West City, Capsule Corporation headquarters.
On this day, the entire city's transportation system was nearly paralyzed.
The roads leading to Dr. Brief's estate were clogged with luxury cars, media vans, and all manner of strange flying vehicles.
Every eye in the world was focused here.
Bulma, the genius scientist and daughter of the world's richest man, was about to marry Krillin, the newly crowned martial arts champion who had just saved Earth.
Inside the estate, the level of luxury defied imagination.
There was no traditional lawn wedding. Dr. Brief had employed his cutting-edge technology to lift a massive, five-hundred-meter-diameter anti-gravity platform three hundred meters into the air.
The platform was surrounded by artificial rainbows and holographic flower fields, with clouds slowly flowing beneath their feet.
The guest list was equally astonishing.
The king himself sent his congratulations. Leaders of major conglomerates were relegated to the second row, while the front row was reserved for a few people in unusual robes.
"Wow! This meat is amazing! Even better than the wild boar I hunt!"
Goku, wearing an ill-fitting black suit with his tie crooked on his back, stuffed a whole roasted lamb into his mouth, his cheeks puffed like a hamster's.
Next to him, Chi-Chi tugged desperately at his jacket, her face red as a ripe tomato.
"Goku! This is a wedding! Try to behave! And don't spit bones on the red carpet!"
"What does it matter? Krillin won't mind."
Goku mumbled, shoving a plate of lobsters into his mouth with the same hands.
Nearby, Master Roshi, with his iconic sunglasses, was attempting to drape an arm over a blonde etiquette assistant.
"Young lady, do you know who I am? I'm the groom's master, the god of martial arts…"
Smack!
A huge frying pan dropped from above, hitting Roshi's bald head with a loud thud.
Puar hovered in the air, still holding the deformed pan, shouting angrily, "Perverted old man! Today is a big day! Don't embarrass yourself!"
Yamcha sat in a corner, swirling a glass of champagne.
His hair was cut short, and the scars on his face gave him a weathered look.
Watching Bulma flirt with Mrs. Brief nearby, the last trace of jealousy in his eyes disappeared.
"Never thought that noseless guy would actually pull it off."
Tien stood behind him, arms crossed, his three eyes burning with determination.
"But this is fine. Now I can surpass all of you without distraction."
Chiaotzu hovered beside him, quietly asking, "Tien, should we give a gift? It seems we spent all our money on rice…"
Tien's expression stiffened.
"...We'll see later."
Backstage, the dressing room.
Krillin examined himself in the mirror.
His custom white suit fit perfectly, highlighting muscles that were not overly exaggerated but packed with lethal strength.
Still bald and without a nose, his calm confidence made him irresistibly handsome.
The system panel popped up just in time:
[Task Completed: Marry the rich genius, reach the pinnacle of life.]
[Reward Settlement in Progress…]
[Title Acquired: Earth's Strongest Son-in-Law (struck through)… Earth's Guardian.]
[Special Skill Acquired: 'Absolute Family Status' (effective when wife is not angry).]
[New Module Unlocked: Saiyan Invasion Arc (pending activation).]
"Ready, my champion?"
The door opened. Bulma entered.
Krillin held his breath for a moment.
She wore a wedding dress woven from countless tiny diamonds and nano-fibers, glimmering as if she draped the galaxy itself across her body.
Usually sharp and bold, she now had her long hair elegantly pinned, her makeup exquisite, breathtakingly beautiful.
"Speechless?"
Bulma stepped forward, adjusting his bow tie, eyes slightly moist.
"Back then at the tournament, you said you'd marry me if you won… I thought you were just trying to spite Yamcha."
Krillin grasped her hand, feeling the warmth that grounded him completely.
These hands had shattered meteors and defeated demon kings, yet now they moved with extreme care, afraid to hurt the woman before him.
"I may not have a nose, but my sense of awareness is sharp."
Krillin smiled, eyes calm like a serene lake.
"I know exactly who is truly worth protecting with my life."
"Yamcha was blind, but I'm not."
Bulma laughed through tears, giving his chest a playful punch.
"You smooth talker!"
The wedding march began.
As they walked arm in arm along the skyway carpeted with flowers, countless fireworks exploded over West City.
The priest (a cat deity reluctantly hired for the occasion) stood at the altar, his whiskers twitching.
"Krillin, do you take this… um, strong-willed but wealthy woman to be your wife?"
Bulma raised an eyebrow, nearly drawing a gun.
Krillin laughed loudly, the sound echoing across the venue with firm determination and boldness.
"I do! Even if she had the temperament of a universe-destroying demon, I would still marry her!"
Thunderous applause erupted.
Goku clapped while asking Chi-Chi, "Does getting married mean we can always eat delicious food?"
Chi-Chi leaned on Goku's shoulder, smiling at the happy couple on stage.
"Yes, that's the best food in the world. It's called happiness."
At the peak of the cheering, Krillin whispered to Bulma, "Ready?"
Bulma blinked. "Ready for what?"
Krillin gestured toward the metal case at his feet that he had been holding.
"One more big surprise, our wedding gift."
When all the guests had departed, carrying gifts and half-drunk bottles, the lively commotion faded, and night returned to Capsule Corporation's vast courtyard.
The massive anti-gravity platform had descended. On the lawn, seven orange Dragon Balls were arranged in the Big Dipper formation.
That night, they pulsed with unusual energy, the light inside struggling to escape their glass shells, buzzing like a heartbeat.
"Are we really going to summon Shenron?"
Yamcha swallowed, still uneasy despite previous encounters.
"Krillin, what wish will you make? Want a nose maybe?"
Krillin rolled his eyes.
"No need… I have something far more important."
Bulma stood beside him in casual clothes now, still flushed from the wedding, tightly holding his arm. She trusted him completely.
"Let's begin."
Krillin took a deep breath and stepped forward.
He spread his arms over the seven Dragon Balls and recited the ancient, solemn incantation:
"Appear, Shenron! Grant my wish!"
The Dragon Balls erupted in blinding golden light.
The light shot straight to the sky like a sword piercing the atmosphere.
Then, the world changed.
The once-starry night sky went pitch black in seconds.
Not clouded or dimmed, but pure, absolute void.
It was as if someone had switched off the sky itself, ripping this region into a lightless alternate dimension.
West City residents, just asleep, were abruptly awakened by the oppressive atmosphere.
"What's happening? Power outage?"
"Why is it so dark? Even the moon's gone!"
"I can't breathe…"
A terrifying divine pressure descended, beyond ki, beyond instinct.
Wind whipped the courtyard, forcing everyone to squint.
"It's here!"
Goku's Saiyan eyes glinted in the darkness.
Golden lightning tore through the black clouds, the claws of a dragon tearing space itself.
With a soul-shaking roar, a colossal, indescribable green dragon emerged from the golden light.
It was immense.
Its massive head floated like a mountain, crimson eyes like burning blood moons, coldly surveying the ants below.
Its body coiled above the clouds, seemingly wrapping around the entire Earth.
Even Krillin, vastly stronger now, felt insignificant before this divine and terrifying presence.
This was Earth's miracle, Shenron.
"Buzz…"
Shenron's voice didn't travel through air but exploded directly into everyone's mind, ancient and unyielding:
"Those who have gathered the seven Dragon Balls…"
"State your wish…"
"No matter what it is, I can grant it… but only one…"
Its red eyes fixed on Krillin. Time seemed to freeze.
Master Roshi gripped his staff nervously, Puar hid in Yamcha's arms.
Only Bulma, trembling slightly, held her head high because Krillin stood before her.
Krillin stepped forward, meeting Shenron's gaze.
The system in his mind flashed warnings:
[High-dimensional wish system detected.]
[Analyzing wish mechanism…]
[Warning: Choose carefully. This will determine the host's growth over the next five years.]
[Current stats maxed on Earth. To grow stronger, dimensional barriers must be broken.]
Krillin smiled.
He calculated silently.
Money? Too much in the Brief household.
Immortality? Boring pursuit of villains.
Resurrection? No one is dead.
For one with a "Saitama template," the real enemy is stagnation in power growth.
Without wider worlds and stronger opponents, this body will rust.
He also remembered the system's earlier warning: "Saiyan Invasion."
Five years from now, Raditz would arrive, and the Saiyan era would begin. He must be fully prepared.
"Shenron!"
Krillin raised his voice, piercing the roaring wind.
"My wish is…"
Everyone held their breath.
Krillin's lips curved with ambition, the burning desire of a strong warrior reaching toward the unknown.