinates. But Baba flew after him on her crystal ball.
"Wait!" she called out. "If you want, after getting the Dragon Ball, you can come back and—"
"I'm not interested in grannies," Goku said flatly.
"IT'S NOT THAT!" Baba shrieked, her face red. "You could come back here and fight her again."
Goku looked back at the little girl standing by the arena, who was still watching him with that eager, innocent excitement. He kept his face neutral, pensive.

"I'll think about it," he said.
Then he flew off in the direction of the Dragon Ball, leaving Baba behind. Once he was far enough away, alone on Kinto'un above the clouds, Goku lifted his shirt to examine his stomach.
There it was—a bruise. An actual bruise where her punch had connected. His abs, which had taken Taopaipai's Dodonpa without a mark, were bruised by that girl's fist.
His hands started trembling from pure excitement. His tail swayed erratically behind him.
*Of course I'm coming back,*