Peace. For the humans of the Dragon Ball world, was extremely precious.
Five full years had passed since the 23rd Budokai Tenkaichi. Most of that time had been peaceful, aside from a group of Demons led by a demon named Shura. That group only moved at night and kept to a fixed territory, so the threat was minimal.
And so, over these five years, nothing much happened.
On a wide, open farm, an old farmer was hard at work clearing weeds. He mixed feed for the giant, featherless chickens that surrounded him.
The scene was pure tranquility.
A streak of light tore across the sky. With a thunderous boom, it slammed into the ground not far from the farm.
"What is that? A UFO? A meteor?" The farmer jumped at the massive noise.
Since it was near his farm, he hopped into his truck and drove off toward the crash site, the engine clattering the whole way.
The distance was short, and the farmer soon reached the scene. The ground had been blasted into a massive crater, and a spherical object sat silent at the bottom.
The farmer brought a shotgun, stood at the edge, and studied the strange round object.
"It doesn't look like a meteor."
Just as confusion set in, the object moved. A seam opened along its surface, and a towering, burly man stepped out. He wore the battle armor Naruto had given Bulma, and over his left eye sat the iconic scouter.
The man jumped out of the crater with a light leap, took one look at the farmer aiming the shotgun at him, and said, "How are there still people alive on this planet?"
He muttered to himself, "Looks like Kakarot didn't take his job seriously. Or maybe... someone killed him?"
If it was the first, then as his older brother, he'd have to set him straight. If it was the second, then he'd better start running.
"Hey! What the hell are you?" The farmer aimed the shotgun at the man's forehead. "Don't come any closer. I'll shoot."
"Inferior race." Raditz hated nothing more than having a weapon pointed at him, especially at his forehead.
Still, to be safe, he activated his scouter and scanned the farmer. The number that appeared put his mind completely at ease.
"Heh. A weakling with a combat power of five. Scum."
*Bang!* At the same time, the terrified farmer pulled the trigger.
Raditz caught the bullet easily with one hand.
In the vast universe, standard weapons were laser guns. Primitive weapons like bullets had been obsolete for ages, their attack speed was too slow, and their lethality was pitifully low.
He pinched the bullet between two fingers and aimed it at the farmer who had shot at him. A flick of his finger, and the bullet shot back even faster than it came.
With a heavy thud, the farmer collapsed onto the dirt, dead from his own shotgun's bullet.
"A weak people." Raditz scoffed. "There's no way Kakarot could get himself killed by a race like this."
"Looks like he's been slacking off."
*Beep, beep, beep.* The scouter on Raditz buzzed.
"A powerful energy signature detected ahead. Distance: approximately 9,000 kilometers."
"Combat power of 600. Could that be Kakarot?"
He grinned at the reading. At the same time, the tension eased out of him.
*'Six hundred-plus combat power. If he transforms into Oozaru, that'll be 6,000. Still weaker than me, but enough to be useful in a fight.'*
With that thought, Raditz took off, flying toward the location the scouter had locked onto.
For reference, Raditz's combat power was 1,500, on the weaker side of warriors in the universe. However, Saiyans can transform into Oozaru. Once transformed, Raditz has a power level of 15,000. That number meant little during the Saiyans' golden age, but with most Saiyans gone, an ace like him could live comfortably in the universe, if he stayed out of trouble.
The Far West of the Dragon Ball World, the entrance to the Demon Realm: Shura City.
This place on Earth is the closest to pure darkness, cloaked year-round in thick dark fog that even the midday sun can't cut through.
It's also a haven for Demons. They're stronger and tougher than humans, but they fear sunlight so much they only dare show themselves in Shura City.
"My lord Shura." A pink, winged demon-monster knelt before a richly dressed young noble, offering up what it held. "This is the Dragon Ball you asked for."
The bead glowed with warm amber light, marked by a pattern of seven stars inside.
The Seven-Star Dragon Ball.
"Good. That's the last one." The young noble took the Dragon Ball and smiled. He then spat out six more from his mouth and lined them all up. As the seven Dragon Balls pulsed with light, he couldn't hide his excitement. "Finally... I can make my wish."
When all seven Dragon Balls come together, Shenron appears. He grants one wish to whoever gathers them.
"My lord, will you wish to find Demon King Piccolo?" asked a Horned Demon standing at the noble's side. "To bring back our King."
Shura, one of the three great generals under Piccolo five years ago. Five years back, he didn't go with Piccolo to the other-dimensional space. He stayed on Earth.
A laser beam struck the Horned Demon before he finished speaking. His body burned and crumbled, scattering to the wind.
"Hmph." Shura snorted. "My power's grown. I'm not who I was. As long as I don't fear sunlight, no one can touch me."
"Piccolo? A has-been Demon King."
Shura had grown stronger over time. He no longer feared Piccolo.
Piccolo had united Earth's villains five years ago, but vanished for five years after. No word, no return. His former followers claimed new lands. For villains, betrayal is business. They follow only strength.
"Remember this, I, Shura, am the true Demon King."
Silence fell among the demons. They feared him now. The Horned Demon had matched their strength, but one move and he was gone. If Shura turned on them, they'd be next.
Just as Shura was fantasizing, Raditz's voice cut in.
"Huh? It's not Kakarot after all."
Raditz slowly descended from the sky. After examining Shura from head to toe, he said, "On this low-class planet, there's actually someone like you with a combat power in the hundreds. If you're willing to swear loyalty to me and become my subordinate, I might consider letting you live."
His tone was arrogant, as if he were bestowing charity.
"Some human who appeared out of nowhere, and you have quite the attitude." While Raditz examined Shura, Shura did the same. The Demon Clan didn't care whether you were a Saiyan or an Earthling, to them, you were all just humans.
Feeling the surging power within Raditz, Shura's expression hardened. "Did you come to steal my Dragon Balls?"
"Dragon Balls?" Raditz was unfamiliar with the term, but that didn't stop him from feigning knowledge. His instincts told him the Dragon Balls were valuable, since Shura seemed tense about them being stolen. "That's right, the Dragon Balls you mentioned are mine now. Hand them over, and you can live."
Whatever they were, he'd take a look first.
Shura had expected as much. He firmly refused. "Impossible. These took me a lot of effort to gather. If you want to make a wish, go collect them yourself in a year."
Through Shura's brief explanation, Raditz had basically figured out what the Dragon Balls were.
'Balls that can grant any wish? Nice stuff. Now it's mine.'
His objective had shifted from finding Kakarot to seizing the Dragon Balls. A brother could be found anytime. But a wish-granting ball, once he missed this opportunity, there might not be another.
Seeing the rising greed in Raditz's eyes, Shura guessed what was on his mind.
"Stop him!"
With one command, countless Demons laughed as they surrounded Raditz. These Demons had bizarre appearances, but their strength was undeniable. Each one radiated a power that would be considered formidable to any martial artist from the universe.
Surrounded, Raditz showed no panic. After testing their combat power, he scoffed. "A bunch of small fry with combat powers under a hundred want to stop an Elite Warrior like me? It'll only take me thirty seconds to kill all of you."
Shura didn't care what Raditz said. While the Saiyan fought the Demons, he took the opportunity to hide with the Dragon Balls.
"Come forth, Shenron!" Shura raised his hands high and shouted.
As the incantation was spoken, the gloomy sky grew even darker. The massive Shenron appeared directly above Shura City.
"Is that wish granting dragon?" After easily taking care of the first wave of Demons, Raditz looked up at the colossal dragon.
After Kami's improvements, Shenron's body was even larger and more imposing. No longer looking like malnourished.
"Does it really grant wishes?"
Raditz hadn't fully believed it at first. Now, seeing Shenron, his doubts vanished.
'If I could wish for an immortal body, then even Vegeta wouldn't be a match for me.'
The thought crossed his mind, and Raditz suddenly grew impatient with the Demons he had been toying with. No one could resist the temptation of immortality.
"Get lost!"
Raditz swung his arm outward. The tremendous force destroyed half of Shura City, sweeping away all the Demons within. The display of power made the survivors hesitate. He sneered, then headed toward Shenron.
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