Vegeta jolted in surprise and turned around—Kaito was standing right behind him.
At the same time, Goku and Piccolo, fighting high in the sky, also sensed the commotion below. Both immediately stopped their battle and descended to the ground.
It wasn't their first time meeting; familiarity had already been built.
As soon as Goku saw Kaito, he grinned and waved cheerfully.
"Yo! Kaito-kun!"
Kaito smiled and nodded back. The Goku of the Z era really was the kind of guy who was easy to like—wise in his own foolish way.
As for the one in Super... well, that version was just plain dumb.
Compared to Goku, Piccolo and Vegeta looked visibly tense. They couldn't possibly act casual in front of someone whose power surpassed theirs by an unfathomable margin.
Behind Kaito, Bulma waved both hands energetically and shouted,
"Hey! Hey! Don't tell me you guys didn't even notice me!?"
"Huh? Oh, it's Bulma! What are you doing with Kaito?"
"Hmph! I know Kaito way better than you do! We're out collecting Dragon Balls today!"
"Dragon Balls?"
Vegeta's ears twitched. That was the very thing that had lured him to Earth in the first place... and turned him into this sorry state.
Goku scratched his head and said,
"So you're after the Four-Star Ball, right? I left it at home. I'll go grab it!"
Without another word, he flew off toward his house.
He didn't even bother asking Kaito why he needed the Dragon Balls. After all, he still felt grateful—if Kaito hadn't stepped in and subdued the Saiyans yesterday, Bulma and that entire city would have been reduced to ashes.
With Goku, even sharing a meal could make him remember you forever—let alone saving everyone's lives.
Not long after, Goku came flying back with the Four-Star Ball in hand... though a long scratch now ran across his face.
Bulma blinked curiously.
"Goku, what happened to your face?"
Goku sighed.
"Chi-Chi did that. She said I took Gohan out again without asking... and then I had the nerve to come home..."
Vegeta snorted coldly.
"Kakarot, you're a Saiyan, yet you let an Earth woman injure you? You've brought shame upon our entire race!"
"Hey! I told you, I'm an Earthling!"
"Hmph! You can say whatever you want, but the blood running through your veins doesn't lie!"
Bulma rubbed her forehead helplessly.
"Two idiots... is this really worth arguing about?"
Gohan took the chance to run up to Kaito and Bulma, smiling brightly.
"Kaito-san! Bulma-san! Hi!"
At this age, Gohan was truly adorable. Kaito crouched down, ruffling his hair with a smile.
"Hey there, Gohan!"
Bulma's smile bloomed instantly. She dug into her pocket, pulled out several bills, and shoved them into Gohan's hands with a generous grin.
"I didn't bring much today, but here—take it! Buy whatever you want!"
As Earth's richest woman, money to Bulma was basically the same as paper.
But Gohan shook his head politely.
"I'd better not... that doesn't feel right."
Bulma was about to insist, but Kaito stopped her with a chuckle.
"Let it go. Gohan's a good kid. If you really want to give him something, just buy him a few more sets of practice books next time—that'll do him more good."
Bulma froze, then muttered through gritted teeth after a long silence,
"Kaito, you're a devil..."
Gohan immediately shook his head like a rattle drum, frantically waving his hands.
"I don't want anything! Please don't buy me practice books! Mom already bought tons, and I haven't finished half of them yet!"
Hearing that, Kaito realized Chi-Chi's "raise-a-scholar" plan was already well underway. Thinking of the future "Nerd Gohan," Kaito could only sigh silently.
Meanwhile, Goku and Vegeta had finally stopped arguing. Goku seemed to have come out on top, judging by the smug grin on his face.
He strutted over, holding out the Four-Star Ball to Kaito.
"So, how many have you guys gathered already? Need a hand?"
Kaito snapped his fingers. Instantly, six glowing Dragon Balls floated out from his pocket dimension and hovered before Goku.
The sight made both Goku and Piccolo freeze in shock.
Goku swallowed hard, staring at the seven shining orbs.
"You've been collecting them all along?"
Before Kaito could reply, Bulma jumped in proudly.
"Wrong! From this morning till now—it's been less than half a day!"
Piccolo's face turned an even deeper shade of green. He looked at Kaito in disbelief.
Even with a Dragon Radar, gathering all seven in such a short time was impossible. Each one was scattered far apart—just flying between locations would take ages.
He couldn't begin to imagine how fast Kaito must have been moving. And to make things worse, he'd been carrying Bulma along!
Vegeta, not understanding the details, simply stared hungrily at the seven orbs floating before Kaito. His eyes burned with greed.
Kaito set the Dragon Balls on the ground and gestured for Bulma to say the words.
As soon as she finished the chant, the sky darkened. The seven orbs erupted in blinding golden light. A beam shot straight up into the heavens, coalescing into a massive, emerald-green dragon.
The Divine Dragon's entrance was as awe-inspiring as ever. Seeing it for the first time, Vegeta was completely dumbstruck—until a black seal suddenly plastered over his mouth.
"Mmmph!"
Vegeta's eyes bulged in outrage, unable to utter a single word. That, of course, was Kaito's handiwork. If Vegeta butted in now and ruined things, Kaito would have to wait another year to summon the dragon again.
The Divine Dragon's deep, resonant voice echoed from above, cold and majestic.
"What is your wish?"
But Kaito wasn't having it. He released just a hint of his aura—
And the Divine Dragon's face instantly changed. Even Bulma and the others were shocked; they had never seen the dragon make that kind of expression before.
A giant bead of sweat rolled down its massive head. The dragon stared at Kaito below, its tone now trembling and reverent.
"I-I did not realize a god had descended... may I know which divine being stands before me?"