Two years have passed since the battle with Towa and Mira, and the dark clouds hanging over the Demon Realm have finally scattered. A rare era of peace has descended upon the universe, and its inhabitants have embraced a life of tranquility and passion.
Android 17 has settled down, marrying and starting a family while working as a ranger in a national nature reserve. His life is a happy one. Having grown stronger, Trunks returned to the Time Nest, though he occasionally visits this timeline to continue his training.
The Saiyans, ever-driven, remain focused on breaking their limits. Across the universe, they undergo rigorous training, determined to close the gap between themselves and top-tier warriors like Raditz. Piccolo shares this ambition, honing his skills in the solitude of the mountains or meditating on the Lookout to refine his ki control.
Meanwhile, Raditz trains in the Sacred World of the Kais.
"Let's do it again, Raditz. You're doing well," Shin said. He and the Elder Kai, accompanied by Kibito, watched as Raditz struggled to hold a massive, square object aloft.
The object's weight wasn't the issue; the strain was entirely mental. Sweat poured down Raditz's face as he panted, his focus absolute. He was practicing one of the Supreme Kai's techniques: telekinetically moving objects from anywhere in the universe. The block he currently held was Katchin, the hardest known metal in existence. For a Supreme Kai, moving objects across the cosmos is a simple feat. As a Kai-in-training, Raditz was finally getting the hang of it.
Even for Raditz, the constant mental exertion was exhausting. He could now summon an object the size of a small house from anywhere in Universe 7, and the enormous block of Katchin was proof of his progress. With a final grunt of effort, Raditz let the Katchin drop. It crashed to the ground with a thunderous boom, carving a deep crater into the sacred world's surface.
Gasping for breath, Raditz placed his hands on his hips as sweat dripped from his nose. The fatigue was purely mental, a result of wielding a Kai's divine power without yet possessing a formal godhead. He couldn't yet use these abilities without a significant cost.
"But I'm finally getting a handle on smaller objects like this," Raditz muttered to himself as he walked toward the Kais.
"Incredible," Kibito remarked, shaking his head. "I never expected you to progress this quickly."
"It's because he's Raditz," the Elder Kai said with a sigh, clasping his hands behind his back. Despite his calm demeanor, he was just as astonished as Kibito. This Saiyan never ceased to amaze him. When Elder Kai first appeared, he'd asked Shin and Kibito about Raditz's history. Every unbelievable feat they recounted had brought a new expression of shock to the old god's face, while Shin and Kibito simply nodded along. By now, they were accustomed to Raditz's nonsensical levels of strength.
Shin smiled. "You're doing remarkably well."
"I could have improved faster," Raditz admitted, shaking his head, "but I've been splitting my time with other training, so progress on this front has been slow."
Slow? Kibito thought, dumbfounded. How much faster could you possibly get? Most gods can't do what you've just done!
A cool breeze swept across the plains, evaporating the sweat from his skin and leaving him feeling refreshed. For a moment, he felt completely liberated. In the past two years, he had traveled between Earth, the Saiyan Homeworld, and the Sacred World of the Kais countless times. He'd not only pushed his combat abilities but also dedicated himself to mastering divine powers and knowledge. He had fully mastered the divine language, and teleporting between the mortal and divine realms was now second nature. It was safe to say that, aside from a formal title, Raditz already knew more than the current Supreme Kai.
This thought often signaled the end of his training. Shin asked, "Leaving already?"
"Yes. This session has been productive. Thank you for your guidance, Lord Kai."
"You're always in such a rush," Shin noted. "It must be difficult to train like that."
"Can't be helped," Raditz said with a weary smile. "There are others waiting for my help with their own training." With a quick farewell, he vanished.
Now alone on the empty plains, the Elder Kai shot an indignant look at Shin and Kibito. "You see that? He's not even a god, yet he trains more seriously than some who are!"
"Alas…" Elder Kai shook his head vigorously. Shin and Kibito blushed, sharing an awkward glance. What can we do? they both thought. Saiyans are monsters. We can't possibly keep up with their rate of improvement.
Still, stung by their ancestor's words, Shin and Kibito immediately began their own training, their shouts echoing across the Sacred World of the Kais.
Back on Earth, Raditz's next task was to shuttle other into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. As the only being who could tear through dimensions at will, he could simply pry open a gap even after the Chamber's door had closed. In fact, with Raditz's immense energy stabilizing the dimension, the entrance sometimes wouldn't close at all.
After learning of this 'cheat' from Trunks, Vegeta relentlessly pestered Raditz for access to the Chamber. He was convinced that with enough time, he could finally break through to the next level.
To Vegeta's immense frustration, however, he failed to achieve Super Saiyan 3. It was Kakarot who, with the help of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, unlocked the form first. In their Super Saiyan 3 states, the brothers looked remarkably similar—both lost their eyebrows, their golden hair flowing down to their waists.
Kakarot's Super Saiyan 3 rivaled the upper limits of Raditz's Super Saiyan 2, but it fell short of Raditz's own Mystic form, to say nothing of his Super Saiyan 3. Furthermore, the transformation placed an enormous strain on the body, a drawback both brothers experienced.
But a burden or not, it was still Super Saiyan 3. Burning with jealousy, Vegeta vowed he would reach that level and show both Kakarot and Raditz his true power. He stormed off to the gravity room, throwing himself back into his solitary training.
While some trained relentlessly, others enjoyed a more leisurely life.
Master Roshi, for instance.
The coconut trees on Kame House island swayed in the breeze, their fronds casting dappled sunlight that glittered like scattered gold on the sand. Master Roshi lounged on a deck chair, his old friend Turtle resting beside him. Within arm's reach, a small table held a glass of fresh juice and a couple of magazines filled with provocative, full-color photos.
These magazines, a gift from Raditz, were Roshi's prized possessions. He sometimes noticed that the pages looked a bit too well-thumbed, which made him flash Raditz a knowing, lecherous grin whenever they met.
As Roshi basked leisurely in the sun, a sudden sea breeze picked up, and he opened his eyes to the roar of an approaching engine. He spotted a high-powered aircraft skimming over the ocean—a Capsule Corp model, by the looks of it.
As it drew closer, Roshi finally recognized the pilot. "It's Tights!"
"Hey, Master Roshi!" Tights waved enthusiastically as her ship neared the shore. She jumped out, landing with an agile, graceful flourish.
Roshi immediately scurried over to greet her, his hands already starting to wander.
"Tights, my dear! As beautiful as ever—Oof! Hey! No need to be as violent as your sister!" Roshi yelped, clutching the new bump on his head.
Tights stood with her fists clenched, brow furrowed. "Hmph. And you're still the same lecherous old man, Master Roshi!"
Nearby, Turtle shook his head slowly. He'd seen this his entire life; it would be stranger if the old master ever changed.
Despite the rough greeting, Roshi happily invited Tights into the house and served her hot tea. She opened a thick notebook, filled with dense script, and passed it to him.
"Hmm… this is all mostly correct. However, there's a small issue right here…" Roshi's demeanor suddenly turned serious. He pointed to a passage, tapping his finger on the page for emphasis. Tights was taken aback by his sudden gravity. When the old master got serious, it was impossible not to pay attention.
Roshi cleared his throat and read slowly: "Here, where it says, 'Master Roshi declared, 'King Piccolo, I believe that one day, someone will rise to defeat you!'… It needs to be more tragic, you see? To really highlight my tall, stalwart image. And, uh, you can probably omit some of the more lecherous parts. As I've told you, that's all just a disguise." He finished with another dirty chuckle.
Tights pressed a hand to her forehead. Of course. He wasn't being serious at all.
"Absolutely not. I can't change it; that's my principle as a writer! I'm writing a complete history, not just a collection of biographies. I can't just make things up! You should know, I'm a famous travel writer throughout the universe. I even published a novel once, Jaco the Galactic Patrolman."
Roshi just shook his head, having clearly never heard of it. His literary tastes ran more toward the magazines on his table. For the last two years, Tights had been living on Earth, interviewing all the Z-Fighters and gathering information from every corner of the four galaxies. The thick notebook in front of Roshi was only one-third of her completed manuscript. Her dedication to her craft rivaled that of the Saiyans in their training.
"Well, it doesn't matter if you've heard of it or not," she said, getting back to business. "I came here today to ask about Raditz. He's the next person I'm focusing on. I heard he originally came to Earth as an invader. I have the basic details, but I was hoping you could add your perspective."
As Roshi began to recount the tale, Tights took notes, her pen scratching across the paper. Nearby, Turtle listened quietly for a while before slowly drifting off to sleep.
Though it was an era of peace, humanity's passion for martial arts had not diminished in the slightest. Tien Shinhan's dojo had grown in fame, attracting more and more students. Among his senior members was none other than Mr. Satan.
As a former World Martial Arts Champion, Mr. Satan's natural talent was undeniable among ordinary humans. While he couldn't compare to masters of the older generation like Nam, his progress under Tien's tutelage had been significant. As one of Tien's first disciples, he had begun to make a name for himself again in various tournaments, and the title 'Mr. Satan' was slowly returning to the public eye.
Recently, he had brought his daughter, Videl, to train at the dojo. As his daughter, Videl had inherited her father's fighting talent—and in fact, seemed to surpass it. Her strength grew so quickly that Satan realized she needed to train at a higher level.
"Your body needs to sense the flow of ki," Tien instructed a small group of advanced students. "Don't force it. Concentrate your spirit, feel the energy, and gather it." He was demonstrating how to form an energy blast. Addressing Videl, he said, "Yes, that's it. You're doing well, it's already taking shape." Then his eyes fell on her father. "Satan… what are you doing?! Your daughter is putting you to shame!"
The difference in talent between father and daughter was stark. Videl learned everything far more quickly than her father. Satan had struggled for a long time to grasp the fundamentals of ki, but Videl was already getting the hang of it after only a short while. Tien's comment sent the other students into a fit of laughter, and Mr. Satan's face flushed red with embarrassment.
"Keep training, and no more slacking," Tien warned him. "I'll have Videl supervise you, and she can dole out the punishment!" He glanced between the father and daughter, marveling at how different they were. Satan must have married a very beautiful woman to have a daughter like Videl, he thought. Clearing his throat, Tien continued, "Of course, Videl is still new and needs guidance in many areas. Chiaotzu, could you work with her?"
"Okay, Tien!"
"Great!" Videl cheered.
Ever since joining the dojo, she'd realized her previous training was child's play. This was real martial arts. Though a girl, Videl had a fiery competitive spirit, nurtured by growing up in the household of a world champion. Her passion for martial arts was second to none, and she dreamed of becoming as strong as the legendary masters—and the incredible man standing before her was certainly one of them.
"Will I really be able to fly like you guys? And shoot energy blasts from my hands?" Videl asked, her eyes wide with eagerness.
Chiaotzu smiled warmly. "Of course. If you train with me, it'll be no problem at all."
Videl was so happy she nearly jumped for joy, her youthful face alight with excitement.
And so, two years passed in apparent peace…