After a long and arduous journey, Raiga and Tights finally arrived at the city where Tights' home was located—West City, a bustling metropolis.
Entering West City was like stepping into a futuristic world several generations ahead of the present. There were countless advanced modes of transportation, with long aerial corridors stretching across the sky, where hover vehicles moved along seamlessly.
On Earth, the technological disparity between different regions was incredibly vast. Some tribes still lived in primitive conditions, while others had only recently gained access to electricity. Meanwhile, there were areas that had already developed advanced space-faring technology. The contrast between different regions could be so stark that just a few hundred kilometers apart, one might find themselves in a completely different world. How these diverse societies managed to coexist peacefully was a mystery in itself.
This also highlighted Earth's diversity in both civilization and culture.
There were five cities on Earth with the most advanced technology, named after the cardinal directions: East, South, West, North, and Central. The Central City served as the capital of the Earth Kingdom, while the other four were highly modernized urban centers. The technological gap between these cities and other regions was a staggering 100 years—a truly remarkable disparity.
As they stepped into West City, Raiga couldn't help but marvel at its grandeur. Even compared to many alien cities, West City was exceptionally advanced.
When it came to West City, the most famous entity was, without a doubt, the Capsule Corporation, which had risen to dominance in recent years. Founded by Dr. Brief, this company had swept across the world in just a few years with its miraculous capsule technology. In West City, the names Capsule Corporation and Dr. Brief were known by everyone.
If one were to stop a random passerby on the street and ask, they could easily point out the location of the Capsule Corporation headquarters.
"This way. My home is just ahead," Tights said, leading the way toward a massive, dome-shaped five-story building that occupied an extensive plot of land.
"Wow, you guys are really rich."
Tights' home was enormous. The vast estate was adorned with flower gardens, lush trees, and even a private swimming pool. The sheer size made it resemble a private residential district rather than a single home. The annual cost of maintaining just the water and electricity bills was beyond what an average household could afford.
Under Tights' guidance, Raiga smoothly entered the mansion, where they met Dr. Brief, Bulma's father. He was an unkempt and laid-back scientist, dressed in a white lab coat with a cigarette hanging from his lips. His light purple hair was disheveled, covering his ears.
Seeing his eldest daughter return home with a young boy, Dr. Brief raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "Tights, is this your new friend? No wonder you never bring home a boyfriend—it turns out you like younger boys!"
Tights rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Raiga is just a friend I met during my travels."
"Oh, so he's not your boyfriend," Dr. Brief said with mock disappointment before smiling at Raiga. "Make yourself at home. Feel free to grab a drink if you'd like. Sorry for the lack of hospitality—my wife is busy taking care of our younger daughter."
"It's no problem at all."
Raiga observed Dr. Brief as the scientist stepped away and soon returned with a drink in hand.
Tights tossed her backpack onto the couch and took out the Four-Star Dragon Ball. "Dad, do you think you can create a radar to detect the signal of this Dragon Ball?"
Dr. Brief took the Dragon Ball and examined it closely. "No problem. As long as this orb emits electromagnetic waves, I should be able to develop a device to detect its unique energy fluctuations. It will take me a few days, though."
Tights grinned triumphantly at Raiga. "See? I told you he could do it!"
A small smile appeared on Raiga's face as well.
At that moment, Mrs. Brief entered the room, leading a four-year-old girl. Upon seeing Raiga, her eyes lit up. "Oh my! This is the first time Tights has brought a boy home. How adorable! If you were just a little older, you'd make a great boyfriend for her. But if you don't like Tights, I wouldn't mind, either!"
"Mom!" Tights yelled, her face turning red with embarrassment.
Raiga chuckled awkwardly.
This family is really something else.
As the saying goes, "Birds of a feather flock together." Tights' entire family was eccentric in their own ways. Dr. Brief was a genius scientist but cared little about his appearance. Mrs. Brief, despite her age, had a youthful heart and loved to tease young men. Tights and her younger sister, Bulma, were both energetic and never seemed to sit still, always eager to explore the world.
"Are you my sister's friend?" a childlike voice asked.
Raiga turned and saw a little girl with light purple hair, around four years old, her hair tied into two small pigtails.
"Bulma!"
Young Bulma was undeniably adorable, but she eyed Raiga with suspicion, holding a toy laser gun aimed at him. Raiga knew that this toy gun wasn't just for show—it was actually capable of firing real laser beams.
"Yes, I'm Tights' friend," he replied.
"I won't let you take my sister away from me," Bulma declared seriously.
Raiga couldn't help but laugh. There was no need to argue with a little girl, and besides, he had no interest in Tights in that way. The age gap between them was far too wide.
After spending some time getting acquainted with Tights' family, she began recounting her adventures. When she mentioned losing her Capsule and nearly being stranded on the streets—only to be taken in by Raiga—Mrs. Brief and the others looked at Raiga with newfound appreciation.
Even Bulma seemed to warm up to him.
As the afternoon tea session continued, everyone enjoyed the lively conversation.
Mrs. Brief eventually left to tend to her beloved cats, while Dr. Brief took the Dragon Ball to his lab to begin working on the Dragon Radar. Meanwhile, Bulma remained in the living room, captivated by Tights' adventurous tales, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Since developing the Dragon Radar would take some time, Raiga decided to stay at Tights' house. The mansion was enormous, with dozens of vacant rooms, so finding a place for him to stay was no trouble at all.
After settling into his room, Raiga took a hot bath, allowing the warm water to wash away the fatigue from his journey. As he soaked in the tub, he thought to himself:
"I already have one of the seven Dragon Balls. Once Dr. Brief completes the Dragon Radar, I can set out to find the rest. Aside from the one Master Roshi possesses, I also have some clues about the one in Ox-King's castle. As for the others, I'll have to wait for the radar."
With the Dragon Radar, the search process would be much faster. In the original story, Bulma and Goku took an entire summer to gather all seven Dragon Balls. But with Raiga's speed and efficiency, he was confident that he could do it even faster.
He had to summon Shenron before Planet Vegeta's destruction.
As Raiga lay in bed, he glanced around the luxurious mansion. "This place is ridiculously fancy. There are over twenty bedrooms, plus living rooms, kitchens, laboratories, bathrooms… altogether, there must be more than forty rooms. Just the renovation costs alone must have been astronomical! No doubt, this is the home of the truly wealthy."
Raiga himself wasn't short on money. His bank account held over a hundred million zeni, and he had treasures worth several billion more. However, compared to the wealthiest elites, he was still far behind.
Tights was the definition of a rich, beautiful heiress. Yet, despite having all the comforts of wealth, she preferred the excitement of an adventurer's life. It was an amusing contradiction.
Compared to her, Bulma was far more obsessed with romance. In the early days of Dragon Ball, she was responsible for most of the fan service moments. In contrast, Tights might actually be the most normal member of her entire family.