On Mount Paozu.
A small boy with a tail dangled it in the water.
Suddenly, a massive fish weighing about a ton burst from the water, its gaping maw lunging toward the boy. The boy wasn't alarmed — he was delighted. He kicked fiercely at the fish. It let out a cry and immediately rolled its eyes back.
The boy turned around gracefully and hoisted the fish onto his shoulder, heading toward the mountaintop.
As he walked, he sighed, "Ah, such bad luck today! I couldn't catch a bear or even that tiger, so it's just fish for dinner…"
Shortly after he left, a tiger emerged from the forest. It watched the direction where the boy had disappeared, the deep fear in its eyes gradually fading.
The tiger weighed about 140–180 kilograms and was quite large, but its belly was sunken. Clearly, it hadn't eaten in days.
Just then, the tiger's nose twitched, as if detecting weak prey approaching. Its eyes lit up with excitement as it rushed toward the foot of the mountain.
✩✩✩✩✩
At the mountaintop.
"Grandpa, I'm back…"
Hearing the voice, Grandpa Gohan emerged from the small house with a smile.
"Ah, Goku's back. Come inside quickly and look — the orb in the house suddenly started glowing."
"The Dragon Ball is glowing?" The boy set down the fish and hurried inside.
The boy was Goku, but not the original Son Goku.
In his previous life, he was just an ordinary person from Earth and a Dragon Ball fan. Through an accident, he was reborn on Planet Vegeta and became Kakarot.
When he couldn't yet speak, Bardock and Gine sent him to Earth. Later, Gohan adopted him and named him Son Goku.
As a Dragon Ball fan who had become the protagonist, he vowed to train hard and become stronger than the original Goku. When he grew up, he'd trample Frieza underfoot, punch Cell, and have Bulma on his left and Android 18 on his right.
Later, as he grew older, he realized his childhood dreams were far too absurd.
In this world, increasing one's power was almost as difficult as accumulating wealth in his previous life. No — strictly speaking, improving one's strength was even harder than making money in his past life.
At age three, right when his body should be growing, Gohan would drag him out of bed at five o'clock for morning runs, making him run more than ten kilometers around the mountain.
At age five — the perfect time for Earth children to attend kindergarten — Gohan had already started teaching him to split wooden stakes with his bare hands and break boulders with his chest.
After years of training, he fully understood that Goku's abilities didn't rely on the natural battle power inherent in Saiyan blood, but were built through drops of sweat.
In the Dragon Ball world, what's formidable isn't the Saiyan race, but Goku — the martial arts fanatic with a pure heart.
Top students and poor students are destined for completely different lives. Knowing the difficulty of martial arts training, he realized that even though he had become Goku, no matter how hard he tried, he probably wouldn't make it past King Piccolo in the future.
However, his mindset was still decent, and he didn't give up. Since he was already here, he'd go as far as he could.
So he settled down and practiced martial arts with Gohan on the mountain. He kept track of the days and never went out on full moon nights.
And so, through the changing seasons, eleven years passed. He had fully integrated into this place.
The Four-Star Ball flickered with orange light.
Gohan looked at Goku affectionately and said with a smile, "After all these years, I've just discovered this treasure can actually glow. Looks like it's worth a lot of money. Why don't we go to the city and sell it, and save the money for your future wedding."
Dragon Balls only flash when they're near each other. Goku, who knew the story well, understood what it meant.
Bulma had arrived!
He used to look forward to her arrival every day, and the wait felt like an eternity. After he stopped thinking about it, time actually passed much faster.
Goku shook his head quickly, "Grandpa, you go ahead and grill the fish. There's a girl coming up the mountain. I'm worried that tiger might eat her, so I need to go meet her."
Without waiting for the old man to respond, he rushed down the mountain.
Gohan scratched his head in confusion, "That boy Goku — we're in the middle of nowhere. How could a girl possibly come visiting?"
Seeing the boy disappear in the blink of an eye, he had no choice but to look away.
"That boy has grown so much. With his martial arts skills, I should let him go out and gain some experience, see the world…"
✩✩✩✩✩
Halfway up the mountain, Bulma got out of her car and pressed the Dragon Ball radar a few times.
Following the radar's directions, she looked up toward the mountaintop, "The Dragon Ball signal is getting stronger. It should be around here — just need to go a bit more west."
She put away the radar, got back in her car, and continued forward.
Just then, a tiger's roar rang out. A large tiger with glaring eyes and a white forehead blocked her path. Bulma didn't even have time to hit the brakes before the tiger slapped its paw down on her moving vehicle.
"T-tiger…" Seeing the tiger's face approaching, she shrank into a ball in terror.
In her panic, she reached for her handgun, but the tiger swatted at the car. The vehicle flipped over on its side with her inside.
The handgun fell into the gap beneath the seat.
Bulma's pupils dilated. All her hair stood on end.
"Oh no, I'm going to die!"
At this critical moment, Goku's figure shot toward them.
Thud!
Bulma couldn't even see what happened before the tiger was sent flying.
In the next moment, her overturned car was righted and the door opened. Opening her eyes, she saw a small boy with clear eyes.
Bulma realized she'd been saved. A hint of joy appeared on her panicked, pretty face.
She looked at Goku, and he looked at her. At that moment, a message flashed through Goku's mind.
〔 In your previous life, you and Bulma adventured together and grew close, but you never ended up together — and she deeply regretted it.
Your life has restarted. In this life, please protect her and give her the security she needs. 〕
〔 Mission: Help Bulma escape danger! 〕
〔 Reward: Battle Power +10 〕
Goku's eyes narrowed.
'Is this… my cheat system? But only 10 Battle Power points? That's pretty stingy.'
Snapping back to reality, Bulma opened the car door, "Was it you who saved me just now? Thank you so much!"
Just then, the tiger that had been knocked away flipped back onto its feet, letting out an ear-splitting roar at the two of them.
Bulma was startled again. She frantically hid behind Goku, who refocused and drew out his Power Pole.
The tiger recognized the boy and turned to flee, but a cold gleam flashed in Goku's eyes.
"Where do you think you're going!" Goku swept the pole toward the tiger, "Power Pole, extend!"
The Power Pole shot forward, lengthening rapidly as it struck the tiger's spine.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bones echoed clearly.
The tiger screamed and flew backward, smashing through a cluster of rocks before crashing to the ground. With so many rocks shattered, it was definitely dead.
Bulma watched the boy kill such a large tiger with one strike and gasped.
She thought, This kid is amazing!
Before Goku could speak, a message flashed in his mind.
〔 Mission completed! Rewarding the host immediately! 〕
He felt a surge of power well up inside him.
Goku clenched his fist. Just a ten-point increase in battle power and I already feel so much stronger. Completing missions is way easier than grueling training…
Bulma saw the tiger was dead and breathed a deep sigh of relief.
She bowed toward Goku and extended her hand, "Thank you so much for saving me. I'm Bulma, pleased to meet you!"
"Hello, I'm Son Goku. Pleased to meet you!"
They shook hands lightly, then let go.
Bulma looked him over, "Have you been living on this mountain the whole time?"
Goku nodded, "Yes, Grandpa and I live on the mountain. You're the first girl to come here. Come with me — Grandpa should have the grilled fish ready by now. I'll treat you to some."
Bulma clasped her hands against her chest and took a step back.
"What?! Why do you want to treat me to food? You're not going to try anything funny just because I'm pretty, are you?"
This girl had quite the active imagination.
Goku smiled kindly, "Don't worry. Grandpa said to be gentle with girls, especially pretty girls."
Hearing the compliment, Bulma's eyes sparkled. She said playfully, "That's right, you should be gentle with girls!"
She relaxed and followed Goku up the mountain, chatting and laughing.
Goku suddenly turned around.
Bulma was startled, "Why did you stop?"
Goku glanced at the tiger carcass behind her, "This tiger's been prowling Mount Paozu for a while. Finally caught it today. Can't just leave it here — I'll bring it back with me."
Before she could respond, he hoisted the tiger onto his shoulder and continued up the path.
The tiger weighed hundreds of kilos and was several times larger than Goku. Its massive body formed a stark contrast with his small frame, creating an almost comical sight.
Bulma stared in astonishment. What an amazing kid! Not only is his martial arts incredible, but he's incredibly strong too! Maybe I can get him to come with me to find the Dragon Balls and protect me along the way…
✩✩✩✩✩
The two hadn't walked long before they reached the mountaintop.
The aroma of Gohan's grilled fish wafted through the air.
Goku called out, "Grandpa, I'm back!"
Gohan turned from the grill, "Ah, back so soon!"
When he saw Bulma beside Goku, he paused.
"Oh, Goku, there really is a pretty girl visiting!" He stood up immediately, "Welcome, welcome!"
Seeing Gohan's kindly face, Bulma's wariness vanished. She introduced herself respectfully, "Hello, Grandpa. I'm Bulma."
Gohan chuckled, "Hello, I'm Goku's grandpa, Son Gohan." He looked her over, "Judging by your outfit, you must be from the city. There are many wild beasts on this mountain — what brings you here?"
Bulma pulled out her radar, "I came here to find the Dragon Balls!"
Gohan blinked, "Dragon Balls? What are those?"
Bulma opened her bag and pulled out two Dragon Balls, "These are them!"
Gohan looked surprised, "Your two orbs look exactly like the one at home."
Bulma nodded, "These are Dragon Balls. I found one in our warehouse at home, and out of curiosity, I started investigating."
She quickly explained the purpose of the Dragon Balls.
Gohan wasn't particularly interested in the Dragon Balls themselves, but her quest intrigued him.
"So you need to travel all over the world to collect seven of these before they're useful?"
Bulma nodded, "That's right!"
Gohan looked at Goku, then back at her.
"For a young girl like you to collect these all over the world would be far too dangerous. How about letting my grandson go with you? He can protect you."
Bulma had just been wondering how to convince him to join her adventure, and now the old man was volunteering him. Her face lit up with joy.
"Really, Grandpa?"
Gohan didn't answer directly. Instead, he looked at Goku.
"Goku, you're getting older now — it's time you went down the mountain and saw the world. Why not take this opportunity to go on an adventure with her?"
He leaned close to Goku's ear.
"Protect her on the road, and if you can marry her in the future, that would be even better…"
Goku nodded.
"Grandpa, I can go on the adventure with her, but what about you? Will you stay on the mountain by yourself?"
Gohan smiled, "There's something I haven't told you. A while back, my teacher's sister got me a job tending a furnace. Room and board included, plus benefits — perfect for retirement. Once you're gone, Grandpa can go to work with peace of mind. I'll save all the money I earn for when you grow up and get married."
Goku: "…"
Well then, instead of dying, he could go tend a furnace at Fire Mountain. There must be some connection with the Ox-King.
Under Goku and Grandpa's hospitality, Bulma had her fill of grilled fish.
✩✩✩✩✩
That afternoon, Goku and Bulma said goodbye to Gohan and rode off together on a motorcycle, leaving Mount Paozu.
The journey went smoothly.
When they reached a forest, Bulma suddenly stopped the vehicle.
She covered her mouth, looking embarrassed, "Excuse me for a moment, wait for me!"
Goku knew what she was going to do and nodded, "Don't go too far!"
"I know, I know!"
Bulma ducked into the bushes.
〔 In your previous life, you acted like a fool in front of Bulma, which meant that before your height developed, she never once thought of pursuing a romantic relationship with you.
Your life has restarted. Please change her impression of you. 〕
〔 Mission: Intervene the moment she's in danger to prevent her from wetting herself! 〕
〔 Reward: Battle Power +10 〕
Seeing this message, Goku's body tensed.
Good grief, another 10 Battle Power. Completing this mission would save him another year of hard work.
Just then, Bulma's scream came from the bushes. Goku didn't dare delay and immediately rushed toward her.
Pushing aside the brush, he saw a giant pterodactyl had grabbed Bulma. She was trapped in its claws, crying loudly.
The dinosaur looked at Goku and spoke in human language, "Who are you, this person's accomplice?"
Goku's eyes filled with killing intent as he drew his Power Pole and pointed it at the pterodactyl, "Let her go!"
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T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
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That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)