Three thousand kilometers west of West City, deep in an untouched jungle, a rare torrential downpour battered the forest.
Rain fell like countless silver whips, lashing the ancient trees.
Towering trunks groaned under the wind, while muddy floodwaters, carrying broken branches and debris, roared violently through the riverbed.
"Rumble!"
A bolt of purple lightning tore across the sky, briefly illuminating a massive banyan tree along the riverbank.
Hanging upside down beneath its canopy was a figure.
A young man, bare-chested and clad only in black pants, clung to a branch with one leg, swinging like a pendulum in the wind.
His wild, spiky black hair radiated in all directions like a sea urchin.
In his hand, he gripped a thick vine whose other end plunged deep into the rushing river below.
"Gurgle…"
His stomach growled louder than the thunder.
"I'm starving… why isn't this fish biting?"
Goku blinked his unusually clear eyes, wiping rain from his face. Despite being drenched, he showed no trace of discomfort, only eager anticipation as he stared at the water.
Suddenly, the surface exploded.
A prehistoric giant crocodile or rather, a monstrous fish with a crocodile-like mouth leapt from the water.
Its crimson eyes glinted with greed, clearly seeing the swinging human above as a sweet prize delivered by the storm.
Its massive jaws opened, serrated teeth capable of crushing tanks.
"Whoa! It's huge!"
Goku's eyes lit up like twin lanterns, saliva dribbling at the corners of his mouth.
Instead of flinching, he tightened his core, performing an impossible midair curl that defied physics.
"Dinner's served!"
He grinned, flicking his wrist. The seemingly ordinary vine snapped taut with a crisp "pop."
A raw, brutal force surged through the vine into the creature's jaws.
The monster barely had time to close its mouth before it was swung in a half-circle through the air.
"Let's go!"
Releasing his foot, Goku used the momentum to launch himself from the tree like a cannonball, closing the gap on the stunned beast.
A single, decisive punch.
"Bang!"
The impact muffled beneath the roar of rain.
The giant fish's eyes nearly popped, its colossal body going limp.
It crashed into the riverbank rocks like a heap of clay, shaking the ground three times.
Goku landed lightly, clapping his hands in satisfaction as he circled the creature twice.
"Perfect! This meat is firm perfect for roasting."
Ignoring the deluge, he hoisted the several-ton prey with one hand, seeking a rain-sheltered cave.
A flick of his fingers ignited a fire with a wave of ki, setting damp wood ablaze.
The flames danced, illuminating his sharp, matured features, no longer childlike.
Over the past three years, he had roamed the world alone.
Without guidance from a master or a gravity chamber, he relied solely on raw combat instinct and survival in nature.
Taking a hearty bite of the half-cooked fish, Goku froze mid-chew.
He lifted his gaze, eyes piercing the thick rock walls and rainstorm, scanning eastward.
"This feeling…"
He swallowed, frowning slightly, then relaxed.
"Is that Krillin's ki?"
"No… I can't sense him anymore… has he learned to hide it?"
A small smile tugged at Goku's lips at the thought of his bald companion.
"I wonder if everyone else has gotten stronger. If Krillin saw how tall I am now, he'd probably be shocked! He's probably only up to my waist by now."
In record time, he finished the fish, bones and all.
Stretching, his joints cracked like popcorn.
"Full! Let's go!"
"Flying Nimbus…!"
The golden cloud appeared instantly.
But Goku hesitated, then slapped his forehead.
"Ah, three days left. Running there should be fine… and I want to test my legs."
He inhaled deeply, knees bent.
The next moment, the ground cracked.
The cave floor collapsed into a deep pit, leaving Goku gone from sight.
In the pouring rain, only a vacuum trail marked his rapid departure.
Destination: Papaya Island.
Far above, in the stratosphere, sunlight pierced through thin air.
A green figure sat cross-legged, hovering above the clouds.
Piccolo descendant of the demon clan wore a heavy white weighted cloak, a massive white turban covering most of his face, revealing only sharp, predatory eyes.
He did not soar like ordinary martial artists but glided as if merged with the wind, silent and proud like a vulture.
"What a boring world."
He looked down at the human cities below, tiny as ants. His voice rasped like sandpaper rubbing together.
For three years, every day had been hellish torment.
For what?
For that damn kid…
"Goku…"
Uttering the name, Piccolo's aura surged.
The surrounding clouds scattered for kilometers, revealing the blue ocean below.
"This time, at the so-called World Martial Arts Tournament, I will tear you apart in front of the world."
"I will make those fools, drowning in false peace, remember the fear of being ruled by demons."
Piccolo extended a finger, pointing at a passing passenger plane.
The tip of his ki instantly reduced it to ash.
Yet destruction brought him no satisfaction.
"Killing now serves no purpose."
"The greatest despair will be reserved for the finals."
He sensed it.
Several strong ki signatures converged in that direction.
"Wait, worms. The gap between gods and demons cannot be closed by effort alone."
On the ground, along a rainy road, a large cargo truck struggled forward.
The driver, a rugged man with stubble, bobbed along to rock music on the radio.
A flash of white in the rearview mirror startled him.
Two unusual figures sprinted along the road.
The first, a tall, muscular three-eyed bald man, chest bare, muscles solid as granite, rain dripping off him with the sound of clashing metal.
He walked leisurely, each step spanning tens of meters, moving faster than the truck.
Trailing behind floated a small, doll-like companion with two cheek markings, keeping pace effortlessly.
"Wha… what the hell?!"
The driver's hands trembled, nearly sending the truck off the road.
Tenshinhan ignored the commotion. Rain streamed over his smooth forehead, across his closed third eye.
"Tien, shouldn't we use flight technique?" the small companion whispered.
"That would be faster and keep us dry."
"No."
Tien's gaze remained steady. His breathing calm, as if sleeping.
"Flying wastes ki and creates dependence. Walking firmly, feeling the ground's resistance this is also part of training."
Over the past three years, he had traversed the world.
Climbing the highest mountains, diving the deepest trenches.
To purge the anger from his assassin past, and to catch the distant figure of…
Goku.
And that clever little bald friend, Krillin, and the annoying Yamcha.
"I heard the Kame School disciples are training hard."
His voice cut through the rain.
"This time, I will not win narrowly. I will win decisively."
"I know Tien will win!"
Chiaotzu raised his tiny fist with conviction.
Tien's lips curved faintly, then returned to their stern composure.
A boulder, dislodged by a landslide, blocked the entire road.
The truck skidded to a halt, brakes screeching.
Tien did not slow.
As the truck barreled toward the boulder, his third eye snapped open. Invisible ki surged outward.
"Hah!"
The boulder, weighing dozens of tons, was carved into a smooth, round hole as Tien and Chiaotzu passed through, not a single thread of clothing disturbed.
The driver gaped, cigarette dropping into his lap, yelping in pain.
"Let's go, Chiaotzu. The real show is about to begin."