"Ugh… Where am I?"
Consciousness slowly returned, and the young man's eyes snapped open. He wasn't staring at the familiar ceiling of an octagonal cage but at a canopy of strange, towering trees. The air was thick with the fresh scent of soil and plants, and he could hear the gentle sound of a nearby stream.
He struggled to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over him, forcing him to lean on his hands. His gaze drifted to the clear stream beside him, and he froze. The face reflected in the water was not his own. It was a young boy with stiff, black hair that defied gravity, spiking up like a hedgehog's quills. His eyes were round and black, holding the innocent spark of a child, but a closer look revealed a wild, untamed spirit within them.
"Did I… get transmigrated?"
The thought hit him like a lightning bolt. Just a moment ago, he had been in an underground boxing ring in Thailand, trading blows with an opponent. The next thing he knew, everything went black, and he woke up in this strange forest.
"Wait, what is this?" he muttered to himself.
As he was trying to process his new face, a strange feeling came from his lower back. It felt like an extra limb, one that didn't belong on a human body, was swaying gently behind him. He quickly turned his head, and his eyes widened. A furry, brown-black tail with a small tuft of darker fur at its tip moved into his line of sight.
"A tail?!"
The young man's pupils shrank as he stared back at his reflection. The spiky hair, the wild eyes, and now a living tail… One word instantly filled his mind: Saiyan!
"No way! Did I really end up in the world of Dragon Ball? And as a Saiyan kid, no less?!"
In his past life, he was an orphan who fought in underground bare-knuckle boxing matches to survive. He didn't have time for much anime, but Dragon Ball was the one series he had followed. What man could resist the thrill of intense fistfights and warriors breaking their limits?
But right now, the boy's face wasn't filled with excitement. He was terrified. He liked the show, but being thrown into the Dragon Ball universe was a completely different story. It was a chaotic world where planets were destroyed on a whim and powerful monsters were everywhere. On top of that, he was a Saiyan. While that sounded cool, he knew that to someone like Frieza, he was just an insect to be crushed without a second thought. For all he knew, the planet he was standing on could just go "boom" and turn into space dust while he was having dinner.
Just as his mind was racing with thoughts of how to survive in this high-risk world, a cold, electronic voice suddenly spoke inside his head.
"Ding! Host's vital signs are stable. Mental fluctuations meet binding requirements. Binding in progress… Binding successful!"
"The Strongest Saiyan Growth System has been officially activated!"
Takero froze for a second before a wave of pure joy washed over him, chasing away his fear. He almost laughed out loud.
"Haha! I knew it! Every transmigrator gets a cheat system. It might be late, but it's here!"
The system's arrival was the final proof he needed. He was, without a doubt, a Saiyan in the world of Dragon Ball. After his initial excitement died down, he eagerly thought, "Open personal panel!"
A light-blue virtual screen, visible only to him, appeared in the air.
Host: Takero
Age: 10
Bloodline: Low-Class Warrior (Upgradeable)
Skills: None
Items: Novice Gift Pack
Power Level: 5
System Note: Combat is a Saiyan's destiny! Challenge the strong! The system will grant generous rewards based on your combat performance!
"A power level of five… I'm as strong as that farmer with a shotgun," Takero muttered with a frown. "I guess that's what you get for being a Low-Class Warrior."
Complaints aside, an idea quickly formed in his mind. "Frieza's army sends weak Saiyan babies to other planets. Once they grow up, they wipe out the local population so the planet can be sold…" he recalled from the manga. Goku had been sent to Earth for a similar reason, though his father, Bardock, was likely trying to save him. Takero doubted he had a father like that. For most Saiyans, family meant little; power was everything.
"So, the original owner of this body was probably one of those deployed infants," he concluded. "But he must have died for some reason, and I ended up taking his place." The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. "The real question is… what planet is this?"
"Ding! Current location: Earth!"
The system seemed to have read his mind and provided a timely answer.
"Earth?!" Takero's eyes lit up, and he immediately felt a huge sense of relief. He quickly asked, "What about the time? What year is it? Where's Goku?"
This time, however, the system remained silent.
"Tsk, it's not going to give me all the key information, huh?" Takero grumbled, but he was already much calmer knowing he was on Earth. "That's good. In the grand scheme of things, Earth is still a beginner's area. At least it's not at the top of Frieza's demolition list."
Even so, Takero had no intention of living a quiet life. A fire ignited in his eyes. Fate had brought him to this world where strength was everything, and it had made him a Saiyan with a system. He wasn't going to waste this chance. He had to see what it was like to stand at the top of the universe.
"So what if I'm a Low-Class Warrior? With this system, maybe I, Takero, can become the legendary Super Saiyan!"
A surge of fighting spirit rose within him, fueled by an intense desire to become stronger. Suddenly, an invisible and indescribable power erupted from his small body.
Buzz—!
It was as if an invisible king had appeared. A heavy pressure radiated out from him in waves, silencing the entire forest. The chirping of birds, the buzzing of insects, and the rustling of leaves all stopped at once. A deathly quiet fell over the area, as if even the wind was holding its breath.
Takero was startled by what he had just done. A moment later, he realized what it was, and his face lit up with a mix of shock and joy. "Is this… is this Ki?!"
Ki! The source of power in the Dragon Ball world. The manifestation of life energy. It was a force that only highly trained warriors could control. He quickly opened his system panel again, and this time, the skill section was no longer empty.
Skills: Conqueror's Haki (Lv.1)
"Conqueror's… Haki?" Takero scratched his spiky hair, a confused look on his face. "Does Ki have different types? Is Haki a kind of Ki?"
In his past life, he had mostly paid attention to the awesome fight scenes in Dragon Ball and had forgotten many of the finer details. He shook his head, pushing his doubts aside. "Who cares! It's not important. Haki, Ki, it's all power. They must be similar enough!"
Whatever it was, if it could make him stronger, it was a good thing.
"Besides, even with a power level of five, I was able to awaken this power? It looks like this body isn't so useless after all! It has some potential!" A smug grin appeared on Takero's face as he immediately tried to use his newfound ability again.
He took a firm stance, furrowed his brow, and moved his hands into the classic starting pose for a Kamehameha. He held his breath and pushed with all his might, but nothing happened. The overwhelming pressure that had silenced the forest was gone, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring it back. After several minutes of trying, he was just left panting and covered in sweat.
"Phew… It must be because my body is too weak," Takero said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. It seemed like a reasonable explanation. "I have 'Ki,' but I can't use it. It looks like I need to train my body first!"
Although Ki was the most important power source in the Dragon Ball world, physical and spiritual training were also crucial. And in theory, the physical potential of a Saiyan was immense. It was then that he remembered the gift he had forgotten about.
"System, open the Novice Gift Pack."
"Ding! Novice Gift Pack opened successfully!"
"Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: Mid-Class Warrior Bloodline (automatically merged)!"
"Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: Weakness Elimination (Tail)!"
"Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: Turtle School Training Manual (knowledge infusion)!"
"Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: Senzu Bean x10!"
As soon as the system's voice faded, a warm current surged through Takero's body. It felt like he was soaking in a hot spring. He could hear faint cracking sounds coming from his bones as his muscles were stretched and strengthened by an invisible force. An incredible sense of power filled him from head to toe.
A few minutes later, the warm feeling faded. He let out a long breath, feeling as if he could shatter a boulder with a single punch. He eagerly called up his panel again.
Power Level: 15
"15 points!" Takero's eyes gleamed. "My power level tripled just from upgrading to a Mid-Class Warrior bloodline! I can't even imagine what would happen if I got the bloodline of a Super Saiyan, or a monster like Broly…"
Thinking about the incredible rewards the system might offer in the future made his heart race with excitement. This was limitless potential combined with the Saiyan's natural ability to grow stronger after every battle. However, looking at the number '15' on the panel, Takero quickly brought himself back to reality. He had to take things one step at a time.
"It's decided!"
He clenched his fists and looked deep into the forest, his eyes filled with determination. "First, I'll set up a camp here and train hard for a while. Once I'm strong enough to protect myself, I'll go out and search for the Dragon Balls to make a wish. Then, I'll look for Bulma! First things first, I'm going to become the strongest on Earth!"